Performance evaluation of structural concrete using controlled quality coarse and fine recycled concrete aggregate

This paper presents the fresh, mechanical, and durability performance, of a structural concrete mix classified as C-1, by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) made with controlled quality Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA). Five mixes with water-to-cementing material (w/cm) ratio of 0.40 were produced with various RCA contents and tested against two 0% RCA control mixes made with General Use (GU) cement, and General Use Limestone cement (GUL). The RCA contents in the mixes were 10%, 20%, and 30% by coarse aggregate volume replacement, as well as 10% and 20% fine and coarse (granular) aggregate volume replacement. All evaluated mixes met the specifications from the CSA for fresh, mechanical, and durability properties. The coarse RCA mixes performed better than the granular RCA mixes in terms of flexural and splitting tensile strengths, linear drying shrinkage, water sorptivity, and rapid chloride-ion permeability, where the test results were significantly affected by the ultra fines present in the granular RCA.     

Experimental study on the heat transfer and flow characteristics of nanorefrigerants inside a corrugated tube

The heat transfer and flow characteristics of MWCNT-R141b nanorefrigerant with different mass fractions have been studied through experiments. Experimental results were compared with existing correlations. A two-step method was used to prepare the nanorefrigerants. Span-80 was used as surfactant with an average particle diameter of 20 nm. Transmittance method was used to evaluate the stability of nanorefrigerants. Results showed that the stability of MWCNT-R141b nanorefrigerant, which is the added dispersant, was good during the experiments. The 0.3 wt% MWCNT-R141b nanorefrigerants had optimal heat transfer enhancement effects compared with pure refrigerants. The maximum Nusselt number increased by 40%. The specific pressure drop of nanorefrigerant increased as the Reynolds number (Re) increased, and the specific pressure drop of the pure refrigerant was minimum, which is similar to R141b.     

Rectangular Section Control Technology for Silicon Steel Rolling

Rectangular section control technology(RSCT)was introduced to achieve high-precision profile control during silicon steel rolling.The RSCT principle and method were designed,and the whole RSCT control strategy was developed.Specifically,RSCT included roll contour design,rolling technology optimization,and control strategy development,aiming at both hot strip mills(HSMs)and cold strip mills(CSMs).Firstly,through the high-performance variable crown(HVC)work roll optimization design in the upper-stream stands and the limited shifting technology for schedule-free rolling in the downstream stands of HSMs,a hot strip with a stable crown and limited wedge,local spot,and single wave was obtained,which was suitable for cold rolling.Secondly,an approximately rectangular section was obtained by edge varying contact(EVC)work roll contour design,edge-drop setting control,and closed loop control in the upper-stream stands of CSMs.Moreover,complex-mode flatness control was realized by coordinating multiple shape-control methods in the downstream stands of CSMs.In addition,the RSCT approach was applied in several silicon-steel production plants,where an outstanding performance and remarkable economic benefits were observed.     

Φ177mm PQF无缝管连轧机前横移系统改进

对鞍钢股份无缝钢管厂连轧机前毛管坯横移装置存在的设计缺陷进行了分析,并提出改进方案,将原横移装置由高架轨道横移机构及上下升降链传动装置,改进为地面轨道横移系统及同步旋转臂实现取管、放管过程。实施后消除了生产故障,缩短了轧制周期,降低生产成本。     

Fatigue limit evaluation of various martensitic stainless steels with new robust thermographic data analysis

Thermography represents an important tool to study fatigue behaviour of materials.In this work, the fatigue limit of martensitic and precipitation hardening stainless steels has been determined with thermographic methods. Despite their use in corrosive and cryogenic environments, there is a data lack in literature concerning the study of fatigue behaviour.The peculiarity of these materials is the brittle behaviour: therefore, during fatigue tests the characteristic small deformations determine small changes of temperature. Thus, to properly determine the fatigue limit of aforementioned stainless steels, a more accurate setup is necessary in order to correctly detect surface temperature of specimens due to dissipation heat sources.In literature, different procedures have already been proposed to evaluate the fatigue limit from thermal data but very few works lead to an early detection of dissipation process which can obtain a further reduction of overall testing time. The aim of the paper is to propose a new robust thermal data analysis procedure for estimating fatigue limit of stainless steels in automatable way.     

Investigation on phase shifting for a 4 K Stirling pulse tube cryocooler with He-3 as working fluid

He-3 is generally recognized for its ability to provide more excellent thermophysical performance than He-4, especially in the 4 K temperature range. However, this was not always the case in our preliminary experiments on a three-stage Stirling-type pulse tube cryocooler (SPTC). Our ongoing studies, as reported in this paper, demonstrate that the different working fluids also affect the performance through their phase shifting capability. This feature has been passed over in large part by researchers considering refrigerant substitution. Unlike previous theoretical analyses that focus primarily on regenerator losses, this report investigates the effects of the working fluid on the phase angle at the cold end in order to quantitatively reveal the relationship between the lowest attainable temperature and the cooling capacity. The analysis agrees well with our experimental results on a three-stage SPTC. While running with the operating parameters optimized for He-3, the lowest temperature of the SPTC decreased from 5.4 K down to 4.03 K. This is the lowest refrigeration temperature ever achieved with a three-stage SPTC.     

Geopolymer concrete-filled pultruded composite beams – Concrete mix design and application

The limited research on the geopolymer concrete mix design for targeting a specific strength is identified an obstacle for their effective design and wide use. In this paper, a mix design procedure has been proposed for fly-ash based geopolymer concrete and its use as infill hybrid composite beam is investigated. Then, the structural performance of geopolymer concrete filled hybrid composite beam is investigated to determine their possible application in civil infrastructure. Firstly, a detailed procedure of mix design for fly-ash based geopolymer concrete is presented. Secondly, three hybrid beams filled with geopolymer concrete were prepared and tested in a four-point bending setup to evaluate their flexural modulus and modulus of rupture. Numerical and analytical evaluation of the behaviour of hybrid beam were performed and results showed a good agreement with the experimental investigation. Thirdly, the suitability of the beam for a composite railway sleeper is evaluated and compared with existing timber and composite sleepers. Finally, the beams’ performance in a ballast railway track is analysed using Strand7 finite element simulation software and the results showed that the new concept of using geopolymer concrete as infill to pultruded composite section satisfied the stiffness and strength requirements for a railway sleeper.     

Alloy optimisation of bainitic steel for large plastic mould

Based on the phase transformation theories, especially the T₀ concept of bainite transformation, alloy optimisation of bainitic steel with carbides has been carried out aiming at the produce of plastic mould with large cross-section. The effect of manganese and silicon on proeutectoid ferrite and bainite transformation is explored by dilatometric analysis, XRD and different microscopy techniques. The results show that after the alloy optimisation, the transformation of proeutectoid ferrite is suppressed and when the cooling rate is lower than 0·1°C?s^??1, the new lower bainite transformation appears by decreasing carbon capacity of austenite and promoting carbide precipitation. Industrial production proves that the optimised alloy SDP1 can meet the demand for the plastic mould with the thickness of 1050?mm.     

Effects of Rare Earths on Toughness of 31Mn2SiRE Wear-Resistance Cast Steel

The toughness of 31Mn2SiRE wear-resistance cast steel were increased by means of RE compound modification and high temperature austenitizing. The results show that the microstructures can be refined, needle and network ferrite are eliminated, the dislocation density and the quantity of dislocated martensite are increased remarkably, and the shape and distribution of inclusions are improved by the addition of RE. Therefore, the mechanical properties of the modified steel can be greatly increased, especially the toughness (αK) by 44%, yield strength (σs) by 10%, and elongation (δ5) by 42%.