Point Load Research Articles

SimLOD: Simultaneous LOD Generation and Rendering for Point Clouds

LOD construction is typically implemented as a preprocessing step that requires users to wait before they are able to view the results in real time. We propose an incremental LOD generation approach for point clouds that allows us to simultaneously load points from disk, update an octree-based level-of-detail representation, and render the intermediate results in real time while additional points are still being loaded from disk. LOD construction and rendering are both implemented in CUDA and share the GPU's processing power, but each incremental update is lightweight enough to leave enough time to maintain real-time frame rates. Our approach is able to stream points from an SSD and update the octree on the GPU at rates of up to 580 million points per second (~9.3GB/s) on an RTX 4090 and a PCIe 5.0 SSD. Depending on the data set, our approach spends an average of about 1 to 2 ms to incrementally insert 1 million points into the octree, allowing us to insert several million points per frame into the LOD structure and render the intermediate results within the same frame.

Additive manufacturing as a resource-saving alternative in the manufacturing process of marine gearbox housing

ABSTRACT Marine gearbox housings are large components of several metres in length and tonnes of weight. The conventional manufacturing process is a time-consuming and elaborate process with the necessity to oversize the components from a load point of view. This results in a redundant amount of energy and resources for manufacturing. In contrast, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) offers the possibility to realize a load- and weight-optimized design and provides an energy- and resource-efficient alternative in the manufacturing of marine gearbox housings. It has been shown that this additive manufacturing process provides the potential of 41% energy reduction and 36% material reduction compared to the iron cast manufacturing process. This is due to the modification of the load flow and the use of the hybrid manufacturing production as well as the possibility to include bionic structures in the gearbox design.

Evaluation of Ni-Cu Ore from Zapolyarnoe Based on Mineralogical and Physical Properties before and after Comminution

For the effective comminution and subsequent enrichment of mineral ores, comprehensive knowledge of their mineralogical and physical properties is required. Using an integrated methodology, this study evaluated samples of polymetallic Ni-Cu ore from Zapolyarnoe, Russia. Several analytical techniques were utilised, including optical microscopy, microindentation with Vickers geometry, the Point Load Test, and Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA). The purpose of this study was to determine mineral associations, physical features, and enrichment during jaw crusher comminution. The acquired properties included the Point Load Strength Index, Vickers Hardness Number, and fracture toughness. The MLA method characterised seven fractions in terms of particle size distribution, degree of liberation, association, and modal mineralogy. Magnetite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and chalcopyrite were calculated in terms of wt% and their textural features. The enrichment of each ore phase in fractions with particle sizes smaller than 400 µm was determined. The influence of this enrichment was discovered to be correlated with various textural and structural parameters, such as intergrowth, grain size, and crack morphologies after indentations. In addition, the chromium content of magnetite contributed to an increase in the fracture toughness values. Despite the complexities involved, even limited samples of materials provide valuable insights into processing behaviour, emphasising the importance of considering mineralogical parameters in comminution studies.

Risk Assessment of Radial Distribution Systems using Modified Jelly Fish Search Algorithm to analyse the Performance Indices

One of the essential techniques for figuring out Power Distribution System performance is reliability evaluation. With time, the range of methods for assessing reliability has grown, and the distribution system's evolution has also become more intricate. The likelihood of a network failing grows with time once it begins to function, especially if it is used for an extended period. Reliability indices have been evaluated using different algorithms such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and various modified versions of algorithms. The Jelly Fish Search Algorithm has been used in various power system applications such as to determine the most cost-effective way to dispatch generating units' loads, integrate Distributed Generation (DG) units, track the maximum power of photovoltaic systems, and determine optimal power flow solutions, among other uses. The performance indices for the Radial Distribution System (RDS) have not been evaluated using JFSA.Variation of performance indices with respect to unavailability has not been discussed in the literature. Here an attempt is made to analyse the variation of the indices with the unavailability. The proposed algorithm is evaluated first on 3 load point radial distribution system and the computations are performed on the popular IEEE-RBTS Bus2 test system. Based on the output it is observed that for the both the systems the behaviour of the indices with respect to the unavailability is in similar fashion. The equations are derived for the performance indices using the Minitab. With the equations obtained the Performance indices values can be predicted for the given unavailability value. It is the better appropriate method for the assessing the performance indices of Radia Distribution System.

