Hysteresis of the water retention curves of geosynthetic clay liners in the high suction range

This paper examines two needle-punched geosynthetic clay liners' water retention behaviour at high suction ranges using the vapour equilibrium technique where super-saturated salt solutions controlled the relative humidity. This study shows that the bentonite form and its mineralogy affect the absorption/desorption of GCLs and their corresponding water retention curves. In particular, a granular bentonite-based GCL was found to absorb more and release less water than a powdered bentonite-based GCL due to its higher montmorillonite content and larger pores. The water retention curves of both GCLs exhibited very little hysteretic behaviour at high suction. Repeated wetting-drying cycles shifted the WRCs of both GCLs slightly downward with minimal impact on their degree of hysteresis.     

Pressure control of an electro-hydraulic actuated clutch via novel hysteresis model

This paper mainly focuses on the development of pressure tracking control logic of electro-hydraulic actuators for vehicle application. This is done to improve and ensure the performance of a precise lower-level controller for evolving modern shift control logic. The required performance is obtained by hysteresis model-based feed-forward control and additional feedback control. The hysteresis and the time delay, which adversely affect pressure control, are well known nonlinear behaviors in electro-hydraulic actuators. In order to cope with the hysteresis, a novel hysteresis model is proposed based on a physical phenomenon. A mathematical model based on a characteristic curve obtained in preliminary experiments is presented using only one tuning parameter, and this model can be inverted easily to construct a feed-forward controller. In addition, a feedback controller is designed considering the stability margin of a time delay system. The feedback control inputs ensure compensation of the feed-forward errors caused by model error and uncertainty. The proposed controller is designed to lower computational cost considering applicability for production vehicles. As a result, the developed pressure controller is applied to a transmission control unit of a production vehicle and verified experimentally for various driving scenarios.     

Fatigue behaviour of composite–composite joints reinforced with cold metal transfer welded pins

In this paper the fatigue properties of through-the-thickness reinforced joints are studied in detail. Unreinforced specimens, specimens reinforced with cold metal transfer welded titanium and steel pins and specimens reinforced with titanium z-pins are investigated. Besides classical S–N diagrams, hysteresis curves and stiffness based approaches are applied to improve the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of the joints in the progress of their fatigue life. Furthermore full field strain analysis gives information about damage initiation and growth in the joint section.     

High-pressure hydrogen storage performances of ZrFe2 based alloys with Mn,Ti, and V addition

The microstructure of ZrFe₂-based alloys were modified by alloying with the Mn, Ti, and V, aiming to obtain proper hydriding/dehydriding plateau features for the high-pressure application. The multi-component ZrFe₂-based alloys show a wide tunable range in the plateau pressure via the interaction of Ti, Mn, and V. Further, the V addition plays the best role to improve the hysteresis in absorption-desorption isotherms, while the proper addition amount Ti helps to realize a low plateau slope as well as a high plateau pressure. Among the investigated alloys, Zr_1.05Fe_1.6Mn_0.4 shows a relatively high dehydriding pressure of 20.58 atm at 298 K, while Zr_1.05Fe_1.7Mn_0.2V_0.1 with C15 structure shows the lowest hysteresis. Overall, too much of Ti and Mn would promote the transformation of the C15 to C14 structure with large hysteresis and low plateau pressure.     

Mechanics-aided digital image correlation for the investigation of piezoelectric and ferroelectric behaviour of a soft PZT

The strain response of a polarised PZT was characterised using Digital Image Correlation (DIC). The DIC algorithm is based on a global approach and regularises the displacement field using the balance equations of solid mechanics. The measurement error is reduced by correcting the displacements that are mechanically not admissible. A ferroelectric test showed that the standard deviations of strain fields remain mostly under 1.2 × 10^?4 for an element size of 64 px. The standard deviation on the average value is 3 × 10^?6. The strain field is homogeneous and its average value is consistent with the strain obtained from a CCD laser measurement device. The longitudinal strain, transverse strain and polarisation response of the PZT were measured for bipolar and unipolar loadings ranging from 50 to 5000 V/mm. Material properties were extracted from these measurements. This work shows the advantages of a novel 2D-DIC algorithm for piezoelectric strain characterisation.     

Improvement of (BH)max in Ba-hexaferrite doped with La and Co

In this work we produce Ba-hexaferrite nanoparticles by the ionic coordination reaction method and study the influence of La and Co ions on the magnetic properties of Ba_0.7La_0.3Fe_12-xCo_xO₁₉ for x = (0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0) nanoparticles. The crystalline and morphological properties were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The magnetic properties of samples were studied in a vibrating sample magnetometer under an applied field of ±6 T. The Fe occupancy in the three octahedral (12k, 2a, and 4f₂), one tetrahedral (4f₁) and one trigonal bipyramidal (2b) sites was studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The samples are single domain nanoparticles with crystallite sizes in the range 71.5-50.1 nm, decreasing with the Co doping. The results suggest that the sample with x = 0.25 had the largest (BH)_max of 6.98 kJ/m³, this effect is mostly due to the occupancy of 4f₂ sites by Co²⁺. For x > 0.25, the Co²⁺ occupy mainly both the 4f₂ and 12k sites, the presence of oxygen vacancies is discussed.     

