Large Temperature Variations Research Articles

A dynamic analysis model for high-altitude steep slope jointless turnouts under the coupling effect of extreme temperature and actual vehicle load

This paper focuses on the difficulty in characterising the complex mechanical behaviour and deformation characteristics of jointless turnouts at high altitudes. Considering its unique characteristics of large altitude differences, large temperature variations, frequent traction actions, vast uninhabited regions, and high failures risks, a rigid-flexible coupling dynamics model of the vehicle-jointless turnout on steep slope under the combined effects of extreme temperatures and actual vehicle loads is established. The model considers the flexible deformations of the turnout along the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions, enabling precise representation of temperature loads and the elastic-plastic characteristics of the longitudinal resistance of fasteners within the multi-body dynamics. The research indicates that the coupling effect of extreme temperature and vehicle impact loads can cause the longitudinal resistance of fasteners to exhibit oscillatory effects during the plastic stage, leading to a significant increase in the peak values of longitudinal creep force, shear stress, and wear index of wheel rail, exacerbating rail damage and deterioration. Extreme temperature increases can induce an advancement in the wheel load transition position, with a forward shift value reaching 0.49 m when the temperature increases by 45°C, thereby intensifying wheel-rail impacts.

An Eco‐Friendly and Multifunctional Textile Integrating Radiative Heating and Cooling for Large‐Temperature‐Variation Personal Thermal Management

AbstractRadiative heating or cooling textiles offer a sustainable means for personal thermal management (PTM). However, textiles that can realize efficient PTM under both large indoor and outdoor temperature variations are still lacking. Herein, guided by a heat transfer model, an eco‐ and user‐friendly bilayer textile (i‐textile) integrating radiative heating and cooling is developed. The i‐textile is composed of an MXene layer and a cellulose acetate (CA) layer with asymmetrical spectral characteristics. This textile provides heating when the MXene layer faces outward and cooling by wearing the textile inside out when the CA layer faces outward, thus enabling a decreased skin temperature variation range (7.3 and 6.8 °C lower than those when wearing cotton textiles) under large temperature variations indoors (12.6 °C) and outdoors (19.6 °C), respectively. Moreover, the i‐textile presents excellent wearability (breathability and washing resistance), recyclability, and biodegradability and can save≈30% of the building heating and cooling energy if widely deployed in China.

Computational and experimental investigation of thermally auxetic multi-metal lattice structures produced by laser powder bed fusion

ABSTRACT Communication antennas and optical systems of space-borne satellites require highly accurate relative positioning of components despite large variations in ambient temperature. As a potential solution, additive manufacturing technologies, such as laser powder bed fusion, enable the production of metamaterial structures with complex local geometries that can be designed to achieve the desired thermal and mechanical behaviours. Recent advances enable the processing of multiple materials within a single build to achieve composite structural properties that are infeasible using conventional single materials. This study investigates the potential of tailoring the structural thermal expansion properties of several configurations of a multi-metal re-entrant lattice structure made of stainless steel 316L and the copper alloy CuCr1Zr. Unit cells and lattice structure segments with theoretical coefficients of thermal expansion ranging from 1.64 × 10−5 °C−1 to 2.51 × 10−5 °C−1 (16% more than CuCr1Zr) are evaluated by finite element analysis and validated experimentally. Imperfections related to the manufacturing process are shown to have a significant effect on net expansion. The results indicate good agreement despite the imperfections. The study demonstrates the feasibility of designing and fabricating metal lattice structures for a specific thermal expansion within, as well as above and below, the range of thermal expansion of the parent materials.

