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In order to achieve an increase in the profitability of tissue paper production, this research aimed to identify factors that affect the degree of pulp refinement and the tension index of the tissue paper when using short fiber, long fiber and Quimizine B enzyme. The methodology considered laboratory experiments, obtaining refining curves, multilevel factorial design and response surface diagrams. The results indicated that the most significant common factor in the pulp refining degree and tension index is the specific energy consumption for both types of fiber, and that optimal operating parameters can be known by analyzing the refining degree and tension index independently and simultaneously. It was concluded that the multilevel factorial design allowed to identify significant factors that influence the properties of the refining degree and the resistance of tissue paper when looking for an individual and simultaneous optimum and, that the influence of the enzyme increased the properties of the refining degree and the tensile strength of the paper when using raw material of short and long fiber from Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Stone waste refers to the waste stone particles generated from mining and stone processing to finished products that are not utilized in a resourceful manner. In this study, a CGF solid waste-based binder (abbreviated as CGF), with calcium carbide residue (CCR), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), and fly ash (FA) as components, was developed to solidify the stone waste. Through "treating waste with waste", the resource utilization of solid waste was realized. In order to improve the performance of the new material, this paper proposes the MAA-SW model for stone waste pavement base material based on the MAA model, establishes the relationship with the target gradation, and obtains the ideal gradation composition of stone waste through the calculation of the response surface analysis so as to obtain an energy-saving stone waste pavement base material with excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important stage in designing of pieces made of composite materials consists of establishing the composite topology in such a way that it has certain properties needed in exploitation. The paper presents the mathematical apparatus and the calculation programme for establishing the optimum thickness of the composite groups so that it should have certain imposed (given) flexural stiffness. The method is applicable to all types of laminate composites, no matter of the cladding or matrix nature. The direct problem consists in determining the thickness of the groups and composite, minimising the bar mass, for an imposed (given) flexural stiffness, knowing the densities and elasticity modules of the groups. The indirect problem consists in determining the maximum stiffness, the thickness of the groups and composite for a given (imposed) mass, knowing the densities and elasticity modules of the groups. The presented programmes offer to the producer of this kind of materials the possibility to quickly establish the optimum topology.

Background: Ancient classic prescription play a crucial role in the preservation and advancement of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. They represent a significant milestone in the ongoing development and transmission of TCM knowledge and practices and are considered one of the breakthroughs in the development of TCM inheritance. In the process of developing ancient classic prescriptions, many problems may still arise in ensuring quality consistency between traditional methods and modern production processes, among which the extraction process poses major challenges. This paper introduces a practical approach extracting an ancient classic prescription using a modern extraction process. The technique is demonstrated through the study of the extraction process of Shenshou Taiyi powder (STP). Methods: This study focuses on optimising the STP extraction process to ensure consistency in the quality of the product obtained through ancient and modern processes using the standard relation and fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (FAHP) and criteria importance through intercriteria correlation (CRITIC) method integrated weights combined with the Box-Behnken response surface test. Using the contents of rosmarinic acid, isoimperatorin, puerarin, as well as the extract yield and fingerprint similarity as evaluation indexes of STP, the Box-Behnken response surface method was employed to examine the varying extraction parameters, including water addition ratio, extraction duration, and number of extractions. The weighted coefficients for each parameter were calculated by combining the benchmark correlation and FAHP-CRITIC method, deriving a comprehensive score. Results: The optimal extraction process for STP consisted of a two extractions, each using at a tenfold quantity of water, performed for one hour. Process verification across three separate batches yielded a comprehensive score of 94.7, with a relative standard deviation of 0.76%. Conclusions: The application of the Box-Behnken response surface method combined with standard relation and FAHP-CRITIC approach proved to be stable and feasible for optimising the extraction process of STP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time difference of arrival (TDOA) method has traditionally proven effective for locating acoustic emission (AE) sources and detecting structural defects. Nevertheless, its applicability is constrained when applied to anisotropic materials, particularly in the context of fiber-reinforced composite structures. In response, this paper introduces a novel COmposite LOcalization using Response Surface (COLORS) algorithm based on a two-step approach for precise AE source localization suitable for laminated composite structures. Leveraging a response surface