Splitting Force Research Articles

Experimental Investigations on Tensile and Shear Behavior of the Interface Between UHP-ECC and Concrete

Ultra-high performance engineered cementitious composite (UHP-ECC), which is known for its exceptional compressive strength, tensile strength, and ductility, has been emerged as a promising option for repairing and strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The bond between UHP-ECC and normal concrete is the key issue for the material to be successfully implemented. This paper presents an experimental investigation focused on understanding the tensile and shear behavior of the bonding interface between UHP-ECC and concrete. A total of 78 specimens were prepared and tensile splitting tests and push-out tests were carried out. The study examined key parameters including the strength of the concrete substrate, the roughness of the interface, and the moisture condition at the interface. Various failure modes are observed in the specimens under tensile splitting force and direct shear force, and it is found that the influence of the key parameters varied depending on the type of failure mode. In specimens experiencing full interface debonding or interface failure combined with substrate cracks, the roughness of the interface and the moisture degree have a significant impact on the tensile and shear strength. Conversely, in specimens with full substrate disruption, the strength of the substrates plays a more significant role. Additionally, the study reveals that the grooving treatment is highly effective in improving the shear strength of the interface, but its impact on enhancing the tensile strength is comparatively less pronounced. Prediction models for the tensile and shear strength of the interface are established and verified against the test results. The proposed models provide valuable insights into the behavior of the UHP-ECC to concrete interface and can aid in predicting its performance in practical applications.

Cellular mechanisms of monozygotic twinning: clues from assisted reproduction.

Monozygotic (MZ) twins are believed to arise from the fission of a single fertilized embryo at different stages. Monochorionic MZ twins, who share one chorion, originate from the splitting of the inner cell mass (ICM) within a single blastocyst. In the classic model for dichorionic MZ twins, the embryo splits before compaction, developing into two blastocysts. However, there are a growing number of ART cases where a single blastocyst transfer results in dichorionic MZ twins, indicating that embryo splitting may occur even after blastocyst formation. For monochorionic MZ twins, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the cellular mechanisms involved in ICM splitting, drawing from both ART cases and animal experiments. In addition, we critically re-examine the classic early splitting model for dichorionic MZ twins. We explore cellular mechanisms leading to two separated blastocysts in ART, potentially causing dichorionic MZ twins. Relevant studies including research articles, reviews, and conference papers were searched in the PubMed database. Cases of MZ twins from IVF clinics were found by using combinations of terms including 'monozygotic twins' with 'IVF case report', 'ART', 'single embryo transfer', or 'dichorionic'. The papers retrieved were categorized based on the implicated mechanisms or as those with unexplained mechanisms. Animal experiments relating to MZ twins were found using 'mouse embryo monozygotic twins', 'mouse 8-shaped hatching', 'zebrafish janus mutant', and 'nine-banded armadillo embryo', along with literature collected through day-to-day reading. The search was limited to articles in English, with no restrictions on publication date or species. For monochorionic MZ twins, ART cases and mouse experiments demonstrate evidence that a looser ICM in blastocysts has an increased chance of ICM separation. Physical forces facilitated by blastocoel formation or 8-shaped hatching are exerted on the ICM, resulting in monochorionic MZ twins. For dichorionic MZ twins, the classic model resembles artificial cloning of mouse embryos in vitro, requiring strictly controlled splitting forces, re-joining prevention, and proper aggregation, which allows the formation of two separate human blastocysts under physiological circumstances. In contrast, ART procedures involving the transfer of a single blastocysts after atypical hatching or vitrified-warmed cycles might lead to blastocyst separation. Differences in morphology, molecular mechanisms, and timing across various animal model systems for MZ twinning can impede this research field. As discussed in future directions, recent developments of innovative in vitro models of human embryos may offer promising avenues for providing fundamental novel insights into the cellular mechanisms of MZ twinning during human embryogenesis. Twin pregnancies pose high risks to both the fetuses and the mother. While single embryo transfer is commonly employed to prevent dizygotic twin pregnancies in ART, it cannot prevent the occurrence of MZ twins. Drawing from our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying monochorionic and dichorionic MZ twinning, along with insights into the genetic mechanisms, could enable improved prediction, prevention, and even intervention strategies during ART procedures. N/A.

