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The development of spacecraft large-sized reflectors is one of the most urgent issues for the space industry. The reflector structure is to meet such principle criteria as high accuracy in reflective surface configuration and weight. The accuracy in the reflective surface configuration during continuous operation is ensured by the control system. The authors suggest using piezo motors in the control system. The motors of such type of certain small mass-overall characteristics can create high force. This paper presents a new piezo motor design and its operation. A mathematic model of piezo motor operation modes has been worked out which became the basis for setting new designed piezo motor operation modes depending on different loads. The results of the experimental tests of the new designed piezo motor confirmed the results of the theoretical calculations.The development of spacecraft large-sized reflectors is one of the most urgent issues for the space industry. The reflector structure is to meet such principle criteria as high accuracy in reflective surface configuration and weight. The accuracy in the reflective surface configuration during continuous operation is ensured by the control system. The authors suggest using piezo motors in the control system. The motors of such type of certain small mass-overall characteristics can create high force. This paper presents a new piezo motor design and its operation. A mathematic model of piezo motor operation modes has been worked out which became the basis for setting new designed piezo motor operation modes depending on different loads. The results of the experimental tests of the new designed piezo motor confirmed the results of the theoretical calculations.

The advent of Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) systems have aided the rapid manufacturing of composite aerospace structures. One of the challenges that AFP systems bring is the variability of the deposited prepreg tape layers, which are prone to gaps, overlaps and twists. The current detection method used in industry involves halting fabrication and performing a time consuming visual inspection of each tape layer. Typical AFP systems use a quartz lamp to heat the base layer to make the surface tacky as it deposits another tape layer. The innovation discussed in this paper is to use the preheated base layer as a through transmission heat source and inspect the newly added tape layer in situ using a thermographic camera mounted onto the AFP structure. Such a system would not only increase manufacturing throughput by reducing inspection times, but would also aid in process development for new structural designs or material systems. To this end, a small thermal camera was mounted onto an AFP robotic research platform at NASA, and thermal data was collected during typical and experimental layup operations. The data was post processed to reveal defects such as tow overlap/gap, wrinkling, and peel-up. Defects that would have been impossible to detect visually were also revealed in the data, such as poor/loss of adhesion between plies and the effects of vacuum debulking. This paper will cover the results of our experiments, and the recent progress on the data reduction algorithms in preparation for machine learning development.

Electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing (e-jet printing) is one type of micro/nano scale 3D printing techniques that automatically deposit functional materials to form 3D structures on the substrate. Unlike traditional thermal or acoustic inkjet printing, e-jet printing utilizes high electrical forces for the ink to overcome surface tension at the tip of micro needles. The droplets and filaments coming out from the needle have dimensions much smaller than the dimension of the needle, thus to print geometries in micro and nano scale. E-jet printing process parameters can affect the final quality attributes of fabricated constructs. Currently, assessment of these critical geometries and attributes information must be performed offline using optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy. This drawback affected the efficiency of micro/nano printing from translation to industrial practice. The research in this paper focused on fundamental research to enable in-situ monitoring of e-jet printing using a real-time images characterization technique. In conclusion, the study in this paper investigated using machine vision for real-time monitoring of micro/nano scale 3D printing. The method worked well for micro-filament detection in e-jet printing, and may be further implemented into feedback control system of complicated e-jet printing. However, the optical machine vision was limited to micro scale detection. One of the future research topic is to develop nano scale in-situ detection mechanism for e-jet printing.

The local mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composites strongly depend on the local fiber orientation which is created during preforming. To date, investigations on fiber orientation effects focus on the analysis of the overall structure and on a qualitative description of local effects because it is still difficult to quantify local draping effects. This paper presents a tooling concept which allows influencing the preforming of the fabric and thus an approach to quantify local draping effects. Based on the optical inspection system Atos, the size of different draping effects are measured and classified for NCF-reinforced CFRP composites.The local mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composites strongly depend on the local fiber orientation which is created during preforming. To date, investigations on fiber orientation effects focus on the analysis of the overall structure and on a qualitative description of local effects because it is still difficult to quantify local draping effects. This paper presents a tooling concept which allows influencing the preforming of the fabric and thus an approach to quantify local draping effects. Based on the optical inspection system Atos, the size of different draping effects are measured and classified for NCF-reinforced CFRP composites.

Nowadays polymers are commonly used in various applications, which make it difficult to avoid its usage even though it causes environmental problems. Natural fibers are best alternate to overcome the polymer based environmental issues. Natural fibers play an important role in developing high performing fully newline biodegradable green composites which will be a key material to solve environmental problems in future. In this paper deals the properties analysis of banana fiber is combined with epoxy resin in order to create a natural composite, which has special characteristics for aerospace applications. The objective of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of failure modes and strength of natural composite using experimental and numerical methods. The test specimen of natural composite has been fabricated as per ASTM standard, which undergoes tensile and compression tests using Tinius Olsen UTM in order to determine mechanical and physical properties. The reference model has been designed by CATIA, and then numerical simulation has been carried out by Ansys Workbench 16.2 for the given boundary conditions.Nowadays polymers are commonly used in various applications, which make it difficult to avoid its usage even though it causes environmental problems. Natural fibers are best alternate to overcome the polymer based environmental issues. Natural fibers play an important role in developing high performing fully newline biodegradable green composites which will be a key material to solve environmental problems in future. In this paper deals the properties analysis of banana fiber is combined with epoxy resin in order to create a natural composite, which has special characteristics for aerospace applications. The objective of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of failure modes and strength of natural composite using experimental and numerical methods. The test specimen of natural composite has been fabricated as per ASTM standard, which undergoes tensile and compression tests using Tinius Olsen UTM in order to determine mechanical and physical properties. The reference model has been designed by ...

