Plastic Pipes Research Articles

Characterization of self-prestressing iron-based shape memory alloy bars for new structures

As a new type of material for prestressed strengthening, iron-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMA) have been extensively studied by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and used in many demonstration structural strengthening projects across Europe. However, research on Fe-SMA in new structures remains insufficient. Therefore, aiming at the application in new structures, this paper proposed a new application method by combining the Fe-SMA bar and the corrugated plastic pipe, i.e., placing the Fe-SMA bar into the corrugated plastic pipe and filled with high-temperature resistant mortar. The effects of the prestrain level, activation temperature, and additional end threaded anchors on the prestress generated in the Fe-SMA bar were tested. In addition, to analyze the difference between the concrete-covered environment and the air-exposed environment on the generated prestress, tests on bare Fe-SMA bars were performed. A prediction model of the long-term prestressing retention of the Fe-SMA bar was proposed based on the monitored data. The test results show that the Fe-SMA bars can generate a prestress of 218–343 MPa in the concrete environment. With the increase in prestrain level and activation temperature, the prestress generated in the Fe-SMA bar increases. The additional end thread anchorage system can improve the effective prestress of the Fe-SMA bar in concrete. In addition, the prestress loss mainly occurred in the early stage and gradually slowed down with time; for example, the prestress loss after activated for 24 h accounted for approximately 42.3%∼55.1% of the total loss in 1000 h. The prediction results show that the prestress retention of the Fe-SMA bar with a reasonable prestrain level and activation temperature can be stably maintained above 79% after 50 years of service.

Contactless Sensing of Water Properties for Smart Monitoring of Pipelines.

A key milestone for the pervasive diffusion of wireless sensing nodes for smart monitoring of water quality and quantity in distribution networks is the simplification of the installation of sensors. To address this aspect, we demonstrate how two basic contactless sensors, such as piezoelectric transducers and strip electrodes (in a longitudinal interdigitated configuration to sense impedance inside and outside of the pipe with potential for impedimetric leak detection), can be easily clamped on plastic pipes to enable the measurement of multiple parameters without contact with the fluid and, thus, preserving the integrity of the pipe. Here we report the measurement of water flow rate (up to 24 m3/s) and temperature with ultrasounds and of the pipe filling fraction (capacitance at 1 MHz with ~cm3 resolution) and ionic conductivity (resistance at 20 MHz from 700 to 1400 μS/cm) by means of impedance. The equivalent impedance model of the sensor is discussed in detail. Numerical finite-element simulations, carried out to optimize the sensing parameters such as the sensing frequency, confirm the lumped models and are matched by experimental results. In fact, a 6 m long, 30 L demonstration hydraulic loop was built to validate the sensors in realistic conditions (water speed of 1 m/s) monitoring a pipe segment of 0.45 m length and 90 mm diameter (one of the largest ever reported in the literature). Tradeoffs in sensors accuracy, deployment, and fabrication, for instance, adopting single-sided flexible PCBs as electrodes protected by Kapton on the external side and experimentally validated, are discussed as well.

Assessing human exposure to phthalate esters in drinking water migrated from various pipe materials and water filter elements during water treatments and storage.

Plastic water-supply pipes and filter element are frequently used in municipal water supply systems. Leaching of phthalate esters (PAEs) from these pipes and filter elements to drinking water has become a common concern among the public. In this study, the migrations of 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) in seven different kinds of water-supply product materials were investigated. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) had the highest detection frequency of 54.4% in the water leaching samples of various water supply pipes and water filter elements samples, followed by Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP, 46/90, 51.1%). The maximum detected concentration level for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and DBP in the leaching experiment was below the regulatory limit values of 8µg/L, 300µg/L, and 3µg/L for each compound in China standards for drinking water quality. The increasing of the water temperature, the lower pH of the water, and the increasing of the leaching time will increase the migration of PAEs from plastic pipes into water. The chronic daily intake of children aged < 1-12years to PAEs through drinking water was higher than the rest of the population groups. Carcinogenic risks (CR) of DEHP via drinking water were neglectable for most groups of people, while for young children with age of 1-2years old, the CR is an acceptable risk.

