The examination and choice of an alternate composite material for the high-voltage circuit of Otto cycle internal combustion engines—more commonly known as gasoline engines—are presented in the research that follows. To do this, multicriteria selection procedures are employed, and the outcomes are validated through the use of thermal character simulation software and standard laboratory tests. Nylon is the recommended material for Coils on Plug (COP) high-voltage insulators. Four of the six multicriteria selection techniques utilized in this study were found to be effective. It was discovered through the virtual simulation process that, even in the same environment with the same edge circumstances, the thermal behavior of the materials differs dramatically because the quadrants exhibit different behavior depending on the material. Given that nylon has a lower elasticity modulus than silicone, it was determined that the dimensions are crucial for the nylon Spark Plug Boot (SPB) to compl... [more]

Many laboratory- and pilot-scale studies on anaerobic co-digestion have been conducted in Republic of Korea; however, studies on full-scale demonstration facilities are lacking. This study aimed to present a successful case of a large-scale anaerobic co-digestion facility in Republic of Korea for biogas generation from four organic wastes (pig manure, food waste, excretion, and thickened sewage sludge) using a horizontal anaerobic digester. A preliminary biochemical methane potential test was performed for the individual and mixed organic waste to design a treatment facility for 320 m3/day of organic waste generated in Seosan City. Subsequently, a horizontal anaerobic digester with a 35 day-retention time (based on 320 m3/day input) was constructed. Each organic waste was placed in an anaerobic reactor after pretreatment. The input was gradually increased after the first seeding, and the operation continued for 158 days. Total and volatile solids made up 4.1% and 3.3%, respectively. Th... [more]

Bioethanol produced from lignocellulose is a renewable energy substitute for traditional fossil fuels. Poplar wood as forest waste is popular in bioethanol production. Nonetheless, the complex structure of lignocellulose leads to low reducing sugar and ethanol yields. Thus, lignocellulose pretreatment is necessary to promote enzymatic hydrolysis. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have good dissolution capacity, low vapor pressure, a simple synthesis procedure, low synthesis cost and low toxicity. More and more researchers have begun paying attention to the application of DESs in lignocellulose pretreatment. In this work, poplar wood was pretreated using a series of basic DESs based on diol. The effects of the DES species, the basicity of the solvents, the pretreatment temperature and the pretreatment time on the effectiveness of pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis for poplar wood were investigated, and characterization analysis (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and... [more]

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) has recently become very popular for processing titanium alloys, but surface quality is a major problem. During machining, a defect layer inevitably forms on the surface, which can have a negative impact on surface quality. One of the ways to reduce the defect layer is to add powder to the dielectric. However, it is not yet completely clear which powder and in what quantity it should be added to reduce the defect layer. In this sense, the present study aims to investigate the effects of machining parameters on the defect layer in powder-mixed electrical discharge machining of titanium alloys. The main goal is to achieve the minimum thickness of the defect layer by optimally adjusting the input parameters. Experimental studies were performed using the Taguchi orthogonal array L9, considering discharge current, pulse duration, duty cycle, and graphite powder concentration as input parameters. Based on the Taguchi and ANOVA analyses, the discharge curr... [more]

This study is part of the re-valorisation of the dairy waste industry through the use of membrane ultrafiltration (UF), in order to recover whey proteins and remove as much water as possible from the permeate. This study aimed to predict and control the permeate flux decline in cross-flow whey UF through a step procedure, and to compare different Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), followed by a genetic algorithm (GA), as the optimization strategy. Models were developed in Matlab® Neural Network Toolbox. ANNs of one or two hidden layers were trained and simulated. A trial-and-error procedure identified the best network based on its performance values. The networks were trained through a selected set of experimental data obtained for lab-scale hollow-fibre membrane modules used to re-value scotta, the final waste of the dairy industry. The operating conditions considered as the input of the ANN were: operating time (top), sampling time (tsample), cross-flow velocity (CFV) and transmembra... [more]

The aim of using electromechanical air conditioning in buildings is to maintain thermal comfort for its occupants; however, this type of air conditioning represents 40% of the total energy consumption of a building, generating economic and environmental impacts, because fossil fuels are the main source of energy. To reduce the use of electromechanical conditioning, it is possible to take advantage of the climatic conditions of the region to improve its performance. Due to the small number of works that quantitatively support measures aimed at improving the thermal behavior of houses in an integral way and the growth of mass construction in Mexico, in the present work, a solar chimney is incorporated in a typical type of social interest housing in Guanajuato. The incorporation of the solar chimney was simulated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using ANSYS and evaluated by ASHRAE Standard 55-2017. The selected arrangement induces air flow inside without the need for external f... [more]

