• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2008

The end plates of fuel cell assemblies are used to fasten the inner stacks, reduce the contact pressure, and provide a seal between Membrane-Electrode Assemblies (MEAs). They therefore require sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the tightening pressure, light weight to obtain high energy densities, and stable chemical/electrochemical properties, as well as provide electrical insulation. The design criteria for end plates can be divided into three parts: the material, connecting method, and shape. In the past, end plates were made from metals such as aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel alloys, but due to corrosion problems, thermal losses, and their excessive weight, alternative materials such as plastics have been considered. Composite materials consisting of combinations of two or more materials have also been proposed for end plates to enhance their mechanical strength. Tie-rods have been traditionally used to connect end plates, but since the number of connecting parts has increased, resulting in assembly difficulties, new types of connectors have been contemplated. Ideas such as adding reinforcement or flat plates, or using bands or boxes to replace tie-rods have been proposed. Typical end plates are rectangular or cylindrical solid plates. To minimize the weight and provide a uniform pressure distribution, new concepts such as ribbed-, bomb-, or bow-shaped plates have been considered. Even though end plates were not an issue in fuel cell system designs in the past, they now provide a great challenge for designers. Changes in the materials, connecting methods, and shapes of an end plate allow us to achieve lighter, stronger end plates, resulting in more efficient fuel cell systems.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2015

A stack in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) consists of bipolar plates, a membrane electrode assembly, a gas diffusion layer, a collector and end plates. High current density is usually obtainable partially from uniform temperature distribution in the fuel cell. A size optimization method considering the thermal expansion effect of stacked plates was developed on the basis of finite element analyses. The thermal stresses in end, bipolar, and cooling plates were calculated based on temperature distribution obtained from thermal analyses. Finally, the optimization method was applied and optimum thicknesses of the three plates were calculated considering both fastening bolt tension and thermal expansion of each unit cell (72 cells, 5kW). The optimum design considering both thermal and mechanical loads increases the thickness of an end plate by 0.64-0.83% the case considering only mechanical load. The effect can be enlarged if the number of stack increases as in an automotive application to 200-300 stacks.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 1999

The critical buckling loads of unsymmetrically laminated rectangular plates with a given material system and subjected to combined lateral and inplane loads are maximized with respect to fiber orientations by using a sequential linear programming method together with a simple move-limit strategy. Significant influence of plate aspect ratios, central circular cutouts, lateral loads and end conditions on the optimal fiber orientations and the associated optimal buckling loads of unsymmetrically laminated plates has been shown through this investigation.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.2
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• pp.155-170
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• 2024

Several types of column-beam connections are used in the design of steel structures. This situation causes different cross-section effects and, therefore, different displacements and deformations. In other words, connection elements such as welds, bolts, continuity plates, end plates, and stiffness plates used in steel column-beam connections directly affect the section effects. This matter reveals the necessity of knowing the steel column-beam connection behaviours. In this article, behaviours of bolted column-beam connection with end plate widely used in steel structures are investigated comparatively the effects of the stiffness plates added to the beam body, the change in the end plate thickness and bolt diameter. The results obtained reveal that the moment and force carrying capacity of the said connection increases with the increase in the end plate thickness and bolt diameter. In contrast, it causes the other elements to deform and lose their capacity. This matter shows that optimum dimensions are very important in steel column-beam connections. In addition, it has been seen that adding a stiffness plate to the beam body part positively contributes to the connection's moment-carrying capacity.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.18-28
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• 2008

Fins are widely used for roll stabilization of passenger ferries and high performance naval ships, among others. In the present study, numerical simulations are performed to investigate the influence of end-plates upon the cavitation characteristics of a stabilizer fin for various angles of attack and speeds and the results are verified through a series of model experiments. It is found that a considerable retardation in tip vortex cavitation can be achieved with attachment of end-plates at the tip of the stabilizer fin. The results can be utilized for the design of stabilizer fins as well as the development of high performance control devices for ships.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.339-351
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• 2022

