Dynamic Cyclic Loading Research Articles

The impact of dynamic loading and cyclic temperature variations on the damping efficiency of particle dampers

A particle damper is a passive damping device, which relies on the high dissipation properties of granular materials. During structural vibration, kinetic energy transfers to the particle damper, initiating collisions among particles and with cavity walls. This interaction results in friction-based dissipation, leading to a reduction in the supporting structure’s vibration amplitude. The granular materials enclosed in the particle dampers undergo significant dynamic loads over the course of their lifespan. The consistent dynamic stress encountered by granular materials might alter the vibration attenuation capability of a particle damper. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the vibration mitigation performance of a particle damper after subjecting it to substantial dynamic loads before implementing it in real-world applications. Hence, the present contribution aims to experimentally investigate the vibration attenuation capability of particle dampers subjected to dynamic loading at 85 million, 165 million, and 330 million cycles. Furthermore, the particle dampers under investigation have also been exposed to a temperature cyclic load ranging from 30 °C to 120 °C. The experimental investigation shows that there is no negative effect on the vibration mitigation performance of the particle dampers before and after being subjected to high-impact dynamic loads and temperature fluctuations. Therefore, the granular material used in designing the particle dampers, which was studied in our previous work and subjected to long-term durability testing in the current contribution, proves to be a favorable choice. It offers advantages in terms of vibration reduction capability, reduction in additional mass, and resilience to negative effects from dynamic loading and temperature cycles.

Laboratory investigation on static and dynamic properties, durability, and microscopic structure of Nano-SiO2 and polypropylene fiber cemented soil under coupled seawater corrosion and cyclic loading

Cemented soils in coastal harbors are susceptible to adverse factors such as seawater corrosion and cyclic dynamic loading, which may consequently reduce their stability and durability. In recent years, Nano-SiO2(NS) has been widely used to enhance the mechanical properties of cemented soil. However, this enhancement may potentially lead to a reduction in ductility. Conversely, polypropylene fibers (PP) have attracted widespread attention for their potential to enhance the ductility of cemented soils, but their ability to improve the strength of cemented soils is limited. To address these issues, this study focused on utilizing five different nano-dosages combined with four different fiber dosages to enhance cemented soils. These enhanced soils were then subjected to curing periods of 7, 28, and 60 days in seawater environments. The study employed various tests including unconfined compressive strength tests (UCS), uniaxial cyclic loading tests, scanning electron microscopy tests (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to investigate the potential impacts of these additives on durability, strength, corrosion resistance, and microstructure evolution. The results of the study indicate that seawater corrosion and cyclic loading contribute to a reduction in the stability of cemented soils. However, the addition of NS and PP effectively enhances the compressive strength and durability of these soils. The optimal combination ratio is achieved when the dosages of NS and PP are 3.6 % and 0.8 %, respectively. In this case, the growth rate of unconfined compressive strength of cemented soils surpasses the sum of each individual dosage, increasing by 137.7 %, 245.6 %, and 235.3 % after 7, 28, and 60 days of curing, respectively. Furthermore, the growth rate of PP on the compressive strength of cemented soils remains largely unaffected by seawater corrosion. The optimal composite dosage of cemented soils effectively mitigates the increase in porosity caused by seawater corrosion. C-S-H enhances the mechanical interlocking between hydration products and PP by encapsulating PP, reducing energy transfer losses in cemented soils, and increasing their dynamic modulus. The volcanic ash reaction and nucleation effect of NS further enhance this effect, and their combined use significantly improves the seawater corrosion resistance of cemented soils.