The paper deals with analysis and selection of parameters of rapid prototyping of gears by selective sintering of metal powders. Presented results show wide spectrum of application of RP systems in manufacturing processes of machine elements, basing on analysis of market in term of application of additive manufacturing technology in different sectors of industry. Considerable growth of these methods over the past years can be observed. The characteristic errors of printed model with respect to ideal one for each technique were pointed out. Special attention was paid to the method of preparation of numerical data CAD/STL/RP. Moreover the analysis of manufacturing processes of gear type elements was presented. The tested gears were modeled with different allowances for final machining and made by DMLS. Metallographic analysis and strength tests on prepared specimens were performed. The above mentioned analysis and tests were used to compare the real properties of material with the nominal ones. To improve the quality of surface after sintering the gears were subjected to final machining. The analysis of geometry of gears after hybrid manufacturing method was performed (fig.1). The manufacturing process was defined in a traditional way as well as with the aid of modern manufacturing techniques. Methodology and obtained results can be used for other machine elements than gears and constitutes the general theory of production processes in rapid prototyping methods as well as in designing and implementation of production.The paper deals with analysis and selection of parameters of rapid prototyping of gears by selective sintering of metal powders. Presented results show wide spectrum of application of RP systems in manufacturing processes of machine elements, basing on analysis of market in term of application of additive manufacturing technology in different sectors of industry. Considerable growth of these methods over the past years can be observed. The characteristic errors of printed model with respect to ideal one for each technique were pointed out. Special attention was paid to the method of preparation of numerical data CAD/STL/RP. Moreover the analysis of manufacturing processes of gear type elements was presented. The tested gears were modeled with different allowances for final machining and made by DMLS. Metallographic analysis and strength tests on prepared specimens were performed. The above mentioned analysis and tests were used to compare the real properties of material with the nominal ones. To improve t...

This paper describes the results of an experimental investigation aimed to st udy the machinability of AA7075 T6 (160 HV) for aerospace industry at high cutting speeds. The paper investigates the effects of different lubri-cooling strategies (cryogenic, M QL and dry) during high speed turning process on cutting forces, tool wear, chip morphology and cutting temperatures. The cutting speeds selected were 1000m/min, 1250m/min and 1500 m/min, while the feed rate values used were 0.1mm/rev and 0.3 mm/rev. The results of cryogenic and M QL application is compared with dry application. It was found that the cryogenic and M QL lubri-cooling techniques could represent a functional alternative to the common dry cutting application in order to implement a more effect ive high speed turning process. Higher cuttingparameters would be able to increase the productivity and reduce the production costs. The effects of the cutting parameters and on the variables object of study were investigated and the role of the different lubri-cooling conditions was assessed.

There is need to replace the traditional materials used in mechanical constructions with cheaper materials characterized by high durability and simplicity of manufacturing. An alternative technology is 3D printing technology that uses ABS material (poly (acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene)). 3D printing technology ensures the rapid change of model dimensions and shapes at the prototyping stage and a relatively cheap cost of new elements. There are many plastic materials producers on the market for a 3D printer. In this paper two of them have been choosen to a comparison and their mechanical parameters have been determined. The modal analysis of this material was carried out and the obtained values of resonance frequencies were compared.There is need to replace the traditional materials used in mechanical constructions with cheaper materials characterized by high durability and simplicity of manufacturing. An alternative technology is 3D printing technology that uses ABS material (poly (acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene)). 3D printing technology ensures the rapid change of model dimensions and shapes at the prototyping stage and a relatively cheap cost of new elements. There are many plastic materials producers on the market for a 3D printer. In this paper two of them have been choosen to a comparison and their mechanical parameters have been determined. The modal analysis of this material was carried out and the obtained values of resonance frequencies were compared.

This paper describes the aerodynamic design of the scaled air test rig of axial exhaust casing. The axial exhaust casings are used to benefit steam turbines of less than 180 MW, and their design can significantly affect the performance of the last stage and thus the performance of the entire steam turbine. The proposed test rig, along with extensive CFD simulations, will help to optimize the flowing in the exhaust casing and provide the ability to reliably predict losses in the exhaust casing on real steam turbines. Part of the study will be the detection of the influence of the individual components of the velocity at the diffuser inlet, the effect of the number, shape and arrangement of the internal struts. Last but not least, the effect of a wall jet blowing into the outer diffuser wall will be studied. The aerodynamic design of the test rig itself required a lot of numerical simulations to achieve the desired velocity profile at the diffuser inlet. It has been shown that it is difficult to simulate the radial component of the velocity in experimental conditions. The desired circumferential component of the velocity can be achieved more easily by suitable shaping of the stationary blade grid at the diffuser inlet.This paper describes the aerodynamic design of the scaled air test rig of axial exhaust casing. The axial exhaust casings are used to benefit steam turbines of less than 180 MW, and their design can significantly affect the performance of the last stage and thus the performance of the entire steam turbine. The proposed test rig, along with extensive CFD simulations, will help to optimize the flowing in the exhaust casing and provide the ability to reliably predict losses in the exhaust casing on real steam turbines. Part of the study will be the detection of the influence of the individual components of the velocity at the diffuser inlet, the effect of the number, shape and arrangement of the internal struts. Last but not least, the effect of a wall jet blowing into the outer diffuser wall will be studied. The aerodynamic design of the test rig itself required a lot of numerical simulations to achieve the desired velocity profile at the diffuser inlet. It has been shown that it is difficult to simulate th...