A mortar-filled rectangular hollow structural section (RHS) can increase a structural section property as well as a compressive buckling capacity of a RHS member. In this study, the tensile performance of newly developed mortar-filled RHS members was experimentally evaluated with various connection details. The major test parameters were the type of end connections, the thickness of cap plates and shear plates, the use of stud bolts, and penetrating bars. The test results showed that the welded T-end connection experienced a brittle weld fracture at the welded connection, whereas the tensile performance of the T-end connection was improved by additional stud bolts inserted into the mortar within the RHS tube. For the end connection using shear plates and penetrating stud bolts, ductile behavior of the RHS tube was achieved after yielding. The penetrating bars increased load carrying capacity of the RHS. Based on the analysis of the load transfer mechanism, the current design code and test results were compared to evaluate the tensile capacity of the RHS tube according to the connection details. Design considerations for the connections of the mortar-filled RHS tubes were also recommended.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.167-174
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to analyse and compare experimentally flexural behavior of RC beams strengthened with CFRP plates by different methods, which are divided into three classes: externally-bonded without end anchorage, externally-bonded with end anchorages, and anchored after prestressing of CFRP plates. Test results show that the RC beams strengthened with end anchorages have the improvement of ductility and flexural performance evaluation including ultimate strength and deflection, compared with only external bonding. Especially, RC beams with prestressed and anchored CFRP plates increase ultimate strength and ductility significantly.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2017

Current form of Corrugated-strip connectors are not popular due to the fact that the two ends of this form need to be welded to steel face plates. To overcome this difficulty, a new system is proposed in this work. In this system, bi-directional corrugated-strip connectors are used in pairs, and only one of their ends is welded to the steel face plates on each side. The other end is embedded in the concrete core. To assemble the system, common welding devices are required, and welding process can be performed in the construction sites. By performing the Push-out test under static loading, the authors experimentally assess the effects of geometric parameters on ductility, failure modes and the ultimate shear strength of the aforesaid connectors. For this purpose, sixteen experimental samples are prepared and investigated. For fifteen of these samples, one end of the shear connectors is welded to steel face plates, and the other end is embedded in the concrete. Another experimental sample is prepared in which both ends are welded to the steel face plates. According to the achieved results, several relations are proposed for predicting the ultimate shear strength and load vs. interlayer slip (load-slip) behavior of corrugated-strip connectors. Moreover, these formulas are compared with those of the well-known codes and standards. Accordingly, it is concluded that the authors' relations are more reliable.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.181-192
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• 2017

A beam splice method using inclined end-plates and high-strength tension bolts was developed. The end-plates welded to a bracket and a spliced beam are connected each other by using the tension bolts. In the present study, six exterior beam-to-column moment connections were tested under cyclic loading. Test parameters were the end-plate details and bolt arrangements. All specimens were designed so that moment resistances of the end-plates and bolts were greater than the required moment at the beam splice, in accordance with the design methods of AISC Design Guide 4. Test results showed that in the beam splices with the extended end-plates, the beam moment successfully transferred to the bracket, without any defeats such as excessive prying action of the end plates and brittle failure at the end plate-to-beam flange weld joints. However, the deformation capacities of the overall beam-to-column connections were limited due to the brittle failure of the beam-to-column flange weld joints. From the test results, recommendations for seismic design and detailing of the beam-to-column moment connection with inclined end-plate beam splice were given.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.25-43
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• 2016

This paper presents the results of an experimental study investigating the effects of anchorage systems used in externally bonded steel plates on the strength and ductility of reinforced concrete structures. In the literature, diagonal steel plates bonded to frames were designed to be more flexible than the connections to eliminate the possible effect of the connection flexibility. However, to better evaluate the performance of the strengthened structures, the strength and behavior of connections should also be considered. The purpose of this study was to experimentally investigate the effects of different connection types of steel plates bonded to the frame using anchors on the strengthened RC structures. For this purpose, eleven specimens were designed to simulate the interior and exterior connection behavior. Two of these were used as the control beams and remaining nine for the investigation of the functionality of the end steel plates. Experimental results show that the load carrying capacity of the strengthened beams is directly related to the connection types of the steel plates. For the interior connections, L-shaped end plates that were strengthened using steel anchors must have adequate stiffness to prevent its shape. While, for the exterior connections, the connection with three anchors carried more load than the other exterior connections.