Reducing the hydrodynamic force in the hydraulic distributor by modernizing the spool coupe parts

Due to a sharp change in the direction and velocity of the fluid flow in the hydraulic distributor, hydrodynamic forces arise. When positioning and holding the spool, the magnitude of the above forces determines the required control power. The aim of the article was to find an optimal constructive solution that would reduce the influence of hydrodynamic forces. In the article we have considered the theoretical foundations laid in the analytical solution of the problem of calculating the magnitude of the hydrodynamic force acting on the plunger of the spool. In addition, a numerical experiment was carried out using CAD Solidworks and the Flow Simulation application package and a comparison of the results obtained with the analytical solution of the problem. During the numerical experiment, it was found that by upgrading the spool sleeve, it is possible to reduce the value of the hydrodynamic force by 4.5 times, compared with the original design. At the same time, it was found that the modernization of the plunger does not further reduce the maximum hydrodynamic forces. The article highlights the economic benefits of reducing the required power to control the hydraulic distributor. The article may be of interest to both researchers whose research interests lie in the field of hydrodynamics, and manufacturers of hydraulics.

Influence of Water-Structure and Soil-Structure Interaction on Seismic Performance of Sea-Crossing Continuous Girder Bridge

Based on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao project, considering the fluid-structure interaction and soil-structure interaction, the seismic response of a sea-crossing continuous girder bridge is analyzed. Three-dimensional nonlinear numerical bridge model is developed, in which the hydrodynamic force is represented by added mass and pile-soil interaction is represented by p-y elements. Meanwhile, stratification of soil is considered in the free field analysis. Through the comparison of responses of the bridge cases, the effects of earthquake-induced hydrodynamic force and pile-soil interaction are studied. For the influence of hydrodynamic force, the results show that it is relatively slight as compared with pile-soil interaction; moreover pile foundation is more sensitive to it than other bridge components. The influence of pile-soil interaction is relatively significant. When both of the interactions are considered, the influence is not a simple superposition of acting alone, so it is recommended to consider both factors in dynamic analysis.

Hydro-Damage Properties of Red-Bed Mudstone Failures Induced by Nonlinear Seepage and Diffusion Effect

Nonlinear catastrophes caused by geological fluids are a fundamental issue in rock mechanics and the geoengineering hazard field. For the consideration of hydrodynamic force on red-bed mudstone softening damage, X-ray visualization test on the fissure flow in mudstone block failure under hydrodynamic force was performed in this study based on block scale and the physical phenomena of fissure seepage and nonlinear diffusion were further explored. A new method for evaluating the hydro-damage degrees of rocks using an X-ray image analysis was proposed, and the quantitative relation of diffusion coefficients of hydro-damage and seepage was established. The research results revealed that the hydrodynamic force promoted the fluid-filled fissure behavior in mudstone specimen failure. Also, the seepage and diffusion phenomena of fluid in rocks during failures were indicated using X-ray imaging. A dual mechanical behavior was presented in the nonlinear seepage and abnormal diffusion of a red mudstone geological body under hydrodynamic conditions. The damaged degree of mudstone was aggravated by the effect of hydrodynamic force, and the initial seepage–diffusion coefficient with respect to lower hydro-damage was larger than the final seepage–diffusion coefficient with respect to higher hydro-damage of rocks with a decreasing nonlinear trend.