3D printing created a totally new manufacturing possibilities. It is possible e.g. to produce closed inner shapes with different geometrical features. Unfortunately traditional methods are not suitable to verify the manufacturing accuracy, because it would be necessary to cut workpieces. In the paper the possibilities of computed tomography (x-ray micro-CT) application for accuracy assessment of inner shapes are presented. This was already reported in some papers. For research works hollow cylindrical samples with 20mm diameter and 300mm length were manufactured by means of FDM. A sphere, cone and cube were put inside these elements. All measurements were made with the application of CT. The measurement results enable us to obtain a full geometrical image of both inner and outer surfaces of a cylinder as well as shapes of inner elements. Additionally, it is possible to inspect the structure of a printed element – size and location of supporting net and all the other supporting elements necessary to hold up the walls created over empty spaces. The results obtained with this method were compared with CAD models which were a source of data for 3D printing. This in turn made it possible to assess the manufacturing accuracy of particular figures inserted into the cylinders. The influence of location of the inner supporting walls on a shape deformation was also investigated. The results obtained with this way show us how important CT can be during the assessment of 3D printing of objects.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes offer the potential for manufacturing cost savings and rapid insertion into service through production of near net shape components for complicated structures. Use of these parts in high reliability applications such as those in the aerospace industry will require nondestructive characterization methods to ensure post-process material quality in as-built condition. Ultrasonic methods can be used for this quality verification. Depending on the application, the service life of AM components can be sensitive to the part surface condition. The surface roughness and layered structure inherent to the electron-beam powder-bed fusion process necessitates new approaches to evaluate subsurface material integrity in its presence. Experimental methods and data analytics may improve the evaluation of as-built additively manufactured materials. This paper discusses the assessment of additively manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels using ultrasonic methods and the data analytics applied to evaluate material integrity. The assessment was done as an exploratory study as the discontinuities of interest in these test samples were not known when the measurements were performed. Water immersion ultrasonic techniques, including pulse-echo and through transmission with 10 MHz focused transducers, were used to explore the material integrity of as-built plates. Subsequent destructive mechanical tests of specimens extracted from the plates provided fracture locations indicating critical flaws. To further understand the effect of surface-roughness, an evaluation of ultrasonic response in the presence of as-built surfaces and with the surface removed was performed. The assessment of additive manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels with ultrasonic techniques indicated that ultrasonic energy was attenuated by the as-built surface roughness. In addition, feature detection was shown to be sensitive to experimental ultrasonic parameters and flaw morphology.Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes offer the potential for manufacturing cost savings and rapid insertion into service through production of near net shape components for complicated structures. Use of these parts in high reliability applications such as those in the aerospace industry will require nondestructive characterization methods to ensure post-process material quality in as-built condition. Ultrasonic methods can be used for this quality verification. Depending on the application, the service life of AM components can be sensitive to the part surface condition. The surface roughness and layered structure inherent to the electron-beam powder-bed fusion process necessitates new approaches to evaluate subsurface material integrity in its presence. Experimental methods and data analytics may improve the evaluation of as-built additively manufactured materials. This paper discusses the assessment of additively manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels using ultrasonic methods and the data analytics applied...

Air filtration system plays an important role in getting good quality air into turbo machinery such as gas turbine. The filtration system and filters improve the quality of air and protect the gas turbine parts from contaminants which could bring damage. This paper is focused on the configuration of the self-cleaning canister filter in order to obtain the minimal pressure drop along the filter. The configuration includes a modified canister filter cap that is based on the basic geometry that conforms to industry standard. This paper describes the use of CFD to simulate and analyze the flow through the filter. This tool is also used to monitor variables such as pressure and velocity along the filter and to visualize them in the form of contours, vectors and streamlines. In this study, the main parameter varied is the inlet velocity set in the boundary condition during simulations, which are 0.032, 0.063, 0.094 and 0.126 m/s respectively. The data obtained from simulations are then validated with reference ...

As an important part of the valve opening and closing controller in engine, camshaft has high machining accuracy requirement in designing. Taking the high-speed camshaft grinder spindle system as the research object and the spindle system performance as the optimizing target, this paper firstly uses Solidworks to establish the three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of spindle system, then conducts static analysis and the modal analysis by applying the established FEM in ANSYS Workbench, and finally uses the design optimization function of the ANSYS Workbench to optimize the structure parameter in the spindle system. The study results prove that the design of the spindle system fully meets the production requirements, and the performance of the optimized spindle system is promoted. Besides, this paper provides an analysis and optimization method for other grinder spindle systems.

The technology of parabolic trough collectors (PTC) is used widely in concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants worldwide. However this type of large-size collectors cannot be officially tested by an accredited laboratory and certified by an accredited certification body so far, as there is no standard adapted to its particularity, and the current published standard for solar thermal collectors are not completely applicable to them. Recently some standardization committees have been working on this technology. This paper aims to give a summary of the standardized testing methodology of large-size PTC for CSP plants, giving the physical model chosen for modeling the thermal performance of the collector in the new revision of standard ISO 9806 and the points still to be improved in the standard draft IEC 62862-3-2. In this paper, a summary of the testing validation performed on one parabolic trough collector installed in one of the test facilities at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) with this new model is also presented.

LS-type screw conveyor has been extensively used in the transportation of powder coal mine. Reasonable selection and design of the structure and parameters of conveyor body is the most significant for the transportation of powder coal mine. The whole structure and the working principle of the LS-type screw conveyor were introduced in the paper. And then the design and calculation formula of key components on LS-type spiral conveyor body, such as screw shaft, spiral blade and intermediate bearing are given. This paper makes a further research on design of key components on LS-type spiral conveyor, providing theoretical basis for the application of the screw conveyor in powder coal mine.

Traditional rake type mulching film recycling machine has the problem of difficulty in unloading and packing film, poor continuity of the work. In order to solve such problems, this paper designs a kind of chain rake type mulching film recycling machine which can realize continuous raking film, collecting film, transporting film, shaking off soil, unloading film. Rake teeth is the basic part of chain rake mulching recycling machine. The stability of rake teeth’s inserting soil is an important factor to ensure recovery efficiency of the plastic film recovery. By virtual prototype simulation, this paper study the influence of different factors on the stability of rake teeth inserting soil. The results are as follow: ①The speed of chain rake has no significant effect on the stability of rake teeth inserting soil; ②Reducing resistance of rake teeth in the process of working, is conducive to improve the stability of rake teeth inserting soil; ③Appropriate increasing elastic modulus of chain rake, is helpful to...

