Plane strain transient finite thermomechanical deformations of heat-conducting functionally gradient materials comprised of tungsten and nickel–iron matrix are analyzed to delineate brittle/ductile failures by the nodal release technique. Each material is modeled as strain-hardening, strain-rate-hardening and thermally-softening. Effective properties are derived by the rule of mixtures. At nomi...

In this study, solar water heater was investigated using meteorological and geographical data of 129 sites over Turkey. Three different collector types were compared in terms of absorber material (copper, galvanized sheet and selective absorber). Energy requirement for water heating, collector performances, and economical indicators were calculated with formulations using observed data. Results...

Double slip turnout is common in heavy haul railway and due to its complex structure, its maintenance is difficult as well as important. Focusing on No.12 double slip turnout (75 kg/m rail), this study analyzed the intensity of the different slotted rubber pad under iron plate and track stiffness of turnout zone based on the finite element method with a purpose of improving the performance of t...

Bamboo wells are an economical alternative for water supply wells in developing countries. The design of the bamboo well described in this article was developed based on field tests. Following field experiments, the screen in the bamboo well was fabricated with seven 3-m-long bamboo strips, each 2 cm wide and 1 cm thick. The strips were bolted on 1-cm-wide mild steel rings spaced 30 cm along th...

Metals such as cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) are essential for nor‐ mal plant growth and development since they contribute to the function of many en‐ zymes and proteins. However, metals can potentially become toxic to plants when they are present at high levels in their bioavailable forms (Hall, 2002). Phytotoxic levels of one or more inorganic ions in soil can be found i...

The influence of metal vapour on the arc behaviour during the arc-splitting process in the quenching chamber of a low-voltage circuit breaker is investigated numerically. A three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model of air arc plasma, taking into account the production of metal vapour from erosion of an iron splitter plate, is developed. An equation describing conservation of the iron vapour m...