MANAGEMENT OF INSECT PEST IN RICE SEEDBED USING A NOVEL RECTANGULAR HAND NET (RHN) FOR INSECTICIDE FREE SEEDLINGS

Insect pest first attacks rice in seedbed generally 7-9 days after sprouted seed sowing. At this early sensitive stage, traditional sweep net (round hand net) is not suitable to collect insects because it injured tender rice seedlings and its insect catching efficiency is also lower than rectangular hand net. To alleviate this problem, developed a novel rectangular hand net and evaluated the efficacy for managing insect pest in rice seedbeds. Newly developed hand net consists of a rectangular frame that includes 4 mm GI wire, and the frame length and width 50 cm and 20 cm, respectively. It also consists of a plastic pipe that length 100 cm, radious 0.75 inch, and market available white colour mosquito net, which length from the frame is 80 cm. Methods of application is rapidly walking with RHN (Fig. 2) around the seedbed (model seedbed one-meter width and length depends on land condition). After sweeping full seedbed harmful insect has been destroyed and beneficial insect released back in the same field. RHN caught maximum number of major populations YSB, rice hispa, BPH, rice leaf folder, GH, etc., and remained under control. RHN caught beneficial insect (19.60 %) compare to harmful insect pest (80.39 %). In Aus season 2022, 20 m2 area BRRI dhan48, BRRI dhan98, BRRI dhan85 seedbed tenure caught insect pest (87.78 %) and natural enemy (12.22 %). Same year T. Aman season BRRI dhan76 and BRRI dhan52 seedbed period insect pest caught (71.18%) and natural enemy (28.82 %). Both seasons conducted this experiment at BRRI, Barishal Charbadna and Sagordi farm.

Energy-saving installation for heating and cooling livestock premises using geothermal energy

The article considers the calculation of the main design parameters of a geothermal air cooling system in livestock premises, which, unlike traditional systems, do not use fossil fuels to generate heat. They simply take energy from the soil, while, as a rule, electricity is used only for the operation of fans, compressors and pumps. The purpose of the study is to reduce energy consumption when creating the technologically necessary temperature and humidity conditions in premises by using the cold of the earth’s strata. The calculation of the heat exchanger installed inside the livestock premises is reduced to the choice of design and energy parameters of the surface heat exchanger of the cooling unit, as well as to the determination of the flow rate of water passing through the heat exchanger. Water cooling is done in a heat exchanger buried vertically in the soil (the so-called probe). The probe is a plastic pipe lowered into the well and filled with a special filling with good thermal conductivity. The article presents the calculation of the probe length, since this parameter of the heat exchanger-probe is the main parameter of the installation.

Self-Discharging and Corrosion Problems in Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

Vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) has a potential for large energy storage system due to its independence of energy capacity and power generation. VRFB is known to have challenges of high price, corrosion problem and lower energy efficiency. In this work, VRFB prototype with all components from existing parts sold in the market has been assembled and tested. Estimated electrochemical reactions are discussed for initial charging process with Vanadium Pentoxide powder as initial state to obtain fully charged battery state with V2+ ion in anolyte and VO2 + ion in catholyte. Material corrosion testes were done by immersing the material in a Vanadium electrolyte and by using the material as a bipolar plate in the VRFB system. Immersion test showed that copper, steel, lead and zinc were corroded badly. In bipolar plate material test, stainless steel 316, aluminum and silver plates were corroded after some hours of electric charging process. Simple carbon plastic composites and 3-mm thickness graphite plates were tested in the bipolar plate material test and failed due to corrosion problem as well. In the VRFB prototype, corrosion problems occurred on brass nipples, polyurethane plastic pipes and porous silicone seals. Stronger plastic components and better quality of silicone seals are needed for VRFB. Significant finding of this study is possible spontaneous chemical reaction within anolyte tank as a potential of self-discharging reaction which other researchers have not identified. Also, another finding from this study is that good bipolar plate for VRFB is not easily available in the market.