This paper aims to study the effect of the thermoforming process on the assembly of a newly developed stretchable material for electric circuit and LEDs for manufacturing of automotive lighting. The thermoforming process was conducted using a mould developed based on commercially available automotive lighting product. The circuit was initially printed on a flat thermoplastic substrate using screen printing technique prior to the thermoforming process. The quality of the product was investigated before and after thermoforming process through quantitative measurement and visual inspection in terms of the circuit’s resistivity and the electrical conductivity, respectively. The resistivity measurement was conducted by using four point probes instrument to compare the resistivity of the circuit which depends on stretch level of circuit and substrate during the thermoforming process. The stretch level was found to be different along the geometry due to the unsymmetrical geometry of the mould. The electrical conductivity of the circuit was also tested by LEDs illumination through power supply connection. This study shows promising results in applying thermoforming process in the fabrication of 3-dimensional shape product with lower cost equipment.This paper aims to study the effect of the thermoforming process on the assembly of a newly developed stretchable material for electric circuit and LEDs for manufacturing of automotive lighting. The thermoforming process was conducted using a mould developed based on commercially available automotive lighting product. The circuit was initially printed on a flat thermoplastic substrate using screen printing technique prior to the thermoforming process. The quality of the product was investigated before and after thermoforming process through quantitative measurement and visual inspection in terms of the circuit’s resistivity and the electrical conductivity, respectively. The resistivity measurement was conducted by using four point probes instrument to compare the resistivity of the circuit which depends on stretch level of circuit and substrate during the thermoforming process. The stretch level was found to be different along the geometry due to the unsymmetrical geometry of the mould. The electrical con...

Engineering a lab-on-a-chip (LoC) to perform the DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for malaria detection is the ultimate goal of this study. This paper investigates the ability to fabricate an LoC kit using conventional method to achieve the lowest production cost by using existing fabrication process. It has been known that majority of LoC was made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which in this study was realized through a contact mold process. CNC milling process was utilized to create channel features in the range of 150-250 µm on the mold. Characterization on the milling process was done to understand the shrinkage/contraction between mold to product, roughness and also angle of contact of PDMS surface. Ultimately, this paper also includes analysis on flow measurement and heat distribution of an assembled LoC PCR kit. The results show that the achieved dimension of microchannel is 227 µm wide with a roughness of 0.01 µm. The flow measurement indicates a deviation with simulation in the range of 10%. A heat distribution through the kit is achieved following the three temperature zones as desired.

Geometric in design is much related with our life. Each of the geometrical structure interacts with each other. The overall shape of an object contains other shape inside, and there shapes create a relationship between each other in space. Besides that, how geometry relates to the function of the object have to be considerate. In this project, the main purpose was to design the geometrical shape of modular furniture with the shrinking of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) jointing system that has good strength when applied load on it. But, the goal of this paper is focusing on the analysis of Static Cases by FEM of the hexagonal structure to obtain the strength when load apply on it. The review from the existing product has many information and very helpful to finish this paper. This project focuses on hexagonal shape that distributed to become a shelf inspired by honeycomb structure. It is very natural look and simple in shape and its modular structure more easily to separate and combine. The method discus...

Dynamically induced phase transitions in metals, within the present discussion, are those that take place within a time scale characteristic of the shock waves and any reflections or rarefactions involved in the loading structure along with associated plastic flow. Contemporary topics of interest include the influence of loading wave shape, the effect of shear produced by directionality of the loading relative to the sample dimensions and initial velocity field, and the loading duration (kinetic effects, hysteresis) on the appearance and longevity of a transformed phase. These topics often arise while considering the loading of parts of various shapes with high explosives, are typically two or three-dimensional, and are often selected because of the potential of the transformed phase to significantly modify the motion. In this paper, we look at current work on phase transitions in metals influenced by shear reported in the literature, and relate recent work conducted at Los Alamos on iron’s epsilon phase transition that indicates a significant response to shear produced by reflected elastic waves. A brief discussion of criteria for the occurrence of stress induced phase transitions is provided. Closing remarks regard certain physical processes, such as fragmentation and jet formation, which may be strongly influenced by phase transitions.Dynamically induced phase transitions in metals, within the present discussion, are those that take place within a time scale characteristic of the shock waves and any reflections or rarefactions involved in the loading structure along with associated plastic flow. Contemporary topics of interest include the influence of loading wave shape, the effect of shear produced by directionality of the loading relative to the sample dimensions and initial velocity field, and the loading duration (kinetic effects, hysteresis) on the appearance and longevity of a transformed phase. These topics often arise while considering the loading of parts of various shapes with high explosives, are typically two or three-dimensional, and are often selected because of the potential of the transformed phase to significantly modify the motion. In this paper, we look at current work on phase transitions in metals influenced by shear reported in the literature, and relate recent work conducted at Los Alamos on iron’s epsilon phase ...

The paper presents preliminary results of dynamic tests of the masonry barrel vault in a technical scale. Experimental studies are intended to identify material properties of homogenized masonry vaults under dynamic loads. The aim of the work is to create numerical models to analyse vault’s dynamic response to dynamic loads in a simplest and accurate way. The process of building the vault in a technical scale is presented in the paper. Furthermore a excitation of vibrations with an electrodynamic modal exciter placed on the vault, controlled by an arbitrary waveform function generator, is discussed. Finally paper presents trends in the research for homogenization algorithm enabling dynamic analysis of masonry vaults.Experimental results were compared with outcomes of so-called macromodels (macromodel of a brick masonry is a model in which masonry, i.e. a medium consisting of two different fractions – bricks and mortar, is represented by a homogenized, uniformed, material). Homogenization entail significan...

A reduction of material usage of cold forged components while maintaining the functional requirements is put into effect using hollow or tubular preforms. These preforms are used to meet lightweight requirements and decreased production costs of cold formed components. In order to increase efficiency of manufacturing the combined forming process “manufacturing of hollow preforms by combining the processes backward cup extrusion and piercing” was established and will be discussed in this paper. This investigation consists of the numerical identification of substantial process input variables, process outcomes, and the process limits with regard to combined forming processes in the field of cold forging. The numerical results which are relevant for further experimental studies and the influence on the produced preforms as far as surface quality and diameter tolerance are concerned will be presented in this paper. Thus, an outlook of the experimental studies will be given.A reduction of material usage of cold forged components while maintaining the functional requirements is put into effect using hollow or tubular preforms. These preforms are used to meet lightweight requirements and decreased production costs of cold formed components. In order to increase efficiency of manufacturing the combined forming process “manufacturing of hollow preforms by combining the processes backward cup extrusion and piercing” was established and will be discussed in this paper. This investigation consists of the numerical identification of substantial process input variables, process outcomes, and the process limits with regard to combined forming processes in the field of cold forging. The numerical results which are relevant for further experimental studies and the influence on the produced preforms as far as surface quality and diameter tolerance are concerned will be presented in this paper. Thus, an outlook of the experimental studies will be given.

