Conceptual Design Analysis Research Articles

Research on a Novel Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ Orientation Adjustment Mechanism (COAM) and Machine Vision Guidance Control

The initial processing of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ involves peeling as a crucial step. Currently, there is some semi-automatic peeling equipment available. However, due to the requirement of adjusting the orientation of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ to ensure the stem (or navel) is facing upwards before peeling and because the peeling process must retain the stem as a marker for fresh fruit picking, the loading of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ for peeling still solely relies on manual operation, resulting in low efficiency and poor standardization. With the rapid growth of the pericarp of the Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ industry, semi-automatic processing equipment is no longer able to meet production demands. The loading issue before peeling Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ is a complex hand–eye coordination problem. In response to this issue, this paper proposes a novel Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ orientation adjustment mechanism (COAM). This mechanism utilizes frictional force to adjust the orientation of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’. First, the conceptual design and kinematic modelling analysis of the mechanism were conducted. Next, the omnidirectional friction-driven wheels were optimized in design. Subsequently, a prototype was manufactured and assembled to conduct validation tests on its open-loop motion performance. Finally, a visual feedback-guided algorithm was introduced to complement the kinematic model, enabling the automatic and rapid adjustment of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ orientation. The experimental results indicate that the COAM designed in this study can effectively and rapidly adjust the orientation of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’ fruits of different sizes and shapes. It demonstrates strong adaptability, and under visual feedback guidance, the orientation adjustment error is less than 10% of the fruit’s diameter. This meets the requirements for automated production in the initial processing of Citrus Reticulata ‘Chachi’. The research presented in this paper also provides new insights for the orientation adjustment and loading of similar spherical fruits.

Low temperature rotary Stirling engine: Conceptual design and theoretical analysis

The use of low-temperature energy sources for electricity generation demands a dual focus: a substantial enhancement in the efficiency of energy conversion devices and a reduction in system production costs. Particularly in scenarios where low-temperature energy sources are scarce, this factor can be pivotal in facilitating widespread adoption of such technologies. The Stirling engine emerges as a promising solution capable of meeting these articulated expectations, owing to its straightforward design and utilization of non-toxic, non-flammable, and cost-effective working mediums. This paper introduces a novel concept of a rotary Stirling engine, exhibiting significant potential for operation with low-temperature energy sources. Additionally, an analytical model of the engine is presented, enabling simulations of its operation under varying supply temperatures and geometric configurations. To analyse the impact of internal leaks on the net efficiency and net power of the engine, a modified adiabatic model was introduced. It was observed that utilizing identical heat exchangers for heat supply at 250 °C and 100 °C could lead to a decline in net efficiency from 8 % to 3 % for the worst case. Furthermore, an analysis was performed to assess the impact of the heater’s overall heat transfer coefficient and engine rotational speed on both net efficiency and net mechanical power for a heat supply temperature of 200 °C.

Conceptual Design and Dynamic Analysis of a Wind–Wave Energy Converter with a Mass-Adjustable Buoy

Conceptual Design and Dynamic Analysis of a Wind–Wave Energy Converter with a Mass-Adjustable Buoy

Conceptual Process Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of Biocatalytic Furfural Hydrogenation Using Ethanol as the Terminal Reductant

Conceptual Process Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of Biocatalytic Furfural Hydrogenation Using Ethanol as the Terminal Reductant

Multiple boundary layer suction slots technique for performance improvement of vertical-axis wind turbines: Conceptual design and parametric analysis

