Journal of University of Babylon

‎ This study presents a numerical investigation of a finned heat sink in forced convection ‎flow. Tests were conducted on a square fin with varying angles of inclination, heights, and ‎distances between fins. These parameters were examined at different Reynolds numbers within ‎the turbulent range (from 5000 to 25000) and a heat flux of 5000 W/m². The heat distribution ‎and flow behavior around the heat sink were modeled using the full Navier-Stokes and energy ‎equations. The simulations were performed using ANSYS Fluent with the k-ε model. Results ‎indicated that decreasing fin spacing from 6mm to 2mm led to 9% reduction in surface ‎temperature and an increase in the Nusselt number by 41%, highlighting a significant ‎enhancement in convective heat transfer. Similarly, variations in fin height showed a noticeable ‎influence on thermal behavior, resulting by 16% reduction in surface temperature and enhancing ‎the Nusselt number by 94%, and an inclination of 15 was found to provide the optimal thermal ‎performance among the investigated angles, achieving the lowest surface temperature by 6% . ‎

Seismic action can seriously endanger hydraulic infrastructure, particularly in areas where ‎large water-retention dams are built on the ground characterized by complex geotechnical ‎conditions. Iraq, situated near the tectonically active Zagros-Bitlis seismic belt, has several ‎strategic earth dams whose response to high-level ground shaking is vital for regional water ‎security and public safety. Despite significant progress in geotechnical and earthquake ‎engineering, earth dams remain inherently vulnerable to seismic loading. Recent global and ‎regional seismic events continue to demonstrate the limitations of current design and assessment ‎approaches. Earth dams, whether natural or constructed from compacted soil materials, remain ‎vulnerable. With Iraq's growing dependence on ageing dams like Mosul, Darbandikhan, Dokan, ‎and Haditha, system-wide seismic assessments are vital. The paper presents a worldwide review ‎of the seismic behavior of earth dams, and then relates it to the geological and seismic situation ‎in Iraq. The report reviews recorded dam behaviour during past earthquakes to determine ‎common failure modes, mechanisms of deformation, and controlling influences on seismic ‎response. It examines analytical, empirical, and numerical techniques for estimating seismic ‎deformation, ranging from simplified Newmark sliding‐block prescribing to sophisticated ‎nonlinear effective stress finite-element analysis‏ ‏and finite difference models. Incorporating the ‎international experience with local conditions, this article enables the engineers and researchers in ‎Iraq to use a structured assessment tool of seismic deformation analysis through existing and ‎newly constructed earth dams. The review emphasizes the significance of recently improved ‎hazard analysis systems, full-scale material testing, and advanced state-of-the-art numerical ‎modeling methods to tackle this pressing geotechnical engineering problem in Iraq.‎

The present research provides‏ ‏a numerical evaluation of composite beams with openings‏ ‏constructed with various shear connections under four-point loading conditions. A series of ‎composite steel-concrete beams with varying opening shapes, numbers of openings, and various ‎types of shear connectors have been analyzed numerically. Four variables were examined: ‎connection ratios of 100%, 70%, and 50%; types of shear connectors (studs and Y-rib ‎connectors); shapes of web openings (rectangular and circular); and the number of openings. The ‎conclusion of the research includes the mid-span beam deflection, cracking load, crack pattern, ‎and failure mode. These results indicate that the Y-rib shear connections performed better than ‎all other connectors. They enhanced the ultimate shear capacity by roughly 1.88%, 2.28%, and ‎‎3.21% for connection ratios of 50%, 70%, and 100%, respectively. Further, the incorporation of ‎web openings reduces the stiffness and strength of composite steel-concrete beams while ‎increasing their load-bearing capacity and deformation capability. Web opening influences the ‎composite steel-concrete beams and reduces the stiffness and strength of simply supported ‎composite steel-concrete beams. On the other hand, it‏ ‏has been demonstrated that circular web ‎openings perform effectively in all aspects, including keeping stress low at the web openings and ‎simplifying construction. Nevertheless, shear failure was the most common kind of failure in all ‎composite beam samples.‎

