• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.437-454
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• 2023

Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS), which has the advantages of a substructure pseudo-dynamic test, is widely used to investigate the rate-dependent mechanical response of structures under earthquake excitation. However, time delay in RTHS can cause inaccurate results and experimental instabilities. Thus, this study proposes a model-based adaptive control strategy using a Kalman filter (KF) to minimize the time delay and improve RTHS stability and accuracy. In this method, the adaptive control strategy consists of three parts-a feedforward controller based on the discrete inverse model of a servohydraulic actuator and physical specimen, a parameter estimator using the KF, and a feedback controller. The KF with the feedforward controller can significantly reduce the variable time delay due to its fast convergence and high sensitivity to the error between the desired displacement and the measured one. The feedback control can remedy the residual time delay and minimize the method's dependence on the inverse model, thereby improving the robustness of the proposed control method. The tracking performance and parametric studies are conducted using the benchmark problem in RTHS. The results reveal that better tracking performance can be obtained, and the KF's initial settings have limited influence on the proposed strategy. Virtual RTHSs are conducted with linear and nonlinear physical substructures, respectively, and the results indicate brilliant tracking performance and superb robustness of the proposed method.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.859-872
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• 2015

Pebble matrix filtration (PMF) is a water treatment technology that can remove suspended solids in highly turbid surface water during heavy storms. PMF typically uses sand and natural pebbles as filter media. Hand-made clay pebbles (balls) can be used as alternatives to natural pebbles in PMF treatment plants, where natural pebbles are not readily available. Since the high turbidity is a seasonal problem that occurs during heavy rains, the use of newly developed composite clay balls instead of pure clay balls have the advantage of removing other pollutants such as natural organic matter (NOM) during other times. Only the strength properties of composite clay balls are described here as the pollutant removal is beyond the scope of this paper. These new composite clay balls must be able to withstand dead and live loads under dry and saturated conditions in a filter assembly. Absence of a standard ball preparation process and expected strength properties of composite clay balls were the main reasons behind the present study. Five different raw materials from industry wastes: Red Mud (RM), Water Treatment Alum Sludge (S), Shredded Paper (SP), Saw Dust (SD), and Sugar Mulch (SM) were added to common clay brick mix (BM) in different proportions. In an effort to minimize costs, in this study clay balls were fired to $1100^{\circ}C$ at a local brick factory together with their bricks. A comprehensive experimental program was performed to evaluate crushing strength of composite hand-made clay balls, using uniaxial compression test to establish the best material combination on the basis of strength properties for designing sustainable filter media for water treatment plants. Performance at both construction and operating stages were considered by analyzing both strength properties under fully dry conditions and strength degradation after saturation in a water bath. The BM-75% as the main component produced optimum combination in terms of workability and strength. With the material combination of BM-75% and additives-25%, the use of Red Mud and water treatment sludge as additives produced the highest and lowest strength of composite clay balls, with a failure load of 5.4 kN and 1.4 kN respectively. However, this lower value of 1.4 kN is much higher than the effective load on each clay ball of 0.04 kN in a typical filter assembly (safety factor of 35), therefore, can still be used as a suitable filter material for enhanced pollutant removal.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

An understanding of particle-particle interactions in filtration requires studying the detachment as well as the attachment of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles captured in a granular media filter can be released by changing the physicochemical factors. In this study, the detachment of captured silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in granular media filtration was examined under different ionic strengths, ion type, and the presence or absence of natural organic matter (NOM). Filtration velocity and ionic strength were chosen as the physical and chemical factors to cause the detachment. Increasing filtration velocity caused a negligible amount of AgNP detachment. On the other hand, lowering ionic strength showed different release amounts depending on the background ions, implying a population of loosely captured particles inside the filter bed. Overall detachment was affected by ionic strength and ion type, and to a lesser degree by NOM coating which resulted in slightly more detachment (in otherwise identical conditions) than in the absence of that coating, possibly by steric effects. The secondary energy minimum with Na ions was deeper and wider than with Ca ions, probably due to the lack of complexation with citrate and charge neutralization that would be caused by Ca ions. This result implies that the change in chemical force by reducing ionic strength of Na ions could significantly enhance the detachment compared to that caused by a change in physical force, due to a weak electrostatic deposition between nanoparticles and filter media. A modification of the 1-D filtration model to incorporate a detachment term showed good agreement with experimental data; estimating the detachment coefficients for that model suggested that the detachment rate could be similar regardless of the amount of previously captured AgNPs.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.449-459
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• 2017

High-rise buildings are generally sensitive to strong winds. The evaluation of wind loads for the structural design, structural health monitoring (SHM), and vibration control of high-rise buildings is of primary importance. Nevertheless, it is difficult or even infeasible to measure the wind loads on an existing building directly. In this regard, a new inverse method for evaluating wind loads on high-rise buildings is developed in this study based on a discrete-time Kalman filter. The unknown structural responses are identified in conjunction with the wind loads on the basis of limited structural response measurements. The algorithm is applicable for estimating wind loads using different types of wind-induced response. The performance of the method is comprehensively investigated based on wind tunnel testing results of two high-rise buildings with typical external shapes. The stability of the proposed algorithm is evaluated. Furthermore, the effects of crucial factors such as cross-section shapes of building, the wind-induced response type, errors of structural modal parameters, covariance matrix of noise, noise levels in the response measurements and number of vibration modes on the identification accuracy are examined through a detailed parametric study. The research outputs of the proposed study will provide valuable information to enhance our understanding of the effects of wind on high-rise buildings and improve codes of practice.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2018