A long-term dataset of <i>in-situ</i> temperature data reveals wind-induced up- and downwelling in the coastal waters of Nha Trang, South Central Vietnam

In order to implement successful coastal management and protect corals, it is imperative to understand the Nha Trang Bay’s coastal processes and take adequate measures to protect corals and reef structure. This paper aimed to analyze whether sudden variations in physical parameters, such as temperature, could be potentially harmful to coastal coral reefs, in addition to anthropogenic factors such as pollution and intensive fishing. In this paper, the first long-term observation (2008–2019) of temperatures, not only from SST data, but also in situ in coral reefs (10 and 18 m depth) at Nha Trang Bay, South Central Vietnam, was investigated. The data showed that wind-induced upwelling during summer mainly govern the coastal region. In contrast, wind-induced downwelling was found during winter, visible in all three investigated water layers (SST, 10 and 18 m). In winter, the vertical mixing is strong and there is virtually no time-lag between the layers. In summer a scattering layer was formed, the phenomenon where a layer of water with different properties (such as temperature or salinity) is formed, blocking the sinking of water. In summer, correlations with air temperature were not significant, nor were correlations with night cooling, thus having implications for the distribution of nutrients and the health of the coral reefs. However, this was only the situation near the coast. Wavelet analysis shows that the short-term variability is significantly more substantial, caused by the shallow depth of the thermocline, which is much stronger affected by tidal and weather events than in winter. As a result of the combination of large yearly temperature variations (21oC to 31oC) plus increased sediment deposition in the rainy seasons, reefs close to the shore are generally not well-developed. This paper strongly advocates for science-based monitoring of coral reef conditions and underscores the need for law enforcement within the Marine Protected Area of Nha Trang Bay.

Effect of double-layer formwork curing on the early temperature field and properties of precast concrete components in environments with large diurnal temperature variations

An efficient double-layer formwork curing method using an “inner supporting formwork + outer insulation formwork” was proposed in this study to address the early cracking of precast concrete components in high altitude regions. Steel and plywood formwork were designed as inner support formwork, while polystyrene (PS) and polyurethane (PU) were used as outer insulation formwork. Indoor experiments and two finite element methods (The complete simulation method focuses on computational accuracy, and the equivalent simulation method emphasizes computational efficiency) were employed to analyze the evolution of the concrete temperature field under different double-layer formwork curing methods throughout the curing period, combined with compressive strength and pore structures testing. The results show that steel + 5-mm-thick PU insulation formwork curing method can significantly mitigate the impact of large diurnal temperature variations on the internal temperature of concrete. Unlike traditional steam-curing, this method does not deteriorate the pore structure or compressive strength of the concrete. This study is of great significance in addressing the problem of early cracking of precast concrete components exposed to large diurnal temperature vriations in high altitude regions.

Structure and properties of aluminum alloy composite conversion coating

The intrinsic corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy is relatively poor and needs to be enhanced through anodic oxidation treatment. Traditional anodic oxide films predominantly consist of aluminum oxide and are characterized by low toughness and poor impact resistance, making them unsuitable for environments with high temperatures, large temperature variations, and stringent corrosion resistance requirements. This study employs oxalic acid and trace amounts of ammonium fluoride as the electrolyte for anodic oxidation treatment of 6061 aluminum alloy. Through electrochemical oxidation and chemical co-deposition, a composite oxide film is prepared. The composition of the oxide film includes Al2C6O12, AlF3, AlOOH, and amorphous Al2O3, exhibiting a micro-porous structure with an average pore diameter of 10–20 nm. The surface of the micropores is covered by a relatively dense chemical conversion film, which seals the micropores and enhances the corrosion resistance of the oxide film. When the concentration of oxalic acid is 10 g/L and the concentration of ammonium fluoride is 0.5 g/L, the composite oxide film does not crack when bent at 90° at room temperature. Furthermore, no cracks are observed after heating to 100°C and holding for 30 min or even after maintaining at 300°C for 6 h. The electrochemical impedance reaches 5.891 × 106 Ω cm2, while the sulfuric acid anodic oxide film develops cracks when bent at 30° at room temperature or heated to 58°C, with a low-frequency impedance value of 3.649 × 105 Ω cm2.