Towards a more efficient and durable load classifier using machine learning analysis of electrical data generated by self-sensing asphalt mixtures

Real-time weighing plays a crucial role in various applications in the road infrastructure field, such as pavement design, pavement monitoring systems, and the development of digital twins. Innovative sensing technologies offer solutions to the limitations of traditional sensors, enhancing durability and cost-effectiveness. Current research on self-sensing technologies primarily focuses on material manufacturing, electrode embedding, and testing of piezoresistive properties. However, there is limited investigation of innovative methods for processing and analyzing electrical signals from self-sensing materials for load classification. The novelty of the present paper lies in the development of a machine learning-based load classifier using electrical data from laboratory self-sensing asphalt mixtures with carbon fibers (CFs). Specimens underwent repeated cyclic dynamic loads, and electrical signals were recorded and processed using a customized digital processing algorithm. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and decision tree algorithms were employed to develop load classification models. Results indicate that the addition of CFs strengthens the asphalt mixture, converting it into a piezoresistive material with load-sensing capabilities. Conclusions show that while the machine learning algorithms performed satisfactorily, further research is required for optimization purposes.

A hybrid finite-discrete element method for modelling cracking processes in sandy mudstone containing a single edge-flaw under cyclic dynamic loading

Rock mass deformation and failure are macroscopic manifestations of crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence. However, simulating the transition of rocks from continuous to discontinuous media under cyclic dynamic loading remains challenging. This study proposes a hybrid finite-discrete element method (HFDEM) to model crack propagation, incorporating a frequency-dependent cohesive-zone model. The mechanical properties of standard sandy mudstone under quasi-static and cyclic dynamic loading were simulated using HFDEM, and the method's reliability was verified through experimental comparison. The comparative analysis demonstrates that HFDEM successfully captures crack interaction mechanisms and accurately simulates the overall failure behavior of specimens. Additionally, the effects of pre-existing flaw inclination angle and dynamic loading frequency on rock failure mechanisms were investigated. The numerical results reveal that rock samples exhibit significantly higher compressive strength under dynamic loading compared to quasi-static loading, with compressive strength increasing with higher cyclic dynamic load frequencies. Furthermore, by analyzing the strength characteristics, crack propagation, and failure modes of the samples, insights into the failure mechanisms of rocks under different frequency loads were obtained. This study provides valuable insights into crack development and failure of rocks under seismic loads, offering guidance for engineering practices.

Experimental research on the mechanical properties of alkali-resistant glass fiber concrete acting as tunnel seismic isolation layer under periodic cyclic dynamic loading

The installation of seismic isolation layer is an effective measure to ensure the safe operation of underground projects such as tunnels during extreme seismic activities. Material parameters, mechanical properties, and design patterns of the seismic isolation layer are key research topics in exploring effective reduction of seismic response. This study mainly focused on the dynamic performance of the seismic isolation layer in tunnels. A series of drop hammer impact tests and laboratory shaking table tests were performed to reveal the seismic features of the seismic isolation layer under periodic external loading. The test results indicated that all cracks in the specimen initiated from the center and dispersed outwards under the cycle impact of the drop hammer. The incorporation of alkali-resistant glass fibers in concrete (AR-GFRC) effectively provided "reinforcement " and "crack resistance" under cyclic loading of the drop hammer, and the minimum number and width of cracks were observed at a 0.75 % HD fiber content and a 0.5 % HP fiber content. In the x- and y-axis directions, the seismic isolation layer effectively mitigated peak acceleration, strain response, and displacement at the tunnel vault and invert, but significant nonlinearity was identified. When the thickness of seismic isolation layer was 10 mm, the peak seismic response of the lining were minimum at a 0.75 % HD fiber content and a 0.5 % HP fiber content. However, the thickness of the lining was not directly related to the destruction of the lining. The tunnel mainly experienced shear deformation in the x-axis direction, with significant deformations from the left arch waist to the right arch foot (45°-225°), resulting in transverse cracking. The tunnel primarily underwent tensile and compressive deformation in the y-axis direction, with significant deformations occurring in the inverted vault (0°-180°), resulting in tension and circumferential cracks. This research can provide valuable data support and reference for the design and construction of underground projects such as tunnels.

