Crown reconfiguration and trunk stress in deciduous trees

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1275-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Kane ◽  
Michael Pavlis ◽  
J. Roger Harris ◽  
John R. Seiler

In light of the risk of litigation following damage related to tree failure in urban and suburban settings, more empirical data related to tree risk assessment are needed. We measured drag and drag-induced bending moment (M) and calculated drag coefficient (CD) and trunk stress (σ) for three deciduous trees at wind speeds up to 22.4 m/s. We measured the modulus of rupture (MOR) of wood samples from trunks and calculated the factor of safety (SF = MOR / σ) for each tree. We also investigated which tree morphometric variables best predicted drag and M and whether simple two- and three-dimensional shapes accurately represented actual tree crowns. Drag, CD, M, σ, and SF differed among species in accordance with physical parameters. More massive trees experienced greater drag and M, but σ was greater for trees with smaller trunk diameters. Tree mass reliably predicted drag and M; crown dimensions, including crown area, were less reliable predictors. Crown reconfiguration varied only slightly among species, and CD values were similar to previously reported values for trees of similar size. Our study has important applications for practitioners who manage tree risk, particularly the critical wind speeds and percentage of trunk cross-sectional area that could be decayed before trunk failure.

2011 ◽  
Vol 671 ◽  
pp. 254-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
ONKAR SAHNI ◽  
JOSHUA WOOD ◽  
KENNETH E. JANSEN ◽  
MICHAEL AMITAY

A complementary experimental and numerical investigation was performed to study the three-dimensional flow structures and interactions of a finite-span synthetic jet in a crossflow at a chord-based Reynolds number of 100,000 and a 0° angle of attack. Six blowing ratios in the range of 0.2–1.2 were considered. Experiments were conducted on a finite wing with a cross-sectional profile of NACA 4421, where particle-image velocimetry data were collected at the centre jet. To complement the experiments, three-dimensional numerical simulations were performed, where the numerical set-up matched not only the physical parameters (e.g. free stream) but also the physical dimensions (e.g. orientation and location of the jet. For the low blowing ratio cases, spatial non-uniformities developed, due to the finite span of the slit, which led to the formation of small and organized secondary structures or a streak-like pattern in the mean flow. On the other hand, for the high blowing ratio range, turbulent vortical structures were dominant, leading to larger spanwise structures, with a larger spanwise wavelength. Moreover, the phase-locked flow fields exhibited a train of counter-rotating coherent vortices that lifted off the surface as they advected downstream. In the mid-blowing ratio range, combined features of the low range (near the slit) and high range (in downstream locations) were found, where a pair of counter-rotating vortices issued in the same jet cycle collided with each other. In all cases, the spanwise extent of the secondary coherent structures reduced with downstream distance with a larger decrease at higher blowing ratios. Similar observations were made in earlier studies on finite-span synthetic jets in quiescent conditions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ece Sagol ◽  
Marcelo Reggio ◽  
Adrian Ilinca

The very first step in the simulation of ice accretion on a wind turbine blade is the accurate prediction of the flow field around it and the performance of the turbine rotor. The paper addresses this prediction using RANS equations with a proper turbulence model. The numerical computation is performed using a commercial CFD code, and the results are validated using experimental data for the 3D flow field around the NREL Phase VI HAWT rotor. For the flow simulation, a rotating reference frame method, which calculates the flow properties as time-averaged quantities, has been used to reduce the time spent on the analysis. A basic grid convergence study is carried out to select the adequate mesh size. The two-equation turbulence models available in ANSYS FLUENT are compared for a 7 m/s wind speed, and the one that best represents the flow features is then used to determine moments on the turbine rotor at five wind speeds (7 m/s, 10 m/s, 15 m/s, 20 m/s, and 25 m/s). The results are validated against experimental data, in terms of shaft torque, bending moment, and pressure coefficients at certain spanwise locations. Streamlines over the cross-sectional airfoils have also been provided for the stall speed to illustrate the separation locations. In general, results have shown good agreement with the experimental data for prestall speeds.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 784-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Liu ◽  
M. R. Johnson ◽  
E. A. Matida ◽  
S. Kherani ◽  
J. Marsan

