The lack of an efficient and reliable power supply is currently one of the bottlenecks restricting the practical application of unmanned ocean detectors. Wave energy is the most widely distributed ocean energy, with the obvious advantages of high energy density and predictability. In this paper, a novel wave energy converter (WEC) for power supply of low-power unmanned ocean detectors is proposed, which is a small-scale counter-rotating self-adaptive point absorber-type WEC. The double-layer counter-rotating absorbers can achieve the torque balance of the whole device. Besides, the self-adaptation of the blade to the water flow can maintain a unidirectional continuous rotation of the single-layer absorber. The WEC has several advantages, including small occupied space, simple exchange process and convenient modular integration. It is expected to meet the power demand of low-power ocean detectors. Through modeling and CFD analysis, it was found that the power and efficiency characterist... [more]

Computational methods have become reliable tools in many disciplines for research and industrial design. There are, however, an ever-increasing number of details waiting to be included in the models and software, including, e.g., chemical reactions and many physical phenomena, such as particle and droplet behavior and their interactions. The dominant method for copper production, flash smelting, has been extensively investigated, but the settler part of the furnace containing molten high temperature melts termed slag and matte, still lacks a computational modeling tool. In this paper, two commercial modeling software programs have been used for simulating slag−matte interactions in the settler, the target being first to develop a robust computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model and, second, to apply a new approach for molten droplet behavior in a continuum. The latter is based on CFD coupled with the discrete element method (DEM), which was originally developed for modeling solid partic... [more]

Basic oxygen furnaces (BOFs) are widely used to produce steel from hot metal. The process typically has limited automation which leads to sub-optimal operation. Economically optimal operation can be potentially achieved by using a dynamic optimization framework to provide operators the best combination of input trajectories. In this paper, a first-principles based dynamic model for the BOF that can be used within the dynamic optimization routine is described. The model extends a previous work by incorporating a model for slag formation and energy balances. In this new version of the mathematical model, the submodel for the decarburization in the emulsion zone is also modified to account for recent findings, and an algebraic equation for the calculation of the calcium oxide saturation in slag is developed. The dynamic model is then used to simulate the operation of two distinct furnaces. It was found that the prediction accuracy of the developed model is significantly superior to its pr... [more]

Heating flame furnaces are the main type of furnaces used for heating and heat treatment of metal products in metallurgy and mechanical engineering. In the working chamber of a modern heating furnace, there should be neither high-temperature nor stagnation zones. One of the methods used to provide such combustion conditions is the application of distributed (volumetric) combustion. Owing to this method, heating quality is ensured by creating a uniform temperature field and equivalent heat exchange conditions, regardless of the placement of the charge in the working chamber of the furnace. In this work, we numerically study the volumetric combustion and influences of small- and large-scale recirculation ratios of furnace gases, the influence of temperature fluctuation on the regenerator nozzle, and the working parameters at the starting phase and reverse.

A numerical simulation study was carried out to study the combined thermal behavior and hydrodynamics of a pseudo-2D fluidized bed using a computational fluid dynamics−discrete element method (CFD-DEM). To mimic the effect of heterogeneous exothermic reactions, a constant heat source was implemented in the particle energy equation. The effects of superficial gas velocity, bed height and heat source distribution were analyzed with the aid of averaged volume fraction and temperature distributions and velocity profiles. It was found that both the gas superficial velocity and the bed aspect ratio have a profound influence on fluidization behavior and temperature distributions.

Size and thermal effect on molar heat capacity of liquid at constant volume (Cv) on a nanometer scale have been investigated by controlling the temperature and density of the liquid domain using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations. Lennard-Jones (LJ) type molecular model with confinement gap thickness (h) 0.585 nm to 27.8 nm has been used with the temperature (T) ranging from 100 K to 140 K. The simulation results revealed that the heat capacity of the nanoconfined liquid surpasses that of the bulk liquid within a defined interval of gap thickness; that the temperature at which maximum heat capacity occurs for a nanoconfined liquid vary with gap thickness following a power law, TCv,max = 193.4 × (h/a)−0.3431, ‘a’ being the lattice constant of Argon (solid) at 300 K; and that for a specified gap thickness and temperature, the confined liquid can exhibit a heat capacity that can be more than twice the heat capacity of the bulk liquid. The increase in heat capacity is underpi... [more]

