Upstream Side Research Articles

Numerical Study of Smoke Distribution in Inclined Tunnel Fire Ventilation Modes Considering Traffic Conditions

Japan and Europe have adopted significantly different ventilation modes with regard to traffic conditions (with or without congestion). This study focuses on the smoke behavior of different ventilation modes by conducting a 3D CFD analysis of smoke distribution and CO concentration variation and then comparing these modes based on two groups (relatively low target velocity: 0 and 1 m/s; relatively high target velocity: 2 and 3 m/s). The considered fire size is 30 MW for four longitudinal gradients (0, 2, 4, and 6%). In the simulation results, velocities of both 0 and 1 m/s reveal good performance in maintaining the stratification of smoke and ensuring the safety of the environment in 10 min in the occurrence of traffic jams. However, in 15 min, the smoke conditions change. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish which ventilation mode (0 and 1 m/s) shows relatively better performance during traffic congestion. When traffic is uncongested, the comparison of Um = 2 and 3 m/s reveals that a target velocity of Um = 2 m/s (lower than critical velocity) can also prevent the risk of smoke on the upstream side because no descending phenomenon is observed. Moreover, Um = 2 m/s causes the relatively slow propagation of descending smoke, increasing the possibility of evacuation once a second traffic incident occurs on the downstream side of the fire source.

Sound-source distribution in the bogie section of a train determined by simultaneous measurement by pressure-sensitive paint and a microphone

Sound-pressure level of acoustic waves from the flow around a 1/8-reduced-scale simplified train model and pressure-fluctuation distribution of the bottom surface of the bogie were measured simultaneously by a microphone and a pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). A high-pressure-fluctuation area was observed on the upstream side on the bogie bottom surface at the peak sound frequency. The phase distribution of the peak frequency of the PSP data was observed to be uniform in the spanwise direction and delayed in the downstream direction. This result indicates that propagation speed of peak surface pressure fluctuation was 66 % of the freestream wind velocity. Thus, the measured peak sound frequency was found to be the same as the theoretical cavity peak frequency given by the Rossiter equation with that propagation speed as a vortex convection velocity. Therefore, the peak sound is concluded to be generated from acoustic feedback in the cavity, which is the gap between the upstream cavity edge and the bogie. Moreover, the difference between the measured and correlated peak sound levels of the bottom surface of the bogie, was no more than 3 dB, where the correlated sound level was calculated by using the Lighthill-Curle equation with coherent output power data.

Smoke Stratification in a Mine Drift with Multiple Objects Downstream

Abstract The smoke behaviour and smoke stratification of a fire in a mine drift will be one of the decisive factors affecting the risk to mining personnel during a fire. This paper studies the smoke stratification in a mine drift with multiple objects downstream of the fire, at varying distances and number of objects. Data for the study was provided from earlier model-scale fire experiments and CFD modelling was performed for in-depth analysis of specific phenomena. It was found that at considerable downstream distances from the fire, the smoke stratification differences were significant, reflecting the high impact of multiple objects. With an increasing distance between the objects downstream, an increased degree of mixing and decreased stratification occurred. With an increasing distance between the burning object and the second object, the smoke layer will descend further before encountering the object and the smoke stratification on the upstream side of the second object will decrease. The increased mixing of the hot gases flowing from the burning object will have a more significant effect on the overall stratification due to the higher temperatures. An increasing number of objects downstream will not by itself lead to increased stratification, with shorter distances between the objects and an increasing number of objects, the smoke stratification may instead be retained for a longer distance. An increasing flow velocity will result in decreasing stratification found foremost downstream of the burning object, as the tilt of the plume will increase and interact increasingly with the second object.

Influence of underground space development mode on the groundwater flow field in Xiong’an new area

The degree and scale of underground space development are growing with the continuous advancement of urbanization in China. The lack of research on the change of the groundwater flow field before and after the development of underground space has led to various problems in the process of underground space development and operation. This paper took the key development zone of the Xiong’an New Area as the study area, and used the Groundwater modeling system software (GMS) to analyse the influence on the groundwater flow field under the point, line, and surface development modes. The main results showed that the underground space development would lead to the expansion and deepening of the cone of depression in the aquifer. The groundwater level on the upstream face of the underground structure would rise, while the water level on the downstream face would drop. The “line” concurrent development has the least impact on the groundwater flow field, and the maximum rise of water level on the upstream side of the underground structure is expected to be approximately 3.05 m. The “surface” development has the greatest impact on the groundwater flow field, and the maximum rise of water level is expected to be 7.17 m.

