Wind pressure distribution and wind-induced dynamic response for spatial groined latticed vaults

The wind pressure distribution and wind-induced vibration responses of long-span spatial groined latticed vaults (SGLVs) were numerically simulated, which always are ones of the most important problems in the structural wind resistance design. Incompressible visco-fluid model was introduced, and the standard k-εtwo equation model and semi-implicit method for pressure linked equation (SIMPLE) were used to describe the flow turbulence. Furthermore, the structural dynamic equation was set up, which is solved by Newmark-β method. And several sort of wind-induced vibration coefficients such as the wind-induced vibration coefficient corresponding to the nodal displacement responses and wind loads were suggested. In the numerical simulation where the SGLV consisting of the cylindrical sectors with different curved surface was chosen as the example,the influence on the relative wind pressure distribution and structural wind-induced vibration responses of the closed or open SGLV caused by such parameters as the number of cylindrical sectors, structural curvature and the ratio of rise to span was investigated. Finally, some useful conclusions on the local wind pressure distribution on the structural surface and the wind-induced vibration coefficients of SGLV were developed.     

Improvement of the second order approximation of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics

The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), as a fully Lagrangian particle method, has been successfully applied to astrophysical problems and extended to elastic dynamics and computational fluid dynamics.High order derivatives have to be approximated when elastic dynamics problems are modeled. However, the approximation errors in SPH could lead to computational failure in the case that the order of derivative is high.A novel method was proposed in order to improve the accuracy of SPH method, which shows the relationship between the selected functions and their SPH approximations. The entire involved system was represented by a finite number of particles that carry individual mass and occupy individual space, and the integral interpolation was approximated by a summation interpolation. In addition, error comparison was made between SPH method with and without the present improvement.     

Numerical modeling of ground response during diaphragm wall construction

Construction of diaphragm wall panels may cause considerable stress changes in heavily overconsolidated soil deposits and can induce substantial ground movement. The 3D Lagrangian method was adopted to model the mechanical response of ground, including horizontal normal stress and shear stress, lateral ground displacement and vertical ground surface settlement, during the slurry trenching and concreting of diaphragm wall panels. Numerical results show that slurry trenching leads to horizontal stress relief of ground, reducing the horizontal stress of the ground from initial K0 pressure to hydrostatic betonite pressure. Wet concrete pressure lies between the hydrostatic bentonite pressure and the initial K0 pressure, so it can compensate partially the horizontal stress loss of the ground adjacent to the trench and thus reduce the lateral movement of the trench face as well as the vertical settlement of the ground surface.     

A data model applied to the knowledge-based ICAS

Image-guided computer aided surgery system (ICAS) contributes to safeness and success of surgery operations by means of displaying anatomical structures and showing correlative information to surgeons in the process of operation. Based on analysis of requirements for ICAS, a new concept of clinical knowledge-based ICAS was proposed. Designing a reasonable data structure model is essential for realizing this new concept. The traditional data structure is limited in expressing and reusing the clinical knowledge such as locating an anatomical object, topological relations of anatomical objects and correlative clinical attributes. A data structure model called mixed adjacency lists by octree-path-chain (MALOC) was outlined, which can combine patient's images with clinical knowledge, as well as efficiently locate the instrument and search the objects' information. The efficiency of data structures was analyzed and experimental results were given in comparison to other traditional data structures. The result of the nasal surgery experiment proves that MALOC is a proper model for clinical knowledge-based ICAS that has advantages in not only locating the operative instrument precisely but also proving surgeons with real-time operation-correlative information. It is shown that the clinical knowledge-based ICAS with MALOC model has advantages in terms of safety and success of surgical operations, and help in accurately locating the operative instrument and providing operation-correlative knowledge and information to surgeons in the process of operations.     

Power network parameter estimation method based on data mining technology

The parameter values which actually change with the circumstances, weather and load level etc.produce great effect to the result of state estimation. A new parameter estimation method based on data mining technology was proposed. The clustering method was used to classify the historical data in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) database as several types. The data processing technology was impliedto treat the isolated point, missing data and yawp data in samples for classified groups. The measurement data which belong to each classification were introduced to the linear regression equation in order to gain the regression coefficient and actual parameters by the least square method. A practical system demonstrates the high correctness, reliability and strong practicability of the proposed method.     

Analysis and improvement of authenticatable ring signcryption scheme

We show that the Zhang-Yang-Zhu-Zhang identity-based authenticatable ring signcryption scheme is not secure against chosen plaintext attacks.Furthermore, we propose an improved scheme that remedies the weakness of the Zhang-Yang-Zhu-Zhang scheme.The improved scheme has shorter ciphertext size than the Zhang-Yang-Zhu-Zhang scheme.We then prove that the improved scheme satisfies confidentiality, unforgeability, anonymity and authenticatability.     