developed from critical parameters, including AE velocity profiles, attenuation rates, distances, and orientations, the proposed method offers precise AE source predictions. The incorporation of updated velocity data into the algorithm yields superior localization accuracy compared to the conventional TDOA approach relying on the theoretical AE propagation velocity. The mean absolute error (MAE) for COLORS and TDOA were found to be 6.97 mm and 8.69 mm, respectively. Similarly, the root mean square error (RMSE) for COLORS and TODA methods were found to be 9.24 mm and 12.06 mm, respectively, indicating better performance of the COLORS algorithm in the context of source location accuracy. The finding underscores the significance of AE signal attenuation in minimizing AE wave velocity discrepancies and enhancing AE localization precision. The outcome of this investigation represents a substantial advancement in AE localization within laminated composite structures, holding potential implications for improved damage detection and structural health monitoring of composite structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine vessels rely heavily on propeller shaft systems to adjust the engine torque and propeller thrust. However, these systems are subjected to various dynamic excitations during operation, such as transverse, longitudinal, and torsional excitations. These excitations can arise from factors like non-uniform stern flow fields, misaligned components, and the whirling motion of the shafts, which can affect the integrity and reliability of the vehicle. To analyze the dynamic response of the propulsion shaft system and ensure its reliability, numerical/analytical models are currently in practice. The finite element method (FEM) is a popular choice, but uncertainties in bearings and connectors stiffness lead to inaccuracies in the Finite Element model, resulting in significant differences between the experimental and theoretical models. This paper proposes the response surface optimization (RSO) technique to estimate unknown bearing stiffness in the propulsion shaft system. The experimental model of the propeller shaft system is constructed using steady-state response with step sine excitation. The RSO technique is then used to update the natural frequencies and vibration amplitude of the FE (Finite Element) model. The updated model shows less than a 10% difference in natural frequencies and vibration amplitude compared to the experimental model, demonstrating that the proposed technique is an efficient tool for marine shaft dynamic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the quality of whole wheat steamed bread, in this paper, stone-ground whole wheat flour with low-temperature and low-speed milling was selected, and the natural pigment of pumpkin flour was utilized to study the effect of the addition of pumpkin flour on the whole wheat flour-wheat flour mixture, and the effects of the addition of whole wheat flour, the addition of pumpkin flour, the addition of yeast, and the fermentation time on the sensory, specific volume, and chromaticity of the whole wheat steamed bread. On this basis, the sensory score was used as the response value, and the Box-Behnken experiment was used to optimize to obtain the optimal formulation of whole wheat steamed bread and the nutritional characteristics of whole wheat steamed bread were analyzed. The results showed that the influence of each factor on the sensory scores of whole wheat steamed bread was in descending order: the amount of whole wheat flour added, the amount of yeast added, and the amount of pumpkin flour added. The optimal formulation of whole wheat steamed bread was 55% wheat flour, 45% whole wheat flour, 10% pumpkin flour, 2% yeast, and fermentation time 40 min. The sensory score of whole wheat steamed bread prepared under this formulation was 97.23, which was similar to the predicted value of 97.81. The moisture content of pumpkin whole wheat steamed bread under the optimal formulation was 44.86%, the polyphenol content was 5.47 mg/g, and the flavonoid content was 2.57 mg/g. The steamed bread under the formulation had a golden color, and prominent aroma, fluffy and tasty, and possessed the unique flavors of pumpkin and whole wheat. It provides a useful reference for the deep processing and comprehensive utilization of pumpkins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Science & Technology of Food Industry is the property of Science & Technology of Food Industry Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Automobile Technology is the property of Automobile Technology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ship resistance has a very important value in the determination of ship power and the design of emission standards. In this paper, a ship resistance model with different displacement, speed, and attachment under the condition of a fixed scale ratio is tested by means of experimental research, which is used to analyze the change law of ship resistance under the condition of a single factor. The coupling effects of multiple factors on the actual ship power are studied after the establishment of a mathematical relationship between the actual ship power and resistance on the basis of the response surface method. The research results show that: (1) there is an obvious positive correlation between ship resistance and speed, which matches the change law of the exponential equation. Compared with ship appendages, displacement and speed have the greatest influence on resistance. (2) According to the correlation analysis, the maximum correlation coefficient between ship speed/resistance and power is 0.99, and the correlation coefficients between displacement/resistance and power are 0.93 and 0.88, respectively. However, the correlation coefficients between ship appendages and resistance and power are only 0.23 and 0.14, respectively. (3) The actual ship power and speed, displacement, and appendages form a quadratic