Generally, the compression ignition (CI) engine that runs with emulsified biofuel (EB) or higher viscosity fuel experiences inferior performance and a higher emission compared to petro diesel engines. The modification is necessary to standard engine level in order to realize its application. This paper proposes a guide vane design (GVD), which needs to be installed in the intake manifold, is incorporated with shallow depth re-entrance combustion chamber (SCC) pistons. This will organize and develop proper in-cylinder airflow to promote better diffusion, evaporation and combustion processes. The model of GVD and SCC piston was designed using SolidWorks 2017; while ANSYS Fluent version 15 was utilized to run a 3D analysis of the cold flow IC engine. In this research, seven designs of GVD with the number of vanes varied from two to eight vanes (V2−V8) are used. The four-vane model (V4) has shown an excellent turbulent flow as well as swirl, tumble and cross tumble ratios in the fuel-injec... [more]

Both cold and flame jets find numerous applications in different fields, ranging from domestic applications to aerospace and space technology. Indeed, the applications of isothermal and non-isothermal jets in the flame heating industry fascinated the researchers to gain an in-depth understanding. Nevertheless, these benefits are not standalone, rather, they are associated with major disadvantages such as improper jet mixing and flame instabilities that require careful remedies. In the present investigation, three-inline jets, having methane jet at the center and two oxygen jets at the periphery, are studied computationally in a three-dimensional domain, with and without considering the effects of combustion. To study the mixing characteristics of cold jets, the radial velocity distributions at different streamwise locations have been analyzed at the jet inlet velocity of 27 m/s. However, for oxygen and methane flame jets, inlet velocities are varied as 27 m/s and 54 m/s. Moreover, to i... [more]

This work presents the effects of variable wall permeability on two-dimensional flow and heat transfer in a leaky narrow channel containing water-based nanoparticles. The nanofluid is absorbed through the walls with an exponential rate. This situation arises in reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and transpiration cooling in industry. The mathematical model is developed by using the continuity, momentum, and energy equations. Using stream function, the transport equations are reduced and solved by using regular perturbation method. The expressions for stream function and temperature distribution are established, which helps in finding the components of velocity, wall shear stress, and heat transfer rate inside the channel. The results show that velocity components, temperature, wall shear stress, and rate of heat transfer are minimum at the entrance region due to the reabsorption of fluid containing nanoparticles. Additionally, with increasing volume fraction of nanoparticles, the rate o... [more]

The removal of H2S and CH4 from natural gas is crucial as H2S causes environmental contamination, corrodes the gas stream pipelines, and decreases the feedstock for industrial productions. Many scientific researches have shown that the metal-organic framework (MOF)/ionic liquids (ILs) have great potential as alternative adsorbents to capture H2S. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out to determine the stability of ILs/IRMOF-1 as well as to study the solubility of H2S and CH4 gases in this ILs/IRMOF-1 hybrid material. Three choline-based ILs were incorporated into IRMOF-1 with different ratios of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2% w/w, respectively, in which the most stable choline-based ILs/IRMOF-1 composite was analysed for H2S/CH4 solubility selectivity. Among the three choline-based ILs/IRMOF-1, [Chl] [SCN]/IRMOF-1 shows the most stable incorporation. However, the increment of ILs loaded in the IRMOF-1 significantly reduced the stability of the hybrid due to the crowding e... [more]

Steam distillation is the conventional means by which oils are extracted in the flavour and fragrance industry. A mathematical model for the steam distillation extraction (SDE) of air-dried Ocimum basilicum (basil) leaves has been developed and tested using a small-scale pilot plant. The model predicts the removal of oil components from the plant matrix and subsequent transfer to the steam. It also accounts for the diffusional transfer of components within the leaf and the simultaneous convective transfer into the vapour phase while also respecting the individual components’ volatilities. It has been applied vertically on an element-by-element basis through the bed for a mixture of major and minor components. The proposed SDE model appears to be a good match between predicted values and the experimental data. The model predicts a faster initial extraction rate for components such as α-pinene and α-terpinene, possibly due to preferential extraction of light, volatile components present... [more]

In this paper, Huolinhe lignite was selected as the lignite experimental sample, using microwave modification and ultrasonic modification separately as improvement methods. The three-dimensional molecular models of HLH before and after modification were established base on the parameters obtained by 13C NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). After the microwave treatment, the methylene carbon in the HLH coal sample structure mostly exists in the form of long straight chains, and after microwave and ultrasonic treatment, the -OH content of oxygen atoms in the coal sample increases, and form the CO- and the COO-. The proportion is decreasing. The models were adjusted and tested by the covalent bond concentration method and carbon chemical shift spectra calculation using Chemdraw software. A new method is proposed to study the structure and physicochemical properties of lignite modification from the molecular point o... [more]

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has long been utilized for decision making about the sustainability of products. LCA provides information about the total emissions generated for a given functional unit of a product, which is utilized by industries or consumers for comparing two products with regards to environmental performance. However, many existing LCAs utilize data that is representative of an average system with regards to life cycle stage, thus providing an aggregate picture. It has been shown that regional variation may lead to large variation in the environmental impacts of a product, specifically dealing with energy consumption, related emissions and resource consumptions. Hence, improving the reliability of LCA results for decision making with regards to environmental performance needs regional models to be incorporated for building a life cycle inventory that is representative of the origin of products from a certain region. In this work, we present the integration of regionalized... [more]

Polymers play a key role in our daily lives [...]

