Real‐time thermal states monitoring of absorber tube for parabolic trough solar collector with non‐uniform solar flux

With the world energy shortage problem becoming increasingly prominent, more and more attentions have been paid to the development of renewable energies. Among these sources, solar energy has received extensive attention with its excellent characteristics. The thermal state affects the safety of the solar heat collection system. In this paper, real‐time monitoring of the input heat flux on the inside wall and the temperature field simultaneously of an absorber tube for parabolic trough solar collector were studied. Based on the measured temperatures on the outside wall, the fuzzy adaptive Kalman filter coupled with weighted recursive least squares algorithm (WRLSA) was employed to monitor the heat states of the absorber tube inversely, in which WRLSA was used to acquire the heat flux while fuzzy adaptive Kalman filter was adopted to monitor the temperature field. The method showed strong robustness to resist the ill‐posedness. Accurate monitoring results also can be acquired when there are random disturbances of the heat transfer condition on the inner wall.     

Data quality and uncertainty assessment methodology for pavement LCA

In performing pavement life cycle assessment (LCA), users are facing various reports of energy intensity coefficient (EIC) of pavement materials which differ considerably among data sources and therefore alter the LCA results significantly. Instead of selecting a certain EIC without or of little explanation for the current pavement LCA practices, this study proposed a methodology to build probability density function (PDF) for EIC based on available data-set and their qualities. Each data was first evaluated about the data quality indicator (DQI) through data quality pedigree matrix and converted to PDF in modified Beta distribution form. Three weighting methods, the DQI one, coefficient of variation (COV) one and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) one, were developed to assign weightings for different data. Monte Carlo simulation was run with the weighted PDF of each data as input to obtain the ultimate PDF for EIC. A case study to estimate the bitumen’s EIC with eight data samples were performed using the proposed methodology. It is found (1): the estimates by the proposed methodology is of higher reliability (lower COV) compared to any single data due to utilisation of information of the overall data samples; (2) the AHP weighting method is most favoured despite the results of the three weighting methods are close; (3) the central estimates of bitumen’s EIC are between5.4~5.8 MJ/kg. The proposed methodology is helpful in aiding calculating EICs for pavement materials and capturing uncertainties in LCA results in a statistical sense.     

Energy efficiency of fibre reinforced soil formation at small element scale: Laboratory and numerical investigation

This paper explores the aspects related to the energy consumption for the compaction of unreinforced and fibre reinforced samples fabricated in the laboratory. It is well known that, for a fixed soil density, the addition of fibres invariably results in an increased resistance to compaction. However, similar peak strength properties of a dense unreinforced sample can be obtained using looser granular soil matrices mixed with small quantities of fibres. Based on both experimental and discrete element modelling (DEM) procedures, this paper demonstrates that less compaction energy is required for building loose fibre reinforced sand samples than for denser unreinforced sand samples while both samples show similar peak strength properties. Beyond corroborating the macro-scale experimental observations, the result of the DEM analyses provides an insight into the local micro-scale mechanisms governing the fibre-grain interaction. These assessments focus on the evolution of the void ratio distribution, re-arrangement of soil particles, mobilisation of stresses in the fibres, and the evolution of the fibre orientation distribution during the stages of compaction.     

A systematic literature review to explore traceability and lifecycle relationship

Traceability is the ability to follow a product along its lifecycle. It ensures product safety and quality along the supply chain, managing information generated by several players. Even though regulations establish the information that has to be traced, each player generates much more product (and process) information, which could be used to add value to products, with respect to, not only traceability, but also the lifecycle approach. However, the concepts do not appear to be immediately related in scientific panorama. This paper aims to explore the relationship between traceability and lifecycle through a systematic literature review. Six industries (Software, Manufacturing, Automotive, Automation, Aircraft, and Aerospace) and seven subject areas (Software engineering; System engineering; Industry 4.0; New product development; Process management; Data Management; and Environmental sustainability) were identified through bibliometric analysis. To better explore this relationship in the context of the food industry, a content analysis on lead papers’ sample was performed to identify traceability and lifecycle definitions, methodologies and technologies and their relation. The results of the work, synthetised in a proposed research map, will be of interest to those who are approaching the subject for the first time, and for companies involved in product lifecycle management and food traceability.     

Eight-node conforming straight-side quadrilateral element with high-order completeness (QH8-C1)

A new eight-node conforming quadrilateral element with high-order completeness, denoted as QH8-C1, is proposed in this article. First, expressions for the interpolation displacement function satisfying the requirements for high-order completeness in the global coordinate system are constructed. Second, the displacement function expression in global coordinates is transformed into isoparametric coordinates, and the relationships between the two series of coefficients for the two kinds of displacement function expressions are found. Third, the displacement function expression is modified to satisfy the requirements of nodal freedom and interelement boundary continuity. The key to the new element construction is the derivation of the linear relationship expressions among 12 coefficients of element displacement interpolation polynomials in the global and isoparametric coordinate systems. As a result, the relationship between quadratic completeness and interelement continuity is explicitly given, and a proof of the completeness and the continuity was conducted to theoretically guarantee the validity of the derivation results. Furthermore, in order to verify the correctness of the theoretical work, nine numerical examples were performed. The computation results from these examples demonstrate that QH8-C1 exhibited excellent performance, including high simulation accuracy, fast convergence, insensitivity to mesh distortion, and monotonic convergence.     