An exponential curve-based (ECB) control strategy has been proposed in this paper. The proposed ECB control strategy is based on the growth and decay of charge in the series RC circuit and the harmonic elimination by detecting the Fourier expansion series of the auxiliary equipment power supply system’s (AEPSS) three-phase output voltage level. It can quickly adjust each duty cycle to the best value for driving the isolated three-phase inverter (ITPI) and produce a three-phase 380 VAC/60 Hz output. A comparison of the AEPSS output performance using the traditional voltage cancellation method (VCM) and the proposed ECB control strategy was performed. The hardware implementation of the system was performed on the prototype developed in the laboratory. These control strategies are tested under three conditions, i.e., (i) Vi = 550 VDC. (ii) Vi = 750 VDC. (iii) Vi = 800 VDC. The total harmonic distortion (THD) is 13.7%, 14.5%, and 14.9%, and the output voltage Vo is 372.3 VAC, 377.3 VAC, an... [more]

During the last few decades, various strategic planning models have been suggested in the literature. It is difficult for a company to decide which of these models is most useful to adopt, as each of them shows different strengths and weaknesses. We consider this problem a multicriteria decision problem and investigate the evaluation of six strategic planning models in the context of smaller and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Iran. We consider a methodology that supports the analysis of the input from several decision-makers based on multiple criteria and assume vagueness in the input data elicited from them. For the purpose considered, the fuzzy best worst method (FBWM) appears appropriate. Based on a literature review, six evaluation criteria for strategic management models are considered: formality, clarity, measurability, objectivity, coverage, and consistency. These criteria are evaluated based on the input provided by thirteen managers using linguistic variables. FBWM is... [more]

Respirable particulate matter (RSP) is currently very harmful to the human body, potentially causing pulmonary silicosis, allergic rhinitis, acute bronchitis, and pulmonary heart disease. Therefore, the study of the deposition pattern of RSP in the human respiratory system is key in the prevention, treatment, and research of related diseases, whereby the main methods are computer simulation, in vitro solid models, and theoretical analysis. This paper summarizes and analyzes past deposition of RSP in the respiratory tract and also describes them in specific case studies such as COPD and COVID-19 patients, based on the review of the evidence, direction, and focus of future research focusing on simulation, experimentation, and related applications of RSP deposition in the respiratory tract.

The optimization of screening parameters will directly improve the screening performance of vibration screens, which has been a concern of the industry. In this work, the discrete element model of wet sand and gravel particles is established, and the vibration screening process is simulated using the discrete element method (DEM). The screening efficiency and time are used as evaluation indices, and the screening parameters including amplitude, vibration frequency, vibration direction angle, screen surface inclination, the long and short half-axis ratio of the track, feeding rate, and screen surface length are investigated. The results of an orthogonal experiment and range analysis show that the amplitude, screen surface inclination, and vibration frequency are significant factors affecting screening performance. Then, the support vector regression optimized with the grey wolf optimizer (GWO-SVR) algorithm is used to model the screening data. The screening model with excellent learning... [more]

In the Middle East, there remain many technical challenges in the water saturation evaluation of carbonate rocks and the effective identification of reservoir fluid properties. The traditional Archie equation is not applicable to carbonate reservoirs with complex pore structures and varying reservoir space distribution, as there are obvious “non-Archie” phenomena. In this paper, by analyzing the experimental data on the rock resistivity of the target formation in the study area and analyzing the relationship between stratigraphic factors and porosity, the previous fitting method was modified as a result of using the actual data while avoiding the cementation index as a way to improve Archie’s formula to evaluate the water saturation. Based on the improved Archie formula, the mathematical differential operation of water saturation and porosity was carried out using the formation resistivity. The calculation results of irreducible water saturation were used to calibrate the oil layer, an... [more]

Peach is a fruit highly appreciated by consumers; however, it is highly perishable, so drying is an alternative to preserve its physical and chemical properties. In this study, the effect of drying in natural and forced convection at three different temperatures (40 °C, 45 °C and 50 °C) and solar drying with two air velocities (1 m/s and 3 m/s) on the color, texture, total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch), were evaluated. The experimental data of the drying kinetics were adjusted to five different mathematical models (Page, Logarithmic, Two-term exponential, Wang and Singh, and Verma et al.). The model that best represented the experimental data in natural convection was the Wang and Singh model (r2 > 0.998; RMSE < 0.016; χ2 < 2.85 × 10−4); in forced convection (45 °C and 50 °C), it was the Verma et al. model (r2 > 0.997; RMSE < 0.025; χ2 < 8.12 × 10−4); and finally, for solar drying, it was the Logarithmic model at 3 m/s (r2 = 0.99... [more]