PENGUKURAN KINERJA RANTAI PASOK TEMBAKAU PADA BAGIAN HULU DI PR. X MALANG

<p><em>Activities in the supply chain have problems related to uncertainty, to be faced in this condition the business actors need to know their performance and improve their performance. The level of best or bad performances of a company has based on the application of supply chain management in managing the business activities. The implementation of supply chain management is faced with a problem such as uncertainty of market conditions about price and quantity of supply and demand that can affect the operational activities of the supply chain. The supply chain problem also occurs in the tobacco supply chain as the plantation commodity with high economic value and the seasonal characteristic. The upstream side of the tobacco supply chain is needed to determine the performance that has been achieved. Therefore, research on the performance measurement of upstream tobacco supply chain at PR. X Malang is important. The purposes of this study are to describe the mechanism of implementation of tobacco supply chain management on the upstream side, and analyzing the performance of the upstream of the tobacco supply chain, and formulate a strategy to improve the upstream of supply chain performance. The analysis used in this study is based on the SCOR model with five core processes (plan, source, make, deliver, return) and five performance attributes (reliability, responsiveness, agility, cost, asset). This study uses 3 key informants consisting of farmers, collectors, and manufacturers with purposive techniques. The result of this study shows that the farmer performance needs an improvement based on the flexibility and TSCC</em><em> (total supply chain cost)</em><em> matrix performance, the collector performance needs an improvement based on TSCC performance matrix and manufacture performance needs an improvement based on the flexibility and TSCC matrix performance.</em></p>

Integrated Geophysical and Geotechnical Approaches for Evaluating Dam Seepage in Lesser Himalayan Region of Pakistan

Dam leakage is a major problem in earth-filled reservoir dams. The present research is aimed at detecting the seepage zones in an earth-filled reservoir dam in the vicinity of Sarobi village, North Waziristan, Pakistan. The objective was achieved by integrating geological, geotechnical, and geophysical datasets. Geological survey was carried out in the area to identify the surface exposures. Geotechnical data involved was used to estimation of permeability and Lugeon values to identify network of joints/fractures whereas electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) technique (utilizing Wenner-Schlumberger configuration) was applied for the identification of the leakage zones. Geological data revealed highly deformed alluvium towards the right abutment underlain by compressed shale and highly fractured limestone beds. Geotechnical data indicated high permeability, Lugeon values, and concentration of sand and gravel towards the right abutment whereas low permeability, Lugeon values, and higher concentration of silt and clay were observed towards the left abutment. ERT data identified a conductive zone embedded between impermeable lithologies having resistivity between 10 and 60 Ω·m. This conductive zone was observed in parallel profiles acquired in upstream, dam crest, and downstream parts of the dam. The integration of all the datasets revealed a network of joints that are interconnected and provide a path for water at the upstream side to pass through right abutment of dam and leak towards the downstream.

Effect of tabs on the shear layer dynamics of a jet in cross-flow

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a jet in cross-flow (JICF) with a triangular tab at two positions are performed at jet-to-cross-flow velocity ratios of $R = 2$ and $4$ with a jet Reynolds number of 2000 based on the jet's bulk velocity and exit diameter. The DNS and dynamic mode decomposition show the sensitivity of the tab's effect on the jet upstream shear layer (USL) structure and cross-section to $R$ , echoing the experimental discoveries of Harris et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 918, 2021). Furthermore, DNS reveals that the presence of a tab placed on the upstream side of the nozzle significantly modifies the USL through production of streamwise vortices that curl around the spanwise vortex tubes originating from the primary instability of the USL. This provides an explanation for the improvement in mixing that has been associated with an upstream tab. The streamwise vortex structure shows remarkable similarities to the ‘strain-oriented vortex tubes’ observed for disturbed plane shear layers by Lasheras & Choi (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 189, 1988, pp. 53–86). For both $R$ cases, the USL instability is delayed, the jet penetration is reduced, and the jet cross-section is flattened, although the tab has a less pronounced effect on the USL structure at higher velocity ratios, where the formation of the streamwise vortices is delayed. In contrast, a tab placed 45 $^\circ$ from the upstream position produces significantly different effects compared with the upstream tab. At $R = 4$ , the jet cross-section is significantly skewed away from the tab and a tertiary vortex is formed, as observed in past studies of round JICFs at relatively high $R$ and low Reynolds numbers. The ability of the tab to produce a controllable steady-state tertiary vortex has implications for a variety of applications. The 45 $^\circ$ tab produces asymmetric effects in the wake of the jet at $R = 2$ , but the effect on the jet cross-section is much smaller, highlighting the sensitivity of jets at high $R$ to asymmetric perturbations.

