To investigate the mechanical properties of tunnel lining concrete under different moderate-low strain rates after high temperatures, uniaxial compression tests in association with ultrasonic tests were performed. Test results show that the ultrasonic wave velocity and mass loss of concrete specimen begin to sharply drop after high temperatures of 600°C and 400°C, respectively, at the strain rates of 10‒5s‒1 to 10‒2s‒1. The compressive strength and elastic modulus of specimen increase with increasing strain rate after the same temperature, but it is difficult to obtain an evident change law of peak strain with increasing strain rate. The compressive strength of concrete specimen decreases first, and then increases, but decreases again in the temperatures ranging from room temperature to 800°C at the strain rates of 10‒5s‒1 to 10‒2s‒1. It can be observed that the strain-rate sensitivity of compressive strength of specimen increases with increasing temperature. In addition, the peak strain also increases but the elastic modulus decreases substantially with increasing temperature under the same strain rate.

In this study, high performance magnesium-yttria nanocomposite’s room temperature, strength and ductility were significantly enhanced by the dispersion of nano-sized nickel particles using powder blending and a microwave sintering process. The strengthening effect of the dispersed nano-sized nickel particles was consistent up to 100°C and then it gradually diminished with further increases in the test temperature. The ductility of the magnesium-yttria nanocomposite remained unaffected by the dispersed nano-sized nickel particles up to 100°C. Impressively, it was enhanced at 150°C and above, leading to the possibility of the near net shape fabrication of the nanocomposite at a significantly low temperature.

This paper presents a numerical modeling method for AC losses in highly dynamic linear actuators with high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. The AC losses and generated force of two actuators, with different placement of the cryostats, are compared. In these actuators, the main loss component in the superconducting tapes are hysteresis losses, which result from both the non-sinusoidal phase currents and movement of the permanent magnets. The modeling method, based on the H-formulation of the magnetic fields, takes into account permanent magnetization and movement of permanent magnets. Calculated losses as function of the peak phase current of both superconducting actuators are compared to those of an equivalent non-cryogenic actuator.

Recently, attempts have been made to use porous metal as catalysts in a reactor for the hydrogen manufacturing process using steam methane reforming (SMR). This study manufactured Ni-Cr-Al based powder porous metal, stacked cubic form porous blocks, and investigated high temperature random stack creep property. To establish an environment similar to the actual situation, a random stack jig with a 1-inch diameter and height of 75 mm was used. The porous metal used for this study had an average pore size of ~1161 μm by rolling direction. The relative density of the powder porous metal was measured as 6.72%. A compression test performed at 1073K identified that the powder porous metal had high temperature (800°C) compressive strength of 0.76 MPa. A 800°C random stack creep test at 0.38 MPa measured a steady-state creep rate of 8.58×10–10 s–1, confirming outstanding high temperature creep properties. Compared to a single cubic powder porous metal with an identical stress ratio, this is a 1,000-times lower (better) steady-state creep rate. Based on the findings above, the reason of difference in creep properties between a single creep test and random stack creep test was discussed.

This study investigated the microstructure and high temperature oxidation properties of Fe-25Cr-20Ni-1.5Nb, HK30 alloy manufactured by metal injection molding (MIM) process. The powder used in MIM had a bi-modal size distribution of 0.11 and 9.19 μm and had a spherical shape. The initial powder consisted of γ-Fe and Cr23C6 phases. Microstructural observation of the manufactured (MIMed) HK30 alloy confirmed Cr23C6 along the grain boundary of the γ-Fe matrix, and NbC was distributed evenly on the grain boundary and in the grain. After a 24-hour high temperature oxidation test at air atmospheres of 1000, 1100 and 1200°C, the oxidation weight measured 0.72, 1.11 and 2.29 mg/cm,2 respectively. Cross-sectional observation of the oxidation specimen identified a dense Cr2O3 oxide layer at 1000°C condition, and the thickness of the oxide layer increased as the oxidation temperature increased. At 1100°C and 1200°C oxidation temperatures, Fe-rich oxide was also formed on the dense Cr2O3 oxide layer. Based on the above findings, this study identified the high-temperature oxidation mechanism of HK30 alloy manufactured by MIM.

This paper presents the results of research on high performance concretes (HPC) modified by theaddition of polypropylene fibres
(PP fibres). The scope of the research was the measurement of theresidual transport properties of heated and recooled concretes: gas permeability and surface waterabsorption. Seven types of concrete modified with fibrillated PP fibres were tested. Three lengths: 6,12 and 19 mm and three amounts of fibres: 0, 0.9 and 1.8 kg/m3 were used. The research programmewas designed to determine which length of fibres, used in which minimum amount, will, after thefibres melt, permit the development of a connected network and pathway for gases and liquids.