Influence of conical hybrid stock and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing abutments on the strain developed around implant and the screw loosening

Abstract Aim Evaluate effect of conical hybrid stock and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) abutments on the strain developed around implant and the screw loosening. Patients and methods Sixteen epoxy resin blocks containing implant assembly (fixture, abutment, abutment screw, cemented zirconia crown) divided into two equal groups (eight blocks) in each group as fallow: group (A): eight blocks with implants attached to Stock abutment with conical hybrid connection to retain the crown to the implant. Group (B): Eight blocks with implants attached to customized CAD/CAM milled abutment with the same size and connection to retain the crown to the implant. The samples were subjected to dynamic cyclic loading 150 000 cycles using chewing simulator. A digital torque gauge was used to evaluate screw loosening by measuring removal torque value (RTV) before and after cyclic loading. Strain gauge was installed around implants in buccal, palatal aspects of each implant, and a load of 100 N was applied vertically and another load of 65 N was applied obliquely by using universal testing machine and the strain was determined using strain meter. Results For GA, percentage of initial removal torque loss (RTL) was (17.988 ± 1.248%) and significantly increased after loading (30.763 ± 1.176%). For GB, percentage of initial removal torque loss was (24.350 ± 1.239%) and increased significantly after loading (33.313 ± 2.840%). For strain results under vertical and oblique loading, there was no statistically significant difference in both groups in stock and cad cam abutments and the strain measurement under oblique loading were significantly higher than the strains measured under vertical loading in both groups. Conclusions Screw loosening occurred in both stock abutments and CAD/CAM abutments but CAD/CAM abutments yielded greater removal torque reduction (RTV) reduction% than the stock abutments and stock abutments showed little stress values around implant than CAD/CAM abutment without statistically significant difference. Off-axial loads will generate more stresses around implants.

Experimental study on failure mechanism of soft rock-coal bodies in abandoned mines under cyclic dynamic loading

During the construction and operation of a pumped storage power station in an abandoned mine, the soft rock-coal body structure, comprising the roof and the residual coal pillars, encounters a complex stress environment characterized by cyclic loads. The study of its failure mechanism under cyclic dynamic loading holds significant theoretical and practical importance to stay the safety and stability of the abandoned mine pumped storage power station. In this paper, we take “roof-residual coal pillar” soft rock-coal combinations with different percentages of rock as the research object, and study their mechanical properties, failure mechanism, energy evolution characteristics and acoustic emission distribution characteristics through cyclic dynamic loading experiments. The results of the experiment indicate that: (1) Both weak cyclic dynamic loading and high rock percentage enhance the deformation resistance of soft rock-coal combinations. Under low-disturbance horizontal cyclic loading, its peak strength and modulus of elasticity increase with increasing rock percentage. (2) Under low-disturbance horizontal cyclic loading, an increasing trend is observed in the average total strain energy density, dissipation energy density, and elastic energy density of the combinations as the percentage of rock increases. (3) Under low-disturbance horizontal cyclic loading, as the percentage of rock increases in the soft rock-coal combinations, the degree of failure in the rock body part progressively intensifies, while the destruction of the coal portion progressively decreases. (4) The large number of acoustic emission signals are generated at the instant of destabilization and destruction of the coal-rock combinations, mainly dominated by the signals generated by the destruction of the coal body. Acoustic emission counts and absolute energy at key point N2 decrease as the percentage of rock increases. The b value is primarily distributed in the cyclic dynamic loading stage and the failure stage, both displaying zones of sudden increase and sudden decrease in b value.

A model with high-precision on proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance degradation prediction based on temporal convolutional network-long short-term memory

Prediction with high-precision of the performance degradation is crucial for the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with long lifetime. In this work, a new hybrid neural network model on fuel cell performance degradation prediction (TCN-LSTM) is developed by incorporating the advantages of temporal convolutional network (TCN) and long short-term memory (LSTM). The innovation of TCN-LSTM is that LSTM captures the long-term correlation of data from the high-level features of the original data extracted by TCN. On the available PEMFC datasets (IEEE 2014 PHM Data Challenge), the TCN-LSTM reduces the root mean square error (RMSE) by up to 94% compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms. In addition, the TCN-LSTM is also assessed on 2673 h self-tested fuel cell voltage degradation dataset recorded under dynamic cyclic load conditions with complicated decay mechanism. The RMSE is only 0.00205 even under the 50% training length, which further verifies the excellent prediction performance of TCN-LSTM. It can be concluded that the TCN-LSTM will be a promising fuel cell performance degradation prediction model.

