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ispartof: IET COLLABORATIVE INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING vol:4 issue:3 pages:194-207 status: published

Food security has become a significant issue due to the growing human population. In this case, a significant role is played by agriculture. The essential foods are obtained mainly from plants. Plant diseases can, however, decrease both food production and its quality. Therefore, it is substantial to comprehend the dynamics of plant diseases as they can provide insightful information about the dispersal of plant diseases. In order to investigate the dynamics of plant disease and analyze the effects of strategies of disease control, a mathematical model can be applied. We show that this model provides the non-negative solutions that population dynamics requires. The model was investigated by using the Atangana-Baleanu in Caputo sense (ABC) operator which is symmetrical to the Caputo-Fabrizio (CF) operator with a different function. Whereas the ABC operator uses the generalized Mittag-Leffler function while the CF operator employs the exponential kernel. For the proposed model, we have displayed the local and global stability of a nonendemic and an endemic equilibrium, existence and uniqueness theorems. By applying the fractional Adams-Bashforth-Moulton method, we have implemented numerical solutions to illustrate the theoretical analysis.

Silo Discharge System Silo Discharge System Operation: Step-by-Step Process and Workflow. In a silo discharge system, silos serve as essential storage solutions for a wide range of industries, including food, plastics, paint, cement, steel, and pharmaceuticals. These versatile storage facilities play a crucial role in maintaining uninterrupted production amidst disruptions in the supply chain. By accommodating large quantities of bulk powders, silos effectively handle the demands of production lines, surpassing the limitations of manual handling alone. Moreover, the operation of silos remains impeccable, boasting a clean and dust-free environment that eliminates any human contact with the product. In the silo discharge system, the filling process of these silos depends on the availability of raw materials, which can be done using bulk tankers by way of bulk tanker unloading systems orpneumatic conveying systems. To ensure efficient discharge, each silo is equipped with various live bottom arrangements, such as bin activators, fluidizing cones, and unloading valves. These components work harmoniously to enable the consistent and controlled discharge of different materials, facilitating effective inventory management and control. As a result, the plant operation becomes more flexible and benefits from improved material supply chain management. Components of the Silo Discharge System Conveyor System:The conveyor system plays a vital role in transferring material from the silo to the desired destination. It consists of belts, buckets, or screw conveyors that move the material efficiently and safely. The type of conveyor system used depends on the characteristics of the stored material and the distance it needs to be transported. Silo Discharge Equipment:This includes various devices and mechanisms responsible for facilitating the flow of material from the silo. Discharge Gates and Valves:These are openings located at the bottom of the silo that can be manually or automatically controlled to regulate the material flow. They provide a controlled discharge of materials into the conveyor system. Fluidizers and aerators:These are devices attached to the silo walls that use compressed air to agitate and fluidize the stored material, ensuring smooth flow and preventing bridging or clogging issues. Rotary Dischargers:Also known asrotary valves, these devices consist of rotating blades that break up and disperse the material as it moves through them. Rotary dischargers are commonly used for fine or granular materials. Vibrators:Vibrators are installed on the walls of the silo to eliminate material buildup and promote material flow. They use mechanical vibrations to loosen and dislodge materials that may be sticking to the silo walls. Control System:An efficient control system is essential for smooth operation and proper coordination of the silo discharge system. It includes sensors, level indicators, and automated controls that monitor material levels, flow rates, and other critical parameters. This ensures optimal performance, prevents overflows or blockages, and maintains the desired flow rate. Operation of a Silo Discharge System: The operation of a silo discharge system generally involves the following steps: Material Loading:Bulk materials are loaded into the silo through an inlet point, either manually or through automated systems such as conveyors, bulk tanker unloading systems orpneumatic transfer systems. Material Storage:Once inside the silo, the material is stored in a controlled environment, protecting it from external elements such as moisture, pests, or contamination. The stored material settles, and if necessary, it can be conditioned or aerated to maintain its quality. Material Discharge:When the need arises to retrieve the stored material, the discharge system is activated. The discharge gates/valves are opened, allowing the material to flow into the conveyor system. Material Transportation:The conveyor system, driven by motors or other power sources, transfers the material from the silo to the desired destination, such as trucks, trains, or processing equipment. Monitoring and Control:Throughout the entire operation, the control system continuously monitors various parameters like material levels, flow rates, and any potential issues. It provides feedback to the operators and adjusts the system's parameters to maintain optimal performance. Safety Measures:Silo discharge systems are designed with safety in mind. They incorporate safety devices such as emergency shut-off switches, alarms, and pressure relief systems to prevent accidents or equipment damage. By implementing an efficient silo discharge system, industries can streamline their operations, minimize downtime, and ensure a constant and reliable supply of materials. AtStratgem, we specialize in designing and implementing advanced silo bulk storage systems and Silo discharge systems tailored to your specific needs. With our expertise and high-quality equipment, we can help you optimize your material handling processes and enhance productivity. Contact us todayto learn more about our services and how we can assist you in achieving efficient, reliable storage & discharge of bulk materials. &nbsp

In many applications, free surface flow through rigid porous media has to be modeled. Examples refer to coastal engineering applications as well as geotechnical or biomedical applications. Albeit the frequent applications, slight inconsistencies in the formulation of the governing equations can be found in the literature. The main goal of this paper is to identify these differences and provide a quantitative assessment of different approaches. Following a review of the different formulations, simulation results obtained from three alternative formulations are compared with experimental and numerical data. Results obtained by 2D and 3D test cases indicate that the predictive differences returned by the different formulations remain small for most applications, in particular for small porous Reynolds number ReP < 5000. Thus it seems justified to select a simplified formulation that supports an efficient algorithm and coding structure in a computational fluid dynamics environment. An estimated accuracy depending on the porous Reynolds number or the mean grain diameter is given for the simplified formulation.

