Search results for "Structural engineering"
showing 10 items of 1998 documents
Preliminary CAD implementation of EU-DEMO primary heat transfer systems for HCPB breeding blanket option
2019
Abstract This paper focuses on the 3D CAD implementation of the pipework and the main equipment of the Primary Heat Transfer System of EU-DEMO fusion power plant. In particular, the systems related to the Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed Breeding Blanket option are considered here. During the pulse operation, the breeding blanket modules will be the main thermal power source; Divertor and the Vacuum Vessel will contribute in the definition of the total reactor power. All the In-Vessel generated power is rejected to the Power Conversion System through a molten salt Intermediate Heat Transport System. The latter is equipped with an Energy Storage System to allow for continuous operation also during t…
Multiobjective optimization and decision making in engineering sciences
2021
AbstractReal-world decision making problems in various fields including engineering sciences are becoming ever more challenging to address. The consideration of various competing criteria related to, for example, business, technical, workforce, safety and environmental aspects increases the complexity of decision making and leads to problems that feature multiple competing criteria. A key challenge in such problems is the identification of the most preferred trade-off solution(s) with respect to the competing criteria. Therefore, the effective combination of data, skills, and advanced engineering and management technologies is becoming a key asset to a company urging the need to rethink how…
Optimization and sensitivity analysis of existing deep learning models for pavement surface monitoring using low-quality images
2022
Automated pavement distress detection systems have become increasingly sought after by road agencies to in crease the efficiency of field surveys and reduce the likelihood of insufficient road condition data. However, many modern approaches are developed without practical testing using real-world scenarios. This paper ad dresses this by practically analyzing Deep Learning models to detect pavement distresses using French Secondary road surface images, given the issues of limited available road condition data in those networks. The study specifically explores several experimental and sensitivity-testing strategies using augmentation and hyper- parameter case studies to bolster practical mode…
Analysis of Offshore Knuckle Boom Crane - Part Two: Motion Control
2013
In this paper design of electro-hydraulic motion control systems for offshore knuckle boom cranes is discussed. The influence of the control valve bandwidth along with the ramp time for the control signal are investigated both analytically with simplified system models and numerically with an experimentally verified crane model. The results of both types of investigations are related to general design rules for selection of control valves and ramp times and the relevance of these design rules is discussed. Generally, they are useful but may be too conservative for offshore knuckle boom cranes. However, as demonstrated in the paper, the only proper way to determine this is to evaluate the mo…
Robust fault-tolerant H∞ control of active suspension systems with finite-frequency constraint
2015
Abstract In this paper, the robust fault-tolerant (FT) H ∞ control problem of active suspension systems with finite-frequency constraint is investigated. A full-car model is employed in the controller design such that the heave, pitch and roll motions can be simultaneously controlled. Both the actuator faults and external disturbances are considered in the controller synthesis. As the human body is more sensitive to the vertical vibration in 4–8 Hz, robust H ∞ control with this finite-frequency constraint is designed. Other performances such as suspension deflection and actuator saturation are also considered. As some of the states such as the sprung mass pitch and roll angles are hard to m…
Non-dimensional groups for air solar collectors
2003
Abstract The radiant heat captured by a passive air solar collector during a day divides itself into three fractions, of which one is transmitted by conduction to the backside, one is collected by the convective air flow, and the last one is lost through glazing. Some calculations of heat transfer taking place in a collector in 24-h periodic regime have been done with different combinations of the values of the relevant thermo-physical variables. Calculation results were the fractions of energy transmitted to the internal room through the wall by conduction and with the air flow by convection, and lost through the glazing. The results give rise to a correlation among non-dimensional variabl…
On the impact of the heat transfer modelling approach on the prediction of EU-DEMO WCLL breeding blanket thermal performances
2020
Abstract The Water-Cooled Lithium-Lead Breeding Blanket is a key component of a fusion power plant, in charge of ensure Tritium production, shield Vacuum Vessel and magnets and remove the heat power deposited by radiation and particles arising from plasma. The last function is fulfilled by First Wall and Breeding Zone independent cooling systems. Several layouts of BZ coolant system have been investigated in the last years to identify a configuration that might guarantee EUROFER temperature below the limit (550 °C) and good thermal-hydraulic performances (i.e. water outlet temperature of 328 °C). A research activity is conducted to study and compare different modelling approaches to simulat…
Heat transfer calculation in a free convection air solar collector
1998
This paper deals with the free convective air flow developing in a vertical channel with a rectangular cross-section heated on one side. The channel geometric and physical properties are such as to simulate an air solar collector suitable for building heating. A calculation method that can be applied to the transient combined heat transfer by conduction through the wall and by convection from the wall to the air stream is presented. The conduction across the wall is computed with a one-dimensional, time-dependent finite difference scheme, with convective boundary conditions at both wall surfaces. For the free convective flow along the channel, the air flow rate and the mean convective coeff…
Mixed MHD convection and Tritium transport in fusion-relevant configurations
2005
Mixed MHD flow and Tritium transport were computed for a slender poloidal duct, representative of a DEMO HCLL blanket element. 2-D flow and temperature fields were computed in the duct's cross section under the assumption of parallel, fully developed flow, while Tritium concentration C was found by solving a fully 3-D problem with simplifying assumptions at the duct's ends. The spatial distribution of C depended on the intensity and direction of the forced flow. Significant peak factors were obtained if the net flow rate was so low that re-circulation occurred; C maxima were attained near the walls for upward flow, in the core region for downward flow.
A Theoretical Model to Evaluate the Compressive Behaviour of RС Jacketed Columns
2016
Reinforced concrete (RC) jacketing is becoming increasingly common among the different retrofit techniques for poor RC members, due to its economical and practical advantages. Experimental investigations in the literature have shown that the actual axial capacity of RC jacketed members can be substantially lower than that analytically evaluated by adapting the most common theoretical models for confined concrete. This fact can be explained by taking into account the presence of tensile stresses developing in the concrete, due to a mutual interaction between the inner core and the external jacket. This phenomenon is relevant especially in members where the concrete properties of the jacket a…