polynomial relationship. The multi-factor interaction analysis results show that speed and displacement have the greatest influence on the actual ship power. The research results have a certain guiding significance for ship design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerial atomizer is the most essential component of the plant protection UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). However, the structural optimization of existing aerial atomizers lacks comprehensive consideration of spray parameters and structural parameters, and there is a shortage of available atomizer spray models, resulting in the unstable effect of UAV application. In our previous work, an aerial dual-atomization centrifugal atomizer was developed. In order to obtain an aerial atomizer with good atomization effect and its atomization model, structural optimization at different rotation speeds and flow rates of the atomizer, and its atomization performance, are studied in this paper. Firstly, with the droplet volume median diameter (VMD) and spectral width (SRW) as the evaluation index, through the single-factor, Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken tests, the influence of rotation speed, flow rate, tooth number and tooth shape were studied. The regression models of the droplet VMD and SRW were established using multiple quadratic regression fitting of the test data. Secondly, in order to achieve the lowest droplet VMD and SRW, the response surface method and post-hoc multiple comparison method were used to obtain the optimized structure of the atomizer's rotation ring at different rotation speeds (600–7000 r/min) and flow rates (500–1000 mL/min). Lastly, with the effective swath width (ESW) of the optimized atomizer as the evaluation index, through the Box–Behnken test, the influence of rotation speed, flow rate and spray height were studied. The multiple quadratic regression model of ESW was established with the test data. The test results indicated that rotation speed, flow rate and tooth number had a significant effect on droplet VMD and SRW; tooth shape had no significant effect on the droplet VMD and SRW, however, the square tooth shape had the best atomization effect; and rotation speed, flow rate and spray height had a significant effect on ESW. The optimized structural parameters were tooth shape: square, and tooth number: 20. The determination coefficient R 2 of the regression model of VMD, SRW and ESW were 0.9976, 0.9770 and 0.9974, respectively, which indicates that the model was accurate, and can evaluate and predict the spray effect. This paper provides an optimized dual-atomization centrifugal atomizer, and its regression models of VMD, SRW and ESW for UAV applications can provide a reference for efficient UAV spraying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a pelletizing method has been researched to enhance the subsequent iron-making process applying Guisha limonite, with advantages including large reserves and low price. The purpose is to provide an alternative for the sinter, thus reducing the greenhouse gas emission during the iron-making process. The response surface method is used to optimize the experimental design of the pelleting process. A multivariate regression model for estimating the compressive strength of pellets was developed using Box–Behnken experimental methodology, where the relevant factors were the roasting temperature, pellet diameter, and bentonite content. The maximum influencing factors of each experimental design response are determined using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Under optimum conditions, the compressive strength of pure limonite pellets is 2705 N, similar to the response goal value of 2570.3 N, with a relative error of 5.20%. Since the high-grade iron ore resources are depleted, the comprehensive utilization of ore resources is becoming increasingly important. The aim of this paper was to provide a valuable technical foundation for lignite pellet-roasting processes in the iron and steel industries, since steel companies is increasing its imports of Guisha limonite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel structural damage identification approach coupling the Mayfly algorithm (MA) with static displacement-based response surface (RS). Firstly, a hybrid optimal objective function is established that simultaneously considers the sensitivity-based residual errors of static damage identification equation and the static displacement residual. In the objective function, the static damage identification equation is addressed by the Tikhonov regularization technique. The MA is subsequently employed to conduct an optimal search and pinpoint the location and intensity of damages at the structural element level. To handle the inconformity of the static loading points and the measurement points of displacements, the model reduction and displacement extension techniques are implemented to reconstruct the static damage identification equation. Meanwhile, the static displacement-based RS is constructed to calculate the displacement residual in the hybrid objective function, thereby circumventing the time-consuming finite element calculations and improving computational efficiency. The identification results of the numerical box girder bridge demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the particle swarm optimization, differential evolution, Jaya and whale optimization algorithms about both convergence rate in optimal searching and identification accuracy. The proposed method enables more accurate damage identification compared to methods solely based on the indicator of the residual of static damage identification equations or displacement residual. The results of identifying damage in the 21 element-truss structure and the static experiments on identifying damage in an aluminum alloy cantilever beam confirm the high efficiency of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium alloy