• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.7
• /
• pp.2174-2183
• /
• 2021

Helium cooled solid breeder blanket as an important blanket candidate of the Tokamak fusion reactor uses ceramic pebble bed for tritium breeding. Considering the poor effective thermal conductivity of the ceramic breeder pebble bed, thin structure of tritium breeder pebble bed is usually adopted in the blanket design. The container wall has a great influence on the thin pebble bed packing structure, especially for the assembly of mono-sized particles, and thin pebble bed will appear anisotropic effective thermal conductivity phenomenon. In this paper, thin ceramic pebble beds composed of 1 mm diameter Li₄SiO₄ particles are generated by the EDEM 2.7. The effective thermal conductivity of different thickness pebble beds in the three-dimensional directions are analyzed by three-dimensional thermal network method. It is observed that thin Li₄SiO₄ pebble bed showing anisotropic effective thermal conductivity under the practical design size. Normally, the effective thermal conductivity along the bed vertical direction is higher than the horizontal direction due to the gravity effect. As the thickness increases from 10 mm to 40 mm, the effective thermal conductivity of the pebble bed gradually increases.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.259-274
• /
• 2023

In this paper, mechanical properties of periodic foundation made of concrete and rubber are investigated by a parametric study using the finite element method (FEM). Periodic foundation is a special type of seismic isolation foundation used in civil engineering, which is inspired by the meso-scale structure of phononic crystals in solid-state physics. This type of foundation is capable of reducing the seismic wave propagating though the foundation, therefore providing additional protection for the structures. In the FEM analysis, layered periodic foundation is frequently modelled due to its simplicity in numerical modeling. However, the isolation effect of periodic foundation on nuclear power plant has not been fully discussed to the best knowledge of authors. In this work, we construct four numerical models of nuclear power plant with different foundations to investigate the seismic isolation effects of periodic foundations. The results show that the layered periodic foundation can increase the natural period of the nuclear power plant like traditional base isolation systems, which is beneficial to the structures. In addition, the seismic response of the nuclear power plant can also be effectively reduced in both vertical and horizontal directions when the frequencies of the incident waves fall into some specific frequency bandgaps of the periodic foundation. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the layered periodic foundation can reduce the amplitude of the floor response spectrum, which plays an important role in the protection of the equipment.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2023

β titanium alloys are widely used in aerospace industry due to their excellent specific strength and corrosion resistance. In particular, mechanical properties of metastable β titanium can efficiently be controlled by various deformation mechanisms such as slip, twinning, and SIM (Stress-Induced Martensite Transformation), making it an ideal material for many industrial applications. In this study, Ti-5Mo-xFe (x=1, 2, 4 wt%) alloy was designed by adding a relatively inexpensive β element to ensure price competitiveness. Additionally, microstructural analysis was conducted using OM, SEM, and XRD, while mechanical properties were evaluated through hardness and compression tests to consider the deformation mechanisms based on the Fe content. SIMT occurred in all three alloys and was influenced by the presence of β_m (metastable beta) and beta stability. As the Fe content decreased, the α'' phase increased due to SIMT occurring within the β_m phase, resulting in softening. Conversely, as the Fe content increased, the strength of the alloy increased due to a reduction in α'' formation and the contributions of solid solution strengthening and grain strengthening. Moreover, unlike the other alloys, shear bands were observed only in the fracture of the Ti-5Mo-4Fe alloy, which was attributed to differences in texture and microstructure.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.333-348
• /
• 2023

Fast infrastructure development boosts the demand for shotcrete. Despite sand and stone being the most common coarse and fine aggregates for shotcrete, excessive exploration of these materials challenges the ecological environment. This study utilized an industrial solid waste, high-titanium heavy slag, blended with steel fibers to form Wet Shotcrete of Steel Fiber-reinforced High-Titanium Heavy Slag (WSSFHTHS). It investigated its workability, shotcrete performance and mechanical properties under different water-to-cement ratios, fly ash content, superplasticizer dosage, and steel fiber content. The tunnel excavation and support were investigated by conducting finite element numerical simulation analysis and was used in 3 tunnel lining pipes in Zhonggouwan tailing pond. The major findings are as follows: (1) The water-to-cement ratio (w/c ratio) significantly impacted the compressive strength of WSSFHTHS. The highest 28-day compressive strength of 60 MPa was achieved when the w/c ratio was 0.38; (2) Adding fly ash improved the workability and shotcrete performance and strength development of WSSFHTHS. The best anti-permeability performance was achieved when the fly ash constituted 15%, with the lowest permeability coefficient of 4.596 × 10-11 cm/s; (3) The optimum superplasticizer dosage for WSSFHTHS is 0.8%. It provided the best workability and shotcrete performance. Excessive dosage resulted in water bleeding and poor aggregate encapsulation, while insufficient dosage decreased flowability and adversely affected shotcrete performance; (4) The dosage of steel fibers significantly impacted the flexural and tensile strength of WSSFHTHS. When the steel fiber dosage was 45 kg/m³, the 28-day flexural and tensile strengths were 8.95 MPa and 6.15 MPa, respectively; (5) By integrating existing shotcrete techniques, the optimal lining thickness was 80 mm for WSSFHTHS per simulation. The results revealed that after using WSSFHTHS, the displacement of the tunnel surrounding the rock significantly improved, with no cracks or hollows, similar to the simulation results.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.351-363
• /
• 2023