Theoretical stability of ice shelf basal crevasses with a vertical temperature profile

Abstract Basal crevasses threaten the stability of ice shelves through the potential to form rifts and calve icebergs. Furthermore, it is important to determine the dependence of crevasse stability on temperature due to large vertical temperature variations on ice shelves. In this work, considering the vertical temperature profile through ice viscosity, we compare (1) the theoretical crack depths and (2) the threshold stress causing the transition from basal crevasses to full thickness fractures in several fracture theories. In the Zero Stress approximation, the depth-integrated force at the crevassed and non-crevassed location are unbalanced, violating the volume-integrated Stokes equation. By incorporating a Horizontal Force Balance (HFB) argument, recent work showed analytically that the threshold stress for rift initiation is only half of that predicted by the Zero Stress approximation. We generalize the HFB theory to show that while the temperature profile influences crack depths, the threshold rifting stress is insensitive to temperature. We compare with observations and find that HFB best matches observed rifts. Using HFB instead of Zero Stress for cracks in an ice-sheet model would substantially enlarge the predicted fracture depth, reduce the threshold rifting stress and potentially increase the projected rate of ice shelf mass loss.

A Predictive Model for Sintering Ignition Temperature Based on a CNN-LSTM Neural Network with an Attention Mechanism

The sintering ignition process parameters fluctuate frequently and significantly, resulting in large variations in ignition temperature, which in severe cases can exceed 200 °C. This not only increases gas consumption but also affects the quality of the sinter. Because the intelligent control model based on feedback mechanisms struggles to deal with high-frequency fluctuation conditions over time, the prediction of sintering ignition temperature using feedforward regulation is attracting increasing attention. Given the multi-variable, time-sequential and strongly coupled characteristics of the sintering ignition process, a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a long short-term memory (LSTM) network are deeply integrated, with an attention mechanism incorporated to develop the sintering ignition temperature prediction model, enabling the accurate prediction of the ignition temperature. The research demonstrates that the combination of a CNN and the attention mechanism effectively addresses the challenges posed by the multi-variable and strongly coupled nature of sintering ignition data to predictive modeling. The LSTM network resolves the sequential data issues through its gating mechanism. As a result, the coefficient of determination (R2 ) of the CNN_LSTM-Attention model in predicting the sintering ignition temperature can reach 0.97, with a mean absolute error (MAE) as low as 10.23 °C. The predicted values closely match the actual values, achieving a hit rate of 93% within the acceptable error range. These performance metrics are significantly superior to those of the CNN-Attention and LSTM-Attention models, greatly enhancing the control accuracy of the ignition temperature.

Giant Elastocaloric Effect and Improved Cyclic Stability in a Directionally Solidified (Ni50Mn31Ti19)99B1 Alloy.

Superelastic shape memory alloys with an integration of large elastocaloric response and good cyclability are crucially demanded for the advancement of solid-state elastocaloric cooling technology. In this study, we demonstrate a giant elastocaloric effect with improved cyclic stability in a <001>A textured polycrystalline (Ni50Mn31Ti19)99B1 alloy developed through directional solidification. It is shown that large adiabatic temperature variation (|ΔTad|) values more than 15 K are obtained across the temperature range from 283 K to 373 K. In particular, a giant ΔTad up to -27.2 K is achieved by unloading from a relatively low compressive stress of 412 MPa at 303 K. Moreover, persistent |ΔTad| values exceeding 8.5 K are sustained for over 12,000 cycles, exhibiting a very low attenuation behavior with a rate of 7.5 × 10-5 K per cycle. The enhanced elastocaloric properties observed in the present alloy are ascribed to the microstructure texturing as well as the introduction of a secondary phase due to boron alloying.

An intelligent method for temperature load of arch dams

Temperature load significantly affects the deformation and stress of arch dams. Traditional methods for determining temperature loads may not adapt to complex environments, such as high-altitude regions with large temperature variations. This study proposes an intelligent method for temperature load of arch dams. Based on the measured data from existing dams, a physics-informed convolutional neural network is developed, enabling direct application to newly designed dams. The intelligent method delivers annual temperature boundaries on the dam surface, aiding the finite element model in predicting deformation and stress during operational phases. Validation demonstrates accurate results for dam body temperature and deformation, aligning closely with measured data, while also pinpointing critical stress areas within the dam. This method advances the AI-assisted design by predicting temperature loads during dam operation, providing strong support for determining the most unfavorable loading without measured data and ensuring the safety of the structure.

