Protective benefits of HDPE board sand fences in an environment with variable wind directions on Gobi surfaces:wind tunnel study

The Golmud-Korla Railway in the Gobi area faces operational challenges due to sand hazards,caused by strong and variable winds.This study addresses these challenges by conducting wind tunnel tests to evaluate the protective benefits of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)board sand fences,focusing on their orientation relative to various wind directions(referred to as'wind angle').This study found that the size of the low-velocity zone on the leeward side of the sand fences(LSF)expanded with an increase in the wind angle(WA).At 1H(the height of the sand fence)and 2H positions on the LSF,the wind speed profiles(WSP)exhibited a segmented logarithmic growth,constrained by Z=H at varying WAs.The efficacy of the sand fence in obstructing airflow escalated as WA increased.The size of the WA has a significant impact on the protective efficiency of HDPE board sand fences.Furthermore,compared to typical sandy surfaces,the rate of sand transport across the Gobi surface diminishes more slowly with height,attributed to the gravel's rebound effect.This phenomenon allows some sand particles to bypass the fences,rendering them less effective at blocking wind and trapping sand than in sandy environments.This paper offers scientific evidence supporting the practical use and enhancement of HDPE board sand fences in varied wind conditions.

Analysis of the mass of behind-armor debris generated by RHA subjected to normal penetration of variable cross-section EFP

Analyzing the mass of behind-armor debris (BAD) generated by Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) subjected to normal penetration of variable cross-section Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) is the purpose of this paper. So theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and experimental data are combined to analyze the influence of variable cross-section characteristic on the time history of crater radius. Moreover the relationships between time history of crater radius (as well as mass of BAD) and the thickness of RHA (from 30mm to 70 mm) and the impact velocity of EFP (1650 m/s to 1860 m/s) are also investigated. The results indicate that: 1) being compared to the variable cross-section characteristic is ignored, the theoretical time history of crater radius is in better agreement with the simulation results when the variable cross-section characteristic is considered;2) being compared to the other three conditions of plug, the theoretical mass of BAD is in the best agreement with the simulation results when the shape of plug is frustum of a cone and the angle between generatrix and bottom is 45- and the axial length of mushroom is considered.

Equivalent bending stiffness of simply supported preflex beam bridge with variable cross-section

In order to understand mechanical characters and find out a calculating method for preflex beams used in particular bridge engineering projects, two types of simply supported preflex beams with variable crosssection, preflex beam with alterative web depth and preflex beam with aherative steel flange thickness, are dis- cussed on how to achieve the equivalent moment of inertia and Young＇ s modulus. Additionally, methods of cal- culating the equivalent bending stiffness and post-cracking deflection are proposed. Results of the experiments on 6 beams agree well with the theoretical analysis, which proves the correctness of the proposed formulas.

Modeling and analysis of piezoelectric beam with periodically variable cross-sections for vibration energy harvesting

A bimorph piezoelectric beam with periodically variable cross-sections is used for the vibration energy harvesting. The effects of two geometrical parameters on the first band gap of this periodic beam are investigated by the generalized differential quadrature rule （GDQR） method. The GDQR method is also used to calculate the forced vibration response of the beam and voltage of each piezoelectric layer when the beam is subject to a sinusoidal base excitation. Results obtained from the analytical method are compared with those obtained from the finite element simulation with ANSYS, and good agreement is found. The voltage output of this periodic beam over its first band gap is calculated and compared with the voltage output of the uniform piezoelectric beam. It is concluded that this periodic beam has three advantages over the uniform piezoelectric beam, i.e., generating more voltage outputs over a wide frequency range, absorbing vibration, and being less weight.

Study of the Bearing Capacity at the Variable Cross-Section of A Riser- Surface Casing Composite Pile

Reducing the cost of offshore platform construction is an urgent issue for marginal oilfield development.The offshore oil well structure includes a riser and a surface casing.The riser,surface casing and oil well cement can be considered special variable cross-section piles.Replacing or partially replacing the steel pipe pile foundation with a variable cross-section pile to provide the required bearing capacity for an offshore oil platform can reduce the cost of foundation construction and improve the economic efficiency of production.In this paper,the finite element analysis method is used to investigate the variable cross-section bearing mode of composite piles composed of a riser and a surface casing in saturated clay under a vertical load.The calculation formula of the bearing capacity at the variable section is derived based on the theory of spherical cavity expansion,the influencing factors of the bearing capacity coefficient N_(c) are revealed,and the calculation method of N_(c) is proposed.By comparing the calculation results with the results of the centrifuge test,the accuracy and applicability of the calculation method are verified.The results show that the riser composite pile has a rigid core in the soil under the variable cross-section,which increases the bearing capacity at the variable cross-section.

