Desiccation and cracking behaviour of clay layer from slurry state under wetting-drying cycles

Laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the effect of wetting-drying (W-D) cycles on the initiation and evolution of cracks in clay layer. Four identical slurry specimens were prepared and subjected to five subsequent W-D cycles. The water evaporation, surface cracks evolution and structure evolution during the W-D cycles were monitored. The effect of W-D cycles on the geometric characteristics of crack patterns was analyzed by image processing. The results show that the desiccation and cracking behaviour was significantly affected by the applied W-D cycles: the measured cracking water content θ_c, surface crack ratio R_sc and final thickness h_f of the specimen increased significantly in the first three W-D cycles and then tended to reach equilibrium; the formed crack patterns after the second W-D cycle were more irregular than that after the first W-D cycle; the increase of surface cracks was accompanied by the decrease of pore volume shrinkage during drying. In addition, it was found that the applied W-D cycles resulted in significant rearrangement of specimen structure: the initially homogeneous and non-aggregated structure was converted to a clear aggregated-structure with obvious inter-aggregate pores after the second W-D cycle; the specimen volume generally increased with increasing cycles due to the aggregation and increased porosity. The image analysis results show that the geometric characteristics of crack pattern were significantly influenced by the W-D cycles, but this influence was reduced after the third cycle. This is consistent with the observations over the experiment, and indicates that the image processing can be used for quantitatively analyzing the W-D cycle dependence of clay desiccation cracking behaviour.     

The bryophyte layer in a calcareous grassland after a decade of contrasting mowing regimes

Analysis of variance and redundancy analysis were used to study the effects of mowing regime and herb canopy structure on the bryophyte layer of a calcareous grassland in southern Belgium. Species richness in mown and control plots did not significantly differ. In control plots, a number of grassland species were able to survive within a grassy-shrubby fringe 15 years after shrub cutting. This suggests that there might be a time-lag of at least 20 years before cessation of mowing results in a significant decrease in species number per m². Mown plots were mostly characterized by the almost complete cover of large pleurocarps. Mowing resulted in almost continuous herb and moss layers that were unfavourable for a number of annual bryophytes, many of which are of high conservation interest. It is suggested that grazing, which increases the number of species, especially the number of pioneers, is likely to be more beneficial to bryophytes.     

微灌石英砂滤层流态特性与分形阻力模型参数确定

石英砂是微灌过滤中常用滤料,具有多孔介质属性。该文将多孔介质模型和分形理论相结合,对3种粒径的微灌石英砂滤层的过滤过程展开研究。将Ergun型方程无量纲化,并结合试验确定了石英砂滤层的流态分区。构建了石英砂滤层清洁压降的分形阻力模型,在模型中,过滤通道曲线分形维数、滤层横截面分形维数为待定参数。为了确定二者的值,将Ergun型方程与分形阻力模型相对比,得出了Ergun型方程经验系数的分形表达式,从而确定待定参数的值。首先,结合试验数据,拟合出湍流区经验系数的值,根据经验系数的分形表达式,确定了过滤通道曲线分形维数、滤层横截面分形维数等参数,得出了湍流区分形模型的表达式。然后,以湍流流区分形参数的值为边界值,确定了Forchheimer流区过滤通道曲线分形维数表达式和滤层横截面分形维数的值,并得出了Forchheimer流区分形模型的表达式。在此基础上,分析了滤层过滤特性:1)根据Forchheimer流区过滤通道曲线分形维数的变化规律,得出了在Forchheimer流区滤层存在成熟期的结论;2)探讨了滤层最佳过滤速度和最佳清洁压降的计算方法,构建了石英砂滤层过滤性能函数,并利用过滤性能函数计算出了滤层的最佳过滤速度和最佳清洁压降。3种滤层最佳过滤速度分别为0.02、0.024和0.027 m/s,最佳清洁压降分别为6 045、9 660、14 500 Pa。研究为微灌砂过滤器运行和设计优化提供了技术依据。     

Influence of soil water on stress–strain behaviour of a compacting soil in semi-arid Kenya

Depending on the top and subsoil textures, semi-arid soils exhibit cohesive and frictional properties that are associated with the relatively high soil strength, bulk density and penetration resistance. The objective of this study was to gain the knowledge of mechanical properties of the compacting chromic luvisols in order to improve the design of tillage tools. Therefore, we applied critical state soil mechanics to study the stress–strain behaviour of the luvisols using triaxial tests under laboratory conditions. Field investigations involved random collection of undisturbed soil samples which were subjected to triaxial testing first by isotropic consolidation and compression and then triaxial shearing. Plots of deviatoric stress against axial strain were made to determine the soil shear strengths at the critical states over different soil water levels and the two soil depths of 0–20 cm for the plough and 20–40 cm for the hard pan layers, respectively. An exponential model used to fit the deviatoric stress–axial strain test data accurately predicted the trends. Soil water significantly influenced the shear strength, cohesion (c′) and internal angle of friction (′) and hence the mechanical behaviour of the luvisols. The regression equations developed showed that c′ and ′ have quadratic relationships with soil water. The very high clay bonding strength in the subsoil (hard pan) layer resulted in high shear strength, bulk density and penetration resistance values for this soil layer. The increase in shear strength with decreasing water content affected the deviatoric stress–axial strain relationships between the upper and lower plastic limits of the sandy soil. Thus, as the soil dried, the soil ceased to behave in the plastic (ductile flow) manner and thus began to break apart and crumble. The crumbling was indicative of brittle failure. The transition stage from an increase to a decrease in c′ and ′ values with soil water occurred in the soil water content range of 6–10%. Knowledge of stress–strain behaviour of compacting soils is of practical significance in the design of appropriate tillage tools for the specific soil type.     