This study attempted to evaluate the process of self-forming dynamic membrane formation on mesh filter in membrane bioreactor with a two-stage method of batch (agitation) and continues (aeration) stage at different sludge concentrations. Four concentrations of activated sludge including $6{\pm}0.4$, $8{\pm}0.5$, $10{\pm}0.3$, $14{\pm}0.3g/L$ were used to demonstrate the optimal concentration of sludge for treating municipal wastewater and reducing fouling in dynamic membrane bioreactor. The formation time and effluent turbidity were decreased in the batch stage when increasing the activated sludge concentration. The minimum values of formation time and effluent turbidity were 14 min and 43 NTU for the optimum mixed liqueur suspended solids of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$, respectively. To improve operational condition and fouling reduction in the aeration stage, critical fluxes were measured for all concentrations by flux-step method. With increasing the sludge concentration, the relevant critical fluxes reduced. The optimum subcritical flux of $30L/m^2/h$ was applied as operating flux in the second stage. The maximum COD removal efficiency of 98% was achieved by the concentration of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$. Compressibility index of self-forming dynamic membrane and transmembrane pressure trend remained somewhat constant until the optimal concentration of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$ and thereafter they increased steeply.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.693-701
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• 2020

The conventional Kalman Filter (KF) provides a promising way for structural state estimation. However, the physical parameters of structural systems or models should be available for the estimation. Moreover, it is not applicable when the loadings applied to the structures are unknown. To circumvent the aforementioned limitations, a two-stage KF with unknown input approach is proposed for the simultaneous identification of structural parameters and unknown loadings. In stage 1, a modified observation equation is employed. The structural state vector is estimated by KF on the basis of structural parameters identified at the previous time-step. Then, the unknown input is identified by Least Squares Estimation (LSE). In stage 2, based on the concept of sensitivity matrix, the structural parameters are updated at the current time-step by using the estimated structural states obtained from stage 1. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is numerically validated via a five-story shearing model under random and earthquake excitations. Shaking table tests on a five-story structure are also employed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach. It is demonstrated from numerical and experimental results that the proposed approach can be used for the identification of parameters of structure and the external force applied to it with acceptable accuracy.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.201-210
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• 2023

Dust filter membranes play a crucial role in human life and various industries, as they contribute to several important aspects of human health, safety, and environmental protection. This study presents the development of a polysulfone@polyphenylene sulfide/polytetrafluoroethylene (PSf@PPS/ePTFE) composite dust filter membrane with excellent thermal stability and adhesion properties for high-temperature conditions. FT-IR analysis confirms successful impregnation of PSf adhesive onto PPS fabric and interaction with ePTFE support. FE-SEM images reveal improved fiber interconnection and adhesion with increased PSf concentration. PSf@PPS/ePTFE-5 exhibits the most suitable porous structure. The composite membrane demonstrates exceptional thermal stability up to 400℃. Peel resistance tests show sufficient adhesion for dust filtration, ensuring reliable performance under tough, high-temperature conditions without compromising air permeability. This membrane offers promising potential for industrial applications. Further optimizations and applications can be explored.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.15 no.3 s.71
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• pp.38-45
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• 2006

The thermal filter press dewatering(TFPD) technology to improve the dewaterability through increasing the inner vapor pressure, lowering the filtration viscosity and forming the porosity easily within cake as applying the heat at the sludge layer was developed in this study. The hot water with temperature of $95^{\circ}C$ and pressure of $1.2kg_f/cm^2$ was supplied to the heating plate equipped between filter plates with plate size of $470{\times}470mm$ and material of polypropylene. Sludge was dewaterd by supplying pressure of $5kg_f/cm^2$ and then by squeezing pressure of $15kg_f/cm^2$. As a results of estimating the characteristics of thermal dewatering to consider the initial water content and organic content to be influenced by a period of water shortage and rainwater, the dewatered cake water content was about 35 wt% and dewatering velocity was $4DSkg/m^2{\cdot}hr$ under the rainwater period, and the dewatered cake water content was about 50 wt% and dewatering velocity was $1.5DSkg/m^2{\cdot}hr$ in the case of sludge of water shortage season. These results was superior to the mechanical dewatering performance with water content of 70wt% and dewatering velocity of $0.9DSkg/m^2{\cdot}hr$. On the base of the results of TFPD, energy consumpted to deal with DS(Dry Solid) of 1kg was estimated by 300 kJ. It was analyzed that the energy consumption of TFPD was decreased about one third with comparison to the dryer system. Dewatering velocity of this technology was faster than the one of mechanical dewatering equipment and it was easier to product low water content cake. Therefore, this technology was recognized that dewaterability was predominant because of the fast of dewatering velocity and production of low water content cake, and also this known as economical efficiency was excellent because of low energy consumption in comparison with dryer.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.129-147
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• 2010

This study deals with the viability of using a designed geometrical model consists of plane, polar coordinates (PC) and span length in the determination of bridges deformation. The data of a Tianjin Yonghe bridge located in the southern part of China as collected by RTK-DGPS technique and Accelerometer were used in the analysis. Kalman filter and fast Fourier transformation (FFT) analyses were used to determine the frequency. The results indicate that the designed plane and PC geometrical model are easy to calculate the long-time structural deformation monitoring. In addition, the observed frequency using GPS with the rate of 20 Hz doesn't give correction natural frequency of the observation structures.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.347-366
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• 2015

GPS and strong-motion sensors are broadly used for the monitoring of structural health and Earth surface motions, focusing on response of structures, earthquake characterization and rupture modeling. Several studies have shown the consistency of the two data sets within at certain frequency (e.g., 0.03