Effect of coral sand powders and seawater salinity on the impact mechanical properties of cemented coral sand

Coral sand is one kind of the important building materials in coral reef engineering practice. The use of cement as a stabilizing agent can significantly improve the mechanical properties of coral sands and is widely applied in the subbase engineering construction in coral reef islands. Cement-stabilized coral sand structures may contain high contents of fine coral particles and salinity because of the high crushability of coral sands and the existence of seawater surrounding them. In this study, the effects of coral sand powders and seawater salinity on the dynamic mechanical properties of cemented coral sand (CCS) were investigated through the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis. It was found that the strength (i.e., the peak stress) of CCS specimens increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of powder content. The specimens reached the maximum peak stress when 3% powder content was included. The initial improvement of CCS strength was attributed to the pore-filling effect of coral powders, namely, the micro pores of the CCS specimens could be more effectively filled with higher percentages of coral powders being used in the experiments. However, excessive coral powders resulted in the reduction of specimen strength because these powders could easily be cemented into agglomerates by absorbing water from the specimens. These agglomerates could reduce the cementation strength between the coarse coral particles and the cement. Meanwhile, the peak stress of CCS specimens was found to be negatively correlated with the average strain rate and the ultimate strain. The degree of specimen fracture was found to be correlated with the amount of specific energy absorption during the tests. Furthermore, the “sulfate attack” caused by the inclusion of salinity of water had different influences on the CCS specimens with different coral powder contents. The ettringite and gypsum produced in “sulfate attack” could fill the pores and lead to cracking of the specimens, significantly affecting the specimen strength.     

Generation,validation and application of dynamic load profiles in flow measurement using cavitating Herschel–Venturi nozzles

Today, utility meters for water are tested for measurement behavior at stable operating conditions at specified flow rates as part of the approval process. The measurement error that occurs during start and stop or when changing between flow rates may not be taken into account. In addition, there are new technologies whose measuring behavior under real-world conditions is only known to a limited extend. To take these facts into account, a new method has been developed and tested to determine the measurement behavior of water meters under dynamic load profiles as they occur in the real application. For this purpose, a test rig for flow rate measurement was extended by a cavitation nozzle apparatus and the generation of dynamic load profiles was validated. For the cavitation nozzles used, possible factors influencing the flow rate, such as temperature and purity of the water as well as the upstream pressure were investigated. Using different types of domestic water meters, the applicability of the dynamic test procedure was demonstrated and the measurement behavior of the meters was characterised.     

基于旋翼负压混合吸附的爬壁清洗机器人系统动力学性能研究

针对爬壁清洗机器人越障时,负压装置的吸附力下降导致吸附不稳定的问题,设计了一种旋翼负压混合吸附工作的多边形履带清洗机器人,并对爬行稳定性及越障性能进行了动力学分析。首先根据机器人爬壁的运动原理,建立机器人沿玻璃幕墙上的动力学模型,计算出电机理论驱动力矩;其次分析机器人在跨越障碍过程中的运动模型,结合与壁面接触的实际受力状态,对越障过程中关键阶段的本体倾翻、滑移两种失效形式进行运动学和动力学分析;然后根据玻璃幕墙实际的障碍高度,确定多边形履带的参数和理论驱动力矩的大小,并研制了实验样机进行爬行和越障试验,结果表明所设计的机器人具有良好的越障性能。     

多机器人体间动态碰撞检测方法仿真研究

当前多结合包围求碰撞检测法、Average-Case法、K-DOPs法等实现多机器人体间动态碰撞的检测,均存在寻优性能较差、检测效率较低的问题。为此提出一种基于动态粒子群的多机器人体间动态碰撞检测方法。采用OBB层次包围盒方法,缩小多机器人之间需要动态碰撞检测的区域,同时把动态碰撞检测问题转换为物体特征对间距离机制的非线性优化问题,进而构建层次拓扑框架进行局部碰撞检测,将机器人体引入到粒子群算法中建立混合进化算法,找到动态碰撞检测的最优解,实现多机器人体间动态碰撞检测。仿真结果证明,所提方法的检测效率高达96%,且具有较高的寻优性能。     

大斜度井段低沉没度工况排采泵阀动力学特性

目前对于煤系地层天然气井所配套有杆泵泵阀动力特性的研究,主要是移植和借鉴常规油气井抽油泵泵阀的分析方法,多针对油气井开采较高的沉没度,并没有考虑低沉没度和大斜度工况下的泵阀动力学和水力摩阻等参数的影响,也没有揭示水平井泵阀顺利开启所需要的具体条件。为此,综合考虑低沉没度和大斜度等因素耦合的影响,推导造斜段泵阀随井液运动微分方程组,建立有杆泵井液流经泵阀阀隙水力摩阻数学模型,基于数值模拟的方法研究了水平井泵阀动力学、水力摩阻与临界沉没度。研究结果表明:①低沉没度和大斜度耦合作用下,增大冲程和冲次会提高造斜段泵阀阀球的升程、速度和加速度,缩短加速度趋向平缓所用的时间,并且水平井泵阀开启瞬间阀球会出现短暂的周期性波动;②受弹簧力与阀球重力的双重作用,水平井有杆泵的临界沉没度明显低于直井工况且固定阀球伴随弹簧快速复位,这有利于顺利开启水平井的游动阀球和固定阀球并提高泵效;③增大冲程、冲次和泵径会使水平井有杆泵井液流经泵阀水力摩阻及其临界沉没度变大,并且增大冲程更有利于提高低流速井液入泵流速,但同时也会显著地提高临界沉没度。结论认为,该研究成果对于保障煤系地层天然气井连续稳定排采和提高有杆泵的可靠性都具有重要的参考意义。     

