Response evaluation of interconnected electrical substation equipment using real‐time hybrid simulation on multiple shaking tables

In an attempt to quantify the conductor cable effect on substation electrical equipment, real‐time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is conducted on interconnected equipment using two shaking tables. For this purpose, the existing RTHS system with advanced control capabilities at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center structural laboratory is enhanced to accommodate the simultaneous use of two shaking tables. An experimental parametric study is conducted to investigate the conductor cable effect using this system with a two‐table RTHS setup. Post insulators of disconnect switches, important components of substations that are usually tested with conventional methods for evaluating their seismic performance, are utilized as experimental substructures for realistic representation of the electrical equipment. Various global and local response parameters, including accelerations, forces, displacements, and strains, are considered to evaluate the effect of the tested conductor cable configuration for a wide range of support structure configurations, which are modeled in the computer as analytical substructures. The experimental parametric study results indicate that the conductor cable has a significant effect on the response of the interconnected equipment over the whole range of investigated support structures and needs to be explicitly considered for seismic testing of electrical equipment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

城市地下变电站非线性地震反应分析

为研究城市地下变电站结构及其内部电气设备的动力特性及地震反应规律,以西安市快速轨道交通二号线张家堡地下变电站为工程背景,依据黏弹性人工边界理论及有限单元法,建立考虑土体-结构-设备动力相互作用的三维有限元计算模型,首先通过半空间自由场模型验证了地震动输入方法的有效性,继而开展地下变电站系统的模态分析和动力时程分析,得到了该类结构的动力特性及地震响应规律。研究结果表明,结构上覆土体及电气设备在地震作用下产生的惯性力是结构构件应力增长的主要原因,8度罕遇地震作用下地下变电站内电气设备的加速度放大系数明显超出规范要求,需要采取相应保护措施。     

Analytical solution for frequency response of equipment in laterally loaded multistorey buildings

An analytical and closed-form frequency response of equipment mounted on multistorey buildings subjected to horizontal ground motion is proposed. In this study, the dynamics of the equipment and the building is expressed as a state-flow graph model, in which the interaction effect between the equipment and the building is considered. Based on the graph model, the analytical results for the frequency response of the acceleration of the equipment and the internal force in the support are derived. One of the advantages of this method is that the closed-form solutions of the frequency response expressed by polynomial form will be easily examined by analytical and numerical computations without complex operation. Moreover, the dynamic of the primary and secondary systems and their dynamic interaction are expressed separately in the derived formula. Thus most of the items in the formula need not be computed repeatedly for different supports of the equipment in design. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic response of light equipment in torsional buildings

This paper attempts to study the response of light equipment items attached to a multi-storey building that may be subjected to large torsional deformations during the earthquake excitation. To account for the effect of torsion and translation, each storey of the building is modelled as two degrees of freedom (DOFs), with one DOF for translation and the other for torsion. Perturbation techniques are employed to find closed-form expressions for the modal properties of the combined system in terms of the properties of the individual subsystems. The interaction between the equipment and building is studied for both tuned and detuned modes of vibration. Modal synthesis results obtained using the present technique based on the complete quadratic combination (CQC) method are compared with solutions obtained by other methods.     

Ground motion amplification at flange level of bushings mounted on electric substation transformers

A study was conducted to quantify the ground motion amplification that takes place at the base of bushings mounted on electric substation transformers as a result of the flexibility of the transformer tank and turrets to which they are connected. This study was undertaken to assess the adequacy of the amplification factor of 2.0 specified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in Standard IEEE 693‐1997 for the seismic qualification of transformer bushings. The study included field tests of typical 500‐kV transformers to obtain experimentally their natural frequencies and damping ratios, the development of simple analytical models that closely matched the experimental data, and the calculation of the transformers' dynamic response under different earthquake excitations using these analytical models. Amplification factors were then computed for each of the excitations considered, defining these amplification factors as the peak shear force at the base of the bushings over the corresponding shear force obtained when the bushings are assumed mounted directly on the ground. It is found that the amplification factors for the 500‐kV bushings are within the amplification factor of 2.0 specified by Standard IEEE 693, but not those for the 230‐kV bushings, which exceed the IEEE 693 amplification factor by almost a factor of two. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interrill soil erosion processes and their interaction on low slopes