Experimental Study of the Effect of Temperature on the Circumferential Bending Performance of GFRP Pipes

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) pipes are widely used as polymer-based composite pipes in various engineering fields where the temperature influences their performance. This paper investigated the circumferential bending properties of GFRP pipes with different continuous fiber contents at 30 °C, 50 °C and 70 °C. GFRP pipes are classified into three types according to their component content: type I, type II and type III. The results show that the bending performance of GFRP pipes tends to decrease with increasing temperature, with the retention of circumferential stiffness being 80-85% and the retention of bending strength and damage displacement being about 25-40% from 30 °C to 70 °C. The rate of decay of ring stiffness, bending strength and damage displacement is significantly higher from 30 °C to 50 °C than from 50 °C to 70 °C. Both temperature and continuous fiber content greatly influenced the damage pattern. At 30 °C, delamination damage occurred at the top and bottom of the Type I GFRP pipe before fracture damage happened at the left and right ends and fracture damage occurred at both the left and right ends of Type II and Type III GFRP pipes. Delamination damage happened at the upper and lower ends of the GFRP pipes at 50 °C and 70 °C. In addition, the paper analyses the mechanisms of the associated effects.

Design and Development of Check Valve for Irrigation Pump

Shallow tube wells (STW) are widely operated in Bangladesh to draw groundwater for irrigating the crop field. About 65% of irrigated area is covered by more than 1.3 million STW. However, farmers are facing difficulties in starting STW due to priming problem. Therefore, this study was undertaken to design and develop a check valve (CqV)/non-return valve to overcome the priming problem as well as reduce the drudgery of farmers while starting STW. The check valve was designed based on the working principles of hand tubewell operating system. Considering the tubewell size of 100 mm, check valve having three diameters of 125 mm, 150 mm, and 175 mm for two-valve fitting lengths of 150 mm and 225 mm based on the flange or thread joint were fabricated using locally available material at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) research workshop. Check valves were tested at the field level in different locations of Bangladesh. The results revealed that the field performance of check valve overcame the priming problem, made easy starting and reduced the drudgery of farmers. The best performance was found when the diameter of the cheque valve was at least 50 mm over the size of tube well and the minimum length was 150 mm. The installation of check valve could not create any adverse effects on tube well discharge and engine revolution per minute (RPM). It could successfully reduce the starting time and facilitate the easy use of plastic pipe/ polythene pipe, which reduces the water conveyance loss and pumping hours. Bangladesh Rice J. 25 (2) : 77-84, 2021

Evolving pipe joining methods and their association to musculoskeletal symptoms for residential plumbers.

Recently the plumbing trade has transitioned from traditional copper piping to flexible plastic piping (PEX) for residential water distribution systems. However, there has been very limited research into the ergonomic implications of the modernized processes. This research documents the physical workload and risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) with the use of new tools and processes for joining piping. The research also identifies the factors which can facilitate or limit the use of new ergonomically beneficial tools. This mixed methods research included workplace observations, interviews, an experiment, a survey of plumbers in residential construction and focus groups with both plumbers and plumbing contractors. Advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques for joining pipes showed that manual crimping has advantages (i.e., productivity and lower cost) that make it desirable for plumbing contractors. Power devices, which were not widely used, have great potential to reduce MSD risks especially if the size and weight of the tools decreases with newer technologies. A continuing barrier is the cost of power equipment. The move to provide ergonomically beneficial tools was not as rapid as the willingness to change piping materials. Productivity and costs of tools are barriers to ergonomic interventions.

Coefficient of hydraulic friction of plastic pipes

Pressure systems are widely used in almost all areas of the public economy related to liquids. For example, at present, in the supply of drinking water to populated areas in the world, in heating systems, in agriculture, in cleaning water basins from muddy flows, in the mining industry, in construction, in the raising of muddy flows, in the chemical industry, in the process of moving muddy flows at the same speed, in pipeline systems of viscous muddy flows efficient systems are being used for transportation and many other purposes. Recently, plastic pipes have been widely used in production. Such pipes are cheap, light, and resistant to various decays, and their installation is relatively easy. One of the main problems in the hydraulic calculation of pressure systems is the determination of the coefficient of hydraulic friction. Recently, many scientists working in the field have been improving the hydraulic calculations of such pipelines. Yet, there is still a lot of theoretical and experimental research to be done. The article presents a method for determining the coefficient of hydraulic friction in plastic pipes in laboratory conditions.