We present a new 2.5D model for predicting the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at street level in an urban area. This work develops the first prototype of a tool that should provide fast quantitative answers to help decision-making on the suitability of implementing traffic restrictions during air pollution episodes. The model first solves the wind flow over the city streets ignoring vorticity and turbulence. The obtained velocity field is used to transport the pollutant via a semi-Lagrangian model, combining the particle finite element method of second generation (PFEM2) with the finite element method. A variable absorption term is used to account for the part of the contaminant entering and leaving the calculation plane. The NO2 emissions are estimated from the historical traffic data. The model has been tested during four air pollution episodes in the city of Barcelona (Spain), two in summer and two in winter. A comparison against experimental measurements has been performed at seven different locations throughout the city with promising results.

Granular flow is common in many industrial applications, and involves heat generation from frictional contacts and inelastic collisions between particles. The self-heating process is still poorly understood despite being intrinsic to many processes. This work, for the first time, explores this problem experimentally by quantifying the temperature rise of granular flows in a rotating drum with a robust methodology based on infrared thermography. Particles of four different materials (lead, steel, plastic and glass) are used in the experiments, at various rotation speeds and drum fill ratios. To assess the mechanical behaviour, the flow regime of every experiment was determined. It was inferred that particles with higher density tend to generate more heat. It was also revealed that increasing the rotation speed favours the temperature rise. At the same time, the fill ratio had the least influence on the thermal response of the particulate systems considered. his project is funded through Marie SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Innovative Training Network MATHEGRAM, the People Programme (Marie SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Actions) of the European Union's Horizon 2020 Programme H2020 under REA grant agreement No. 813202. Dr. Franci acknowledges the support from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER Una manera de hacer Europa for funding his work via project PID2021-122676NB-I00. Prof. Oñate acknowledges the Severo Ochoa Programme through the Grant CEX2018-000797-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.

We present a general framework for the analysis and modelling of frictional contact involving composite materials. The study has focused on composite materials formed by a matrix of rubber and synthetic or metallic fibres, which is the case of standard tires. We detail the numerical treatment of incompressibility at large deformations that rubber can experience, as well as the stiffening effect that properly oriented fibres will induce within the rubber. To solve the frictional contact between solids, a Dual Augmented Lagrangian Multiplier Method is used together with the Mortar method. This ensures a variationally consistent estimation of the contact forces. A modified Serial-Parallel Rule of Mixtures is employed to model the behaviour of composite materials. This is a simple and novel methodology that allows the blending of constitutive behaviours as diverse as rubber (very low stiffness and incompressible behaviour) and steel (high stiffness and compressible behaviour) taking into account the orientation of the fibres within the material. The locking due to the incompressibility constraint in the rubber material has been overcome by using Total Lagrangian mixed displacement-pressure elements. A collection of numerical examples is provided to show the accuracy and consistency of the methodology presented when solving frictional contact, incompressibility and composite materials under finite strains.

The suffusion susceptibility of the soil samples is evaluated through an erosion resistance index. Thanks to existing statistical analyses, the erosion resistance index is estimated from several soil parameters. In actual exploitation, the soil properties with the input parameters related to the grain distribution of the soil… vary greatly from the original design value due to the influence of many factors. One of the factors is the inherent variability. Inherent soil variability is modelled as a random field. The usual problems used to assess the suffusion susceptibility may be not give accurate results or fully evaluate the actual working ability of the ground in each case. This is one of the reasons why dams are still eroded when they are put into use. The paper aims predict erosion resistance index of the earth dam using two-dimensional (2D) Stochastics random field, modelling the initial problem, considering the variability spatial of soil properties, using the assumption of a Normal random field of soil characteristics parameters. The paper shows the predicted results of the variability spatial of erosion resistance index of Phu Vinh dam-Vietnam. Furthermore, the paper also represents the happened probability of suffusion susceptibility at the different zones in the earth dam body.

In this paper an enhanced version of the semi-explicit Particle Finite Element Method for incompressible flow problems is presented. This goal is achieved by improving the solution of the advective sub-problem that results of applying the Strang operator splitting to the Navier–Stokes equations. An acceleration term is taken into account in the solution of the advective step and the Stokes problem. The solution of the advetive step is perfomed using a SPH kernel. Two test cases are solved for validating the methodology and estimating its accuracy. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme improves the accuracy of the semi-explicit PFEM scheme.

The methodology previously proposed by the authors to solve particle-laden turbulent flows through a multiscale approach is extended by introducing a continuous function for thedispersed phaseconcentration. The proposed continuous model is especially useful for studying the motion of particle streams in which gravitational and inertial effects cause the particles to deviate from a simple trajectory following the surrounding flow, as would be the case for the limit of very small, massless particles. The results show an excellent comparison between the solutions obtained using the continuous model and simulations evaluating the forces on each particle individually. Distinct advantages of the continuous approach are a much lower computational overhead, a better load balance and ease ofparallelization. The multiscale methodology proposed may be used in the area ofmodeling and simulationof airborne infectious diseases.

This study investigates a retailer's ordering strategy under the framework of the economic order quantity (EOQ) model. A supplier offers a retailer a disposable coupon and allows it to place a special order at any time in a promotion period. The promotion period is not necessary short and shortages are allowed throughout the time horizon. In addition to the special order time and the special order quantity, the retailer needs to decide whether to place some regular orders in the promotion period before placing the special order for the purpose of making better use of this coupon. We show that the coupon should be used to the retailer's first order in the promotion period regardless of the duration of the promotion period. Moreover, the retailer's maximum inventory level is higher than that in the classical EOQ model. We find that a longer promotion period can benefit the retailer by endowing it with more flexibility in its decision-making. Therefore, the supplier can improve the cash flow and reduce the overstock by integrating a disposable coupon with a longer promotion period. Numerous managerial insights are obtained from sensitivity analysis and numerical experiments.

At present, the beam-column connection system through a self-centering post-tensioned connection is currently an alternative to improve the seismic behavior in reinforced concrete buildings; by allowing its elements to have a linear behavior (no damage) in the face of displacements produced by seismic actions. This paper deals with the numerical modeling of the seismic behavior for a self-centering connection based on the Discrete Element Method (MED) is presented, with the aim of validating the hysterical response of the numerical model with an experimental test of the literature. The results demonstrated the horizontal distortions in the column, which are the product of the numerical simulation of the model subjected to a load that increases over time with 4 different stiffness coefficients. In addition, the hysteretic graph is presented as a result of the numerical simulation of the model, with an adequate stiffness coefficient and normal damping, subject to a cyclic load that is reversed as a function of time. The movement of the connection is controlled by the horizontal distortions of the column, achieving an approximate reproduction of the hysterical behavior expected in this type of connection. With the results shown, a simple bilinear hysteresis law is proposed, which allows its simplified use for its application in the modeling of reinforced concrete buildings with self-centering connections.