Experimental platform for studying energy regeneration in electric vehicle powertrains

Investigation into the energy consumption in electric vehicles (EVs) plays a pivotal role in determining their autonomy and assessing the electric system performance across diverse operational scenarios. This study focuses on the concept of energy regeneration, encompassing the recovery and storage of kinetic mechanical energy during braking or descent in EVs. Employing control systems in power electronics becomes necessary to establish a seamless workflow across operational quadrants to ensure efficient energy regeneration in an electric machine functioning as both a motor and a generator. To seamlessly integrate new technologies into practical applications, it is essential to conduct thorough evaluations in laboratories prior to deployment. This paper introduces an experimental platform specifically designed to analyze energy consumption and storage in EVs by emulating their powertrains in a controlled laboratory environment. The platform comprises key components for emulating the powertrain of a single-motor electric vehicle with single-axle traction, including a power converter configured in two quadrants, an energy storage system, a primary rotating electric machine, and a mechanically coupled point load torque (another motor). This paper provides a detailed guide on implementing such a laboratory and for facilitating the testing of diverse motor technologies and controllers under varied operational conditions. This comprehensive approach allows for the assessment of electromechanical system efficiency, focusing on both energy recovery and comprehensive control of electric power converters. Validation tests conducted under urban conditions and on steep terrains demonstrate the effectiveness of the platform in analyzing the energy efficiency of both the induction machine and the power controller.

Predicting base resistance of super-long piles using a random forest model: A case study from Ho Chi Minh city

The prediction of the base resistance for long piles is usually challenging because of the impact of material characteristics and the influence of the nature of the surrounding soil. Artificial intelligence models have been applied in various geotechnical engineering fields, and significant results have been achieved. Based on a well-instrumented static load test dataset (1131 data points) from various projects in the soft soil area of Ho Chi Minh City, this study established a random forest (RF) model considering five input parameters, including the applied load, load point displacement, axial stiffness, standard penetration test value of the soil beneath the pile toe, and the distance from the load point to the pile toe. Twenty percent of the data was designated as the test set, which was used to make predictions using the established model. The results show that the RF model has good predictive performance in terms of prediction accuracy and reliability. A sensitivity analysis of the input factors provided a deeper understanding of the base resistance mechanism, which is important in pile foundation design practice.

In-site Investigation of Rock Mass Structure Effect on Tunnel Smooth Blasting Quality

Smooth blasting controls tunnel excavation contours and rock stability; however, it can lead to overbreaks and underbreaks due to rock mass anisotropy. Studying the Zigaojian tunnel of the Hangzhou-Huangshan Expressway, this research examined the effect of rock mass structure on smooth blasting quality. Four rock mass structure types–massive, layered, and cataclastic–were determined through manual measurements, three-dimensional scanning, point loading tests, and wave velocity measurements. The blasting overbreak and underbreak of the tunnel section were measured using a tunnel section laser distance measuring instrument, and the relationship between the blasting overbreak and rock mass structure type, surrounding rock grading, structural plane spacing, structural plane number, uniaxial compressive strength, and density was studied using multiple regression analysis. The results show that the overbreak area and maximum overbreak increase as the integrity of massive, massive, layered, and cataclastic rock masses decreases. The intersection of the rock mass structural plane and tunnel section was overbroken. The overbreak is positively correlated with the rock structure type, surrounding rock grading, and structural plane number and negatively correlated with the uniaxial compressive strength, density, and structural plane spacing. The results of this study can provide a reference for smooth blasting in similar projects.

