Numerical Study of Finite Element Method Based Solutions for Propagation of Wetting Fronts in Unsaturated Soil

The accurate prediction of the propagation of a wetting front in an unsaturated soil subjected to surficial infiltration is of practical importance to many geotechnical and geoenvironmental problems. The finite element method is the most common solution technique as the hydraulic soil properties are highly nonlinear. Two important issues are often found to create difficulties in such analyses. First, numerical oscillations are usually observed in the calculated pore pressures at the wetting front. Second, when a reasonable mesh size and time step are used, the elevation of the wetting front may be seriously overpredicted. This paper is focused on the second issue. The under-relaxation (UR) technique used in the iterative process within each time step is found to have a serious impact on rate of convergence with refinement in mesh size and time step. Two different techniques are typically used; the first evaluates the hydraulic conductivity using an average of heads calculated from the preceding time node and the most recent iteration of the current time node (UR1), and the second evaluates the hydraulic conductivity using the average of heads calculated from the two most recent iterations of the current time nodes (UR2). The study shows that UR1, which is adopted in programs such as SEEP/W, ensures that the solution converges rapidly to a stable solution within a time step, but may converge to the wrong wetting front at a given elapsed time unless a sufficiently refined mesh is used. UR2 converges much more slowly within a time step, but the error in the wetting front is smaller than that generated by UR1.     

Particle Penetration through Inclined and L-Shaped Cracks

This paper presents a particle penetration model predicting particle penetration coefficient (Pp) through a narrow crack of arbitrary incline angles (θ). The objective was to simulate Pp for outdoor-to-indoor particle penetration for residential infiltration conditions. This model assumes laminar infiltration flow and considers particle deposition from both gravitational sedimentation and Brownian diffusion. For micron-sized particles, modeling results indicate that gravitational sedimentation is the major deposition mechanism. Pp increases monotonically with ∣θ∣ because effective particle sedimentation velocity (vs?cos?θ) decreases monotonically with ∣θ∣. For submicron-sized particles (0.1?μm), Brownian diffusion is the major particle deposition mechanism. Because Brownian diffusion is a nondirectional deposition mechanism, crack inclination did not affect Pp. This study applied this model to estimate Pp for L-shaped cracks, and validated modeling results with experiments. Experimental results indicated that inertial impaction and crack entrance cutoff effects were not significant particle deposition mechanisms for the test micron-sized particles. Gravitational sedimentation was the major deposition mechanism. An L-shaped crack can be simulated as the combination of horizontal and vertical sections. This model agreed reasonably with experimental results.     

Field Verification of Two-Dimensional Surface Irrigation Model

A two-dimensional (2D) model of unsteady shallow-water flow in surface irrigation was developed to evaluate the influence of field-grading precision on surface irrigation performance. This paper presents field data for verification of this 2D model. No attempt was made here to evaluate irrigation performance. Verification of such models relies on independent estimates of parameters for infiltration and roughness. To accomplish this, water surface elevations were measured at 26 points within a 3 ha level basin. A double-bubbler system was used to obtain relative water depths. Field surveys were used to convert these to water surface elevations and field water depths, from which surface water volumes over time were computed. The infiltration function was determined by matching inflow minus surface volume over time with computed subsurface volume. A value of Manning n (0.05) was found for which advance and water depth hydrographs were both well predicted with the 2D model. Differences in advance for a plane versus undulating field surface were minor, except near the end of advance.     

Ermüdungsverhalten und Dauerfestigkeit von Graphit und Aluminium – infiltriertem Graphit

Fatigue behaviour and endurance limit of graphite and of aluminium‐infiltrated graphite Fatigue properties of polycrystalline, isotropic graphite FU2590 and of FU2590 infiltrated with AlSi7Mg (FU2590/AlSi7Mg) were investigated in reversed bending tests at 25 Hz at numbers of cycles below 10⁷ and in tension‐compression tests at 20 kHz below 10⁹ cycles. The open porosity of Graphite (10‐11 Vol.‐%) was infiltrated with the aluminium alloy using the squeeze casting infiltration method, which led to an increase of the bending strength by 50 %, increase of tensile strength by 30 % and increase of stiffness by 15 %. Fully reversed tension‐compression loading of FU2590 delivers a mean endurance limit at 10⁹ cycles at the normalized maximum stresses (i.e. maximum tension stress of a cycle divided by the static strength) of 0,65±0,03. Mean numbers of cycles to failure of 10⁴ were found in fully reversed bending tests at the normalized maximum stress of 0,78. The infiltrated material shows approximately 30 % higher cyclic strength in reversed bending tests, and the mean endurance limit under tension compression loading increases by 15 %. The increased endurance limit of the infiltrated material is caused by the increased stiffness. The increased toughness of graphite due to the infiltration with aluminium is of additional beneficial influence at the higher cyclic stresses investigated in reversed bending tests and in static tests.     

Improvement of rainwater infiltration and storage capacity by an enhanced seepage well: From laboratory investigation to HYDRUS-2D numerical analysis

Seepage well is an emerging Low Impact Development (LID) technology that can effectively control the storm runoff. However, its rainwater infiltration rate and storage capacity still require further enhancement. By setting a horizontal infiltration structure at the bottom of conventional rainwater seepage well (CSW), an enhanced seepage well (ESW) was proposed in this study, and its infiltration performances compared with the permeable pavement (PP) and the CSW were systemically investigated using static infiltration experiment and HYDRUS-2D simulation. The results showed that the infiltration efficiency of ESW was significantly higher than that of PP and CSW, and the process of water infiltrated through soil mainly controlled the macroscopic infiltration rate. The Nash-Sutcliff Efficient (NSE) index was used to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the HYDRUS-2D model, and the results of NSE values greater than 0.75 (varied between 0.75 and 0.91) confirmed the applicability of HYDRUS-2D to describe correctly the hydraulic behavior of the ESW system. Simulation infiltration tests showed that the ESW performed a higher average infiltration rate and fewer total runoff volume than the CSW, indicating the effectively enhancement of the infiltration and water retention capacity of ESW, especially under heavy rainfall intensities. Additionally, the ESW system exhibited an excellent runoff-control and rainwater retention capacity in an actual rainfall scenario.     