Estimation of Load-Induced Damage and Repair Cost in Post-Tensioned Concrete Rocking Walls

Post-tensioned concrete rocking walls might be used to avoid severe seismic damage at the base of structural walls, decrease residual drift, and lessen post-earthquake repair costs. The prediction of load-induced damage to the rocking wall resulting from seismic loading can provide an extremely valuable tool to evaluate the status and safety of structural concrete walls following earthquakes. In this study, the behavior and the damage state of monolithic, self-centering, rocking walls, as a new type of concrete rocking wall, are investigated. The nonlinear mechanical behavior of the wall is first modeled numerically, and subsequently the mechanical parameters from the numerical simulation are used to generate the local damage index. The results from the damage index model are compared with the full-scale test results, confirming the viability of the numerically based damage index method for estimating the seismically induced damage in concrete walls. Moreover, the estimated damage can be utilized as a qualitative and quantitative scale to assess the status of the wall following seismic loading events. Finally, an equation is proposed to estimate the repair cost based on the predicted damage state for the studied structural system.     

TDOA Passive Location Based on Cuckoo Search Algorithm

This paper formulates a new framework to estimate the target position by adopting cuckoo search(CS)positioning algorithm. Addressing the nonlinear optimization problem is a crucial spot in the location system of time difference of arrival(TDOA). With the application of the Levy flight mechanism, the preferential selection mechanism and the elimination mechanism, the proposed approach prevents positioning results from falling into local optimum. These intelligent mechanisms are useful to ensure the population diversity and improve the convergence speed. Simulation results demonstrate that the cuckoo localization algorithm has higher locating precision and better performance than the conventional methods. Compared with particle swarm optimization(PSO) algorithm and Newton iteration algorithm, the proposed method can obtain the Cram′er-Rao lower bound(CRLB) and quickly achieve the global optimal solutions.     

Structural Optimization of Hatch Cover Based on Bi-directional Evolutionary Structure Optimization and Surrogate Model Method

Weight reduction has attracted much attention among ship designers and ship owners. In the present work, based on an improved bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method and surrogate model method, we propose a hybrid optimization method for the structural design optimization of beam-plate structures, which covers three optimization levels: dimension optimization, topology optimization and section optimization. The objective of the proposed optimization method is to minimize the weight of design object under a group of constraints. The kernel optimization procedure (KOP) uses BESO to obtain the optimal topology from a ground structure. To deal with beam-plate structures, the traditional BESO method is improved by using cubic box as the unit cell instead of solid unit to construct periodic lattice structure. In the first optimization level, a series of ground structures are generated based on different dimensional parameter combinations, the KOP is performed to all the ground structures, the response surface model of optimal objective values and dimension parameters is created, and then the optimal dimension parameters can be obtained. In the second optimization level, the optimal topology is obtained by using the KOP according to the optimal dimension parameters. In the third optimization level, response surface method (RSM) is used to determine the section parameters. The proposed method is applied to a hatch cover structure design. The locations and shapes of all the structural members are determined from an oversized ground structure. The results show that the proposed method leads to a greater weight saving, compared with the original design and genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization results.     

Catalytic Combustion of Lean Methane Assisted by Electric Field over Pd/Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> Catalysts at Low Temperature

A series of Pd/Co₃O₄ catalysts were prepared by Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS) method in this study, and electric field was applied for catalytic combustion of lean methane over Pd/Co₃O₄ catalysts at low temperature. When electric field was applied, the catalytic combustion performance of Pd/Co₃O₄ catalysts was greatly improved, and the application of electric field could reduce the load of active element Pd to some extent while maintaining the same efficiency. Based on experimental tests and the analysis results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) and in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in-situ DRIFTS), the mechanism of catalytic oxidation of CH₄ over Pd/Co₃O₄ catalysts in electric field was proposed. The catalytic combustion of CH₄ occurs only when the temperature is higher than 250 °C normally, but when electric field was applied, the whole process of CH₄ oxidation was promoted significantly and the reaction temperature was reduced. Electric field could promote the reduction of the support Co₃O₄ to release the lattice oxygen, resulting in the increase of PdO_x and the surface chemisorbed oxygen, which could provide more active sites for the low-temperature oxidation of CH₄. Furthermore, electric field could accelerate the dehydroxylation of CoOOH to further enhance the activity of the catalysts.