Main Energy Dissipation Research Articles

Laboratory study of energy transformation characteristics in breaking wave groups

The spilling-breaking waves that appear in chirped wave packets are studied in a two-dimensional wave channel. These waves are produced by superposing waves with gradually decreasing frequencies. The analysis focuses on the nonlinear characteristics, energy variation, and energy transformation during the evolution and breaking of wave groups. Ensemble empirical mode decomposition is used to analyze the non-breaking and breaking energy variations of the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). It is found that the third-order IMF component is a source of non-breaking energy dissipation and the second-order IMF, which represents a short wave group with a relatively higher energy content, is a primary source of the energy loss caused by wave breaking. Additionally, the findings reveal that among the three waves preceding the maximum crest, the wave closest to the maximum crest carried most of the energy. When wave breaking occurs, the energy dissipation caused by the wave breaking primarily originates from that wave. After wave breaking, whether it is the first breaker or subsequent breakers, the main energy dissipation occurs in a frequency range higher than the dominant frequency. This energy loss plays a significant role in increasing the energy of free waves. Moreover, a potential link between the number of carrier waves and wave breaking phenomena has been found. As the number of carrier waves increased, both the nonbreaking and breaking energy dissipation rates exhibited an overall increasing trend. The amount of nonbreaking energy dissipation was generally more than twice the breaking energy dissipation rate. For wave groups with more carrier waves, the modulation instability plays a significant role in generating larger waves. Furthermore, an analysis of the dominant frequency variations of the wave group before wave breaking suggests that wave breaking is not a sufficient condition for a frequency downshift in the wave spectra.

Numerical modeling of beam plastic hinges in steel moment resisting frames including local buckling and stiffness/strength degradation

Plastic hinge formation in beams is the main energy dissipation mechanism in moment resisting frames, but its deformation capacity is limited by the strength deterioration after reaching the maximum moment. Such degradation is highly influenced by the onset of local buckling in the plastic hinge region once a significant portion of the cross-section has reached the yield stress. Numerical models developed to study this effect have shown good accuracy against experimental data, but with high computational costs and the need to calibrate several model parameters. This work proposes a numerical model of a beam plastic hinge that uses only one parameter to reproduce the hysteretic behavior under cyclic loading, degrading simultaneously stiffness and resistance with lower computational cost. The proposed model relies on the discretization of the beam cross-section using uniaxial bars with a prescribed geometric imperfection with buckling degrading strength capability spanning along an assumed plastic hinge length. The Euler-Bernoulli hypothesis is imposed at the ends of the plastic hinge region and elastic beam elements are used to model the beam outside this domain. The model is validated against experimental data from three cyclic loading connection tests reported in the literature. Results show that the model can accurately represent the response of the beam plastic hinge with a low computational cost by adjusting one single model parameter as well as the definition of the nominal information of the beam geometry and material properties, expected plastic hinge length, and standard fabrication tolerances.

Energy response analysis and seismic isolation strategy optimization of high-speed railway bridge-track system under earthquake action

The formulation and optimization of a seismic isolation strategy is crucial for improving the seismic performance of high-speed railway bridge-track systems (HSRBTS) under earthquake action. In line with this proposition, therefore, this paper studies the seismic isolation strategy optimization of HSRBTS based on an energy response analysis. More specifically, the energy dissipation distribution of common and isolation HSRBTS under different earthquake strength levels is analyzed. The results show that when the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is greater than 0.3g, the seismic input energy of isolation HSRBTS is smaller than common HSRBTS. With the increase of PGA, the total proportion of hysteretic energy dissipation increases while the proportion of damping energy dissipation decreases in common HSRBTS, with the opposite being observed in isolation HSRBTS. Bearings and piers are the main hysteretic energy dissipation components for HSRBTS. Thus, in view of the energy dissipation requirements and structural characteristics of HSRBTS, this paper proposes an energy-based optimization principle. Under the existing isolation HSRBTS, the seismic isolation strategy is optimized to achieve a uniform distribution in hysteretic energy dissipation, while the effectiveness of the optimized seismic isolation strategy is submitted to further verification.