Impact of the surface aging of potable water plastic pipes on their lead deposition characteristics

The use of plastic potable water pipes to replace corroded metallic plumbing and construct new potable water plumbing systems is rapidly increasing due to the low cost, noncorrosive characteristics, and easy installation of plastic water pipes.

EFFECT OF VARIOUS IRRIGATION LEVELS AND FERTILIZER MATERIALS ON WATER USE AND YIELD OF ONION UNDER CHECK BASIN IRRIGATION

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of various irrigation levels and fertilizer materials on water use and yield of onion crop (Allium cepa L.). The experiment was carried out at the Irrigation Research Farm which is located at latitude 110 11’ N longitude 70 38’E and 686m above the mean sea level in the Northern Guinea Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria (semi-arid zone). A randomized block design was used, with four irrigation levels and three fertilizer materials in three replications. Water was conveyed to the check basins using calibrated 7.5cm diameter Plastic pipes under observation using stopwatch. The minimum crop water use was 275.4mm corresponding to the treatment 25% irrigation level and chicken droppings (CH) while the maximum CWU was 405.2mm corresponding to 100% irrigation level and Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium (NPK). The crop water use efficiency varied from a minimum value of 1.24kg/m3 recorded at 25% irrigation level and NPK to a maximum value of 2.41 kg/m3 recorded at 100% irrigation level and CD. The highest irrigation water use efficiency of 1.02kg/m3 was recorded at 25% irrigation level and CH while the corresponding lowest value of 0.23kg/m3 was recorded at the 75% irrigation level and NPK. This implies that irrigation water use efficiency has an indirect relationship with irrigation level. The biomass yield ranged from the minimum of 22.0 t/ha recorded at the 75% irrigation level and NPK to the maximum of 39.2t/ha obtained from 100% irrigation level and CH. After curing, the yield ranged from 13.9t/ha to 25.6t/ha obtained from 25% irrigation level and CD and 100% irrigation level and CH respectively.

Tribo-Mechanical Evaluation of Epoxy/Periwinkle Particulate Composites

The tribo-mechanical evaluation of epoxy/periwinkle particulate composites was investigated. Periwinkle shell particles were used as reinforcement in the epoxy matrix. 3 to 9wt% periwinkle particles at intervals of 3wt% were added to the epoxy as reinforcement. Themicrostructural examination of the epoxy/periwinkle particulate composites was carried out using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical, physical and wear properties were carried out by standard methods equipment. The highest density was observed for the epoxy matrix at 1.76g/cm3 and the least for 9wt% composites at 1.52g/cm3, the highest water absorption was observed in the matrix at 1.5% and the least with 9wt% composites at 1.18%.The 9wt% composites had the highest hardness value at 76.4HV while the epoxy matrix had the least hardness at 39.8HV, the highest tensile result was observed in the 9wt% composite with a value 304 N/mm2 while the least value was observed with a value of 287 N/mm2 for the epoxy matrix. The microstructure of the composite is uniformly distributed and strong interfacial bonding occurred between the epoxy matrix and reinforcement; however agglomeration of particles were observed. The highest wear rate was observed in the epoxy matrix at 0.445mm3/m while the least wear rate was observed in 9wt% epoxy composite at 0.272 mm3/m.The development of the composite will contribute to knowledge helping to convert waste to wealth and reduce environmental pollution. The produced composites can be used in the production of plastic pipes for oil and gas industries.