Recently, nanoparticles have supplied diverse challenges in the area of science. The nanoparticles suspended in several conventional fluids can convert the fluids flow and heat transmission features. In this investigation, the mathematical approach is utilized to explore the magnetohydrodynamics micropolar-nanofluid flow through a truncated porous cone. In this mathematical model, non-linear radiation and suction/injection phenomena are also scrutinized with the Tiwari-Das nanoliquid pattern. The designed system of the mathematical model of the boundary value problem is converted to a set of dimensionless non-similar equations applying convenient transformations. In this study, kerosene oil is selected as the base fluid, while the nanoparticles of Fe3O4 are utilized to promote the heat transmission rate. The problem is solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method (RKF45). It is demonstrated that an enhancement in the pertinent parameters improves the heat transmission rate.

Inherent process-induced deformations (PID) and residual stresses impede the application of composite parts. PID lead to a geometrical mismatch in assemblies and require subsequent work for tolerance compensation. Unknown residual stresses cause overweighted structures resulting from unnecessary high safety factors. To counteract the deformations, the tool design needs to be modified until the component geometry meets the specifications. This process is mostly carried out empirically and is time and cost intensive. To improve the efficiency of the development process, an in-deep comprehension of the manufacturing processes is mandatory. Therefore, experimental and simulation-based methods are increasingly applied and enhanced. The object of this work is to investigate the development of process-induced strains as well as the material behaviour during the manufacturing for a GFRP plate. The process-induced strains are monitored by optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The change of... [more]

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the deformation−stress state of fillings of V-shaped tooth defects by finite element analysis (FEA). Two different materials are used—auto-cured resin-reinforced glass-ionomer cement (GIC) and flowable photo-cured composite (FPC). Two materials are placed into the cavity in one portion, as before the application of the composite the cavity walls are covered with a thin adhesive layer. Deformations and equivalent von Mises stresses are evaluated by FEA. Experimental study of micro-leakage is performed. It is established that there is an analogous non-homogeneous distribution of equivalent Von Mises stresses at fillings of V-shaped defects, made with GIC and FPC. Maximum stresses are generated along the boundaries of the filling on the vestibular surface of the tooth and at the bottom of the filling itself. Values of equivalent Von Mises stresses of GIC fillings are higher than that of FPC. Magnitude and character of deformation distribution... [more]

Recently, pore network modelling has been attracting attention in the investigation of electrolysis. This study focuses on a 2D pore network model with the purpose to study the drainage of water by oxygen in anodic porous transport layers (PTL). The oxygen gas produced at the anode catalyst layer by the oxidation of water flows counter currently to the educt through the PTL. When it invades the water-filled pores of the PTL, the liquid is drained from the porous medium. For the pore network model presented here, we assume that this process occurs in distinct steps and applies classical rules of invasion percolation with quasi-static drainage. As the invasion occurs in the capillary-dominated regime, it is dictated by the pore structure and the pore size distribution. Viscous and liquid film flows are neglected and gravity forces are disregarded. The curvature of the two-phase interface within the pores, which essentially dictates the invasion process, is computed from the Young Laplace... [more]

Directmethanol fuel cells (DMFCs) offer one of the most promising alternatives for the replacement of fossil fuels. A DMFC that had an active Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) area of 45 cm2, a squoval-shaped manifold hole design, and a Pt-Ru/C catalyst combination at the anode was taken for analysis in simulation and real-time experimentation. A mathematical model was developed using dynamic equations of a DMFC. Simulation of a DMFC model using MATLAB software was carried out to identify the most influencing process variables, namely cell temperature, methanol flow rate and methanol concentration during a DMFC operation. Simulation results were recorded and analyzed. It was observed from the results that the cell temperature was the most influencing process variable in the DMFC operation, more so than the methanol flow rate and the methanol concentration. In the DMFC, real-time experimentation was carried out at different cell temperatures to find out the optimum temperature at which... [more]

