Experimental study on dynamic mechanical behavior of frozen sandstone with different saturations

Water content is one of the critical factors affecting frost damage to rock masses in alpine regions. A dynamic disturbance load further complicates the issue. In this study, the effects of saturation and impact loading on the dynamic behavior of the frozen red sandstone were investigated using a low-temperature split Hopkinson pressure bar (LT-SHPB) experimental system. By combining low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the dynamic evolution of the microstructure of the frozen sandstone due to changes in saturation was investigated. The experimental results show that the increase in saturation reshapes the pore structure of the frozen sandstone and promotes the expansion of pores of different sizes during freezing, while the frozen samples at complete saturation are mainly developed with mesopore and macropore. The dynamic strength, elastic modulus and brittleness index of the frozen sandstone under impact loading, which are limited by the critical saturation Src, tend to increase and then decrease with saturation increase. In contrast, the ultimate deformation capacity of the frozen sandstone showed an opposite trend with saturation. With increasing impact loading, the dynamic strength, elastic modulus, and peak strain of the frozen sandstone gradually increase, showing an obvious strain-rate enhancement effect; while the brittleness index decreases by 8.1% at full saturation when the impact velocity increases from 4 m/s to 6 m/s, indicating that the dynamic damage mode develops from brittle to ductile. Moreover, the frozen samples changed from tensile damage to composite damage with increasing saturation and impact loading; the distribution of crushing masses remained closely related to their dynamic strength. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism of the effects of saturation variation on the dynamic mechanical behavior of frozen sandstone is discussed

Optimization of the lightning warning model for distribution network lines based on multiple meteorological factor thresholds

Lightning is one of the frequent natural disasters, which seriously affects the secure and stable operation of the power system, especially the distribution network lines with weak reliability. In order to improve the power supply reliability of the distribution network, higher requirements are put forward for the accuracy of lightning warning. Therefore, this paper establishes a lightning warning model based on comprehensive multi-meteorological factor thresholds and analyzes the meteorological factor data such as atmospheric field strength, echo intensity, echo-top height, and vertical cumulative liquid water content under thunderstorm weather. The threshold value of each factor warning is obtained, and the corresponding threshold weight is calculated by the entropy weight method. According to the weight of each threshold, the comprehensive threshold index of lightning warning is obtained, and the lightning warning is based on this index. A total of 105 lightning data from May to June 2022 in Nanchang city were analyzed as samples. The thresholds of atmospheric field strength, echo intensity, echo-top height, and vertical cumulative liquid water content were 1.2 kV/m, 40 dBZ, 8 km, and 5.2 kg·m−2, respectively. The corresponding weights of each factor were 0.4188, 0.2056, 0.2105, and 0.165, respectively. This model was used to warn a thunderstorm event in July 2022 in Nanchang area. The success rate of the model warning was 0.91, the false alarm rate (FAR) was 0.11, and the critical success index (CSI) was 0.80. Compared with the single-factor threshold lightning warning model, the warning FAR is decreased by 6%, and CSI is increased by 14% while ensuring the high warning success rate

Towards prediction of ordered phases in rechargeable battery chemistry via group–subgroup transformation

Abstract: The electrochemical thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of rechargeable batteries are critically influenced by the ordering of mobile ions in electrodes or solid electrolytes. However, because of the experimental difficulty of capturing the lighter migration ion coupled with the theoretical limitation of searching for ordered phases in a constrained cell, predicting stable ordered phases involving cell transformations or at extremely dilute concentrations remains challenging. Here, a group-subgroup transformation method based on lattice transformation and Wyckoff-position splitting is employed to predict the ordered ground states. We reproduce the previously reported Li0.75CoO2, Li0.8333CoO2, and Li0.8571CoO2 phases and report a new Li0.875CoO2 ground state. Taking the advantage of Wyckoff-position splitting in reducing the number of configurations, we identify the stablest Li0.0625C6 dilute phase in Li-ion intercalated graphite. We also resolve the Li/La/vacancy ordering in Li3xLa2/3−xTiO3 (0 < x < 0.167), which explains the observed Li-ion diffusion anisotropy. These findings provide important insight towards understanding the rechargeable battery chemistry

Inter-Turn Breakdown Fault Analysis and Winding Structure Optimisation of Winding of Dry-Type Transformers in Wind Farms

