One-piece coal mine mobile refuge chamber with safety structure and less sealing risk based on FEA

In order to reduce the risk of sealing and improve the structural strength for a coal mine mobile refuge chamber,a new type of one-piece model was designed.Mechanical and mathematical calculation performed an important role.Calculated according to statics and relevant contents,the structure had the same total volume as the traditional segmented structure,but had shorter length,wider width and greater height.Those prevented the structure from stress or deformation failure.Some reinforcing ribs with enough moments of inertia were welded in the external shell.Because of the one-piece structure,this refuge chamber reduced the risk of sealing which was a serious problem of segmented structure.Impact load with 300 ms duration and0.6 MPa over-pressure was settled.Explicit nonlinear dynamic analysis program was used to simulate the response of the refuge chamber.The maximum stress and the maximum displacement were obtained.The refuge chamber including blast airtight doors could meet the rigidity requirement.Weak parts of the chamber were the front and back end shell where bigger displacement values occurred than others.Thus,the calculation indicated that the refuge chamber could meet structural safety requirements.Based on the numerical analysis,suggestions were put forward for further resistance ability improvement.Only large inclined shaft with larger wellhead was suitable for this one-piece coal mine mobile refuge chamber.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach for Predicting Pipeline Response to Various Blast Scenarios: A Numerical Modeling Study

Recent industrial explosions globally have intensified the focus in mechanical engineering on designing infras-tructure systems and networks capable of withstanding blast loading.Initially centered on high-profile facilities such as embassies and petrochemical plants,this concern now extends to a wider array of infrastructures and facilities.Engineers and scholars increasingly prioritize structural safety against explosions,particularly to prevent disproportionate collapse and damage to nearby structures.Urbanization has further amplified the reliance on oil and gas pipelines,making them vital for urban life and prime targets for terrorist activities.Consequently,there is a growing imperative for computational engineering solutions to tackle blast loading on pipelines and mitigate associated risks to avert disasters.In this study,an empty pipe model was successfully validated under contact blast conditions using Abaqus software,a powerful tool in mechanical engineering for simulating blast effects on buried pipelines.Employing a Eulerian-Lagrangian computational fluid dynamics approach,the investigation extended to above-surface and below-surface blasts at standoff distances of 25 and 50 mm.Material descriptions in the numerical model relied on Abaqus’default mechanical models.Comparative analysis revealed varying pipe performance,with deformation decreasing as explosion-to-pipe distance increased.The explosion’s location relative to the pipe surface notably influenced deformation levels,a key finding highlighted in the study.Moreover,quantitative findings indicated varying ratios of plastic dissipation energy(PDE)for different blast scenarios compared to the contact blast(P0).Specifically,P1(25 mm subsurface blast)and P2(50 mm subsurface blast)showed approximately 24.07%and 14.77%of P0’s PDE,respectively,while P3(25 mm above-surface blast)and P4(50 mm above-surface blast)exhibited lower PDE values,accounting for about 18.08%and 9.67%of P0’s PDE,respectively.Utilising energy-absorbing materials such as thin coatings of ultra-high-strength concrete,metallic foams,carbon fiber-reinforced polymer wraps,and others on the pipeline to effectively mitigate blast damage is recommended.This research contributes to the advancement of mechanical engineering by providing insights and solutions crucial for enhancing the resilience and safety of underground pipelines in the face of blast events.

Pressure waves acting on wall of a tunnel and their impact on the tunnel's structural safety

The transient pressures induced by trains passing through a tunnel and their impact on the structural safety of the tunnel lining were numerically analyzed.The results show that the pressure change increases rapidly along the tunnel length,and the maximum value is observed at around 200 m from the entrance,while the maximum pressure amplitude is detected at 250 m from the entrance when two trains meeting in a double-track tunnel.The maximum peak pressure on the tunnel induced by a train passing through a 70 m^(2) single-track tunnel,100 m^(2) double-track tunnel and two trains meeting in the 100 m^(2) double-track tunnel at 350 km/h,are−4544 Pa,−3137 Pa and−5909 Pa,respectively.The aerodynamic pressure induced axial forces acting on the tunnel lining are only 8%,5%and 9%,respectively,of those generated by the earth pressure.It seems that the aerodynamic loads exert little underlying influence on the static strength safety of the tunnel lining providing that the existing cracks and defects are not considered.