Quality assurance and quality control of subgrade compaction using the dynamic cone penetrometer

The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) is a device that is used in the construction industry for the assessment of in situ soil compaction quality. Over the past few decades, numerous correlations have been developed between the DCP test results and soil strength and stiffness parameters. This paper proposes a comprehensive set of criteria and recommendations for quality control (QC) of compacted subgrade that take into account the inherent statistical variability of DCP test results. For the development of the QC criteria, a new statistical methodology is used to extract representative test values from the raw field DCP test data. In order to use the proposed QC criteria, soils are first classified into two broad categories (fine-grained and coarse-grained) depending on their fabric and response to compaction efforts. Test results indicate that (i) for fine-grained soils, the DCP test values have good correlation with the plasticity index (PI), which is indicative of the type and amount of clay content of the soil and (ii) for coarse-grained soils, the DCP test values have good correlation with the optimum water content of the soil, which is directly related to its in situ density. DCP blow count correlation equations are presented for both soil categories. Recommendations for field DCP testing and data analysis are also provided to highlight the significance of the statistical distribution of the DCP test results in QC testing of compacted subgrade.     

Computing approximate blocking probabilities for transparent waveband switching based WDM networks using hierarchical cross-connects

An analytical model is presented to study the dynamics of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks with waveband switching (WBS). The reduced load approximation method is considered to compute approximated network blocking probabilities in WBS-based WDM networks. The analytical model considers the link blocking probability due to insufficient link capacity and an impact of the waveband granularity (G). The analytical model also considers the node blocking probability due to unavailability of a switch port at the wavelength cross connect (WXC) layer of an Hierarchical cross connect (HXC) switch node. The set of nonlinear equations is obtained with the link independence assumption and solved using repeated substitutions. The accuracy of the analytical model is examined by comparing with simulation results considering the random-fit algorithm for waveband and wavelength assignments in different network scenarios. Lightpaths are routed between source and destination (s-d) HXC switch nodes using shortest path first (SPF) routing. An impact of the switch parameter to limit the input and the output WXC switch ports of an HXC switching node is also being investigated using the analytical model as well as through simulation results.     

Practices,projects and portfolios: Current research trends and new directions

Project portfolio management (PPM) bridges strategy and project management. Traditional research in PPM has primarily investigated the rational, top-down and structural aspects of strategizing. By doing so, it has failed to focus on the underlying practices that are triggered by the strategy and how these practices frame strategy implementation. Practice-based research provides a methodological lens to explore the reality of strategic enactment through the project portfolio. Practice-based perspectives are under-represented in PPM research; therefore the aim of this paper is to provide an agenda for further practice-based research in PPM. Central to this agenda is a concern with various aspects of practice, including its discursivity, representation, dynamic capabilities, leadership and materiality.     

提升超深层超高压气藏动态储量评价可靠性的新方法——物质平衡实用化分析方法

超深层大气田一般都具有高压超高压、基质致密、裂缝发育等特点,其动态储量评价结果具有较强的不确定性。为了准确评价该类型气藏的动态储量,首先基于高压超高压气藏物质平衡方程,深入分析了岩石有效压缩系数与岩石累积有效压缩系数的相关关系,优选出适合于高压超高压气藏动态储量评价的物质平衡分析方法 ;然后,基于非线性回归法确定了动态储量评价的起算条件,针对未达到起算条件的情形建立了半对数典型曲线拟合法,并采用该方法计算了3个超高压气田(藏)的动态储量,进而验证其可靠性。研究结果表明:(1)高压超高压气藏物质平衡方程中的气藏累积有效压缩系数是影响该类气藏动态储量评价结果的关键参数,该参数是原始地层压力和当前平均地层压力的函数,而其数值难以通过岩心实验测得;(2)针对高压超高压气藏,推荐采用不需要压缩系数的非线性回归法进行动态储量评价;(3)采用非线性回归法计算动态储量的起算点(无量纲视地层压力与累计产气量关系曲线偏离直线的起点)无法通过理论计算得到,基于图解法的统计结果得到不同无量纲线性系数(ωD)情形下起算点对应的无量纲视地层压力衰竭程度介于0.06～0.38,基于实例气藏数据统计得到的起算点也在此范围内;(4)未达到起算条件时可采用半对数典型曲线拟合法估算动态储量,动态储量与视地质储量的比值(G/G_(app))是ωD的函数,ωD越大,(G/G_(app))越小;(5)处于试采阶段的高压超高压气藏,应尽可能延长试采时间,以提高动态储量评价的可靠性;对处于开发中后期的高压超高压气藏,则应以动态储量为基础制订气藏综合治理措施,进而不断改善气藏的开发效果。