• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.127-142
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• 2024

The robustness of a numerical method means that its computational performance is maintained under various modeling conditions. New numerical methods or codes need to be assessed for robustness through benchmark testing. The TOUGH-FLAC modeling approach has been applied to various fields such as subsurface carbon dioxide storage, geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and geothermal development both domestically and internationally, and the modeling validity has been examined by comparing the results with experimental measurements and other numerical codes. In the present study, a benchmark test of the TOUGH-FLAC approach was performed based on a coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical behavior problem with an analytical solution. The analytical solution is related to the temperature, pore water pressure, and mechanical behavior of a fully saturated porous medium that is subjected to a point heat source. The robustness of the TOUGH-FLAC approach was evaluated by comparing the analytical solution with the results of numerical simulation. Additionally, the effects of thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling terms, fluid phase change, and timestep on the computation of coupled behavior were investigated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.3
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• pp.253-261
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• 2024

This research explores a new finite element model for the free vibration analysis of bi-directional functionally graded (BDFG) beams. The model is based on an efficient higher-order shear deformation beam theory that incorporates a trigonometric warping function for both transverse shear deformation and stress to guarantee traction-free boundary conditions without the necessity of shear correction factors. The proposed two-node beam element has three degrees of freedom per node, and the inter-element continuity is retained using both C1 and C0 continuities for kinematics variables. In addition, the mechanical properties of the (BDFG) beam vary gradually and smoothly in both the in-plane and out-of-plane beam's directions according to an exponential power-law distribution. The highly elevated performance of the developed model is shown by comparing it to conceptual frameworks and solution procedures. Detailed numerical investigations are also conducted to examine the impact of boundary conditions, the bi-directional gradient indices, and the slenderness ratio on the free vibration response of BDFG beams. The suggested finite element beam model is an excellent potential tool for the design and the mechanical behavior estimation of BDFG structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.4
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• pp.325-343
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• 2024

Triple-tower double-cable suspension bridges have increased confinement stiffness imposed by the main cable on the middle tower, which has bright application prospects. However, vertical bending and torsional vibrations of the double-cable and the girder are coupled in such bridges due to the hangers. In particular, the bending vibration of the towers in the longitudinal direction and torsional vibrations about the vertical axis influence the vertical bending and torsional vibrations of the stiffening girders, respectively. The conventional analytical algorithm for assessing the dynamic features of the suspension bridge is not directly applicable to this type of bridge. This study attempts to mitigate this problem by introducing an analytical algorithm for solving the triple-tower double-cable suspension bridge's natural frequencies and mode shapes. D'Alembert's principle is employed to construct the differential equations of the vertical bending and torsional vibrations of the stiffening girder continuum in each span. Vibrations of stiffening girders in each span are interrelated via the vibrations of the main cables and the bridge towers. On this basis, the natural frequencies and mode shapes are derived by separating variables. The proposed algorithm is then applied to an engineering example. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of vertical bending and torsional vibrations derived by the analytical algorithm agreed well with calculations via the finite element method. The fundamental frequency of vertical bending and first- and second-order torsion frequencies of double-cable suspension bridges are much higher than those of single-cable suspension bridges. The analytical algorithm has high computational efficiency and calculation accuracy, which can provide a reference for selecting appropriate structural parameters to meet the requirements of dynamics during the preliminary design.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.361-370
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• 2017

