Effect of annual weeds on the growth of perennial grass mixtures in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

In the alpine region of the Tibetan Plateau, five perennial grass cultivars, Bromus inermis (B), Elymus nutans (E), Clinelymus nutans (C), Agropyron cristatum (A), and Poa crymophila (P) were combined into nine communities with different compositions and ratios, B+C, E+A, B+E+A, E+B+C,C+E+A,B+E+C+A,B+C+A+P,B+E+A+P and E+C+A+P. Each combination was sown in six 10 X 10 m plots with three hand-weeded plots and three natural-growing plots in a completely randomised design in 1998. A field experiment studied the performance of these perennial grass combinations under the competitive interference of annual weeds in 3 consecutive years from 1998 to 2000. The results showed that annual weeds occupied more space and suppressed the growth of the grasses due to earlier germination and quicker growth in the establishment year, but this pattern changed in the second and third years. Leaf area indexes (LAIs) of grasses were greatly decreased by the competitive interference of weeds, and the negative effect of weeds on LAIs of grasses declined and stabilised in the second and third years. E+B+C, B+E+C+A, and B+E+A+P possessed relatively higher LAIs (P < 0.05) among all grass combinations and their LAIs were close to five when the competitive interference of weeds was removed. Grasses were competitively inferior to weeds in the establishment year, although their competitive ability (aggressivities) increased throughout the growing season. In the second and third years, grasses were competitively superior to weeds, and their competitive ability decreased from May until August and increased in September. Dry matter (DM) yields of grasses were reduced by 29.8-74.1% in the establishment year, 11.0-64.9% in the second year, and 16.0-55.8% in the third year by the competitive interference of weeds. B+E+C+A and B+E+A+P can produce around 14 t/ha of DM yields, significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the production of the other grass combinations in the second and third years after the competitive interference of weeds was removed. It was preliminarily concluded that removal of competitive interference of weeds increased the LAIs of all grass swards and improved the light interception of grasses, thus promoting the production of perennial grass pastures. The germination stage of the grasses in the establishment year was the critical period for weeding and suppression of weeds should occur at an early stage of plant growth. The grass combinations of B+E+C+A and B+E+A+P were productive and can be extensively established in the alpine regions of the Tibetan Plateau. Two or three growing seasons will be needed before determining success of establishment of grass mixtures under the alpine conditions of the Tibetan Plateau.

Thermal Properties Measurement of Micro-Electromechanical System Sensors by Digital Moire Method

The thermal properties of a micro-electromechanical system sensor were analysed by a novel digital moire method. A double-layer micro-cantilever sensor (60 mu m long, 10 mu m width and 2 mu dm thick) was prepared by focused ion beam milling. A grating with frequency of 5000 lines mm- I was etched on the cantilever. The sensor was placed into a scanning electron microscope system with a high temperature device. The observation and recording of the thermal deformation of the grating were realised in real-time as the temperature rose from room temperature to 300 degrees C at intervals of 50 degrees C. Digital moire was generated by interference of the deformed grating and a digital virtual grating. The thermal properties including strain distribution of the sensor and the linear expansion coefficient of polysilicon were accurately measured by the phase-shifted moire patterns.

The Liquefaction and Displacement of Highly Saturated Sand under Water Pressure Oscillation

In order to investigate the characteristics of water wave induced liquefaction in highly saturated sand in vertical direction, a one-dimensional model of highly saturated sand to water pressure oscillation is presented based oil the two-phase continuous media theory. The development of the effective stresses and the liquefaction thickness are analyzed. It is shown that water pressure oscillating loading affects liquefaction severely and the developing rate of liquefaction increases with the decreasing of the sand strength or the increasing of the loading strength. It is shown also that there is obvious phase lag in the sand Column. If the sand permeability is non-uniform, the pore pressure and the strain rise sharply at which the smallest permeability occurs. This solution may explain Why the fracture occurs in the sand column in some conditions.

Dynamic Characteristics of Spherically Converging Detonation Waves

The spherically converging detonation wave was numerically investigated by solving the one-dimensional multi-component Euler equations in spherical coordinates with a dispersion-controlled dissipative scheme. Finite rate and detailed chemical reaction models were used and numerical solutions were obtained for both a spherical by converging detonation in a stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen mixture and a spherically focusing shock in air. The results showed that the post-shock pressure approximately arises to the same amplitude in vicinity of the focal point for the two cases, but the post-shock temperature level mainly depends on chemical reactions and molecular dissociations of a gas mixture. While the chemical reaction heat plays an important role in the early stage of detonation wave propagation, gas dissociations dramatically affect the post-shock flow states near the focal point. The maximum pressure and temperature, non-dimensionalized by their initial value, are approximately scaled to the propagation radius over the initial detonation diameter. The post-shock pressure is proportional to the initial pressure of the detonable mixture, and the post-shock temperature is also increased with the initial pressure, but in a much lower rate than that of the post-shock pressure.