Perovskite is of burgeoning interest in catalysis, principally due to such material having high thermal stability, modifiable variability, ferromagnetism, and excellent catalytic performance in peroxomonosulfate (PMS) activation. In this study, the SrCoMn1−xO3 perovskites with different Mn doping were synthesized by a facile sol-gel method for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to degrade Rhodamine B. The obtained SrCo0.5Mn0.5O3 perovskite exhibited the best catalytic efficiency, as Rhodamine B (40 mg/L) was removed completely within 30 min. In the system of SrCo0.5Mn0.5O3−PMS, several reactive species were produced, among which sulfate radicals and the singlet oxygen mainly contributed to Rhodamine B degradation. The relatively high catalytic performance could be attributed to the coupled redox cycle between Mn and Co, and the abundant oxygen vacancies. Moreover, the SrCo0.5Mn0.5O3 catalyst showed excellent stability and reusability, maintaining a high catalytic activity after several... [more]

Multiple Automated Guided Vehicles promise to be an effective solution for executing tasks such as material transportation and inspection in industrial parks. In particular, system stability is the key to maintaining connectivity among multiple agents. In this paper, we build the stability model of multi-agent system (MAS) under the background of swarm robots transporting materials in an industrial park, and propose a network topology optimization method to improve the stability of MAS. In concrete, we first analyze the effect of channel environment on network topology, and the communication delay is analyzed. Then considering the communication delay and artificial potential field, we establish the stability analysis model of MAS and obtain the stability condition of the MAS by using Lyapunov correlation theorem. Finally, we formulate the network topology optimization problem of MAS by maximizing the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian and get the optimal solutions. Analysis an... [more]

The extract of P. amygdalus var. amara is known for its health benefits, which include lowering diabetes and heart disease risks. In eight human tumor cell lines, P. amygdalus var. amara demonstrated potent anti-cancer activity, including NB4, Huh-7, A-549, SKOV-3, PC-3, T-24, U937, and Hep-2. There was a notable change in the morphology of nearly all cancer cell lines, and cancer cells continued to exist. Incubation for 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h resulted in the lowest viable cell concentration at 48 h, which was 34.65% lower than that of the non-treated cells. During exposure to the extract, the majority of cells lost their typical morphology and shrank in size. According to the cell viability data, the P. amygdalus var. amara treatment significantly decreased the cancer cells’ growth in most cancer cell lines when doses and time were taken into consideration.

Using nanoindentation technology to analyze the hardness and elastic modulus distributions of the local microzones within materials, it can be determined that the case-carburized specimen is a composite of the carburized case and the pseudo-carburized material in the core. The overall mechanical behavior of the case-carburized material is much closer to that of the completely carburized material, indicating that the carburized case dominates the case-carburized material. Stress fatigue tests conducted on carburized tubular specimens, pseudo-carburized solid specimens, and case-carburized solid specimens showed that the fatigue performance of the completely carburized material is slightly lower than that of the pseudo-carburized specimens due to lower plasticity. However, the fatigue performance of the case-carburized specimens is significantly better than that of the two homogeneous materials. This could be attributed to the graded material behavior and the larger compressive residual... [more]

With the arrival of Industry 4.0, interoperability has become a major subject for companies worldwide. It is a crucial asset that enables new technologies and possibilities (Industrial Internet of Things, predictive maintenance or traceability solutions). With the increasing importance of data in business use cases, companies are faced with a choice between two interoperability approaches to deal with the challenge of reconciling different domains: standardization and mediation. This paper presents an analysis of each approach and proposes a decision-making methodology based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) that aims to help companies in choosing the most suitable solution to resolve interoperability challenges.

The growing sensitivity toward sustainability is being demonstrated by an increase in sales of natural wines. Natural wines are obtained using exclusively native vines, indigenous yeasts, absence of additives, irregular temperature control during fermentation, and smaller quantities of sulfites even compared to organic wines. In this work, natural wines were obtained from Fiano grape, a historical cultivar of Irpinia (Campania, Italy). The main objective of this study was to compare the chemical and sensory characteristics of natural wines produced using different vessels (10 HL): Test A: stainless steel; Test B: earthenware amphora; Test C: mulberry wood barrel; and Test D: cherry wood barrel without the use of starter yeasts and chemical additives, including sulfites. Our results show a greater concentration of higher alcohols and esters in wines obtained in amphora and wooden barrels. The results of this work reveal that the type of container influences the composition of wine to an... [more]

The objective of this study was to compare the quality of low-acid vegetables conventionally thermal processed with those subjected to modified thermal processing following acidification to pH < 4.6. For conventional processing, a process lethality (Fo value) equivalent of 5 min at 121.1 °C (commercially sterilization) was used, while those that are acidified were pasteurized, such as acidic foods, to a lethality value of 10 min at 90 °C. Acidification was performed with citric acid by immersion of vegetables in an ultrasonic bath. The quality of raw, blanched, acidified, pasteurized and sterilized products were compared for color and textural characteristics. The acidified thermal processing yielded significantly better retained color and textural properties, almost similar to blanched vegetables, while those subjected to the conventional processing resulted in significant texture loss. The process temperatures were significantly lower, and corresponding process intensities were si... [more]

This paper investigates common (slack) due-date assignment single-machine scheduling with controllable processing times within a group technology environment. Under linear and convex resource allocation functions, the cost function minimizes scheduling (including the weighted sum of earliness, tardiness, and due-date assignment, where the weights are position-dependent) and resource-allocation costs. Given some optimal properties of the problem, if the size of jobs in each group is identical, the optimal group sequence can be obtained via an assignment problem. We then illustrate that the problem is polynomially solvable in O(℘3) time, where ℘ is the number of jobs.

