A simple prediction model for wall deflection caused by braced excavation in clays

Deep excavations particularly in deep deposits of soft clay can cause excessive ground movements and result in damage to adjacent buildings. Extensive plane strain finite element analyses considering the small strain effect have been carried out to examine the wall deflections for excavations in soft clay deposits supported by retaining walls and bracing. The excavation geometry, soil strength and stiffness properties, and the wall stiffness were varied to study the wall deflection behavior. Based on these results, a simple Polynomial Regression (PR) model was developed for estimating the maximum wall deflection. Wall deflections computed by this method compare favorably with a number of field and published records.     

我国城市规划中气候信息应用回顾与展望

城市规划中气候信息的应用经历了从早期的风玫瑰图利用到考虑风、温、湿、压等要素的气候适宜性分析以及目前关注城市通风环境、热环境以及污染敏感区的城市环境气候图技术的历程。气候信息获得的途径也从数量极为有限的基本气象观测站资料到空间加密的自动气象站资料、更精细的气象数值模式以及精细化地理信息技术的应用。同时,细化的技术导则和规范的建立以及不同行业间的联合发文有力推动了气候信息的实际应用。此外,研究展示了近年开展的伊犁、深圳、北京实际案例主要内容。最后,针对未来我国将根据大气环流特征和生态环境承载能力、走优化城镇空间布局和城镇规模结构的新型城镇化道路,从工作层面和技术层面给出了需要不断完善并深入研究的几个重点。     

Thermal interactions of the Huygens probe with the Titan environment: Constraint on near-surface wind

The Huygens probe lost heat to its cold environment during its descent through Titan's atmosphere and after landing. Here I report measurements of the probe's thermal behavior and comparison with ground tests (1) to provide a context for other scientific investigations, such as the release of volatiles from the landing site, and (2) to place constraints on Titan environmental parameters directly, such as the thermal conductivity of the surface material and the strength of winds at the surface. Near-surface winds are constrained to be less than 0.2 m s⁻¹, and probably much less.     

Thermal equilibrium in Europa's ice shell

Models of tidal-convective equilibrium for Europa's ice shell are computed using a laboratory-derived composite flow law for ice. Volume diffusion creep is found to dominate the flow law at equilibrium, and thus the thickness of the shell is strongly dependent on the poorly known grain size of the ice. This grain size is, however, constrained to be less than a few millimeters if equilibrium is achieved at the current eccentricity. Europa's ice shell cannot be thinner than about 16 km in equilibrium at present, since tidal dissipation cannot generate enough heat in such a thin shell to balance the heat transport. No conductive equilibria are found; this is likely due to the fact that most of a conductive shell must be cold if temperature gradients are to be large enough to carry the heat. A minimum eccentricity of about 0.0025 (about 1/4 the present value) below which there are no equilibria is also found.     

Convective-conductive transitions and sensitivity of a convecting ice shell to perturbations in heat flux and tidal-heating rate: Implications for Europa

We investigate the response of conductive and convective ice shells on Europa to variations of heat flux and interior tidal-heating rate. We present numerical simulations of convection in Europa's ice shell with Newtonian, temperature-dependent viscosity and tidal heating. Modest variations in the heat flux supplied to the base of a convective ice shell, ΔF, can cause large variations of the ice-shell thickness Δδ. In contrast, for a conductive ice shell, large ΔF involves relatively small Δδ. We demonstrate that, for a fluid with temperature-dependent viscosity, the heat flux undergoes a finite-amplitude jump at the critical Rayleigh number Racr. This jump implies that, for a range of heat fluxes relevant to Europa, two equilibrium states—corresponding to a thin, conductive shell and a thick, convective shell—exist for a given heat flux. We show that, as a result, modest variations in heat flux near the critical Rayleigh number can force the ice shell to switch between the thin, conductive and thick, convective configurations over a ∼10⁷-year interval, with thickness changes of up to ∼10-30 km. Depending on the orbital and thermal history, such switches might occur repeatedly. However, existing evolution models based on parameterized-convection schemes have to date not allowed these transitions to occur. Rapid thickening of the ice shell would cause radial expansion of Europa, which could produce extensional tectonic features such as fractures or bands. Furthermore, based on interpretations for how features such as chaos and ridges are formed, several authors have suggested that Europa's ice shell has recently undergone changes in thickness. Our model provides a mechanism for such changes to occur.     

