• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.989-1012
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• 2016

The structural dynamic behavior and yield strength considering both ductility and strain rate effects are analyzed in this article. For the single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system, the relationship between the relative velocity and the strain rate response is deduced and the strain rate spectrum is presented. The ductility factor can be incorporated into the strain rate spectrum conveniently based on the constant-ductility velocity response spectrum. With the application of strain rate spectrum, it is convenient to consider the ductility and strain rate effects in engineering practice. The modal combination method, i.e., square root of the sum of the squares (SRSS) method, is employed to calculate the maximum strain rate of the elastoplastic multiple-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) system under uniform excitation. Considering the spatially varying ground motions, a new response spectrum method is developed by incorporating the ductility factor and strain rate into the conventional response spectrum method. In order to further analyze the effects of strain rate and ductility on structural dynamic behavior and yield strength, the cantilever beam (one-dimensional) and the triangular element (two-dimensional) are taken as numerical examples to calculate their seismic responses in time domain. Numerical results show that the permanent displacements with and without considering the strain rate effect are significantly different from each other. It is not only necessary in theory but also significant in engineering practice to take the ductility and strain rate effects into consideration.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.111-128
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• 2014

The stochastic response surface method (SRSM) and the response surface method (RSM) are often used for structural reliability analysis, especially for reliability problems with implicit performance functions. This paper aims to compare these two methods in terms of fitting the performance function, accuracy and efficiency in estimating probability of failure as well as statistical moments of system output response. The computational procedures of two response surface methods are briefly introduced first. Then their capabilities are demonstrated and compared in detail through two examples. The results indicate that the probability of failure mainly reflects the accuracy of the response surface function (RSF) fitting the performance function in the vicinity of the design point, while the statistical moments of system output response reflect the accuracy of the RSF fitting the performance function in the entire space. In addition, the performance function can be well fitted by the SRSM with an optimal order polynomial chaos expansion both in the entire physical and in the independent standard normal spaces. However, it can be only well fitted by the RSM in the vicinity of the design point. For reliability problems involving random variables with approximate normal distributions, such as normal, lognormal, and Gumbel Max distributions, both the probability of failure and statistical moments of system output response can be accurately estimated by the SRSM, whereas the RSM can only produce the probability of failure with a reasonable accuracy.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.233-246
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• 2014

Estimation of fracture initiation pressure is one of the most difficult technical challenges in hydraulic fracturing treatment of vertical or horizontal oil wells. In this study, the influence of in-situ stresses and pore pressure values on fracture initiation pressure and its profile in vertical and horizontal oil wells in a normal stress regime have been investigated. Cohesive elements with traction-separation law (XFEM-based cohesive law) are used for simulating the fracturing process in a fluid-solid coupling finite element model. The maximum nominal stress criterion is selected for initiation of damage in the cohesive elements. The stress intensity factors are verified for both XFEM-based cohesive law and analytical solution to show the validation of the cohesive law in fracture modeling where the compared results are in a very good agreement with less than 1% error. The results showed that, generally by increasing the difference between the maximum and minimum horizontal stress, the fracture pressure and its profile has been strongly changed in the vertical wells. Also, it's been clearly observed that in a horizontal well drilled in the direction of minimum horizontal stress, the values of fracture pressure have been significantly affected by the difference between overburden pressure and maximum horizontal stress. Additionally, increasing pore pressure from under-pressure regime to over-pressure state has made a considerable fall on fracture pressure in both vertical and horizontal oil wells.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.465-474
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• 2020

Vortex-induced vibrations of a yawed flexible cylinder near a plane boundary are numerically investigated at a Reynolds number Re_n= 500 based on normal component of freestream velocity. Free to oscillate in the in-line and cross-flow directions, the cylinder with an aspect ratio of 25 is pinned-pinned at both ends at a fixed wall-cylinder gap ratio G/D = 0.8, where D is the cylinder diameter. The cylinder yaw angle (α) is varied from 0° to 60° with an increment of 15°. The main focus is given on the influence of α on structural vibrations, flow patterns, hydrodynamic forces, and IP (Independence Principle) validity. The vortex shedding pattern, contingent on α, is parallel at α=0°, negatively-yawed at α ≤ 15° and positively-yawed at α ≥ 30°. In the negatively- and positively-yawed vortex shedding patterns, the inclination direction of the spanwise vortex rows is in the opposite and same directions of α, respectively. Both in-line and cross-flow vibration amplitudes are symmetric to the midspan, regardless of α. The RMS lift coefficient C_L,rms exhibits asymmetry along the span when α ≠ 0°, maximum C_L,rms occurring on the lower and upper halves of the cylinder for negatively- and positively-yawed vortex shedding patterns, respectively. The IP is well followed in predicting the vibration amplitudes and drag forces for α ≤ 45° while invalid in predicting lift forces for α ≥ 30°. The vortex-shedding frequency and the vibration frequency are well predicted for α = 0° - 60° examined.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.91-105
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• 2017