The paper deals with use of LOOP thermosyphon heat pipe to transfer heat from electrotechnical box and describe of construction individual types of LOOP heat pipes. The LOOP heat pipe is very good cooling device which requires no mechanical parts in their design. LOOP heat pipe use only phase change during heat transfer, without a compressor, fan or pump. LOOP heat pipe is more energy saving compared to conventional cooling systems with forced convection. The main advantage of cooling by heat pipe is that electrotechnical box can be hermetically closed (dust -free construction), because dust reduces the lifetime of electrotechnical elements in box. Lifetime of LOOP heat pipe equals to the lifetime of construction material. The paper describes mathematical model of LOOP thermosyphon heat pipe (condenser). Compares selected types of working fluids which are filled with a heat pipe and construction materials of heat pipe.

According to available literature, it is assumed that outer packaging container, which is usually made of corrugated cardboard, does not influence the mitigation of the impact effects, thus in the designing process of packaging system the outer packaging is skipped. The purpose of this paper is to verify the above assumption, including determination of the influence of the 5-layer cardboard on the properties of structures that consist of that cardboard and polyethylene foam. Verification is performed with the use of the finite element method. To apply this method the dynamic compression curve of cushioning material is required. Therefore in the paper it is also presented the modified method to determine the curve.

Alstom is developing solar power tower plants utilizing molten salt as the working fluid. In solar power tower, the molten salt central receiver (MSCR) atop of the tower is constructed of banks of tubes arranged in panels creating a heat transfer surface exposed to the solar irradiation from the heliostat field. The molten salt heat transfer fluid (HTF), in this case 60/40%wt NaNO3-KNO3, flows in serpentine flow through the surface collecting sensible heat thus raising the HTF temperature from 290°C to 565°C. The hot molten salt is stored and dispatched to produce superheated steam in a steam generator, which in turn produces electricity in the steam turbine generator. The MSCR based power plant with a thermal energy storage system (TESS) is a fully dispatchable renewable power plant with a number of opportunities for operational and economic optimization.This paper presents operation and controls challenges to the MSCR and the overall power plant, and the use of dynamic model computer simulation based transient analyses applied to molten salt based solar thermal power plant. This study presents the evaluation of the current MSCR design, using a dynamic model, with emphasis on severe events affecting critical process response, such as MS temperature deviations, and recommend MSCR control design improvements based on the results. Cloud events are the scope of the transient analysis presented in this paper. The paper presents results from a comparative study to examine impacts or effects on key process variables related to controls and operation of the MSCR plant.

In most Asian countries, rice drying is carried out manually by exposing rice to sunlight. However, problem occurs when rain season comes. Lack of sunlight deters the drying process. This paper proposes a design of mechanical rice drying machine with hybrid sun-biomass energy source. Pahl & Beitz method, which consists of four steps process: function planning and clarification, design concept, design prototype, and design details; are used as design methodology. Based on design result and calculation, in this paper propose specifications for drying machine and biomass furnace. Drying chamber is a continuous flow system with pneumatic-conveyor as blower. This hybrid utilizes two types of energy sources, sun and biomass. The proposed machine has capacity of 500 kilograms per cycle using 455 Watt of energy, which is more efficient than ordinary heater. Biomass furnace utilizes heat transfer by means of arranging 64 pieces of stainless steel pipes of 0.65 diameters in parallel.

This paper is associated to the European policy of increasing efficiency in raw material and energy usage. This policy becomes even more important in sectors consuming high amount of resources, like hot forging industry, where material costs sums up to 50% of component price and energy ones are continuously raising. The warm forging shows a clear potential of raw material reduction (near-net-shape components) and also of energy saving (forging temperature under 1000°C). However and due to the increment of the energy costs, new solutions are required by the forging sector in order to reduce the temperature below 900°C. The reported research is based on several approaches to reduce the forging temperature applied to a flanged shaft of the automotive sector as demonstration case. The developed investigations have included several aspects: raw material, process parameters, tools and dies behavior during forging process and also metallographic evaluation of the forged parts. This paper summarizes analysis of the ductility and the admissible forces of the flanged shaft material Ck45 in as-supplied state (as-rolled) and also in two additional heat treated states. Hot compression and tensile tests using a GLEEBLE 3800C Thermo mechanical simulator have been performed pursuing this target. In the same way, a coupled numerical model based on Finite Element Method (FEM) has been developed to predict the material flow, the forging loads and the stresses on the tools at lower temperature with the new heat treatments of the raw material. In order to validate the previous development, experimental trials at 850 °C and 750 °C were carried out in a mechanical press and the results were very promising.

In the automotive industry, there are many assembly processes that require a high geometric accuracy, in the micrometer range; generally open-loop controllers cannot meet these requirements. This results in an increased defect rate and high production costs. This paper presents an experimental study of interference fit process, aimed to evaluate the aspects which have the most impact on the uncertainty in the final positioning. The press-fitting process considered, consists in a press machine operating with a piezoelectric actuator to press a plug into a sleeve. Plug and sleeve are designed and machined to obtain a known interference fit. Differential displacement and velocity measurements of the plug with respect to the sleeve are measured by a fiber optic differential laser Doppler vibrometer. Different driving signals of the piezo actuator allow to have an insight into the differences between a linear and a pulsating press action. The paper highlights how the press-fit assembly process is characterized by two main phases: the first is an elastic deformation of the plug and sleeve, which produces a reversible displacement, the second is a sliding of the plug with respect to the sleeve, which results in an irreversible displacement and finally realizes the assembly. The simultaneous measurements of the displacement and the force have permitted to define characteristic features in the signal useful to identify the start of the irreversible movement. These indicators could be used to develop a control logic in a press assembly process.

This paper seeks to determine whether the Finite Volume method within a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver (ANSYS Fluent) can model radiation with comparable accuracy to a Monte Carlo ray-tracing software package (SolTrace). A detailed investigation was performed into modeling techniques that can be used to significantly reduce the optical errors traditionally associated with CFD modeling of radiation false scattering and ray effect using a simple optical test case. The strategies formulated in the first part of this paper were used to model a variety of Linear Fresnel Collector Concentrating Solar Power Plants. This paper shows that commercial CFD packages yield accurate results for line focusing concentrating solar applications and simple geometries, validating its use in an integrated environment where both optical and thermal performance of these plants can be simulated and optimized.