parts are more and more widely used in the field of aerospace. In order to improve the service life of titanium alloy parts, the response surface method was used to study surface residual stress and roughness under different turning parameters. In addition, a mathematical model was established through multiple linear regression to determine the relationship between surface integrity parameters and fatigue life. The test results indicate that the turning parameters have an effect on surface residual stress in the order of feed rate > depth of cut > cutting speed and on surface roughness in the order of feed rate > cutting speed > depth of cut. The analysis results of surface integrity show that the residual compressive stress on the surface has the greatest impact on fatigue life, followed by surface roughness. The fatigue life increases with the increase in residual compressive stress and decreases linearly with the increase in surface roughness. The feed rate has a significant impact on residual stress and surface roughness. Therefore, under the experimental conditions of this paper, the appropriate feed rate can be selected to ensure that the   R a < 2 μm and a large residual compressive stress is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) sensors provide a versatile chemical platform for ambient monitoring of ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), two important airborne pollutants known to cause acute respiratory and cardiovascular health problems. CNTs have shown great potential for use as sensing layers due to their unique properties, including high surface to volume ratio, numerous active sites and crystal facets with high surface reactivity, and high thermal and electrical conductivity. With operational advantages such as compactness, low-power operation, and easy integration with electronics devices, nanotechnology is expected to have a significant impact on portable low-cost environmental sensors. Enhanced sensitivity is feasible by functionalizing the CNTs with polymers, metals, and metal oxides. This paper focuses on the design and performance of a two-element array of O3 and NO2 sensors comprising single-walled CNTs functionalized by covalent modification with organic functional groups. Unlike the conventional chemiresistor in which the change in DC resistance across the sensor terminals is measured, we characterize the sensor array response by measuring both the magnitude and phase of the AC impedance. Multivariate response provides higher degrees of freedom in sensor array data processing. The complex impedance of each sensor is measured at 5 kHz in a controlled gas-flow chamber using gas mixtures with O3 in the 60–120 ppb range and NO2 between 20 and 80 ppb. The measured data reveal response change in the 26–36% range for the O3 sensor and 5–31% for the NO2 sensor. Multivariate optimization is used to fit the laboratory measurements to a response surface mathematical model, from which sensitivity and selectivity are calculated. The ozone sensor exhibits high sensitivity (e.g., 5 to 6 MΩ/ppb for the impedance magnitude) and high selectivity (0.8 to 0.9) for interferent (NO2) levels below 30 ppb. However, the NO2 sensor is not selective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic devices containing permanent magnet (PM) are common and typical electromagnetic devices that have advantages of low-power consumption, small size, high sensitivity, and its optimization problem has aroused widespread concern. Calculation accuracy of electromagnetic properties and efficiency of optimization processes are two important factors that affect the optimization effect of electromagnetic devices. A fast calculation method was proposed in this paper that aimed at electromagnetic devices with PM characteristics of strong non-linearity and low solving precision. The response surface method was used to derive the basis function, and the error between actual measured values and calculated values was modified by the Kriging method. On the basis of the calculation model, the distributed collaborative strategy was adopted to fulfill the parallel execution of the fast computation. Simultaneously, the updating strategy of particles was improved, and the robustness of the multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm in solving the optimization problem of electromagnetic devices with PM was enhanced. Effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper was verified by the case study of a specific type of electromagnetic relay with PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the results obtained from a series of parametric analyses, where the influence that geometric and mechanical parameters have in the structural response of existing vernacular cob walls within an Irish context, are presented. A design of experiments using central composite designs was implemented along with analysis of variance following two computational approaches, namely, the finite element method and kinematic limit analysis. As results, a series of response surfaces and parametric equations with which it is possible to compute safety factors and collapse multipliers (within the range of values studied) are provided. Based on the results obtained, it could be concluded that traditional cob walls in Ireland are very robust. Relatively high acceleration values, unlikely to happen in a low seismic hazard region such as Ireland, would be needed to start the collapse mechanisms studied or cause yielding in typical vernacular cob walls. Furthermore, the equations generated with the refined regression models can be used by practitioners as a first approach to estimate the safety levels of existing cob buildings with similar characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at the problems of multiple factors influencing the roof stability near a heading face and unreasonable values of the unsupported distance leading to a slow excavation speed. The behavior of the direct roof