牙科用氧化锆/氧化铝/玻璃复合材料的研制

采用熔融渗入法制备了牙科用氧化铝基玻璃复合材料，为了提高材料的强度和韧性，在氧化铝预制体中加入一定量的氧化锆。借助sEM和XRD对材料的微观结构和晶相组成进行了研究。研究结果表明：4Y—TZP的引入量为15wt％，掣合材料的抗折强度可达到182MPa，氧化铝基体经玻璃渗透以后，抗折强度等性能明显改善，而且材料化学性能稳定，色泽逼真，是一种较理想的牙科用材料。     

Transient Rainfall-Runoff Loadings to a Partial Exfiltration System: Implications for Urban Water Quantity and Quality

Modification of rainfall-runoff processes by urban infrastructure and anthropogenic activities impacts receiving waters and the surrounding terrestrial environment. Infiltration–exfiltration systems such as a partial exfiltration reactor (PER) when loaded by transient sheet flow have the potential to attenuate the impact of both the quantity and quality of urban runoff. These in situ systems are subject to highly variable water quality and quantity while functioning under variably saturated flow conditions. To improve the understanding of field-scale PER performance as a rainfall-runoff unit operation and process, a two-dimensional (2D) numerical model was used to simulate the effluent hydrograph and water content profiles under transient hydraulic loadings. Richard’s equation was applied in the 2D model using parameters estimated from laboratory experiments and hydrographs measured for an in situ PER. The temporal dynamics of the water content illustrated the ability of the PER to lower peak flow, redistribute volume, and attenuate temporal aspects of the inflow hydrograph. Results demonstrated the role of the PER to attenuate runoff water quantity, while also providing water quality improvements, as illustrated for suspended solids and dissolved Cu. Simulation of historical events for different surrounding soils illustrated the critical role of surrounding soil conditions on PER performance. While the PER demonstrated water quantity attenuation benefits for design storms (1, 2, 5?year return periods), results also illustrate how a given PER design for clayey soils conditions can be limiting for intense events. Evaporation was a dominant mechanism for the drying process in the PER upper layer; with a residual moisture content in the porous pavement layer achieved in less than 2?days in summer for Cincinnati, Ohio.     

Evaluation and Optimization of Bioretention Media for Treatment of Urban Storm Water Runoff

Bioretention is a relatively new urban storm water best management practice. The objective of this study is to provide insight on media characteristics that control bioretention water management behavior. Eighteen bioretention columns and six existing bioretention facilities were evaluated employing synthetic runoff. In columns, the runoff infiltration rate through different media mixtures ranged from 0.28 to 8.15?cm/min at a fixed 15 cm head. For pollutant removals, the results showed excellent removal for oil/grease (>96%). Total lead removal (from 66 to >98%) decreased when the total suspended solids level in the effluent increased (removed from 29 to >96%). The removal efficiency of total phosphorus ranged widely (4–99%), apparently due to preferential flow patterns, and both nitrate and ammonium were moderate to poorly removed, with removals ranging from 1 to 43% and from 2 to 49%, respectively. Two more on-site experiments were conducted during a rainfall event to compare with laboratory investigation. For bioretention design, two media design profiles are proposed; >96%?TSS, >96%?O/G, >98%?lead, >70%?TP, >9%?nitrate, and >20%?ammonium removals are expected with these designs     

Coarsening of boron carbide grains during the infiltration of porous boron carbide preforms by molten silicon

This work investigates the coarsening of boron carbide grains during the infiltration of porous boron carbide preforms by molten silicon with respect to fabrication of reaction-bonded boron carbide ceramics. Experimental results reveal that the shape of boron carbide grains evolve from the irregular shape to faceted shape due to dissolution-precipitation during infiltration. For infiltration temperatures below 1750 °C, the boron carbide grains are irregular and exhibit an unimodal size distribution, which can be ascribed to the normal grain growth. The growth of the irregular grains follow a cubic law of diffusion control. In contrast, for infiltration temperatures above 1750 °C, the boron carbide grains become faceted and exhibit a bimodal size distribution, indicative of the typical abnormal grain growth. The abnormal growth of faceted grains is proposed to be controlled by coalescence-enhanced two-dimensional nucleation.     

Modified La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ cathodes with the infiltration of Er0.4Bi1.6O3 for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Aiming to lower the activation energy and expedite the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process of La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3-δ (LSCF) cathodes for application in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), Er_0.4Bi_1.6O₃ (ESB) modified LSCF was prepared by infiltrating using organic solvents. The infiltration of ESB dramatically reduces the polarization resistances of LSCF cathodes (from 0.27 to 0.11 Ω cm² at 700 °C, from 0.58 to 0.25 Ω cm² at 650 °C), and lowers their activation energy (from 100.28 to 97.15 kJ mol^?1). Also, ESB makes the rate-limiting step of LSCF cathodes at high frequency change from the charge transfer process on the cathode to the adsorption and diffusion of oxygen on cathode surface. The single cell with ESB infiltrated LSCF cathodes shows a peak power density of 469 mW cm^?2 at 700 °C using humid hydrogen and air as fuels and oxidants, respectively, as well as a good short-term stability for 50 h.