Design and simulation of an axial flux permanent magnet generator (AFPMG) have been described in this paper. It was designed using the single rotor – single stator construction. The analytical method was using in the design process. The design process also employed the simulation using Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) 4.2 software for identifying the magnetic characteristic and heat transfer. The effect of fill factor (FF) variation on the generator performances also observed in this paper. The design result shows that using the selected FF, the conductor diameter, power output, efficiency and heat distribution are affected but not for the Bg. The generator output can achieve up to 5.2 kW using the FF 0.4 which is more than assumed power output at the pre-design using FF 0.3. It also can be seen that the increasing FF will increase the power output and the efficiency. Despite a higher temperature compared with FF 0.3 and 0.35, the value of 0.4 is the most appropriate FF for designing the AFPMG.

The paper deals with the predictive control applied to flexible cogeneration energy system FES. FES was designed and developed by the VITKOVICE POWER ENGINEERING joint-stock company and represents a new solution of decentralized cogeneration energy sources. In FES, the heating medium is flue gas generated by combustion of a solid fuel. The heated medium is power gas, which is a gas mixture of air and water steam. Power gas is superheated in the main heat exchanger and led to gas turbines. To protect the main heat exchanger against damage by overheating, the novel predictive protective control based on the mathematical model of exchanger was developed. The paper describes the principle, the design and the simulation of the predictive protective method applied to main heat exchanger of FES.

The paper presents preliminary results of a partnership project between academic research groups and industrial partners. The LFR500 project aims at developing a prototype of Linear Fresnel Reflector (LFR) solar power plants able to work above 500°C providing Direct Steam Generation (DSG) under 90 bars. LFR plants usually operate at 300°C, but at 500°C the efficiency is raised by more than 50%. Since thermal losses are mainly radiative at this working temperature, the absorber layers must satisfy both conditions of solar absorption and low thermal emittance in the infrared (IR) domain (beyond 2450nm…). The paper will present both modeling, design of the absorptive multilayer and experimental demonstration of an absorbing tube at industrial scale. Furthermore, characterization and aging testing will be considered and presented

This paper presents a summary of the testing procedure and a validation of the methodology of parabolic trough collector in solar thermal power plants. The applied testing methodology is the one proposed within the Spanish standardization sub-committee AEN/CTN 206/SC117 working group WG2 related to the components for solar thermal power plants. This methodology is also proposed within the international committee IEC TC 117 (Standard draft IEC 62862-3-2 Ed. 1.0). This study is done at Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) in Almeria within the European project STAGE-STE. This paper presents the results of the optical and thermal efficiency of a large-size parabolic trough collector. The obtained values are similar to the previous analysis on this collector by PSA. The results of the tracking system have a good accuracy compared to the acceptance angle of the concentrator.

This paper describes a new modular laboratory-scale experimental facility that was designed to conduct detailed aerothermal characterizations of volumetric absorbers for use in concentrating solar power plants. Absorbers are generally considered to be the element with the highest potential for efficiency gains in solar thermal energy systems. The configu-ration of volumetric absorbers enables concentrated solar radiation to penetrate deep into their solid structure, where it is progressively absorbed, prior to being transferred by convection to a working fluid flowing through the structure. Current design trends towards higher absorber outlet temperatures have led to the use of complex intricate geometries in novel ceramic and metallic elements to maximize the temperature deep inside the structure (thus reducing thermal emission losses at the front surface and increasing efficiency). Although numerical models simulate the conjugate heat transfer mechanisms along volumetric absorbers, they lack, in many cases, the accuracy that is required for precise aerothermal validations. The present work aims to aid this objective by the design, development, commissioning and operation of a new experimental facility which consists of a 7 kWe (1.2 kWth) high flux solar simulator, a radiation homogenizer, inlet and outlet collector modules and a working section that can accommodate volumetric absorbers up to 80 mm × 80 mm in cross-sectional area. Experimental measurements conducted in the facility include absorber solid temperature distributions along its depth, inlet and outlet air temperatures, air mass flow rate and pressure drop, incident radiative heat flux, and overall thermal efficiency. In addition, two windows allow for the direct visualization of the front and rear absorber surfaces, thus enabling full-coverage surface temperature measurements by thermal imaging cameras. This paper presents the results from the aerothermal characterization of a siliconized silicon carbide monolithic honeycomb, conducted at realistic conditions of incident radiative power per unit mass flow rate in order to validate its operation.

The paper deals with a design of a single blade impeller. The blade is screw-shaped with a wrap angle greater than 360°. Such a type of a pump is especially appropriate for pumping of liquids containing solid particles. There are known some applications, when living organisms as for example fishes without any lesion were pumped with a screw single blade pump. In the paper are presented the results of the research of two impellers with different blade geometry and working in the same pump casing. The characteristic curves of both impellers were calculated by using methods of CFD. Steel models of designed impellers were tested in the laboratory of hydraulic machinery. Experimentally obtained characteristics are compared with calculated ones.

Concentrating solar power co-generation systems have been identified as potential stand-alone solar energy supply solutions in remote rural energy applications. This study describes the modelling and synthesis of a combined heat and power Stirling CSP system in order to evaluate its potential performance in small off-grid rural village applications in Africa. This Stirling micro-Combined Heat and Power (micro-CHP) system has a 1 kW electric capacity, with 3 kW of thermal generation capacity which is produced as waste heat recovered from the solar power generation process. As part of the development of an intelligent microgrid control and distribution solution, the Trinum micro-CHP system and other co-generation systems are systematically being modelled on the TRNSYS simulation platform. This paper describes the modelling and simulation of the Trinum micro-CHP configuration on TRNSYS as part of the process to develop the control automation solution for the smart rural microgrid in which the Trinum will serve as a solar powerpack. The results present simulated performance outputs for the Trinum micro-CHP system for a number of remote rural locations in Africa computed from real-time TRNSYS solar irradiation and weather data (yearly, monthly, daily) for the relevant locations. The focus of this paper is on the parametric modelling of the Trinum Stirling micro-CHP system, with specific reference to this system as a TRNSYS functional block in the microgrid simulation. The model is used to forecast the solar energy harvesting potential of the Trinum micro-CHP unit at a number of remote rural sites in Africa.