An Analytical Solution for Three-Dimensional Diffraction of Plane P-Waves by a Hemispherical Alluvial Valley with Saturated Soil Deposits

An analytical solution for the three-dimensional scattering and diffraction of plane P-waves by a hemispherical alluvial valley with saturated soil deposits is developed by employing Fourier-Bessel series expansion technique. Unlike previous studies, in which the saturated soil deposits were simulated with the single-phase elastic theory, in this paper, they are simulated with Biot's dynamic theory for saturated porous media, and the half space is assumed as a single-phase elastic medium. The effects of the dimensionless frequency, the incidence angle of P-wave and the porosity of soil deposits on the surface displacement magnifications of the hemispherical alluvial valley are investigated. Numerical results show that the existence of a saturated hemispherical alluvial valley has much influence on the surface displacement magnifications. It is more reasonable to simulate soil deposits with Biot's dynamic theory when evaluating the displacement responses of a hemispherical alluvial valley with an incidence of P-waves.

Comparison of the Dynamic Response of a Saturated Soil Between Two Models

By comparing the dynamic responses of saturated soil to Biot's and Yamamoto's models, the properties of the two models have be pointed out. First of all, an analysis has been made for energy loss of each model from the basic equations. Then the damping of elastic waves in coarse sand and fine sand with loading frequency and soil's parameters have been calculated and the representation of viscous friction and Coulomb friction in the two models has been concluded. Finally, the variations of loading wave damping and stress phase angles with water depth and soil's parameters have been obtained as loading waves range in ocean waves.

Instability Analysis of Nonlinear Surface Waves in a Circular Cylindrical Container Subjected to a Vertical Excitation

Singular perturbation theory of two-time scale expansions was developed both in inviscid and weak viscous fluids to investigate the motion of single surface standing wave in a liquid-filled circular cylindrical vessel, which is subject to a vertical periodical oscillation. Firstly, it is assumed that the fluid in the circular cylindrical vessel is inviscid, incompressible and the motion is irrotational, a nonlinear evolution equation of slowly varying complex amplitude, which incorporates cubic nonlinear term, external excitation and the influence of surface tension, was derived from solvability condition of high-order approximation. It shows that when forced frequency is low, the effect of surface tension on mode selection of surface wave is not important. However, when forced frequency is high, the influence of surface tension is significant, and can not be neglected. This proved that the surface tension has the function, which causes free surface returning to equilibrium location. Theoretical results much close to experimental results when the surface tension is considered. In fact, the damping will appear in actual physical system due to dissipation of viscosity of fluid. Based upon weakly viscous fluids assumption, the fluid field was divided into an outer potential flow region and an inner boundary layer region. A linear amplitude equation of slowly varying complex amplitude, which incorporates damping term and external excitation, was derived from linearized Navier-Stokes equation. The analytical expression of damping coefficient was determined and the relation between damping and other related parameters (such as viscosity, forced amplitude and depth of fluid) was presented. The nonlinear amplitude equation and a dispersion, which had been derived from the inviscid fluid approximation, were modified by adding linear damping. It was found that the modified results much reasonably close to experimental results. Moreover, the influence both of the surface tension and the weak viscosity on the mode formation was described by comparing theoretical and experimental results. The results show that when the forcing frequency is low, the viscosity of the fluid is prominent for the mode selection. However, when the forcing frequency is high, the surface tension of the fluid is prominent. Finally, instability of the surface wave is analyzed and properties of the solutions of the modified amplitude equation are determined together with phase-plane trajectories. A necessary condition of forming stable surface wave is obtained and unstable regions are illustrated. (c) 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

An analysis of subgrid-resolved scale interactions with use of results from direct numerical simulations

Subgrid nonlinear interaction and energy transfer are analyzed using direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence. Influences of cutoff wave number at different ranges of scale on the energetics and dynamics have been investigated. It is observed that subgrid-subgrid interaction dominates the turbulent dynamics when cut-off wave number locates in the energy-containing range while resolved-subgrid interaction dominates if it is in the dissipation range; By decomposing the subgrid energy transfer and nonlinear interaction into 'forward' and 'backward' groups according to the sign of triadic interaction, we find that individually each group has very large contribution, but the net of them is much smaller, implying that tremendous cancellation happens between these two groups.

Study on current-random wave forces acting on a framework

The forces of random wave plus current acting on a simplified offshore platform (jacket) model have been studied numerically and experimentally. The numerical results are in good agreement with experiments. The mean force can be approximated as a function of equivalent velocity parameter and the root-mean-square force as a function of equivalent significant wave height parameter.

Physical modeling of untrenched submarine pipeline instability

Wave-induced instability of untrenched pipeline on sandy seabed is a `wave-soil-pipeline' coupling dynamic problem. To explore the mechanism of the pipeline instability, the hydrodynamic loading with U-shaped oscillatory flow tunnel is adopted, which is quite different from the previous experiment system. Based on dimensional analysis, the critical conditions for pipeline instability are investigated by altering pipeline submerged weight, diameter, soil parameters, etc. Based on the experimental results, different linear relationships between Froude number (Fr) and non-dimensional pipeline weight (G) are obtained for two constraint conditions. Moreover, the effects of loading history on the pipeline stability are also studied. Unlike previous experiments, sand scouring during the process of pipe's losing stability is detected in the present experiments. In addition, the experiment results are compared with the previous experiments, based on Wake II model for the calculation of wave-induced forces upon pipeline. It shows that the results of two kinds of experiments are comparable, but the present experiments provide better physical insight of the wave-soil-pipeline coupling effects.

