Enhanced Low-Frequency Sound Absorption of a Porous Layer Mosaicked with Perforated Resonator

A composite structure composed of a porous-material layer mosaicked with a perforated resonator is proposed to improve the low-frequency sound absorption of the porous layer. This structure is investigated in the form of a porous-material matrix (PM) and a perforated resonator (PR), and the PR is a thin perforated plate filled with porous material in its back cavity. Theoretical and numerical models are established to predict the acoustic impedance and sound absorption coefficient of the proposed structure, and two samples made of polyurethane and melamine, respectively, are tested in an impedance tube. The predicted results are consistent with that of the measured. Compared with a single porous layer with the same thickness, the results show that the designed structure provides an additional sound absorption peak at low frequencies. The proposed structure is compact and has an effective absorption bandwidth of more than two octaves especially below the frequency corresponding to 1/4 wavelength. A comparison is also made between the sound absorption coefficients of the proposed structure and a classical micro-perforated plate (MPP), and the results reveal equivalent acoustic performance, suggesting that it can be used as an alternative to the MPP for low–mid frequency sound absorption. Moreover, the influences of the main parameters on the sound absorption coefficient of PPCS are also analyzed, such as the hole diameter, area ratio, flow resistance, and porous-material thickness in the PR. The mechanism of sound absorption is discussed through the surface acoustic impedance and the distributions of particle velocity and sound pressure at several specific frequencies. This work provides a new idea for the applications of the thin porous layer in low- and medium-frequency sound absorption.

A semi-analytical model on the critical buckling load of perforated plates with opposite free edges

Perforated plates are widely used in thin-walled engineering structures, for example, for lightweight designs of structures and access for installation. For the purpose of analysis, such perforated plates with two opposite free edges might be considered as a series of successive Timoshenko beams. A new semi-analytical model was developed in this study using the Timoshenko shear beam theory for the critical buckling load of perforated plates, with the characteristic equations derived. Results of the proposed modelling were compared with those obtained by FEM and show good agreement. The influence of the dividing number of the successive beams on the accuracy of the critical buckling load was studied with respect to various boundary conditions. And the effect of geometrical parameters, such as the aspect ratio, the thickness-to-width ratio and the cutout-to-width ratio were also investigated. The study shows that the proposed semi-analytical model can be used for buckling analysis of a perforated plate with opposite free edges with the capacity to consider the shear effect in thick plates.

Evaluation of formulations for predicting the shear strength of concrete filled circular holes in steel plates

Since the development of perforated plate shear connectors, different formulations have been proposed to predict their shear strength. Most of these formulations were derived from standard push-tests on multiple concrete filled holes (CFH) specimens simulating specific steel-concrete composite beam applications. Aiming at a more general application of these connectors in composite structures and the understanding of the physical and geometric parameters that influence their shear strength, the present work evaluated the use of 12 different formulations to predict 92 test results of single-hole specimens extracted from the literature. Such tests were chosen because the single-hole configuration allows better isolation of the connection behavior which facilitates comparative analysis. The predictions were statistically evaluated, and it was considered that the best formulations were those that showed lower scatter of data and a correction factor closer to one. Also, it was investigated if the individual terms that constitute the formulations adequately describe or show relation to the mechanics that govern the connection. It was verified that the best statistically rated formulations were also the ones showing clearer relation to the connector mechanical behavior. Among the evaluated formulations, three were significantly better than the others for strength prediction, however, it was noted that they can be further improved by considering the influence of concrete confinement and plate thickness on the hole’s strength.

The use of microtechnology’s in the construction of water aeration installations

Water aeration systems are highly efficient if the dispersion of air in the water is carried out in a controlled and uniform manner. The use of fine bubble generators ensures this and in addition, creates a small loss of pressure when air passes through them. The paper demonstrates that producing as few air bubbles as possible leads to a more efficient aeration process. Two water aeration installations are compared: - The first has a perforated plate with 152 orifices Ø 0.1 mm; - The second has four perforated plates, each with 113 orifices Ø 0.05 mm; Both installations are successively supplied with the same flow rate of compressed air, at the same temperature and at the same initial dissolved oxygen concentration in the water.

Effect of multi-zone effusion cooling on an adiabatic flat plate for gas turbine application

The present study performed a three-dimensional numerical analysis on an adiabatic flat plate with forward injection holes for multi-zone film cooling. The cooling holes were divided into three-zone, and the cold air was supplied from cylindrical holes at a velocity ratio of 0.5 and 1.5 with 30° inclination to the primary flow. The effect of multi-zone arrangement in film cooling effectiveness is studied, and a comparison between two-zone and three-zone arrangement has been made. Results show that the three-zone arrangement helps achieve better film cooling effectiveness than the two-zone arrangement due to the uniform flow of coolant at a higher velocity ratio. It also reduces the mass flow rate of secondary flow by decreasing the number of cylindrical holes in the perforated plate.