Experimental study on dynamic characteristics of frozen saline silty clay under cyclic loading

In order to investigate the dynamic characteristics of frozen saline silty clay (studied saline soil) under reciprocating loading, a series of cyclic tri-axial experiments have been conducted for studied saline soil with 0.0, 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 % of Na2SO4 contents under confining pressures 0 MPa–18 MPa at −6 °C, respectively. The test results show that as the increase of number of cycle N, the accumulated axial strain εaN continuously increases, and the relationship between εaN and N can be described by an exponential function: εaN=aNb; As the number of cycle N increasing, dynamic shear modulus GdN and dynamic bulk modulus KdN increase firstly and then decrease slightly; Salt content and confining pressure have great influences on the εaN, GdN and KdN. Within the same loading cycle, GdN and KdN decrease until reaching their minimums when the salt content is 0.5 %, and then GdN and KdN increase as the increase of salt content. With the change of salt content, εaN presents an opposite change law to GdN and KdN. For the studied saline soil with same salt content, during the same loading cycle, εaN and GdN increase until reaching their minimums, and then decrease as the increase of confining pressure, KdN increases with the increase of confining pressure. This study can be applied to evaluate the elasto-plastic properties of frozen soils and saline soils subjected to cyclic dynamic loading.

Three-Dimensional Discrete Element Analysis of Bearing Characteristics of Concrete–Cored Sand–Gravel Pile Composite Foundation under Cyclic Dynamic Load

Concrete-cored sand–gravel piles are a kind of composite pile formed by wrapping a concrete-cored pile with a sand–gravel shell, which has the advantages of both a rigid pile and bulk-material pile. The bearing characteristics of the concrete-cored sand–gravel pile composite foundation were investigated by establishing a three-dimensional discrete element numerical model for a cyclic dynamic loading test. The results show that the vertical stress of the core pile body fluctuates greatly at the beginning of loading, and the fluctuation amplitude decreases with the depth, and gradually tends to be stable in the middle and late stages, and the vertical-stress distribution is relatively uniform. The radial stress in the upper part of the core pile body fluctuates greatly, the fluctuation in the lower part is small, and the radial stress in each part of the core pile body gradually tends to be stable in the late-loading period. The radial stress factor of the core pile body reaches the stable speed with the foundation depth decreasing; the fluctuation amplitude of the pile-soil stress ratio decreases with the foundation depth and gradually tends to be stable with the increase in loading. The results of this study can provide a reference for the design and construction of a core sand pile composite foundation.

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of the biomechanical behaviour of different dental implants under immediate loading during three masticatory cycles

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of varying modulus of elasticity (MOE) values of dental implants on the deformation and von Mises stress distribution in implant systems and peri-implant bone tissues under dynamic cyclic loading. The implant-bone interface was characterised as frictional contact, and the initial stress was induced using the interference fit method to effectively develop a finite element model for an immediately loaded implant-supported denture. Using the Ansys Workbench 2021 R2 software, an analysis was conducted to examine the deformation and von Mises stress experienced by the implant-supported dentures, peri-implant bone tissue, and implants under dynamic loading across three simulated masticatory cycles. These findings were subsequently evaluated through a comparative analysis. The suprastructures showed varying degrees of maximum deformation across zirconia (Zr), titanium (Ti), low-MOE-Ti, and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implant systems, registering values of 103.1 μm, 125.68 μm, 169.52 μm, and 844.06 μm, respectively. The Zr implant system demonstrated the lowest values for both maximum deformation and von Mises stress (14.96 μm, 86.71 MPa) in cortical bone. As the MOE increased, the maximum deformation in cancellous bone decreased. The PEEK implant system exhibited the highest maximum von Mises stress (59.12 MPa), whereas the Ti implant system exhibited the lowest stress (22.48 MPa). Elevating the MOE resulted in reductions in both maximum deformation and maximum von Mises stress experienced by the implant. Based on this research, adjusting the MOE of the implant emerged as a viable approach to effectively modify the biomechanical characteristics of the implant system. The Zr implant system demonstrated the least maximum von Mises stress and deformation, presenting a more favourable quality for preserving the stability of the implant-bone interface under immediate loading.