不同剪切历史和热历史对原油滞回环的影响

胶凝含蜡原油由于其蜡晶的三维网状空间结构,具有复杂的流变性。胶凝原油的流变性质一直是研究的重点和热点。通过实验,研究了在不同剪切历史和热历史作用下胶凝原油滞回环的不同变化规律。实验结果表明,对于不同的降温速率,在同一剪切条件下,当降温速率较低时,其原油屈服应力较大,滞回环曲线凸起较高,但随着剪切速率的增加,其应力逐渐接近,滞回环曲线逐渐接近;对于不同的胶凝温度,在同一剪切条件下,胶凝温度越低的,其屈服应力较大,并且随着剪切速率的增加,应力之间的差别虽变小,但胶凝温度低的比胶凝温度高的大,在滞回环曲线上可以看到低温度的曲线比高温度的曲线所对应的应力大;对于不同的剪切速率,剪切速率变化率大的,其屈服应力大,但随着剪切速率的增大,滞回环曲线相接近,即其应力也逐渐相接近。     

Turbidity dynamics during spring storm events in an urban headwater river system: the Upper Tame, West Midlands, UK

Turbidity is an important water quality variable, through its relation to light suppression, BOD impact, sediment-associated contaminant transport, and suspended sediment effects on organisms and habitats. Yet few published field investigations of wet-weather turbidity dynamics, through several individual and sequenced rainstorms in extremely urbanised headwater basins, have emerged. This paper aims to address this gap through a turbidity analysis of multiple storm events in spring 2001 in an urban headwater basin (57 km2) of the River Tame, central England, the most urbanised basin for its size in the UK ( approximately 42%). Data were collected at 15-min frequency at automated monitoring stations for rainfall, streamflow and six water quality variables (turbidity, EC, temperature, DO, pH, ammonia). Disturbance experiments also allowed estimates of bed sediment storage to be obtained. Six important and unusual features of the storm event turbidity response were apparent: (1) sluggish early turbidity response, followed by a turbidity 'rush'; (2) quasi-coincident flow and turbidity peaks; (3) anti-clockwise hysteresis in the discharge-turbidity relationship on all but one event, resulting from Falling-LImb Turbidity Extensions (FLITEs); (4) increases in peak turbidity levels through storm sequences; (5) initial micro-pulses (IMP) in turbidity; and (6) secondary turbidity peaks (STP) or 'turbidity shoulders' (TS). These features provided very little evidence of a true 'first-flush' effect: instead, substantial suspended solids transport continued right through the flow recessions, and little storm-event sediment exhaustion was evident. A new, dimensionless, hysteresis index, HI(mid), is developed to quantify the magnitude and direction of hysteresis in a simple, clear, direct and intuitive manner. This allowed the degree of departure from the classic 'first-flush', clockwise hysteresis models to be assessed. Of the 15 turbidity events considered, 10 coincided with ammonia spikes of up to 6.25 mg l(-1) at Water Orton (the downstream station): this suggests that spills from combined sewer overflows (CSO) or waste water treatment works (WwTWs) are significant in the throughput of turbid waters here. Substantial ammonia peaks related most strongly to total storm rainfall receipt, of four rainfall variables considered, and significant ammonia peaks were generated even from low-magnitude storms (rainfall totals <4 mm), indicating that spills are a frequent occurrence. Local bed sediment stores appear to be limited, suggesting that other distal sediment sources, such as road networks and old mineworkings are possibly more important. Biofilms may also play a part in delaying sediment release until late in the hydrograph, and in suppressing late spring turbidity levels. Existing first-flush models appear to be an oversimplification here. Such urban headwater basin responses can provide useful insights into the generation of contaminant waves, and offer vital early-warning systems for pollution events propagating downstream.     

In-situ horizontal cyclic loading tests on composite foundation composed of soilbags and piles

The authors have been developing a new composite foundation composed of piles and soilbags. The foundation is characterized by the laying of soilbags between the pile heads and the footing on which a superstructure stands. The expected effect of the foundation is to cut off the fixed connection between the piles and the footing in order to reduce the bending moment of the piles and the response acceleration of the structure. In this study, in-situ horizontal cyclic loading tests were conducted on the proposed composite foundation with two piles to investigate the seismic response characteristics of the foundation at real scale. It was found from the tests that the horizontal force reached its peak due to the uplift of the footing during horizontal loading, and that larger hysteresis damping was obtained than that of spread foundations due to the hysteresis effect in the shear deformation of the soilbags. As for the sectional force of the piles and the vertical stress inside the soilbags, it was found that the axial force and bending moment of the piles concentrated on the pile on the front side in the loading direction, and that the vertical stresses inside the soilbags concentrated just above the pile head on the front side in the loading direction. Although residual horizontal displacement and settlement occurred due to the cyclic load, little damage to the soilbags was observed.