The development of real time data driving multi-axis linkage and synergic movement control system of 3D variable cross-section roll forming machine

The three dimensional variable cross-section roll forming is a kind of new metal forming technol- ogy which combines large forming force, multi-axis linkage movement and space synergic movement, and the sequential synergic movement of the ganged roller group is used to complete the metal sheet forming according to the shape of the complicated and variable forming part data. The control system should meet the demands of quick response to the test requirements of the product part. A new kind of real time data driving multi-axis linkage and synergic movement control strategy of 3D roll forming is put forward in the paper. In the new control strategy, the forming data are automatically generated according to the shape of the parts, and the multi-axis linkage movement together with cooperative motion among the six stands of the 3D roll forming machine is driven by the real-time information, and the control nodes are also driven by the forming data. The new control strategy is applied to a 48 axis 3D roll forming machine developed by our research center, and the control servo period is less than 10ms. A forming experiment of variable cross section part is carried out, and the forming preci- sion is better than ＋ 0.5mm by the control strategy. The result of the experiment proves that the control strategy has significant potentiality for the development of 3D roll forming production line with large scale, multi-axis ganged and svner^ic movement

CFD-Based Numerical Analysis of a Variable Cross-Section Cylinder

Using ANSYS-CFX, a general purpose fluid dynamics program, the vortex-induced vibration(VIV) of a variable cross-section cylinder is simulated under uniform current with high Reynolds numbers. Large eddy simulation(LES) is conducted for studying the fluid-structure interaction. The vortex shedding in the wake, the motion trajectories of a cylinder, the variation of drag and lift forces on the cylinder are analyzed. The results show that the vortices of variable cross-section cylinder are chaotic and are varying along the cylinder. In places where cross-sections are changing significantly, the vortices are more irregular. The motion trail of the cylinder is almost the same but irregular. The drag and lift coefficients of the cylinder are varying with the changes of diameters.

In-Plane Impact Dynamics Analysis of Re-Entrant Honeycomb with Variable Cross-Section

Due to the unique deformation characteristics of auxetic materials(Poisson’s ratioμ<0),they have better shock resistance and energy absorption properties than traditional materials.Inspired by the concept of variable crosssection design,a new auxetic re-entrant honeycomb structure is designed in this study.The detailed design method of re-entrant honeycomb with variable cross-section(VCRH)is provided,and five VCRH structures with the same relative density and different cross-section change rates are proposed.The in-plane impact resistance and energy absorption abilities of VCRH under constant velocity are investigated by ABAQUS/EXPLICIT.The results show that the introduction of variable cross-section design can effectively improve the impact resistance and energy absorption abilities of auxetic re-entrant honeycombs.The VCRH structure has better Young’s modulus,plateau stress,and specific energy absorption(SEA)than traditional re-entrant honeycomb(RH).The influence of microstructure parameters(such as cross-section change rateα)on the dynamic impact performance of VCRH is also studied.Results show that,with the increase in impact velocity andα,the plateau stress and SEA of VCRH increase.A positive correlation is also found between the energy absorption efficiency,impact load uniformity andαunder both medium and high impact speeds.These results can provide a reference for designing improved auxetic re-entrant honeycomb structures.

Dynamic symmetry breaking and structure-preserving analysis on thelongitudinal wave in an elastic rod with a variable cross-section

The longitudinal wave propagating in an elastic rod with a variable cross-section owns wide engineering background,in which the longitudinal wave dissipation determines some important performances of the slender structure.To reproduce the longitudinal wave dissipation effects on an elastic rod with a variable cross-section,a structure-preserving approach is developed based on the dynamic symmetry breaking theory.For the dynamic model controlling the longitudinal wave propagating in the elastic rod with the variable cross-section,the approximate multi-symplectic form is deduced based on the multi-symplectic method,and the expression of the local energy dissipation for the longitudinal wave propagating in the rod is presented,referring to the dynamic symmetry breaking theory.A structure-preserving method focusing on the residual of the multi-symplectic structure and the local energy dissipation of the dynamic model is constructed by using the midpoint difference discrete method.The longitudinal wave propagating in an elastic rod fixed at one end is simulated,and the local/total energy dissipations of the longitudinal wave are investigated by the constructed structure-preserving scheme in two typical cases in detail.