Analysis of failure mechanism of local compression in concrete cone foundation based on FEA

The ANSYS software is used for finite element numerical simulation to analyze the failure mechanism of local compression in concrete cone foundations in conjunction with previous experimental experience. The results reveal that the “hooping action” of surrounding concrete and the arch structure under the compression zone causes the increase of local compression in the concrete cone foundation. According to the findings of the analyses, the failure of local compression in concrete cone foundations is caused by the combined action of top shear force, middle splitting force, and top splitting force. The results also demonstrate that the failure mechanism of local compression in concrete cone foundations may be explained more rationally by integrating the theories of hoop strengthening and shear strength. These results serve as a basis for further study into the calculation method of cone foundation local compression.

Pullout behavior of the steel-FRP composite bar with the anchor head made of the grout-filled steel tube

Steel-fiber reinforced polymer composite bars (SFCBs) offer a viable solution to replace steel bars in concrete structures and mitigate their corrosion issues. However, the inflexibility of SFCBs weakens their bond with concrete. This study addressed this gap by employing a steel tube connected to the end of SFCB using grout as its anchor head. Subsequent pullout tests were conducted on SFCBs with and without anchor heads, exploring variables such as SFCB diameter, anchorage length, anchor-head diameter, concrete-cover thickness, and spiral ratio. Various failure modes were observed, including SFCB rupture, and concrete cracking with and without stirrups. Anchor heads significantly enhanced the bearing capacity and bond stiffness of SFCB specimens, notably reducing splitting forces. Augmenting anchorage length and anchor-head diameter improved the bond stiffness of SFCBs in concrete. The anchor-head diameter should not be less than 2.4 times the SFCB diameter. Furthermore, an increase in concrete-cover thickness or spiral ratio notably heightened the concrete’s resistance to cracking. The contribution ratio of bond force increases with the anchorage length and decreases with the slip, SFCB diameter, and anchor-head diameter. A predictive method for determining concrete-cover thickness and spiral ratio was developed to ensure SFCB pullout specimens steer clear of concrete splitting.

Numerical and Preliminary In Situ Investigation on Roadway Excavation Using Static Expansion Mechanical Fracturing

This paper introduced a new nonexplosive roadway excavation method, combining the reserved free space technology and the static expansion mechanical fracturing technology, where the former is implemented by the gasbag, while the piston splitter is for the latter. The numerical model of roadway excavation was set up via PFC3D to investigate the mechanical fracturing performance, including the single-hole fracturing and the hole network fracturing. The results show that the reasonable hole margin is about 1.0–1.5 m, and the optimal column spacing of the hole network pattern is 1.0 m, after comprehensively analyzing the fracturing performance and the splitting force evolution. Moreover, the mechanical fracturing excavation method was applied to construct a parking chamber in the Kalatongke Mine, to preliminarily verify the feasibility of the static expansion mechanical fracturing technology. The in situ investigation results indicate that the excavation footage is about 0.8 m with the piston splitter when adopting a hole margin of 1.0–1.5 m. To sum up, the preliminary field application and the numerical simulation result both support the feasibility of mechanical fracturing, and the reasonable fracturing hole margin is about 1.0 m.

Experimental investigation and design method of the general anchorage zone in the ring beam of prestressed concrete containment vessels

Ring beam is the main anchorage zone of the tendons in the nuclear power prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV). Its safety is crucial and has a great influence on the overall performance of PCCV. In this paper, two half-scale ring beams were tested to investigate the mechanical performance of the anchorage zone in the PCCV under multidirectional pressure. The effect of working condition with different tension sequences was investigated. Additionally, a half axisymmetric plane model of the containment was established by the finite element simulation to further predict the experimental responses and propose the local reinforcement design in the anchorage zone of the ring beam. The results showed that the ultimate load of the specimens under both working conditions was greater than the nominal ultimate tensile force. The original reinforcement design could meet the bearing capacity requirements, but there was still room for optimization. The ring beam was generally under pressure in the anchorage area, while the splitting force appeared in the under-anchor area, and the spalling force appeared in the corner area of the tooth block, which could be targeted for local strengthening design.

