A Novel Approach for Bolted T-Stub Connections

This paper reports an investigation into new connection types and their behaviors determined using full-scale experiments. T-shaped connections were created using the IPE standard profile. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of T connections based on the IPE standard profile, height of beam to height of T-stub joint (H) of T-stub joints, and lengths (X) of T-stub joints on the behavior of steel connections, in order to provide the necessary data for improving Eurocode 3 and enable efficient use of residue IPE standard profiles and back to the consumption cycle. While the moment resistance values increased with an increase in H from H_min to H_max in model groups with X of 126 mm, and the energy dissipation increased with an increase in H from H_min to H_max and also with an increase in the lengths (X) of T-stub joints from 54 to 126 mm.     

Deploy Efficiency Driven k-Barrier Construction Scheme Based on Target Circle in Directional Sensor Network

Journal of Computer Science and Technology - With the increasing demand for security, building strong barrier coverage in directional sensor networks is important for effectively detecting...     

Low Li ion diffusion barrier on low-crystalline FeOOH nanosheets and high performance of energy storage

Nano Research - To obtain symmetric supercapacitors (SCs) with high energy density, it is critical to fabricate an electrode with wide potential window and excellent capacitive performance. Herein,...     

Genetic algorithm to simultaneously optimise stope sequencing and equipment dispatching in underground short-term mine planning under time uncertainty

ABSTRACT

The main issue in short-term planning optimisation for underground mining is organising the mining process with limited resources in the form of equipment and materials to satisfy production targets and stable feed grade requirements. In this paper, an integrated optimisation model is proposed based on an individual generation algorithm and an improved Genetic Algorithm to simultaneously optimise stope extraction sequencing and timing, extracted ore grade and equipment dispatching. The model objectives are to shorten the time gap between the stope mining processes and the overall working time. When the uncertainty of equipment working time is taken into account in a short-term scheduling model, the Monte Carlo simulation is applied to evaluate the risk of not meeting the production target. A modification strategy is defined to evaluate equipment failure. Consequently, any available equipment is automatically reassigned to the mining site to replace the broken-down equipment. A case study is used to validate the model in the Sanshandao gold mine of China to formulate an optimal monthly schedule. Compared with the conventional approach, the new model could reduce the variance of ore tonnage and feed grade and improve the equipment allocation efficiency. Discussions are presented to address the uncertainty.     

Numerical implementation of drop and tilt method of five-axis tool positioning for tensor product surfaces

The Drop and Tilt tool position method for five-axis machining positions a toroidal tool to have two points of contact with a tensor product Bézier surface. The method results in high order simultaneous non-linear transcendental equations that are slow to solve. In this paper, an efficient numerical implementation of the Drop and Tilt Method of multi-point tool positioning on tensor product surfaces is presented. The method was implemented in C++, and is a direct method that does not convert the tensor product surface into an intermediate representation such as triangles or point clouds. The method is successfully demonstrated on a number of tensor product Bézier surfaces.     

Electron beam processed surface textures on titanium alloys for fluid-drag reduction

Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-4Al-1.5Mn alloys were employed for electron beam processing with the aim to produce surface textures efficient for fluid-drag reduction. The as-resulted surface textures were examined by using advanced optical microscopy for surface morphology analysis, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy for near-surface microstructure observation. The titanium model with electron beam processed surface textures was tested in wind tunnel to evaluate their fluid-drag reduction efficiency. It showed that the as-resulted non-smooth surface was characterized by parallel ridges and grooves, with height and spacing able to be customized by adjusting processing parametres. The ridges displayed continuous scales while the valley of grooves presented V-shaped ripples. Their dimensions were also related to and could be controlled by processing parametres. Further, the near-surface region was occupied by fusion zone, heat-affected zone and base metal from the outermost surface to the underlying bulk alloy. The microstructure of fusion zone was characterized by martensite phase. A heat-affected zone was sandwiched between fusion zone and the underlying base metal, with different microstructural features compared to both fusion zone and the base metal. With respect to fluid-drag reduction efficiency, titanium model with electron beam processed surface textures exhibits a reducing efficiency over 15% at attack angles of 0° and ±1°, with an air flow velocity at 24 m/s.     

The role of psychology and social influences in energy efficiency adoption

Current energy efficiency policy and incentive programs tend to target economic motivations, which may misalign with other potentially important motivations arising from situational factors, individual differences, and social context. Thus, in this research, we review areas of work that have focused on psychological and social influences to energy efficiency adoption in commercial buildings. We then conduct an empirical scoping study interviewing 10 commercial building owners/managers (decision makers) and 10 experts/consultants (decision influencers) regarding perceived motives and barriers to energy efficient investments, decision-maker attributes, and the social context of the decision. Potential factors that emerge from the interviews, which are not yet extensively discussed in the energy efficiency literature, include owners/managers’ resistance to change and the influence of investment funding origins on the decision. Our results also suggest potential heterogeneity in energy efficiency decision-making philosophies between the two groups. Interviewed owners/managers prioritize corporate social responsibility (CSR) and prefer internal consulting (e.g., building engineers). Conversely, experts/consultants do not emphasize CSR and are more concerned with external policies. These findings suggest that accounting for the decision maker and the social context in which decisions are made could enhance the design of commercial sector energy efficiency programs.     

Climate dependence of energy saving strategies in public buildings characterized by change of use: an original case study

In the perspective of reducing land occupation of built environments, the most efficient strategy is to increase the reuse of obsolete or abandoned constructions instead of designing new buildings. This is particularly true regarding public buildings, usually characterized by considerable dimensions. The paper is focused on this issue, particularly on its energy implications. It analyzes the headquarters of the “G. D’Annunzio” University in Pescara, Italy, initially designed for commercial use and later converted to a university building during its construction. The authors first carried out a numerical analysis of the building energy performance in its current state and then they proposed some improvement interventions evaluating their incidence on the annual energy balance of the building, showing how the most commonly used energy saving strategies do not give the best results in any case, being greatly influenced by the climatic zone in which the building is located. Starting from these considerations, the authors carried out the analysis by considering three different Italian climatic conditions so as to determine their influence on the building energy performance and to define the best strategy for energy requalification in each climatic zone.     

Evaluation on Dorsey Method in Surface Tension Measurement of Solder Liquids Containing Surfactants

With the purpose of developing a feasible approach for measuring the surface tension of solders containing surfactants, the surface tension of Sn–3Ag–0.5Cu–xP solder alloys, with various drop sizes as well as different phosphorus (P) content, was evaluated using the Dorsey method based on the sessile drop test. The results show that the accuracy of the surface tension calculations depends on both of sessile drop size and the liquid metal composition. With a proper drop size, in the range of 4.5 mm to 5.3 mm in equivalent spherical diameters, the deviation of the surface tension calculation can be limited to 1.43 mN·m^?1 and 6.30 mN·m^?1 for SnAgCu and SnAgCu–P, respectively. The surface tension of SnAgCu–xP solder alloys decreases quickly to a minimum value when the P content reaches 0.5 wt% and subsequently increases slowly with the P content further increasing. The formation of a P-enriched surface layer and Sn₄P₃ intermetallic phases is regarded to be responsible for the decreasing and subsequent increasing of surface tension, respectively.