DEM modelling analysis of tree root growth in street pavements

The coexistence of urban green spaces and infrastructure is often difficult. Trees find inhospitable environments in urban areas, whereas tree root systems can damage sidewalk, street and parking lot. The main form of failure concerns the growing of tree roots beneath the pavements, which produce upheavals and displacements on wearing course. The main objective of this study was a distinct element method modelling analysis of the potential interactions between tree root systems and street pavements. This calculation code allowed us to simulate the dynamic behaviour of the ground-pavement system as result of the roots growth. The performed modelling, representative of various planting strategies commonly used in urban contexts, have highlighted the progressive reduction of deformations with the increase of the roots penetration depth. Such displacements were strongly influenced by other factors such as the porosity and the grain-size distribution of the soil and the type of pavement considered.     

核电厂电气设备陶瓷部件受风生飞射物的冲击破坏

为研究沿海台风中的风生飞射物对核电厂电气设备的冲击破坏，以核电厂户外高压电气设备的陶瓷绝缘材料为研究对象，基于LS-DYNA和HyperMesh，分析陶瓷部件在小球和钢管打击下的破坏情况。结果表明：在受到钢管垂直打击时，陶瓷部件很容易发生破坏；在受到小球冲击时，陶瓷部件局部表面发生破坏。进一步计算得到小球对陶瓷部件的临界破坏冲击速度，可为后续设计和研究提供参考。     

Variable amplitude fatigue of high-strength cast iron alloys for automotive applications

In the automotive sector, the cumulative damage calculation method generally applied is the Palmgren–Miner-Hypothesis with its modification according to Haibach (steeper slope of the SN-line after the knee-point) as a means of also including the damage by stress amplitudes below the knee-point. This approach results in the total damage sum of the spectrum D_spec. However, the resulting question is the value of the allowable damage sum D_al for the evaluation of D_spec ⩽ D_al. The only design code that considers the assessment of cast iron components under spectrum loading is the FKM-Guideline of the Cooperative Research Association for Mechanical Engineering (FKM, Frankfurt/Germany) for designing machine components. Here, the theoretical Palmgren–Miner-damage sum D_th = 1.0 is still suggested as the allowable damage sum D_al despite the fact that this damage sum renders unsafe calculated fatigue lives in about 90% of all published results.The results obtained with component-like notched specimens of modern high-strength cast iron alloys (R_m = 650–800 MPa) such as EN-GJS-500-7, SiboDur 700-10 and MADI (Machinable Austempered Ductile Iron), which were investigated under a standard Gaussian spectrum for chassis applications and also for a fuller injection pump spectrum, suggest the allowable damage sum D_al = 0.3 for fatigue life estimations of components manufactured with these materials can be proposed; i.e. the allowable fatigue life is about one third compared to calculations with the theoretical damage sum D_th = 1.0 that is still used.     

地下盐穴储气库盐岩热损伤机理

基于变质量热力学原理，建立盐穴储气库注采过程中的工程热力学分析数学模型，给出了单个注气和采气过程中温度和压力随时间变化的解析解，作为数值模拟的边界条件。根据金坛储气库的基本数据和盐岩实验研究参数，利用COMSOL Multiphysics有限元软件建立单腔盐穴注采过程的温度-应力耦合模型，模拟恒定注采速率下盐腔围岩的拉伸损伤、剪切损伤和膨胀损伤分布情况，研究夹层和热应力对围岩损伤的影响。基于热应力理论，结合模拟结果分析盐穴储气库注、采气过程中围岩的热损伤机理。模拟结果表明：在热应力存在的情况下，夹层的存在促进了围岩损伤的产生，无夹层时围岩无损伤发生，有夹层时围岩存在损伤；注气过程和采气过程的损伤发生位置存在差别：注气过程损伤多发生在夹层附近的盐岩中，采气过程损伤多发生在夹层中；膨胀损伤的范围最广，且损伤范围覆盖了前2种损伤，因此实际生产过程中推荐使用膨胀损伤判据，损伤评价结果更为保守。     

The fracture process in quasi‐brittle materials simulated using a lattice dynamical model

The damage process in quasi‐brittle materials is characterized by the evolution of a micro‐crack field, followed by the joining of micro‐cracks, stress localization and crack instability. In network models, masses are lumped at nodal points which are interconnected by one‐dimensional elements with a bilinear constitutive relation, considering the energy consistency during the simulated process. In order to replicate the material imperfections, to render a realistic behaviour in damage localization, the model has not only random elastic and rupture properties, but also a geometric perturbation. In the present paper 2D plates with different levels of brittleness are simulated. The numerical results are presented in terms of global stress vs strain diagram, final network configuration, energy balance during the process and as geometric damage evolution. Therefore, the predictive potential of the lattice discrete element model to capture fracture processes in quasi‐brittle materials is demonstrated.     

