土的工程力学性质的颗粒流模拟

基于颗粒流理论,引入不同的颗粒接触连接本构模型,分别建立了砂土和粘性土的颗粒流模型．通过颗粒流数值模型试验,对砂土和粘性土的室内平面应变试验及其剪切带形成和发展进行了数值模拟,分别对比了不同围压下颗粒流试样与室内试验的应力应变关系曲线,基本再现了砂土和粘性土试样应力．应变关系．通过砂土和粘性土PFC试样剪切带模拟表明,当围压较小时试样内部颗粒位移量小而且分布范围较广,当围压增大时,试样内部颗粒位移量也增大,而且发生较大位移颗粒的分布范围趋于集中,同时随着围压的增大试样内部形成明显的剪切带．无论砂土还是粘性土的PFC试样,随着围压的增加剪切带的形状趋于集中,而且剪切带宽度在减小．在围压很小时,试样内形成大的破坏区域,在围压较大时出现明显的线破坏区．这些规律基本与室内试验结果相似。     

Elaboration of nanometric amorphous silica from quartz-based minerals using the fluorination method

A method of elaboration of nanometric amorphous silica is proposed using a rational processing of quartz-based ores with the help of a fluorination method. The different steps of the process are described, including the kinetics of the interaction mechanism of ammonium bifluoride with the initial raw materials, the sublimation of ammonium fluorosilicate and the formation of nanometric amorphous silica. Rate constants and activation energy of the chemical reactions are calculated.     

The influence of inert solids on ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The catalytic role of various inert solid supports on acceleration of alcohol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. The enhanced rate of alcohol production was dependent on the nature of the support as well as on the amount used. Among all the tested supports, chitosan flakes showed the maximum yield of alcohol (93% of theoretical yield). This higher rate of alcohol production was associated with the twofold increase in the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase over control. Our results suggest that the addition of a small fraction of solids in submerged fermentations to facilitate cell anchorage for enhanced metabolic activity is easier and more economical compared to cell immobilization processes. IICT Communication No. 4266. Some of the results in this article are covered under a patent.     

Finite-element modelling of soil-geogrid interaction dealing with the pullout behaviour of geogrids

A two dimensional plane-stress finite-element type of analysis is presented to predict the behaviour of geogrids embedded in sand under pullout loading conditions. In the analysis the interactions between soil and geogrid are simulated by non-linear springs. The stiffnesses of the springs can be determined from simple tests in a specially designed pullout box. The proposed finite element (FE) analysis is applied to interpret test results from a large scale pullout test rig. The predicted behaviour of the geogrid under pullout load agrees well with the observed data including the load-displacement properties, the displacement distribution along the longitudinal direction and the mobilisation of the frictional and bearing resistance.     

Sand Erosion in Axial Flow Conditions

A mathematical model of sand erosion in axial flow conditions is presented. The basic mass balance equations and sand erosion constitutive equation were given in Vardoulakis et al. (1996). As opposed to reference Vardoulakis et al. (1996), we consider here the extreme case where convection is null and hydrodynamic dispersion dominates. In addition, Brinkman's extension of Darcy's law is adopted to account for a smooth transition between channel flow and Darcian flow. The set of governing PDE's is presented in dimensionless form and is solved numerically. In concordance with the basic constitutive equation for erosion kinetics, the analysis shows that erosion progresses in time as a front of high transport concentration. This result is justified by the highly non-linear character of the erosion source term which dominates in the diffusion-like governing equation.     