Is the soil microbial community related to the basal area of trees in a Scots pine stand?

The main energy sources of soil microorganisms are litter fall, root litter and exudation. The amount on these carbon inputs vary according to basal area of the forest stand. We hypothesized that soil microbes utilizing these soil carbon sources relate to the basal area of trees. We measured the amount of soil microbial biomass, soil respiration and microbial community structure as determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles in the humus layer (FH) of an even-aged stand of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) with four different basal area levels ranging from 19.9 m² ha⁻¹ in the study plot Kasper 1 to 35.7 m² ha⁻¹ in Kasper 4. Increasing trend in basal respiration, total PLFAs and fungal-to-bacterial ratio was observed from Kasper 1 to Kasper 3 (basal area 29.2 m² ha⁻¹). The soil microbial community structure in Kasper 3 differed from that of the other study plots.     

黄土高原土壤干层研究述评

从土壤干层的定义及土壤干层形成的气候、土壤、植被和人为因素等4个方面综述了黄土高原土壤干层研究的现状和问题,并指出了需要进一步加强的研究领域.     

土地利用方式对黄土丘陵土壤CaCO_3含量及分布的影响

本文以具有典型黄土丘陵特征的砖窑沟流域为例,对该流域梁峁地主要土壤类型上不同土地利用方式下0～200cm层土壤剖面CaCO3含量进行了分析。结果表明:土壤CaCO3含量耕地>林地>荒草地;耕地土壤CaCO3有明显的累积层,累积深度约在20～100cm之间;林地累积层深度约在20～60cm之间;而荒草地无明显累积层。这种现象与一般干旱半干旱地区不同。     

围护结构特性对微型冷库降温性能影响的研究

围护结构对微型冷库造价及性能有着重要的影响。通过有限生命周期内微型冷库经济性能的分析，推导了微型冷库在使用年限不同时的经济保温层厚度计算公式。并在此基础上分析了围护结构的变化对微型冷库降温性能的影响，结果表明降温性能与围护结构的参数具有紧密的联系，而与库体容积的关系最小。     

农业机械管状过渡阻尼结构参数分析及优化

为解决农业机械受振动冲击剧烈的问题,针对其上存有的大量管状结构,在传统约束阻尼结构基础上,引入"过渡层"设计概念,提出一种管状过渡阻尼结构。过渡层的弹性模量须介于金属材料与黏弹阻尼材料之间,在振动时,过渡层类似于杠杆的放大作用,可增大阻尼层剪切变形,从而提高整个结构的能量耗散能力。结构损耗因子作为评价机械结构减振性能的重要指标,基于应变能法,建立了其数学模型;研究了过渡层参数行为对结构损耗因子的影响规律,结果表明,实际选用时,过渡层弹性模量及厚度的选择相对密度的选取更为重要。采用ANSYS子问题逼近法,对管状过渡阻尼结构的参量进行了优化,优化后结构的前4阶结构损耗因子较优化前均有了不同程度的增加,其中1阶损耗因子提高了34.19%,2阶提高了12.11%,3阶提高了22.39%,4阶提高了12.70%;为进一步验证优化结果,该文对光管、优化前及优化后的管状过渡阻尼结构进行了谐响应分析,由分析结果可知,过渡阻尼处理能够有效降低结构的振动幅值,且优化后结构减振效果更佳。该研究可为中国农业机械用高品质减振结构的研发提供参考。     

太阳能集热器的热流气体对砾石的蓄放热特性研究

太阳能的蓄放热特性的研究对清洁能源太阳能的开发和利用具有重要意义。该文利用冬季太阳能集热器的热流气体，对砾石的蓄放热特性进行了研究。以居民居住的标准房间（4 m×2.7 m）为依据进行了模拟；利用太阳能集热器的热能与直径为50～100 mm的砾石铺设成150 mm厚度的地下蓄热系统进行蓄热和放热试验，研究昼夜之间室内砾石的蓄热和放热特性；通过测试太阳能集热器的内部温度、砾石层内部及室内地表面的温度，研究了太阳能集热器的蓄热效率和转换效率，同时分析了蓄热层及室内地表面的热传递特性；为进一步开拓针对冬季寒冷地区太阳能蓄热型居民建筑物内部热环境方面的基础研究提供了科学的依据。