subsidence in the unsupported area is analyzed, and numerical simulation and the response surface method are used to study the key factors affecting the roof deformation and their interaction relations. The results indicate that roof strength is the most critical factor affecting deformation and failure, followed by soft rock thickness, unsupported distance, and support strength. The interaction analysis in Zhaozhuang Coal Mine's 33082 lane shows that it is difficult to control the roof subsidence when the unsupported distance is more than 2 m and the soft rock thickness is more than 4 m. After the unsupported distance is set to about 2 m and the support strength is increased to 0.25 MPa, the excavation speed approximately doubles, and the overall roadway is stable and controllable. By implementing field applications, the rationality of the research approach was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under low-speed collision conditions, the thin-walled structures located at the forepart of passenger car act as a significant energy absorber, which can reduce the injury degree of passengers in collision accidents. Therefore, the design of thin-walled structures is particularly important in automobile body development. High stiffness and strength contribute to structural integrity, but the resulting large collision force will be detrimental to occupant safety. To address this issue, the paper proposed a novel negative Poisson ratio thin-walled tube (NPR-TWT). In addition, the second-order sensitivity-based response surface models (SB-RSMs) were established to improve the efficiency of design optimization. Furthermore, the NPR-TWT was optimized by using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) to enhance its comprehensive performance. The results showed that the optimized NPR-TWT could absorb collision energy by sufficient displacement deformation and reduce the peak impact force. It can provide theoretical and practical guidance for the application of thin-walled structures in automobile body safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the adaptability of sweet cherry sorters to sweet cherries, a full-view-type grading cup for automated sweet cherry sorters was developed based on the physical characteristics of three species of sweet cherries: Tieton, Huang Mi, and Lapins. The structure and working principle of the full-view-type grading cup are described in this paper. The main factors affecting the operating stability of the grading cup were identified in this study by analyzing the mechanical properties of sweet cherries during the conveying and rotating process. According to the Box-Behnken test design method, we took the operating speed, the Young's modulus, and the friction coefficient of the double-roller supporter as the test factors and we took the success rate as the test index. The operating parameters of the full-view-type grading cup were tested and studied, and the regression model between the test index and the test factors was established. The influence law of each factor on the test index was analyzed, and the test factors were comprehensively optimized according to the regression model. The results showed that when the operating speed was 48 sweet cherries/min; the butadiene rubber (BR) 9000, with a Young's modulus of 0.012 GPa was selected as the material for making the double-support rollers; and the friction coefficient was designed to be 15, the success rate was 86.0%. The results of this research have provided a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of grading cups for automated sweet cherry sorters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A car muffler is a device to improve car noise emission. Some conventional mufflers use layers of glass fiber as a material to absorb noise. However, filling glass fiber is an environmentally unfriendly work, mainly manually filling with chop strand fiber. This research selected a composite material of glass fiber and foam concrete to replace chop strand fiber to avoid this hazard and maintain the muffler's good noise reduction performance. A response surface methodology with a two-way factorial experimental design repeated the center point twice is performed. The density of the foamed concrete and the weight of the glass fiber is being considered in order to determine the nearly optimal combination of the values in two factors. The response variable is the loudness sensation in Sone of the noise generated from the muffler. At present, the lowest loudness sensation from the two-way factorial design is 16.6494 Sones, which occurred for a muffler with a formula combination of a density of 0.2 g/cm3 and 40 g of glass fiber. The significance of this paper is the presentation of a new application of foam concrete to the green muffler design. To the best of our knowledge, this unique area has never been tackled in the material application of concrete. We have discovered that foam concrete indeed does an excellent job in terms of noise reduction as compared with that of a market muffler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil mulching device plays an important role in the sowing stage of crops. Compared with the traditional narrow film planting mode, under the ultra-wide film planting mode adopted by crops in arid areas, the soil transportation distance inside the soil mulching device increases, resulting in the problem of uneven soil coverage thickness between sowing rows, which seriously affects the crop emergence rate. There are many methods available to solve the problems of ultra-wide film planting, such as theoretical analysis and discrete element method (DEM) simulation. In this paper, we design a covering device consisting primarily of the soil disc and the cylindrical sealer. By constructing and analyzing a mechanical model of the soil mulching device, the parameters related to the working performance are determined. In order to further optimize the parameters, the simulation