Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling

Wood pellets are an important source of renewable energy. Their mechanical strength is a crucial property. In this study, the tensile strength of pellets made from oak, pine, and birch sawdust with moisture contents of 8% and 20% compacted at 60 and 120 MPa was determined in a diametral compression test. The highest tensile strength was noted for oak and the lowest for birch pellets. For all materials, the tensile strength was the highest for a moisture content of 8% and 120 MPa. All pellets exhibited a ductile breakage mode characterised by a smooth and round stress–deformation relationship without any sudden drops. Discrete element method (DEM) simulations were performed to check for the possibility of numerical reproduction of pelletisation of the sawdust and then of the pellet deformation in the diametral compression test. The pellet breakage process was successfully simulated using the DEM implemented with the bonded particle model. The simulations reproduced the results of laboratory testing well and provided deeper insight into particle–particle bonding mechanisms. Cracks were initiated close to the centre of the pellet and, as the deformation progressed, they further developed in the direction of loading.

Performance Analysis Of “Toga” Foundation With Cap On Thick Soft Soil Based On Laboratory Models And Finite Element Analysis

Various alternative foundations are offered depending on soil conditions from the results of soil investigations. In difficult soil types such as thick, soft soil layers, pile foundation is generally used to avoid the excess settlements, but deep foundations for small buildings are not the right solution when viewed from a cost perspective. One of the more economical foundations is to use the” toga” foundation, with a plate on top and a caisson underneath where the caisson can be inserted into the soil with an open end. Through this study, the carrying capacity of the” toga” foundation will be analyzed. Then the foundation will be made on a laboratory scale and tested with axial load. The load and deformation relationship were analyzed using PLAXIS 3D analysis. It can be concluded the performance of the ”toga” foundation on thick, soft soil can be used for two-floored buildings

Dual-Axis Metasurface Strain Sensor Based on Polarization–Phase-Deformation Relationship

Herein, we propose an approach for sensitivity improvement of dual-axis strain sensing using the property of a metasurface (MS) that the phase response shifts sharply with the MS deformation. A feasible approach for phase measurement is first demonstrated by calculating multi-polarized reception when the incident electromagnetic (EM) wave has anisotropic phase values. A flexible MS consisting of periodically arranged lantern-shaped elements is designed and fabricated for dual-axis strain sensing and evaluation based on the proposed method. The simulation and measurement results demonstrated a high sensitivity of the proposed MS for strain sensing in the microwave band. The method can be used potentially in both pressure and tensile sensing. Moreover, the operational frequency can be extended to the THz range and even to the optical band.