In ground vehicles, the brake is an essential system to ensure the safety of movement. Multiple braking mechanisms have been introduced for use in vehicles. This study explores the potential of using magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) brakes in automotive applications. MRF brakes offer controllable braking force due to a magnetic field, but their use is limited by simulation challenges. In this study, a 7-tooth MRF brake model is proposed. The brake model is simulated in Altair Flux software to analyze magnetic field distribution, braking torque, and its variation under different currents and disc speeds. The simulation conditions also consider both viscous and electromagnetic torque components. Then, the results are analyzed across different brake regions, including rotor, stator, and fluid gap. These results provide valuable insights for designing, manufacturing, installing, and testing MRF brakes for automotive use.
Solar Design(https://solardesign.cn/)is an online photovoltaic device simulation and design platform that provides engineering modeling analysis for crystalline silicon solar cells,as well as emerging high-efficiency solar cells such as organic,perovskite,and tandem cells.The platform offers user-updatable libraries of basic photovoltaic materials and devices,device-level multi-physics simulations involving optical–electrical–thermal interactions,and circuit-level compact model simulations based on detailed balance theory.Employing internationally advanced numerical methods,the platform accurately,rapidly,and efficiently solves optical absorption,electrical transport,and compact circuit models.It achieves multi-level photovoltaic simulation technology from“materials to devices to circuits”with fully independent intellectual property rights.Compared to commercial softwares,the platform achieves high accuracy and improves speed by more than an order of magnitude.Additionally,it can simulate unique electrical transport processes in emerging solar cells,such as quantum tunneling,exciton dissociation,and ion migration.
The global rise in energy demand, particularly in remote and sparsely populated regions, necessitates innovative and cost-effective electrical distribution solutions. Traditional Rural Electrification (RE) methods, like Conventional Rural Electrification (CRE), have proven economically unfeasible in such areas due to high infrastructure costs and low electricity demand. Consequently, Unconventional Rural Electrification (URE) technologies, such as Capacitor Coupled Substations (CCS), are gaining attention as viable alternatives. This study presents the design and simulation of an 80 kW CCS system, which taps power directly from a 132 kV transmission line to supply low-voltage consumers. The critical components of the CCS, the capacitors are calculated, then a MATLAB/Simulink model with the attained results is executed. Mathematical representation and state-space representation for maintaining the desired tapped voltage area also developed. The research further explores the feasibility and operational performance of this CCS configuration, aiming to address the challenges of rural electrification by offering a sustainable and scalable solution. The results show that the desired value of the tapped voltage can be achieved at any level of High Voltage (HV) with the selection of capacitors that are correctly rated. With an adequately designed control strategy, the research also shows that tapped voltage can be attained under both steady-state and dynamic loads. By leveraging CCS technology, the study demonstrates the potential for delivering reliable electricity to underserved areas, highlighting the system’s practicality and effectiveness in overcoming the limitations of conventional distribution methods.
Sinqobile Wiseman NeneBolanle Tolulope AbeAgha Francis Nnachi
Gassy soils are distributed in relatively shallow layers the Quaternary deposit in Hangzhou Bay area. The shallow gassy soils significantly affect the construction of underground projects. Proper characterization of spatial distribution of shallow gassy soils is indispensable prior to construction of underground projects in the area. Due to the costly conditions required in the site investigation for gassy soils, only a limited number of gas pressure data can be obtained in engineering practice, which leads to the uncertainty in characterizing spatial distribution of gassy soils. Determining the number of boreholes for investigating gassy soils and their corresponding locations is pivotal to reducing construction risk induced by gassy soils. However, this primarily relies on the engineering experience in the current site investigation practice. This study develops a probabilistic site investigation optimization method for planning investigation schemes (including the number and locations of boreholes) of gassy soils based on the conditional random field and Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed method aims to provide an optimal investigation scheme before the site investigation based on prior knowledge. Finally, the proposed approach is illustrated using a case study.
Heat treatment processes, such as annealing and quenching, are crucial in determining residual stress evolution, microstructural changes and mechanical properties of metallic materials, with residual stresses playing a greater role in the performance of components. This paper investigates the effect of heat treatment on residual stresses induced in AISI 1025, manufactured using LENS. Finite element model was developed and simulated to analyze residual stress development. AISI 1025 samples suitable for tool and die applications in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) filament production, were fabricated using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) process, followed by heat treatment where annealing and quenching processes were done. The material’s microstructure, residual stress and hardness of heat-treated samples under investigation, were compared against the as-built samples. The results indicated that after annealing, tensile residual stresses were reduced by 93%, resulting in a reduced crack growth rate, compared to the as-built sample, although the hardness was reduced significantly by 25%. On the other hand, high tensile residual stresses of 425 ± 14 MPa were recorded after quenching process with an improvement of hardness by 21%.