钢渣复合取代矿粉、砂和石用作混凝土掺合料与骨料及其性能分析

用风淬渣粉取代矿粉、电炉渣砂取代混合砂、电炉渣石取代碎石制备混凝土，分析了混凝土的内照射指数、外照射指数、f-CaO含量、沸煮膨胀值、比表面积、密度、含水率、容重、含泥量、泥块含量、坍落度、抗压强度及其化学组成、矿物组成与微观形貌，研究了钢渣的安全性与稳定性及风淬渣粉取代矿粉、电炉渣砂取代混合砂、电炉渣石取代碎石与钢渣复合取代矿粉、砂和石对混凝土性能的影响。结果表明，风淬渣粉、电炉渣砂和电炉渣石的安全性与稳定性满足国标要求，可用于混凝土。当风淬渣粉取代20wt%矿粉、电炉渣砂取代10wt%混合砂和电炉渣石取代20wt%碎石时，混凝土的性能最优。钢渣复合取代矿粉、砂和石的比例合适，可改善混凝土的界面结构密实度，尤其能提高混凝土养护后期的强度。     

小型特种精细化工过程自动化和信息化研究发展趋势探讨

针对采取小批量间歇性批次生产方式、工艺介质腐蚀性强、危险性大的小型特种精细化工生产工艺研究试验过程自动化、信息化程度不高，导致工艺研究试验中获取数据较少、过程机理研究不够透彻、人工操作多、安全风险高、研究试验消耗大及效率不高等问题，综述了期待通过智能控制、在线分析、模拟仿真和虚拟制造、工况监测及预测性维护以及信息管理和生产调度等关键技术的研究和应用，提高小型特种精细化工生产工艺过程的自动化和信息化程度，实现小型特种精细化工生产工艺过程的数字化、虚拟化和智能化，降低生产安全风险和试验消耗，提高小型特种精细化工生产工艺研究试验的成功率和效率，达到小型特种精细化工生产工艺过程的数字化设计和精准生产的目标。     

车轮多边形磨耗统计规律及关键影响因素分析

针对列车车轮多边形磨耗问题广泛存在于轨道交通运输领域,会导致车辆/轨道系统产生高频的振动冲击,严重影响车辆和轨道系统零部件的使用寿命,危及行车安全这一问题,调查了大量车轮的多边形磨耗情况并进行统计分析,掌握了高速列车车轮多边形磨耗问题的现状和特点。以18～20阶多边形磨耗车辆为例,通过理论研究和试验分析(试验分析包括车辆系统振动特性测试和转向架模态特性测试),对车轮多边形磨耗的根本原因及诱导因素进行研究。研究发现,轮轨系统在580 Hz频率附近存在固有模态是导致车辆发生18～20阶多边形磨耗的根本原因,轮轨表面的各种不平顺能激发或者加剧轮轨系统在580 Hz频率附近的模态共振,从而诱发车轮多边形磨耗的产生。该结果可为高速列车车轮多边形磨耗问题的防止和进一步研究提供参考。     

基于太赫兹光谱的人参和西洋参鉴别

为了快速区分人参和西洋参，依据两者所含的人参皂苷在太赫兹波段具有不同指纹光谱，提出了一种基于人参皂苷的太赫兹光谱鉴别人参和西洋参的方法。采用MATLAB软件识别人参和西洋参的太赫兹光谱，同时根据太赫兹光谱特征并通过标准的主成分分析(PCA)区分出人参、西洋参。实验结果表明，基于太赫兹光谱的主成分分析可精确区分出人参、西洋参，并且还可以应用于其他类似物质的区分中。     

基于灰色关联度的微孔端面机械密封开启力共性影响参数分析

目前微孔端面机械密封采用的几何参数繁多,缺乏明确物理意义。为找出跨孔型的共性几何参数,基于Fluent多相流空化模型,针对矩形孔、菱形孔、椭圆孔端面机械密封,建立密封间隙流体的三维数值计算模型,计算得到144条开启力数据;在分析开启力和几何尺寸之间的关系、额外开启力产生机制的基础上,提出等效长度和等效宽度2个具有物理意义的几何参数;采用灰色关联度分析法,分析和验证等效长度、等效宽度、方向角、面积比对开启力的影响,发现4个因素对3种微孔密封的间隙流体开启力都有影响,但等效长度与等效宽度的影响较方向角、面积比大。