The effect of different implant-abutmenttypes and heights on screw loosening in cases with increased crown height space.

The stability of the abutment screw is pivotal for successful implant-supported restorations, yet screw loosening remains a common complication, leading to compromised function and potential implant failure. This study aims to evaluate the effect of different implant-abutment types and heights on screw loosening in cases with increased crown height space (CHS). In this in vitro study, a total of 64 abutments in eight distinct groups based on their type and height were evaluated. These groups included stock, cast, and milled abutments with heights of 4 mm (groups S4, C4, and M4), 7 mm (groups S7, C7, and M7), and 10 mm (groups C10 and M10). Removal torque loss (RTL) was assessed both before and after subjecting the abutments to dynamic cyclic loading. Additionally, the differences between initial RTL and RTL following cyclic loading were analyzed for each group (p < .05). The C10 group demonstrated the highest RTL, whereas the S4 group exhibited the lowest initial RTL percentage (p < .05). Furthermore, the study established significant variations in RTL percentages and the discrepancies between initial and postcyclic loading RTL across different abutment groups (p < .05). Additionally, both abutment types and heights were found to significantly influence the RTL percentage (p < .05). The type and height of the implant abutment affected screw loosening, and in an increased CHS of 12 mm, using a stock abutment with a postheight of 4 mm can be effective in minimizing screw loosening.

Experimental Investigation on Mechanical, Electrical, and Fatigue Properties of Entangled Metal Wires under Cyclic Dynamic Load Test

Experimental Investigation on Mechanical, Electrical, and Fatigue Properties of Entangled Metal Wires under Cyclic Dynamic Load Test

Dynamic Mechanical Performance of Sulfate-Bearing Soils Stabilized by Magnesia-Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag

Sulfate soils often caused foundation settlement, uneven deformation, and ground cracking. The distribution of sulfate-bearing soil is extensive, and effective stabilization of sulfate-bearing soil could potentially exert a profound influence on environmental protection. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS)–magnesia (MgO) can be an effective solution to stabilize sulfate soils. Dynamic cyclic loading can be used to simulate moving vehicles applied on subgrade soils, but studies on the dynamic mechanical properties of sulfate-bearing soil under cyclic loading are limited. In this study, GGBS-MgO was used to treat Ca-sulfate soil and Mg-sulfate soil. The swelling of the specimens was analyzed by a three-dimensional swelling test, and the change in compressive strength of the specimens after immersion was analyzed by an unconfined test. The dynamic elastic properties and energy dissipation of GGBS-MgO-stabilized sulfate soils were evaluated using a fatigue test, and the mineralogy and microstructure of the stabilized soils were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the maximum swelling percentage of stabilized Ca-sulfate soil was achieved when the GGBS:MgO ratio was 6:4, resulting in an expansion rate of 14.211%. In contrast, stabilized Mg-sulfate soil exhibited maximum swelling at GGBS:MgO = 9:1, with a swelling percentage of 5.127%. As the GGBS:MgO ratio decreased, the dynamic elastic modulus of stabilized Ca-sulfate soil diminished from 2.8 MPa to 2.69 MPa, and energy dissipation reduced from 0.02 MJ/m3 to 0.019 MJ/m3. Conversely, the dynamic elastic modulus of stabilized Mg-sulfate soil escalated from 2.16 MPa to 6.12 MPa, while energy dissipation decreased from 0.023 MJ/m3 to 0.004 MJ/m3. After soaking, the dynamic elastic modulus of Ca-sulfate soil peaked (4.01 MPa) and energy dissipation was at its lowest (0.012 MJ/m3) at GGBS:MgO = 9:1. However, stabilized Mg-sulfate soil exhibited superior performance at GGBS:MgO = 6:4, with a dynamic elastic modulus of 0.74 MPa and energy dissipation of 0.05 MJ/m3. CSH increased significantly in the Ca-sulfate soil treated with GGBS-MgO. The generation of ettringite increased with the decrease in the GGBS-MgO ratio after immersion. MSH and less CSH were formed in GGBS-MgO-stabilized Mg-sulfate soil compared to Ca-sulfate soils. In summary, the results of this study provide some references for the improvement and application of sulfate soil in the field of road subgrade.