Effects of Elasticity on Cell Proliferation in a Tissue-Engineering Scaffold Pore

Scaffolds engineered for in vitro tissue engineering consist of multiple pores where cells can migrate along with nutrient-rich culture medium. The presence of the nutrient medium throughout the scaffold pores promotes cell proliferation, and this process depends on several factors such as scaffold geometry, nutrient medium flow rate, shear stress, cell-scaffold focal adhesions and elastic properties of the scaffold material. While numerous studies have addressed the first four factors, the mathematical approach described herein focuses on cell proliferation rate in elastic scaffolds, under constant flux of nutrients. As cells proliferate, the scaffold pores radius shrinks and thus, in order to sustain the nutrient flux, the inlet applied pressure on the upstream side of the scaffold pore must be increased. This results in expansion of the elastic scaffold pore, which in turn further increases the rate of cell proliferation. Considering the elasticity of the scaffold, the pore deformation allows further cellular growth beyond that of inelastic conditions. In this paper, our objectives are as follows: (i) Develop a mathematical model for describing fluid dynamics, scaffold elasticity and cell proliferation for scaffolds consist of identical nearly cylindrical pores; (ii) Solve the models and then simulate cellular proliferation within an elastic pore. The simulation can emulate real life tissue growth in a scaffold and offer a solution which reduces the numerical burdens. Lastly, our results demonstrated are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations reported in the literature.

Performance assessment of HEPA filter to reduce internal dose against radioactive aerosol in nuclear decommissioning

The thermal cutting of contaminated or activated metals during decommissioning nuclear power plants inevitably results in the release of radioactive aerosol. Since radioactive aerosols are pernicious particles that contribute to the internal dose of workers, air conditioning units with a HEPA filter are used to remove radioactive aerosols. However, a HEPA filter cannot be used permanently. This study evaluates the efficiency and lifetime of filters in actual metal cutting condition using a plasma arc cutter and a high-resolution aerosol detector. The number concentration and size distribution of aerosols from 6 nm to 10 μm were measured on both the upstream and downstream sides of the filter. The total aerosol removal efficiency of HEPA filter satisfies the standard of removing at least 99.97% of 0.3 μm airborne particles, even if the pressure drop increases due to dust feeding load. The pressure drop and particle size removal efficiency at 0.3 μm of the HEPA filter were found to increase with repeated cutting experiments. By contrast, the efficiency of used HEPA filter reduced in removing nano-sized aerosols by up to 79.26%. Altogether, these results can be used to determine the performance guidance and replacement frequency of HEPA filters used in nuclear power plants.

Characterization of two-phase flow in a faulted sandstone

Fault zones present in some underground CO2 storage formations can impact on injectivity, storage capacity, and the path taken by migrating CO2, including possible leakage to overlying formations and the escape of a plume beyond the area of a demarcated storage lease licence. A thorough understanding of the 2-phase flow in fault zones is therefore essential to de-risk any storage location where faults could be present. Many previous studies have addressed top-seal risks from fault reactivation, but the influence of intra-reservoir faults on flow within the target storage formations has received less attention. Studies of intraformational faults in sandstones have typically used plugs cored from outcrops or from subsurface boreholes, where important aspects of the geological history such as the stress conditions during faulting, and the degree of post-faulting compaction and cementation may be poorly constrained. Moreover, only intact fault rocks can be cored and re-loaded under stress with this approach, so that it is very difficult to establish the interacting effects or rock fractures and cataclastic gouge in a single experiment using borehole/outcrop samples.This study investigates newly created fault rock in sandstone that has been deformed under controlled conditions and without the effects of secondary cementation. We used a large direct shear rig to deform a large, water-saturated Bentheimer sandstone block to sufficient displacement (40mm) and under enough overburden pressure (25 MPa) to create a zone of cataclastic gouge several mm thick bounded by a damage zone of fractured rock. The sheared block was cored at an inclined angle while deep frozen to extract an oriented plug containing a complete and intact section of fault rock that could be reloaded under hydrostatic conditions in an x-ray transparent core holder. The faulted plug of Bentheimer was used for running steady-state drainage and imbibition 2-phase flow experiments. The fluid saturation and its spatial distribution in 3D inside the faulted plug were dynamically monitored during all stages of the experiment in a medical x-ray CT scanner.Analysis of the flow patterns revealed from the X-ray CT images collected over time enables us to characterize in detail, the influence of recently formed fault core and damage zones on fluid flow both during drainage as gas breaks across the fault zone, and as water re-invades during imbibition. The fault core acts as a semi-permeable membrane that is only permeable to the wetting phase (water) under pressure differentials less than the capillary entry pressure (Pce) of the membrane. During drainage stages, the high Pce of the fault core led to backfilling of the upstream end of the core and almost to compartmentalization of the sample. The fracture network that exists in the damage zone played a critical role in keeping the upstream side of the fault core connected to the downstream side. During imbibition stages, the high Pce of the fault core led to significant gas trapping at the upstream side of the fault core adjacent to the fault core-damage zone interface. While the fault core formed a barrier to flow, the fracture network can provide bypass pathways for gas flow. In this particular sample bypassing through fractures was sufficient such that for a particular value of average gas saturation the flow rate was faster in the faulted rock than in the unfaulted reservoir rock.