Damage Evolution In Cement Mortar Due To Erosion Of Sulphate

Ultrasonic technique is used to detect the velocity change of stress wave propagated in the cement mortar immersed in the solution of sodium sulfate for 425 days. Also the density change of specimens at different erosion time is measured. By curve fitting, the effect of solutions' concentration and water/cement ratio on the damage evolution is analyzed. The SEM observation on the growth of delayed ettringite is also performed. It shows that the damage evolution of specimens attacked by sulphate solution is dominantly induced by the nucleation and growth of delayed ettringite, and the average size of microvoids in cement mortar affects the damage evolution significantly. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Fracture Instability Of Tough Bulk Metallic Glass

We report the observations of a clear fractographic evolution from vein pattern, dimple structure, and then to periodic corrugation structure, followed by microbranching pattern, along the crack propagation direction in the dynamic fracture of a tough Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 (Vit.1) bulk metallic glass (BMGs) under high-velocity plate impact. A model based on fracture surface energy dissipation and void growth is proposed to characterize this fracture pattern transition. We find that once the dynamic crack propagation velocity reaches a critical fraction of Rayleigh wave speed, the crack instability occurs; hence, crack microbranching goes ahead. Furthermore, the correlation between the critical velocity of amorphous materials and their intrinsic strength such as Young's modulus is uncovered. The results may shed new insight into dynamic fracture instability for BMGs. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Shock wave reflection from a wedge in a dusty gas

The present paper contains a detailed study of shock wave reflection from a wedge placed in various suspensions. In past works, the incident shock propagated initially in pure gas and the suspension started only at the leading edge of the deflecting wedge. However, in the present case the entire flow field is filled with a gas-dust suspension and the initial shock wave has steady-state structure relative to the shock front. In former studies the transmitted shock wave starts its propagation into the suspension and is reflected from the wedge at the same time. It is therefore obvious that the two unrelated processes of (2D) reflection and (1D) "transitional" relaxation occur simultaneously. In the present case the suspension behind the incident shock wave has reached steady state (i.e., it is a traveling wave) before the shock reaches the wedge leading edge. The reflection process from the deflecting wedge is studied for different dust mass loadings and different dust-particle diameter. It is shown that when the dust loading is low and the dust particle diameter is small the wave reflection pattern is similar to that observed in a similar pure gas case. In addition, an equilibrium state is reached, behind the evolved waves, very quickly. On the other hand, when the dust loading is relatively high and/or the dust particle diameter is relatively large, the observed reflection wave pattern is very different from that seen in a similar pure gas case. In such cases it takes much longer time to reach an equilibrium state behind the reflecting waves. It is also shown that the dust presence significantly affects the (gas) pressure on the wedge surface. The higher the dust loading is, the higher the pressure on the wedge surface. Suspensions composed of solid particle of different size, but having the same dust mass loading, will approach the same equilibrium pressure. However, it will take longer time to reach an equilibrium state for suspensions having large diameter particles. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wave propagation and the frequency domain Green's functions in viscoelastic Biot/squirt (BISQ) media

In this paper, we examine the characteristics of elastic wave propagation in viscoelastic porous media, which contain simultaneously both the Biot-flow and the squirt-flow mechanisms (BISQ). The frequency-domain Green's functions for viscoelastic BISQ media are then derived based on the classic potential function methods. Our numerical results show that S-waves are only affected by viscoelasticity, but not by squirt-flows. However, the phase velocity and attenuation of fast P-waves are seriously influenced by both viscoelasticity and squirt-flows; and there exist two peaks in the attenuation-frequency variations of fast P-waves. In the low-frequency range, the squirt-flow characteristic length, not viscoelasticity, affects the phase velocity of slow P-waves, whereas it is opposite in the high-frequency range. As to the contribution of potential functions of two types of compressional waves to the Green's function, the squirt-flow length has a small effect, and the effects of viscoelastic parameter are mainly in the higher frequency range. Crown Copyright (C) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental-study of free-surface oscillations of a liquid bridge by optical diagnostics

A non-contact optical method, consisting of a projecting grating technique for the relative measurement of a surface, and a technique of absolute measurement at a fixed point on the surface, are applied to measure the free surface vibration in a liquid bridge of half floating zone with small typical scale of a few of mm for emphasizing the thermocapillary effect in comparison with the effect of buoyancy. The radii variations in both longitudinal and azimuthal directions are obtained, and, then, the feature of surface wave could be analyzed in detail. The results show that there are values of principal oscillatory frequencies at different positions of free surface. The amplitudes of surface waves in longitudinal and azimuthal directions are several mum and several tenths of mum in order of magnitude. The phase of two-dimensional surface waves is different at different height for fixed cross section or at different azimuthal angle for fixed height. The wave features are discussed for the cases of typical parameter ranges.