Structural optimization with an automatic mode identification method for tracking the local vibration mode

Traditional optimization methods, which take a specific order of modal frequency as the design constraint, could fail to obtain the desired solution because of modal substitution. An improved optimization model with continuous sizing variables is established to solve this problem, in which the minimum weight and a given local modal frequency are considered as the objective and the constraint. To capture accurately the expected mode of vibration, a local mode identification technique is proposed based on the strain energy ratio between the local area and the whole structure. With that scheme, an optimization system is developed, in which the local mode can be effectively identified and the constraint can be updated with it in the iteration process. Two numerical examples, of a reinforced plate and a satellite structure, are applied to illustrate the effectiveness and efficacy of the proposed method.     

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles prepared by microwave hydrothermal synthesis and adsorption efficiency for organic dyes: Isotherms,thermodynamics and kinetic studies

Magnetic nanoferrites (MFe₂O₄, M = Co, Ni) were successfully synthesised through microwave-hydrothermal route, characterised and used for adsorption of Eriochrome Black T (EBT) and Bromophenol Blue (BRB) dyes from their aqueous solution. The powder XRD patterns confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure for both the ferrites. Under identical conditions, the adsorption efficiency of CoFe₂O₄ was found relatively higher than the corresponding NiFe₂O_4. Further characterisations revealed that CoFe₂O₄ sample was nearly spherical in size (8–9 nm) with narrow size distribution. The sample showed superparamagnetic behaviour with saturation magnetization (M_s) value (66.4 emu/g). BET surface area calculated for the synthesized cobalt ferrite as 70.9 m²/g. Batch adsorption experiments as a function of initial dye concentration, pH, contact time and adsorbent dose showed the adsorption of dyes depends on pH. Equilibrium adsorption data were well explained by both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities (Q_o) were found to be 82.6 and 25.6 mg/g for EBT and BRB dyes, respectively. Kinetics of the adsorption was best described by pseudo-second-order model. Various thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, ΔH and ΔS derived from adsorption data over the temperature range 20–50 °C, accounted for a favourable, spontaneous, endothermic physisorption process. The materials showed potential for repeated use without significant decrease in adsorption capacity after proper regeneration.     

阳泉矿区煤样不同应力状态下声发射特性分析

为探索原煤煤样的力学性能和不同应力状态下的声发射活动特性,对阳泉矿区新景矿、平舒矿主采煤层的煤样进行了单轴、三轴压缩和巴西劈裂的声发射试验,分析了2种煤样力学性能及不同加载过程的声发射活动规律。证明通过监测声发射(微震)活动分析煤样或煤岩体内部破坏状态是一种方便有效的手段。     

CFD modeling of thermal contact resistance between solid contacting surfaces

Heat transfer has considerable applications in different industries such as designing of heat exchanger, nuclear reactor cooling, control system for spacecraft, and designing of microelectronics cooling. As the surfaces of two metals contact each other, this issue becomes so crucial. Thermal contact resistance (TCR) is one of the key physical parameters in heat transfer of mentioned surfaces. Measuring the experimental value of TCR in laboratory is highly expensive and difficult. As an alternative, numerical modeling methods could be engaged. In this study, inverse problem method solution is utilized as a proper method for estimation of TCR value. In this order, three different configurations (flat-flat, flat-cylinder, and cylinder-cylinder) were utilized in two steady and unsteady state conditions to predict the value of TCR. A comparison between the measured values and obtained values from the simulation show the errors for flat-flat, flat-cylinder, and cylinder-cylinder configuration after 10 min from starting the experiment are 4.6074%, 0.1662%, and 0.5622%, respectively. And in steady-state condition, the corresponding errors are 6.06e-3%, 1.506%, and 0.846%, respectively. In conclusion, the final results establish the fact that the inverse problem method solution can predict TCR values between contacting surfaces.     

Developing microencapsulated 12‐hydroxystearic acid (HSA) for phase change material use

Phase change materials (PCM) have an increasingly more important role as a thermal energy storage (TES) media. However, leakage problem of PCM causes limitation during their integration in TES systems. Therefore, the encapsulation of PCMs is attracting research interest to extend usage of PCMs in real TES applications in recent years. In this study, hydroxystearic acid (HSA) was encapsulated with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and different PMMA comonomer shells via emulsion polymerization method for the first time in literature. HSA with high melting temperature range (74–78°C) can widen the scope of using PCMs, and the encapsulated form can make it more versatile. The chemical structures, morphologies, and thermophysical properties of capsules were determined by FT‐IR, SEM, DSC, TGA, and thermal infrared camera. Among the produced HSA capsule candidates, PMMA‐HEMA is the most promising with latent heat of 48.5 J/g with melting range of 47 to 85°C. SEM analysis indicated that the capsules have spherical shape with compact surface at nano‐micro (100–440 nm) size range; however, some capsules exhibited agglomeration.     

