An advanced numerical model of elastomeric seismic isolation bearings

The nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi in March 2011 has led the nuclear community to consider seismic isolation for new large light water and small modular reactors to withstand the effects of beyond design basis loadings, including extreme earthquakes. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sponsoring a research project that will quantify the response of low damping rubber (LDR) and lead rubber (LR) bearings under loadings associated with extreme earthquakes. Under design basis loadings, the response of an elastomeric bearing is not expected to deviate from well‐established numerical models, and bearings are not expected to experience net tension. However, under extended or beyond design basis shaking, elastomer shear strains may exceed 300% in regions of high seismic hazard, bearings may experience net tension, the compression and tension stiffness will be affected by isolator lateral displacement, and the properties of the lead core in LR bearings will degrade in the short‐term because of substantial energy dissipation. New mathematical models of LDR and LR bearings are presented for the analysis of base isolated structures under design and beyond design basis shaking, explicitly considering both the effects of lateral displacement and cyclic vertical and horizontal loading. These mathematical models extend the available formulations in shear and compression. Phenomenological models are presented to describe the behavior of elastomeric isolation bearings in tension, including the cavitation and post‐cavitation behavior. The elastic mechanical properties make use of the two‐spring model. Strength degradation of LR bearing under cyclic shear loading due to heating of lead core is incorporated. The bilinear area reduction method is used to include variation of critical buckling load capacity with lateral displacement. The numerical models are coded in OpenSees, and the results of numerical analysis are compared with test data. The effect of different parameters on the response is investigated through a series of analyses. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical modelling of aeolian erosion over a surface with non‐uniformly distributed roughness elements

The present study is focused on the analysis of the mean wall friction velocity on a surface including roughness elements exposed to a turbulent boundary layer. These roughness elements represent non‐erodible particles over an erodible surface of an agglomeration of granular material on industrial sites. A first study has proposed a formulation that describes the evolution of the friction velocity as a function of geometrical parameters and cover rate with different uniform roughness distributions. The present simulations deal with non‐uniform distributions of particles with a random sampling of diameters, heights, positions and arrangements. The evolution (relative to geometrical parameters of the roughness elements) of the friction velocity for several non‐uniform distributions of roughness elements was analysed by the equation proposed in the literature and compared to the results obtained with the numerical simulations. This comparison showed very good agreement. Thus, the formulation developed for uniform particles was found also to be valid for a larger spectrum of particles noted on industrial sites. The present work aims also to investigate in detail the fluid mechanics over several roughness particles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of reach geometry on stream channel sensitivity to extreme floods

Predicting spatial and temporal variations in bank erosion due to extreme floods presents a long‐standing challenge in geomorphology. We develop two methodologies for rapid, regional‐scale assessments of stream reaches susceptible to channel widening. The first proposes that channel widening occurs when unit stream power exceeds a critical threshold (300 W/m²). The second is motivated by the observation that widening often occurs at channel bends. We introduce a new metric, the bend stress parameter, which is proportional to the centripetal force exerted on a concave bank. We propose that high centripetal forces generate locally high bank shear forces and enhance channel bank erosion. We test both metrics using the geomorphic signature of Tropical Storm Irene (2011) on the White and the Saxtons Rivers, Vermont. Specifically, we test if reaches where significant channel widening occurred during Irene required one or both metrics to exceed threshold values. We observe two distinct styles of channel widening. Where unit stream power and bend stress parameter are high, widening is usually due to bank retreat. Elsewhere widening is usually due to the stripping of the upstream end of mid‐channel islands. Excluding widening associated with the stripping of the heads of mid‐channel islands, almost all the widening (> 98%) occurred along reaches identified as susceptible to widening. The combined metrics identify up to one‐quarter of the reaches lacking susceptibility to channel widening. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

2011年盈江5.8级地震热辐射亮温异常分析

使用从2010年1月12日至2012年1月11日,在(20°～30°N,93°～ 103°E)范围内由中国静止气象卫星FY-2E观测的热红外遥感亮温资料,对2011年3月10日盈江5.8级地震周边地区的热红外亮温异常特征进行了研究.结果表明:从2011年3月初开始在盈江5.8级地震震中周围开始出现相对能谱异常,之后异常区域逐渐扩大并向震中区域集中,并于3月中下旬在震中偏西地区形成片状异常区域,相对能谱最大异常幅度达13倍,随后异常区域和幅度逐渐减小,地震发生后数天异常消失.     

山西定襄地震台发电干扰地磁观测数据的原因及排除方法

在定襄地震台地磁观测中,地磁仪易受到发电机的供电干扰,文章通过对观测数据的分析,进一步找出干扰的原因,并提出排除方法。同时,对影响地磁观测的其他因素进行分析,以提高地磁观测资料的精度,保证仪器运行的稳定性。     

核电站结构隔震研究进展

基底隔震已经大量应用于一般民用建筑中,被认为是在剧烈地震中保护建筑物最具发展前景的技术之一,但对于核电站这类特殊的建筑物应用较少,且研究比较薄弱。介绍了核电站水平及三维隔震装置的研发及性能测试,概述了核电站隔震系统抗震性能的研究进展和核电站隔震设计规范,指出了在核电站中应用隔震技术还有待解决的问题,对今后核电站隔震的研究提出了一些建议。     

太阳能供电系统在天津测震台站的应用

利用太阳能供电系统解决天津市部分台站无法接入交流供电的问题,对部分台供电系统进行改造,采用复合式供电模式,避免农忙或雷雨季节停电问题,以提升台网整体数据传输连续率。     

兰新第二双线铁路防风明洞实验段风荷载数值模拟研究

介绍了高速铁路防风明洞的基本作用及设计方法;利用计算流体动力学原理中的数学模型及控制方程,对兰新第二双线铁路防风明洞大风作用下的风荷载进行了分析;通过计算工况的假定以及边界条件的合理设定,采用有限体积法建立防风明洞数值分析模型,并模拟计算了平地路段、浅路堑地段和路堤地段三大类工况和70、60、50、40m/s4种风速情况。研究结果表明：①开孔情况下,明洞各部位所受风荷载随着风速增大而增大;②明洞迎风侧均为正压,平地地段与路堤地段所受正压较接近,最大值出现在风速为70m/s时,迎风边墙正压为3202Pa;③明洞拱顶及背风侧均为负压,浅路堑地段所受负压最大值出现在风速为70m/s时,拱顶负压为-3550Pa;④各地段背风侧所受负压均小于-1500Pa,背风墙脚与背风边墙受力基本相同;⑤各地段各风速情况下,拱顶处负压均为最大;⑥开孔情况下的明洞各部位风荷载,普遍小于不开孔情况;⑦明洞开孔附近有回流风速,并随着外界风速增大而增大。     

印尼大地震震前次声异常信号的分析

2004年12月26日发生在印尼苏门答腊岛附近印度洋海斌的地震震级高达9．0（Mw9．0）,引起了巨大海啸．造成了几十万人的伤亡,至今全世界的人们还记忆犹新。美国地质调查局把此次地震列为百年以来全球第五大地震。时隔3个月,2005年3月29日在印尼又发生了Ms8．7地震,5月17日再次发生了7．1级地震。北京工业大学地震研究所在这几次印尼地震前都收到次声波异常信号,本文对这些异常信号进行了初步的分析与探讨。