Fully automatic finite element (FE) modelling of the fracture process in quasi-brittle materials such as concrete and rocks and ductile materials such as metals and alloys, is of great significance in assessing structural integrity and presents tremendous challenges to the engineering community. One challenge lies in the adoption of an objective and effective crack propagation criterion. This paper proposes a crack propagation criterion based on the principle of energy conservation and the cohesive zone model (CZM). The virtual crack extension technique is used to calculate the differential terms in the criterion. A fully-automatic discrete crack modelling methodology, integrating the developed criterion, the CZM to model the crack, a simple remeshing procedure to accommodate crack propagation, the J2 flow theory implemented within the incremental plasticity framework to model the ductile materials, and a local arc-length solver to the nonlinear equation system, is developed and implemented in an in-house program. Three examples, i.e., a plain concrete beam with a single shear crack, a reinforced concrete (RC) beam with multiple cracks and a compact-tension steel specimen, are simulated. Good agreement between numerical predictions and experimental data is found, which demonstrates the applicability of the criterion to both quasi-brittle and ductile materials.

A new control strategy based on modal energy criterion is proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control system in reducing structural earthquake responses. The modal control algorithm combining LQR (linear quadratic regulator) control algorithm is adopted in the discrete time-history analysis. The various modal energy forms are derived by definition of the generalized absolute displacement vector. A preliminary numerical study of the effectiveness of this control strategy is carried out on a 20-storey framed steel structural model. The controlled performance of the model is studied from the perspectives of both response and modal energy. Results show that the modal energy-based control strategy is very effective in reducing structural responses as well as in consuming a large amount of modal energy, while augmentation of additional generalized control force corresponding to the modes that contain little modal energy is unnecessary, as it does little help to improve the controlled structural performance.

In this paper, a 3D finite element (FE) program ADINA was applied to analyzing a tunnel with 9 segment rings. The loads acting on these segment rings included the squeezing action of tail brush of shield machine under attitude deflection, the jacking forces, the grouting pressure and the soil pressure. The analyses focused on the rebar stress in two statuses: (1) normal construction status without shield machine squeezing; (2) squeezing action induced by shield machine under attitude deflection. The analyses indicated that the rebar stress was evidently affected by the construction loads. In different construction status, the rebar stress ranges from −80 MPa to 50 MPa, and the rebar is in elastic status. Even some cracks appear on segments, the stress of segment rebar is still at a low level. It is helpful to incorporate a certain quantity of steel fiber to improve the anti-crack and shock resistance performance.

This paper proposes a theoretical method using finite element analysis (FEA) to calculate the plastic collapse loads of pressure vessels under internal pressure, and compares the analytical methods according to three criteria stated in the ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Code. First, a finite element technique using the arc-length algorithm and the restart analysis is developed to conduct the plastic collapse analysis of vessels, which includes the material and geometry non-linear properties of vessels. Second, as the mechanical properties of vessels are assumed to be elastic-perfectly plastic, the limit load analysis is performed by employing the Newton-Raphson algorithm, while the limit pressure of vessels is obtained by the twice-elastic-slope method and the tangent intersection method respectively to avoid excessive deformation. Finally, the elastic stress analysis under working pressure is conducted and the stress strength of vessels is checked by sorting the stress results. The results are compared with those obtained by experiments and other existing models. This work provides a reference for the selection of the failure criteria and the calculation of the plastic collapse load.

In this paper we propose a finite element (FE) simulation method to predict tree motion in a wind field. Two FE tree models were investigated: One model was generated based on a realistic nature-looking geometric tree model, and the other was a symmetric model to investigate the influence of asymmetric material properties on tree motion. The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) theory is introduced to estimate the fluctuating wind force being exerted on tree stems and the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis is also included in the simulation. The results indicate that asymmetric material properties result in the crosswind displacement of the investigated node and the main swaying direction deviation. The simulation reveals that under wind loading, a tree with leaves has much larger swaying amplitude along the wind direction and longer swaying period than a tree without leaves. However, the crosswind swaying amplitude is mainly due to branch interaction. The numerical simulation proved that the interaction of tree branches can prevent dangerous swaying motion developing.

To take into account the couple stress effects, a modified Reynolds equation is derived for dynamically loaded journal bearings with the consideration of the elasticity of the liner. The numerical results show that the influence of couple stresses on the bearing characteristics is significant. Compared with Newtonian lubricants, lubricants with couple stresses increase the fluid film pressure, as a result enhance the load-carrying capacity and reduce the friction coefficient. However, since the elasticity of the liner weakens the couple stress effect, elastic liners yield a reduction in the load-carrying capacity and an increase in the friction coefficient. The elastic deformation of the bearing liner should be considered in an accurate performance evaluation of the journal bearing.