Through the use of finite element analysis and acoustic emission techniques we have evaluated the interfacial failure of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) repair patch on a notched aluminum substrate. The repair of cracks is a very common and widely used practice in the aeronautics field to extend the life of cracked sheet metal panels. The process consists of adhesively bonding a patch that encompasses the notched site to provide additional strength, thereby increasing life and avoiding costly replacements. The mechanical strength of the bonded joint relies mainly on the bonding of the adhesive to the plate and patch stiffness. Stress concentrations at crack tips promote disbonding of the composite patch from the substrate, consequently reducing the bonded area, which makes this a critical aspect of repair effectiveness. In this paper we examine patch disbonding by calculating the influence of notch tip stress on disbond area and verify computational results with acoustic emission (AE) measurements obtained from specimens subjected to uniaxial tension. The FE results showed that disbonding first occurs between the patch and the substrate close to free edge of the patch followed by failure around the tip of the notch, both highest stress regions. Experimental results revealed that cement adhesion at the aluminum interface was the limiting factor in patch performance. The patch did not appear to strengthen the aluminum substrate when measured by stress-strain due to early stage disbonding. Analysis of the AE signals provided insight to the disbond locations and progression at the metal-adhesive interface. Crack growth from the notch in the aluminum was not observed until the stress reached a critical level, an instant before final fracture, which was unaffected by the patch due to early stage disbonding. The FE model was further utilized to study the effects of patch fiber orientation and increased adhesive strength. The model revealed that the effectiveness of patch repairs is strongly dependent upon the combined interactions of adhesive bond strength and fiber orientation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.487-499
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• 2020

This paper proposes a novel approach to model updating for a large-scale cable-stayed bridge based on ambient vibration tests coupled with a hybrid metaheuristic search algorithm. Vibration measurements are carried out under excitation sources of passing vehicles and wind. Based on the measured structural dynamic characteristics, a finite element (FE) model is updated. For long-span bridges, ambient vibration test (AVT) is the most effective vibration testing technique because ambient excitation is freely available, whereas a forced vibration test (FVT) requires considerable efforts to install actuators such as shakers to produce measurable responses. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a famous metaheuristic algorithm applied successfully in numerous fields over the last decades. However, PSO has big drawbacks that may decrease its efficiency in tackling the optimization problems. A possible drawback of PSO is premature convergence leading to low convergence level, particularly in complicated multi-peak search issues. On the other hand, PSO not only depends crucially on the quality of initial populations, but also it is impossible to improve the quality of new generations. If the positions of initial particles are far from the global best, it may be difficult to seek the best solution. To overcome the drawbacks of PSO, we propose a hybrid algorithm combining GA with an improved PSO (HGAIPSO). Two striking characteristics of HGAIPSO are briefly described as follows: (1) because of possessing crossover and mutation operators, GA is applied to generate the initial elite populations and (2) those populations are then employed to seek the best solution based on the global search capacity of IPSO that can tackle the problem of premature convergence of PSO. The results show that HGAIPSO not only identifies uncertain parameters of the considered bridge accurately, but also outperforms than PSO, improved PSO (IPSO), and a combination of GA and PSO (HGAPSO) in terms of convergence level and accuracy.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.6432-6439
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• 2014

The NAUT (Non-contact Air coupled Ultrasonic Testing) technique is one of the ultrasonic testing methods that enables non-contact ultrasonic testing by compensating for the energy loss caused by the difference in acoustic impedance of air with an ultrasonic pulser receiver, PRE-AMP and high-sensitivity transducer. As the NAUT is performed in a state of steady ultrasonic transmission and reception, testing can be performed on materials of high or low temperatures or specimens with a rough surface or narrow part, which could not have been tested using the conventional contact-type testing technique. For this study, the internal defects of spot weld, which are often applied to auto parts, and CFRP parts, were tested to determine if it is practical to make the NAUT technique commercial. As the spot welded part had a high ultrasonic transmissivity, the result was shown as red. On the other hand, the part with an internal defect had a layer of air and low transmissivity, which was shown as blue. In addition, depending on the PRF (Pulse Repetition Frequency), an important factor that determines the measurement speed, the color sharpness showed differences. With the images obtained from CFRP specimens or an imaging device, it was possible to identify the shape, size and position of the internal defect within a short period of time. In this paper, it was confirmed in the above-described experiment that both internal defect detection and image processing of the defect could be possible using the NAUT technique. Moreover, it was possible to apply NAUT to the detection of internal defects in the spot welded parts or in CFRP parts, and commercialize its practical application to various fields.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.308-318
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• 2013