Calculation of gas supply pressure using plastic pipes for preventing accidental emissions

Technological (production, operational and repair) risks come to the fore, minimizing which requires optimization of the work of structural units responsible for a reasonable assessment of the technical condition, maintenance and repair of facilities, timely renewal of production facilities with minimization of wear and tear of equipment, which is a risk factor in the failure of the gas transmission system. In addition, based on the noted features of gas transportation enterprises, in the risk management block, logistics risks, safety risks, environmental, social and (in a certain aspect) financial risks should play a significant role. Objectively, in order to establish an acceptable range of risks, it is necessary to collect statistical data on the occurrence of risk factors for the foreseeable period in order to leave for constant monitoring those risk factors that appear regularly in the gas transmission system. The construction and operation of gas pipelines play an important role in the reasonable and technical transportation of gaseous substances. Noteworthy, algorithm for calculating the proposed medium pressure gas pipeline was developed, accordingly, in this research, the gas flow area was determined. The results showed that based on the calculations of underground average pressure of polyethylene pipes, the average gas pressure was 5,733 Pa, withstands pressure was up to 8009.7 Pa, withstands stress on the pipe wall was up to 0.024 MPa, and emission loss was 3964.4 m3 when there was an accident.

Logarithmic Linearization Approach for Determining the Torque required for Plastic (PVC) shredding operation through Human Powered Flywheel Motor (HPFM)

The practical capacity of Human Powered Flywheel Motor (HPFM) to produce 3 to 5 Horse Power (H.P) in comparison to Motorized machine for shredding the monomer PVC Plastic waste for various applications gives it an advantage to operationalize it in rural sector. The present work is an extension of previously established dimensionless mathematical models using Buckingham Pi-theorem technique. The Current Paper represents the mathematical Model established for the response variable Torque required by the flywheel to shred the PVC Round Plastic pipe of 1 inch, 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch using the approximate Logarithmic Linearization technique. The mathematical model represented here has been generated after experimental results and it helps one to forecast the torque required by the HPFM unit to shred the PVC plastic waste of a particular kind efficiently so that it can be utilized in rural sector for various applications.

Smart-recycling technology for construction waste in furniture design training

The paper reviews the results of the creative team of teachers and students to explore the possibilities of recycling some construction waste. The analysis of publications in the sphere of ecological design testifies to the constant search of ways of recycling of different types of waste. The authors have focused their attention on the potential of using construction waste, the amount of which increases every year. The purpose of the study is to teach students to design furniture objects using recycled plastic pipes through educational Smart-technologies. The use of new Smart-technologies guarantees the achievement of the desired result. Their implementation was carried out in a distributed learning environment in stages. Preparatory stage: study of environmental problems and ways to overcome them, characteristics of construction waste, production and disposal of plastic pipes and existing ways of their recycling. Experimental stage: the study of plastic as a material for the manufacture of pipes, the technology of their manufacture, methods of connection; the development of an artistic and imaginative concept of furniture sets using plastic pipes. The final stage: the study of the possibilities of the project; the production of a prototype of the product in full size. The results of the study can be viewed from two positions: pedagogical and technological. From a pedagogical point of view, it is the promotion of students consciousness in the field of environmental design. From the technological point of view the formulation of methodological recommendations for the design of high-quality products from secondary raw materials.

Experimentally Based Numerical Simulation of the Influence of the Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Pipe Geometric Structure on Drainage Flow

The geometric structure of corrugated plastic pipes affects performance in agricultural subsurface drainage systems. To explore the influence of pipe geometry on flow field characteristics and the characterization of water movements, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) steady-state subsurface drainage model based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). An analysis of the CFD and sand tank results indicated that the proposed model can accurately simulate the subsurface drainage process (R2 = 0.99). The corrugation structure parameters of the drainpipe, including the outside diameter, corrugation valley width and corrugation height, were taken as the objects for this study, and the influence of corrugation parameters on drainage discharge was orthogonally analysed. During drainage, the soil water initially collects in the corrugation valley and then approximately ninety percent of the water flows into the pipe through the bottom perforations; increasing the contact face area between the corrugation valley and soil can increase the flow rate of the drainpipe and the water table height above the pipe, which decreases the intersection position of the pipe and water table. The results of the analysis of the range and variance of the orthogonal experiment showed that the order of the primary and secondary factors influencing the drainage discharge was the outside diameter, corrugation valley width and corrugation height, with the outside diameter being most critical influencing factor.