Experimental and numerical investigation of crashworthiness of multicell metal/CFRP tubes

Metal/CFRP hybrid thin-walled structures combine low-density and high-strength carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) with low-cost and stable failure form aluminium, which have drawn increasing attention in the transportation industry. A theoretical model was developed to predict the average crushing force of a hybrid multicell under axial compression. The model captures the main energy dissipation mechanism of the hybrid tube under axial compression, and the average crushing force is determined by a quasi-static compression test. The obtained results show that the average crushing force predicted by the theoretical model is in good agreement with the experimental results. However, the geometry size and configuration of multicell thin-walled structures have important effects on crashworthiness. Therefore, it is necessary to study the parametrization of hybrid multicell tubes. First, the simulation model of the multicell tube is established, and quasi-static experiments verify its accuracy. Second, finite element analysis was used to compare the effects of the geometric size of the cell and the multicell structure of different configurations on the energy absorption characteristics. It is clear that with the increase in the thickness of the large aluminium tube, the specific energy absorption (SEA) and crush force efficiency (CFE) both show an upward trend. In addition, with the increase in the ply number of the CFRP tubes, the SEA also shows a minor monotonic increasing trend. Finally, various hybrid tubes with different configurations are designed, and the C-C4-AL tube (the aluminium tube surrounded by four small-size CFRP tubes being placed inside a CFRP tube.) configuration has the most significant energy absorption (EA) and peak crushing force (PCF).

Experimental study and finite element analysis on impact resistance of wind turbine steel truss foundation

In recent years, steel truss structures have been widely used in civil engineering and wind turbines. In addition to bearing vertical loads, they are also vulnerable to impact accidental loads. If the foundation structure undergoes large deformation, it will lead to the overall instability and collapse of the structure. In this paper, the impact load resistance of steel truss foundation of wind turbine under eccentric mass is taken as the research object, and the combination of pendulum impact test and finite element simulation is adopted. The impact resistance of steel truss foundation was analyzed from the parameters of failure characteristics, impact response and energy dissipation capacity through multiple pendulum impact tests. The results show that after two impacts the stiffness of the impact leg is significantly reduced and even fracture at its root. The branch tube near the point of impact are squeezed and bent, and the deformation and acceleration peak of the impact position are the largest. The denting of the impact leg is the main energy dissipation mechanism. These data provide an experimental basis for improving the impact resistance of full-scale wind turbine structures.

Research on cavitation characteristics of water-jet pumps with different blade tip clearances based on entropy production theory

Water-jet pumps are widely used in ship and other power fields. An axial-flow water-jet pump is studied with different size of tip clearance, and the cavitation characteristics are studied based on the theory of entropy production. Modified SST with curvature correction and modified Zwart cavitation model based on vortex identification are adopted, and the numerical calculation method is verified by reference experiments of a model pump. Under normal operating conditions, the results show that when the size of the tip clearance varies from 1.6‰ to 7.9‰ of the impeller diameter, efficiency takes a linear decrease accordingly, and the total entropy production increases linearly. At the same time, the main energy dissipation mode changes from wall dissipation to turbulent dissipation. Under severe cavitation conditions the total entropy production adds 30%. The water-jet pump shows that the entropy production in the impeller section is the highest, which accounts for 40%-50% and is closely related to the vortex and cavitation flow field in the tip clearance of the impeller. The tip leakage vortex region causes cavitation, but significant energy dissipation occurs at the outer edge of leakage vortex and on the nearby wall area, while the attached cavitation on the blade surface is the main source of turbulent dissipation.

Analysis of vortex characteristics and energy losses in a cryogenic hydrogen turbo-expander for a 5 t/d hydrogen liquefier

The cryogenic hydrogen turbo-expander (CHTB) is the most core component which determines the dependability and efficiency of hydrogen liquefiers. In present study, CFD method are adopted to simulate the internal flow field inside a CHTB for a 5 t/d hydrogen liquefier. The Ω method and entropy generation method are implemented to identify vortex structures and calculate energy losses. The results show tip leakage vortex is the primary vortex and causes energy losses through strong fluid shear but not rotation effect. The turbulent dissipation is the main energy dissipation. The total entropy generation of CHTB impeller is significantly higher than nozzle because of tip clearances. As tip clearances increase from 0% to 1.6%, total entropy generation increases by 83%, and output shaft power and isentropic efficiency reduce by 9% and 6% respectively. Working conditions mainly affect the inlet angle of attack and significantly impact vortex characteristics and energy losses in the CHTB.