Particle rotation plays an important role in gas-solid flows. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the spatial distribution of average rotation speed for glass beads in the upper dilute zone of a cold circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser. It is shown that in the horizontal direction, the average rotation speed in the near-wall area is larger than that in the center area, while in the vertical direction, it decreases as the height increases. The reason resulting in this distribution is analyzed by considering several factors including particle size, particle shape, particle number density, particle collision behavior, and the surrounding flow field, etc. The effects of CFB operation conditions on the spatial distribution of average rotation speed are also studied. The results show that the increasing superficial gas velocity increases the average rotation speed of particles in the near wall area but takes nearly no effect on that in the center area. The external solids mass flux, however, takes the opposite effect. It is found that the average rotation speeds of particles in both areas are increased as the total amount of bed material increases.

Mathematical models are been proposed to simulate the thermal and metallurgical behaviors of the strip occurring on the run-out table (ROT) in a hot strip mill. A variational method is utilized for the discretization of the governing transient conduction-convection equation, with heat transfer coefficients adaptively determined by the actual mill data. To consider the thermal effect of phase transformation during cooling, a constitutive equation for describing austenite decomposition kinetics of steel in air and water cooling zones is coupled with the heat transfer model. As the basic required inputs in the numerical simulations, thermal material properties are experimentally measured for three carbon steels and the least squares method is used to statistically derive regression models for the properties, including specific heat and thermal conductivity. The numerical simulation and experimental results show that the setup accuracy of the temperature prediction system of ROT is effectively improved.

This paper presents a bi-directional permanent-magnet linear actuator for directly driving electrohydraulic valves with low power consumption. Its static and dynamic performances were analyzed using the 2D finite element method, taking into account the nonlinear characterization and the eddy current loss of the magnetic material. The experiment and simulation results agree well and show that the prototype actuator can produce a force of ±100 N with the maximum power being 7 W and has linear characteristics with a positive magnetic stiffness within a stroke of ±1 mm. Its non-linearity is less than 1.5% and the hysteresis less than 1.5%. The actuator’s frequency response (−3 dB) of the displacement reaches about 15 Hz, and the most significant factor affecting the dynamic performance is identified as the eddy current loss of the magnetic material.

This paper focuses on the temperature and pressure characteristics of a Swift-Backhaus type traveling-wave thermoacoustic prime mover during its onset and damping processes, in order to understand the intrinsic mechanism of thermoacoustic oscillation onset and the feasibility of using low-grade thermal energy based on a low onset temperature. The influences of heat input and filling pressure on hysteretic loop, due to the noncoincidence between onset and damping processes, are measured and analyzed. The condition for the occurrence of hysteresis is also briefly discussed.

A minimax optimal control strategy for quasi-Hamiltonian systems with bounded parametric and/or external disturbances is proposed based on the stochastic averaging method and stochastic differential game. To conduct the system energy control, the partially averaged Itô stochastic differential equations for the energy processes are first derived by using the stochastic averaging method for quasi-Hamiltonian systems. Combining the above equations with an appropriate performance index, the proposed strategy is searching for an optimal worst-case controller by solving a stochastic differential game problem. The worst-case disturbances and the optimal controls are obtained by solving a Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equation. Numerical results for a controlled and stochastically excited Duffing oscillator with uncertain disturbances exhibit the efficacy of the proposed control strategy.

In the current studies a miniature silicon wafer fuel cell (FC) using L-ascorbic acid as fuel was developed. The cell employs L-ascorbic acid and air as reactants and a thin polymer electrolyte as a separator. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) silicon etching was employed to fabricate high aspect-ratio columns on the silicon substrate to increase the surface area. A thin platinum layer deposited directly on the silicon surface by the sputtering was used as the catalyst layer for L-ascorbic acid electro-oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry shows that the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid on the sputtered platinum layer is irreversible and that the onset potentials for the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid are from 0.27 V to 0.35 V versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. It is found that at the room temperature, with 1 mol/L L-ascorbic acid/PBS (phosphate buffered solution) solution pumped to the anode at 1 ml/min flow rate and air spontaneously diffusing to the cathode as the oxidant, the maximum output power density of the cell was 1.95 mW/cm² at a current density of 10 mA/cm².

A detailed mathematical model of a direct internal reforming solid oxide fuel cell (DIR-SOFC) incorporating with simulation of chemical and physical processes in the fuel cell is presented. The model is developed based on the reforming and electrochemical reaction mechanisms, mass and energy conservation, and heat transfer. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is used for solving the complicated multiple partial differential equations (PDEs) to obtain the numerical approximations. The resulting distributions of chemical species concentrations, temperature and current density in a cross-flow DIR-SOFC are given and analyzed in detail. Further, the influence between distributions of chemical species concentrations, temperature and current density during the simulation is illustrated and discussed. The heat and mass transfer, and the kinetics of reforming and electrochemical reactions have significant effects on the parameter distributions within the cell. The results show the particular characteristics of the DIR-SOFC among fuel cells, and can aid in stack design and control.