Thermal stratification in heat stores is essential to improve the efficiency of energy storage systems and deliver more useful energy on demand. It is generally well known that the degree of thermal stratification in heat stores varies depending on the aspect ratio (the height-to-width ratio) and size of the stores. The present study aims to investigate the effect of the aspect ratio and storage volume of rock caverns for storing hot water on thermal stratification in the caverns and heat loss to the surroundings. Heat transfer simulations using a computational fluid dynamics code, FLUENT were performed at different aspect ratios and storage volumes of rock caverns. The variation of thermal stratification with respect to time was examined using an index to quantify the degree of stratification, and the heat loss to the surroundings was evaluated. The results of the numerical simulations demonstrated that the thermal stratification in rock caverns was improved by increasing the aspect ratio, but this effect was not remarkable beyond an aspect ratio of 3-4. When the storage volume of rock caverns was large, a higher thermal stratification was maintained for a relatively longer time compared to caverns with a small storage volume, but the difference in thermal stratification between the two cases tended to decrease as the aspect ratio became larger. In addition, the numerical results showed that the heat loss to the surrounding rock tended to increase with an increase in aspect ratio because the surface area of rock caverns increased as the aspect ratio became larger. The total heat loss from multiple small caverns with a reduced storage volume per cavern was larger compared to a single cavern with the same total storage volume as that of the multiple caverns.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.429-437
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• 2012

This study predicted temperature in the disposal tunnels using computational fluid dynamics based on natural ventilation quantity that comes from high altitude and temperature differences that are the characteristics of high level waste repository. The result of the previous study that evaluated quantitatively natural ventilation quantity using a hydrostatic method and CFD shows that significant natural ventilation quantity is generated. From the result, this study performed the prediction of temperature in disposal tunnels by natural ventilation quantity by the caloric values of the wastes, at both deep geological repository and surface repository. The result of analysis shows that deep geological repository is effective for thermal control in the disposal tunnels due to heat transfer to rock and the generation of sufficient natural ventilation quantity, while surface repository was detrimental to thermal control, because surface repository was strongly affected by external temperature, and could not generate sufficient natural ventilation quantity. Moreover, this study found that in the case of deep geological repository with a depth of 200 m, the heatof about $10^{\circ}C$ was transferred to the depth of 500 m. Thus, it is considered that if the high level waste repository scheduled to be built in the country is designed placing an emphasis on thermal control, deep geological repository rather than surface repository is more appropriate.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.480-507
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• 2019

This paper aims at optimizing the auxiliary ventilation system in large-opening limestone mines with unducted fans. An extensive CFD and also site study were carried out for optimization at the blind entries. The fan location, operating mode, and layout are the parameters for optimization. Since the jet stream discharged from the auxiliary fan is flowing faster than 15 m/s in most of the cases, the stream collides with floor, sides or roof and even with the jet stream generated from the other fan placed upstream. Then, it is likely to lose a large portion of its inertial force and then its ventilation efficiency drops considerably. Therefore, the optimal fan installation interval is defined in this study as an interval that maximizes the uninterrupted flowing distance of the jet stream, while the cross-sectional installation location can be optimized to minimize the energy loss due to possible collision with the entry sides. Consequently, the optimization of the fan location will improve ventilation efficiency and subsequently the energy cost. A number of different three-dimensional computational domains representing a full-scale underground space were developed for the CFD study. The velocity profiles and the CO concentrations were studied to design and optimize the auxiliary ventilation system without duct and at the same time mine site experiments were carried out for comparison purposes. The ultimate goal is to optimize the auxiliary ventilation system without tubing to provide a reliable, low-cost and efficient solution to maintain the clean and safe work environment in local large-opening underground limestone mines.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.111-124
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze ventilation design factor for network-type double-deck road tunnel that have been developed actively around the world. A numerical analysis was carried out through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to derive shock loss coefficient that occurs due to the change in cross sectional area at both merging section and diverging section. The model used for the numerical analysis is real-scale model and the reliability of the result is secured by comparing with the coefficient of the previous studies. As a result of this study, shock loss coefficient was calculated depending on the change in cross-sectional area ratio and was higher than the result of previous studies in case of both merging section and diverging section. It is considered that the characteristics of the geometrical structure of network-type double-deck road tunnel have a great impact on shock loss coefficient. Therefore, the result of this study is expected to be helpful for more accurate ventilation design of network-type double-deck road tunnel.