Deformation and energy dissipation of steel box girders of cable-stayed bridges subjected to blast loadings

Steel box girders are widely used in cable-stayed bridges, while they are prone to severe damage under explosions. This paper investigates the deformation and energy dissipation of steel box girder of cable-stayed bridges under blast impact, caused by the accidental explosions of tanker trucks and vehicles. In this study, Hypermesh and LS-DYNA are employed to simulate the dynamic responses of a real steel box girder cable-stayed bridge under explosions. The deformation response and energy absorption of the box girder under explosions are investigated. Several failure modes and failure processes are analyzed and summarized. The findings indicate that the failure mode of an orthotropic steel bridge panel under blast impact is primarily local damage, with the damage process being divided into three stages: local plate deformation, fragment formation, and petal formation. For bridge deck explosions, the main energy dissipation components of steel girders are the bridge panel, web, diaphragm and rib stiffeners. The research results can provide the basis for the follow-up study on the anti-explosion safety of bridge structures.

Breaking behavior and stress distribution of T12A hard steel core penetrating ceramic/aluminum alloy lightweight composite armor

The armor-piercing incendiary (API) round inflicts significant damage to light armor. This article conducts penetration experiments on lightweight ceramic composite armor using 12.7 mm API rounds. The Rosin-Rammer distribution model is used to analyze the macroscopic fragmentation characteristics of the core, and the SEM is used to analyze the fracture surface of the bullet core after fragmentation at the microscopic level. Numerical simulations are also used to verify and expand the material parameters. The experimental results show that as the penetration velocity increases, the average feature size of the core decreases, indicating an increase in the degree of fragmentation of the core. The fragments generated by the fragmentation can be almost completely restored. The main fracture form is the brittle crushing fracture of the head of the projectile, while the tail and body of the projectile are basically intact, and the fracture surface is mainly a 45° shear fracture and radial platform-like tensile fracture.At the microscopic level, SEM images show that the material fracture mainly occurs in the form of radial cleavage shear fracture and river patterned tensile-shear fracture. The numerical simulation results show that as the penetration velocity increases, the energy dissipation of the core continuously increases. The main energy dissipation process of the core during penetration occurs during the contact with the ceramic cone, accounting for 66.48 % of the total energy loss, while the mass of the core remains almost unchanged during the interaction with the aluminum alloy.In addition, the experiment is verifiedusing different working conditions at different angles, confirming that the "unequal tearing" of the aluminum alloy backing plate is caused by the inclination of the penetration angle. It was also found that the penetration efficiency and destructive capability of the API round are significantly reduced when there is an angled penetration.

Preparation of CoCrFeMnNi-based high-entropy/aluminide laminated composites: Multielement interdiffusion reactions

CoCrFeMnNi-based high-entropy/aluminide laminate (HAL) composites were produced following the hot pressing diffusion sintering method. The microstructure of the samples was analyzed using the SEM, EDS, and EBSD techniques, and the results revealed that the diffusion reaction phases of the HAL composite consisted of a four-layer aluminide structure based on the Al13(Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni)4 phase. The diffusion behavior of iron dominated the resulting phase, leading to the formation of Fe-Al compounds. Under the influence of the hysteresis diffusion effect of high entropy alloys, Al13(Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni)4 phase layers (ASL I–III) with different grain sizes and growth orientations are formed due to the difference of diffusion rates at different interfaces. At the front end of the diffusion reaction, the aggregation layer of the secondary phase Al9(Fe, Co, Ni)2 appears due to the segregation of Co and Ni elements. The growth kinetics model of HAL composites was explored, and it was observed that a mixture diffusion type controlled the growth of the aluminide layer via ‘grain boundary and lattice diffusion’. The mechanical properties and failure modes of the HAL composites were investigated through quasi-static and dynamic mechanical tests. The fracture toughness reached 25 MPa·m1/2, and the main energy dissipation modes were the deformation of the ductile layer and the fracture of the hard, brittle layer. The dynamic impact failure modes were primarily deformation and 45% adiabatic shear bands, and the impact strength and energy consumption reached up to 1800 MPa and 2260 J/mm3. HAL composites with high alumina content exhibited prominent crack propagation and fragmentation properties under high-speed impact. The stress wave was significantly attenuated in the crushed aluminide layer, which significantly improved the energy absorption effect of aluminide.

