• Korean Membrane Journal
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2006

In semiconductor industries, dissolved oxygen is one of the most undesirable contaminants of ultrapure water. A method for dissolved oxygen removal (DOR) consists in the use of polymeric hollow fibres, loaded with a catalyst and fed with a reducing agent such as hydrogen. In this work, PVDF hollow fibres loaded with Pd were characterized by means of perporometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The hollow fibre analyzed shows a five-layer structure with remarkable morphological differences. An estimation of pore diameters and their distribution was performed giving a mean pore diameter of 100 nm. The permeance and selectivity of the fibres were measured using $H_2,\;N_2,\;O_2$ as single gases, at different operating conditions. An $H_2$ permeance of $37 mmol/m^2s$ was measured and $H_2/O_2$ and $H_2/N_2$ selectivities of ca. 3 were obtained. $H_2$ permeance was 1/3 when a water stream flows in the shell side. Catalytic fibrebehaviour was simulated using a mathematical model for a loop membrane reactor, considering only $O_2$ and $H_2$ diffusive transport inside the membrane and their catalytic reaction. Dimensionless parameters such as the Thiele modulus are employed to describe the system behaviour. The model agrees well with the experimental reaction data.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.143-160
• /
• 2005

Modal analysis of cracked cantilever composite beams, made of graphite-fibre reinforced polyamide, is studied. By using the finite element and component mode synthesis methods, a numeric model applicable to investigate the vibration of cracked composite beams is developed. In this new approach, from the crack section, the composite beam separated into two parts coupled by a flexibility matrix taking into account the interaction forces. These forces are derived from the fracture mechanics theory as the inverse of the compliance matrix calculated with the proper stress intensity factors and strain energy release rate expressions. Numerical results are obtained for modal analysis of composite beams with a transverse non-propagating open crack, addressing the effects of the location and depth of the crack, and the volume fraction and orientation of the fibre on the natural frequencies and mode shapes. By means of modal data, the position and dimension of the defect can be found. The results of the study confirmed that presented method is suitable for the vibration analysis of cracked cantilever composite beams. Present technique can be easily extended to composite plates and shells.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.19-43
• /
• 2014

A risk assessment framework for evaluating building structures is implemented in this study. This framework allows considering sources of uncertainty both on structural capacity and seismic demand. In particular randomness on seismic load, incident angle, material properties, floor mass and structural damping are considered; in addition the choice of fibre modelling versus plastic hinge model is also considered as a source of uncertainty. The main objective of this work is to study the contribution of these sources of uncertainty on the fragilities of steel and steel-reinforced concrete composite 3D building structures. The fragility curves are expressed in the form of a two-parameter lognormal distribution where vertical statistics in conjunction with metaheuristic optimization are implemented for calculating the two parameters.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.11-25
• /
• 2018

A numerical approach for the evaluation of the flexural response of Steel Fibrous Concrete (SFC) cross-sections with arbitrary geometry, with or without conventional steel longitudinal reinforcing bars is proposed. Resisting bending moment versus curvature curves are calculated using verified non-linear constitutive stress-strain relationships for the SFC under compression and tension which include post-peak and post-cracking softening parts. A new compressive stress-strain model for SFC is employed that has been derived from test data of 125 stress-strain curves and 257 strength values providing the overall compressive behaviour of various SFC mixtures. The proposed sectional analysis is verified using existing experimental data of 42 SFC beams, and it predicts the flexural capacity and the curvature ductility of SFC members reasonably well. The developed approach also provides rational and more accurate compressive and tensile stress-strain curves along with bending moment versus curvature curves with regards to the predictions of relevant existing models.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.555-566
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermal effects on the behaviour reinforced-concrete beams strengthened by bonded angle-ply laminated composites laminates plate $[{\pm}{\theta}n/90m]_S$. Effects of number of $90^{\circ}$ layers and number of ${\pm}{\theta}$ layers on the distributions of interfacial stress in concrete beams reinforced with composite plates have also been studied. The present results represent a simple theoretical model to estimate shear and normal stresses. The effects the temperature, mechanical properties of the fibre orientation angle of the outer layers, the number of cross-ply layers, plate length of the strengthened beam region and adhesive layer thickness on the interfacial shear and normal stresses are investigated and discussed.