Thermal hydraulic (TH) analysis of nuclear power reactors is utmost important. In this way, the numerical codes that preparing TH data in reactor core are essential. In this paper, a subchannel analysis of a Russian pressurized water reactor (WWER1000) core with enhanced numerical code is carried out. For this, in fluid domain, the mass, axial and lateral momentum and energy conservation equations for desired control volume are solved, numerically. In the solid domain, the cylindrical heat transfer equation for calculation of radial temperature profile in fuel, gap and clad with finite difference and finite element solvers are considered. The dependence of material properties to fuel burnup with Calza-Bini fuel-gap model is implemented. This model is coupled with Isotope Generation and Depletion Code (ORIGEN2.1). The possibility of central hole consideration in fuel pellet is another advantage of this work. In addition, subchannel to subchannel and subchannel to rod connection data in hexagonal fuel assembly geometry could be prepared, automatically. For a demonstration of code capability, the steady state TH analysis of a the WWER1000 core is compromised with Thermal-hydraulic analysis code (COBRA-EN). By thermal hydraulic parameters averaging Fuel Assembly-to-Fuel Assembly method, the one sixth (symmetry) of the Boushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) core with regular subchannels are modeled. Comparison between the results of the work and COBRA-EN demonstrates some advantages of the presented code. Using the code the thermal modeling of the fuel rods with considering the fission gas generation would be possible. In addition, this code is compatible with neutronic codes for coupling. This method is faster and more accurate for symmetrical simulation of the core with acceptable results.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2017

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure using fiber Bragg grating sensor networks (FBGSNs) has received significant public attention in recent years. However, there is currently little research on the health-monitoring technology of high-piled wharfs in coastal ports using the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor technique. The benefits of FBG sensors are their small size, light weight, lack of conductivity, resistance corrosion, multiplexing ability and immunity to electromagnetic interference. Based on the properties of high-piled wharfs in coastal ports and servicing seawater environment and the benefits of FBG sensors, the SHM system for a high-piled wharf in the Tianjin Port of China is devised and deployed partly using the FBG sensor technique. In addition, the health-monitoring parameters are proposed. The system can monitor the structural mechanical properties and durability, which provides a state-of-the-art mean to monitor the health conditions of the wharf and display the monitored data with the BIM technique. In total, 289 FBG stain sensors, 87 FBG temperature sensors, 20 FBG obliquity sensors, 16 FBG pressure sensors, 8 FBG acceleration sensors and 4 anode ladders are installed in the components of the back platform and front platform. After the installation of some components in the wharf construction site, the good signal that each sensor measures demonstrates the suitability of the sensor setup methods, and it is proper for the full-scale, continuous, autonomous SHM deployment for the high-piled wharf in the costal port. The South 27# Wharf SHM system constitutes the largest deployment of FBG sensors for wharf structures in costal ports to date. This deployment demonstrates the strong potential of FBGSNs to monitor the health of large-scale coastal wharf structures. This study can provide a reference to the long-term health-monitoring system deployment for high-piled wharf structures in coastal ports.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.175-184
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• 2020

Conventional Monte Carlo simulation-based methods for seismic risk assessment of water networks often require excessive computational time costs due to the hydraulic analysis. In this study, an Artificial Neural Network-based surrogate model was proposed to efficiently evaluate the flow-based system reliability of water distribution networks. The surrogate model was constructed with appropriate training parameters through trial-and-error procedures. Furthermore, a deep neural network with hidden layers and neurons was composed for the high-dimensional network. For network training, the input of the neural network was defined as the damage states of the k-dimensional network facilities, and the output was defined as the network system performance. To generate training data, random sampling was performed between earthquake magnitudes of 5.0 and 7.5, and hydraulic analyses were conducted to evaluate network performance. For a hydraulic simulation, EPANET-based MATLAB code was developed, and a pressure-driven analysis approach was adopted to represent an unsteady-state network. To demonstrate the constructed surrogate model, the actual water distribution network of A-city, South Korea, was adopted, and the network map was reconstructed from the geographic information system data. The surrogate model was able to predict network performance within a 3% relative error at trained epicenters in drastically reduced time. In addition, the accuracy of the surrogate model was estimated to within 3% relative error (5% for network performance lower than 0.2) at different epicenters to verify the robustness of the epicenter location. Therefore, it is concluded that ANN-based surrogate model can be utilized as an alternative model for efficient seismic risk assessment to within 5% of relative error.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.172-179
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• 1988