Research on Damage Evolution in Ultra-thin Sheet Material under Deep Drawing and Ironing Process

In this paper, the effect of damage induced in deep drawing and ironing processes on the subsequent service performance of deep drawn cups was investigated. To obtain the cups with different amount of deformation damage, three kinds of drawing tests including one-stage deep drawing, two-stage deep drawing, and two-stage deep drawing and ironing were conducted using a 0.3 mm interstitial-free steel sheet. With help of the DF2015 ductile fracture model, the damage evolution of the drawn cups was calculated. Moreover, ring specimens cut from the side walls of the drawn cups were tested in a specially designed tension platform. The load F max and displacement x corresponding to the maximum load point, and the difference in displacement dx from the maximum load point to the fracture initiation point of ring tensile specimens were used as indicators to evaluate the effect of accumulated damage on the subsequent service performance of the parts.

Effect of high-temperature thermal fatigue on mode I fracture toughness of gabbro

Investigating variations of rock fracture toughness after high-temperature thermal fatigue is greatly significant for developing deep geothermal resources. This study investigated the mode I fracture toughness of gabbro after high-temperature fatigue treatment by heating a cracked straight-through Brazilian disc (CSTBD) gabbro specimen to 200, 400, 500, and 600 °C, followed by 100 thermal cycles. Additionally, acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) were used to monitor the failure process of gabbro. The results showed that the peak load, fracture toughness, and fracture energy of gabbro decreased with the increased temperature and number of cycles, which was most significant at 500 and 600 °C. Under mode I loading, cracks developed along the loading direction and connected with the prefabricated crack. Additionally, the regions with higher von Mises equivalent strain (Evm) values were concentrated at the loading points and prefabricated crack of the rock sample. The degree of bending of the primary cracks increased, the number of secondary cracks increased, and the Evm values changed significantly as the temperature increased. The phase transformation of plagioclase feldspar at 450 °C and the oxidation of iron- and magnesium-containing pyroxene at 600 °C changed the internal structure of the rock. Cyclic treatment further exacerbated the thermal damage, developing microcracks within the rock and reducing fracture toughness significantly.

Integration of optimal power flow with combined heat and power dispatch of renewable wind energy based power system using chaotic driving training based optimization

Combined heat and power economic dispatch (CHPED) based optimal power flow (OPF) problem has been studied in this article using a new, practical approach based on chaotic driving training optimization (DTBO) (CDTBO). In the proposed technique (CDTBO), the chaotic based learning is integrated with DTBO to overcome the local optimal problem and inferior convergence speed of the existing algorithms. OPF is an important concern to retain the power system running effectively. In order to meet the demand for reasonably priced power generation with optimal power flow in transmission lines, the authors combined CHPED and OPF. Since fuel is changing daily in the current environment, using renewable energy sources to generate electricity economically is crucial. The renewable energy source like wind energy is integrated with thermal units for economic power generation with reducing the thermal fuel consumption of CHPED-based OPF system. The proposed technique implemented on CHPED based IEEE-30 bus system for renewable and without renewable energy sources with considering different cases. The suggested problem considering with valve point loading of thermal units, transmission losses and uncertainties of wind speed to address the non-linearity of the renewable-based CHPED-OPF system. Cost minimization, voltage deviation control, transmission losses minimization and stability index are the single objectives of the prospective system. Furthermore tested on multi-objective functions for simultaneously minimization of cost with emission and simultaneously minimization of active power loss with voltage profile. It is observed that the proposed CDTBO technique helps to reduce the cost by 2% and 12.8% for renewable based system as compared to non-renewable system for multi-objective function. The robustness of the proposed solution has been verified by implementing the statistical analysis on two systems with least variation of mean and optimal values of cost with the tolerance of less than 0.0035%. A comparison has been made with recent well known optimization techniques to address the superiority of the suggested CDTBO algorithm.

Mesoscopic Analysis of Fatigue Damage Development in Asphalt Mixture Based on Modified Burgers Contact Algorithm in Discrete Element Modeling.

