Effects of the geometry of two‐dimensional fractures on their hydraulic aperture and on the validity of the local cubic law

Flow through rough fractures is investigated numerically in order to assess the validity of the local cubic law for different fracture geometries. Two‐dimensional channels with sinusoidal walls having different geometrical properties defined by the aperture, the amplitude, and the wavelength of the walls' corrugations, the corrugations asymmetry, and the phase shift between the two walls are considered to represent different fracture geometries. First, it is analytically shown that the hydraulic aperture clearly deviates from the mean aperture when the walls' roughness, the phase shift, and/or the asymmetry between the fracture walls are relatively high. The continuity and the Navier–Stokes equations are then solved by means of the finite element method and the numerical solutions compared to the theoretical predictions of the local cubic law. Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.066 to 66.66 are investigated so as to focus more particularly on the effect of flow inertial effects on the validity of the local cubic law. For low Reynolds number, typically less than 15, the local cubic law properly describes the fracture flow, especially when the fracture walls have small corrugation amplitudes. For Reynolds numbers higher than 15, the local cubic law is valid under the conditions that the fracture presents a low aspect ratio, small corrugation amplitudes, and a moderate phase lag between its walls.     

Phasing of segmented mirrors: a new algorithm for piston detection

The point spread function of a segmented-mirror telescope is severely affected by segment misalignment, which can nullify the performance of adaptive optics systems. The piston and tilt of each segment must be precisely adjusted in relation to the other segments. Furthermore, the direct detection of the alignment error with natural stars would be desirable in order to monitor the errors during astronomical observation.
We have studied the lost information of the piston error caused by the presence of atmospheric turbulence in the measurements of curvature, and present a new algorithm for obtaining the local piston using the curvature sensor. A phase-wrapping effect is shown as responsible for the loss of curvature information and so the piston errors can no longer adequately be mapped; this happens not only in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, but also in its absence.
Good results are obtained using a new iterative method for obtaining the local piston error map. In the presence of atmospheric perturbation, the turbulent phase information obtained from a Shack–Hartmann sensor is introduced in our new iterative method. We propose a hybrid sensor composed of a curvature sensor and a Shack–Hartmann sensor, in order to complete all the information for the phasing. This design takes a short computation time and could be used in real time inside an adaptive optics system, where tilt and piston errors must be corrected.     

Optimal Compensation and Implementation for Adaptive Optics Systems

This paper develops a compensation algorithm based on Linear–Quadratic–Gaussian (LQG) control system design whose parameters are determined (in part) by a model of the atmosphere. The model for the atmosphere is based on the open-loop statistics of the atmosphere as observed by the wavefront sensor, and is identified from these using an auto-regressive, moving average (ARMA) model. The (LQG) control design is compared with an existing compensation algorithm for a simulation developed at ESO that represents the operation of MACAO adaptive optics system on the 8.2 m telescopes at Paranal, Chile. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

CORROSION AND ADHERENCE AT SEA OIL-PLATFORM

Measurements of the adhesive corrosion and protective potentials of 3 Bohai Sea oilplatforms under different cathodic protection showed corrosion still occurred on these platforms undertheir designed protective potentials. Preliminary conclusions from indoor experiments on the relation betweenadhesive corrosion and cathodic protection showed adhering organisms caused the corrosion onthese platforms.     

区域GPS网实时计算可降水量的若干问题

目前地基GPS气象学测得的可降水量 (PWV )精度好于 2mm ,但在利用区域GPS网实时计算每个测站上空的PWV时 ,要涉及到很多常规GPS资料处理时所忽略的问题 ,如需考虑数据处理软件和计算方式的选择、站坐标的确定和约束、轨道的使用方法、网外辅助站最佳数量的确定、海潮对实时计算PWV的影响以及实时应用于气象服务时的端部效应等问题。利用上海GPS综合应用网获取的 2 0 0 2年 6、7月份长江三角洲地区入梅前后的数据 ,分析了利用区域性的GPS网实时计算高精度的PWV时要解决的各种问题 ,探讨了其数据处理方案     

