Safety Inspection Strategy for Earth Embankment Dams using Fully Distributed Sensing

AbstractBoth the changes in temperature and strain during the process are used to reveal serious seepages and settlements occurring inside the embankment dam. A method for seepage and settlement monitoring in earth embankment dams using fully distributed sensing along optical fibres is proposed. The proposed monitoring system also offers the owner the strategy of the inspection and maintenance in earth embankment dams. The database in the control and maintenance center is described. In this paper, as an example, a model filled with the soil from Yellow River is built and bare optical fibers are embedded under different soil layers near the seepage path. The configuration of optical sensing cable in series of embankment dams is developed. The simulated seepage flows under various flow rates are monitored using the optical fibers and measured by a DiTeSt –STA202 distributed temperature and strain analyzer. A partial settlement within the embankment dam model is observed. The continuously decreasing temperature curve shows an abrupt dramatic increasing rate, which shows that the change is not caused by the temperature of the seepage water but the strain. The information from the monitoring center provides important reference for the expert decision-making system to ensure the safety of the embankment dam long running

Data-driven intelligent computational design for products: Method, techniques, and applications

Data-driven intelligent computational design (DICD) is a research hotspot emerged under the context of fast-developing artificial intelligence. It emphasizes on utilizing deep learning algorithms to extract and represent the design features hidden in historical or fabricated design process data, and then learn the combination and mapping patterns of these design features for the purposes of design solution retrieval, generation, optimization, evaluation, etc. Due to its capability of automatically and efficiently generating design solutions and thus supporting human-in-the-loop intelligent and innovative design activities, DICD has drawn the attentions from both academic and industrial fields. However, as an emerging research subject, there are still many unexplored issues that limit the development and application of DICD, such as specific dataset building, engineering design related feature engineering, systematic methods and techniques for DICD implementation in the entire product design process, etc. In this regard, a systematic and operable road map for DICD implementation from full-process perspective is established, including a general workflow for DICD project planning, an overall framework for DICD project implementation, the computing mechanisms for DICD implementation, key enabling technologies for detailed DICD implementation, and three application scenarios of DICD. The road map reveals the common mechanisms and calculation principles of existing DICD researches, and thus it can provide systematic guidance for the possible DICD applications that have not been explored

Sustainability Evaluation of Process Planning for Single CNC Machine Tool under the Consideration of Energy-Efficient Control Strategies Using Random Forests

As an important part of industrialized society, manufacturing consumes a large amount of raw materials and energy, which motivates decision-makers to tackle this problem in different manners. Process planning is an important optimization method to realize the object, and energy consumption, carbon emission, or sustainability evaluation is the basis for the optimization stage. Although the evaluation research has drawn a great deal of attention, most of it neglects the influence of state control of machine tools on the energy consumption of machining processes. To address the above issue, a sustainability evaluation method of process planning for single computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool considering energy-efficient control strategies has been developed. First, four energy-efficient control strategies of CNC machine tools are constructed to reduce their energy consumption. Second, a bi-level energy-efficient decision-making mechanism using random forests is established to select appropriate control strategies for different occasions. Then, three indicators are adopted to evaluate the sustainability of process planning under the consideration of energy-efficient control strategies, i.e., energy consumption, relative delay time, and machining costs. Finally, a pedestal part machined by a 3-axis vertical milling machine tool is used to verify the proposed methods. The results show that the reduction in energy consumption considering energy-efficient control strategies reaches 25%