• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.223-236
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• 2013

The paper presents an experimental set-up for osmotic membrane distillation, which can be operated continuously for several weeks. NaCl solutions were used as an osmotic solution. The influence of osmotic solution concentration on the obtained permeate flux is presented. The experimental set-up was equipped with a system for the regeneration of dilute brine. The regeneration was carried out using a method of natural evaporation to the air surrounding the installation. The evaporation area was created by the Białecki rings, assembled in the form of tower. The obtained evaporation rate was sufficient to maintain a constant NaCl concentration (over 300 g/L), for air with the relative humidity in the range of 30-80%. Accurel PP S6/2 hydrophobic polypropylene membranes were used in the study. The membranes exhibited 100% rejection for 600 h of the process duration.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.819-835
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• 2020

The effects of atmospheric thermal loads on the response of structural elements that are exposed to open environments have been recognized by research works and design specifications. The main source of atmospheric heat is solar radiation, which dominates the variation of the temperature of air, earth surface and all exposed objects. The temperature distribution along the depth of steel members may differ with the geometry configuration, which means that the different-configuration steel members may suffer different thermally induced strains and stresses. In this research, an experimental steel beam was instrumented with many thermocouples in addition to other sensors. Surface temperatures, air temperature, solar radiation and wind speed measurements were recorded continuously for 21 summer days. Based on a finite element thermal analysis, which was verified using the experimental records, several parametric studies were directed to investigate the effect of the geometrical parameters of AISC standard steel sections on their thermal response. The results showed that the overall size of the beam, its depth and the thickness of its elements are of significant effect on vertical temperature distributions and temperature differences.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.73-81
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• 2000

Snowdrifts around buildings can cause serious problems when formed on undesirable places. The formation of snowdrifts is highly connected to the wind pattern around the building, and the wind pattern is again dependent on the building design. The shear stress on the surface and snowdrifting around different buildings are investigated through CFD analysis and compared to measurements. The computations of shear stress shows local minima in the same areas as snowdrifts are formed. The snowdrifting computations utilises a drift-flux model where a fluid with snow properties is allowed to drift through a fluid with air properties. An apparent dynamic viscosity of the snow/air mixture is defined and used as a threshold criterion for snowdrifting. The results from the snowdrifting computations show increased snow density where snowdrifts are expected, and are in agreement with previous large-scale snowdrift measurements. The results show that computational fluid dynamics can be a tool for planning building design in snowdrifting areas.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.131-144
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• 2004

A technique for the simulation of atmospheric boundary layers in wind tunnels is developed and tested experimentally. The device consists of a grid made of seven horizontal and vertical evenly distributed bars in which air injection holes are drilled in order to influence the flow in the wind tunnel. The air flow in each bar can be controlled independently. Firstly, the device is used together with a rough carpet, which covers the test section floor, in order to simulate the boundary-layer characteristics over an open rural area. Hot-wire measurements, performed at different positions in the test-section, show the capability of the grid in generating the required boundary layer. An acceptable agreement with statistical values of mean velocity and turbulence profiles has been achieved, together with a good span-wise homogeneity. The results are also compared with those of a passive simulation technique based on the use of spires.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.7
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• pp.867-887
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• 2010

An energy-based variational approach is used for structural dynamic modeling of the IPMC (Ionic Polymer Metal Composites) flapping wing. Dynamic characteristics of the wing are analyzed using numerical simulations. Starting with the initial design, critical parameters which have influence on the performance of the wing are identified through parametric studies. An optimization study is performed to obtain improved flapping actuation of the IPMC wing. It is shown that the optimization algorithm leads to a flapping wing with dimensions similar to the dragonfly Aeshna Multicolor wing. An unsteady aerodynamic model based on modified strip theory is used to obtain the aerodynamic forces. It is found that the IPMC wing generates sufficient lift to support its own weight and carry a small payload. It is therefore a potential candidate for flapping wing of micro air vehicles.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.19-40
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• 2009