Predicting ground-motion variations at the Turkey-flat test site,California

Results of a single group participating in an international experiment are analyzed. The experiment served to verify computational predictions of the ground-motion variations due to near-surface geological effects at a site established for that purpose by the California Department of Conservation. Based on an acceleration record at a rock location, and geotechnical model of medium, records at the other locations of a nearby sedimentary deposit were predicted. A 2-D finite-difference sensitivity analysis suggested that the lateral wave-propagation effects are negligibly small, and locally 1-D computations are sufficient for the present site. Those computations are compared with observations not available to the authors during the blind prediction. Peak accelerations, peak velocities and RMS accelerations were predicted with errors less than 159%, 114% and 62%, respectively. Maxima of the response spectra were fitted within a factor of 2. The predicted and observed Husid's plots (i.e., the normalized cumulative plots of the acceleration squared) have the correlation coefficients 0.98. The detected misfits do not show any simple relation to the instrument location, component, frequency, or time.     

An operational multiscale system for hazards prediction, mapping, and response

By definition, a crisis is a situation that requires assistance to be managed. Hence, response to a crisis involves the merging of local and non-local emergency response personnel. In this situation, it is critical that each participant: (1) know the roles and responsibilities of each of the other participants; (2) know the capabilities of each of the participants; and (3) have a common basis for action. For many types of natural disasters, this entails having a common operational picture of the unfolding events, including detailed information on the weather, both current and forecasted, that may impact on either the emergency itself or on response activities. The Consequences Assessment Tool Set (CATS) is a comprehensive package of hazard prediction models and casualty and damage assessment tools that provides a linkage between a modeled or observed effect and the attendant consequences for populations, infrastructure, and resources, and, hence, provides the common operational picture for emergency response. The Operational Multiscale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA) is an atmospheric simulation system that links the latest methods in computational fluid dynamics and high-resolution gridding technologies with numerical weather prediction to provide specific weather analysis and forecast capability that can be merged into the geographic information system framework of CATS. This paper documents the problem of emergency response as an end-to-end system and presents the integrated CATS–OMEGA system as a prototype of such a system that has been used successfully in a number of different situations.     

0421号热带风暴"海马"登陆前后环境场对其移向和强度影响的分析

0421号热带风暴“海马(Haima)”于2004年9月13日12:00在浙江省温州市沿海登陆,登陆后迅速减弱为热带低压,20:00在浙江境内消失.本研究采用物理量诊断分析法,探讨该热带风暴登陆前后涡度场、湿焓场变化对其移向和强度的影响.结果表明,该热带风暴登陆后,涡度(ξ)明显减弱.涡度局地变化(ξ/t)值分布显示,风暴移动方向的后方,涡度减弱的趋势比前方涡度增大的趋势更剧烈;风暴有向其外围(ξ/t)正值中心(即涡度增幅最大)移动的趋势.该热带风暴登陆前、后,湿焓都增大,但登陆后湿焓增大趋势已大大减弱;风暴有向湿焓局地变化(E/t)正值中心移动的趋势,即向能量增强最大的方向移动.     

Robust adaptive control of underactuated ships on a linear course with comfort

This paper addresses an important problem in ship control application—the robust stabilization of underactuated ships on a linear course with comfort. Specifically, we develop a multivariable controller to stabilize ocean surface ships without a sway actuator on a linear course and to reduce roll and pitch simultaneously. The controller adapts to unknown parameters of the ship and constant environmental disturbances induced by wave, ocean current and wind. It is also robust to time-varying environmental disturbances, time-varying change in ship parameters and other motions of the ship such as surge and heave. The roll and pitch can be made arbitrarily small while the heading angle and sway are kept to be in reasonably small bounds. The controller development is based on Lyapunov’s direct method and backstepping technique. A Lipschitz continuous projection algorithm is used to update the estimate of the unknown parameters to avoid the parameters’ drift due to time-varying environmental disturbances. Simulations on a full-scale catamaran illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed controller.