Nowadays, reinforcement is an inevitable and rational thing to ensure the safety of ‎structures. The use of FRP is one of the methods of reinforcing reinforced concrete buildings ‎against lateral loads (earthquake). Columns, as the most important part of the structure, are of ‎great importance in providing the strength, stability and ductility of the structure. Increasing the ‎ductility and compressive strength of reinforced concrete columns is one of the notable effects of ‎confining concrete, which is mostly done in three ways: using a steel jacket, a concrete jacket, ‎and polymer fibers (FRP). Hybrid columns are used to increase confinement, increase flexibility, ‎increase shear strength in the column, and consequently increase the efficiency of the member. ‎Therefore, strengthening reinforced concrete columns with FRP has been used in many cases to ‎increase the confinement of concrete and also to increase the ductility of the structure. Due to the ‎importance of the degree of flexibility and energy absorption capacity in structures, especially ‎under the influence of lateral loads, methods should be sought that increase the ductility of ‎concrete structures. By controlling the lateral expansion of concrete by enclosing it, the strength ‎and flexibility of concrete can be significantly increased. The use of FRP fibers for reinforcing ‎concrete columns is an effective method for strengthening damaged concrete columns, as it ‎enhances both load-carrying capacity and energy dissipation. The numerical results showed that ‎the GFRP-confined model exhibited approximately 15% higher energy dissipation compared to ‎the steel-confined model, demonstrating its superior ability to absorb seismic energy and reduce ‎structural damage.‎
‎ This study aims to numerically investigate the seismic response of hybrid RC columns ‎confined with FRP tubes under different ground motions using FEM in ABAQUS

Contemporary urban thought has increasingly shifted toward integrating culture as a ‎strategic resource in urban development processes, particularly as conventional development ‎models have demonstrated limitations in addressing identity, social cohesion, and long-term ‎sustainability. Within this context, this study aims to construct a comprehensive conceptual ‎framework for the notion of the cultural imprint and to examine the role of its strategies in ‎guiding urban development toward more context-responsive and balanced trajectories.‎
The research adopts a theoretical–analytical approach grounded in a critical review of the ‎literature addressing the culture–urban development nexus. It draws upon key theoretical ‎perspectives—including Competitive Advantage Theory, the Creative Class Theory, and the ‎Capability Approach—as interpretive lenses for understanding how culture can be ‎operationalized within urban transformation processes. The analysis conceptualizes the cultural ‎imprint as a dynamic, multidimensional construct emerging from the interaction between cultural ‎heritage, social structures, economic patterns, and material expressions within the built ‎environment.‎
The study proposes three principal strategies for activating the cultural imprint in urban ‎development: localization and activation, cultural diagnosis, and cultural production and ‎consumption. These interconnected pathways contribute to reintegrating spatial memory, ‎strengthening urban identity, and enhancing socio-economic vitality. Furthermore, the theoretical ‎framework is translated into operational indicators to bridge the persistent gap between ‎conceptual discourse and practical implementation.‎
The scholarly contribution of this research lies in repositioning culture from a symbolic ‎attribute to an operational asset capable of informing urban policies and development projects. ‎The findings suggest that effective urban development extends beyond physical interventions ‎and depends fundamentally on a city's ability to mobilize its cultural imprint in ways that foster ‎continuity, adaptability, and resilience amid contemporary transformations.‎

Urban inadequacies, such as the lack of proper housing systems and the declining road ‎network efficiency, represent significant challenges for cities globally, particularly in developing ‎nations. These shortcomings exert a negative effect on social equity, economic development, and ‎urban sustainability, directly impacting the quality of life of urban inhabitants. Given that ‎housing is an essential human need and road networks are fundamental for mobility, commerce, ‎and social interaction, addressing these deficiencies is critical. Consequently, this study ‎investigates these issues by incorporating planning strategies that integrate housing units and ‎transportation systems into urban master plans. This research provides a comprehensive review of ‎the pertinent literature regarding housing shortages, urban deficit analysis, and urban planning ‎trends. Using the Scopus database for the period from 2001 to 2025, this study performs a ‎bibliometric analysis‏ ‏supported by VOSviewer‏ ‏to demonstrate research trends, collaboration ‎networks, and thematic clusters. Furthermore, the paper evaluates various methodological tools ‎utilized in these studies, specifically Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Multi-Criteria ‎Decision Analysis (MCDA), network analysis, and scientometrics. Finally, this research reviews ‎diverse practices and identified the core difficulties faced by developing countries struggling to ‎achieve sustainable urbanization.‎