The conventional V2O5 preparation processes include ion exchange, chemical precipitation, solvent extraction, and other processes. Given the long process and complex operation nature of traditional V2O5 production methods, we herein developed a short-process, low-temperature, and convenient operation method of isolating vanadium (in the form of V2O5) from shale acid leaching solution. The acid leaching solution was oxidized with NaClO3 and pH-adjusted with NaOH to form a vanadium-containing precipitate, which was mixed with AlCl3 (V:AlCl3 = 1:5, mol/mol) and roasted for 120 min at 170 °C to afford vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) with a purity of 99.59%. In addition, the vanadium-containing precipitate was mixed with AlCl3 and NaCl (V:AlCl3:NaCl = 3:12:8, mol/mol/mol) and roasted for 120 min at 170 °C to afford VOCl3 with a purity of 99.94%. VOCl3 (purity of 99.94%) was dissolved in ultrapure water, and the solution (32 gvanadium/L) was treated with NH3·H2O (NH3:V = 1.34, mol/mol) at 50... [more]

The detection of coal and gangue is an essential part of intelligent sorting. A lightweight coal and gangue detection algorithm based on You Only Look Once version 5s (Yolov5s) is proposed for the current coal and gangue target detection algorithm with the low accuracy of small target detection, high model complexity, and sizeable computational memory consumption. Firstly, we build a new convolutional block based on the Funnel Rectified Linear Unit (FReLU) activation function and apply it to the original Yolov5s network so that the model adaptively captures local contextual information of the image. Secondly, the neck of the original network is redesigned to improve the detection accuracy of small samples by adding a small target detection head to achieve multi-scale feature fusion. Next, some of the standard convolution modules in the original network are replaced with Depthwise Convolution (DWC) and Ghost Shuffle Convolution (GSC) modules to build a lightweight feature extraction net... [more]

Using a high proportion of new energy is becoming the development trend of the modern power industry, with broad application prospects and potential threats to power system operation safety. This paper proposes a hybrid adaptive velocity update relaxation particle swarm optimization algorithm (AVURPSO) and recursive least square (RLS) method to quickly estimate the DSSR boundary using hyper-plane expression. Firstly, the operating point data in the high-dimension nodal injection space are analyzed using the AVURPSO algorithm to identify the key generators, equivalent search space, and critical points, which have relatively great effects on transient angle stability. The hyper-plane expression of the DSSR boundary, which matches the critical points best, is finally fitted by the RLS approach. Hence, the adopted algorithm is applied to rapidly approximate the DSSR boundary by hyper-plane expression in power injection spaces. Finally, the proposed algorithm is validated using a simulation... [more]

This feasibility study utilized regression models to predict makespan robustness in dynamic production processes with uncertain processing times. Previous methods for robustness determination were computationally intensive (Monte Carlo experiments) or inaccurate (surrogate measures). However, calculating robustness efficiently is crucial for field-synchronous scheduling techniques. Regression models with multiple input features considering uncertain processing times on the critical path outperform traditional surrogate measures. Well-trained regression models internalize the behavior of a dynamic simulation and can quickly predict accurate robustness (correlation: r>0.98). The proposed method was successfully applied to a permutation flow shop scheduling problem, balancing makespan and robustness. Integrating regression models into a metaheuristic model, schedules could be generated that have a similar quality to using Monte Carlo experiments. These results suggest that employing machi... [more]

The rapid growth of the world’s population has put significant pressure on agriculture to meet the increasing demand for food. In this context, agriculture faces multiple challenges, one of which is weed management. While herbicides have traditionally been used to control weed growth, their excessive and random use can lead to environmental pollution and herbicide resistance. To address these challenges, in the agricultural industry, deep learning models have become a possible tool for decision-making by using massive amounts of information collected from smart farm sensors. However, agriculture’s varied environments pose a challenge to testing and adopting new technology effectively. This study reviews recent advances in deep learning models and methods for detecting and classifying weeds to improve the sustainability of agricultural crops. The study compares performance metrics such as recall, accuracy, F1-Score, and precision, and highlights the adoption of novel techniques, such as... [more]