Numerical simulation of the force output of a pressurized sand damper under cyclic loading

This study implements the discrete element method (DEM) to capture the mechanical behavior of a pressurized sand damper (PSD) and characterizes the dissipated energy under cyclic loading. The idea of a PSD is to exploit the increase in shearing resistance of sand under external pressure and the associated ability to dissipate energy through interparticle contact sliding. DEM employs a simple linear contact model for the entire assembly and utilizes irregularly shaped particles to mimic the behavior of sand grains. The series of DEM simulations reported herein examine the effects of multiple parameters on the magnitude of dissipated energy. These parameters include stroke amplitude, grain size distribution, the magnitude of pressure imposed on the sand, and different geometric configurations of the PSD. The results reveal that the main energy dissipation mechanism is interparticle frictional sliding in the sand. Moreover, when multiple spheres are attached to the piston rod significant increase in the magnitude of dissipated energy is achieved. The numerical results compare favorably with experimental data recorded from a PSD that was subjected to cyclic testing.

Performance of square concrete-filled steel tubular columns under repeated lateral impact

In this paper, a series of simulations are conducted to study the dynamic performances of square concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns under repeated lateral impact by considering the effects of common design parameters. The results show that the impact force response of square CFST columns with proper design under five lateral impacts is similar to that under single lateral impact. The failure mode of the specimen mainly presents the overall bending failure. The energy absorption ratio decreases gradually with the increase of impact times. The plastic deformation of the tube works as the main energy dissipation mechanism of CFST, therefore the impact resistance of square CFST columns can be effectively increased with the increase in steel yield strength, sectional steel ratio and dimension. The axial compression ratio less than 0.6 is beneficial for the impact resistance of the model. The prediction formulas of the dynamic flexural capacity and the residual axial-compression resistance of square CFST columns under repeated lateral loads considering the influence of impact times and various parameters are proposed and in good agreement with the numerical results.

Numerical simulation of long-wave wave dissipation in near-water flat-plate array breakwaters

A plate system, composed of flat array is proposed to be one type of breakwater. At present, little research has been done on the wave elimination of the plate under long-period waves. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are treated based on three-dimensional closed RNG k-ε turbulence model and the governing equations are solved by VOF method. A numerical model of the interaction between wave and flat array breakwater is established to study the wave elimination performance of different wave period ang steep. The flow and vortex fields are solved to research the wave dissipation mechanism of breakwaters. Results show the wave transmission coefficient tends to increase with the increase of wave period. Wave transmitted coefficient are all less than 0.4 in this test, indicating that the flat array plate breakwater maintains a certain wave dissipation capacity for long-period waves. At the same period, the wave steepness change mainly affects the amount of water passing through the upper part of the flat plate, which has some influence on the way the breakwater dissipates energy. The plate spacing is the main wave energy dissipation area, which provides space for water exchange and effectively eliminate waves while reducing the amount of board. The results preliminarily demonstrated the potential application of flat plate array as a wave energy breakwater, but the flat plate parameter design and the interaction of waves and flat plates needs further research.

Collisional Growth Efficiency of Dust Aggregates and Its Independence of the Strength of Interparticle Rolling Friction

The pairwise collisional growth of dust aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains is the first step of planet formation, and understanding the collisional behavior of dust aggregates is therefore essential. It is known that the main energy dissipation mechanisms are the tangential frictions between particles in contact, namely, rolling, sliding, and twisting. However, there is great uncertainty for the strength of rolling friction, and the dependence of the collisional growth condition on the strength of rolling friction was poorly understood. Here we performed numerical simulations of collisions between two equal-mass porous aggregates with various collision velocities and impact parameters, and we also changed the strength of rolling friction systematically. We found that the threshold of the collision velocity for the fragmentation of dust aggregates is nearly independent of the strength of rolling friction. This is because the total amount of the energy dissipation by the tangential frictions is nearly constant even though the strength of rolling friction is varied.