Mapping of Io's thermal radiation by the Galileo photopolarimeter-radiometer (PPR) instrument

Between 1999 and 2002, the Galileo spacecraft made 6 close flybys of Io during which many observations of Io's thermal radiation were made with the photopolarimeter-radiometer (PPR). While the NIMS instrument could measure thermal emission from hot spots with T>200 K, PPR was the only Galileo instrument capable of mapping the lower temperatures of older, cooling lava flows, and the passive background. We tabulate all data taken by PPR of Io during these flybys and describe some scientific highlights revealed by the data. The data include almost complete coverage of Io at better than 250 km resolution, with extensive regional coverage at higher resolutions. We found a modest poleward drop in nighttime background temperatures and evidence of thermal inertia variations across the surface. Comparison of high spatial resolution temperature measurements with observed daytime SO₂ gas pressures on Io provides evidence for local cold trapping of SO₂ frost on scales smaller than the 60 km resolution of the PPR data. We also calculated the power output from several hot spots and estimated total global heat flow to be about 2.0-2.6 W m⁻². The low-latitude diurnal temperature variations for the regions between obvious hot spots are well matched by a laterally-inhomogeneous thermal model with less than 1 W m⁻² endogenic heat flow.     

Thermal conductivity modelling of terrestrial soil media—A comparative study

The paper describes prediction of thermal conductivity in terrestrial soil media. The model operates statistically by probability of occurrence for contacts between particular fractional compounds. It combines physical properties, specific to particular compounds, into one apparent conductance specific to the mixture. The concept of substituting grain compounds by hypothetical spheres is an essential tool to control porosity by the number of spheres, their radii and probability of contacts between them. The spheres are equal in radii. The spheres substitute compounds, regardless of the phase state. Control of particular phase states is possible by means of specific properties assigned to the spheres, at the input to the model. Performance of the model is successfully proved for many diverse terrestrial soil media in a wide range of bulk density, composition, water and water vapour content. Only the compounds of sand decline from the expected values and require introducing a correction to the thermal conductivity of sand grains. One possible explanation is that the thermal conductivity of sand is uncertain. Nevertheless, the model is useful and worth extending beyond terrestrial purposes.     

中国稠油油田开发趋向

我国稠油资源非常丰富,在东部和西部几个大油区均有分布,而且储量很大。近年来由于热采等先进技术的应用,使稠油开采得以发展,呈现出良好的前景。     

Thermal expansion of gehlenite, Ca2Al[AlSiO7], and the related aluminates LnCaAl[Al2O7] with Ln=Tb, Sm

The thermal expansion of gehlenite, Ca₂Al[AlSiO₇], (up to T=830 K), TbCaAl[Al₂O₇] (up to T=1,100 K) and SmCaAl[Al₂O₇] (up to T=1,024 K) has been determined. All compounds are of the melilite structure type with space group Thermal expansion data was obtained from in situ X-ray powder diffraction experiments in-house and at HASYLAB at the Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg (Germany). The thermal expansion coefficients for gehlenite were found to be: α₁=7.2(4)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹+3.6(7)×10⁻⁹ΔT K⁻² and α₃=15.0(1)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. For TbCaAl[Al₂O₇] the respective values are: α₁=7.0(2)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹+2.0(2)×10⁻⁹ΔT K⁻² and α₃=8.5(2)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹+2.0(3)×10⁻⁹ΔT K⁻², and the thermal expansion coefficients for SmCaAl[Al₂O₇] are: α₁=6.9(2)× 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹+1.7(2)×10⁻⁹ΔT K⁻² and α₃=9.344(5)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. The expansion-mechanisms of the three compounds are explained in terms of structural trends obtained from Rietveld refinements of the crystal structures of the compounds against the powder diffraction patterns. No structural phase transitions have been observed. While gehlenite behaves like a ’proper’ layer structure, the aluminates show increased framework structure behaviour. This is most probably explained by stronger coulombic interactions between the tetrahedral conformation and the layer-bridging cations due to the coupled substitution (Ca²⁺+Si⁴⁺)-(Ln ³⁺+Al³⁺) in the melilite-type structure. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

The hydrogeothermal basin of Sofia graben (Bulgaria)

Abstract In the Mesozoic basement and Neogene filling of Sofia tectonic graben a non-homogenous system of thermal water reservoirs connected to a united hydrogeothermal basin occurred. The basin contains and reproduces five types of low mineralized thermal waters and four types of mineralized thermal waters with exotic composition. The water temperatures are 30–80(90) ^°C. The total potential of the basin is assessed at 500 l/s thermal waters and 48 MWt thermal power. The utilization of thermal waters in the area of the Bulgarian capital has its roots and traditions in antiquity, and a promising future. The new town plan of Sofia provides construction of 35 centers for developing a versatile and prosperous hydrothermal business.