Research Note: Mobility of Herbicide Microcapsules in Saturated Granular Media

The mobility of the microcapsules in saturated granular media was estimated on the basis of conventional breakthrough experiments in vertical columns packed with sands for various physical and chemical conditions. Four types of microcapsules have been tested, all of them were found to have reasonable mobility in clean quartz sand, but not in sandy soil. The immobility in the sandy soil was attributed to some production deficiencies in terms of shape, size and quality of the coating surface. The size of the microcapsules should be considerably smaller than those produced with an order of magnitude of a few micrometers. They should also be more spherical and with a smoother surface. The addition of a proper dispersant had stabilized the microcapsules suspension, and facilitated their transport in the sand. A major flow factor affecting microcapsules mobility is the water flux. The microcapsules should be applied at a high irrigation rate, which also implies a high water content in the soil profile. Considering solely the mobility aspect, it seems that the prospect for successful application of the new method for weed control is limited to granular soils with a high hydraulic conductivity at/or near saturation. However, for the time being the most limiting problem is the production of quality microcapsules with good physical and chemical properties.     

Autoradiographische Untersuchungen zur Vermisechung von Baustoffkomponenten

Die Feinverteilung des Kalkes im Kalk-Quarzsand-Gemisch ist eine notwendige Bedingung fur hohe erreichbare Festigkeit der Silikatbaustoffe. Vergleiehende Untersuchungen über die Kalkverteilung an neutronenaktivierten feinkörnigen Baustoffproben mit Hilfe von Szintillationsmessungen des ⁴⁷Ca-Gehaltes und mittels autoradiographischer Darstellung der Kalkverteilung in kleinen Prüfkörpern unter Ausnützung der relativ weichen β-Strahlung des ⁴⁵Ca ergaben, daβ die autoradiographischen Aussagen über die Homogenität der Proben am besten mit den Festigkeitsiwerten der Prüfkörper korrespondieren.     

Modeling of Wormhole Growth in Cold Production

Cold production is a non-thermal process in which sand is intentionally produced with the oil in order to enhance oil recovery. Two experiments were performed to investigate the effect of producing large quantities of sand on the overall permeability of a formation. A large high porosity channel (wormhole) was observed in both experiments. A model of wormhole growth was successfully tested in two sand production experiments simulating the growth of a wormhole from a perforation in a vertical well. The produced volumes of oil, sand and gas, the pressure distribution along the pack and the final length of the wormholes were well predicted. The two sand packs had significantly different cohesive strengths. The strength of the sand did not have a significant effect on the growth of the wormholes. The formation of tensile failure bands at the wormhole surface, as observed in the experiments, may weaken the sand and allow it to be fluidized more easily. This weakening effect would explain the lower pressure gradients calculated at the surface of the wormhole while it developed compared to the critical pressure gradient for sand production predicted by Bratli and Risnes (1981).     

组合单元法在砂井地基有限元分析中的应用

针对砂井地基的平面应变有限元分析，本文首次将组合单元法引入到砂井地基的分析中，提出砂墙组合单元。该单元对常规等参元进行改进，在单元内部同时考虑砂井的涂抹作用和井阻作用，从而克服了常规有限元法在计算砂井地基时单元数和节点数过多的缺点。将砂墙组合单元加入USAP有限元计算软件，工程算例分析结果表明：与已有的各砂井地基的平面应变解答和荷兰的基础工程有限元分析软件PLAXIS相比，解答合理并有效地考虑砂井的涂抹作用和井阻作用；与常规有限元法相比，在保证计算精度的前提下，减少了可观的单元数和节点数，降低了计算的工作量。     

On the Validity of Darcy's Law for Stable High-Concentration Displacements in Granular Porous Media

Recently, it has been suggested that Darcy's Law might not be applicable for modelling miscible, density-dependent flow in porous media. To investigate this, three sets of careful laboratory column experiments were performed on coarse and medium sands, consisting of upward displacement of water by sodium chloride solutions with concentrations ranging from 5 to 200g/l. Data on salt concentrations and water pressures were collected in horizontal transects along the flow direction. Salt concentration data were also collected in the influent and exit lines. The experimental data were analysed using a simplified approach based on Darcy's Law alone, applied with the assumption of a sharp interface. Darcy's Law was used to estimate porous medium permeability by fitting predictions to experimental data. Consistent estimates of permeability were obtained for each set of experiments. The results indicate that Darcy's Law adequately describes high concentration displacements through saturated coarse- and medium-grained porous media.