Structural safety monitoring for Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge

In order to evaluate objectively and accurately the integrity, safety and operating conditions in real time for the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, a large structural safety monitoring system was described. The monitoring system is composed of three parts: sensor system, signal sampling and processing system, and safety monitoring and assessment system. Combining theoretical analysis with measured data analysis, main monitoring contents and layout of measuring points were determined. The vibration response monitoring was significantly investigated. The main contents of safety monitoring on vibration response monitoring are vibration of the main body of the Nanjing Yangtze river bridge, collision avoidance of the bridge piers, vibration of girders on high piers for the bridge approach and earthquake. As a field laboratory, the safety monitorying system also provides information to investigate the unknown and indeterminate problems on bridge structures and specific environment around bridges.

Studies on structural safety in stochastically excited Duffing oscillator with double potential wells

The effects of the Gaussian white noise excitation on structural safety due to erosion of safe basin in Duffing oscillator with double potential wells are studied in the present paper. By employing the well-developed stochastic Melnikov condition and Monte-Carlo method, various eroded basins are simulated in deterministic and stochastic cases of the system, and the ratio of safe initial points （RSIP） is presented in some given limited domain defined by the system＇s Hamiltonian for various parameters or first-passage times. It is shown that structural safety control becomes more difficult when the noise excitation is imposed on the system, and the fractal basin boundary may also appear when the system is excited by Gaussian white noise only. From the RSIP results in given limited domain, sudden discontinuous descents in RSIP curves may occur when the system is excited by harmonic or stochastic forces, which are different from the customary continuous ones in view of the firstpassage problems. In addition, it is interesting to find that RSIP values can even increase with increasing driving amplitude of the external harmonic excitation when the Gaussian white noise is also present in the system.

Safety-efficiency trade-offs in the cotton xylem：acclimatization to different soil textures

The acclimatization of plant xylem to altered environmental conditions has attracted considerable attention from researchers over several decades. Plants growing in natural environments must seek a balance between water uptake and the water loss of leaves from evaporation. Thus, the adaptation of xylem to different soil textures is important in maintaining plant water balance. In this study, we investigated the xylem changes of cotton（Gossypium herbaceum L.） xylem in sandy, clay and mixed soils. Results showed that soil texture had a significant effect on xylem vessel diameter and length of stems and roots. Compared with G. herbaceum growing in the clay soil, those plants growing in the sandy soil developed narrower and shorter xylem vessels in their roots, and had a higher percentage of narrow vessels in their stems. These changes resulted in a safer（i.e. less vulnerable to cavitation）, but less-efficient water transport system when soil water availability was low, supporting the hydraulic safety versus efficiency trade-off hypothesis. Furthermore, in sandy and mixed soils, the root： shoot ratio of G. herbaceum increased twofold, which ensures the same efficiency of leaves. In summary, our finding indicates that the morphological plasticity of xylem structure in G. herbaceum has a major role in the acclimatization of this plant species to different soil textures.

Current State of Numerical Simulations and Testing for the Blast and Impact Protection of the Build Civil Engineering Infrastructure

The identification of the critical infrastructure has shown that the build civil engineering infrastructure is almost involved everywhere, even with the IT-infrastructure. Therefore, the passive safety of structures is demanded. Security associations have analysed that most assaults came along with explosion and impact scenarios, which amount in 80% of assaults. Consequently, these are the extraordinary loads the structures have to be planned and designed for. To carry out such an engineering job, the engineer has to be educated in multiple disciplines as physics, material science , continuum mechanics, numerical mechanics, testing, structural engineering and related specific fields as wave propagation etc. In this paper we will concentrate on the subjects of numerical simulation and testing.

Building fitment versus building safety

In view of the hidden perils concerning building safety in the design, material selection, and construction during current building fitment, the authors have analyzed the influence of main-body safety, fitment components safety, the connection between fitment component and main body, and structural safety upon building safety during building fitment. Environmental safety relating to fitment construction, and choice and use of fitment materials should be taken into consideration during building fitment. The authors have proposed a series of measures to solve the impact of building fitment upon building safety.

Investigation of Structural System Safety

In order to investigate the behavior of buildings and engineering structures during earthquakes, based on the data of seismic observation devices mounted on constructions with typical characteristics, results of investigating the change of mechanical properties of building structural system over time and the results of examination of structural rigidity and safety change over time, depending on the dynamic characteristics of the building, determined by experimental investigations made at intervals are mentioned in this article. In addition, evaluation of earthquake acceleration acting on structures due to earthquake-induced damage characteristics of buildings and engineering constructions which are made earthquake resistant is also included here.