A novel, standardized geometry of the human nasal cavity was created by aligning and processing 30 sets of computed tomography (CT) scans of nasal airways of healthy subjects. Digital three-dimensional (3-D) geometries of the 60 single human nasal cavities (30 right and 30 mirrored left cavities) were generated from the CT scans and measurements of physical parameters of each single nasal cavity were performed. A methodology was developed to scale, orient, and align the nasal geometries, after which 2-D digital coronal cross-sectional slices were generated. With the use of an innovative image processing algorithm, median cross-sectional geometries were created to match median physical parameters while retaining the unique geometric features of the human nasal cavity. From these idealized 2-D images, an original 3-D standardized median human nasal cavity was created. This new standardized geometry was compared against the original geometries of all subjects as well as limited existing data from the literature. The new model has potential for use as a geometric standard in future experimental and numerical studies of deposition of inhaled aerosols, as well as for use as a reference during diagnosis of unhealthy patients. The specific procedure developed could also be applied to build standard nasal geometries for different identifiable groups within the larger population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penglin Li ◽  
Yuquan Lu ◽  
Jinxing Lai ◽  
Houquan Liu ◽  
Ke Wang

Shield tunneling adjacent to pile groups is always an unavoidable problem in urban metro construction. A case was found in the project of Tianjin Metro Line 7, where a shield tunnel would be constructed near the existing pile groups of Shiyou Bridge. The whole shield tunnel is close to pile groups, and the minimum distance is only 0.8 m. Therefore, four kinds of protective schemes are proposed in this paper. It is vital to select an appropriate protective scheme to guarantee the safety during the tunnel construction. In this study, the main mechanical characteristic and physical parameters of site soil were obtained through laboratory tests. Besides, the three-dimensional finite element method was carried out to compare and analyze the effectiveness of the protective schemes in mitigating the effects of tunneling on adjacent pile groups. The results show that the deep-hole grouting scheme has better control effect on the lateral deformation and bending moment of piles, while the pile foundation underpinning scheme has better effectiveness on reducing the settlement of bridge structure and ground deformation. Finally, the deep-hole grouting reinforcement scheme will be adopted to ensure the shield passing through the pile groups smoothly.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 757
Author(s):  
Maged Sultan Alhammadi ◽  
Abeer Abdulkareem Al-mashraqi ◽  
Rayid Hussain Alnami ◽  
Nawaf Mohammad Ashqar ◽  
Omar Hassan Alamir ◽  
...  

The study sought to assess whether the soft tissue facial profile measurements of direct Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and wrapped CBCT images of non-standardized facial photographs are accurate compared to the standardized digital photographs. In this cross-sectional study, 60 patients with an age range of 18–30 years, who were indicated for CBCT, were enrolled. Two facial photographs were taken per patient: standardized and random (non-standardized). The non-standardized ones were wrapped with the CBCT images. The most used soft tissue facial profile landmarks/parameters (linear and angular) were measured on direct soft tissue three-dimensional (3D) images and on the photographs wrapped over the 3D-CBCT images, and then compared to the standardized photographs. The reliability analysis was performed using concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) and depicted graphically using Bland–Altman plots. Most of the linear and angular measurements showed high reliability (0.91 to 0.998). Nevertheless, four soft tissue measurements were unreliable; namely, posterior gonial angle (0.085 and 0.11 for wrapped and direct CBCT soft tissue, respectively), mandibular plane angle (0.006 and 0.0016 for wrapped and direct CBCT soft tissue, respectively), posterior facial height (0.63 and 0.62 for wrapped and direct CBCT soft tissue, respectively) and total soft tissue facial convexity (0.52 for both wrapped and direct CBCT soft tissue, respectively). The soft tissue facial profile measurements from either the direct 3D-CBCT images or the wrapped CBCT images of non-standardized frontal photographs were accurate, and can be used to analyze most of the soft tissue facial profile measurements.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3404
Author(s):  
Majid Hejazian ◽  
Eugeniu Balaur ◽  
Brian Abbey