In order to utilize solar energy effectively and to achieve a higher electrical efficiency by limiting the operating temperature of the photovoltaic (PV) panel, a novel photovoltaic/thermal solar-assisted heat pump (PV/T-SAHP) system was proposed and constructed. The hybrid solar system generates electricity and thermal energy simultaneously. A distributed parameters model of the PV/T-SAHP system was developed and applied to analyze the system dynamic performance in terms of PV action, photothermal action and Rankine cycle processes. The simulation results indicated that the coefficient of performance (COP) of the proposed PV/T-SAHP can be much better than that of the conventional heat pump. Both PV-efficiency and photothermic efficiency have been improved considerably. The results also showed that the performance of this PV/T-SAHP system was strongly influenced by the evaporator area, tube pitch and tilt angle of the PV/T evaporator, which are the key factors in PV/T-SAHP system optimization and PV/T evaporator design.

TiO₂ fibers were prepared via alternatively introducing water vapor and Ti precursor carried by N₂ to an APCVD (chemical vapor deposition under atmospheric pressure) reactor at ≤200 °C. Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were used as templates for deposition and later removed by calcinations. The obtained catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The pores within TiO₂ fibers included micro-range and meso-range, e.g., 7 nm, and the specific surface areas for TiO₂ fibers were 141 m²/g and 148 m²/g for samples deposited at 100 °C and 200 °C (using ACF1700 as template), respectively. The deposition temperature significantly influenced TiO₂ morphology. The special advantages of this technique for preparing porous nano-material include no consumption of organic solvent in the process and easy control of deposition conditions and speeds.

This study investigates the magnetic mineralogy and paleointensity values of a collection of archaeological artifacts (pottery). The actual magnetic carriers and their domain states present in the archaeological pottery were obtained using the low field susceptibility, thermomagnetic curves and acquisition of isothermal remanence. The magnetic mineralogy of all the samples was dominated by ferrimagnetic mineral (magnetite/magnetite with low titanium content), which was suitable for paleointensity measurements. The geomagnetic paleointensity value obtained by subjecting them to modified Thellier and Thellier method, is found to be (48.81±0.15) μT.

This paper focused on the removal and transformation of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) in secondary effluent during the granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment. Using XAD-8/XAD-4 resins, DOM was fractionated into five classes: hydrophobic acid (HPO-A), hydrophobic neutral (HPO-N), transphilic acid (TPI-A), transphilic neutral (TPI-N) and hydrophilic fraction (HPI). Subsequently, the water quality parameters of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorbance of ultraviolet light at 254 nm (UV-254), specific ultraviolet light absorbance (SUVA) and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) were analyzed for the unfractionated and fractionated water samples. The results showed that the order of the DOC removal with respect to DOM fractions was observed to be HPI>HPO-A>HPO-N>TPI-A>TPI-N. During the GAC treatment, the THMFP of the unfractionated water samples decreased from 397.4 µg/L to 176.5 µg/L, resulting in a removal efficiency of 55.6%. The removal order of the trihalomethanes (THMs) precursor was as follows: HPO-A>TPI-A>TPI-N>HPO-N>HPI. By the GAC treatment, the specific THMFP of HPO-A, TPI-A, TPI-N and the original unfractionated water samples had a noticeable decrease, while that of HPO-N and HPI showed a converse trend. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that the hydroxide groups, carboxylic acids, aliphatic C–H were significantly reduced by GAC treatment.

Performance of biological phosphorus removal in the oxic-settling-anaerobic (OSA) process was investigated. Cell staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to analyze characteristics and microbial community of sludge. Experimental results showed that phosphorus removal efficiency was near 60% and the amount of biological phosphorus accumulation in aerobic sludge of the OSA system was up to 26.9 mg/g. Biological phosphorus removal efficiency was partially inhibited by carbon sources in the continuous OSA system. Contrasted to the OSA system, biological phosphorus removal efficiency was enhanced by 14% and the average total phosphorus (TP) contents of aerobic sludge were increased by 0.36 mg/g when sufficient carbon sources were supplied in batch experiments. Staining methods indicated that about 35% of microorganisms had typical characteristics of phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs). FISH analysis demonstrated that PAOMIX-binding bacteria were predominant microbial communities in the OSA system, which accounted for around 28% of total bacteria.

Based on the current news via Thomson Reuters “700 new regional journals in the world have been added to Web of Science since 2007”, we conducted an investigation to find out that 43 (6.1%) Chinese journals (including 6 journals from Hong Kong region) are included. The results also show that up to now a total of about 153 Chinese journals (114 from China Mainland, 11 from Hong Kong and 28 from Taiwan) have been included by SCI and SSCI & AHCI.