Soil erosion by water is mostly the result of rainfall‐driven and runoff‐driven processes taking place simultaneously during a storm event. However, the effect of interaction between these two erosion processes has received limited attention. Most laboratory experiments indicate that the rate of erosion in a rain‐impacted flow is greater than for un‐impacted flows of similar depth and velocity; however, negative interaction between the two processes has also been reported. There is no provision for any such interaction in any of the current erosion models. This paper reports on the results of a number of exact experiments on three soil types carried out in the flume of Griffith University's large rainfall simulator to study interaction between rain and runoff processes. The results show that interaction is generally positive under approximately steady state condition and there is very limited sign of negative interaction reported by others. Results provide strong evidence that raindrops continuously peel fine sediment from larger stable aggregates. This mechanism could be the reason for positive interaction during simultaneous rainfall and flow driven erosion in well aggregated soils as a result of increased fine particles in the eroded sediment. Strong positive interaction between rain and runoff erosion also occurs for medium to large aggregates. This strongly suggests that mechanisms that are not well understood are operational. It is quite possible that particle movement can be stimulated by rolling or creeping in a size‐selective manner. Indeed, such additional mechanisms may well be largely responsible for the positive interaction observed between rain and surface flow. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reduced‐dimension nonlinear finite‐element analysis of a vibrating disk in an unbounded domain

We present and evaluate the formulation of a reduced‐dimension (one‐dimensional) finite element for the nonlinear analysis of a vibrating disk in a two‐dimensional unbounded domain. As this problem is relevant in studies of the dynamic response of laterally loaded piles, numerous spring‐and‐dashpot representations of the disk undergoing displacement in an unbounded material domain have been developed to date: static and dynamic, linear and nonlinear. With the focus on material nonlinearity, the present simplified formulation circumvents the complications associated with nonlinear springs and dashpots. Indeed, the continuum‐based treatment described herein accounts for the interaction between the two modes of energy dissipation, due to wave propagation in the unbounded domain and loss associated with inelastic behavior. The formulation is a good compromise between the competing desires for realistic representation and efficient computation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal design of an equipment isolation system with nonlinear hysteretic behaviour

Vibration isolation is well recognized as an effective mitigation strategy for acceleration‐sensitive equipment subjected to earthquake. In the present paper, an equipment isolation system with nonlinear hysteretic behaviour is proposed and a methodology for the optimal design is developed. An integrable constitutive model, derived from the mathematical Duhem hysteresis operator, is adopted for the isolation system. The optimization procedure is defined through a dual‐criteria approach that involves a transmissibility criterion combined with an energy performance criterion: the former consists in limiting the absolute acceleration of the isolated equipment below an allowable threshold value; the latter, in maximizing the ratio between the energy dissipation due to hysteresis and the input energy to reduce the isolator displacements. The seismic effectiveness of the nonlinear hysteretic isolation system is numerically investigated under natural accelerograms with different frequency content and increasing levels of excitation. Both ground‐mounted and floor‐mounted equipment items are considered in the analyses; in the second case, the dynamic interaction between the equipment and its supporting structure is taken into account in the design of the isolation system, and its effects on the isolation performance and the structural response are discussed. Comparisons in terms of effectiveness and robustness with a linear isolation system with viscoelastic behaviour are eventually provided. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

考虑不同固定条件的核电设备多维地震响应振动台试验研究

在核电站中:核电设备通过不同的固定条件与结构相连,地震作用时设备与结构动力相互作用复杂,为分析核电设备多维地震响应并鉴定其抗震性能,进行了考虑不同固定条件的核电设备多维地震响应振动台试验研究。振动台试验进行了5次运行基准地震和1次安全停堆地震的动力时程激振,以及试验首末2次动力特性测试。试验结果表明:不同固定条件会影响核电设备多维地震响应的加速度峰值、反应谱特性和动力放大系数,与设备直接固定于振动台相比,将核电设备悬挂固定于剪力墙再与振动台连接的固定条件,改变了设备反应谱特性,且放大了响应的加速度峰值,具有显著的动力放大效应,使核电设备多维地震响应更为强烈。因此,对此类固定条件的核电设备,在产品设计及安装固定时要充分考虑动力放大效应,以提高设备的抗震韧性。抗震试验前后,核电设备功能运行正常,结构完整性好,抗震性能满足要求。     