To address the problem of winding turn-to-turn breakdown faults in 35 kV dry-type transformers in wind farms under overvoltage conditions, this paper establishes a simulation model based on the structural dimensions and material parameters of the transformer windings. The winding distribution parameters were calculated using the finite element method. The transient processes inside the high-voltage coil were calculated by constructing a multi-conductor transmission line model (MTL) that took into account the influence of the secondary winding. The voltage distribution of the winding was analysed for both lightning shock and extra-fast transient overvoltage conditions. The simulation results show that the maximum overvoltage between turns of the transformer winding under lightning shock is 5.282 kV; the maximum overvoltage between turns of the winding under very fast transient overvoltage is 11.6 kV, which occurs between the first 2&ndash;3 layers of the section, close to the insulation breakdown margin. On this basis, the transformer winding structure was optimised and the maximum inter-turn overvoltage after optimisation was 9.104 kV, reducing the likelihood of insulation breakdown by 24.1%. Finally, the accuracy of the winding structure optimisation simulation study was verified by testing the transformer&rsquo;s impulse voltage before and after optimisation, providing a reference for the stable operation of 35 kV dry-type transformers in wind farm practical applications

Effect of Freeze-Thaw Damage on the Physical, Mechanical, and Acoustic Behavior of Sandstone in Urumqi

The Urumqi area in China is a seasonally cold region, and the rock structures in the region are susceptible to freeze-thaw (F-T) weathering. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of F-T on the physical, mechanical, and fracture behavior of sandstone from Urumqi. The acoustic emission method (AE) was used to determine the stress thresholds for the initiation and development of cracks in the samples under cyclic F-T action. The results suggested that parameters such as P-wave velocity, elastic modulus, and peak stress presented a significant negative correlation with F-T damage, while porosity exhibited a close positive correlation. The elastic modulus of the sample was more sensitive to the F-T action with the smallest half-life (27 cycles) and the largest decay factor (0.0254). In addition, the stress threshold for micro-cracks development and macro-cracks initiation in the samples decreased with increasing F-T damage. After 30 F-T cycles, the stress threshold for micro-cracks propagation in the samples decreased from 20.73 MPa to 5.02 MPa by approximately 76%. The normalized stress threshold for the macro-cracks initiation was also decreased from 0.93 to 0.71. Moreover, the macro-cracks damage zone of the samples showed an increasing trend with F-T damage, from 7% under natural conditions to 29% after 30 cycles. It is concluded that F-T action lowers the stress thresholds for cracks development in sandstone in the Urumqi area, posing serious safety concerns for mass rock engineering in this area

Full-Field Deformation and Crack Development Evolution of Red Sandstone under Impact and Chemical Erosion

Coal mine reuse involves complex environments such as chemical erosion and dynamic perturbation. Therefore, the effect of chemical erosion on the dynamic behavior of the red sandstone was studied by split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests under the strain rates of 70~125 s−1. The full-field deformation of the sample was then recorded through high-speed 3D digital image correlation (3D-DIC) technique. The dynamic deformation characteristics, especially the lateral strain, were extracted by averaging the lateral strain field by pixels. Also, the fracture behavior was investigated based on the evolution of strain localization in the strain field. The results indicated that the deformation field evolution of the sample is controlled by the chemical erosion effect and the loading strain rate. The chemical erosion lowers the stress threshold for strain localization and accelerates its expansion rate, which is closely related to the dynamic strength degradation of the sample. In contrast, the loading strain rate increases the dynamic strength but advances the occurrence of strain localization and shortens the time to the peak stress. The normalized stress thresholds for the initiation and development of cracks inside the sample under dynamic loading are reduced by chemical erosion, with the two thresholds dropping to 10%~30% and 20%~70% of the peak stress, respectively. The minimum thresholds for the initiation and development of cracks inside the red sandstone under dynamic loading are 11% and 24% of the peak stress, respectively

Influence of Microstructure on Dynamic Mechanical Behavior and Damage Evolution of Frozen–Thawed Sandstone Using Computed Tomography

Frost-induced microstructure degradation of rocks is one of the main reasons for the changes in their dynamic mechanical behavior in cold environments. To this end, computed tomography (CT) was performed to quantify the changes in the microstructure of yellow sandstone after freeze–thaw (F–T) action. On this basis, the influence of the microscopic parameters on the dynamic mechanical behavior was studied. The results showed that the strain rate enhanced the dynamic mechanical properties, but the F–T-induced decrease in strength and elastic modulus increased with increasing strain rate. After 40 F–T cycles, the dynamic strength of the samples increased by 41% to 75.6 MPa when the strain rate was increased from 75 to 115 s−1, which is 2.5 times the static strength. Moreover, the dynamic strength and elastic modulus of the sample were linearly and negatively correlated with the fractal dimension and porosity, with the largest decrease rate at 115 s−1, indicating that the microscopic parameters have a crucial influence on dynamic mechanical behavior. When the fractal dimension was increased from 2.56 to 2.67, the dynamic peak strength of the samples under the three impact loads decreased by 43.7 MPa (75 s), 61.8 MPa (95 s), and 71.4 MPa (115 s), respectively. In addition, a damage evolution model under F–T and impact loading was developed considering porosity variation. It was found that the damage development in the sample was highly related to the strain rate and F–T damage. As the strain rate increases, the strain required for damage development gradually decreases with a lower increase rate. In contrast, the strain required for damage development in the sample increases with increasing F–T damage. The research results can be a reference for constructing and maintaining rock structures in cold regions