model of the device and soil operation process is established by using DEM software. We design a single-factor simulation test. The structural parameters and operating parameters of the cylindrical sealer are divided into two experimental groups, and the soil transport volume (STV) and the coefficient of variation of the soil coating cover uniformity (G1) are used as response values. Based on the parameters of the single-factor test after narrowing the optimization range, the response surface test is designed. According to the experimental results, a quadratic regression model of STV and G1 is established, and the influence of the interaction of each parameter is analyzed. Finally, the optimal values of the structural parameters and operating parameters of the soil mulching device are determined. The actual field test was completed. The soil coverage thickness was between 1.42 cm and 1.50 cm, and G1 was 2.59%. The test results were very satisfactory. This shows that it is reliable to optimize the parameters of the soil mulching device by theoretical analysis and the DEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) of metallic materials is increasingly being adopted in numerous sectors, such as biomedicine, aerospace or automotive industries, due to its versatility in the creation of complex geometries and the minimisation of material waste when compared to traditional subtractive methods. In order to ensure a reliable operation of these parts, however, an in-depth study of the effect of additive manufacturing on mechanical properties, including tensile, fatigue and fracture resistance, is necessary. Among the vast number of methods and materials, this project is focused in one of the most promising techniques for the industry: Selective Laser Melting (SLM) for the production of a tools steel, in particular C300 steel components for the automotive sector. The main objective of this paper is to optimise some of the key parameters in the printing process, such as laser power, laser speed and hatch spacing. These variables are essential to obtain parts with good resistance. To that purpose, tensile tests were performed in 3D printed specimens, and then elastoplastic properties were extracted, organised and analysed through a design of experiments for the subsequent output fitting using the response surface methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents optimisation of the geometry of the aircraft air–oil separator (AAOS) performed to improve the device performance. For this separator type, the most important operating parameters are the oil quality, efficiency and pressure drop. In order to understand the relationships between geometric parameters and their impact on the parameters of the separator operation, an analysis was conducted using the Response Surface Method (RSM). The analysis was made based on the results of numerical simulations and using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method. Pareto analysis was also carried out, which determined the impact of the inlet width and height and the separator diameter on the device performance. By solving the optimisation task using a genetic algorithm, it was possible to propose a new geometry for the AAOS. The favourable geometric relations for the AAOS are indicated and they are compared with those preferred for other geometries of cyclone separators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel optimization strategy using Design of Experiments and SunFlower optimization algorithm in order to achieve the better drop-off location in composites tubes used in applications to lower limb prosthesis. The main difficulty in using drop-offs is related to finding an ideal location to the drop-offs that provides higher structural performance. Furthermore, in a single structure there are a variety of possibilities for drop-off location. The statistical approach combines 4 design variables related to drop-off location and 1 categorical variable, which is responsible for providing the type of employed fiber in the tubular structure that can be hybrid manufactured with carbon (CFRP) and glass (GFRP) or not (only CFRP). Based on combinations between the design and categorical variables, numerical analyses using the Finite Element Method were carried out to provide the response variables with regard to structural behavior, such as failure index, nonlinear buckling load, mass and first natural frequency. Two different types of experiments were executed in the design of experiments, the factorial design which identified the significance and curvature of response variables. In the second experiment, the Response Surface Methodology revealed the main effects, the significance of design variables and their interactions considering only the response variables that showed significance. Finally, a multiobjective optimization strategy was elaborated to indicate the better drop-off location using the SunFlower algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gangue paste material is mainly composed of coal gangue with particle size, which is mixed with cement. Fly ash and additives can be added to change its performance. In this paper, the influence of each component on the mechanical properties of gangue paste material was studied by an orthogonal experiment. The conversion relationship among various indexes of mechanical properties of gangue paste material and the response surface prediction model were discussed. The results show that the mechanical properties of gangue paste materials are positively correlated with the content of cement, the content of fly ash and the mass concentration, which increase with the increase of the three factors, and show the primary and secondary relationship of the content of cement > the content of fly ash > the mass concentration. A response surface prediction model of mechanical property parameters is established, which includes the first order term of the influencing factors of gangue paste material