Control issues relating to real‐time substructuring experiments using a shaking table

Real‐time substructuring is a method of dynamically testing a structure without experimentally testing a physical model of the entire system. Instead the structure can be split into two linked parts, the region of particular interest, which is tested experimentally, and the remainder which is tested numerically. A transfer system, such as a hydraulic actuator or a shaking table, is used to impose the displacements at the interface between the two parts on the experimental substructure. The corresponding force imposed by the substructure on the transfer system is fed back to the numerical model. Control of the transfer system is critical to the accuracy of the substructuring process. A study of two controllers used in conjunction with the University of Bristol shaking table is presented here. A proof‐of‐concept one degree‐of‐freedom mass–spring–damper system is substructured such that a portion of the mass forms the experimental substructure and the remainder of the mass plus the spring and the damper is modelled numerically. Firstly a linear controller is designed and tested. Following this an adaptive substructuring strategy is considered, based on the minimal control synthesis algorithm. The deleterious effect of oil‐column resonance common to shaking tables is examined and reduced through the use of filters. The controlled response of the experimental specimen is compared for the two control strategies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

导线对电瓷型电气设备地震反应的影响

本文利用杆单元大变形有限元方法,探讨了导线对电瓷型电气设备抗震性能的影响,以及通过导线相连的电气设备之间的相互作用。计算分析结果表明：导线会加大设备的应变反应;导线的跨度不同,其对设备动力反应的影响也不同,导线跨度越小,其影响程度越小;导线在振动过程中,内部不但有拉应力,而且存在压应力;导线两端设备相同与不同时,导线对设备动力反应影响程度不同,对频率较高的设备而言,2种情况影响程度差异不大,而对频率较低的设备来讲,2种情况影响程度差异较大。     

断裂分段之间不同相互作用对断裂运动的影响

采用速度和状态摩擦本构控制的一维弹簧滑块模型研究断裂分段间相互作用对运动特征的影响,为研究东昆仑活动断裂带库赛湖段和西大滩段2个断裂分段之间的相互影响,采用由弹簧相连的2个滑块模拟断裂分段,通过弹簧滑块系统的动力学分析,将断裂运动性质的描述归结为一组微分方程,数值求解该微分方程组,最终得到断裂运动性质的参数,从而达到确定断裂未来强震复发周期的目的。通过位错模型计算、借鉴前人研究成果以及古地震资料确定模型相关参数。研究断裂分段在不同相互作用下的强震复发周期,模拟表明断裂间不同相互作用对地震复发周期和地震时断裂错动位移的大小没有规律性的影响;只是对地震发生时断裂错动的速度有明显的影响,作用强时,地震发生时断裂错动速度大;反之,地震发生时断裂错动速度小。     

Bench–shelf system dynamic characteristics and their effects on equipment and contents

Economic losses during past earthquakes are strongly associated with damage and failure to nonstructural equipment and contents. Among the vast types of nonstructural elements, one important category, is scientific equipment in biological or chemical laboratories. These equipment are often mounted on heavy ceramic bench‐tops of bench–shelf systems, which in turn may amplify the dynamic motions imposed. To investigate the seismic response of these types of systems, a series of shake table and field experiments were conducted considering different representative bench and shelf‐mounted equipment and contents. Results from shake table experiments indicate that these equipment are generally sliding‐dominated. In addition, the bench–shelf system is observed to be very stiff and when lightly loaded, has a fundamental frequency between 10 and 16 Hz. An approximate 50% reduction in the first and second fundamental frequencies is observed considering practical loading conditions. Insight into a broader range of system response is provided by conducting eigenvalue and time history analyses. Non‐linear regression through the numerical data indicate acceleration amplification ratios Ω range from 2.6 to 1.4 and from 4.3 to 1.6, for fixed–fixed and pinned–pinned conditions, respectively. Both the experimental and numerical results support the importance of determining the potential dynamic amplification of motion in the context of accurately determining the maximum sliding displacement of support equipment and contents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A method for assessing kinematic bending moments at the pile head