To obtain an optimum power market the deregulation process is implemented for the entire electrical market and further classified as transmission and distribution units. Each firm focuses on delivering its best output which leads to congestion issues on transmission lines as there is in-adequate transmission capability to satisfy the load demand, and transmission congestion occurs. Transmission cable congestion results from a lack of coordination between the utilities that handle generating, transmission, and distribution leading to a generator failure, an abrupt increase in load demand, or the miscarriage of equipment, all of which can be fixed by FACTS devices. In this work, transmission line congestion is reduced using FACTS devices like UPFC and IPFC. The primary goal is to determine where FACTS devices should be placed. The main goal is to use the ANTLION optimization algorithm to locate the optimal position and size for FACTS devices. In an IEEE-14 bus system, UPFC and IPFC are individually connected and parameters are analyzed and formulated for better transmission among energy sectors.

'''– Design of steep slopes and retaining walls, reinforced with geotextile or geogrids, requires internal stability checks usually referred to a critical failure surface, which determines the amount of reinforcement required. In determining the length of the reinforcement layers the position of the critical surface and also of the sub-critical surfaces must be considered. In relation to these, are verified the anchorage lengths required to ensure the pullout resistance of the reinforcements. This paper presents a study based on limit equilibrium analysis, with bi-linear failure surface, to determine the amount and length of the reinforcement layers required. The model allows replacing Jewell charts by algebraic equations and iterative calculation processes. The results obtained for the minimum length of reinforcements agree with good accuracy for effective friction angles greater than or equal to 30° and indicate that shorter lengths can be used for materials with lower effective friction angle. Expressions for the calculation of the anchorage length are also presented for the three possible cases: anchorage in a section under the projection, part under the projection and beyond the horizontal projection of the slope face. '''Palavras Chave –''' talude, solo reforçado, geotêxtil, geogrelha, superfície sub-crítica, comprimento de reforço. '''Key words''' – slope, reinforced soil, geotextil, sub-critical surface, reinforcement length. *Professor Associado, D.Sc. UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. E-mail: [mailto:rfkpuppi@utfpr.edu.br rfkpuppi@utfpr.edu.br] / [mailto:rfkpuppi@gmail.com rfkpuppi@gmail.com] **Professor EBTT, M.Sc. UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. E-mail: [mailto:caron@utfpr.edu.br caron@utfpr.edu.br]

In this paper, an analytical solution is developed to investigate soil consolidation around a pile under earthquake loading. The solution is validated using finite element method. The influence of various parameters on excess pore water pressure is analyzed. The results show that excess pore water pressure increases with depth and is positively correlated with n and Neq/N1, while negatively correlated with η, χ, kv, and td. The values of η, χ, kv, Neq/N1, and td affect excess pore water pressure during and after the earthquake, while the value of n only affects excess pore water pressure after the earthquake. The growth rate of excess pore water pressure during the earthquake is positively correlated with n, η, kv, and Neq/N1, and negatively correlated with χ and td. The dissipation rate of excess pore water pressure during the earthquake is positively correlated with η, χ, kv, Neq/N1, and td, and negatively correlated with n. Additionally, a formula for calculating the reconsolidation settlement of pile-soil foundation after an earthquake is proposed, and the effects of pile and soil parameters on pile-soil foundation reconsolidation settlement are analyzed. The results indicate that reconsolidation settlement can be divided into two stages: rapid settlement stage and slow settlement stage. The total settlement of the foundation is positively correlated with n, η, and Neq/N1, while negatively correlated with χ, kv, and td.

This paper provides experimental data on the temperature rise during granular flows in a small-scale rotating drum due to heat generation. All heat is believed to be generated by conversion of some mechanical energy, through mechanisms such as friction and collisions between particles and between particles and walls. Particles of different material types were used, while multiple rotation speeds were considered, and the drum was filled with different amounts of particles. The temperature of the granular materials inside the rotating drum was monitored using a thermal camera. The temperature increases at specific times of each experiment are presented in form of tables, along with the average and standard deviation of the repetitions of each setup configuration. The data can be used as a reference to set the operating conditions of rotating drums, in addition to calibrating numerical models and validating computer simulations. This project is funded through Marie SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Innovative Training Network MATHEGRAM1, the People Programme (Marie SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Actions) of the European Union's Horizon 2020 Programme H2020 under REA grant agreement No. 813202. Dr. Franci acknowledges the support from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER Una manera de hacer Europa for funding his work via project PID2021-122676NB-I00. Prof. Oñate acknowledges the Severo Ochoa Programme through the Grant CEX2018-000797-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.

Reward-based crowdfunding is a form of innovative financing that allows project creators to raise funds from potential backers to start their ventures. A crowdfunding project is successfully funded if and only if the predetermined funding goal is achieved within a given time. We study the optimal timing of contingently placing a “fulcrum” in the random pledging process, with the potential of tilting it towards success, which would be a win-win-win for the creator, backers, and platform. Specifically, we consider a model where backers arrive sequentially at a crowdfunding project. Upon arrival, a backer makes her pledging decision by taking into account the expected success of the project. We characterize the dynamics of the project’s pledging process. We show that there exists a cascade effect on backers’ pledging, which is mainly driven by the all-or-nothing nature of crowdfunding projects. According to our data collected from the most popular online crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, the majority of projects fail to achieve their goals. To address this issue, we propose three contingent stimulus policies, namely, seeding, feature upgrade, and limited-time offer. As a result of the cascade effect on backers’ pledging, the optimal timing to apply stimulus policies has a cutoff-time structure. Lastly, we show that the benefit of contingent policies is greatest in the middle of crowdfunding campaigns. Testing with the dataset of Kickstarter, we obtain empirical evidence that the projects’ success rates improve by 14.6% on average with updates in the middle of the campaign and when the pledging progress is lagging.