Kagome-like BiP3 Monolayer: An Emerging Quasi-Direct Auxetic Semiconductor Coupled with High Anisotropic Mobility toward Visible-Light-Driven Photoelectrocatalytic pH-Robust Overall Water-Splitting.

Two-dimensional (2D) Janus materials exhibit an outstanding potential that can meet the rigorous requirements of photocatalytic water splitting resulting from their unique atomic arrangement. However, these materials are quite scarce. Through ab initio density functional theory calculations, we introduce a kagome topology into the honeycomb lattice of blue phosphorene using phosphorus and bismuth atoms to build a hybrid honeycomb-like kagome lattice, realized by a hitherto unknown kagome-like Janus-like BiP3 monolayer with robust stability. Excitingly, the out-of-plane asymmetry benefiting from kagome and honeycomb topologies gives rise to a significantly negative out-of-plane Poisson's ratio and an obvious built-in electric field pointing from the sublayer of the P atom to the sublayer of the Bi atom. In conjunction with the investigations that encompass semiconducting properties, such as a quasi-direct gap, suitable band-edge positions, effective visible-light absorption, and high carrier mobility, the BiP3 monolayer achieves overall water splitting at pH 0-14 regardless of strain. Moreover, this intrinsic electric field provides a sufficient photogenerated carrier driving force for water splitting. The bare BiP3 comprises P and Bi atoms that function as catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) active sites, respectively. Upon exposure to light, the reaction of water into H2 and O2 can be observed across a pH range of 0-14. Meanwhile, by designing a transition-metal single-atom catalyst (TM@BiP3), our investigations have shown that embedding a single TM on BiP3 is a feasible route to improving the HER/OER activity by reducing the overpotentials to -0.039 and 0.58 eV for Mo and Os atoms, respectively. In this case, the positive value of the external potential acts as a sufficient OER driving force, i.e., in the light environment, the Os@BiP3 system can promote water molecules spontaneously oxidized into O2 at pH 0-14.

Promising M2CO2/MoX2 (M = Hf, Zr; X = S, Se, Te) Heterostructures for Multifunctional Solar Energy Applications.

Two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are potential candidates for clean energy conversion materials to address the global energy crisis and environmental issues. In this work, we have comprehensively studied the geometrical, electronic, and optical properties of M2CO2/MoX2 (M = Hf, Zr; X = S, Se, Te) vdW heterostructures, as well as their applications in the fields of photocatalytic and photovoltaic using density functional theory calculations. The lattice dynamic and thermal stabilities of designed M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures are confirmed. Interestingly, all the M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures exhibit intrinsic type-II band structure features, which effectively inhibit the electron-hole pair recombination and enhance the photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the internal built-in electric field and high anisotropic carrier mobility can separate the photo-generated carriers efficiently. It is noted that M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures exhibit suitable band gaps in comparison to the M2CO2 and MoX2 monolayers, which enhance the optical-harvesting abilities in the visible and ultraviolet light zones. Zr2CO2/MoSe2 and Hf2CO2/MoSe2 heterostructures possess suitable band edge positions to provide the competent driving force for water splitting as photocatalysts. In addition, Hf2CO2/MoS2 and Zr2CO2/MoS2 heterostructures deliver a power conversion efficiency of 19.75% and 17.13% for solar cell applications, respectively. These results pave the way for exploring efficient MXenes/TMDCs vdW heterostructures as photocatalytic and photovoltaic materials.

Computational Design and Theoretical Properties of WC3N6, an H-Free Melaminate and Potential Multifunctional Material.

By means of first-principles theory, existence, synthetic conditions, and structural as well as physicochemical properties have been predicted for the first hydrogen-free melaminate salt of the composition WC3N6. We find at least two energetically favorable polymorphs adopting space groups P1 and P3, both of which are layer-like porous materials. In addition to sizable Madelung fields stabilizing saltlike WC3N6, the complex C3N66- anions are connected via perfectly optimized W-N bonds, forming WN5 in the P1 and WN6 coordination polyhedra in the P3 polymorphs. The band gaps of the P1 and P3 phases are HSE-predicted as 2.25 and 1.21 eV, respectively, significantly smaller than those of g-C3N4 and WO3. Moreover, both phases have suitable band-edge potentials that may provide sufficient driving force for photocatalytic water splitting; at least for the P1 phase, there is also a reasonable chance for reduced electron-hole recombination. In addition, the polymorphs's large optical absorption coefficients should greatly enhance the photocatalytic performance. WC3N6 defines a new class of compounds and has unique structural characteristics, mirrored from its electrical and optical properties, and it should provide another chemical path for preparing efficient photocatalysts and optoelectronic devices.