This comprehensive investigation systematically examines the machinability characteristics ‎of Aluminum Alloy 6061-T6 through precision CNC end milling on a 3-axis Vertical Machining ‎Center (VMC). Experiments employed a High-Speed Steel (HSS) 5-flute end mill cutter (∅10 mm ‎diameter) under flood coolant conditions (15 L/min flow rate, 1:20 water-soluble oil emulsion) to ‎ensure thermal stability and effective chip evacuation. A Taguchi L_9 orthogonal array enabled ‎efficient parametric analysis of three key variables: spindle speed N (1000, 2000, 3000 rpm), feed ‎rate f (100, 200, 300 mm/min), and axial depth of cut d (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mm). Analysis of Variance ‎‎(ANOVA) reveals that feed rate f dominantly influences arithmetic surface ‎roughness R_a (74.8% contribution, F=110.2, p<0.001), while spindle speed N primarily ‎governs tool flank wear (60.1% variance contribution). A novel "chip crowding" phenomenon ‎emerges at Material Removal Rates (MRR) >3000 mm³/min, where the 5-flute geometry's ‎restricted flute gullet capacity induces chip re-cutting and catastrophic surface deterioration ‎‎(+260% R_a degradation). Developed multiple linear regression models demonstrate high ‎predictive fidelity (R^2=96.5% for R_a, 92.8% for flank wear), validated by confirmation runs ‎‎(e.g., Run 7: predicted 0.52 µm vs. measured 0.55 µm, 5.5% error). The optimal ‎combination A_3 B_1 C_1 (3000 rpm, 100 mm/min, 0.5 mm depth) yields a 69% R_a reduction, ‎establishing an industry benchmark for Al6061-T6 finish machining.‎

Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSNs) integrate Cognitive Radio (CR) ‎capabilities with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to enable dynamic spectrum access and ‎improve communication efficiency in intelligent environments. These networks address the ‎limitations of traditional WSNs, such as fixed spectrum allocation, interference, and high energy ‎consumption, making them suitable for modern Internet of Things (IoT) applications.‎
This paper presents a systematic and analytical review of recent research (2021–2025) on ‎performance enhancement techniques in CWSNs. The study analyzes key approaches, including ‎energy-efficient routing, intelligent spectrum sensing, security mechanisms, and hybrid ‎optimization models. The findings indicate that integrating machine learning with cross-layer ‎optimization significantly improves network lifetime, throughput, and adaptability. However, ‎challenges remain in terms of scalability, computational complexity, and real-world ‎implementation.‎

‏ ‏Precise fault location is needed in high-voltage transmission lines for reliable operation. ‎The classical TWA methods tend to deteriorate estimation accuracy because of the assumption ‎that the wave propagation velocity is constant, and need strictly synchronized terminal ‎observations. This paper presents a new hybrid time-domain fault location algorithm that ‎overcomes this drawback using a distributed-parameter line model combined with an arbitrary ‎spatially varying ground-mode velocity profile. The model follows a quadratic fit for the ‎frequency-dependent ground-mode velocity attenuation along the line between receivers. In ‎addition, an asynchronous expression based on TDOA between air/ground modes is developed ‎to estimate and eliminate synchronization inaccuracies between line terminals. We consider a ‎method of characteristics, which is modified to solve telegrapher’s equations on piecewise-‎uniform segments. Extensive simulations on a 300 km testbed transmission line model verify the ‎effectiveness of the proposed approach. The performance results show that our solution provides ‎a noticeable accuracy improvement, as errors below 0.06% are obtained even for far-away faults ‎and in the presence of synchronization time offsets as large as 50 μs, outperforming classical ‎constant-velocity models.‎