The main objective of this research is to formulate and couple technologies for modeling discrete and continuous media using real particle morphologies. To that end, two coupled formulations based on virtual modeling technologies of single real particles with another one called real particle packing technique are presented. The first formulation employs Fourier descriptors’ theory to virtually achieve the morphology and construct a repository of real particle geometries. The second formulation is a particle packing method, supported by advancing front techniques combined with dynamic methods. This method presents a stochastic formulation and allows the packing of particle systems following continuous, discrete and empirical statistical distributions. The coupling of both techniques is a very efficient tool to achieve discrete or continuous media geometries to solve engineering problems. Three different examples are developed to illustrate the usefulness of the formulations. The first one is a discrete angle-of-repose problem involving clusters of spheres (real particle morphologies are described with groups of spheres); in the second example the same angle-of-repose problem is resolved with real particles. In the third case, which involves continuous medium mechanics, a small-scale road engineering problem is modeled, specifically, the testing of an asphalt concrete.

In this paper, afull-car prototype of the recently proposed mechatronic suspension, Series Active Variable Geometry Suspension (SAVGS), is developed for on-road driving experimental proof of concept, aiming to be adopted by suspension OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) as an alternative solution to fully active suspensions. Particularly, mechanical modifications are performed to both corners of the front double-wishbone suspensionof a production car, with active single-links attached to the upper-ends of the spring-damper units, while both corners of the rear suspension remain inthe original (passive) configurations.The mechanical modifications involve innovatively designed parts to enable the desired suspension performance improvements, while maintaining ride harshness at conventional levels.Areal-time embedded system is further developed to primarily implement:1) power supply, data acquisition and measurementsof the vehicle dynamics related variables, and 2) robust control application for the ride comfort and road holding enhancement, which is based on a derived linearized model of the full-car dynamics and a newly synthesizedH-infinity control scheme. Results obtained from on-road driving experiments are inessential agreement with numerical simulation results also produced. Overall, the full-car prototypeof SAVGS demonstrates promising suspension performance,with anaverage 3 dB attenuation (or equivalently 30% reduction) of the chassis vertical acceleration at aroundthe human-sensitive frequencies (2-5Hz),as compared to the original vehicle with the passive suspension system. More importantly, the prototype also indicatesthe practicality of the solution, as the SAVGS retrofit to a real car is achieved by simple mechanical modifications, compact actuator packaging, smallmass increment(21.5kg increase with respect to the original vehicle), limited power usage (an average value of 134W in DC batteries with a Class D random road) and acceptable economic cost.

At present, the researches on the mechanical properties of sand aggregate mainly focus on the shaping process of particles, and lack the researches on the crushing mechanism. This paper first defines the shaping process of stone powder wall, and explores the crushing mechanism of sand aggregate by adopting multiple times of small energy crushing. The effect of energy is investigated by simulation and experiment. The machine-made sand crushing mechanism is analyzed by establishing corresponding contact mathematical models. The result shows that the stone powder wall involves two mathematical models under impact: the elastic-plastic model at low impact velocity and the elastic-brittle model at high impact velocity. '''Key words:''' machine-made sand; stone powder wall; crushing mechanism; mechanical contact model

The value of the gas-path parameter, exhaust gas temperature margin (EGTM), is the critical index for predicting aeroengine performance degradation. Accurate predictions help to improve engine maintenance, replacement schedules, and flight safety. The outside air temperature (OAT), altitude of the airport, the number of flight cycles, and water washing information were chosen as the sample input variables for the data-driven prognostic model for predicting the take-off EGTM of the on-wing engine. An attention-based deep learning framework was proposed for the aeroengine performance prediction model. Specifically, the multiscale convolutional neural network (CNN) structure is designed to initially learn sequential features from raw input data. Subsequently, the long short-term memory (LSTM) structure is employed to further extract the features processed by the multiscale CNN structure. Furthermore, the proposed attention mechanism is adopted to learn the influence of features and time steps, assigning different weights according to their importance. The actual operation data of the aeroengine are used to conduct experiments, where the experimental results verify the effectiveness of our proposed method in EGTM prediction.

The bearing was a key component of the mining machine tire unloader machine and was subjected to random multiaxial stress during operation. Therefore, the life prediction of bearing was of safety guidance. In this paper, a bearing life prediction method based on the critical plane method under multiaxial random loading was proposed. Firstly, a virtual prototype model was built based on the actual working conditions of the tire unloader machine to obtain the time load history of the bearing. Transient dynamic analysis of the bearing was carried out to obtain the triaxial stress-strain time histories at the hazardous locations of the bearing. A new coordinate system was established using the hazard node as the coordinate origin, and the location of the critical plane was searched for based on the critical plane multiaxial fatigue theory, combined with the maximum shear strain amplitude on the critical plane for multi-axial rain flow cycle counting to obtain the damage amount in each direction. At the same time, the life calculated from the maximum damage amount was used as the final life, resulting in a cycle count of the bearing of 268,303 cycles and a duration of 1490.58h. The results of this study could be used as a guide to predict the service life of the bearing in large machinery subjected to multiaxial random stress conditions.

In order to reduce the number of hydraulic decoders and hydraulic control pipelines in hydraulically controlled intelligent wells, reduce production costs and improve oil recovery efficiency, the structural design of ICV control of two hydraulic control pipelines and a single hydraulic decoder for four production layers in the well was completed. By simulating the response law of downhole hydraulic signals and the stress analysis of each structure, the motion equation of the layer selection structure of the hydraulic decoder was established with 4 MPa as the unlocking pressure, and ADAMS was used to complete the dynamic simulation analysis. The variation results of displacement, angle, velocity and acceleration in the process of motion were obtained. Finally, the prototype of the hydraulic decoder was processed by stereo photo curing 3D printing equipment. Two hydraulic pumps were used to press alternately, and the selection of four layers of the hydraulic decoder was realized through two hydraulic control pipelines. The self-locking structure could realize the established function, and there was no interference and stuck between the components, which verifies the effectiveness of the design.

This paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation on the mechanisms of damage onset and evolution in unidirectional carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites subjected to off-axis compressive loadings. A test fixture was designed to prevent buckling, splitting and end collapsing of specimens during test. A series of compression tests were conducted with specimens of various off-axis angles. Different failure mechanisms and nonlinear stress-strain responses were observed and studied. The fracture angles of the tested specimens were evaluated and analysed according to Puck’s theory. The off-axis compression failure envelope based on LaRC05 and Hashin criteria was presented using finite element analysis and compared to experimental results. It is shown that the LaRC05 criterion can provide accurate predictions for matrix cracking failure mode of unidirectional thermoplastic composites controlled by compression-shear combined stresses.

For improving the energy efficiency of hopping robot, an asymmetric spring loaded inverted pendulum hopping model with leg mass is considered. The period orbit problem of two-legged hopping robot is investigated. Firstly, the hybrid dynamic model is constructed. Then the passive hopping gaits are found using quasi-newton optimization method. Secondly, a PD controller is implemented to track the desired pitch trajectory of the body. Through applying control during stance phase, period orbits of the robot with offset body mass is obtained. Finally, the effect of the location of the leg mass and the body mass on hopping performances is investigated.

Thestudyonthe assembly support for the large cantilevered cover beamwascarried outby conducting real-time monitoringon the assembly frames’ strain and displacement developmentprocesses in the actual project. Modeling of the support and numerical simulation for actual working conditionswere presented. The monitoring data and analysis results show that the overallstress ratioof the supportwasless than 30%.And asthe concrete structure being supported hardened, the support framewasunloaded. When the stress ratio was thenreduced to less than 10%, it was the most appropriate time to remove the bracing frame. The maximum strainfrom the simulationdidnot exceed 66.26% of the theoretical maximum strain of the rod. The actual construction conditions and the spatial form of the supportaffectedthe force situation, resulting in thedeviation from the theoretical maximum strainat certain phases. The analysis results and trends reflect the low utilisationrate of such framingrods. The results of the study can be used as a reference for the topology optimisation of assembled supportframes for large cantilevered cover beams.

'' This work aims to develop a computational tool for synthesizing a four-bar linkage mechanism that can generate a prescribed path for a point coupler link to follow. The dimensional synthesis of the mechanism involves determining the lengths of each of its links. In this case, two possible configurations are evaluated: crank-rocker and/or double crank. The prescribed path consists of an arbitrary number of points contained in a plane, along with the corresponding rotation degrees of the driver element.'' Dimensioning the mechanism involves many variables, and it is possible to obtain various configurations that generate paths that are approximately the desired path. Therefore, the synthesis problem arises as an optimization problem in which the objective function seeks to minimize the Euclidean norm between the prescribed points and the points earned. To solve the optimization problem, a user-friendly computer program called SIDIGETRA was developed using the genetic algorithms numerical technique. Design constraints were imposed to obtain an open configuration of the mechanism and to avoid branching defects, order, and Grashof. The program's proper functioning was validated by comparing the results obtained in case studies published in a research article in which the genetic algorithms technique was also applied. The percentage relative errors between the coordinates of the obtained points and prescribed points were calculated and found to be satisfactory. Additionally, the results generated by SIDIGETRA were validated with a visual comparison between the prescribed trajectory and the one obtained by simulating the position analysis of the synthesized mechanism using a commercial software tool designed for this purpose.

Bearing is an important rotating support part of tyre unloader, and its fatigue reliability is an important part of the whole system reliability. Because of the huge alternating stress, the support bearing is required to have high fatigue life and reliability. In this paper, combined with stress-strength interference model and statistical theory, the life distribution of bearing steel material is predicted by using group test data; Based on the multi-rigid body dynamics and finite element numerical simulation platform, the reliability of the bearing of tyre unloader under different operating years was predicted by using the different dimensional interference model. The results show that the maximum resultant force of the bearing at the bottom rocker arm of the tyre unloader can reach 150kN, and the maximum transverse and longitudinal forces can reach 108kN and 78kN. When bearing the weight of the whole tyre and turning, the inertia force is the largest, the maximum stress value is 1316.2MPa, which occurs in the bearing inner ring and ball contact part. After the statistics, the stress amplitude distribution of the bearing conforms to Weibull distribution, and the life of the bearing follows lognormal distribution. After 105 tyre unloading, the fatigue reliability of the bearing is lower than 0.82, which is consistent with the actual working condition. Therefore, this model can be used to calculate the fatigue reliability of bearings conveniently and quickly, and provide certain theoretical support for the safety and fatigue reliability prediction of bearings.

In order to solve the problem of "gas explosion" at the end of common rubber cylinder in the process of high temperature, high pressure and gas drive operation, the rubber cylinder with new structure suitable for 51/2 in casing pipe is developed. The "M" type single rubber cylinder structure is adopted in the new structure rubber cylinder, and the "gas explosion" problem of the end gas in the low-pressure side is solved by setting the double-layer staggered slotted steel cover to prevent outburst. The finite element method is used to simulate the setting of the rubber cylinder, and the structural parameters of the new rubber cylinder are obtained by single factor analysis and orthogonal optimization, simulation test and seal test were carried out to verify the sealing performance of the rubber cylinder. According to the actual working condition, the simulation test results and seal test results show that the sealing capacity of the packer reaches 50 MPa under the temperature resistance of 120℃, and the end steel cover is fully opened to wrap the rubber cylinder, which meets the operation requirements of high temperature and high pressure gas injection packer.