Consumption of energy is one of the important indicators in developing countries, but a lot of companies from the energy sector have to cope with three key challenges, namely how to reduce their impact on the environment, how to ensure the low cost of the energy production and how to improve the system overall performance? For Polish energy market, the number of challenges is greater. The growing demand for electricity and contemporary development of nuclear power technology allow today’s design, implement new solutions for high energy conversion system low unit cost for energy and fuel production. In the present paper, numerical analysis of modular high-temperature nuclear reactor coupled with the steam cycle for electricity production has been presented. The analysed system consists of three independent cycles. The first two are high-temperature nuclear reactor cycles which are equipped with two high-temperature nuclear reactors, heat exchangers, blowers, steam generators. The third cycle is a Rankine cycle which is equipped with up to four steam turbines, that operate in the heat recovery system. The analysis of such a system shows that is possible to achieve significantly greater efficiency than offered by traditional nuclear reactor technology.

In this investigation the surface of an aluminized sample of plain carbon steel was melted and alloyed using a tingsten inert gas (TIG) welding process to produce iron-aluminide intermetallic phases on the surface. The produced coating was then characterized by SEM and EDS and its high-temperature properties in O2 + 1%SO2 gas were examined. The results showed that the Fe3Al coating produced could protect the substrate as it was subjected to the corroding gases at 700oC due to the formation of an alumina layer between the substrate and an outer layer of Fe2O3. At 900oC, the coating could only protect the substrate for 64 h. The lack of further protection at this temperature is attributed to the decrease in the protective properties of alumina with an increase in its temperature and the lack of presence of enough Al atoms in the coating for the repair of the defects formed in the alumina layer.

The paper presents a description and results of a study focused on the applicability of the sclerometric method to the preliminary assessment of concrete quality in structures after fire. Due to the high thermal inertia, concrete has non-uniform properties in the heated element cross-section. The greatest reduction of concrete compressive strength occurs on the heated surface. When assessing a structure after a fire, it is particularly important to determine the thickness of the damaged external concrete layer. Reinforced concrete beams exposed to high temperature on one side (a one-way heat transfer in the cross-section) for 0 (unheated element), 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes were examined. A significant decrease of the rebound number on the elements heated surface was observed, depending on the heating duration. The obtained values of the relative rebound number reduction were comparable to the values of relative compressive strength decrease (determined on the basis of temperature) of concrete situated 15 mm from the heated surface.

The paper presents the test description and results of thermal bowing of RC beams exposed to non-uniform heating at high temperature. Bending of a non-uniformly heated element is caused by free thermal elongation of the material it is made of. The higher the temperature gradient, the greater the bending. In the case when an element is exposed to load and high temperature simultaneously, apart from free bending also deformation of the RC element may occur, which is caused by the decrease of the concrete or reinforcing steel mechanical properties. In order to examine the contribution of the deflection caused by thermal bowing to the total deformation of the bent element with a heated tension zone, an experimental study of freely heated (unloaded) beams was performed. RC beams were heated: (1) on three sides of the cross-section or (2) only on the bottom side. Deflection of elements loaded by a substitute temperature gradient was calculated using the Maxwell-Mohr formula. The test results show that deflection of freely heated RC beams (caused by the thermal bowing phenomenon) can be 10 to 20% of the total deflection of loaded RC beams with a heated tension zone.

In this study, cubic and cylindrical cement mortar specimens were first subjected to high temperatures, then the cubic and cylindrical specimens were taken out and conducted with uniaxial compressive test and splitting tensile test, respectively. The effect of the length to side ratio on the uniaxial compressive properties and the effect of thickness-to-diameter ratio on the splitting tensile properties of cement mortar specimens after high temperature were studied. Test results show that: (1) With temperature increasing from 25°C (room temperature) to 400°C, the compressive strength and elastic modulus of cubic specimens with three kinds of side lengths decrease; the decreasing rates of compressive strength and elastic modulus of cubic specimen with side length of 70.7 mm is higher than those of cubic specimens with side length of 100 mm and 150 mm, and the strain at the peak stress of cubic specimens with three kinds of side lengths increase. (2) After the same temperature, the tensile strength of cylindrical specimen decreases with the thickness-to-diameter ratio increasing from 0.5 to 1.0. The decreasing rate of tensile strength of cylindrical specimen with thickness-to-diameter ratio is highest when the temperature is 25°C (room temperature), followed by that after the temperature of 200°C, and that after the temperature of 400°C is the lowest.