This study is aimed at examining the mesoscopic mechanical response and crack development characteristics of asphalt mixtures using the three-dimensional discrete element approach via particle flow code (PFC). The material is considered an assembly of three phases of aggregate, mortar, and voids, for which three types of contact are identified and described using a modified Burgers model allowing for bond failure and crack formation at contact. The laboratory splitting test is conducted to determine the contact parameters and to provide the basis for selecting three different load levels used in the indirect tensile fatigue test and simulation. The reliability of the simulation is verified by comparing the fatigue lives and dissipated energies against those from the test. Under cyclic loading, the internal tensile and compressive force chains vary dynamically as a response to the cyclic loading; both are initially concentrated beneath the top loading strip and then extend downward along the loading line. The compressive chains are oriented roughly vertically and develop an elliptic shape as damage grows, while the tensile chains are mostly horizontal and become denser. An analysis based on the histories of the numbers of different contact types indicates that damage mainly originates from bond failures among the aggregate particles and at the aggregate-mortar interfaces. In terms of location, cracking is initiated below the loading point (consistent with observations from the force chains) and propagates downward and laterally, leading to the macrocrack along the vertical diameter. The findings provide a mesoscopic understanding of the fatigue damage initiation and propagation in asphalt mixture.

The influences of type, length, and volumetric fraction of fibers on the direct shear strength of the fiber-reinforced concretes

Besides the common modes of failure including compressive, tensile, and bending in concrete structures, cracking and failure due to the shear is also considered as a significant and hazardous mode of failure. The shear failure mode can be observed in structural elements such as deep beams, locations having high point loads, connection cores of beams and concrete columns, short columns, punching shear in slabs and foundations, etc. However, the direct shear strength of the fiber-reinforced concretes has seen limited studied. Hereupon, this study aims to experimentally investigate the influences of the type, length, and various volumetric fractions of the steel fiber (SF) and polypropylene (PP) fiber on the compressive strength, the tensile strength, and specifically on the direct shear strength of the fiber-reinforced concretes. To this end, four different mixture design schemes of the plain concrete were examined by adding PP and SF with lengths of 3 cm, 5 cm, and their half-half combination with volumetric fractions of 0.5 %, 1 %, and 1.5 % to measure the compressive strength (the cubic sample), the tensile strength (the cylindrical sample), and the direct shear strength (the prismatic sample) of the concrete specimens. In addition, the plain concrete specimens as the witness specimens were built to compare with fiber-reinforced ones. The experiments were not only performed for 20–25 MPa concrete strength category, but were also executed for 25–30 MPa. The constructed concrete specimens were exhaustively surveyed in terms of the contribution of the fibers, the failure patterns in various specimens, the force-displacement diagrams in shear, the maximum displacement in specimens, the aspect ratio of the fibers, and the shear ductility index in various specimens. The obtained results indicated that, with increasing the length and volumetric fraction of the fibers (i.e., the aspect ratios), the compressive, tensile, and direct shear strengths have been subsequently augmented in the concrete specimens. Moreover, the strain and ductility of the concrete specimens have also been enhanced. Remarkably, in most tests, the SF-reinforced specimens have excellent performance compared with other specimens. However, the specimens containing the PP fibers have not considerably improved the compressive and direct shear strengths of the concrete specimens.

Effect of different anchorage schemes on the flexural behavior of RC slabs strengthened with CFRP sheets

This research investigated the behavior of RC slabs subjected to four points loading with five different CFRP sheet numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and three different anchorage systems (Type 1 used CFRP strips in the transverse direction, Type 2 used galvanized steel end plates without grooving, Type 3 used galvanized steel end plates with grooving). A total of twenty reinforced concrete (RC) solid slabs were cast to fulfill the study objectives. Results showed that the presence of CFRP strips enhanced the slab's ultimate load capacity by 102 %, reduced mid-span deflection by 12 %, also improved energy absorption capacity and stiffness by 36 % and 32 %, respectively. Type 2 anchorage system without grooves and type 3 anchorage system with grooves both used galvanized steel end plates and enhanced the flexural capacity of the slabs by 119 % and 125 %, respectively, also improved the RC slab properties and shifted the failure mode from delamination to a CFRP strips rupture. The introduced anchorage system without grooving was found to be an efficient and easily applied technique with high efficiency in terms of capacity and serviceability.