and the first order interaction term between any two factors. In the response surface prediction model of uniaxial compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, cohesion and elastic modulus, the goodness of fit test coefficients are 0.998, 0.957, 0.970 and 0.997, respectively, which proves that the model has good goodness of fit. The research results provide basic parameters for paste filling mining practice, and also provide the basis for numerical simulation of filling body value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to study the optimal extraction process of total triterpenes from loquat peel and pulp assisted by ultrasound. The effects of solid–liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, ultrasonic time, ultrasonic power, and ultrasonic temperature on the yield of triterpenoid acid in loquat were investigated by single-factor and response surface methodology. FRAP (Ferric ion reducing antioxidant power) method, ABTS (2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) method, and DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method were used to determine the antioxidant capacity of peel and pulp at different stages. LC-MS (Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer) was used to qualitatively analyze different tissues of loquat. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ethanol concentration 71%, ultrasonic time 45 min, ultrasonic power 160 W, solid–liquid ratio 1:10, and ultrasonic temperature 30 °C. The total triterpenoid content of loquat peel was 13.92 ± 0.20 mg/g. The optimal extraction conditions were ethanol concentration 85%, ultrasonic time 51 min, ultrasonic power 160 W, solid–liquid ratio 1:8, and ultrasonic temperature 43 °C. The total triterpenoid content of loquat pulp was 11.69 ± 0.25 mg/g. The contents of triterpenes and antioxidant capacity in the peel and pulp of loquat at the three stages were the highest in the fruit ripening stage (S3). LC-MS analysis showed that most of the triterpenes belonged to ursolic acid derivatives and oleanolic acid derivatives, which laid the foundation for further utilization and development of loquat peel and pulp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to hydraulic, mechanical, electromagnetic and other reasons, vibration will inevitably occur during the operation of the hydroelectric generating set. As the supporting structure of the hydroelectric generating set, the stability of the pier is very important. In this paper, the whole model of the pier, volute, draft tube and foundation is established. The amplitude of any part of the pier under the resonant load can be obtained by numerical simulation. On this basis, the response surface method is used by statistical method. The two parameters of the inner diameter and thickness of the pier are taken as the design variables, and the information weight method is used to replace the maximum amplitude of the pier in the vertical, radial and circumferential directions with a comprehensive objective function, and the comprehensive objective function is used as the optimization objective. The response surface model is established and the pier model is optimized. The results show that the maximum amplitude of the optimized pier in the vertical direction is reduced by 17.8%, the maximum amplitude in the circumferential direction is reduced by 4.7%, and the maximum amplitude in the radial direction is reduced by 1.4%. The recommended value range of the inner diameter of the pier is 1.73D1 - 1.83D1, and the recommended value range of the pier thickness is 0.50D1 - 0.63D1. The optimization design method of response surface can be effectively applied to the vibration reduction design of hydropower station pier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the efficiency of three surrogate model-based dynamic finite element model updating methods, the response surface, the support vector regression, and the radial basis function neural network, using the engineering background of the Tsing Ma Bridge tower. The influences of two different sampling methods (central composite design sampling and Box–Behnken design sampling) on the model updating results are also assessed. It was deduced that the impact of the surrogate model type on the updating results is not significant. More precisely, the models updated using the response surface method and the support vector regression method are similar in terms of reproducing the dynamic characteristics of the physical truth. However, the effects of the employed sampling method on the model updating results are significant as the model updating quality using the central composite design sampling method is higher than that using the Box–Behnken design sampling method in some considered cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of washing parameters on the quantity of dye discharge from fabric dyed in highly saturated color (FSC) was discussed. Firstly, the FSC was prepared with reactive red 195 to represent the dark clothes. Secondly, the effect of the washing parameters, including washing time, washing temperature, washing water volume, the weight of FSC, and the dosage of detergent, on dye discharge was analyzed through the single factor test. Thirdly, the mathematical relationship between the quantity of dye discharge (DDQ) and the four washing parameters was discussed through the center combination experiment and response surface method. And a quadratic model was built to predict the quantity of dye discharge when the FSC were washed with different washing parameters. The experimental results indicated that the quantity of dye discharge was affected by the four selected washing parameters and the optimal washing parameters to reduce the quantity of dye discharge can be deduced from the quadratic model. The optimized parameters effectively reduced 0.99 mg dye discharge per liter, and the DDQ reduction rate was up to 53.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]