Mass calibration of Rosetta’s ROSINA/DFMS mass spectrometer

The Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) onboard the Rosetta spacecraft employs an electrostatic and a magnet sector for energy and mass discrimination, resulting in a high mass resolution. A built-in feedback loop uses the measured magnet temperature to compensate for the temperature dependence of the magnet’s field strength. Still, large onboard temperature variations and other effects cause any given mass peak to move over a range of 30 pixels or more on the detector during the mission. The present paper discusses the various factors that contribute to the time variations in the mass calibration relation. A technique is developed to evaluate and correct for these factors. A mass calibration relation that is valid for the DFMS neutral high mass resolution mode measurements throughout the entire mission for the mass range m/z=13–69 is established and its accuracy is evaluated. The 1σ precision turns out to be less than a single pixel, which is excellent as full peak width at half height is about 12 pixels. The proposed approach provides an a posteriori mass calibration and is useful for all magnet-based mass spectrometers where experimental mass calibration by comparison to reference species, temperature stabilization, and/or electrostatic compensation, are not possible or fail to deliver a mass scale precision that is comparable to the mass resolution of the instrument.

Matching Characteristics of Refrigerant and Operating Parameters in Large Temperature Variation Heat Pump

Characterizing the optimal operating parameters for a heat pump with a specific refrigerant is paramount, as it provides valuable guidance for refrigerant selection. The temperature mismatch between cold and hot fluids in the evaporator and condenser can lead to degraded thermal performance in heat pumps with large temperature variations. To address these two key issues, we selected several pure refrigerants with varying critical temperature levels for use in a large temperature variation heat pump configuration. The corresponding thermal performance was then investigated using the Ebsilon code under fixed temperature lift conditions as the operating temperature varied. It indicates that the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) is typically achieved when the deviation factors of temperature and pressure from their critical parameters fall within the ranges of 0.62~0.71 and 0.36~0.5, respectively. Our research recommends the binary refrigerant mixture of R152a/R1336mzz(z) (COP = 3.54) for the current operating conditions, as it significantly improves thermal performance compared to pure R1336mzz (z) (COP = 2.87) and R152a (COP = 3.01). Through research on the impact of the compositional ratio of R152a/R1336mzz(z) on the thermal performance of the heat pump, we found that that the optimal ratio of R1336mzz(z) component to R152a component is 0.5/0.5. This study offers valuable guidance for selecting the most suitable refrigerants for heat pumps in practical engineering design scenarios.

Switchable and Tunable Radiative Cooling: Mechanisms, Applications, and Perspectives.

The cost of annual energy consumption in buildings in the United States exceeds 430 billion dollars ( Science 2019, 364 (6442), 760-763), of which about 48% is used for space thermal management (https://www.iea.org/reports/global-status-report-for-buildings-and-construction-2019), revealing the urgent need for efficient thermal management of buildings and dwellings. Radiative cooling technologies, combined with the booming photonic and microfabrication technologies ( Nature 2014, 515 (7528), 540-544), enable energy-free cooling by radiative heat transfer to outer space through the atmospheric transparent window ( Nat. Commun. 2024, 15 (1), 815). To pursue all-season energy savings in climates with large temperature variations, switchable and tunable radiative coolers (STRC) have emerged in recent years and quickly gained broad attention. This Perspective introduces the existing STRC technologies and analyzes their benefits and challenges in future large-scale applications, suggesting ways for the development of future STRCs.

Error analysis of self-compensated ultrasound measurements of the thickness loss due to corrosion in pipe walls

The ultrasonic pulse-echo technique is widely employed to measure the wall thickness reduction due to corrosion in pipelines. Ultrasonic monitoring is noninvasive and can be performed online to evaluate the structural health of pipelines. Although ultrasound is a robust technique, it presents two main difficulties arising from the temperature variation in the medium being monitored: the mechanical assembly must have high stability and the ultrasonic propagation velocity must take into account the temperature variation. In this paper, a detailed strategy is presented to compensate for changes in the propagation velocity whenever the temperature changes. The method is considered self-compensated because the calibration data is obtained from the ultrasonic signals captured using the pipe under evaluation. The analysis of systematic errors in the temperature compensation is presented, first considering that a reference initial pipe thickness is given, and second when a reference sound velocity is given. The technique was evaluated under laboratory conditions using a closed loop with accelerated corrosion through the use of continuous flow saline water containing sand. In this test, the ultrasonic results were compared with the traditional coupon method used to determine corrosion loss. The results show that the self-compensated method was able to compensate for temperature fluctuations, and the total thickness loss measured by the ultrasound technique was close to the value measured by the coupons. Finally, the measurement system was tested in a production pipeline exposed to sunlight. The results show that the self-compensated method can reduce the oscillations in the thickness loss readings, caused by temperature swings, but large temperature variations cannot be completely compensated for. This experiment also shows the effects of low mechanical stability, which caused completely invalid results.