Effect of Freeze-Thaw Damage on the Physical, Mechanical, and Acoustic Behavior of Sandstone in Urumqi

The Urumqi area in China is a seasonally cold region, and the rock structures in the region are susceptible to freeze-thaw (F-T) weathering. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of F-T on the physical, mechanical, and fracture behavior of sandstone from Urumqi. The acoustic emission method (AE) was used to determine the stress thresholds for the initiation and development of cracks in the samples under cyclic F-T action. The results suggested that parameters such as P-wave velocity, elastic modulus, and peak stress presented a significant negative correlation with F-T damage, while porosity exhibited a close positive correlation. The elastic modulus of the sample was more sensitive to the F-T action with the smallest half-life (27 cycles) and the largest decay factor (0.0254). In addition, the stress threshold for micro-cracks development and macro-cracks initiation in the samples decreased with increasing F-T damage. After 30 F-T cycles, the stress threshold for micro-cracks propagation in the samples decreased from 20.73 MPa to 5.02 MPa by approximately 76%. The normalized stress threshold for the macro-cracks initiation was also decreased from 0.93 to 0.71. Moreover, the macro-cracks damage zone of the samples showed an increasing trend with F-T damage, from 7% under natural conditions to 29% after 30 cycles. It is concluded that F-T action lowers the stress thresholds for cracks development in sandstone in the Urumqi area, posing serious safety concerns for mass rock engineering in this area

Experimental Study on the Effect of Brittleness on the Dynamic Mechanical Behaviors of the Coal Measures Sandstone

As one of the most crucial mechanical parameters of the rock materials, the effect of brittleness on the deformation and failure is of great practical significance for geotechnical construction and disaster prevention and mitigation. In this paper, the deformation and failure behaviors of the different brittle samples under dynamic loading were investigated using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experimental system. Besides, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also employed to study the relationship between the microscopic failures and rock brittleness and strain rate effects. The results revealed that the brittleness indexes BI3 and BI5 of the samples under uniaxial compression follow a linearly decreasing trend affected by the temperature changes, while the brittleness of the sample shows an increasing trend with the increase of strain rate under the dynamic loading. Also, the decline in the brittleness leads to an increase in the prepeak yield deformation phase of the sample under dynamic loading; after the peak point, the sample failure mode transitions from type I to type II with self-sustaining failure. Moreover, it was found that the dynamic strength increase factor presents a negative correlation with the sample brittleness. Finally, the macroscopic failure mode of the sample changes from split failure with multiple cracks to shear failure with few cracks due to the effect of decreasing brittleness. The failure surface of the sample gradually becomes smooth with the increase of brittleness, which manifests as a decrease in microcracks, and the gradual increase of the strain rate makes the failure surface rough, accompanied by an increase in microcracks

Dynamic Deformation and Failure Characteristics of Deep Underground Coal Measures Sandstone: The Influence of Accumulated Damage

Understanding accumulated damage effects is essential when undertaking deep underground rock engineering, as complex in situ environments and intense engineering disturbances realistically affect the physical and mechanical properties of rocks. Accumulated damage mainly causes the extension of micro-cracks and the sprouting of specific defects in the rocks, altering the microstructural parameters. In this investigation, loading and unloading tests were used to simulate the damage states of the deep underground coal measures sandstone. The accumulated damage factor was formed by combining the P-wave and energy damage variables. The effect of accumulated damage on the bearing capacity and deformation behavior of sandstone was particularly pronounced after experiencing impact loading. The experimental results demonstrate that the accumulated damage factor can depict the initial damage state of sandstone as well as the subsequent dynamic and progressive damage. There is a mutually governing effect between accumulated damage and strain rate. In contrast, accumulated damage significantly extends the range of strain rates, which is fed back into the dynamic uniaxial compressive strength of the sandstone. There is a negative correlation between dynamic fracture energy and accumulated damage, which strongly agrees with the sandstone’s deformation mechanism. The combination of accumulated damage and impact loads can be used to assess the long-term safety of deep underground rock engineering