Prediction and Measurement of the local extinction coefficient in sprays for 3D simulation/experiment data comparison

AbstractIn the recent years, large progresses in laser imaging techniques have allowed to extract spatially resolved 2D and 3D quantitative spray information even in optically dense situations. The main breakthrough of these techniques is the possibility of suppressing unwanted effects from multiple light scattering using Structured Illumination. Thanks to this new feature, effects due to light extinction can also be corrected allowing the measurement of the local extinction coefficient. These quantitative information which is available even in challenging conditions, where Phase Doppler does not work anymore, can be used for data comparison between experiment and simulation. The local extinction coefficient is particularly valuable for the description of the droplet field, defined as the “spray region”, as it contains information related to both droplets size and concentration. In this article we detail, then, the procedure enabling the modelers to obtain numerically this local extinction coefficient over the full 3D spray system. Following this procedure, results can now be adequately compared between simulation and experiment. The proposed comparison approach can better guide model adjustments in situation where the initial droplet size distribution is unknown or approximated and presents a step towards future validations of spray simulations, especially those based on Lagrangian Particle Tracking. The approach is exemplified here for the case of a Diesel-type spray. The results reveal at which specific spray locations discrepancies occur, and highlight the sensitivity of the initial droplet size distribution on the resulting extinction coefficient

Enriched elderly virtual profiles by means of a multidimensional integrated assessment platform

The pressure over Healthcare systems is increasing in most developed countries. The generalized aging of the population is one of the main causes. This situation is even worse in underdeveloped, sparsely populated regions like Extremadura in Spain or Alentejo in Portugal. The authors propose to use the Situational-Context, a technique to seamlessly adapt Internet of Things systems to the needs and preferences of their users, for virtually modeling the elderly. These models could be used to enhance the elderly experience when using those kind of systems without raising the need for technical skills or the costs of implementing such systems by the regional healthcare systems. In this paper, the integration of a multidimensional integrated assessment platform with such virtual profiles is presented. The assessment platform provides and additional source of information for the virtual profiles that is used to better adapt existing systems to the elders needs

Probabilistic quantitative precipitation field forecasting using a two-stage spatial model

Short-range forecasts of precipitation fields are needed in a wealth of agricultural, hydrological, ecological and other applications. Forecasts from numerical weather prediction models are often biased and do not provide uncertainty information. Here we present a postprocessing technique for such numerical forecasts that produces correlated probabilistic forecasts of precipitation accumulation at multiple sites simultaneously. The statistical model is a spatial version of a two-stage model that represents the distribution of precipitation by a mixture of a point mass at zero and a Gamma density for the continuous distribution of precipitation accumulation. Spatial correlation is captured by assuming that two Gaussian processes drive precipitation occurrence and precipitation amount, respectively. The first process is latent and drives precipitation occurrence via a threshold. The second process explains the spatial correlation in precipitation accumulation. It is related to precipitation via a site-specific transformation function, so as to retain the marginal right-skewed distribution of precipitation while modeling spatial dependence. Both processes take into account the information contained in the numerical weather forecast and are modeled as stationary isotropic spatial processes with an exponential correlation function. The two-stage spatial model was applied to 48-hour-ahead forecasts of daily precipitation accumulation over the Pacific Northwest in 2004. The predictive distributions from the two-stage spatial model were calibrated and sharp, and outperformed reference forecasts for spatially composite and areally averaged quantities.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/08-AOAS203 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Analysis of the flexural response of hybrid reinforced concrete beams with localized reinforcement corrosion

This paper presents a modeling approach to analyze the flexural response of hybrid reinforced concrete beams with localized corrosion. A new mechanical model based on extensive uniaxial testing is proposed to describe the stress–strain relationship of corroded bars with a single pit. The proposed mechanical model is then incorporated into a sectional analysis to determine the moment curvature relationship of hybrid reinforced concrete sections with pitting corrosion. The actual crack pattern is used to divide a beam into discrete hinge elements which are then combined to compute the load–deflection response of statically determinate beams. The modeling approach is evaluated with available experimental data showing good predictive capabilities. A parametric study revealed the importance of the interaction between the tensile reinforcement ratio and the concrete postcracking residual stress. Furthermore, the deformation capacity of reinforcement bars with pitting corrosion levels beyond 0.25 was shown to have a dominant effect on the ultimate deflection of hybrid reinforced concrete beams

Correlation between concrete cracks and corrosion characteristics of steel reinforcement in pre-cracked plain and fibre-reinforced concrete beams