The conventional design methods for seismically loaded piles still concentrate in providing adequate resistance from the pile to withstand only the inertial bending moments generated from the oscillation of the superstructure, thus neglecting the effect of kinematic interaction between pile and soil. By contrast there has been extensive research on kinematic effects induced by earthquakes and a number of simplified methods are available for a preliminary evaluation of kinematic bending moments at the interface between two soil layers. Less attention has been paid to the effects of kinematic interaction at the pile‐head. The paper summarizes recent research work on kinematic response analysis of fixed‐head piles aimed at the performance evaluation of a piled foundation. Results from an extensive parametric study, undertaken by means of three‐dimensional FE analyses, suggest a new criterion to predict kinematic bending effects at the pile head, where the combination of kinematic and inertial effect may be critical. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hydrologic assessment of a saline‐spring fen in the Athabasca oil sands region,Alberta, Canada – a potential analogue for oil sands reclamation

Canada's post‐mined oil sands will have a higher concentration of salts compared with freshwater peatlands that dominate the landscape. While rare, naturally occurring saline wetlands do exist in Alberta's Boreal Plains and may function as analogues for reclamation, however, little is known about their hydrology. This paper investigates the geochemical and hydrologic characteristics of a natural saline‐spring peatland in Alberta's oil sands region. The fen is located within a saline groundwater discharge area connected to the erosional edge of the Grand Rapids Formation. Na⁺ (195–25,680 mgl^?1) and Cl^? (1785–56,249 mg l^?1) were the dominant salts, and the fen transitioned sharply to freshwater along its margins because in part of subsurface mineral ridges that restricted shallow groundwater exchange. Salinity decreased from hypersaline to brackish along the local groundwater flow path but no active spring outlets were observed over the two‐year study. Vertical groundwater discharge was minimal because of the very low permeability of the underlying sediments. Subsurface storage was exceeded during periods of high flow, resulting in flooding and surface runoff that was enhanced by the ephemerally connected pond network. These findings have implications for reclamation, as mechanisms such as subsurface mineral ridges may function as effective saline groundwater‐control structures in the post‐mined environment. Incorporating saline wetlands into regional monitoring networks will help to better quantify natural discharge, which has implications for belowground wastewater storage related to in situ bitumen extraction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using hydrochemical,stable isotope,and river water recharge data to identify groundwater flow paths in a deeply buried karst system

The deeply buried river‐connected Xishan karst aquifer (XKA) in western Beijing, China, has been suffering from diminishing recharge for several decades, which in turn leads to the disappearing of spring water outflows and continuously lowering of groundwater level in the area. Thus, it is important to correctly recognize the groundwater recharge and flow paths for the sustainable development of the XKA. To investigate these issues, the hydrochemical and isotopic compositions are analysed for both surface water and groundwater samples collected over an area of about 280 km². Results show that (a) the river water is characterized by high Na contents; (b) the δ²H and δ¹⁸O values in the river water are distinctively higher than those of groundwater samples, after experiencing the long‐time evaporative enrichment in the upstream reservoir; (c) the Sr concentrations and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of groundwater clearly indicated the interaction between water and carbonate minerals but excluded the water–silicate interaction; and (d) the groundwater samples in the direct recharge area of the XKA have the lowest Na concentrations and the δ²H and δ¹⁸O values. Based on the large differences in the Na contents and ¹⁸O values of groundwater and surface water, a simple two‐component mixing model is developed for the study area and the fractions of the river water are estimated for groundwater samples. We find that the distribution pattern of the river water fractions in the XKA clearly shows a change of directions in the preferential flow path of the groundwater from its source zone to the discharge area. Overall, our results suggest that the recharged surface water can be a useful evidence for delineating the groundwater flow path in river‐connected karst aquifer. This study improves our understanding of the heterogeneity in karst groundwater systems.     

