Carbonation in concrete infrastructure in the context of global climate change – Part 1: Experimental results and model development

There is nearly unanimous consensus amongst scientists that increasing greenhouse gas emissions, including CO₂ generated by human activity, are effecting the Earth’s climate. Increasing atmospheric CO₂ emissions will likely increase the rates of carbonation in reinforced concrete structures. However, there is a lack of reliable models to predict the depth of carbonation as a function of time.To address this deficiency, a numerical model involving simultaneous solution of the transient diffusion and reaction equations of CO₂ and Ca(OH)₂ was developed. The model successfully includes the effects of variations in various properties such as porosity, humidity, temperature, atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and chemical reaction rates.The applicability of the model was confirmed after calibration using data from accelerated carbonation experiments, and the model is used to evaluate the possible effects of climate change by inputting various future climate scenarios in Part 2.     

TRANSIENT CONDUCTION AND RADIATION HEAT TRANSFER WITH HEAT GENERATION IN A PARTICIPATING MEDIUM USING THE COLLAPSED DIMENSION METHOD

In order to study the mechanisms of heat and mass transfer at the gas–liquid interface, flows inside and around a rising inert bubble are considered and calculated using the numerical algorithm developed in a companion article. Studies of heat and mass transfer are carried out while special attention is paid to the effects of wake vortices. Recoveries of the Sherwood and Nusselt numbers are observed in the wake zone behind bubbles, and a physical explanation is proposed.     

Methacrylate-based ionic liquid: radical polymerization/copolymerization with methyl methacrylate and evaluation of molecular weight of the obtained homopolymers

Azobisisobutyronitlite (AIBN)-induced free radical polymerization of a methacrylate-based ionic liquid monomer, 1-(2-methacryloxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Met-IL) was carried out in a common organic solvent, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and an ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (EMImTFSI). The molecular weight of the obtained poly(Met-IL) was evaluated by transforming it to non-ionic poly(methyl methacrylate) with hydrolysis of the imidazolium-salt-substituted pendant ester groups and methyl esterification. Radical copolymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA) was also carried out in both DMF and EMImTFSI. Analysis of copolymer composition revealed that the reactivity of Met-IL was lower than that of MMA in both DMF and EMImTFSI solutions.     

A hybrid approach to detect crack parameters using measured natural frequencies in thin walled angle section steel beams

Present study outlines a hybrid approach using Finite Element Method (FEM)–Response Surface Method (RSM)–Genetic Algorithm (GA) to predict the crack parameters, namely crack position and crack depth ratio with the help of only the measured natural frequencies of cracked thin walled beams. Numerical experimental trials of cracked beams have been conducted based on design of experiment (DOE) approach using an improved Finite element model. The improvement has been achieved by consideration of warping stiffness in cracked angle section beam. Thereafter, regression analysis has been conducted to construct Response Surface Function (RSF). Optimum crack parameters were then calculated using GA by minimizing an objective function which has been formed as the root mean square (RMS) of the residuals between RSFs and measured frequencies. Results of the study indicate that, the proposed approach performs with excellent accuracy and it does not require the response of an uncracked beam as benchmark information.     

Experimental Studies for Convective Drying of Potato

An experimental facility was built at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in order to examine the characteristics of convective drying of a moist object. The test facility consists of an inlet section, a divergent and convergent section, a settling chamber, a test section, and an outlet section. Initial moisture content and time-dependent moisture content of a rectangular shaped moist object (4 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm) are measured by this test facility. The potato slice was selected as a sample moist object. Moisture content was measured at different air temperatures of 40, 50, 60, and 70°C with an air velocity of 2 m/sec. The density of potato slice was determined for various drying temperatures. The volume shrinkage during drying decreased almost linearly with moisture content. The percentage air pores and porosity increased gradually with decreasing moisture content and increasing drying air temperature. Volumes of water, air, and solid content of potato were determined at different drying air temperatures. The results are validated with theoretical data.     

Effect of fatigue damage on the dynamic fracture toughness of En-8-grade steel

Machine components normally experience fatigue cycling during operation. Failure of these components is mostly due to fatigue. So, it is important to know the fatigue damage behavior and fatigue life of the material before selecting these steels for making different machine components. The En-8-grade (equivalent to SAE/AISI 1040) steel is generally used as a machine component in the annealed or hardened-and-tempered condition. The fatigue life (fatigue/endurance limit) is also dependent upon the tensile properties of any material. By suitable heat treatment, one can manipulate the tensile properties of any steel. The present work reports the effect of fatigue damage in En-8-grade heattreated steel (annealed and hardened and tempered), under different cyclic loading conditions at room temperature (25 °C), on the impact and dynamic fracture-toughness properties. The results indicate higher fracture toughness and impact toughness in hardened-and-tempered steel than in annealed steel. Cyclic hardening and softening occurs in both the hardened-and-tempered as well as the annealed steel. With the increase of peak stress and number of fatigue cycles, the K _ID and CVN values decrease in hardened-and-tempered steels. The results are discussed in terms of dislocations, slip bands, and their density, microstructure, and fracture morphology.     

Introducing electric power into a multidisciplinary curriculum for network industries

A qualitatively different graduate level curriculum for teaching electric power systems is needed. The motivation for such a new curriculum is outlined, and a specific program, now being implemented at Carnegie Mellon University, is described. The new curriculum: 1) provides students with a multidisciplinary introduction to the changing problems of the industry; 2) stresses the need for teaching systematic approaches to formulating power system problems; and 3) integrates teaching of the fundamentals for power systems with the fundamentals for other network industries. The program, referred to as the MS in Electric Power Systems (MSEPS) Program, is being developed as a special power-focused track within Carnegie Mellon's existing multidisciplinary Information Networking Institute (INI).