Damage and fracture in in-service concrete structures subjected to large diurnal temperature variations based on phase-field approach

In-service concrete structures are exposed to the natural environment for extended periods, making them susceptible to performance degradation and cracking due to large diurnal temperature ranges (DTR). This paper presents the development of a novel thermo-mechanical-fatigue coupling phase-field model to investigate the cracking process in in-service concrete structures under varying DTR conditions. The results indicate that concrete walls exposed to different single-day DTRs (20–60 ℃) exhibit phase-field damage without cracking. The phase-field damage is negligible at a 20 ℃ DTR but increases to 0.41 at a 60 ℃ DTR. Considering temperature fatigue, the concrete wall initiates cracking when the DTR exceeds 40 ℃ within 100 cycles. With an increase in DTR from 40 ℃ to 50 ℃ and 60 ℃, the time for crack nucleation decreases from 70 cycles to 29 and 25 cycles, respectively. Concrete walls subjected to 40 ℃ and 50 ℃ DTR exhibit a single crack on the top surface, whereas those exposed to a 60 ℃ DTR have two cracks on the top surface and one crack on each side. Furthermore, the cracks induced by the DTR are surface cracks that exhibit rapid expansion up to a specific length of approximately 140 mm before stabilizing.

Thermal behaviour of a gypsum board incorporated with phase change materials

This study investigates the influence of a microencapsulated Phase Change Material (mPCM) on building systems in a subarctic climate which is not commonly studied for PCM applications. The mPCM is incorporated into gypsum to make a composite board with a volume fraction of 30 vt%. The fabricated composite board is then used to make a box model. This model along with a reference model built only with gypsum boards are placed inside a climate chamber where temperature is regulated to a summer day of a subarctic country, where large temperature variation exists between day and night. In addition, a Finite Element Method (FEM), is also used for the validation of the experimental data. The thermal-physical properties of the mPCM gypsum board including the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity are measured. The microscopic features of the composite board are also studied. In addition, the temperature variation and the thermal energy storage of the boards of the two models have been studied. Results indicate that incorporation of mPCM into gypsum will change the thermal properties of the material. PCM can work as an additional insulation layer due to its low thermal conductivity. Further, the temperature fluctuation inside of the model with mPCM is reduced. In addition, the energy stored in the mPCM composite is around 3 times higher than that of gypsum board, making it promising for building energy improvement and load shifting.

Fast Dynamic Time Warping for Temperature Compensation in Guided Waves

The paper discusses Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) based on ultrasonic guided waves for damage detection in structures. Guided waves allow inspection over long distances and inaccessible features, but are also sensitive to changes in environmental and operating conditions (EOC). The focus of this paper is on temperature compensation methods for guided waves. The compensation techniques include Baseline Signal Stretch (BSS), Optimal Baseline Selection (OBS), OBS+BSS, and Dynamic Time-Warping (DTW). In particular, a new, fast approximation of DTW is evaluated and compared with conventional but computationally expensive DTW. The FDTW algorithm utilizes a multilevel approach inspired by graph bisection principles to achieve precise warping path determination with linear computational complexity. The study evaluates the compensation performance of FDTW using a single baseline at a single temperature, thus addressing the complexity and inaccessibility issues of obtaining an extensive database of baseline signals in practical applications. The Open Guided Wave (OGW) dataset is employed for a fair comparison with other compensation methods. Results indicate that FDTW performs well, demonstrating comparable warping performance to DTW but with significantly reduced computational complexity. The analysis also includes comparisons with BSS, OBS+BSS, and DTW across a range of temperatures, highlighting the effectiveness of FDTW in mitigating errors introduced by larger temperature variations.