IAG/USP Test Site: A Near Surface Geophysics Teaching and Research Laboratory

This work shows the construction project of the Geophysical Test Site (Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa, SCGR-I) of the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG), of the University of São Paulo (USP) and its impact on teaching and research in Geophysics. The IAG/USP test site (SCGR-I) has 1500 m2, being characterized by 7 studies lines with 30 m length in the NS direction. Targets, such as metallic pipes and tanks, plastic pipes and tanks, concrete tubes, ceramic pots, among others, with different geometries and physical properties were buried at depths from 0.5 to 2 m in relation to the surface. A metallic guide pipe of 3.8 cm diameter was buried at the 15 m position along the EW direction, crossing all 7 lines. Targets simulate objects found in archaeological studies, geotechnical and urban planning studies and environmental studies. In this work, comparative analyzes between real and synthetic GPR results on metallic and plastic tanks are shown, as well as EM38 results on metallic tanks. The SCGR-I proved to be an important tool for teaching and research related to the applications of geophysical methods for near surface investigations and could be a motivation to build more test sites.

Risk-Based Inspection and Rehabilitation Planning of Service Connections in Intermittent Water Supply Systems for Leakage Management in Arid Regions

Most of the leakage in water distribution systems operating with plastic pipes occurs at service connections (SCs), while the existing tools plan rehabilitation of pipes. With limited water resources, intermittent supplies in arid regions further enhance the failure vulnerability of metal fittings on water mains due to scale formation and large pressure transients. The present research developed a risk-based methodology for the proactive maintenance of SCs in intermittent water supply systems. A five-generation bottom-up hierarchical approach aggregated the basic hydraulic, physical, and water quality factors to determine the vulnerability of structural failures of SCs. Hydraulic parameters (pressure and velocity) were estimated by simulating a distribution network of 366 water mains of diameters ranging from 110 mm to 225 mm serving 371 SCs in a residential neighborhood located in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Age, depth, and length of SCs’ estimated the condition index, while soil corrosivity and condition of the water mains were also counted when assessing the structural failure index for each SC. Water quality parameters, e.g., pH, turbidity, and iron, that can contribute to the vulnerability of an SC’s failure were also included. Fuzzy-based methods first assessed the relative importance weights of the basic input parameters at the bottom of the hierarchy and the risk factors in the middle of the hierarchy. Subsequently, the performance and condition scores were aggregated to develop respective indices. As the consequence of structural failure is high for the SCs serving households with a large number of residents, the final risk index aggregates the vulnerability and consequence at the hierarchy’s top. The developed model was effectively validated by comparing the SCs of high priority with the leaking and repaired SCs in the past. The method will be a useful tool for planning proactive inspection and rehabilitation of SCs of intermittent supply systems to minimize water losses (less than 8% of the national benchmark) in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

Mechanical Performance of Polymer Materials for Low-Temperature Applications

The present study investigates the strain-rate-dependent mechanical performances of three different kinds of polymers in low-temperature applications, including plastic piping systems. Recently, lightweight constructions have been increasingly used in ship and offshore structures because using low-density materials reduces the structural weight of products. However, most of the existing research outcomes have not focused on low-temperature applications. In the present study, the mechanical and failure characteristics of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which are the most widely used in ship and offshore industries, were tested under low-temperature conditions. The quasistatic tensile stress–strain responses of the polymers were observed at rates of 10−2, 10−3, and 10−4 s−1. As the temperature decreased, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of tested polymers increased. The fracture strain and modulus of toughness of ABS were considerably lower than those of PE and PVDF at room and low temperatures. When compared with mechanical properties, PVDF displayed superior capability, and each polymer showed different fracture surface characteristics, such as ductility and brittleness. The quantitative material properties tested at various temperatures and strain-rates can be used as material information for the finite element (FE) analysis and material parameters for the development of advanced constitutive models.