Outcome‐based ventilation: A framework for assessing performance,health, and energy impacts to inform office building ventilation decisions

This article presents an outcome‐based ventilation (OBV) framework, which combines competing ventilation impacts into a monetized loss function ($/occ/h) used to inform ventilation rate decisions. The OBV framework, developed for U.S. offices, considers six outcomes of increasing ventilation: profitable outcomes realized from improvements in occupant work performance and sick leave absenteeism; health outcomes from occupant exposure to outdoor fine particles and ozone; and energy outcomes from electricity and natural gas usage. We used the literature to set low, medium, and high reference values for OBV loss function parameters, and evaluated the framework and outcome‐based ventilation rates using a simulated U.S. office stock dataset and a case study in New York City. With parameters for all outcomes set at medium values derived from literature‐based central estimates, higher ventilation rates’ profitable benefits dominated negative health and energy impacts, and the OBV framework suggested ventilation should be ≥45 L/s/occ, much higher than the baseline ~8.5 L/s/occ rate prescribed by ASHRAE 62.1. Only when combining very low parameter estimates for profitable impacts with very high ones for health and energy impacts were all outcomes on the same order. Even then, however, outcome‐based ventilation rates were often twice the baseline rate or more.     

β-环糊精修饰Ni/SFCC强化C9石油树脂催化加氢性能

以废弃的流化催化裂化催化剂（简称SFCC）为载体、β-环糊精为金属络合剂、硝酸镍为镍源，采用湿法浸渍法制备β-环糊精修饰的Ni/SFCC催化剂（简称Ni/SFCC-CD催化剂），考察其对C9石油树脂的催化加氢性能。通过BET比表面积测试、H2程序升温还原、X射线光电子能谱等手段对催化剂的物相结构进行表征，研究β-环糊精的作用机理及其对催化剂加氢性能的影响。研究结果表明：在反应温度为260 ℃、反应压力为7 MPa、反应时间为2.0 h的最优条件下，采用Ni/SFCC-CD催化C9石油树脂加氢，可制得溴值为1.45 gBr/（100 g）、色号（加纳德）小于1的水白色氢化C9石油树脂，催化剂循环使用4次后仍保持良好活性；β-环糊精的作用机理是：β-环糊精与硝酸镍产生络合作用，抑制硝酸镍的分解、控制NiO的结晶过程和增强活性组分Ni与载体之间的相互作用力，从而提高了Ni/SFCC-CD的催化活性和稳定性。     

耦合效应下压力型锚索锚固机理的近似理论分析

为了更加精确地研究压力型锚索的锚固机理,基于锚索预应力与岩土体蠕变的耦合效应推导了锚索预应力方程。在此基础上根据Mindlin问题解,推导了耦合效应作用下锚索砂浆体的压应力和剪应力近似解,并考虑锚索预应力与岩土体蠕变之间的耦合效应进行了案例分析。研究结果表明:锚索预应力和砂浆体受到的应力峰值均按反幂函数随时间逐渐衰减并稳定;承压板的长宽比与压应力峰值之间存在正相关关系,与剪应力峰值之间存在负相关关系;岩土体的泊松比与应力峰值之间存在正相关关系。该成果丰富了压力型锚索锚固机理的理论研究,可为边坡锚固设计提供一定的理论依据。     

Sequence-Dependent Nanofiber Structures of Phenylalanine and Isoleucine Tripeptides

The molecular design of short peptides to achieve a tailor-made functional architecture has attracted attention during the past decade but remains challenging as a result of insufficient understanding of the relationship between peptide sequence and assembled supramolecular structures. We report a hybrid-resolution model to computationally explore the sequence–structure relationship of self-assembly for tripeptides containing only phenylalanine and isoleucine. We found that all these tripeptides have a tendency to assemble into nanofibers composed of laterally associated filaments. Molecular arrangements within the assemblies are diverse and vary depending on the sequences. This structural diversity originates from (1) distinct conformations of peptide building blocks that lead to different surface geometries of the filaments and (2) unique sidechain arrangements at the filament interfaces for each sequence. Many conformations are available for tripeptides in solution, but only an extended β-strand and another resembling a right-handed turn are observed in assemblies. It was found that the sequence dependence of these conformations and the packing of resulting filaments are determined by multiple competing noncovalent forces, with hydrophobic interactions involving Phe being particularly important. The sequence pattern for each type of assembly conformation and packing has been identified. These results highlight the importance of the interplay between conformation, molecular packing, and sequences for determining detailed nanostructures of peptides and provide a detailed insight to support a more precise design of peptide-based nanomaterials.     

Effects of Synthesis Conditions on the Formation of Si-Substituted Alpha Tricalcium Phosphates

Powders of α-TCP containing various amounts of silicon were synthesized by two different methods: Wet chemical precipitation and solid-state synthesis. The obtained powders were then physico–chemically studied using different methods: Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), infrared and Raman spectroscopies (FT-IR and R), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). The study showed that the method of synthesis affects the morphology of the obtained particles, the homogeneity of crystalline phase and the efficiency of Si substitution. Solid-state synthesis leads to particles with a low tendency to agglomerate compared to the precipitation method. However, the powders obtained by the solid-state method are less homogeneous and contain a significant amount of other crystalline phase, silicocarnotite (up to 7.33%). Moreover, the microcrystals from this method are more disordered. This might be caused by more efficient substitution of silicate ions: The silicon content of the samples obtained by the solid-state method is almost equal to the nominal values.