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are gaining attention for urban and offshore applications. However, their development is hindered by suboptimal power performance, primarily attributable to the complex aerodynamic characteristics of the blades. Flow control techniques are expected to regulate the flow on the blade surface and improve blade aerodynamics. In the present study, an effective active flow control technique, multiple boundary layer suction slots (MBLSS), is designed for VAWTs performance improvement. The impact of MBLSS on the aerodynamic performance of VAWTs is examined using high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations. The response surface methodology is employed to identify the relatively optimal configuration of MBLSS. Three key parameters are considered, i.e., number of slots (n), distance between slots (d), and slot length (l), which vary from 2 to 4, 0.025c to 0.125c, and 0.025c to 0.075c, respectively. The results show that MBLSS positively affects the power performance and aerodynamics of VAWTs. Parameter n has the most significant effect on VAWT power performance and the importance of d and l is determined by tip speed ratios (TSRs). Tight and loose slot arrangements are recommended for high and low TSRs, respectively. The relatively optimal configuration (n = 2, d = 0.025c, l = 0.05c) results in a remarkable 31.02% increase in the average net power output of the studied TSRs. The flow control mechanism of MBLSS for VAWT blade boundary layer flow has also been further complemented. MBLSS can prevent the bursting of laminar separation bubbles and avoid the formation of dynamic stall vortices. This increases the blade lift-to-drag ratio and mitigates aerodynamic load fluctuations. The wake profiles of VAWTs with MBLSS are also investigated. This study would add value to the application of active flow control techniques for VAWTs.

Conceptual Process Design, Techno-Economics, and Greenhouse Gas Analysis of Furfuryl Alcohol Production via Transfer Hydrogenation

Conceptual Process Design, Techno-Economics, and Greenhouse Gas Analysis of Furfuryl Alcohol Production via Transfer Hydrogenation

A novel cycle engine for low-grade heat utilization: Principle, conceptual design and thermodynamic analysis

Efficient engine technologies to convert low-grade heat to electricity are urgently desired. In this work, a conceptual structure of engine for a novel cycle or one-way oscillating flow cycle (OOFC), which consists of two isochoric and two adiabatic processes, is described for low-grade heat utilization. Characteristics of OOFC allows for the working fluid temperature glide to be matched to the decrease in temperature of low-grade heat. Then, thermodynamic model is developed for evaluating the performance. Theoretical simulation results show that maximum specific output works are in the range of 12.2 kJ kg−1 – 79.7 kJ kg−1. Compared to Stirling cycle system, maximum specific output work in OOFC system could be improved by 16.2 %–24.8 %. Compared to ideal Carnot cycle engine system, maximum specific output works in OOFC system is nearly the same and 1.8 %–2.6 % lower. As Carnot cycle engine is ideal while thermodynamic cycle loss and heat transfer loss in cold heat exchangers are considered in OOFC engine, the ratios of maximum specific output work demonstrate that OOFC system could be very promising for low-grade heat utilization as a result of well-matched temperature profile in hot heat exchanger.

Conceptual design and economic feasibility analysis of an eco-friendly pavement cutter equipped with scattered dust reduction function

This study presents a sustainable and innovative approach to green construction through the development of automatic pavement cutters. By comparing the performance of wet-type cutters with the newly developed automatic cutters, this research focuses on reducing scattering dust and promoting environmental sustainability. Comprehensive tests conducted on a testbed reveal that the automatic pavement cutters outperform their wet-type counterparts, reducing cutting time by 27% for asphalt pavement and an impressive 34% for concrete pavement. The newly developed equipment demonstrated noise levels of 82–83 dB at 4 m, meeting the low-noise target of 85 dB. Compared to conventional road cutters, it significantly reduces 11.5% noise pollution during road-cutting activities. Cost analysis reveals the economic feasibility of implementing these innovative machines, enabling the construction industry to achieve higher efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Embracing this green construction method paves the way for a more sustainable future.