In this work we identify the coherent vortices in the leeward wake of an HQ 17 airfoil with a Gurney flap. This high-lift device consists of a small plate perpendicular to the airfoil, at or near the trailing edge, with a height � of the order from 1% to 4% of the chord. The overall effect is to produce a significant increase in lift, together with a relatively minor increase in airfoil drag. Its geometry generates vortex shedding of spatial scale H, which modulates the wake and thus influence the global configuration of the flow. A numerical study was performed with the commercial software ANSYS Fluent. Simultaneously, experiments were carried out in the wind tunnel of the Aeronautical Departmental Area from the Engineering School of the National University of La Plata. With a Dantec StreamLine hot-wire anemometer, records of the instantaneous horizontal and vertical velocity components in the airfoil wake were obtained. Both the experimental data and those obtained by numerical simulation were analyzed with the continuous wavelet transform technique, in order to identify and characterize the coherent vortices in the wake. Results show the shed vortices structure and the organization degree of this periodic shedding.

Metamaterials are generated from an interrelated set of cells and can present a macroscopic behaviour that differs from the one that characterizes its basic constituents. Modelling the influence that the damage and fracture of the elemental constituents have in the macroscopic properties of the metamaterial is relevant for its mechanical analysis. Altering the resistant behaviour of the elements (changing their longitudinal elastic modulus), it is possible to approximate the effect of the damage in the complete structure. It is considered as valid the substitution of the damage and plastic deformation phenomena by intermediate states contained in the linear elastic deformation regime. Each state is characterized by the elastic module of the element, whose geometry remains unmodified. In an iterative process, when the induced stress in the elements is greater than the one stablished as the limit, they progress through the different states, diminishing their elastic modulus until they are considered as fractured and are eliminated from the structure. Mass effects are ignored, and a stress-free structure is implemented to calculate each iteration. A simple algorithm is presented to simulate the effect of damage in metamaterial structures, applicable to any finite element software.

The water resources in southwest China is abundant and the seismicity is strong, so it is necessary to study the dynamic response and safety of hydraulic structures under rare earthquake. Taking a typical radial steel gate as an example, a three-dimensional numerical model considering the interaction between water and gate during the earthquake is established. The accuracy and applicability of the model are verified by comparing with the measured results of the dynamic response of Zipingpu dam during the Wenchuan earthquake. Thereafter, the dynamic displacement and stress, and resonance frequency of the radial gate under the rare earthquake of two wave types are analyzed. The water-structure coupling effect has a great influence on the seismic dynamic response of the radial steel gate. The calculated result of the dynamic response of the gate considering the fluid-structure coupling effect is significantly larger than that of the specification, and the maximum ratio of the two is more than 2.27 times. Under the action of EI wave, the peak value of dynamic stress response is at the bottom of the panel, and the maximum value of resonance frequency (about49.13 Hz) is located in the middle and lower part of the panel. Under the action of far-field wave, the peak area of dynamic displacement response of the gate is basically the same as that under the action of EI wave, while the maximum value of some measuring points is only half of the maximum value under the action of EI wave. However, the resonance frequency is significantly greater than that of EI wave, the maximum value reaches 65.24 Hz, which appears at the top of the gate. The dynamic response of the gate structure caused by two different wave types of earthquakes is not completely consistent. The comprehensive consideration of different wave types is of significance for the structural design and safety evaluation of the radial steel gate in the earthquake-prone areas.

Natural dyes have grown in popularity due to their eco-friendliness. They can be used as a substitute for synthetic dyes to minimize environmental pollution. This research investigates the natural colouring behaviour of haar singhar flower (HSF) extract in cotton dyeing. Colorant was extracted under various conditions utilizing various extraction mediums such as aqueous, basic, and acidic. On cotton, it was discovered that applying 55 mL of aqueous extract containing 1.5 g/100 mL sodium chloride for 40 minutes at 70 °C yielded the best colour output. A new hue with good colour fastness was developed utilizing chemical and bio-mordants. The existence of nyctanthin as a colouring agent in haar singhar flowers was discovered through FTIR analysis of the extract. The CIE Lab system revealed that using 2 g/100 mL of pistachio shell as a bio-mordant resulted in good quality reddish yellow hues. It was discovered that ultrasonic radiations have a high potential for isolating colourants and dyeing cotton fabric under decreased conditions of temperature, time and volume. The application of biomordants has made the procedure greener, more efficient, and safer.

This paper presents a novel approach for solving the security-constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) optimization problem using parallel Computing. In this approach, switched shunt capacitors, generation power ramp, and demand response are considered in the SCOPF by maximizing the market surplus during regular operation and for a set of contingencies of branches and generators. The optimization problem is solved using the Nonlinear Interior Point Method. The contingency assessment is paralleled in multiple CPU cores to decrease the computation time. Additionally, the test systems used in ARPA-GO competition were used and compared with the ARPA benchmark results to assess the proposed algorithm. The numerical results show this method is suitable for fast SCOPF using paralleling Computing.

We present a combination of three dimensional (3D) solid elements and rotation-free beam elements for non-linear analysis of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) of rebars. The matrix material is modelled by 3D solid elements while the fibers are modelled with rotation-free beam elements. The absence of rotation variables in the beam elements allows the straightforward coupling of 3D solid and beam elements using a formulation with displacement nodal degrees of freedom only. Both solid and beam elements are formulated in an updated Lagrangian description. The behavior of the matrix and the fiber material are modelled with an elastic-damage model. The efficiency and accuracy of the combined 3D-beam element formulation are verified in examples of application to the analysis of FRP rebars up to fracture in axial, bending and shear tests for which experimental results are available.

The modeling of both the synchronous generator and induction motor which is represented by the rotor reference frame was studied where the modeling was established using MATLAB /SIMULINK software package for an isolated synchronous generator direct-on-line with different sized induction motors; 20, 50, and 100 Hp, at manually adjusted excitation voltage values which were maintained constant at 3.35, 4.55, and 6.21 V, respectively. The purpose of this work is to study the impact of a sudden increase in the load torque; from 0 to 150 % with an increase of 25 %, of full load torque was studied at a constant motor speed of 188.49 rad sec-1. On the other hand, the impact of a sudden decrease in the rotor speed by about 20 % from its rated value; from 188.49 to 150.79 rad sec-1 was also studied at full load torque of the same different-sized induction motors. These values were manually recorded and response variables of the generator including terminal voltage, current, output power, electromagnetic torque, and load angle were determined and represented as a function of time. The results illustrated the Changes in the terminal voltage, the current, the output power, the electromagnetic torque, and the load angle as parameters of a synchronous generator for different-sized induction motors.