Reducing the self-weight of reinforced concrete structures problem is discussed in this paper by using two types of self-weight reduction, the first is by using lightweight coarse aggregate (crushed brick) and the second is by using styropor block. Experimental and Numerical studies are conducted on (LWAC) lightweight aggregate reinforced concrete slabs, having styropor blocks with various sizes of blocks and the ratio of shear span to the effective depth (a/d). The experimental part included testing eleven lightweight concrete one-way simply supported slabs, comprising three as reference slabs (solid slabs) and eight as styropor block slabs (SBS) with a total reduction in cross-sectional area of (43.3% and 49.7%) were considered. The holes were formed by placing styropor at the ineffective concrete zones in resisting the tensile stresses. The length, width, and thickness of specimen dimensions were 1.1 m, 0.6 m, and 0.12 m respectively, except one specimen had a depth of 85 mm (which has a cross-sectional area equal to styropor block slab with a weight reduction of 49.7%). Two shear spans to effective depth ratios (a/d) of (3.125) for load case (A) and (a/d) of (2) for load case (B), (two-line monotonic loads) are considered. The test results showed under loading cases A and B (using minimum shear reinforcement and the reduction in cross-sectional area of styropor block slab by 29.1%) caused an increase in strength capacity by 60.4% and 54.6 % compared to the lightweight reference slab. Also, the best percentage of reduction in cross-sectional area is found to be 49.7%. Numerically, the computer program named (ANSYS) was used to study the behavior of these reinforced concrete slabs by using the finite element method. The results show acceptable agreement with the experimental test results. The average difference between experimental and numerical results is found to be (11.06%) in ultimate strength and (5.33%) in ultimate deflection.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.261-267
• /
• 2024

With the increase in the exploitation depth of offshore oil and gas, it is possible to control the global buckling of deep-sea pipelines by the snake lay method. Previous studies mainly focused on the analysis of critical buckling force and critical temperature of pipelines under the snake-like laying method, and pipelines often suffer structural failure due to seismic disasters during operation. Therefore, seismic action is a necessary factor in the design and analysis of submarine pipelines. In this paper, the seismic action of steel pipes in the operation stage after global buckling has occurred under the active control method is analyzed. Firstly, we have established a simplified finite element model for the entire process cycle and found that this modeling method is accurate and efficient, solving the problem of difficult convergence of seismic wave and soil coupling in previous solid analysis, and improving the efficiency of calculations. Secondly, through parameter analysis, it was found that under seismic action, the pipe diameter mainly affects the stress amplitude of the pipeline. When the pipe wall thickness increases from 0.05 m to 0.09 m, the critical buckling force increases by 150%, and the maximum axial stress decreases by 56%. In the pipe soil interaction, the greater the soil viscosity, the greater the pipe soil interaction force, the greater the soil constraint on the pipeline, and the safer the pipeline. Finally, the pipeline failure determination formula was obtained through dimensionless analysis and verified, and it was found that the formula was accurate.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.400-425
• /
• 2018