A framework for electricity load forecasting based on attention mechanism time series depthwise separable convolutional neural network

Electricity load exhibits daily and weekly cyclical patterns as well as random characteristics. At present, prevailing deep learning models cannot learn electricity load cyclical and stochastic features adequately. This results in insufficient prediction accuracy and the scalability of current methods. To tackle these difficulties, this paper proposes a framework for electrical load prediction based on an Attention Mechanism Time Series Depthwise Separable Convolutional Neural Network (ELPF-ATDSCN). The framework starts by using the Maximum Information Coefficient for exogenous variable selection. It then incorporates a seasonal decomposition algorithm with manual feature engineering to extract the cyclical and stochastic features of the electrical load. Subsequently, the framework employs the ATDSCN to learn the cyclical and stochastic features of the electrical load. In addition, the Bayesian algorithm optimizes model hyperparameters for optimal model performance. Experimental results of point and interval load prediction on datasets from the US and Nordic power markets reveal that the ATDSCN model proposed in this paper enhances load prediction accuracy compared with other models. It can provide more reliable predictions for power system operation and dispatch.

A Novel Mayfly Algorithm with Response Surface for Static Damage Identification Based on Multiple Indicators

This paper proposes a novel structural damage identification approach coupling the Mayfly algorithm (MA) with static displacement-based response surface (RS). Firstly, a hybrid optimal objective function is established that simultaneously considers the sensitivity-based residual errors of static damage identification equation and the static displacement residual. In the objective function, the static damage identification equation is addressed by the Tikhonov regularization technique. The MA is subsequently employed to conduct an optimal search and pinpoint the location and intensity of damages at the structural element level. To handle the inconformity of the static loading points and the measurement points of displacements, the model reduction and displacement extension techniques are implemented to reconstruct the static damage identification equation. Meanwhile, the static displacement-based RS is constructed to calculate the displacement residual in the hybrid objective function, thereby circumventing the time-consuming finite element calculations and improving computational efficiency. The identification results of the numerical box girder bridge demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the particle swarm optimization, differential evolution, Jaya and whale optimization algorithms about both convergence rate in optimal searching and identification accuracy. The proposed method enables more accurate damage identification compared to methods solely based on the indicator of the residual of static damage identification equations or displacement residual. The results of identifying damage in the 21 element-truss structure and the static experiments on identifying damage in an aluminum alloy cantilever beam confirm the high efficiency of the proposed approach.

Unidirectional horizontal cyclic behaviors of the monopile-wheel composite foundation in sand

The monopile-wheel composite foundation is an innovative type of offshore wind turbine (OWT) foundation with good bearing capacity. The foundation is subjected to cyclic loads from wind, waves, and tides, so it is necessary to study its horizontal cyclic characteristics. By introducing cyclic degradation constitutive and Rayleigh damping parameters, numerical models are generated and validated by comparing with laboratory experiment results. The laws of horizontal accumulated displacement of the composite foundation are then explored through changes in the cycle amplitude, number, wheel diameter, height of loading point and pre-vertical load. The main findings are that the composite foundation is more likely to reach a stable displacement under constant amplitude cyclic loading compared to that of monopile. Under transient dynamic response (74 % of the horizontal ultimate bearing capacity), accumulated displacement will increase rapidly regardless of the foundation form. The composite foundation has smaller hysteresis loop area and slower accumulation rate of bending moment. The soil pressure weakening of the monopile mainly occurs in front of the pile, while that of the composite foundation mainly occurs under the wheel. After cyclic loading, the V–H envelopes for the composite foundation contract unevenly inwards. Above these, prediction methods for the cumulative displacement, maximum bending moment and V–H envelopes for composite foundation considering cyclic degradation are proposed.