Numerical Analysis of Flow-Induced Vibration and Noise Generation in a Variable Cross-Section Channel

Flow channels with a variable cross-section are important components of piping system and are widely used in variousfields of engineering.Using afinite element method and modal analysis theory,flow-induced noise,mode shapes,and structure-borne noise in such systems are investigated in this study.The results demonstrate that the maximum displacement and equivalent stress are located in the part with variable cross-sectional area.The aver-age excitation force on theflow channel wall increases with theflow velocity.The maximum excitation force occurs in the range of 0–20 Hz,and then it decreases gradually in the range of 20–1000 Hz.Additionally,as theflow velocity rises from 1 to 3 m/s,the overall sound pressure level associated with theflow-induced noise grows from 49.37 to 66.37 dB.Similarly,the overall sound pressure level associated with the structure-borne noise rises from 40.27 to 72.20 dB.When theflow velocity is increased,the increment of the structure-borne noise is higher than that of theflow-induced noise.

THE APPROXIMATE ANALYTICAL SOLUTION FOR THE BUCKLING LOADS OF A THIN-WALLED BOX COLUMN WITH VARIABLE CROSS-SECTION

For a thin-walled box column with variable cross-section, the three governing equations for torsional-flexural buckling are ordinary differential equations of the second or fourth order with variable coefficients, so it is very difficult to solve them by means of an analytic method. In this paper, polynomials are used to approximate the geometric properties of cross-section and certain coefficients of the differential equations. Based on the energy principle and the Galerkin's method, the approximate formulas for calculating the flexural and torsional buckling loads of this kind of columns are developed respectively, and numerical examples are used to verify the correctness of the solutions obtained. The results calculated in this paper provide the basis for demonstrating the stability of thin-walled box columns with variable cross-section. This paper is of practical value.

Aerodynamic effects on a railway tunnel with partially changed cross-sectional area

The present study numerically explored the aerodynamic performance of a novel railway tunnel with a partially reduced cross-section.The impact of the reduction rate of the tunnel cross-section on wave transmissions was analyzed based on the three-dimensional,unsteady,compressible,and RNG k-εturbulence model.The results highlight that the reduction rate(S)most affects pressure configurations at the middle tunnel segment,followed by the enlarged segments near access,and finally the exit.The strength of the newly generated compression wave at the tunnel junction where the cross-section abruptly changes increases exponentially with the decrease of the cross-sectional area.The maximum peak-to-peak pressureΔP on the tunnel and train surface for non-uniform tunnels is reduced by 10.7%and 13.8%,respectively,compared with those of equivalent uniform tunnels.Overall,the economic analysis suggests that the aerodynamic performance of the developed tunnel prototype surpasses those conventional tunnels based on the same excavated volume.

Hyperstatic reaction method for calculations of tunnels with horseshoe-shaped cross-section under the impact of earthquakes

Tunnels are now an integral part of the infrastructure in major cities around the world. For many reasons, these tunnels have horseshoe-shaped cross-sections with round top and flat bottom. This paper presents some improvements to the use of the Hyperstatic Reaction Method-HRM for analysing tunnels with horseshoe-shaped cross-sections when these tunnels operate under the influence of earthquakes, particularly in cases when the tunnel lining is a continuous lining. The analysis used parameters of a tunnel from the Hanoi metro system, as well as parameters of the strongest earthquake that may occur in the central Hanoi area in the improved HRM and 2 D numerical methods using the ABAQUS software. On the basis of the results obtained, the paper gives conclusions about the HRM methodology when it is used to calculate tunnels that have horseshoe cross-sections operating under the influence of earthquakes.