Ash aerosol particle size distribution, composition, and deposition behavior while co-firing coal and steam-exploded biomass in a 1.5 MWth combustor

Five different blends of Utah bituminous coal and steam-exploded pine (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100 by mass) were fired in a 1.5 MWth combustor. Primary objectives were to understand mineral matter behavior by analyzing aerosol size distribution, aerosol size-segregated composition, ash deposition mass, and ash composition. For particle size <0.1 μm, pure coal had the lowest aerosol concentration and pure biomass showed the highest (higher nucleation of potassium salts), a trend which reversed for particles >0.1 μm. During pure biomass combustion, aerosol particles >15 μm contained higher mass fractions of potassium (+126%), calcium (+132%), and iron (+115%) and lower fractions of aluminum (−49%) and silicon (−29%) than pure coal. Ash deposition mass decreased with increasing biomass blends. Downstream ash deposits contained −3% to 55% higher sodium and potassium than the upstream ash, which highlights the dilution effect of the condensation layer by inertial impaction on the upstream side. Submicron ash load and deposited mass for 30-min and 90-min tests showed R2 values of 0.974 and 0.966, indicating that smaller particles' concentration determines the final mass. The results suggest that plant operators should not face any difficulties while co-firing these blends with respect to ash deposition by fouling.

Broadband noise attenuation in the flow duct using metamaterial-based acoustic liners

An acoustic liner design based on metamaterial is proposed for broadband duct noise reduction. The material is constructed by four periodically arranged partitions-embedded units covered by a perforated plate, forming a linear reflected phase-shifting within 0 to 2π in a wide target frequency range. The sound absorption performance under normal incident waves is firstly examined by both numerical simulation and impedance tube measurement, leading to close agreement to the target design. Then, the meta-liner is installed in a flow tube to assess its capability of reducing broadband noise in a duct with aerodynamic flows. The experiments investigations are performed in an advanced grazing flow tube developed at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The effect of sound levels (ranging from 120dB to 140dB), flow speeds with the Mach number up to 0.3, and the position of sound source (at upstream and downstream sides of meta-liner) are investigated. Results show that a nearly flat transmission loss is achieved in the target frequency range by the metamaterial-based acoustic liner in various conditions, showing its potential for practical industrial applications.

Directing Min protein patterns with advective bulk flow

The Min proteins constitute the best-studied model system for pattern formation in cell biology. We theoretically predict and experimentally show that the propagation direction of in vitro Min protein patterns can be controlled by a hydrodynamic flow of the bulk solution. We find downstream propagation of Min wave patterns for low MinE:MinD concentration ratios, upstream propagation for large ratios, but multistability of both propagation directions in between. Whereas downstream propagation can be described by a minimal model that disregards MinE conformational switching, upstream propagation can be reproduced by a reduced switch model, where increased MinD bulk concentrations on the upstream side promote protein attachment. Our study demonstrates that a differential flow, where bulk flow advects protein concentrations in the bulk, but not on the surface, can control surface-pattern propagation. This suggests that flow can be used to probe molecular features and to constrain mathematical models for pattern-forming systems.