Reinforcement strength reduction in FEM for mechanically stabilized earth structures

The factor of safety of mechanically stabilized earth(MSE) structures can be analyzed either using limit equilibrium method(LEM) or strength reduction method(SRM) in finite element/difference method. In LEM, the strengths of the reinforcement members and soils are reduced with the same factor. While using the SRM, only soil strength is reduced during the calculation of the factor of safety. This causes inconsistence in calculating the factor of safety of the MSE structures. To overcome this, an iteration method is proposed to consider the strength reduction of the reinforcements in SRM. The method is demonstrated by using PLAXIS, a finite element software. The results show that the factor of safety converges after a few iterations. The reduction of strength has different effects on the factor of safety depending on the properties of the reinforcements and the soil, and failure modes.

3D Simulation of Battery Fire on a Large Steel Frame Structure due to Depleted Battery Piles

Lithium ion batteries(LIB)can rupture and result in thermal runaway and battery fires.In the process of transporting lithium ion batteries using trains,the massive collection of batteries can cause train fire and pose sig­nificant danger to the public.This is especially critical when the fire occurs amid a heavily populated metropolitan environment.This paper reports the 3D analysis of a warehouse with possible train fire due to LIB rupture and the fire propagation at a rail yard.Six critical fire cases with the battery train in close vicinity to the warehouse were considered.The six fire cases are the worst-case scenarios of a Monte Carlo simulation of different fire cases that may occur to an actual steel storage facility at the Capital Rail­yard,Raleigh,North Carolina.A 3D finite element(FE)frame model was constructed for the steel warehouse and the most critical fire cases were simulated.The results indicated that several structural components of the warehouse would experience large stresses and deflections during the sim­ulated battery fires and resulting in instability to the structure.Specifically,members of the roof frame represent the most critical elements and that the members can result in large deformations as early as 4 minutes after the fire starts.Furthermore,effective utilization of fire protection can delay some­what the fire effects and extend time to failure to 45 minutes and in one of the simulated cases,prevent structural instability.Thus,fire from LIB waste transport using train is a very realistic problem due to the thermal runaway,and the analysis performed in current study can be used as a preventive investigation technique for buildings that may be exposed to the train fire risk.

Battery Train Fire Risk on a Steel Warehouse Structure

Lithium ion battery fire hazard has been well-documented in a variety of applications.Recently,battery train technology has been introduced as a clean energy concept for railway.In the case of heavy locomotives such as trains,the massive collection of battery stacks required to meet energy demands may pose a significant hazard.The objective of this paper is to review the risk evaluation processes for train fires and investigate the propagation of lithium ion battery fire to a neighboring steel warehouse structure at a rail repair shop through a case study.The methodology of the analyses conducted include a Monte Carlo-based dynamic modeling of fire propagation potentials,an expert-based fire impact analysis,and a finite element(FE)nonlinear fire analysis on the structural frame.The case study is presented as a demonstration of a holistic fire risk analysis for the lithium ion battery fire and results indicate that significant battery fire mitigations strategies should be considered.

A statistical approach to determine 2D optimal equivalent linear parameters with application to earthquake engineering

The equivalent linearization method approximates the maximum displacement response of nonlinear structures through the corresponding equivalent linear system. By using the particle swarm optimization technique, a new statistical approach is developed to determine the key parameters of such an equivalent linear system over a 2D space of period and damping ratio. The new optimization criterion realizes the consideration of the structural safety margin in the equivalent linearization method when applied to the performance-based seismic design/evaluation of engineering structures. As an application, equations for equivalent system parameters of both bilinear hysteretic and stiffness degrading single-degree-of- freedom systems are deduced with the assumption of a constant ductility ratio. Error analyses are also performed to validate the proposed approach.

Characteristics of fault zones and their control on remaining oil distribution at the fault edge: a case study from the northern Xingshugang Anticline in the Daqing Oilfield, China

Most major oil zones in the Daqing Oilfield have reached a later,high water cut stage,but oil recovery is still only approximately 35%,and 50%of reserves remain to be recovered.The remaining oil is primarily distributed at the edge of faults,in poor sand bodies,and in insufficiently injected and produced areas.Therefore,the edge of faults is a major target for remaining oil enrichment and potential tapping.Based on the dynamic change of production from development wells determined by the injection-recovery relationship at the edge of faults,we analyzed the control of structural features of faults on remaining oil enrichment at the edge.Our results show that the macroscopic structural features and their geometric relationship with sand bodies controlled remaining oil enrichment zones like the edges of NNE-striking faults,the footwalls of antithetic faults,the hard linkage segments（two faults had linked together with each other to form a bigger through-going fault）,the tips of faults,and the oblique anticlines of soft linkages.Fault edges formed two types of forward microamplitude structures：（1） the tilted uplift of footwalls controlled by inverse fault sections and（2） the hanging-wall horizontal anticlines controlled by synthetic fault points.The remaining oil distribution was controlled by microamplitude structures.Consequently,such zones as the tilted uplift of the footwall of the NNW-striking antithetic faults with a fault throw larger than 40 m,the hard linkage segments,the tips of faults,and the oblique anticlines of soft linkage were favorable for tapping the remaining oil potential.Multi-target directional drilling was used for remaining oil development at fault edges.Reasonable fault spacing was determined on the basis of fault combinations and width of the shattered zone.Well core and log data revealed that the width of the shattered zone on the side of the fault core was less than 15 m in general;therefore,the distance from a fault to the development target should be larger than 15 m.Vertically segmented growth faults should take the separation of the lateral overlap of faults into account.Therefore,the safe distance of remaining oil well deployment at the fault edge should be larger than the sum of the width of shattered zone in faults and the separation of growth faults by vertical segmentation.