Fatigue Analysis of a Jacket-Supported Offshore Wind Turbine at Block Island Wind Farm.

Offshore wind-turbine (OWT) support structures are subjected to cyclic dynamic loads with variations in loadings from wind and waves as well as the rotation of blades throughout their lifetime. The magnitude and extent of the cyclic loading can create a fatigue limit state controlling the design of support structures. In this paper, the remaining fatigue life of the support structure for a GE Haliade 6 MW fixed-bottom jacket offshore wind turbine within the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) is assessed. The fatigue damage to the tower and the jacket support structure using stress time histories at instrumented and non-instrumented locations are processed. Two validated finite-element models are utilized for assessing the stress cycles. The modal expansion method and a simplified approach using static calculations of the responses are employed to estimate the stress at the non-instrumented locations-known as virtual sensors. It is found that the hotspots at the base of the tower have longer service lives than the jacket. The fatigue damage to the jacket leg joints is less than 20% and 40% of its fatigue capacity during the 25-year design lifetime of the BIWF OWT, using the modal expansion method and the simplified static approach, respectively.

Experimental study on the damage characteristics of cyclic disturbance and acoustic emission characteristics of different types of sandstones under high stress in deep mines

AbstractThree sandstone specimens common in rock engineering were selected to study the differences in the mechanical properties of rocks with different lithologies. The development and expansion of the internal cracks in the specimens were observed by combining the simulation system with the acoustic emission system. Through the combination of dynamic and static stresses, the deformation and damage of rocks under deep rock excavation and blasting were simulated. As the results show, the acoustic emission events of specimens with different lithologies under combined static and dynamic cyclic loading can be roughly divided into three phases: weakening, stabilizing, and surging periods. In addition, the acoustic emission characteristics of specimens with different lithologies show general consistency in different compression phases. The degree of fragmentation of specimens increases with the applied stress level; therefore, the stress level is one of the important factors influencing the damage pattern of specimens. The acoustic emission system was used to simulate the deformation and damage of rocks subjected to deep rock body excavation and engineering blasting. Cyclic dynamic perturbations under sinusoidal waves with a frequency of 5 Hz, a loading rate of 0.1 mm/min, a cyclic amplitude of 5 MPa, and a loading rate of 0.1 mm/min were applied to the three rock samples during the experiments. Among them, the fine‐grained sandstones are the most sensitive to the sinusoidal cyclic perturbation, followed by the muddy siltstone and the medium‐grained sandstones. On this basis, the acoustic emission energy release characteristics were analyzed, and the waveform characteristics in the damage evolution of the specimen under dynamic perturbation were studied by extracting the key points and searching for the main frequency eigenvalues.

Study on physico‑mechanical characterization of rock-like material with bedding planes under coupled static and dynamic cyclic loadings

Study on physico‑mechanical characterization of rock-like material with bedding planes under coupled static and dynamic cyclic loadings