A cartridge type hydraulic logic valve consists of simple two port valve whose poppet is closed or opened by means of pressure signal of a pilot line. Accordingly, the logic valve can be used not only for direction, flow and pressure control purpose but also for versatile function valve which enables all above mentioned functions. In addition, the valve has little internal leakage and pressure loss, superior response characteristics and easiness in making small block type valve. The above mentioned good performances being recognized recently, the logic valve has been used widely in the large scale hydraulic system such as a hydraulic press system, for the performance requirements of high speed operation and precise control characteristics. However, there are scarce reports until now, except for a few ones from Aachen Institute of Technology in West Germany, so it is necessary to be studied on development and investigation for practical application. This paper showed that the static and dynamic characteristics of a logic valve when the logic valve is used for directional control, to investigate the relations between the valve operating characteristics and the valve design conditions. From the above mentioned procedure, it was ascertained that the valve operation characteristics obtained by numerical analysis showed good agreements with experimental results. The representative results obtained are as follows; 1. During the valve is closing, the poppet velocity is almost constant in the logic valve. 2. The pilot pressure P sub(3) and the resistance R in the pilot line have much influences on the valve operation time. 3. Spring strength have not such a severe influence on the valve operating time. 4. The operation characteristics of the logic valve can be estimated with good accuracy comparatively by numerical analysis with the equations describing poppet motion.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.187-220
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• 2015

Soil disturbance induced by installation of mandrel driven vertical drains decreases the in situ horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the soil in the vicinity of the drains, decelerating the consolidation rate. According to available literature, several different profiles for the hydraulic conductivity variation with the radial distance from the vertical drain, influencing the excess pore water pressure dissipation rate, have been identified. In addition, it is well known that the visco-plastic properties of the soil also influence the excess pore water pressure dissipation rate and consequently the settlement rate. In this study, a numerical solution adopting an elastic visco-plastic model with nonlinear creep function incorporated in the consolidation equations has been developed to investigate the effects of disturbed zone properties on the time dependent behaviour of soft soil deposits improved with vertical drains and preloading. The employed elastic visco-plastic model is based on the framework of the modified Cam-Clay model capturing soil creep during excess pore water pressure dissipation. Besides, nonlinear variations of creep coefficient with stress and time and permeability variations during the consolidation process are considered. The predicted results have been compared with V$\ddot{a}$sby test fill measurements. According to the results, different variations of the hydraulic conductivity profile in the disturbed zone result in varying excess pore water pressure dissipation rate and consequently varying the effective vertical stresses in the soil profile. Thus, the creep coefficient and the creep strain limit are notably influenced resulting in significant changes in the predicted settlement rate.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.645-667
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• 2015

Single treatment and staged treatments in vertical wells are widely applied in sandstone and mudstone thin interbedded (SMTI) reservoir to stimulate the reservoir. The keys and difficulties of stimulating this category of formations are to avoid hydraulic fracture propagating through the interface between shale and sand as well as control the fracture height. In this paper, the cohesive zone method was utilized to build the 3-dimensional fracture dynamic propagation model in shale and sand interbedded formation based on the cohesive damage element. Staged treatments and single treatment were simulated by single fracture propagation model and double fractures propagation model respectively. Study on the changes of fracture vicinity stress field during propagation is to compare and analyze the parameters which influence the interfacial induced stresses between two different fracturing methods. As a result, we can prejudge how difficult it is that the fracture propagates along its height direction. The induced stress increases as the pumping rate increasing and it changes as a parabolic function of the fluid viscosity. The optimized pump rate is $4.8m^3/min$ and fluid viscosity is $0.1Pa{\cdot}s$ to avoid the over extending of hydraulic fracture in height direction. The simulation outcomes were applied in the field to optimize the treatment parameters and the staged treatments was suggested to get a better production than single treatment.