The granular-media-based push-bending process has been developed to manufacture thin-wall elbow tube with t/D≤0.01 (the ratio of wall thickness to outer diameter) and R/D≤1.5 (the ratio of bending radius to outer diameter). In the process, a tubular blank is filled with granular media and then pushed into a die to form an elbow shape. To investigate the process, a FEM-DEM coupling model has been developed, in which FEM is used to simulate bending deformation of tubular blank, and DEM is used to calculate contact forces between spherical particles in granular media. In this work, an improved numerical formulation is proposed in order to reach mechanical equilibrium quickly and accelerate the convergence of DEM simulation, when the new contacts are no longer created and the old contacts are no longer deleted in granular media. Using the proposed numerical formulation, the improved FEM-DEM coupling simulation for granular-media-based thin-wall elbow tube push-bending process is less time-consuming than before under the same simulation condition.

© 2022 Elsevier LtdThe problems of foreign dependency in energy and the orientation towards national/international environmental policies encourage investments in renewable energy systems. In renewable energy systems (RES), photovoltaic (PV) systems based on solar energy are increasing every year. This situation reveals the need for qualified employees whose working area is photovoltaic systems. This study has conducted a literature search on occupational health and safety (OHS) issues in PV power systems. At the same time, field studies and expert interviews were conducted to examine the OHS practices and training received in the work areas. In this direction, the importance of OHS requirements and training for OHS success in PV power systems has been emphasized. The importance of training has been expressed to increase OHS\"s performance and success in the PV power system fields. In this study, sample gamification scenarios were created for two different activities in working at height during the installation of the PV. Algorithms have been developed for improving VR/AR applications in OHS training with the sample gamification scenarios created and to support the dissemination of these training applications. In this way, it is aimed to explain the necessary information for VR/AR technologies at an academic level and to contribute to content developers, researchers, relevant institutions and organizations from a sustainability perspective.

In order to solve the problems of serious axial and tangential leakage and low torque density in the magnetic circuit axial permanent magnet gear (APMG), an external regulating ring is introduced on the basis of APMG to form a dual-excitation and modulation APMG structure, namely DEM-APMG. The low speed rotor of DEM-APMG is clamped between the inner and outer magnetizing rings to generate dual-excitation field (i.e. dual excitation). At the same time, the inner and outer magnetizing rings modulate the low speed rotor dual-directionally modulation (i.e. dual modulation). The axial and tangential leakage flux of APMG can be converted into useful harmonics to increase the output torque and torque density on the basis of APMG. In this study, mathematical analysis is used to describe the air gap magnetic density and electromagnetic torque model of a DEM-APMG, which essentially describes the root cause of the increase in torque density. Using 3D finite element static and dynamic simulations, the transmission characteristics of the APMG and DEM-APMG are compared and analyzed. Results show that the maximum static torque of the DEM-APMG high-speed and low-speed rotors with the same outer diameter increase by 22.7% and 23.8%, respectively, compared with APMG, 26% and 29%, respectively, in steady-state operation, and the torque density increases by 24%. The influence of the primary structural parameters on the transmission characteristics is also investigated using the control variable method. Results show that the duty cycle of the magnet adjusting block, the axial length of the high-speed permanent magnet and the low-speed permanent magnet have the strongest effect on the torque density of the DEM-APMG. When the axial length of the high-speed permanent magnet and low-speed permanent magnet is 8mm, and the duty cycle is 0.4, the torque density can reach the optimal value of 156kNm/m3.

ispartof: HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES vol:32 issue:2 pages:173-198 status: published

In this study, IGA is introduced into the performance analysis of the expansion water seal for an exact representation of its complex geometrical shape. Firstly, the incremental equilibrium equations used in the large deformation analysis are derived for the IGA discretization model based on the updated Lagrangian formulation. The unknown contact forces are directly involved in the equilibrium equations, which results in a simple expression. Then, through the investigation of the contact conditions, the normal and tangential contact forces are verified to be the solutions of two box-constrained variational inequalities representing the normal and tangential contact conditions, respectively. Furthermore, the incremental equilibrium equations for all components of the water seal system and the variational inequalities for all contacts between the components are assembled together and reformulated as a global variational inequality, which is resolved by using the Extra-gradient method. Ultimately, the new method is applied in the performance comparison of two optional expansion water seals, in which the capability and precision of the proposed method are investigated. Results verify that the proposed method is effective in the numerical simulation of the expansion water seal and has a higher precision than the traditional FEM under the same conditions.

The health indicators (HIs) were extracted from the current sensor to represent the tool wear progression. The extracted HIs were found poorly correlated with the progression of tool wear as the raw current sensor signal was susceptible to the influence of other parts and structures in the machine tool. Hence, this paper proposed a novel current sensor-based HI that utilised the mean of inverse hyperbolic cosine function fitted to an envelope of the current signal to improve the correlation. Using the extracted HIs, many bespoke machine learning (ML) models have been developed by researchers. However, these models have many hyperparameters, difficult to interpret and especially poor prediction accuracy has been observed under variable operating conditions. This study overcame these issues by proposing a Weibull Accelerated Failure Time Regression (WAFTR) model, which combines process parameters data with HI for improving the prediction accuracy under variable operating conditions. This model mapped a functional relationship with tool wear in the form of probability density function to identify best HIs and acceleration/deacceleration factors which makes it interpretable. The acceleration/deacceleration factors are useful to deaccelerate the tool wear evolution by controlling the specific values of the machining parameters.