Investigation of the local oil distribution on oleophilic mist filters applying X-ray micro-computed tomography

Nonwoven coalescence filter media are often used in real-world applications to separate droplet aerosols from a gas stream. While mechanisms like droplet deposition, liquid transport and the evolution of the pressure drop are well understood, information on separated liquid structures formed during filtration is scarce. However, this information is important to understand the initial state of the coalescence filtration process, more specifically, the transition from individual deposited droplets to larger oil structures and subsequently the effect of these oil structures on the separation efficiency.In this work, deposited oil structures in the micrometer region of an oleophilic filter medium of different oil loading stages (saturations) are presented for the first time by utilizing micro–computed tomography (μ-CT) and several post-processing steps. The local (determined via μ-CT) and global (determined gravimetrically) porosities as well as local and global saturations are compared and evaluated. While local (Φlocal=0.9575) and global (Φglobal=0.9588) porosities are in good accordance, significant deviations in the saturation are observed. The local saturation fluctuates significantly at the highest investigated oil loading stage. Especially at high global saturations, local areas are completely saturated with oil. Other areas are weakly saturated, which are particularly relevant for the gas flow to pass through the filter media. Furthermore, a novel routine to distinguish between different coalesced oil objects (e.g. oil droplets or oil sails) is developed and presented. It is shown, that the majority of the deposited oil (>80%) is stored in oil sails between adjacent fibers. Oil droplets surrounding fibers are found to be growing in size with increasing oil loading time. In addition, the volume fraction of the deposited oil in the direction of filter thickness shows, that most of the oil is deposited on the upstream side at the first 80% of the filter.

Effect of coexistence of H2S on production of hydrogen and solid carbon by methane decomposition using Fe catalyst

Biogas derived from livestock manure and food residue contains CO2 and H2S as well as methane. The effect of CO2 and H2S coexistence on the production of hydrogen and solid carbon by methane decomposition over iron oxide catalysts was investigated. The catalytic activity for methane decomposition was decreased by the coexistence of H2S. Moreover, the activity decrease was aggravated by the coexistence of CO2 as well as H2S, and higher temperature was required to mitigate the activity decrease by the coexistence of CO2. By increasing the amount of catalyst, the upstream catalyst was preferentially poisoned, but the downstream catalyst developed catalytic activity thanks to its sacrifice. With 2 g of catalyst, the maximum conversion of pure methane was about 85% at 840 °C, but it was slightly less than 80% in the presence of H2S or H2S + CO2. When the catalyst amount was increased to 4 g, the conversion of pure methane was about 90% at 800 °C, but 84% in the presence of H2S and 80% in the presence of H2S + CO2. The poisoning by H2S was irreversible at low temperatures but became reversible at higher temperatures. Since H2S is adsorbed by the deposited carbon, the procedure for further removal of H2S may be omitted. The coexistence of H2S also affected the shape of the deposited carbon. Although carbon-based catalysts are known to be effective for methane decomposition in the presence of H2S, iron oxide catalysts have the advantage of superior methane conversion at low temperatures. By flowing methane with CO2 and H2S from the downstream side after the reaction flowing from the upstream side for a certain period of time, the catalytic lifetime was drastically extended and the amount of hydrogen and solid carbon produced was dramatically increased, compared to the case of flowing from upstream all the way.

Analisis Respon Tekanan Air Pori Terhadap Muka Air Waduk Pada Bendungan Jatibarang

The construction of dams is very important for fulfill water demand and as flood control. In addition to having many benefits, a dam also has a high risk. The stability of the dam is strongly influenced by the magnitude of the pore water pressure. The purpose of the study was to determine the response of pore water pressure to the reservoir water level, as well as to find out the comparison of the results of pore water pressure analysis using plaxis 2D and piezometer instrument readings. The piezometer readings are graphed as a function of the reservoir water level. Based on the graph, it can be seen that the piezometer readings correspond to the fluctuations in the reservoir water level. The piezometer upstream side have a faster response to the reservoir water level, which is between 14 to 41 days. While downstream piezometers have a longer response, which is between 25 to 61 days. Pore ​​water pressure analysis using plaxis 2D at location P.17 (upstream) resulted in a smaller value than piezometer reading. While at location P.18 (downstream) it produces a greater value than the piezometer reading. The relative error value of the two analyses is 7.73% &lt; 12% is still considered good, so the difference is acceptable.