• Communications of the Korean Mathematical Society
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.991-1004
• /
• 2019

Firstly we consider preorders (not necessarily partial orders) on a canonical quotient of the set of the homotopy classes of continuous maps between two spaces induced by a certain equivalence relation ${\sim}_{{\varepsilon}R}$. Secondly we apply it to a classification of orientable fibrations over Y with fibre X. In the classification theorem of J. Stasheff [22] and G. Allaud [3], they use the set $[Y,\;Baut_1X]$ of homotopy classes of continuous maps from Y to $Baut_1X$, which is the classifying space for fibrations with fibre X due to A. Dold and R. Lashof [11]. In this paper we give a classification of fibrations using a preordered set (abbr., proset) structure induced by $[Y,\;Baut_1X]_{{\varepsilon}R}:=[Y,\;Baut_1X]/{\sim}_{{\varepsilon}R}$.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.69 no.3
• /
• pp.327-334
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the hygrothermal effects on the behavior of reinforced-concrete beams strengthened by bonded composite laminate plates (${\theta}n/90m)s$. This work is based on a simple theoretical model to estimate the interfacial stresses developed between the concrete beam and the composite with taking into account the hygrothermal effect. Fibre orientation angle effects of number of $90^{\circ}$ layers and effects of plate thickness and length on the distributions of interfacial stress in the concrete beams reinforced with composite plates have also been studied.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.391-401
• /
• 2020

The present article reports the feasibility of the electrical energy generation from ambient low-frequency vibration using a piezoelectric material mounted on a bimorph cantilever beam actuator. A corresponding higher-order analytical model is developed using MATLAB in conjunction with finite element method under low-frequency with both damped and undamped conditions. An alternate model is also developed to check the material and dimensional viability of both piezoelectric materials (mainly focussed to PVDF and PZT) and the base material. Also, Genetic Algorithm is implemented to find the optimum dimensions which can produce the higher values of voltage at low-frequency frequencies (≤ 100 Hz). The delamination constraints are employed to avoid inter-laminar stresses and to increase the fracture toughness. The delamination has been done using a Teflon sheet sandwiched in between base plates and the piezo material is stuck to the base plate using adhesives. The analytical model is tested for both homogenous and isotropic material characteristics of the base material and extended to investigate the effect of the different geometrical parameters (base plate dimensions, piezo layer dimensions and placement, delamination thickness and placement, excitation frequency) on the model responses of the bimorph cantilever beam. It has been observed that when the base material characteristics are homogenous, the efficiency of the model remains higher when compared to the condition when it is of isotropic material. The necessary convergence behaviour of the current numerical model has been established and checked for the accuracy by comparing with available published results. Finally, using the results obtained from the model, a prototype is fabricated for the experimental validation via a suitable circuit considering Glass fibre and Aluminium as the bimorph material.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.1-20
• /
• 2013

There is an abundance of research on the strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structural elements such as beams, columns and slabs with fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Less research by comparison has been conducted on the strengthening of RC beam-column connections and the majority of such research has been predominantly experimental to date. Few existing experimental studies have reported extensive instrumentation of test specimens which in turn makes understanding the behavior of the connections and especially the contributions made by the FRP difficult to ascertain. In addition, there has been even more limited research on the analytical and numerical modelling of FRP-strengthened connections. In this paper, detailed descriptions of key strategies to model FRP-strengthened RC connections with finite elements are provided. An extensively instrumented and comprehensively documented set of experiments on FRP-strengthened connections is firstly presented and finite element models are then constructed using ANSYS. The study shows that the finite element approach is able to capture the overall behavior of the test specimens including the failure mode as well as the behavior of the FRP which will most importantly lead to a detailed understanding of the FRP and the future development of rational analytical models. The finite element models are, however, unable to model the stiffness of the connections with accuracy in the ultimate load range of response.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.573-592
• /
• 2018

An analytical methodology for the calculation of the flexural and the shear capacity of concrete members with Fibre-Reinforced-Polymer (FRP) bars as tensional reinforcement is proposed. The flexural analysis is initially based on the design provisions of ACI 440.1R-15 which have properly been modified to develop general charts that simplify computations and provide hand calculations. The specially developed charts include non-dimensional variables and can easily be applied in sections with various geometrical properties, concrete grade and FRP properties. The proposed shear model combines three theoretical considerations to facilitate calculations. A unified flexural/shear approach is developed in flow chart which can be used to estimate the ultimate strength and the expected failure mode of a concrete beam reinforced with longitudinal FRP bars, with or without transverse reinforcement. The proposed methodology is verified using existing experimental data of 138 beams from the literature, and it predicts the load-bearing capacity and the failure mode with satisfactory accuracy.