This paper describes the development of modified heat of hydration and maturity-strength models for concrete containing fly ash and slag. The modified models are developed based on laboratory and literature test results, which include different types of cement, fly ash, and slag. The new models consider cement type, water-to-cementitious material ratio (w/cm), mineral admixture, air content, and curing conditions. The results show that the modified models well predict heat evolution and compressive strength development of concrete made with different cementitious materials. Using the newly developed models, the sensitivity analysis was also performed to study the effect of each parameter on the hydration and strength development. The results illustrate that comparing with other parameters studied, w/cm, air content, fly ash, and slag replacement level have more significantly influence on concrete strength at both early and later age.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-86
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• 2019

This paper discusses the use of the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique for the displacement and strain measurements of a wet lay-up composite wing. As opposed to classical strain gages, DIC allows to conduct full field strain analysis of simple to complex structural parts. In this work, wing-up bending tests and measurements of the composite wing of the Dardo Aspect by CFM Air are carried out through an ad-hoc test rig and the Q-400 DIC system by Dantec Dynamics. Also, the results are used to validate a finite element model of the structure under investigation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.649-659
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• 2022

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) researchers have identified Augmented Reality (AR) as a new technology that can assist inspections. Post-seismic structural inspections are conducted to evaluate the safety level of the damaged structures. Quantification of nearby structural changes over short-term and long-term periods can provide building inspectors with information to improve their safety. This paper proposes a Time Machine Measure (TMM) application based on an Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Mounted-Device (HMD) platform. The primary function of TMM is to restore the saved meshes of a past environment and overlay them onto the real environment so that inspectors can intuitively measure dynamic structural deformation and other environmental movements. The proposed TMM application was verified by demo experiments simulating a real inspection environment.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.143-168
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• 2015

A numerical model for analyzing air-train-track interaction is proposed to investigate the dynamic behavior of a high-speed train running on a track in crosswinds. The model is composed of a train-track interaction model and a train-air interaction model. The train-track interaction model is built on the basis of the vehicle-track coupled dynamics theory. The train-air interaction model is developed based on the train aerodynamics, in which the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method is employed to deal with the dynamic boundary between the train and the air. Based on the air-train-track model, characteristics of flow structure around a high-speed train are described and the dynamic behavior of the high-speed train running on track in crosswinds is investigated. Results show that the dynamic indices of the head car are larger than those of other cars in crosswinds. From the viewpoint of dynamic safety evaluation, the running safety of the train in crosswinds is basically controlled by the head car. Compared with the generally used assessment indices of running safety such as the derailment coefficient and the wheel-load reduction ratio, the overturning coefficient will overestimate the running safety of a train on a track under crosswind condition. It is suggested to use the wheel-load reduction ratio and the lateral wheel-rail force as the dominant safety assessment indices when high-speed trains run in crosswinds.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.143-153
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• 2015

The ventilation system is a key device to ensure both healthful indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in buildings. The ventilation system should make the IAQ meet the standards such as ASHRAE 62. This study deals with a new approach to modeling the ventilation and IAQ requirement in residential buildings. In that approach, Elite software is used to calculate the air supply volume, and CONTAM model as a multi-zone and contaminant dispersal model is employed to estimate the contaminants' concentrations. Amongst various contaminants existing in the residential buildings, two main contaminates of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and carbon monoxide (CO) were considered. CO and $CO_2$ are generated mainly from combustion sources such as gas cooking and heating oven. In addition to the mentioned sources, $CO_2$ is generated from occupants' respirations. To show how that approach works, a sample house with the area of $80m^2$ located in Tehran was considered as an illustrative case study. The results showed that $CO_2$ concentration in the winter was higher than the acceptable level. Therefore, the air change rate (ACH) of 4.2 was required to lower the $CO_2$ concentration below the air quality threshold in the living room, and in the bedrooms, the rate of ventilation volume should be 11.2 ACH.