Seasonal and altitudinal variation in dorsal skin reflectance and thermic rates in a high-altitude montane lizard.

Temperature is one of the most important factors in the life histories of ectotherms, as body temperature has an undeniable effect on growth, activity, and reproduction. Lizards have a wide variety of strategies to acquire and maintain body temperature in an optimal range. The "Thermal Melanism Hypothesis" proposes that individuals with lower skin reflectance can heat up faster as a result of absorbing more solar radiation compared to lighter conspecifics. Therefore, having a darker coloration might be advantageous in cold habitats. Dorsal skin reflectance has been found to change rapidly with body temperature in several lizard species, and it can also vary over longer, seasonal time scales. These variations may be important in thermoregulation, especially in lizards that inhabit areas with a large temperature variation during the year. Here, we study how dorsal reflectance fluctuates with body temperature and varies among seasons. We compared dorsal skin reflectance at three body temperature treatments, and measured thermal rates (i.e., heat and cool rate, thermic lapse, and net heat gain) by elevation (2500-4100m) and seasons (spring, summer, and autumn) in the mesquite lizard, Sceloporus grammicus. Our results show that lizards were darker at high elevations and during the months with the lowest environmental temperatures. The rate of obtaining and retaining heat also varied during the year and was highest during the reproductive season. Our results indicate that the variation of dorsal skin reflectance and thermal rates follows a complex pattern in lizard populations and is affected by both elevation and season.

An Ultra-low Thermal Sensitivity Drift Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Compensated by Passive Resistor/Thermistor Network

This paper presents a piezoresistive pressure sensor that exhibits extremely low thermal sensitivity drift across a broad range of temperatures, which integrates a passive resistor/thermistor network for compensation. Standard microfabrication processes were conducted to fabricate the sensor chip. From the experimental results, the proposed sensor demonstrated an extremely low thermal sensitivity drift of 0.01% FS/°C within temperature range of -55 °C to 85 °C, which is a significant improvement compared with the sensor with no temperature compensation (0.17% FS/°C) and the sensor with conventional temperature compensation (0.09% FS/°C). The compensation method developed in this study has the potential to serve as a facilitating instrument in pressure measurements with large temperature variations.

Trends and drivers of CO2 parameters, from 2006 to 2021, at a time-series station in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic (6°S, 10°W)

The seawater fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) has been monitored hourly at an instrumented mooring at 6°S, 10°W since 2006. The mooring is located in the South Equatorial Current and is affected by the equatorial Atlantic cold tongue. This site is characterized by large seasonal sea surface temperature variations (&amp;gt;4°C). The fCO2 is measured by a spectrophotometric sensor deployed at about 1.5 meters deep. Measurements of seawater fCO2, sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) are used to calculate total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2) and pH. Total alkalinity (TA) is calculated using an empirical relationship with SSS determined for this region. Satellite chlorophyll-a concentrations at 6°S, 10°W are low (&amp;lt;0.2 mg m-3) but some peaks over 0.8 mg m-3 are sometimes detected in August. Nevertheless, the site is a permanent source of CO2 to the atmosphere, averaging 4.7 ± 2.4 mmol m-2d-1 over 2006-2021. Despite the weakening of the wind, the CO2 flux increases significantly by 0.20 ± 0.05 mmol m-2d-1 yr-1. This suggests that the source of CO2 is increasing in this region. This is explained by seawater fCO2 increasing faster than the atmospheric increase during 2006-2021. Most of the seawater fCO2 increase is driven by the increase of TCO2, followed by SST. The fCO2 increase leads to a pH decrease of -0.0030 ± 0.0004 yr-1. The SST anomalies (SSTA) at 6°S, 10°W are correlated to the Tropical Southern Atlantic (TSA) index and to the Atlantic 3 region (ATL3) index with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.75. The strong positive phase of both ATL3 and TSA, observed towards the end of the time-series, is likely contributing to the strong increase of seawater fCO2.