Latarjet procedure: biomechanical evaluation of 2-screw coracoid fixation

Coracoid nonunion is a relevant complication following the Latarjet procedure and is influenced by multiple factors, including the method of graft fixation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and characterize the biomechanical properties of various two-screw fixation constructs used for coracoid graft fixation in the Latarjet procedure. Forty model scapulae (Sawbones Inc., Vashon, WA, USA) were used for this study. A 15% anterior inferior glenoid bone defect was created. The coracoid was osteotomized at the juncture of the vertical and horizontal aspects, transferred to the anterior-inferior edge of the glenoid, and fixed with either two 3.5mm fully threaded cannulated cortical screws, two 3.5mm fully threaded solid cortical screws, two 3.5mm partially threaded cannulated screws, or two 4.5mm partially threaded malleolar screws (MS). Biomechanical testing was performed with an Instron material testing machine (Instron Corp., Norwood, MA, USA) by applying loads to the lateral aspect of the transferred coracoid graft. The constructs were preconditioned with nondestructive cyclical loading (0N-20N) to determine construct stiffness. After 100 cycles of dynamic loading, the construct was loaded to failure to determine ultimate failure load, yield displacement, and mode of failure. All failures were associated with plastic deformation of the screws and coracoid graft fracture. There was a significantly lower initial stiffness for partially threaded cannulated screws compared to MS (186±49.3N/mm vs. 280±65.5N/mm, P=.01) but no significant differences among the other constructs. There was no difference in ultimate failure load (P=.18) or yield displacement (P=.05) among constructs. Two screw coracoid fixation of the coracoid in a simulated classic Latarjet procedure with 3.5mm fully threaded cortical and cannulated screws is comparable to 4.5mm MS in strength, stiffness, and displacement at failure. On the other hand, partially threaded 3.5mm cannulated screws provide inferior fixation stiffness and could potentially affect clinical outcomes.

Degradation prediction of proton exchange membrane fuel cell based on mixed gated units under multiple operating conditions

The aging process of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is affected by different operating factors, and its practical application scenarios involve multiple operation conditions. To improve the accuracy and controllability of aging prediction, a mixed recurrent neural network (RNN) model based on Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) and Minimal Gated Unit (MGU) is proposed. The model dynamically adjusts the mixed weights of GRU and MGU throughout the entire training process to obtain the optimal prediction network structure throughout the entire lifecycle. Furthermore, an attention mechanism is incorporated into the mixed gated unit (MIXGU) model. The effectiveness of the MIXGU model is evaluated by utilizing experimental data from static condition, quasi-dynamic condition, and dynamic load cycling conditions. The predictive performance of MGU, GRU, MIXGU, and MIXGU model with attention mechanism (AT-MIXGU) are compared under different operating conditions. The validation results indicate that MIXGU model exhibits superior predictive performance compared to single gated unit, the attention mechanism enhances prediction accuracy. And the AT-MIXGU model demonstrates strong generalization capabilities, and well-suited for accurately predicting PEMFC aging under diverse operating conditions.

Hybrid self-centering braces with NiTi-SMA U-shaped and frequency-dependent viscoelastic dampers for structural and nonstructural damage control

This study proposes a novel hybrid self-centering brace (HSB) with structural and nonstructural damage-control capabilities for the seismic resilience of building structures. NiTi-based shape memory alloy (SMA) U-shaped dampers and frequency-dependent viscoelastic dampers are included in HSBs to provide self-centering capacity for avoiding structural damage and velocity-proportional damping for nonstructural damage control, respectively. This study includes two major parts, i.e. component-level mechanical behaviour and system-level dynamic response evaluation of HSBs. The working principle and desired nonlinear behaviour of the HSB were first presented. Then, the preliminary design procedures were developed. After validating the efficiency of the modelling of SMA U-shaped and viscoelastic dampers using prior test results, comprehensive 3D finite element model simulations were performed to study the hysteretic responses of HSBs under cyclic loadings, where the influences of loading frequency, loading amplitude and viscoelastic damper’s contribution were considered. Analysis results demonstrated that the designed HSB can attain the desired deformation mechanism and nonlinear hysteretic behaviour during dynamic cyclic loadings. Higher loading frequency and amplitude and more contributions of the viscoelastic damper can introduce higher loading and energy-dissipation capacity. Subsequent dynamic analyses of the single-degree-of-freedom systems were conducted to assess the dynamic performance and advantages of HSBs. Results showed that compared with traditional self-centering systems without velocity-proportional damping, the systems with HSBs can achieve zero residual deformations, lower base shear demands and smaller absolute acceleration responses, confirming the promising potential of HSBs in developing seismic resilient building structures by reducing structural and nonstructural damage.