Possible Nodeless Superconducting Gaps in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_(8+δ) and YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-x) Revealed by Cross-Sectional Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy

Pairing in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors and its origin remain among the most enduring mysteries in condensed matter physics. With cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, we clearly reveal the spatial-dependence or inhomogeneity of the superconducting gap structure of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8＋δ （Bi2212） and YBa2Cu3O7-x （YBCO） along their c-axes on a scale shorter than the interlayer spacing. By tunneling into the （100） plane of a Bi2212 single crystal and a YBCO film, we observe both U-shaped tunneling spectra with extended fiat zero-conductance bottoms, and V-shaped gap structures, in different regions of each sample. On the YBCO film, tunneling into a （110） surface only reveals a U-shaped gap without any zero-bias peak. Our analysis suggests that the U-shaped gap is likely a nodeless superconducting gap. The V-shaped gap has a very small amplitude, and is likely proximity-induced by regions having the larger U-shaped gap.

Does the ratio of the carpal tunnel inlet and outlet cross-sectional areas in the median nerve reflect carpal tunnel syndrome severity?

Although ultrasound measurements have been used in previous studies on carpal tunnel syndrome to visualize injury to the median nerve, whether such ultrasound data can indicate the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome remains controversial. The cross-sectional areas of the median nerve at the tunnel inlet and outlet can show swelling and compression of the nerve at the carpal. We hypothesized that the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet to outlet accurately reflects the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome. To test this, high-resolution ultrasound with a linear array transducer at 5–17 MHz was used to assess 77 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. The results showed that the cut-off point for the inlet-to-outlet ratio was 1.14. Significant differences in the inlet-to-outlet ratio were found among patients with mild, moderate, and severe carpal tunnel syndrome. The cut-off point in the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the median nerve was 1.29 between mild and more severe（moderate and severe） carpal tunnel syndrome patients with 64.7% sensitivity and 72.7% specificity. The cut-off point in the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the median nerve was 1.52 between the moderate and severe carpal tunnel syndrome patients with 80.0% sensitivity and 64.7% specificity. These results suggest that the inlet-to-outlet ratio reflected the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Stability evaluation method of large cross-section tunnel considering modification of thickness-span ratio in mechanized operation

Purpose-This study aims to research the large cross-section tunnel stability evaluation method corrected after considering the thickness-span ratio.Design/methodology/approach-First,taking the Liuyuan Tunnel of Huanggang-Huangmei High-Speed Railway as an example and taking deflection of the third principal stress of the surrounding rock at a vault after tunnel excavation as the criterion,the critical buried depth of the large section tunnel was determined.Then,the strength reduction method was employed to calculate the tunnel safety factor under different rock classes and thickness-span ratios,and mathematical statistics was conducted to identify the relationships of the tunnel safety factor with the thickness-span ratio and the basic quality(BQ)index of the rock for different rock classes.Finally,the influences of thickness-span ratio,groundwater,initial stress of rock and structural attitude factors were considered to obtain the corrected BQ,based on which the stability of a large cross-section tunnel with a depth of more than 100 m during mechanized operation was analyzed.This evaluation method was then applied to Liuyuan Tunnel and Cimushan No.2 Tunnel of Chongqing Urban Expressway for verification.Findings-This study shows that under different rock classes,the tunnel safety factor is a strict power function of the thickness-span ratio,while a linear function of the BQ to some extent.It is more suitable to use the corrected BQ as a quantitative index to evaluate tunnel stability according to the actual conditions of the site.Originality/value-The existing industry standards do not consider the influence of buried depth and span in the evaluation of tunnel stability.The stability evaluation method of large section tunnel considering the correction of overburden span ratio proposed in this paper achieves higher accuracy for the stability evaluation of surrounding rock in a full or large-section mechanized excavation of double line high-speed railway tunnels.

Failure analysis and control technology of intersections of large‑scale variable cross‑section roadways in deep soft rock