Esta investigación propone un método para la Detección de Fallas en sensores relacionados con el Control Local de Convertidores de Fuente de Voltaje conectados a Microrredes AC/DC usando Análisis de Componentes Principales. Para lograr lo anterior, se realizan simulaciones sobre una Microrred de referencia compuesta por una variedad de cargas (lineales y no lineales), Generación Distribuida (convencional y renovable), así como Sistemas de Almacenamiento de Energía en Baterías DC y AC con sus respectivos convertidores. Los investigadores proponen dos escenarios de falla y un escenario de operación normal para este estudio. El escenario de operación normal, denominado en este documento como clase uno, sirve de referencia para realizar el análisis del comportamiento del método propuesto y su validación con respecto a los otros dos escenarios. Como resultado se obtuvo un algoritmo basado en Análisis de Componentes Principales que, a partir de los componentes principales de los casos o clases, calcula las diferencias entre los espacios obtenidos a partir de un total de 257 variables recolectadas en todas las barras del sistema y del sensadopara Control Local.

ispartof: VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING vol:18 issue:1 status: accepted

This article introduces stiff and tough biocomposites with in-situ polymerisation of poly (methyl methacrylate) and ductile non-dry flax fibres. According to the results, composites processed with non-dry fibres (preconditioned at 50% RH) had comparable quasi-static in-plane shear strength but 42% higher elongation at failure and toughness than composites processed with oven-dried fibres. Interestingly, the perforation energy of flax–PMMA cross-ply composites subjected to low-velocity impact increased up to 100% with non-dry flax fibres. The in-situ impact damage progression on the rear surface of composites was evaluated based on strain and thermal field maps acquired by synchronised high-speed optical and thermal cameras. Impact-induced delamination lengths were investigated with tomography. Non-dry fibres also decreased the tension–tension fatigue life degradation rate of composites up to 21% and altered the brittle failure mode of flax–PMMA to ductile failure dominated by fibre pull-out. publishedVersion

The unsteady large-scale vortex near the turbine rim has an important influence on the sealing performance. Characteristics and performance of four sealing structures are researched in this paper. Three-dimensional unsteady numerical simulation was adopted to deeply reveal the characteristics of the rim sealing vortex and its influence mechanism on the rim sealing performance. The results show that the rim seal vortex structure induced by the interaction between ingested gas and sealing flow in the gap is the leading cause of unsteady flow in the rim. The vortex size is suppressed with the increasing seal flow rate or a Chute seal structure. However, the rim seal vortex exit in the cavity gap under a low seal flow rate can suppress the gas intrusion and improve the sealing efficiency of the turbine cavity even with a simple sealing structure. The Chute sealing structure achieves better performance among the four sealing structures studied in this paper. It can achieve complete sealing under a low sealing flow rate of 0.5% and has less impact on the aerodynamic performance of the mainstream even with high sealing flow rate. The research of this paper has guiding significance for further understanding the sealing mechanism and optimizing the design of the sealing structures.

Central cracking refers to the formation of internal cavities in cross wedge rolling (CWR) products. It occurs in various materials such as aluminium/titanium alloys, steels and plasticine at room or elevated temperatures, driven by different central cracking mechanisms. However, these mechanisms are still elusive, and a unified central cracking predictive model is absent due to the complex stress states within the workpiece, including triaxial stress states, cyclic loading and severe shear effects. In this study, the underlying fracture mechanisms were revealed, and a robust unified damage model with sound physical meanings was developed using a lab-scale CWR physical model and finite element models. The physical model with the plasticine billets was built, allowing the CWR dies with different geometries rapidly 3D printed and the billets with various ductility efficiently manufactured. The central cracking transiting from brittle to ductile fracture was experimentally observed for the first time using specifically designed plasticine/flour composite samples at varying ductility. The corresponding physics-based central cracking predictive model was proposed and validated quantitatively with 60 groups of CWR tests and compared with ten existing damage models/fracture criteria. This study effectively solves the long-lasting central cracking problem in the CWR industry and enhances the scientific understanding of fracture mechanics in complex engineering applications.

The aim of the present work was to investigate the current state of the art concerning factors affecting physical and mental health and well- being of workers using collaborative robots (cobots) in manufacturing industries. A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to identify studies aimed at investigating potential factors affecting workers’ physical and mental health and well-being during human-robot collaboration. Each identified factor was classified using the SHELLO (Software-Hardware- Environment-Liveware-Liveware-Organization) conceptual model. Strengths and limitations of such an approach were outlined. A total of 53 papers were included in the scoping review. In 35 papers at least one risk factor referred to the SHELLO Liveware-Hardware interaction, followed by factors concerning Liveware-Software (16 papers), Liveware-Liveware (11 papers), the Liveware intrinsic factor (10 papers), Liveware- Organization (8 papers), and Liveware-Environment (8 papers). Most of the factors classified within the L-H interaction related with physical well- being, while factors classified in the remaining SHELLO interactions were mainly associated with mental and psychological well-being. The scoping review provided a structured overview of factors affecting physical and mental health and well- being of cobot workers. The SHELLO model proved to effectively highlight human factors relevant for the design of future generations of cobots and can be used to provide a systemic approach to investigate human factors in other complex sociotechnical systems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the model is applied in the field of human-cobot interaction.

With the rising concerns about climate change and technological developments, the deployment of low carbon technologies (LCT) is gaining importance for reliable and sustainable power system operation. To decarbonize the heat and transportation sectors, LCTs such as heat pumps (HP) and electric vehicles (EV) are integrated into the power system from the low voltage (LV) distribution network, where predominantly end-users are connected. However, the increasing penetration of EVs and HPs, together with distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems on the demand side, can cause technical challenges in LV distribution networks, such as under/over voltages at the far end of the feeders. Therefore, the hosting capacity of a grid for LCTs is limited due to network constraints such as line ampacity, bus voltage, and frequency. In this paper, voltage-constrained management approaches for LCTs are proposed to improve the grid hosting capacity in a real large-scale distribution network. Moreover, HPs, PVs, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and EVs as well as their vehicle-to-grid (V2G) feature are evaluated as LCTs. The uncertain behavior of these technologies is taken into consideration for more realistic analyses. In addition, the charging and discharging interactions of BESSs are controlled by following the power consumption profiles from the economic point of view. Furthermore, the hourly carbon data is used to control BESSs from an emission-sensitive aspect. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms, a series of tests is conducted on a real distribution network model. The results show that the hosting capacity of the considered LV network can be increased from 35% to 50% using the proposed algorithms. The promising results obtained in this study pave the way for future active LCT management studies to improve hosting capacity in urban networks, and pilot demonstrations in the field.