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Shear behavior of stainless steel girders with corrugated webs
Get PDFIn this paper, the shear strength of corrugated web girders made of EN 1.4162/LDX 2101 stainless steel is investigated. Four full-scale trapezoidal corrugated web girders were tested under shear. Before conducting the tests, DIC was used to measure the real geometric imperfections in the web panels. Complementary finite element analysis studies were conducted to assess the sensitivity of the shear strength to initial imperfections. The experimental results indicated that all the tested girders with a local slenderness ratio of λ = 0.7 attained the shear yield strength, which was then followed by strain hardening in the material at a level that was 8–18% higher than the yield strength. This implies that the Eurocode\u27s limit of λ = 0.25 to attain the plastic shear strength in corrugated webs can be quite conservative for stainless steel. According to the findings of the imperfection sensitivity studies, an initial geometric imperfection based on the first eigen buckling mode and with a maximum amplitude of amax/200, where amax is the maximum corrugation fold length, yielded ultimate strength within 3% of the test results. When the amplitude was increased to hw/200, where hw is the web height, the ultimate strength was estimated to be 25% lower on average than in the experiments. In three of the studied girders, initial imperfections with other forms than the first buckling mode were found to be more critical. Further, it was found that regardless of mode number, mode shapes that are more extended over the web panel result in a higher degradation of the ultimate shear strength
Donor-acceptor polymer complex formation in solution confirmed by spectroscopy and atomic-scale modelling
Get PDFIn all-polymer solar cells, high performance is attributed to the fine-grained morphology of the film in the active layer. However, the mechanism by which this fine-grained morphology is achieved remains unknown. Polymeric non-fullerene acceptors have the potential to restrict the self-aggregation, typical of non-fullerene small molecule acceptors. Here we employed a blend of the polymeric acceptor PF5-Y5 and the donor polymer PBDB-T to investigate the balance between molecular interactions in solution. Temperature-dependent absorption spectra show evidence of temperature-induced disaggregation of both donor and acceptor polymers, where the donor polymer disaggregation depends on the solvent polarity. Concentration-dependent fluorescence spectra of blend solutions display blue-shifted acceptor emission upon dilution, similar to that observed in acceptor solutions, and a decreased tendency for charge transfer from donor to acceptor upon dilution. Excitation spectra of dilute blend solutions contain an increased contribution to the long-wavelength acceptor emission, as compared to pure acceptor solutions, from a chromophore that absorbs in a region where the donor does not absorb. These observations can be explained by donor-acceptor complexation in dilute blend solutions, that is stabilized in more polar solvents. Moreover, the near IR-region of the absorption spectrum could be matched with the calculated electronic excitations of donor-acceptor complexes of PBDB-T and PF5-Y5 oligomers. The results corroborate that the interaction between segments of the donor and acceptor polymer chains favours the formation of donor-acceptor charge transfer complexes, stabilized by hybridization of the molecular orbitals, which reduces the electronic energy. The proposed donor-acceptor complex formation competes with the donor and acceptor self-aggregation and is influenced by the solvent environment. These pre-formed donor-acceptor complexes in low-concentration solutions can be expected to have important consequences on the film morphology of all-polymer blends. The results from this joint experimental-theoretical spectroscopy study provide insights that can guide the design of compatible donor and acceptor polymers for future high-performance organic solar cells
Antiferromagnetic order in Kondo lattice CePd5Al2 possibly driven by nesting
No full textWe investigated the electronic structure of the antiferromagnetic Kondo lattice CePd5Al2 using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimentally determined band structure of the conduction electrons is predominated by the Pd 4d character. It contains multiple hole and electron Fermi pockets, in good agreement with density functional theory calculations. The Fermi surface is folded over Q0=(0,0,1), manifested by Fermi surface reconstruction and band folding. Our results suggest that Fermi surface nesting drives the formation of antiferromagnetic order in CePd5Al2
Speed and delivered power in waves — Predictions with CFD simulations at full scale
Get PDFAn efficient numerical method is proposed to estimate delivered power and speed loss for a ship in wind and waves. The added resistance in waves, obtained with an unsteady potential flow panel method, is added to the calm water resistance from a steady-state potential flow/RANS method coupled with a body force propeller model for self-propulsion. A comparison of numerical and experimental results is made for added resistance, calm water resistance and delivered power. A good agreement is obtained. As a practical application, the approach is used to calculate the weather factor, fw, of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). The calculated weather factor is consistent with the values derived from full-scale measurements included in a database of similar ships
IRAS 00450+7401 and the Mid-infrared Fade/Burst Cycle of R Coronae Borealis-type Stars
Get PDFWe present optical and infrared imaging and spectroscopy of the R Coronae Borealis-type (R Cor Bor) star IRAS 00450+7401. Optical spectra further confirm its classification as a cool R Cor Bor system, having a hydrogen-deficient carbon star spectral subclass of HdC5 or later. Mid-infrared spectroscopy reveals the typical ∼8 μm “hump” seen in other R Cor Bor stars and no other features. A modern-epoch spectral energy distribution shows bright emission from hot dust having T dust > 600 K. Historical infrared data reveal generally cooler dust color temperatures combined with long-term fading trends, but provide no discernible correlation between flux level and temperature. Investigating the most mid-infrared variable R Cor Bor stars found in IRAS, AKARI, and WISE data reveals similar fading trends, bursts that can show a factor of up to 10 change in flux density between epochs, and blackbody-fit dust color temperatures that span 400-1300 K. While some R Cor Bor stars such as IRAS 00450+7401 appear to undergo fade/burst cycles in the mid-infrared, significant gaps in temporal coverage prevent conclusively identifying any preferred timescale for their mid-infrared variability and circumstellar dust temperature changes