Experimental study on hydraulic fracture behavior of concrete with wedge-splitting testing

Abstract The aim of this paper is to investigate the water pressure effects on hydraulic fracture behavior of concrete with wedge-splitting testing under dynamic loading. Five waterproof strain gauges are stuck along the crack path to observe the fracture process during the experiments. Four silicon water pressure sensors successfully measured the water pressure value on concrete face. The results show that the water pressure on crack faces accelerates the crack propagation of the concrete. The critical values of the splitting force decrease 26.7 and 25.6%, respectively, with the external applied water pressure of 0.2 and 0.4 MPa. Moreover, the hydraulic crack propagation speed increases at the beginning and tends to reach a peak value finally. The peak value of cracking speed is 11.08 m/s, which is high. Under dynamic loading, the water fails to fill the crack and only the trapped water interacts with the crack face. The water pressure is mainly a parabolic curve distribution along the crack path and the peak value decreases with the increase in the crack length.

Can Principal Component Analysis Be Used to Explore the Relationship of Rowing Kinematics and Force Production in Elite Rowers during a Step Test? A Pilot Study

Investigating the relationship between the movement patterns of multiple limb segments during the rowing stroke on the resulting force production in elite rowers can provide foundational insight into optimal technique. It can also highlight potential mechanisms of injury and performance improvement. The purpose of this study was to conduct a kinematic analysis of the rowing stroke together with force production during a step test in elite national-team heavyweight men to evaluate the fundamental patterns that contribute to expert performance. Twelve elite heavyweight male rowers performed a step test on a row-perfect sliding ergometer [5 × 1 min with 1 min rest at set stroke rates (20, 24, 28, 32, 36)]. Joint angle displacement and velocity of the hip, knee and elbow were measured with electrogoniometers, and force was measured with a tension/compression force transducer in line with the handle. To explore interactions between kinematic patterns and stroke performance variables, joint angular velocities of the hip, knee and elbow were entered into principal component analysis (PCA) and separate ANCOVAs were run for each performance variable (peak force, impulse, split time) with dependent variables, and the kinematic loading scores (Kpc,ls) as covariates with athlete/stroke rate as fixed factors. The results suggested that rowers’ kinematic patterns respond differently across varying stroke rates. The first seven PCs accounted for 79.5% (PC1 [26.4%], PC2 [14.6%], PC3 [11.3%], PC4 [8.4%], PC5 [7.5%], PC6 [6.5%], PC7 [4.8%]) of the variances in the signal. The PCs contributing significantly (p ≤ 0.05) to performance metrics based on PC loading scores from an ANCOVA were (PC1, PC2, PC6) for split time, (PC3, PC4, PC5, PC6) for impulse, and (PC1, PC6, PC7) for peak force. The significant PCs for each performance measure were used to reconstruct the kinematic patterns for split time, impulse and peak force separately. Overall, PCA was able to differentiate between rowers and stroke rates, and revealed features of the rowing-stroke technique correlated with measures of performance that may highlight meaningful technique-optimization strategies. PCA could be used to provide insight into differences in kinematic strategies that could result in suboptimal performance, potential asymmetries or to determine how well a desired technique change has been accomplished by group and/or individual athletes.

Radicular Intracanal Splitting Forces and Cutting Efficiency of NiTi Rotary Versus Reciprocating Systems: A Comparative In Vitro Study

This study aimed to compare the intracanal lateral force and cutting efficiency associated with two engine-driven nickel-titanium (NiTi) systems during root canal shaping. Bovine single-rooted teeth models were assembled to a custom-made splitting force measuring platform while being endodontically treated with rotary (ProTaper Gold [PTG]) or reciprocal systems (WaveOne Gold [WOG]) by two clinicians. The cutting efficiency test was run for each group by a free-falling endomotor on dentin discs for 3 min. The resulting force, files, and stroke force peaks were recorded. Data were analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test and ANOVA. Statistical significance was set at alpha = 0.05. Intracanal lateral forces (p < 0.01), cutting efficiency (p < 0.01), and time efficiency (p < 0.01) were significantly different between the NiTi groups. The maximum lateral splitting force was detected using the PTG shaping full-length file (S1) and during the WOG final stroke. Thus, caution is advised when reciprocating single-file systems approach the apical third or when using a large taper and wide-diameter rotatory instruments. The WOG had significantly less maximum horizontal splitting force and significantly greater cutting efficiency but less time efficiency than the PTG system.