This paper presents results on corrosion characteristics of 66 rebars extracted from un- and pre-cracked plain concrete and fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) beams suffering from corrosion for more than 3 years. The influences of fibre reinforcement, flexural cracks, corrosion-induced cracks and loading condition on the maximum local corrosion level (defined as the maximum cross-sectional area loss percentage) and pit morphology were examined. With 3D-scanning, the corrosion characteristics were analysed, and pit types were classified based on the maximum local corrosion level and geometric parameters of pits. Corrosion pits were observed near some flexural cracks, while the bars at other cracks were free from corrosion. Most rebars in FRC had less maximum local corrosion level than those in plain concrete under the same loading condition and maximum flexural crack width. However, the maximum local corrosion level was not dependent on the maximum flexural crack width (0.1 and 0.4 mm). Longitudinal cracks (corrosion-induced cracks) aggravated the total steel loss and changed the pit morphology by promoting the pit length development. However, longitudinal cracks did not always form, even with severe pitting corrosion. A hypothesis about the time-dependent interplay between transverse and longitudinal cracks and corrosion development was proposed. Further studies on predicting the pitting corrosion evolution and experimental work on specimens exposed for longer periods are needed to understand and quantify the long-term durability of concrete structures reinforced with both conventional reinforcing bars and fibres

Comparison of the service life, life-cycle costs and assessment of hybrid and traditional reinforced concrete through a case study of bridge edge beams in Sweden

The edge beams of reinforced concrete bridges with de-icing salts sprayed experience extensive corrosion damage. The average service life of edge beams needing replacement in Sweden has been reported as only 45 years, causing great economic loss to both owners and users. Hence, finding a durable solution for edge beams would benefit society. Hybrid reinforced concrete structures, produced by adding a low-to-moderate fibre content into traditional reinforced concrete, can effectively limit the service crack width and improve resistance to chloride-induced corrosion damage. In this paper, different alternatives of hybrid and traditional reinforced edge beams were designed for a case study. The service life of the alternatives was compared by conducting chloride diffusion calculations and by applying a corrosion-induced cracking model. The economic and environmental (indicated by greenhouse gas emissions) benefits of using hybrid reinforced edge beams were assessed by life-cycle cost analysis and life-cycle assessment. The results showed that the service life of edge beams made of hybrid reinforced concrete can be prolonged by over 58%, thereby enabling a significant reduction in the total life-cycle costs and annual total greenhouse gas emissions

Assessment of the mechanical behaviour of reinforcement bars with localised pitting corrosion by Digital Image Correlation

Corrosion of reinforcement in concrete impairs the mechanical behaviour of rebars by decreasing their strength and deformation capacity. In this study, uniaxial tensile tests were carried out on 61 rebars taken from 22 pre- and un- cracked reinforced concrete beams subjected to drying and wetting cycles in chloride solution for over three years. A 3D-scanning technique was used to characterise the maximum local corrosion level,\ua0μmax,\ua0and different pit shape parameters. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used to capture the displacement field of the test bars; the engineering strain was measured through the virtual extensometers created in the DIC post-processing software. The proof and ultimate forces showed linear decreasing trends of\ua0μmax, while the proof and ultimate strengths (based on the minimum residual cross-sectional area) were not obviously affected by corrosion. The ultimate strain of corroded bars depended on the gauge length due to strain localisation in the pit. Thus, it was emphasised that the ultimate strain may be overestimated if measured based on a short gauge across the pit. It was also observed that when\ua0μmax\ua0exceeded a critical local corrosion level (μcrit\ua0depending on the ratio between the yield and ultimate strengths of the steel), the region outside the pit did not develop yielding. A lower bound of ultimate strain was further derived as a function of the mechanical parameters of uncorroded steel and maximum local corrosion level. This provided a good comparison with the experimental results. Ultimately, a hypothesis for time-dependent assessment of strain capacity is proposed, considering the evolution of corrosion morphology over time

Stepwise Adsorption of Alkoxy-Pyrene Derivatives onto a Lamellar, Non-Porous Naphthalenediimide-Template on HOPG

The development of new strategies for the preparation of multicomponent supramolecular assemblies is a major challenge on the road to complex functional molecular systems. Here we present the use of a non-porous self-assembled monolayer from uC33-NDI-uC33, a naphthalenediimide symmetrically functionalized with unsaturated 33 carbon-atom-chains, to prepare bicomponent supramolecular surface systems with a series of alkoxy-pyrene (PyrOR) derivatives at the liquid/HOPG interface. While previous attempts at directly depositing many of these PyrOR units at the liquid/HOPG interface failed, the multicomponent approach through the uC33-NDI-uC33 template enabled control over molecular interactions and facilitated adsorption. The PyrOR deposition restructured the initial uC33-NDI-uC33 monolayer, causing an expansion in two dimensions to accommodate the guests. As far as we know, this represents the first example of a non-porous or non-metal complex-bearing monolayer that allows the stepwise formation of multicomponent supramolecular architectures on surfaces