Rapid online health estimation for lithium-ion batteries based on partial constant-voltage charging segment
No full textBattery health evaluation is vital for ensuring the security and reliability of lithium-ion batteries. However, the currently proposed methods generally require high-quality input data for feature extraction in online applications. To overcome this obstacle, this paper proposes a rapid online health estimation method only based on partial constant-voltage (CV) charging segment. Firstly, through primary analysis of battery test data, the evolution of CV charging current is confirmed to be correlated with battery capacity. Subsequently, the current evolution constant of CV charging phase is mathematically formulated and quantitatively characterized using a novel health indicator (HI). Besides, charging time and charging capacity are also extracted as HIs to comprehensively capture the CV charging behavior and enhance the robustness of data-driven models. Considering the user\u27s charging habits, an optimized CV segment is determined, enabling a significant reduction in data size and coverage. Finally, three data-driven methods are employed to construct health estimation models by using the extracted HIs, and the best performance is achieved by Gaussian process regression with MAE and RMSE lower than 0.8% and 1%, respectively. Remarkably, the proposed method demonstrates superiority in dealing with sparse sampling, and satisfactory results with 2.9% error under the sparsity of 10 s are obtained
Solids separation efficiency at the outlet of a circulating fluidized bed riser
No full textIn a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) fuel converter the outlet geometry plays a decisive role for the solids flow in the circulating loop, thus affecting the mass and heat balances and the conversion process. A Dense Discrete Particle Model (DDPM) framework is used to investigate the solids flow, with model validation against experimental data from a cold model, scaled to represent the fluid dynamics of a commercial CFB boiler operated under hot conditions. Riser outlets with different configurations (L-shape and T-shape) are studied. The results show that the solids separation efficiency of the outlet (and, hence, of the riser) can be related to the Stokes number (Stk, which varied within 0.034–1.24). Decreased outlet area at a given riser cross-section and/or increased distance of the exit window from the top of the riser yield a higher solids separation efficiency. The smaller the Stk, the lower the solids separation in general, and the less it will be affected by the geometrical configuration. The solids flux value did not show any major impact on the solids separation efficiency attained. Finally, an expression for the solids separation efficiency of the riser outlet is derived, covering a range of efficiencies within 0.3–0.9 and yielding an average error of <20% compared to experimental data from literature
Propulsive performance of a rigid wingsail with crescent-shaped profiles
Get PDFWind-assisted ship propulsion is considered an effective method for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This paper presents numerical analyses of the aerodynamics of a single rigid wingsail conducted using the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (uRANS) equations. The wingsail is designed with a new sectional profile: a crescent-shaped foil. This new profile and the classical NACA 0015 profile were compared. Simulations were performed in two and three dimensions, with a focus on key physical quantities such as the external loads on the wingsail, the flow field, and the propulsive performance. It is concluded that the wingsail with the crescent-shaped section has higher propulsion efficiency than the NACA 0015. However, stronger flow separation was detected for the crescent-shaped section. As the separation deteriorates, the flow unsteadiness, challenges the strength and stability of the wingsail structure. The three-dimensional simulations of both profiles, particularly NACA 0015, show that the tip vortices induced from the side edge of the wingsail account for substantial negative effects on the propulsion performance. A case study revealed that installing a wingsail with a crescent-shaped profile reduced fuel consumption by 9% compared with no wingsail
Structurally flexible pyrrolidinium- and morpholinium-based ionic liquid electrolytes
Get PDFIon transport measures and details as well as physico-chemical and electrochemical properties are presented for a small set of structurally flexible pyrrolidinium (Pyrr) and morpholinium (Morph) cation-based ionic liquids (ILs), all with oligoether phosphate-based anions. All have high thermal stabilities, low glass transition temperatures, and wide electrochemical stability windows, but rather moderate ionic conductivities, where both the anions and the cations of the Pyrr-based ILs diffuse faster than those of the Morph-based ILs. Overall, the Pyrr-based ILs show significantly more promise as high-temperature supercapacitor electrolytes, rendering a specific capacitance of 164 F g(-1) at 1 mV s(-1), a power density of 609 W kg(-1) and a specific energy density of 27 W h kg(-1) at 90 & DEG;C in a symmetric graphite supercapacitor
Bioinspired Hard–Soft Interface Management for Superior Performance in Carbon Fibre Composites
Get PDFNature has evolved to create materials of unmatched performance governed by the interfacial interactions between hard and soft surfaces. Typically, in a carbon fibre composite, one polymer and one type of carbon fibre is used throughout a laminate. In this work, we use a carbon fibre surface modification approach to vary the fibre–matrix interface throughout the laminate to tailor the soft–hard interfaces. We demonstrate this effect using reclaimed carbon fibre materials in a thermoset polymer, then extend this concept to a thermoplastic polymer matrix–polypropylene. The thermoset specimens examined in this work consist of 5 carbon fibre plies, featuring 0, 1, 3 or 5 surface-modified layers located at the centre of the composite. The largest improvements in physical properties for these composites (yield strength, ultimate flexural strength, and tensile modulus) were found when only 1 modified layer of carbon fibre was placed directly within the centre of the composite. Subsequent investigations revealed that for a polypropylene matrix, where the surface chemistry is tailored specifically for polypropylene, improvements are also observed when mixed surface chemistries are used. This work shows that surface modification of reclaimed carbon fibres as non-woven mats can provide significant improvements in mechanical properties performance for structural composites when used in strategically advantageous locations throughout the composite