ABSTRACT
Shock tubes can carry out dynamic mechanical impact tests on civil engineering structures. The current shock tubes mostly use an explosion with aggregate charge to obtain shock waves. Limited effort has been made to study the overpressure field in shock tubes with multi-point initiation. In this paper, the overpressure fields in a shock tube under the conditions of single-point initiation, multi-point simultaneous initiation, and multi-point delayed initiation have been analyzed by combining experiments and numerical simulations. The numerical results match well with the experimental data, which indicates that the computational model and method used can accurately simulate the blast flow field in a shock tube. For the same charge mass, the peak overpressure at the exit of the shock tube with the multi-point simultaneous initiation is smaller than that with single-point initiation. As the shock waves are focused on the wall, the maximum overpressure on the wall of the explosion chamber near the explosion zone is not reduced. The maximum overpressure on the wall of the explosion chamber can be effectively reduced by a six-point delayed initiation. When the interval time is less than 10 ms, the peak overpressure at the nozzle outlet decreases linearly with the interval of the explosion. When the interval time is greater than 10 ms, the overpressure peak remains unchanged.
ABSTRACT
Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a cement-based material with excellent impact resistance. Compared with traditional concrete, it possesses ultra-high strength, ultra-high toughness, and ultra-high durability, making it an ideal material for designing structures with impact resistance. The research on the impact resistance performance of UHPC and its composite structures is of great significance for the structural design of protective engineering projects. However, currently, there is still insufficient research on the impact resistance performance of UHPC composite structures. To study the impact resistance performance, experiments were conducted on UHPC targets using high-speed projectiles. The results were compared with impact tests on granite targets. The results indicated that when subjected to projectile impact, the UHPC targets exhibited smaller surface craters compared with the granite targets, while the penetration depth was lower in the granite targets. Afterwards, the process of a projectile impacting the UHPC composite structure was numerically simulated using ANSYS 16.0/LS-DYNA finite element software. The numerical simulation results of penetration depth and crater diameter were in good agreement with the experimental results, which indicates the rationality of the numerical model. Based on this, further analysis was carried out on the influence of impact velocity, impact angle, and reinforcement ratio on the penetration depth of the composite structure. The results show that the larger the incident angle or the smaller the velocity of the projectile is, the easier it is to deflect the projectile. There is a linear relationship between penetration depth and reinforcement ratio; as the reinforcement ratio increases, the penetration depth decreases significantly. This research is of great significance in improving the safety and reliability of key projects and also contributes to the application and development of ultra-high-performance materials in the engineering field.
ABSTRACT
Calcareous sand is one of the main building materials in the construction of islands and reefs, and its shear property is very important for predicting their strength and deformation. However, the correlation research on the shear properties of calcareous sand is limited. In this paper, a series of the triaxial consolidation drainage shear tests of calcareous sand with relative densities (Dr) of 70% and 90% under confining pressures of 100, 200, 400 and 800 kPa were carried out by a triaxial testing apparatus, and the effects of relative density and confining pressure on the deformation and strength characteristics of calcareous sand were analyzed. The results show that the stress-strain curves of calcareous sand show a strain softening characteristic, and both peak deviatoric stress and failure strain increase with confining pressure, but the increase in failure strain is restrained when the confining pressure is larger than 400 kPa. The initial shear modulus of calcareous sand is positively correlated with confining pressure. Additionally, the molar circular envelope of calcareous sand is linear in the range of 100~400 kPa, but it deviates from linear when confining pressure exceeds 400 kPa. The critical state line (CSL) of calcareous sand is nonlinear, with almost the same exponent for calcareous sand with different relative densities. The research results have important reference value for the foundation construction of islands and reefs.
ABSTRACT
Background: Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMCa) is a rare low-grade malignant tumor that most commonly occurs in the salivary glands, with approximately 320 cases having been reported worldwide. Here, we report the third case of EMCa occurring in the nasopharynx. Rare cases in the breast, pituitary gland, lacrimal gland, nose, paranasal sinus, nasal cavity, trachea and bronchus, lung, and even the pleura mediastinalis have also been reported. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry are useful for confirming the diagnosis of EMCa, which is characterized by biphasic tubular structures composed of inner ductal and outer clear myoepithelial cells and stains for different markers in each layer. However, because of the rarity of EMCa, the clinicopathological characteristics and treatment of these patients remain unclear. Case presentation: We report a rare case of EMCa of the nasopharynx. A 51-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of pain while swallowing and aggravation accompanied by right ear tinnitus lasting for 1 month. Nasopharyngoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the nasopharynx and neck revealed a 5.6 cm × 3.4 cm × 3.1 cm mass in the nasopharyngeal space, invasion of the right cavernous sinus, and lymph node enlargement in the right retropharyngeal space. On 17 April 2019, based on the histopathological and immunohistochemical features, a final diagnosis of EMCa of the right nasopharynx was made. The patient underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), and his symptoms were relieved after treatment. On 10 January 2022, nasopharynx MRI and biopsy revealed local recurrence, but chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed no obvious signs of metastasis. The local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) period was 33 months. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the third reported case of EMCa in the nasopharynx and the only case of EMCa in the nasopharynx treated with CCRT, and a partial response was achieved. Therefore, to improve the quality of life and prognosis of patients with unresectable tumors, we believe that CCRT is a suitable option. Further clinical observations are required to elucidate the pathophysiology and prognosis of EMCa.