Analysis of Load Reduction of Floating Wind Turbines Using Passive Tuned Mass Dampers

An efficient method for restraining the large vibration displacements and loads of offshore floating wind turbines under harsh marine environment is proposed by putting tuned mass dampers in the cabin. A dynamics model for a barge-type offshore floating wind turbine with a fore–aft tuned mass damper is established based on Lagrange’s equations; the nonlinear least squares Leven berg–Marquardt algorithm is employed to identify the parameters of the wind turbine; different parameter optimization methods are adopted to optimize tuned mass damper parameters by considering the standard deviation of the tower top longitudinal displacement as the objective function. Aiming at five typical combined wind and wave load cases under normal running state of the wind turbine, the dynamic responses of the wind turbine with/without tuned mass damper are simulated and the suppression effect of the tuned mass damper is investigated over the wide range of load cases. The results show that when the wind turbine vibrates in the state of damped free vibration, the standard deviation of the tower top longitudinal displacement is decreased approximately 60% in 100 s by the optimized tuned mass damper with the optimum tuned mass damper mass ratio 1.8%. The standard deviation suppression rates of the longitudinal displacements and loads in the tower and blades increase with the tuned mass damper mass ratio when the wind turbine vibrates under the combined wind and wave load cases. When the mass ratio changes from 0.5% to 2%, the maximum suppression rates vary from 20% to 50% correspondingly, which effectively reduce vibration responses of the offshore floating wind turbine. The results of this article preliminarily verify the feasibilities of using a tuned mass damper for restraining vibration of the barge-type offshore floating wind turbine

Transient Response of Bridge Piers to Structure Separation under Near-Fault Vertical Earthquake

Given the possible separation problem caused by the double-span continuous beam bridge under the action of the vertical earthquake, considering the wave effect, the transient wave characteristic function method and the indirect mode superposition method are used to solve the response theory of the bridge structure during the earthquake. Through the example analysis, the pier bending moment changes under different vertical excitation periods and excitation amplitudes are calculated. Calculations prove that: (1) When the seismic excitation period is close to the vertical natural vibration period of the bridge, the main girder and the bridge pier may be separated; (2) When the pier has a high height, the separation has a more significant impact on the longitudinal displacement of the bridge, but the maximum relative displacement caused by the separation is random; (3) Large-scale vertical excitation will increase the number of partitions of the structure, and at the same time increase the vertical collision force between the main girder and the pier, but the effect on the longitudinal displacement of the form is uncertain; (4) When V/H exceeds a specific value, the pier will not only be damaged by bending, but will also be damaged by axial compression.

A Simplified Analysis Method for the Deformation Response of an Existing Tunnel to Ground Surcharge Based on the Pasternak Model

Surface surcharge changes the existing equilibrium stress field of the stratum and adversely affects the existing tunnel. This paper presents a simplified analytical solution for calculating the longitudinal displacement of existing tunnels that are subjected to adjacent surcharge loading. Based on the Boussinesq solution, the distribution of the additional load matrix caused by the surface surcharge on the existing tunnel was obtained. A Euler–Bernoulli beam with a Pasternak foundation was used as a simplified model for tunnel stress analysis. Using the corrected reaction coefficient of the foundation bed, the differential equation of tunnel deformation was established, and the solution matrix of the longitudinal displacement of the tunnel was obtained by using the finite difference method. The reliability and applicability of the proposed method were verified by comparing the results with finite element simulation results, field test data, and the calculation results of three simplified elastic analysis methods with different foundation bed coefficients. On this basis, the parameters of the load–tunnel model were analyzed, and the effects of the buried depth, the size of the load, the relative positions of the load and the tunnel, and the relative stiffness of the tunnel soil on the maximum displacement of the existing tunnel were calculated. An empirical formula is proposed for calculating the maximum longitudinal displacement of the existing tunnel subjected to surface surcharge. The findings of this research can provide a basis for the theoretical verification of the deformation response of an existing tunnel subjected to adjacent surface surcharge.

Research on the longitudinal mechanical behaviours of subway turnouts of large slope under train braking force

To study subway turnouts’ adaptability to steep gradients, a finite element model of a metro No. 9 simple turnout was established. The main works include: (1) The train’s most unfavourable loading condition was modelled. (2) The turnout’s longitudinal displacement and stress were analysed with different gradients under the train braking load, temperature change load and a combination of the two, to determine the structure’s safety and stability under the most unfavourable working conditions. (3) The turnout structure’s cumulative longitudinal deformation under reciprocating load was studied. Both a fastener longitudinal resistance-displacement experiment under reciprocating load and a numerical simulation of No. 9 turnout modelled by the finite element modelling software, ANSYS, were carried out to study the gradient’s influence on the turnout’s longitudinal mechanical characteristics. (1) The turnout’s longitudinal displacement and stress increase linearly with an increase in gradient and temperature change, both of which are unfavourable to the turnout structure. As the gradient increases from 0‰ to 30‰, the longitudinal stress and displacement increase by more than 10%. (2) The turnout’s rail strength and displacement on a 30‰ slope under the most unfavourable load conditions are within the specification limitations. (3) Under reciprocating load, the fastener longitudinal stiffness decreases and the maximum and residual longitudinal displacement of the switch rail increase; an increased gradient intensifies these effects on the turnout.

Transverse-Longitudinal Bending of Multilayered Concrete Rods and Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Rods

This paper considers the problem of transverselongitudinal bending of multilayered concrete rods with a constant cross-section under the impact of quasistatic loading and volume forces. The research is aimed to establish general relations between the distribution topology of materials in the construction and the required types of permissible operating conditions, such as permissible ultimate elastic deformations, permissible pre-destruction deformations, and maximum permissible deformations at the start of local destructions. This study demonstrates the importance of volume forces and the possibility of increasing the bearing capacity using the redistribution of materials of the investigated constructions. The given problems are solved by the Bubnov- Galerkin method. Each of the numerically calculated cases is illustrated by the graphs of the distribution of longitudinal displacement and deflections of the rods and the values of maximum and minimum deformations in each layer of the considered rods.