Modeling and optimization of a double-inlet pulse tube refrigerator (DIPTR) is very difficult due to its geometry and nature. The objective of this paper was to optimize-DIPTR through experiments with the cold heat exchanger (CHX) along the comparison of cooling load with experimental data using different boundary conditions. To predict its performance, a detailed two-dimensional DIPTR model was developed. A double-drop pulse pipe cooler was used for solving continuity, dynamic and power calculations. External conditions for applicable boundaries include sinusoidal pressure from an end of the tube from a user-defined function and constant temperature or limitations of thermal flux within the outer walls of exchanger walls under colder conditions. The results of the system’s cooling behavior were reported, along with the connection between the mass flow rates, heat distribution along pulse tube and cold-end pressure, the cooler load’s wall temp profile and cooler loads with varied bound... [more]

This paper investigates the steady, two dimensional, and magnetohydrodynamic flow of copper and alumina/water hybrid nanofluid on a permeable exponentially shrinking surface in the presence of Joule heating, velocity slip, and thermal slip parameters. Adopting the model of Tiwari and Das, the mathematical formulation of governing partial differential equations was constructed, which was then transformed into the equivalent system of non-linear ordinary differential equations by employing exponential similarity transformation variables. The resultant system was solved numerically using the BVP4C solver in the MATLAB software. For validation purposes, the obtained numerical results were compared graphically with those in previous studies, and found to be in good agreement, as the critical points are the same up to three decimal points. Based on the numerical results, it was revealed that dual solutions exist within specific ranges of the suction and magnetic parameters. Stability analysi... [more]

The present study deals with the swimming of gyrotactic microorganisms in a nanofluid past a stretched surface. The combined effects of magnetohydrodynamics and porosity are taken into account. The mathematical modeling is based on momentum, energy, nanoparticle concentration, and microorganisms’ equation. A new computational technique, namely successive local linearization method (SLLM), is used to solve nonlinear coupled differential equations. The SLLM algorithm is smooth to establish and employ because this method is based on a simple univariate linearization of nonlinear functions. The numerical efficiency of SLLM is much powerful as it develops a series of equations which can be subsequently solved by reutilizing the data from the solution of one equation in the next one. The convergence was improved through relaxation parameters in the study. The accuracy of SLLM was assured through known methods and convergence analysis. A comparison of the proposed method with the existing lit... [more]

The thermal behavior of a rod during the hot shape rolling process was investigated using the off-line hot rolling simulator and numerical simulation. Additionally, it was compared with a plate during the flat rolling process to understand the thermal behavior of the rod during the hot rolling process in more detail. The temperature of the rod and plate during the hot rolling process was measured at several points with thermocouples using the rolling simulator, and then the measured temperature of each region of a workpiece was analyzed with numerical simulation. During hot rolling process, the temperature distribution of the rod was very different from the plate. The temperature deviation of the rod with area was much higher than that of the plate. The variation in effective stress of the rod along the circumferential direction can induce the temperature difference with area of the rod, whereas the plate had a relatively lower temperature deviation with area due to the uniform effecti... [more]

Systems engineering is an ubiquitous discipline of Engineering overlapping industrial, chemical, mechanical, manufacturing, control, software, electrical, and civil engineering. It provides tools for dealing with the complexity and dynamics related to the optimisation of physical, natural, and virtual systems management. This paper presents a review of how multi-agent systems and complex networks theory are brought together to address systems engineering and management problems. The review also encompasses current and future research directions both for theoretical fundamentals and applications in the industry. This is made by considering trends such as mesoscale, multiscale, and multilayer networks along with the state-of-art analysis on network dynamics and intelligent networks. Critical and smart infrastructure, manufacturing processes, and supply chain networks are instances of research topics for which this literature review is highly relevant.

This study proposed a kind of optimization design for a reversible axial-flow pump based on an ordinary one-way pump. Three-dimensional (3D) Reynolds-averaged Navier−Stokes (RANS) equations was used to predict the pump performance, and the optimized design was validated by an external characteristic test. Six main geometry parameters of an impeller and diffuser based on an orthogonal experiment were set as design variables. The efficiency and head under forward and reverse design conditions were set as the optimization objective. Based on 120 groups of sample designs obtained from Latin hypercube sampling (LHS), a two-layer artificial neural network (ANN) was used to build a non-linear function with high accuracy between the design variables and optimization objective. The optimized design was obtained from 300 groups of Pareto-optimal solutions using the non-dominated based genetic algorithm (NSGA) for multiobjective optimization. After optimization, there was a slight decrease in the... [more]