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Article
Publication date: 25 June 2019

Wei He, Yichao Shi and Dewei Kong

The construction industry is characterized by a long construction period, high cost and many uncontrollable factors. The owners and contractors are increasingly focusing on the…

Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry is characterized by a long construction period, high cost and many uncontrollable factors. The owners and contractors are increasingly focusing on the efficiency of their construction and costs in pursuit of greater economic benefits. However, current methods used in the construction period and cost optimization analysis with multiple constraints the have their own limitations. Therefore, this study aims to propose a combination of genetic algorithm (GA) and building information modeling (BIM) to construct a five-dimensional construction duration-cost optimization model with the advantages of optimization and simulation for optimization.

Design/methodology/approach

This design first analyzed the characteristics of changing construction period and cost and then improved the genetic mechanism and the data processing method in the GA according to the aforementioned characteristics. Then, BIM technology was combined with GA to testify the feasibility of the model in the practical engineering project.

Findings

The result proved that this new method was reasonable and effective in dealing with the complicated problem of period and cost. GA accelerated the optimization process and yielded a reliable Pareto solution. BIM technology simulated the construction process before construction to increase the feasibility of the construction scheme.

Originality/value

This method not only can rapidly provide the best construction period/cost decision to the architect according to the previous working period/cost or contract data that can meet the demands of the architect but also visualize the construction and give a dynamic schedule of the project.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. 17 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2019

Minggao Tan, Yichao Lian, Xianfang Wu and Houlin Liu

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the clocking effect of impellers and the superposition between pump stages caused by clocking effect in a five-stage centrifugal pump…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the clocking effect of impellers and the superposition between pump stages caused by clocking effect in a five-stage centrifugal pump. Then the best clocking scheme in terms of vibration is tried to be provided as well.

Design/methodology/approach

All curves of pressure fluctuation in different impeller stages can be divided into two groups for the difference of 1/16 T in time domain. The difference is mostly in vibration frequency and amplitude, little in pump head and efficiency.

Findings

All curves of pressure fluctuation in different impeller stages can be divided into two groups for the difference of 1/16 T in time domain. The difference is mostly in vibration frequency and amplitude, little in pump head and efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

This research involves eight different impeller clocking schemes. The results show that the clocking effect has little influence in pump head and efficiency, but the influence in pressure fluctuation is larger.

Practical implications

The paper provides guidance for the design of multistage pump for better vibration performance.

Originality/value

This research involves eight different impeller clocking schemes, the results show that the clocking effect has little influence in pump head and efficiency, but the influence in pressure fluctuation is larger. Then the best clocking scheme In terms of vibration is tried to be provided through analysis.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 36 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 December 2018

Caiyun Sun and Li Shi

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate doctoral candidates’ innovative ability tendency.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate doctoral candidates’ innovative ability tendency.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the theory of gray target contribution to analyze the influence degree of doctoral candidates’ individual personality factor toward their innovative ability and calculate gray impact quantitative values.

Findings

Based on the theory of contribution degree of gray target, a nine-factor model of innovative personality of doctoral candidates is built. IP=f (B, H, G, Q1, Q2, A, I, F, O), (therein: B – intelligence, H – social boldness, G – perseverance, Q1 – experimental, Q2 – independence, A – gregariousness, I – sensibility, F – excitability, O – anxiety).

Practical implications

This study based on gray target contribution theory builds nine-factor doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model to test the innovative ability tendency of doctoral candidates, which makes cultivating units, mentors and doctoral candidates to know their innovative ability tendency well, perfecting their own knowledge structure in time, effectively improving their innovative ability. The system can also be applied to the work of doctoral candidates as a reference tool to evaluate the innovative ability of applicants.

Originality/value

This study quantitatively evaluates the influence of doctoral candidates’ personality index on the tendency of doctoral candidates’ innovative ability.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2023

Li Zhang, Bisheng Wu and Haitao Zhang

Natural gas hydrate (NGH) has been regarded as one of the most important resources due to NGH's large amounts of reserve. However, NGH development still faces many technical…

Abstract

Purpose

Natural gas hydrate (NGH) has been regarded as one of the most important resources due to NGH's large amounts of reserve. However, NGH development still faces many technical challenges, such as low production rate and reservoir instability resulting from NGH decomposition. Therefore, developing a fully coupled THMC model for simulating the hydrate decomposition and studying its mechanical behavior is very important and necessary. The purpose of this article is to develop and solve a multi-phase, strong nonlinearity and large-scale fully coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical–chemical (THMC) model for simulating the multi-physics processes involving solid-liquid-gas flow, heat transfer, NGH phase change and rock deformation during NGH decomposition.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a multi-phase, strong nonlinearity and large-scale fully coupled THMC model is developed for simulating the multi-physics processes involving solid-liquid-gas flow, heat transfer, NGH phase change and rock deformation during NGH dissociation. The fully coupled THMC model is solved by using a fully implicit finite element method, in which the gas pressure, water pressure, temperature and displacement are taken as basic unknown variables. The proposed model is validated against with the experimental data, showing high accuracy and reliability.

Findings

A multi-phase, strong nonlinearity and large-scale fully coupled THMC model is developed for simulating the multi-physics processes involving solid-liquid-gas flow, heat transfer, NGH phase change and rock deformation during NGH decomposition. The proposed model is validated against with the experimental data, showing high accuracy and reliability.

Research limitations/implications

Some assumptions are made to make the model tractable, including (1) the composition gas of hydrate is pure methane; (2) the gas-liquid multi-phase flow in the pore obeys Darcy's law; (3) hydrate occurs on the surface of soil particles, both of them form the composite consolidation material; (4) the small-strain assumption is applied to composite solid materials, which are treated as skeletons and cannot be moved; (5) momentum change caused by phase change is not considered.

Practical implications

NGH has been regarded as one of the most important resources due to its large amounts of reserve. However, NGH development still faces many technical challenges, such as low production rate and reservoir instability resulting from NGH decomposition. Most of the existing studies decouple the process with solid deformation and seepage behavior, but the accuracy of the numerical results will be sacrificed to certain extent. Therefore, it is very important and necessary to develop a fully coupled THMC model for simulating the hydrate decomposition and studying its mechanical behavior.

Social implications

NGH, widely distributed in shallow seabed or permanent frozen region, has the characteristics of high energy density and high combustion efficiency (Yan et al., 2020). A total of around 7.5 × 1,018 m3 has been proved to exist around the world and 1 m3 of NGH can release about 160–180 m3 of natural gas (Kvenvolden and Lorenson) under normal conditions. Safely and sustainably extracting NGH commercially can effectively relieve global energy pressure and contribute to achieving carbon reduction goals.

Originality/value

The novelty of the present work lies in mainly two aspects. First, a fully coupled THMC model is developed for studying the multi-physics processes involving solid-liquid-gas flow, heat transfer, NGH phase change and solid deformation during NGH dissociation. Second, the numerical solution is obtained by using a fully implicit finite element method (FEM) and is validated against experimental data.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 40 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

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