Self-centring hybrid-steel-frames employing energy dissipation sequences: Insights and inelastic seismic demand model

This paper explored the seismic behaviour of self-centring hybrid-steel-frame (SC-HSF) employing energy dissipation sequences and the corresponding inelastic seismic demand model. The SC-HSF employing energy dissipation sequences was composed of the self-centring main frame (SCMF) and energy dissipation bays (EDBs). Two prototype structures were designed and developed using modelling techniques validated by experimental data. Nonlinear cyclic pushover analyses and nonlinear dynamic analyses were conducted to examine the seismic behaviour of the prototype structures. The seismic response of prototype structures including peak interstorey drifts and post-earthquake residual interstorey drifts were examined in detail. After verifying the promise of the SC-HSF structures, the energy factor for quantifying the inelastic seismic demand was developed by nonlinear spectral analyses based on the equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems assigned with the structural hysteretic model. The effects of the structural hysteretic parameters on the mean and probabilistic features of the energy factors were discussed in detail. In addition, the lognormal distribution was selected to develop a probabilistic spectral seismic demand model based on a comparative study, and the prediction equations were developed to simulate the probabilistic features of the energy factors. Finally, the probabilistic spectral seismic demand model was used for evaluating the behaviour of the prototype structures, and the sufficiency of the model was justified.

Thermoelastic damping analysis in nanobeam resonators considering thermal relaxation and surface effect based on the nonlocal strain gradient theory

With the extensive applications of the micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems, a great deal of attention has been paid to explore the influences of the arising size-dependent effect and surface effect on their performance. Along with these effects, the nonlocal elasticity, strain gradient theory, and surface elasticity theory were successively proposed. Moreover, it is inevitable for MEMS/NEMS to work in a variable temperature environment, correspondingly, the thermal-induced stress or deformation becomes another issue that needs serious concern. Thermoelastic damping (TED), as a main energy dissipation source, is a major challenge in designing higher-quality factor resonators. However, considering the thermoelastic coupling effect, the aforementioned theories are not capable enough to depict the thermoelastic performance of micro/nano-resonators. To amend this deficiency, based on nonlocal strain gradient theory, a new model for assessing the TED of nanobeam resonators by incorporating the thermal relaxation effect and the surface effect is developed. The corresponding governing equations for the Euler–Bernoulli microbeam resonator model are formulated, and then, solved by means of a complex frequency method. The influences of the nonlocal parameter, strain gradient coefficients, aspect ratio, surface stress and surface elasticity on the TED are examined and discussed in detail.

Long non-coding RNA LncMPEG1 responds to multiple environmental stressors by affecting biomineralization in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii

Marine environmental change directly affects bivalve growth and survival. Exoskeleton formation, the main energy dissipation in the physiological metabolism, typically reflects the body growth of the bivalve. However, how bivalves regulate the biomineralization of the exoskeleton under environmental stressors is not yet clear. Long non-coding RNA regulates various life processes through complex mechanisms in vertebrates and invertebrates. In this research, we cloned the complete sequence of a mantle-specific expressed long non-coding RNA (designated as LncMPEG1) from a pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that LncMPEG1 expression was significantly high in early umbo larvae and juveniles, which would be the critical periods of shell development. LncMPEG1 was identified in the outer epithelium of the middle fold from the mantle edge, mantle pallial, and mantle center by using in situ hybridization. Additionally, the expression of LncMPEG1 was stimulated by shell damage, alien invasion, heat and cold temperature stress, and hypoxia stress. In the mantle, a decreased in LncMPEG1 expression was detected by RNA interference, which can cause the irregular growth of crystals on the inner surface of the prismatic layer and nacre in the shells. Therefore, we propose that LncMPEG1 could be a key regulator in biomineralization and responds to environmental stress in the mantle .