复采工作面火灾事故案例分析与综合防治

以小煤矿严重破坏区复采综放工作面3起火灾事故为案例,分析火灾原因,提出了复采工作面穿越小煤矿破坏区特殊支护、消火道防灭火等防治小煤矿自然发火技术,结合工作面破坏区灌浆超前防治、局部均压、注氮等防灭火措施,有效地消除了火灾事故,确保工作面顺利回采。     

当归红芪超滤物对重离子12C6+辐射肝癌细胞DNA损伤修复的影响

将人肝癌H22细胞分成4组,分别为对照组、药物组(100 mg/L)、辐射组(2 Gy)及联合组(100 mg/L药物 + 2 Gy照射),采用CCK-8法、单细胞凝胶电泳、γ-H2AX免疫荧光原位杂交技术以及Western Blotting印迹法,研究当归红芪超滤物(Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Radix Hedysari, RAS-RH)对重离子¹²C⁶⁺辐射引起人肝癌H22细胞DNA损伤修复的影响和其可能的机制。结果表明,在0～72 h和给药剂量为5～200 mg/L范围内,RAS-RH对人肝癌H22细胞的增殖抑制作用具有时间和剂量依赖性,其20%抑制浓度IC₂₀为(117.6±2.15)mg/L;单细胞凝胶电泳显示联合组头部DNA含量低于辐射组,而尾部DNA含量、尾距TM、Olive尾距OTM均高于辐射组;γ-H2AX免疫荧光原位杂交技术发现RAS-RH不增加重离子¹²C⁶⁺辐射引起的DNA损伤,但在2—12 h,DNA双链断裂的γ-H2AX foci修复作用被RAS-RH抑制,DNA损伤持续存在;Western Blotting显示RAS-RH通过下调Ku70/80及Rad51的蛋白表达,抑制γ-H2AX的聚集。以上结果说明RAS-RH对人肝癌H22细胞的辐射增敏作用可能是下调DNA损伤修复相关因子Ku70/80及Rad51的表达。     

An Investigation into the Thermal Boundary Resistance Associated with the Twin Boundary in Bismuth Telluride

The thermal boundary resistances (TBRs) of twin boundaries occurring at three different atomic layers (Te1, Bi, and Te2) of bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) are investigated in use of the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulation method. The simulation results show that among all, the Te1-twin boundaries bring about a lowest interfacial energy corresponding to a most stable system, which explains why this type of twin boundaries is mostly often observed in the laboratory; the Te2-twin boundaries on the other hand possess a largest interfacial energy, resulting in a least stable system. The order in magnitude of the TBRs associated with these three types of twin boundaries is Te2-twin > Bi-twin > Te1-twin. Moreover, the TBR associated with a pair of twin boundaries separated by a distance of 4 unit cell (UC) is found to be about twice as large as that of a single twin boundary of the same type. It implies that the mutual coupling, which causes an increase in TBRs, may be ignored and the effect of twin boundaries may be counted individually as long as the separation distance is larger than 4 UC.     

Influence of the grain structure of yttria thin films on the hydrogen isotope permeation

Steel components are required in the infrastructure and the facilities of the hydrogen economy. The high hydrogen pressures in the hydrogen economy lead to embrittlement and surface corrosion of the steels. For the functionality of the facilities it is necessary to suppress the embrittlement and the surface corrosion of the steels by protective layers, e.g. ceramic thin films. With regard to fusion power plants ceramic thin films on the structural steel materials are also required. These thin films work as a tritium permeation barrier that is necessary to prevent the loss of the radioactive fuel inventory. Oxide thin films, e.g. Al₂O₃, Er₂O₃, and Y₂O₃, are promising candidates as tritium permeation barrier layers. In terms of the application in the first wall, this is especially true for yttrium due to its favorably short decay time after neutron activation compared to the other candidates. The Y₂O₃ layers with thicknesses of 0.5 μm–1 μm are deposited on both substrate sides by RF magnetron sputter deposition. Since the microstructure of the barrier layer plays an important role for the permeation reduction, layers with three different magnetron process modes and thus three different microstructures are prepared. After annealing the cubic crystal structure of all thin films is verified by X-ray diffraction and the different microstructures are investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The Y₂O₃ stoichiometry of all thin films and a chromium oxide material segregation at the interface are verified by analysis methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The permeation reduction factors of all thin films are determined in gas-driven deuterium permeation experiments. Corresponding to the three different microstructures, reduction factors of 25, 45, and 1100 are identified. Thus, the permeation reduction is strongly dependent on the Y₂O₃ microstructure. The measurement results suggest that a high density of grain boundaries leads to a high hydrogen permeation.