Adopting good nodalization strategy is essential to produce an accurate and high quality input model for Deterministic Safety Analysis (DSA) using System Thermal-Hydraulic (SYS-TH) computer code. The purpose of such analysis is to demonstrate the compliance against regulatory requirements and to verify the behavior of the reactor during normal and accident conditions as it was originally designed. Numerous studies in the past have been devoted to the development of the nodalization strategy for small research reactor (e.g. 250kW) up to the bigger research reactor (e.g. 30MW). As such, this paper aims to discuss the state-of-arts thermal hydraulics channel to be employed in the nodalization for RTP-TRIGA Research Reactor specifically for the reactor core. At present, the required thermal-hydraulic parameters for reactor core, such as core geometrical data (length, coolant flow area, hydraulic diameters, and axial power profile) and material properties (including the UZrH1.6, stainless steel clad, graphite reflector) have been collected, analyzed and consolidated in the Reference Database of RTP using standardized methodology, mainly derived from the available technical documentations. Based on the available information in the database, assumptions made on the nodalization approach and calculations performed will be discussed and presented. The development and identification of the thermal hydraulics channel for the reactor core will be implemented during the SYS-TH calculation using RELAP5-3D® computer code. This activity presented in this paper is part of the development of overall nodalization description for RTP-TRIGA Research Reactor under the IAEA Norwegian Extra-Budgetary Programme (NOKEBP) mentoring project on Expertise Development through the Analysis of Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics for Malaysia, denoted as EARTH-M.

This paper presents the numerical model of the measuring stand - the wind tunnel, in which is fixed the cylinder with cooling inlet oscillating stream. The aim of this work is the juxtaposition and comparison of characteristic values concerning the oscillating turbulent flow around cylinder, obtained from the experiment conducted in the wind tunnel at the Institute of Thermal Machinery, Czestochowa University of Technology with the data obtained as a result of numerical modeling of unsteady flow phenomena with heat transfer processes. Model discussed in this paper was created using a commercial program ANSYS FLUENT, that is used for mathematical modeling of flow and heat transfer processes. The expected outcome of this study is that it is possible in a way that doesn’t require large expenditures of time, numerical modeling a similar stand, which greatly facilitated by further research into the very large issue of unsteady flows.

This paper introduces recent improvements for reactor physics codes in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd(MHI). MHI has developed a new neutronics design code system Galaxy/Cosmo-S(GCS) for PWR core analysis. After TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi accident, it is required to consider design extended condition which has not been covered explicitly by the former safety licensing analyses. Under these circumstances, MHI made some improvements for GCS code system. A new resonance calculation model of lattice physics code and homogeneous cross section representative model for core simulator have been developed to apply more wide range core conditions corresponding to severe accident status such like anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) analysis and criticality evaluation of dried-up spent fuel pit. As a result of these improvements, GCS code system has very wide calculation applicability with good accuracy for any core conditions as far as fuel is not damaged. In this paper, the outline of GCS code system is described briefly and recent relevant development activities are presented.

Digital radiography has made its way into in-the-field girth weld testing. With recent generations of detectors and x-ray tubes it is possible to reach the image quality desired in standards as well as the speed of inspection desired to be competitive with film radiography and automated ultrasonic testing. This paper will show the application of these technologies in the RTD Rayscan system. The method for achieving an image quality that complies with or even exceeds prevailing industrial standards will be presented, as well as the application on pipeline girth welds with CRA layers. A next step in development will be to also achieve a measurement of weld flaw height to allow for performing an Engineering Critical Assessment on the weld. This will allow for similar acceptance limits as currently used with Automated Ultrasonic Testing of pipeline girth welds. Although a sufficient sizing accuracy was already demonstrated and qualified in the TomoCAR system, testing in some applications is restricted to time limits. The paper will present some experiments that were performed to achieve flaw height approximation within these time limits.

This paper deals with optimization problem of cutting process for CNC thermal and water-jet machines. The accuracy of objective function parameters calculation for optimization problem is investigated. This paper shows that working tool path speed is not constant value. One depends on some parameters that are described in this paper. The relations of working tool path speed depending on the numbers of NC programs frames, length of straight cut, configuration part are presented. Based on received results the correction coefficients for working tool speed are defined. Additionally the optimization problem may be solved by using mathematical model. Model takes into account the additional restrictions of thermal cutting (choice of piercing and output tool point, precedence condition, thermal deformations). At the second part of paper the non-standard cutting techniques are considered. Ones may lead to minimizing of cutting cost and time compared with standard cutting techniques. This paper considers the effectiveness of non-standard cutting techniques application. At the end of the paper the future research works are indicated.

This paper is a preliminary work to explore the feasibility of cubic silicon carbide on silicon wafers with integrated proof mass as horizontal cantilever with vertical displacement. The reason of harvesting ambient vibration energy is to convert mechanical energy produces by piezoelectric into useful electrical energy. The collectable energy is useful for powering the low-power devices. Theoretically, the resonant phenomena are a special characteristic in order to optimize the generated output power. The natural frequency of the cantilever can to be tuned with difference proof masses. Another parameter considered in this paper is the damping ratio. Throughout analytical study, small damping ratio will enhance the output power of the piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH). This paper will present a mathematical modelling approach and the simulation validation.

This paper consists of both a theoretical and an experimental study of phase change materials. Specifically, the theoretical part starts with a reference to the need of using new energy-saving technologies with phase change materials and an introduction to thermal energy storage. Then, follows the presentation of the properties of these materials and the methods of their measurement, their classification in categories as well as the methods of simulating PCM. After that, the paper analyzes the most common PCM applications in buildings. The experimental part examines the efficiency of a phase change material (PCM) layer, embedded in a south, east, west and north-oriented wall which is charged externally by the sun, in relation to various parameters. Summing up, this paper brings together the results and final conclusions drawn by the experimental study, presenting several recommendations for future work.

