Study of Flow Characteristics Over a Rounded Edge Drop Structure in Open Channel

Flow over a drop structure is a form of free overfall called hydraulic drop. Hydraulic drop changes the nature of flow abruptly from sub-critical to super-critical condition. Rapidly varied flow analysis is a complex phenomenon and involves remarkable characteristics. Some of the drop structures constructed in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan had gone through diverse failures, consequential in interruption of water supply to irrigation fields encountering substantial economic loss. In the present study experiments were carried out in the hydraulic laboratory of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology on round edged drop structure fitted in a horizontal rectangular flume (channel model). Data regarding hydraulic drop and hydraulic jump characteristics were collected during the experiment. The observed data included: flow discharge (Q), radius of rounded edge drop structure (r), height of the structure (h), hydraulic drop length (Ld), hydraulic jump length (Lj), depth of flow at toe of the jump (Y1) and tailwater depth (Y2). Applying dimensional analysis, the non-dimensional parameters of the observed data were calculated. Using statistical analysis, empirical relationships among the non-dimensional parameters were established for the appropriate design of the drop structure. The research results showed that the length and depth indices are functions of D=q2gh3 and r/h values. It was also found that for rounded-edge drop structure, the length of the stilling basin (LSB) reduces as r/h ratio increases

Three Dimensional Finite Element Simulation of Strip Shape and Flatness of High Strength Steel

High-strength steel is a type of alloy steel that provides better mechanical properties or greater resistance to corrosion than carbon steel. Strip shape is an important factor affecting the strip quality significantly for the rolled products. Because of the complex influence factors of plate shape and profile, shape detection and control technology have not been solved, especially for high strength steel rolling. In this paper, a novel three dimensional finite element simulation of the strip shape and flatness of high strength steel has been proposed. The material constitutive model has been built up based on experimental results through the Gleeble 3800 Thermal Simulator under different temperatures and stain rates. The modelling of roll elastic deformation system, roll gap profile and edge drop has been set up systematically considering the influence of the work roll transverse shifting and roll bending. Results have shown that both higher bending force and more roll shifting will significantly reduce the strip crown, and obtain improved edge drop distribution as well. The proposed numerical model has been validated through hot rolling experiments in 4-high rolling mills.

Influence of profile indicators of hot-rolled strip on transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled silicon steel

In order to evaluate the transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled strips according to the information of hot-rolled strips and scientifically guide the setting of the indicators of the hot-rolled silicon strip, the influence model about the relation of the transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled strip to the profile indicators of hot-rolled strip is established in this paper based on simulation results. The transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled strip predicted based on the influence model have strong correspondences to the measured data. Based on the influence model and the statistical analysis of the measured data, the control criterion of the profile indicators of hot-rolled silicon steel according to the requirements for the transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled strip are finally recommended. The simulation results show that the transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled strip is quadratic nonlinearly related to the wedge and crown of hot-rolled strip. The influence model and statistical data analysis indicate that reducing the edge-drop of hot-rolled strip is beneficial to restrain the transverse thickness difference of cold-rolled strip.

Edge-Drop Control Behavior for Silicon Strip Cold Rolling with a Sendzimir Mill

Edge-drop control is important for silicon strip cold rolling, as the silicon strip is mainly used as a laminated core. Moreover, cold rolling is the key process for the thin strip edge-drop control, and a Sendzimir mill is one of the most popular cold rolling mills for silicon strips. Thus, the mastery of edge-drop control behavior for silicon strip cold rolling with a Sendzimir mill is beneficial for the improvement of the strip profile quality. With the finite element method, two models are built to analyze the edge-drop control behavior, one is the roll system and strip integrated elastic-plastic deformation statics model, and the other is the strip plastic deformation dynamics model. The first model provides the roll gap contour for the second model, then the strip profile can be calculated in the second model, which considers the transverse flow of the metal. Firstly, the compositions of edge-drop for the silicon strip are analyzed systematically, which are the edge-drop for work roll bending, the edge-drop for work roll flattening, and the edge-drop for transverse flow of the metal. Secondly, the influence of different rolling process parameters on the three parts are analyzed, such as the entrance thickness, the rolling reduction, the rolling tension, and so on; further, the influence of the roll contours are also analyzed. Finally, the edge-drop control behavior of the different rolling process parameters and roll contours are obtained. The research results provide theoretical guidance for edge drop control in the Sendzimir mill.

Safety Evaluation of the SafetyEdge Treatment for Pavement Edge Drop-Offs on Two-Lane Rural Roads

This study estimated crash modification factors (CMFs) for the SafetyEdge paving technique that is applied for the treatment of pavement edge drop-offs on two-lane rural highways. An empirical Bayes observational before-after evaluation based on installation data in Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida found that the SafetyEdge treatment was associated with statistically significant reductions in fatal and injury (FI), run-off-the-road (ROR), opposite-direction (head-on and sideswipe), and drop-off-related crashes. The ROR CMF was also statistically significant for both horizontal curved and tangent sections. A disaggregate analysis examined the variation of the CMF for ROR with factors such as the travel lane width, traffic volume, presence of a horizontal curve, posted speed limit, and the pre-treatment ROR crash frequency. The results of that analysis indicated, for example, that the SafetyEdge paving technique appears to have a greater ROR safety benefit on two-lane rural roadway segments with average annual daily traffic volumes greater than 3,000 vehicles per day, relative to roadway segments with lower traffic volumes. A crash modification function (CMFunction) was calibrated with expected pre-treatment ROR crashes as the independent variable to simultaneously capture the relationship of the CMF for ROR crashes to multiple factors. An economic analysis found that the treatment is highly cost-effective.