Measurement of aerodynamic force and moment acting on a javelin using a magnetic suspension and balance system

The rules governing the dimensions of the Javelin were substantially changed in 1986. It was considered that this new design guaranteed there was zero pitching moment at 0° angle of attack and that the pitching moment decreased (became negative) with increasing angle of attack. The objective of this study is to investigate if the pitching moment remains always negative (nose-down rotation). To measure accurate aerodynamic forces acting on a Javelin, the world’s largest 1 m magnetic suspension and balance system was used. The magnetic suspension and balance system was able to measure aerodynamic forces without support interference in the wind tunnel. In addition, computational fluid dynamics were carried out to estimate the pitching moment coefficients. It was found that the pitching moment coefficient of a commercially available Javelin becomes positive (nose-up rotation) at lower angles of attack, less than 12°. The pitching moment becomes positive if the upstream side of the center of gravity receives more inflow than the downstream side. This situation can be attained by, for example, increasing the thickness of the upstream side when compared with that of the downstream side.

Thermal performance of MMH/NTO rocket thrust chamber based on pintle injector by using liquid film cooling

A liquid rocket engine needs to be protected against damage of the combustion chamber wall during operation, being exposed to high temperature and pressure gas conditions. It is in urge to design a simple and efficient thermal protection method to cool the wall of the thrust chamber. In present study, a liquid rocket engine CFD model with cooling holes in the upstream side of the thrust chamber wall was established and the propellant combustion performance of monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) was simulated by a simplified multi-step chemical reaction mechanism. The liquid cooling performance of thrust chamber wall was numerically investigated by using the discrete phase model coupled with the wave breakup model and the convection/diffusion controlled model, in which the liquid film coolant is regarded as the discrete phase particles by considering the entrainment and evaporation of liquid coolant droplets in hot combustion gas. The effects of pintle head diameter Dp, oxidant slot height h0 and coolant consumption ratio on liquid cooling performance were discussed. The results demonstrated that smaller Dp and h0 can help to improve the characteristic velocity of the thrust chamber. As the coolant ratio increases from 18% to 24%, the maximum wall temperature of the thrust chamber is reduced by 11% (212 K) with only a 1.3% reduction in characteristic velocity (combustion performance). The present numerical method and results can provide important guidance for liquid film cooling design of the liquid rocket engine based on pintle injector.

Identification of wake vortices using a simplified automobile model under parallel running and crosswind conditions

Previous studies have revealed that the change in aerodynamic drag on a test automobile under a parallel running condition is mainly because of the pressure effect, which is caused by the pressure field of the parallel running vehicle, and the effect of the change in wind direction caused by the parallel running vehicle. Apart from the drag change, which can be estimated by assuming a uniform crosswind, the change in wind direction has other effects. In this study, to clarify the other effects, the differences in the wake vortices associated with the change in drag between parallel running and uniform crosswind conditions were identified from the numerical simulation results. The surface pressure on the back excluding the pressure effect under the parallel running condition was lower on the opening side than that under the uniform crosswind condition. In addition, the wake vortices near the region of low surface pressure and their related vortices were focused. Visualizing the flows related to these vortices indicates that the non-uniformity of the flow along the upstream side and the strengthening of the entrainment at the rear end owing to the interference affect the change in the drag in the parallel running condition compared with the uniform crosswind condition. These results are useful for developing control methods to suppress the increase in drag in the parallel running condition.

Study on the Influence of Water Level on Earth Dam Reinforced by Cut-Off Wall: A Case Study in Wujing Reservoir

The construction of a cut-off wall is a common reinforcement method for earth rock dams. At present, compared with the in-depth study on homogeneous earth dams, more and more attention is being paid to the stability and deformation of earth dams strengthened by a concrete cut-off wall. In this study, aiming at the Wujing project of the earth dam strengthened by cut-off wall, the influence of the water level rise and fall on the stability of the dam slope, the deformation of the dam body, and the crack width on dam crest were analyzed by numerical calculation and in situ measurement. The analysis results show that when the reservoir encounters a sudden drawdown, the safety factor of the dam slope decreases sharply. The faster the sudden drawdown, the faster the safety factor decreases. When the reservoir water level rises, the dam’s horizontal displacement shifts to the upstream direction, and the change of horizontal displacement of the downstream slope is significantly larger than that at the measuring point of the upstream slope. The water level of the reservoir rises, and the surface of the dam body rises, and the fluctuation of settlement deformation shows that the upstream side is larger than the downstream side, especially during the period of abrupt change in the reservoir water level. The longitudinal cracks on the dam crest show a tendency of shrinkage when the reservoir water level rises, and opening decreases with the decrease of deformation gradient increment and increases with the increase of gradient increment.