Estimation of torsional and global loads for a wave-piercing high-speed catamaran at full-scale in irregular bow quartering seas using CFD simulation

Catamarans experience more types of global load than monohulls, these include pitch connecting moment, transverse bending moment, and split force. High-speed catamarans are widely used for passenger transportation but as the speed and size increase the severity of loads rises due to slam induced effects. In this study, full-scale CFD simulations are undertaken to investigate the loads acting on a 98m Incat wave-piercer catamaran (Hull 061) HSV2 Swift. Simulations are performed for conditions of a selected sea trial run in bow quartering seas at 20 knots forward speed undertaken by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), enabling comparisons and validation. In order to estimate internal global loads at different sections of the vessel, rigid body dynamics is applied based on the hydrodynamic and inertia forces. Those internal loads include longitudinal bending moment (LBM), pitch connecting moment (PCM), torsional moment (TorM), transverse bending moment (TBM), split force and prying moment. The estimated and measured global loads are also compared with design loads limits provided by DNV GL rules, and peak values of pitch and roll accelerations corresponding to each slam load are determined at the same wave height and wave period as the sea trial. The application of CFD to simulate sea trials runs in oblique seas is shown to provide a reliable estimation of slam induced loads for application in early design stages.

Monolayer Fullerene Networks as Photocatalysts for Overall Water Splitting.

Photocatalytic water splitting can produce hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way and provide alternative energy sources to reduce global carbon emissions. Recently, monolayer fullerene networks have been successfully synthesized [Hou et al. Nature2022, 606, 507], offering new material candidates for photocatalysis because of their large surface area with abundant active sites, feasibility to be combined with other 2D materials to form heterojunctions, and the C60 cages for potential hydrogen storage. However, efficient photocatalysts need a combination of a suitable band gap and appropriate positions of the band edges with sufficient driving force for water splitting. In this study, I employ semilocal density functional theory and hybrid functional calculations to investigate the electronic structures of monolayer fullerene networks. I find that only the weakly screened hybrid functional, combined with time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations to include the exciton binding energy, can reproduce the experimentally obtained optical band gap of monolayer C60. All the phases of monolayer fullerene networks have suitable band gaps with high carrier mobility and appropriate band edges to thermodynamically drive overall water splitting. In addition, the optical properties of monolayer C60 are studied, and different phases of fullerene networks exhibit distinct absorption and recombination behavior, providing unique advantages either as an electron acceptor or as an electron donor in photocatalysis.

Zinc borosilicate glasses doped with Co2+ ions: Synthesis and optical properties

New promising optical glasses containing cobalt ions in tetrahedral coordination have been synthesized, their mechanical and optical properties, as well as their characteristic temperatures, have been studied. High-quality glasses of the composition (70-x)ZnO–10SiO2-(20 + x)B2O3 (x = 0; 5; 10 wt%) doped with 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 wt% CoO have been synthesized for the first time. The selected glass compositions were close to the eutectic one in the ZnO–SiO–B2O3 system. This made it possible to reduce the glass synthesis temperature from the 1350–1500 °C, described in the literature for similar zinc borosilicate glasses, to the 1170 °C. The presence of tetrahedral cobalt ions (CoO4) was identified by the absorption bands at 17000 cm−1 (4A2(4F) → 4T1(4P)) and at 6954 cm−1 (4A2(4F) → 4T1(4F)). Then the intense absorption bands in the visible region have been attributed to the 4A2(4F) → 2A1(2G), 4A2(4F) → 4T1(4P), 4A2(4F) → 2T2(2G), 4A2(4F) → 2T1(2G) and 4A2(4F) → 2E(2G) transitions. The most intense absorption band of octahedral cobalt ions (CoO6) corresponds to the 4T1(F) → 4T1(P) transition and is located in the region of 18000–20000 cm−1. According to analysis of Co2+ absorption spectra, the tetrahedral Co2+ ions concentration increased with increasing the CoO concentration in glasses. To study the nature of the bond between cobalt ion and ligands, the values of the splitting force of the ligand field (10Dq) and Racah parameter B were determined.