Research on Cavitation Flow Dynamics and Entropy Generation Analysis in an Axial Flow Pump

The entropy generation theory is introduced to investigate the effects of different NPSH and tip clearance size on the cavitation flow dynamics and mechanical energy dissipation intuitively and quantitatively within an axial flow pump through numerical simulations. The results indicate that main mechanical energy dissipation of the pump gathers in part impeller and diffuser, and most are turbulent dissipation. Meanwhile, the impeller is the largest place of mechanical energy dissipation of the pump under cavitation conditions, accounting for more than 50%. NPSH has significant effects on the cavitation pattern, which reflects on the field that the areas of attached sheet cavitation and tip leakage vortex cavitation around blades increase obviously with NPSH reducing under the tip clearance of 0.1% span. With NPSH decreasing, high regions of turbulent dissipation in the impeller mainly expands along blades and move downstream, with span S0.98 near the shroud having larger turbulent dissipation. Besides, high regions of turbulent dissipation are mainly distributed at the rear part of the cavity for every corresponding span of the impeller, which indicates that the turbulent dissipation has a strong relation with the cavitation pattern. In the impeller, the unstable flows cause cavity shedding at the rear of the cavity and wake flows near the blade trail induce higher turbulent kinetic energy, finally resulting in higher turbulent dissipation there. Under the same NPSH, areas of tip leakage vortex cavitation and areas of tip clearance cavitation around the tip both expand with the tip clearance increasing from 0.1% span to 0.8% span. And high areas of turbulent dissipation also are distributed at the rear of the cavity and moving downstream along the blade suction side, especially at span S0.98. Therefore, the tip clearance width mainly affects the cavitation development and turbulent dissipation distribution near the impeller’s shroud under same NPSH.

Response of reinforced mortar-less interlocking brick wall under seismic loading

Mortar-less construction with interlocking bricks has many advantages, such as improved construction efficiency and relatively low requirements on labour skills. Nevertheless, the seismic performance of interlocking brick structures is not well understood yet. In this paper, laboratory tests and numerical modelling are carried out to investigate the seismic behaviour of interlocking brick walls. Laboratory shaking table tests are performed on a scaled reinforced mortar-less interlocking brick wall. The response and damage modes under in-plane seismic loading are investigated. A detailed numerical model is then generated and validated with the laboratory testing data. Unlike the conventional masonry wall that diagonal shear damage governs the failure, the interlocking brick wall exhibits rocking responses, whose damage is mainly at the two bottom corners of the wall. Full-scale interlocking brick walls are then modelled and compared with conventional concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls bonded by mortar. Comparisons are made between the seismic resistances and damage modes of the two walls. The influences of ground motion intensities, vertical components of seismic excitations and different seismic time histories on the seismic behaviour of the interlocking brick wall are examined. It is found that the interlocking brick wall has a higher seismic resistance capacity than the conventional CMU wall. Inter-brick friction is the main energy dissipation mechanism in the interlocking brick wall. Because of the rocking response, vertical component of the ground motion significantly influences the damage of interlocking brick wall. The interlocking brick wall is insensitive to velocity pulses of ground motions due to its relatively high natural frequency.

Mechanical Property of Beam-to-Column Connection of Steel Structures With All-Steel Buckling-Restrained Braces

To avoid brittle fracture and plastic yielding of steel beam-to-column connections under earthquakes, a new beam-to-column connection of steel structures with all-steel buckling restrained braces (BRBs) is proposed. The all-steel BRB is connected to the steel beam and column members through pins to form a new connection system. Taking the T-shaped beam-to-column connection steel structure as the research object, two structural types with an all-steel BRB installed on one side (S-type) and two sides (D-type) are considered. Theoretical equations of the connection system’s initial stiffness and yield load are derived through the mechanical models. The yield load, main strain distribution, energy dissipation, and stiffness of the connection system are investigated through quasi-static tests to verify the connection system’s seismic performance. The tests revealed that the proposed new connection system is capable of achieving a stable hysteresis behavior. At the end of loading, the beam and column members are not damaged, and the plastic deformation is concentrated in the plastic energy dissipating replaceable BRB, and the beam and column basically remain elastic. The proposed equations approximately estimated the load response of the proposed connection system. The results show that the damage mode of this new connection system under seismic loading is BRB yielding, with an elastic response from the beam-column members.