Jet pumps are widely used in thermoacoustic Stirling heat engines and pulse tube cryocoolers to eliminate the effect of Gedeon streaming. The resistance properties of jet pumps are principally influenced by their structures and flow regimes which are always characterized by Reynolds numbers. In this paper, the jet pump of which cross section contracts abruptly is selected as our research subject. Based on linear thermoacoustic theory, a CFD model is built and the oscillating flow of the working gas is simulated and analyzed with different Reynolds numbers in the jet pump. According to the calculations, the influence of different structures and Reynolds numbers on the resistance properties of the jet pump are analyzed and presented. The results show that Reynolds numbers have a great influence on the resistance properties of jet pumps and some empirical formulas which are widely used are unsuitable for oscillating flow with small Reynolds numbers. This paper provides a more comprehensive understanding on resistance properties of jet pumps with oscillating flow and is significant for the design of jet pumps in practical thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators.

Liquefied hydrogen is presently mainly used for space applications and the semiconductor industry. While clean energy applications, for e.g. the automotive sector, currently contribute to this demand with a small share only, their demand may see a significant boost in the next years with the need for large scale liquefaction plants exceeding the current plant sizes by far. Hydrogen liquefaction for small scale plants with a maximum capacity of 3 tons per day (tpd) is accomplished with a Brayton refrigeration cycle using helium as refrigerant. This technology is characterized by low investment costs but lower process efficiency and hence higher operating costs. For larger plants, a hydrogen Claude cycle is used, characterized by higher investment but lower operating costs. However, liquefaction plants meeting the potentially high demand in the clean energy sector will need further optimization with regard to energy efficiency and hence operating costs. The present paper gives an overview of the currently applied technologies, including their thermodynamic and technical background. Areas of improvement are identified to derive process concepts for future large scale hydrogen liquefaction plants meeting the needs of clean energy applications with optimized energy efficiency and hence minimized operating costs. Compared to studies in this field, this paper focuses on application of new technology and innovative concepts which are either readily available or will require short qualification procedures. They will hence allow implementation in plants in the close future.

Predictive health monitoring of structural components will require the development of advanced sensing techniques capable of providing quantitative information on the damage state of structural materials. By focusing on nonlinear acoustic techniques, it is possible to measure absolute, strength based material parameters that can then be coupled with uncertainty models to enable accurate and quantitative life prediction. Starting at the material level, this paper will examine the second harmonic generation (SHG) of Rayleigh surface waves in metals to characterize material microstructure. These nonlinear ultrasonic measurements can sense material state, before the formation of micro- and macro-cracks. Typically, cracks of a measurable size appear quite late in a component's total life, while the material's integrity in terms of toughness and strength gradually decreases due to the microplasticity (dislocations) and associated change in the material's microstructure. This paper considers the specific application of the formation of chromium carbide precipitates in grain boundaries.

The paper is focussed on the progress which has been made over 40 years in the science, technology and application of NDT/NDE both during manufacture and in-service, from the perspective of the author and his background in the energy industries in the UK. New techniques not dreamt of 40 years ago and new technology such as personal computers, lasers and robotics which are now common-place in everyday life have transformed some aspects of NDT. But other aspects have remained unchanged, including the continued use of the more basic NDT methods and the challenges of recruitment, training, certification and motivation of personnel. There have been major changes in the world scene over 40 years including the globalization of trade, the emergence of new countries as industrial powers, and the ageing of safety critical infrastructure. These have impacted on NDT business and on the activities of the international NDT community (including ICNDT, the International Committee for NDT). The paper concludes by introducing the activities championed by ICNDT to promote the understanding of the importance of NDT, to support the development of NDT Societies around the world, to educate users on the correct use of personnel certification and to pursue the objective of global harmonisation and recognition of third party certification.

Infrastructure health monitoring is an important issue in the transportation industry. For the case of cement-based structures in particular, detection of corrosion on reinforcing steel bars (rebar) is an ongoing problem for aging infrastructure. There have been a number of techniques that have shown promise in this area including microwave nondestructive testing (NDT) and thermography. Thermography is quite advantageous as it is an established method, and can be utilized for large inspection areas with intuitive results. Typical heat sources include induction heating and flash lamps, but these are not without drawbacks. Microwave nondestructive testing has also been successful at detecting corroded rebar, but at the cost of lengthy scan times. This paper presents an investigation into the potential of utilizing aspects of microwave NDT and thermography to create a hybrid NDT method, herein referred to as Active Microwave Thermography (AMT). AMT takes advantage of the electromagnetically lossy nature of corrosion byproducts and uses microwave energy to induce heat in the corrosion. Subsequently, the resultant heat profile is captured using an infrared camera. This paper presents initial simulations and measurements that highlight the potential of AMT to detect corroded rebar.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, are collaborating to design, construct, and test a 20 m, direct current, superconducting MgB2 and YBCO power cable. The cable will be installed in the State Key Laboratory of Power Systems at Tsinghua University in Beijing beginning in 2013. In a previous paper [1], the cryogenic system was briefly discussed, focusing on the cryogenic issues for the superconducting cable. The current paper provides a detailed discussion of the design, construction, and assembly of the cryogenic system and its components. The two-stage system operates at nominally 80 K and 20 K with the primary cryogen being helium gas. The secondary cryogen, liquid nitrogen, is used to cool the warm stage of binary current leads. The helium gas provides cooling to both warm and cold stages of the rigid cryostat housing the MgB2 and YBCO conductors, as well as the terminations of the superconductors at th...

Cryogenic loop heat pipes (CLHPs) are promising thermal links between the cryocoolers and the cooled components. This paper presents a prototype of cryogenic loop heat pipe working in the temperature range from 77 K to 100 K with nitrogen as working fluid, whose high heat transfer capacity was investigated in the earlier work. Besides a main loop, the prototype introduced a secondary loop with responsibility for the cool down and the thermal management of the CLHP during the operation. In this paper, a series of experiments were performed by changing the heat loads on the secondary evaporator during the operating process. The results were compared and analyzed to investigate the influence of the secondary evaporator to the performance of the CLHP. Beneficial conclusions were also obtained and demonstrated.