(Invited) (Photo)Electrochemical Cells for Hydrogen Production and Carbon Dioxide Utilization

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) and electrochemical cells can produce hydrogen from water and/or can produce useful chemicals from carbon dioxide, and, thus, are the key technologies for construction of carbon neutral society.Direct water splitting using photoelectrochemical cell is one of the promising means to produce hydrogen utilizing solar energy. The most important issue for photoelectrode the central of photoelectrochemical cell is narrow bandgap combined with large reaction driving force. Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) which is employed as an absorber material in photovoltaic devices is one of the promising photocathode materials because of its long absorption edge of >1000 nm. [1] However, its driving force for water splitting is limited because of relatively shallow valence band maximum (VBM). The solid solution between ZnSe and CIGS (ZnSe-CIGS) is one of the promising candidates of photocathode material for water splitting because of its long absorption edge, ~900 nm, and large driving force, ~1.0 V. [2] In the present study, we investigated introduction of tellurium during ZnSe-CIGS thin films, and found the tellurium introduction increase grain size of ZnSe-CIGS film. The sequential deposition of Ga-rich layer and In-rich layer resulted in formation of composition gradient which facilitate charge separation thorough conduction band minimum (CBM) gradient. The ZnSe-CIGS base photocathode prepared with employing tellurium introduction and composition gradient showed significantly increased incident photon-to-current conversion efficiencies (IPCEs), close to unity. [3]The electrochemical cell with gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) can produce useful chemicals efficiently. Copper species are the catalysts with capable of producing C2 products such as C2H5OH and C2H4. In the present study, Cu2O was examined as an electrocatalyst for CO2RR. A GDE composed of carbon paper coated with Cu2O by electroplating method showed C2H4 production with faradaic efficiency (FE) of >50% and C2H5OH production with FE of >20% under the optimized conditions for >10 hours.References H. Kumagai, T. Minegishi, N. Sato, T. Yamada, J. Kubota, K. Domen, J. Mater. Chem. A, 3, 8300 (2015). H. Kaneko, T. Minegishi, M. Nakabayashi, N. Shibata, K. Domen, Angew.Chem. Int. Ed. 55,15329 (2016). T. Minegishi, S. Yamaguchi, M. Sugiyama, Appl. Phys. Lett. 119, 123905 (2021).

Quasi-brittle fracture analysis of large and small wedge splitting concrete specimens with size from 150 mm to 2 m and aggregates from 10 to 100 mm

The wedge splitting (WS) test geometry, suitable for testing large concrete specimens up to a few meters in size because of the self-weight supports, will find more applications if a closed-form model is available. This study presented a linearized boundary effect model (BEM) on quasi-brittle fracture of large WS mass concrete specimens containing aggregates up to 100 mm. Two separate small WS specimens containing aggregates around 10 mm and 20 mm were also analyzed to show the versatility of the model and the necessity to include the aggregate size in modelling. Modelling concrete as a large particle composite led to a simple closed-form solution, and both the fracture toughness KIC and tensile strength ft for the formation of the crack/notch-tip fracture process zone (FPZ) were determined from the maximum splitting force Pmax-h of WS specimens. The material properties KIC and ft from the current WS model were also confirmed by three-point-bending (3-p-b) tests of the same concrete. Comparison between the linear BEM and the well-known size effect law (SEL) was provided for purposes of experimental data analysis and mathematical fitting principles.