Required separation distance between decks and at abutments of a bridge crossing a canyon site to avoid seismic pounding

Major earthquakes in the past indicated that pounding between bridge decks may result in significant structural damage or even girder unseating. With conventional expansion joints, it is impossible to completely avoid seismic pounding between bridge decks, because the gap size at expansion joints is usually not big enough in order to ensure smooth traffic flow. With a new development of modular expansion joint (MEJ), which allows a large joint movement and at the same time without impeding the smoothness of traffic flow, completely precluding pounding between adjacent bridge decks becomes possible. This paper investigates the minimum total gap that a MEJ must have to avoid pounding at the abutments and between bridge decks. The considered spatial ground excitations are modelled by a filtered Tajimi‐Kanai power spectral density function and an empirical coherency loss function. Site amplification effect is included by a transfer function derived from the one‐dimensional wave propagation theory. Stochastic response equations of the adjacent bridge decks are formulated. The effects of ground motion spatial variations, dynamic characteristics of the bridge and the depth and stiffness of local soil on the required separation distance are analysed. Soil–structure interaction effect is not included in this study. The bridge response behaviour is assumed to be linear elastic. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic response of three‐dimensional r/c multi‐storey frame building under uni‐ and bi‐directional input ground motion

This paper deals with seismic analysis of plan‐asymmetric r/c frame multi‐storey buildings. Non‐linear numerical analyses are carried out by using a lumped plasticity model for beams and a multi‐spring model for columns, the latter one introduced to account for axial force–biaxial bending moment interaction. A comparison between numerical analyses and experimental test results is reported in order to calibrate the numerical model, showing that the adopted model is very suitable. In order to study the effects of the earthquake orthogonal component, the seismic response of the modelled structure under uni‐directional excitation is compared to the one under bi‐directional excitation. Such comparison shows that the maximum base shear and the top displacement are not very sensitive to the presence of the orthogonal component, which, conversely, leads to large increase in the column plastic excursions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Kinematic response functions and dynamic stiffnesses of bridge embankments

Recognizing that soil–structure interaction affects appreciably the earthquake response of highway overcrossings, this paper compares approximate analytical solutions and finite element results to conclude on a simple procedure that allows for the estimation of the kinematic response functions and dynamic stiffnesses of approach embankments. It is shown that the shear‐wedge model yields realistic estimates for the amplification functions of typical embankments and reveals the appropriate levels of dynamic strains which are subsequently used to estimate the stiffness and damping coefficients of embankments. The shear‐wedge model is extended to a two‐dimensional model in order to calculate the transverse static stiffness of an approach embankment loaded at one end. The formulation leads to a sound closed‐form expression for the critical length, L_c, that is the ratio of the transverse static stiffness of an approach embankment and the transverse static stiffness of a unit‐width wedge. It is shown through two case studies that the transverse dynamic stiffness (‘spring’ and ‘dashpot’) of the approach embankment can be estimated with confidence by multiplying the dynamic stiffness of the unit‐width wedge with the critical length, L_c. The paper concludes that the values obtained for the transverse kinematic response function and dynamic stiffness can also be used with confidence to represent the longitudinal kinematic response function and dynamic stiffness, respectively. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal variations of physical and hydrochemical properties of springs in the Mid‐Levels area,Hong Kong: results of a 1‐year comprehensive monitoring programme

Springs and seeps occur in the spaces around Po Hing Fong Street in the Mid‐Levels area, Hong Kong. Most of the springs occur through the drainage weepholes on retaining walls at the street. This paper first examines the geology and history of the springs. The paper then reports the findings from a 1‐year comprehensive spring monitoring programme. The temporal variations of flow rate, physiochemical parameters and hydrochemistry of the springs are discussed. The average temperatures of the springs were close to the mean air temperature, although there was a systematic lag time of 40 to 50 days between the peak air temperature and highest water temperatures. Spring waters from two rows of weepholes in the retaining wall showed significantly different physical and hydrochemical responses to the changes in rainfall and temperature, though their vertical distance is only about 1 m. The results suggest that water from the upper row of weepholes may represent a recharge source that is shallow or close to the spring outlets, whereas that from the lower row of weepholes may represent a recharge source that is much deeper or further up the hill. Although the spring flows increased rapidly after rainstorms, analysis of the total dissolved solids showed a delayed response to rainstorm events. The concentration of individual ions in the spring water varied in a unique way in response to rainstorm events. It is clear that the presence of underground man‐made drainage systems and the leakage from water mains in the study area may add complexity to the solute responses and transport mechanisms. Further studies are required to constrain the impacts of these man‐made structures on the hydrogeology of the springs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.