One Stone Several Birds: Self-Localizing Submicrocages With Dual Loading Points for Multifunctional Drug Delivery.

As the core index, how to improve bioavailability of loaded cargoes is a hot topic of drug carriers. In this study, aminated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a cross-linking points is first integrated into 3D poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) (P(AAm-co-AN))network to build up a unique submicrocage (466.2 ± 47.6nm), featuring upper critical solution temperature (UCST; ≈40 °C), high volume expansion coefficient, and excellent biocompatibility. Hereinto, hydrophobic β-elemene (ELE)is locally loaded in β-CD with high loading efficiency (8.72%) and encapsulation efficiency (78.60%) through hydrophobic desolvation and host-guest interaction. Above UCST, the release of the loaded ELEis accelerated to 72.87% in 24 h, together with the enhanced sensitization effect of synergized radiotherapy. Given spontaneous long-lasting delivery, targeted embolization, and post-treatment removal of such UCST-type submicrocage, it is anticipated to provide a novel, facile, efficient, and versatile strategy of comprehensive anticancer treatments for high drug bioavailability.

Characterization of Rock Material Through Point Load Test Index, Granulometry, and Dimensions of Specimens

Characterization of Rock Material Through Point Load Test Index, Granulometry, and Dimensions of Specimens

Parametric study for structural performance of spliced hybrid deck beams with UHPC cast in place joints

Splice beams are considered a solution for some difficults in bridge construction and a method for repairing damaged beams. One of the most challenging aspects of this technique is avoiding bond failure between the spliced members. In this study, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) was used to splice three beam segments due to its superior performance. This paper investigate the effects of some parameters on the spliced beams by Finite Element Method using computer program ABAQUS. The study have two approaches, first one, a validation study to generate model agree with experimental test results of seven specimens were tested under three bending point load. The main variables being the depth of the joint, the presence of a shear key in the joint, the hybridization of reinforcement, and the addition of dowels in the joint. The model was simulated and achieved good convergence when compared with experimental results, considering the load-deflection response and failure mode. The second approach that investigated various parametric studies, such as reverse cyclic load, repeated cyclic load, thickness of the deck, type of interface joint, reinforcement ratio, strengthening by UHPC layer, and the loading pattern.

Numerical method for predicting first crack load on hollow-cored beams subjected to point load at Midspan

Predicting the initial crack load in concrete is important to detect early warning of a problem. In this study, a model for predicting the first crack load on a hollow-cored rectangular beam point loaded at mid-span was developed by combining a numerical method and an experimental approach. The modulus of rupture was introduced into the governing moment-curvature relationship. Experimentally, flexural testing with point loads at mid-span was performed on fifteen (15) beams made up of three (3) beam types at 1 kN intervals for a span of 750mm using the Universal Testing machine. The beams were simply supported by roller points. The dimensions of the beams were kept constant and later varied while investigating the following hollow diameters: 0, 30, 60, 75, and 105mm. Numerically, the beams were designed as a beam element point loaded at mid-span with a span of 700mm centers, and the support conditions were defined as pinned support. Governing equations relating failure load with the modulus of rupture, stiffness matrix, shape functions, and moment of inertia were developed. The equation for predicting the first crack load, incorporating the modulus of rupture, was derived. The moment of inertia was calculated by discretizing the hollow-cored beam section using an isoparametric geometric transformation. The experimental results were used to validate the numerical model. 90.55% agreement between experimental and numerical results was observed. The overall average percentage difference between the two methods recorded is 9.45%. This shows that at about 91% confidence level, both approaches are the same and can be applied with confidence in the prediction of the first crack load on hollow- cored reinforced concrete beams.