Thermodynamic analysis of titanium dioxide-based isothermal methanothermal and carbothermal redox cycles for solar fuel production

Due to the less efficiency-penalty and avoidance of thermal stress resulting from temperature swings, isothermal thermochemical redox cycle has emerged as a promising way to produce solar fuels. However, the isothermal thermochemical cycles based on the currently reported metal oxides have not shown a competitive theoretical solar-to-fuel efficiency. Herein, titanium dioxide-based isothermal methanothermal redox cycle and carbothermal redox cycle for efficient solar fuel production have been proposed and thoroughly evaluated thermodynamically. The calculations suggest that the reactant ratio of 0.5 is beneficial for oxygen release and fuel selectivity in the reduction step. Excessive reducing agents could cause the generation of the by-product titanium carbide, resulting in the loss of redox capacity. Attributing to the considerable thermodynamic driving force for water splitting, the reduced titanium dioxide could be almost fully reoxidized even at high temperatures ⩾1600 K without excess water. As expected, the efficiency evaluation indicates that the studied isothermal redox cycles are more thermodynamically favorable than the non-isothermal ones. Furthermore, according to the efficiency optimization strategy, the methanothermal and carbothermal redox cycles should be performed at the reactant ratios of 0.4 (reduction step) and 0.5 (water-splitting step) under the isothermal operating at 1500 K and 1600 K, respectively, to achieve the highest solar-to-fuel efficiencies of 40.0% and 35.7% without heat recuperation. The results indicate that the titanium dioxide-based isothermal methanothermal and carbothermal redox cycles both have the potential of becoming competitive routes for solar fuel production.

An Experimental Method to Determine the Interstitial Splitting Forces and Thermal Load Input Induced by Self-Tapping and Self-Drilling Bone Screws: A Pilot Study

Background: The aim is to evaluate methods to quantify the interstitial splitting force and thermal load input of self-tapping and self-drilling osteosynthesis screws. Methods: A specialized modular test bench was developed to measure the induced splitting force of self-drilling and self-tapping osteosynthesis screws using porcine mandibular bone. In addition, a fundamentally new approach to measure the temperature near the contact zone of osteosynthesis screws (fiber-optic sensor in the axis of the screw) was established. Results: The self-drilling screw type induces a splitting force of about 200 N in the surrounding tissue, so that microdamage of the bone and increased resorption can be assumed. Even pre-drilling induces a short-time force into the tissue, which is comparable to the splitting force of the self-tapping screw. The temperature increase in the screw is clearly higher compared to the temperature increase in the surrounding tissue, but no significant difference in temperature between the two screw types could be measured. Based on the measured temperatures of both screw types, the temperature increase in the contact zone is considered critical. Complications during the screwing process caused by the manual tool guidance resulted in numerous breakages of the fiber-optic sensors. Conclusions: The developed methods provide additional insight regarding the thermomechanical load input of self-drilling and self-tapping screws. However, based upon the optical fiber breakages, additional refinement of this technique may still be required.

Fracture stiffness evaluation with waterless cryogenic treatment and its implication in fluid flowability of treated coals

Cryogenic fracturing using liquid nitrogen is a waterless and environmentally friendly formation stimulation method for creating complex fracture networks effectively. This study developed a non-destructive geophysical technique using seismic measurements to probe fluid flow through coal and ascertain the effectiveness of cryogenic fracturing. A theoretical model is established to determine the fracture stiffness of coal inverted from wave velocities, which serves as the nexus for correlating the hydraulic and seismic properties of fractures. In response to thermal shock and frost forces, visible cracks are observed on coal surfaces that deteriorate the mechanical properties of the coal bulk. Consequently, the wave velocity of frozen coal specimens exhibits a general decreasing trend with freezing time under both dry and saturated conditions. For a gas-filled specimen, both the normal and shear fracture stiffness decrease monotonically with freezing time as more cracks are created in the coal bulk. For a water-filled specimen, ice formation due to cryogenic treatment leads to grouting of the coal bulk. Accordingly, the fracture stiffness of wet coal increases initially and then decreases with freezing time. A coalbed with higher water saturation is preferable when applying cryogenic fracturing because fluid-filled cracks can endure larger cryogenic forces before complete failure, and the contained water aggravates coal breaking as ice pressure builds up from the volumetric expansion of the water–ice phase transition and applies additional splitting forces on pre-existing or induced fractures and cleats. Also confirmed is that the stiffness ratio is sensitive to fluid content. The measured stiffness ratio is 0.7–0.9 for dry coal but less than 0.3 for saturated coal. The present findings provide a basis for realistic estimation of coal stiffness ratio for future discrete fracture network modeling.