Energy-Based Approach to Structural Robustness

The robustness analysis is conducted from the viewpoint of energy. A new method to robustness appraisal is developed, in which a dimensionless form of the amount of energy that the structure absorbs serves as a robustness index. A flexural member is adopted for illustrative purpose. Furthermore, the relationships between the robustness index and the ratio of ultimate strain to yield strain of four typical members are defined. It is shown that the index proposed herein can reflect the influence of member behavior in terms of robustness. Finally, methods of ensuring structural robustness are discussed.

Rock Pressure on Tunnel with Shallow Depth in Geologically Inclined Bedding Strata

The method to calculate rock pressure to which the lining structure of tunnel with shallow depth is subjected in geologically inclined bedding strata is analyzed and put forward. Both the inclination angle of bedding strata as well as the internal friction angle of bedding plane and its cohesion all exert an influence upon the magnitude of the asymmetric rock pressure applied to tunnel. The feature that rock pressure applied to tunnel structure varies with the incUnation angle of bedding strata is discussed, At last, the safety factor, which is utilized to evaluate the working state of tunnel lining structure, is calculated for both symmetric and asymmetric lining structures. The calculation results elucidate that the asymmetric tunnel structure can be more superior to bear rock pressure in comparison with the symmetric one and should be adopted in engineering as far as possible.

aging structures in the presence of incomplete deterioration information

The performance of an aging structure is commonly evaluated under the framework of reliability analysis, where the uncertainties associated with the structural resistance and loads should be taken into account. In practical engineering, the probability distribution of resistance deterioration is often inaccessible due to the limits of available data, although the statistical parameters such as mean value and standard deviation can be obtained by fitting or empirical judgments. As a result, an error of structural reliability may be introduced when an arbitrary probabilistic distribution is assumed for the resistance deterioration. With this regard, in this paper, the amount of reliability error posed by different choices of deterioration distribution is investigated, and a novel approach is proposed to evaluate the averaged structural reliability under incomplete deterioration information, which does not rely on the probabilistic weight of the candidate deterioration models. The reliability for an illustrative structure is computed parametrically for varying probabilistic models of deterioration and different resistance conditions, through which the reliability associated with different deterioration models is compared, and the application of the proposed method is illustrated.

Strength analysis of molten salt tanks for concentrating solar power plants

Promoting the development of concentrating solar power(CSP)is critical to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.Molten salt tanks are important thermal energy storage components in CSP systems.In this study,the cold and hot tanks of a 100 MW CSP plant in China were used as modeling prototypes.The materials and geometric models were determined based on related specifications and engineering experience.Mechanical characteristics of the tanks under steady condition,including the deformation,stress distribution,and stress concentration,were simulated and calculated.Furthermore,the strength of the tank walls was evaluated.The findings can be used as a reference for designing the molten salt storage tank and reducing the risk during the operation.

Bridge Continuous Deformation Measurement Technology Based on Fiber Optic Gyro

Bridge is an important part of modem transportation systems and deformation is a key index for bridge＇s safety evaluation. To achieve the long span bridge curve measurement rapidly and timely and accurately locate the bridge maximum deformation, the continuous deformation measurement system （CDMS） based on inertial platform is presented and validated in this paper. Firstly, based on various bridge deformation measurement methods, the method of deformation measurement based on the fiber optic gyro （FOG） is introduced. Secondly, the basic measurement principle based on FOG is presented and the continuous curve trajectory is derived by the formula. Then the measurement accuracy is analyzed in theory and the relevant factors are presented to ensure the measurement accuracy. Finally, the deformation measurement experiments are conducted on a bridge across the Yangtze River. Experimental results show that the presented deformation measurement method is feasible, practical, and reliable; the system can accurately and quickly locate the maximum deformation and has extensive and broad application prospects.