This study presents the research results and current status of the DECOVALEX-2019 project Task B. Task B named 'Fault slip modelling' is aiming at developing a numerical method to simulate the coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of fault, including slip or reactivation, induced by water injection. The first research step of Task B is a benchmark simulation which is designed for the modelling teams to familiarize themselves with the problem and to set up their own codes to reproduce the hydro-mechanical coupling between the fault hydraulic transmissivity and the mechanically-induced displacement. We reproduced the coupled hydro-mechanical process of fault slip using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. The fluid flow along a fault was modelled with solid elements and governed by Darcy's law with the cubic law in TOUGH2, whereas the mechanical behavior of a single fault was represented by creating interface elements between two separating rock blocks in FLAC3D. A methodology to formulate the hydro-mechanical coupling relations of two different hydraulic aperture models and link the solid element of TOUGH2 and the interface element of FLAC3D was suggested. In addition, we developed a coupling module to update the changes in geometric features (mesh) and hydrological properties of fault caused by water injection at every calculation step for TOUGH-FLAC simulator. Then, the transient responses of the fault, including elastic deformation, reactivation, progressive evolutions of pathway, pressure distribution and water injection rate, to stepwise pressurization were examined during the simulations. The results of the simulations suggest that the developed model can provide a reasonable prediction of the hydro-mechanical behavior related to fault reactivation. The numerical model will be enhanced by continuing collaboration and interaction with other research teams of DECOLVAEX-2019 Task B and validated using the field data from fault activation experiments in a further study.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.181-188
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the stress distribution characteristics of four different abutment connections on SS-$III^{(R)}$ fixture under occlusal loading, using 3-dimensional finite element method. Materials and methods: The fixture of SS-$III^{(R)}$ (Osstem, Korea) with 4 mm diameter and 11.5 mm length and 4 types of abutments were analyzed; Solid, Com-Octa, ComOcta Gold, and Octa abutment. The models were placed in the area of first molar in the mandible. The 4 loading conditions were; (1) the vertical loading of 100 N on the central fossa, (2) the vertical loading of 100 N on the buccal cusp, (3) the $30^{\circ}$ inclined loading of 100 N to lingual side on the central fossa, and (4) the $30^{\circ}$ inclined loading of 100 N to the lingual side on the buccal cusp. The 3G.Author program was used, the von-Mises stress was calculated and the stress contours were plotted on each part of the implant systems and the surrounding bone structures. Results: Regardless of abutment types and loading conditions, higher stress concentration was observed at the cortical bone. In cancellous bone, the highest stress was observed at apical portion and the maximum stress occurred at the implant neck. The higher internal stress was observed in the fixtures than in the bone. The lowest stress was observed at loading condition 1 and the stress concentration was also lower than any other loading conditions. Conclusion: Within the limitation of the result of this study, it seems that the abutment connection type does not affect much on the stress distribution of bone structure.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
• /
• v.49 no.2
• /
• pp.168-176
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study aims at investigating the influence of various insertion torques on thermal changes of bone. A proper insertion torque is derived based on the thermal analysis with two different implant designs. Materials and methods: For implant materials, bovine scapula bone of 15 - 20 mm thickness was cut into 35 mm by 40 - 50 mm pieces. Of these, the pieces having 2 - 3 mm thickness cortical bone were used as samples. Then, the half of the sample was immersed in a bath of $36.5^{\circ}C$ and the other half was exposed to ambient temperature of $25^{\circ}C$, so that the inner and surface temperatures reached $36.5^{\circ}C$ and $28^{\circ}C$, respectively. Two types of implants ($4.5{\times}10\;mm$ Br${\aa}$nemark type, $4.8{\times}10\;mm$ Microthread type) were inserted into bovine scapula bone and the temperature was measured by a thermocouple at 0.2 mm from the measuring point. Finite element method (FEM) was used to analyze the thermal changes at contacting surface assuming that the sample is a cube of $4\;cm{\times}4\;cm{\times}2\;cm$ and a layer up to 2 mm from the top is cortical bone and below is a cancellous bone. Boundary conditions were set on the basis of the shape of cavity after implants. SolidWorks was used as a CAD program with the help of Abaqus 6.9-1. Results: In the in-vitro experiment, the Microhead type implant gives a higher maximum temperature than that of the Br${\aa}$nemark type, which is attributed to high frictional heat that is associated with the implant shape. In both types, an Eriksson threshold was observed at torques of 50 Ncm (Br${\aa}$nemark) and 35 Ncm (Microthread type), respectively. Based on these findings, the Microthread type implant is more affected by insertion torques. Conclusion: This study demonstrate that a proper choice of insertion torque is important when using a specific type of implant. In particular, for the Microthread type implant, possible bone damage may be expected as a result of frictional heat, which compensates for initial high success rate of fixation. Therefore, the insertion torque should be adjusted for each implant design. Furthermore, the operation skills should be carefully chosen for each implant type and insertion torque.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.259-269
• /
• 1995

Column leaching tests were conducted using fresh and weathered pulverised fuel ash of some 17 and 40 years old from two major British power plants, with deionised water and simulated synthetic industrial leachate. The former was to see the leaching behaviour of weathered ash and the latter was to see if the formation of secondary products from water and PFA interaction and ameliorating effect in removing metals from industrial leachates. Fresh PFA liberates elevated concentrations of surface-enriched inorganics, including Ca, Na, K, B, $Cr_{total}$, Li Mo, Se and $SO^{2-}_4$. This might indicate their association with the surface of PFA particles. In the column leaching tests using weathered ash and deionised water, elements are not readily leached but are released more slowly, showing relatively constant concentrations. For the case of weathered ash, some readily soluble surface-enriched elements appears to have been liberated in their early stage of leaching and the liberation of glass associated elements are thought to be more important function in controlling the element concentration. The result from column leaching tests exceed for a number of elements when compared with various Water Standards and suggests the leachate from PFA disposal mound needs dilution to achieve target concentrations. PF A shows element retention effect for many elements, including B, Fe, Zn, Hg, Ni, Li and Mo, in the order of fresh Drax ash > weathered Drax ash > Weathered Meaford ash in retaining capacity. Geochemical modelling using a computer program WATEQ4F reveals some solubility controlling secondary solid products. These include $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$ for Ca, $Al(OH)_3$ for Al and $Fe(OH)_3$ for Fe.