Microfluidic devices which integrate both rapid mixing and liquid jetting for sample delivery are an emerging solution for studying molecular dynamics via X-ray diffraction. Here we use finite element modelling to investigate the efficiency and time-resolution achievable using microfluidic mixers within the parameter range required for producing stable liquid jets. Three-dimensional simulations, validated by experimental data, are used to determine the velocity and concentration distribution within these devices. The results show that by adopting a serpentine geometry, it is possible to induce chaotic mixing, which effectively reduces the time required to achieve a homogeneous mixture for sample delivery. Further, we investigate the effect of flow rate and the mixer microchannel size on the mixing efficiency and minimum time required for complete mixing of the two solutions whilst maintaining a stable jet. In general, we find that the smaller the cross-sectional area of the mixer microchannel, the shorter the time needed to achieve homogeneous mixing for a given flow rate. The results of these simulations will form the basis for optimised designs enabling the study of molecular dynamics occurring on millisecond timescales using integrated mix-and-inject microfluidic devices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soh Edwin Mukiawa ◽  
Cyril Dennis Enyi ◽  
Tijani Abdulaziz Apalara

AbstractWe investigate a thermoelastic Bresse system with viscoelastic damping acting on the shear force and heat conduction acting on the bending moment. We show that with weaker conditions on the relaxation function and physical parameters, the solution energy has general and optimal decay rates. Some examples are given to illustrate the findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Li ◽  
Guanzhi Liu ◽  
Run Tian ◽  
Ning Kong ◽  
Yue Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Our objective was to obtain normal patellofemoral measurements to analyse sex and individual differences. In addition, the absolute values and indices of tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distances are still controversial in clinical application. A better method to enable precise prediction is still needed. Methods Seventy-eight knees of 78 participants without knee pathologies were included in this cross-sectional study. A CT scan was conducted for all participants and three-dimensional knee models were constructed using Mimics and SolidWorks software. We measured and analysed 19 parameters including the TT-TG distance and dimensions and shapes of the patella, femur, tibia, and trochlea. LASSO regression was used to predict the normal TT-TG distances. Results The dimensional parameters, TT-TG distance, and femoral aspect ratio of the men were significantly larger than those of women (all p values < 0.05). However, after controlling for the bias from age, height, and weight, there were no significant differences in TT-TG distances and anterior-posterior dimensions between the sexes (all p values > 0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficients between the anterior femoral offset and other indexes were consistently below 0.3, indicating no relationship or a weak relationship. Similar results were observed for the sulcus angle and the Wiberg index. Using LASSO regression, we obtained four parameters to predict the TT-TG distance (R2 = 0.5612, p < 0.01) to achieve the optimal accuracy and convenience. Conclusions Normative data of patellofemoral morphology were provided for the Chinese population. The anterior-posterior dimensions of the women were thicker than those of men for the same medial-lateral dimensions. More attention should be paid to not only sex differences but also individual differences, especially the anterior condyle and trochlea. In addition, this study provided a new method to predict TT-TG distances accurately.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 704
Author(s):  
Wenjun An ◽  
Guquan Song ◽  
Shutong Chen

Given the influence of near-fault vertical seismic action, we established a girder-spring-damping-rod model of a double-span continuous girder bridge and used the transient wave function expansion method and indirect modal function method to calculate the seismic response of the bridge. We deduced the theoretical solution for the vertical and longitudinal contact force and displacement response of the bridge structure under the action of the near-fault vertical seismic excitation, and we analyzed the influence of the vertical separation of the bridge on the bending failure of the pier. Our results show that under the action of a near-fault vertical earthquake, pier-girder separation will significantly alter the bridge’s longitudinal displacement response, and that neglecting this separation may lead to the underestimation of the pier’s bending damage. Calculations of the bending moment at the bottom of the pier under different pier heights and cross-sectional diameters showed that the separation of the pier and the girder increases the bending moment at the pier’s base. Therefore, the reasonable design of the pier size and tensile support bearing in near-fault areas may help to reduce longitudinal damage to bridges.


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