In deep underground mining,achieving stable support for roadways along with long service life is critical and the complex geological environment at such depths frequently presents a major challenge.Owing to the coupling action of multiple factors such as deep high stress,adjacent faults,cross-layer design,weak lithology,broken surrounding rock,variable cross-sections,wide sections up to 9.9 m,and clusters of nearby chambers,there was severe deformation and breakdown in the No.10 intersection of the roadway of large-scale variable cross-section at the−760 m level in a coal mine.As there are insufcient examples in engineering methods pertaining to the geological environment described above,the numerical calculation model was oversimplifed and support theory underdeveloped;therefore,it is imperative to develop an efective support system for the stability and sustenance of deep roadways.In this study,a quantitative analysis of the geological environment of the roadway through feld observations,borehole-scoping,and ground stress testing is carried out to establish the FLAC 3D variable cross-section crossing roadway model.This model is combined with the strain softening constitutive(surrounding rock)and Mohr–Coulomb constitutive(other deep rock formations)models to construct a compression arch mechanical model for deep soft rock,based on the quadratic parabolic Mohr criterion.An integrated control technology of bolting and grouting that is mainly composed of a high-strength hollow grouting cable bolt equipped with modifed cement grouting materials and a high-elongation cable bolt is developed by analyzing the strengthening properties of the surrounding rock before and after bolting,based on the Heok-Brown criterion.As a result of on-site practice,the following conclusions are drawn:(1)The plastic zone of the roof of the cross roadway is approximately 6 m deep in this environment,the tectonic stress is nearly 30 MPa,and the surrounding rock is severely fractured.(2)The deformation of the roadway progressively increases from small to large cross-sections,almost doubling at the largest cross-section.The plastic zone is concentrated at the top plate and shoulder and decreases progressively from the two sides to the bottom corner.The range of stress concentration at the sides of the intersection roadway close to the passageway is wider and higher.(3)The 7 m-thick reinforced compression arch constructed under the strengthening support scheme has a bearing capacity enhanced by 1.8 to 2.3 times and increase in thickness of the bearing structure by 1.76 times as compared to the original scheme.(4)The increase in the mechanical parameters c andφof the surrounding rock after anchoring causes a signifcant increase inσt;the pulling force of the cable bolt beneath the new grouting material is more than twice that of ordinary cement grout,and according to the test,the supporting stress feld shows that the 7.24 m surrounding rock is compacted and strengthened in addition to providing a strong foundation for the bolt(cable).On-site monitoring shows that the 60-days convergence is less than 30 mm,indicating that the stability control of the roadway is successful.

Structural Design and Control of Variable Camber Wing Driven by Ultrasonic Motors

A novel variable camber wing driven by ultrasonic motors is proposed.Key techniques of distributed layout of drive mechanisms,coordination control of distributed ultrasonic motors as well as novel flexible skin undergoing one-dimensional morphing are studied.The system integration of small variable camber wing is achieved.Distributed layout of parallelogram linkages driven by geared ultrasonic motors is adopted for morphing,aimed at reducing the load for each motor and producing various aerodynamic configurations suitable for different flying states.Programmable system-on-chip(PSoC)is used to realize the coordination control of the distributed ultrasonic motors.All the morphing driving systems are assembled in the interior of the wing.The wing surface is covered with a novel smooth flexible skin in order to maintain wing shape and decrease the aerodynamic drag during morphing.Wind tunnel test shows that the variable camber wing can realize morphing under low speed flight condition.Lift and drag characteristics and aerodynamic efficiency of the wing are improved.Appropriate configurations can be selected to satisfy aerodynamic requirements of different flight conditions.The study provides a practical application of piezoelectric precision driving technology in flow control.

Design and test of pneumatic artificial muscle driven variable trailing-edge camber wing

A variable camber wing driven by pneumatic artificial muscles is developed in this paper. Firstly, the experimental setup to measure the static output force of pneumatic artificial muscle is designed and the relationship between the static output force and the air pressure is investigated. Experimental results show that the static output force of pneumatic artificial muscle decreases nonlinearly with the increase of contraction ratio. Secondly, the model of variable camber wing driven by pneumatic artificial muscles is manufactured to validate the variable camber concept. Finally, wind tunnel tests are conducted in the low speed wind tunnel. It is found that the wing camber increases with the increase of air pressure. When the air pressure of PAMs is 0.4 MPa and 0.5 MPa, the tip displacement of the trailing-edge is 3 mm and 5 mm, respectively. The lift of aerofoil with flexible trailing-edge increases by 87% at AOA of 5°.

Design of a continuously variable Mach-number nozzle

A design method was developed to specify the profile of the continuously variable Mach-number nozzle for the supersonic wind tunnel. The controllable contour design technique was applied to obtaining the original nozzle profile, while other Machnumbers were derived from the transformation of the original profile. A design scheme, covering a Mach-number range of3.0<Ma<4.0, was shown to illustrate the present design technique. To fully validate the present design method, computational fluid dynamics(CFD) analyses were carried out to study the flow quality in the test area of the nozzle. The computed results indicate that exit uniform flow is obtained with 1.19% of the maximal Mach-number deviation at the nozzle exit. The present design method achieves the continuously variable Mach-number flow during a wind tunnel running.