Conceptual design and numerical analysis of a miscibility gap alloy-based solid-state thermal battery for electric vehicles

Heating the passenger cabin of electric vehicles at low temperatures consumes a large amount of battery power, resulting in a significant reduction in cruising range. On-board thermal energy storage is an effective way to improve the cruising range of electric vehicles in winter. Miscibility gap alloy is a new type of shape-stabilized composite phase change material, which has the advantages of high energy storage density, high thermal conductivity, low cost, and good safety. Therefore, using it to heat electric vehicles can increase their cruising range, prolong battery life, and reduce cost. In this paper, the concept of a compact on-board solid-state thermal battery based on miscibility gap alloy is proposed for the first time, and the heat charging, thermal insulation and heat discharging performance of the design are analysed based on numerical simulations. The results show that the thermal battery can reach a heat storage density of 553.8 Wh/L, and the average heat discharging power can reach 1.326 kW. The results of this paper can provide guidance for the engineering development of miscibility gap alloy-based solid-state thermal batteries.

Conceptual design and feasibility analysis of a heat pipe cooled cermet fuel space nuclear reactor for mars surface application

The compact, safe, light-weight and highly reliable Space Nuclear Reactor (SNR) with heat pipe cooling is an excellent candidate for the potential needs of Mars surface applications. This work proposed a heat pipe reactor concept design which can provide 1 MWth power for more than 8 years. Reactivity control is accomplished by 6 rotating control drums. Cermet fuel with dispersion granules characteristics adopted in this design is processed into prismatic-type tube-in-duct (TID) and composed of Mo-14 wt%Re matrix and highly enriched uranium nitride (UN) granules. Both heterogeneous and homogeneous models of Cermet fuel are evaluated by OpenMC code, indicating an extreme weak resonance self-shielding effect. Neutronics characteristics such as the effective multiplication factor, burnup depth, fuel temperature coefficient, neutron spectrum, reactivity control, neutron flux and power distribution are obtained. Drum stuck accidents and submersion criticality accidents are also analyzed. The designed reactor achieves a shutdown depth of −1521 pcm in the worst launch or reentry accident scenario considered without relying on the reactivity control device. The arrangement forms and content of Spectral Shift Absorber (SSAs) that affect the safety worth are also analyzed. Furthermore, thermal analysis is performed by Fluent and the maximum temperature is lower than 1570K during normal operation. The maximum temperature reaches 1805K and core has sufficient margin to respond to a single point failure of the heat pipe. Overall, the scheme preliminarily satisfies neutronics, thermal and safety requirements.

Conceptual design and supporting analysis of a double wall heat exchanger for an ARC-class fusion reactor Primary cooling system

In the fight against climate change through the progress of fusion technology, the Affordable, Robust and Compact (ARC) fusion reactor design is under development at Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, in collaboration with the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI) S.p.A. The reactor features demountable superconducting toroidal field coils and a replaceable vacuum vessel immersed in a Fluorine Lithium Beryllium (FLiBe) molten salt blanket. The low-pressure molten salt cools the divertors and the blanket, shields the magnets and acts as tritium breeder and tritium carrier. Tritium must be recovered efficiently from the salt to fuel the reactor, minimizing its inventory and its migration outside the FLiBe loop. The current work is aimed at presenting a preliminary design of a Double-Wall Heat eXchanger (DWHX) to be installed in an ARC-class reactor primary cooling system. The main feature is the presence of a flowing sweep gas gap which captures tritium and prevents its diffusion toward the secondary system. For the DWHX, thermal-hydraulic and tritium transport analyses were performed, considering a supercritical water Rankine power conversion system on the secondary side to carry out the calculations. To assess tritium extraction capabilities of the DWHX, the tritium extraction efficiency has been evaluated. Calculation results highlighted how the current configuration is not adequate to remove tritium, in fact the tritium extraction efficiency is very low. On the other side, it seems to act adequately as tritium permeation barrier.

Conceptual Process Design and Technoeconomic Analysis of an e-Methanol Plant with Direct Air-Captured CO2 and Electrolytic H2

Conceptual Process Design and Technoeconomic Analysis of an e-Methanol Plant with Direct Air-Captured CO₂ and Electrolytic H₂

Knowledge collection in aircraft passenger seat assembly: insight for a conceptual design method development

In the field of aircraft system engineering, this research work aims to bridge the gap between conceptual design and quantitative analysis, with a specific focus on the installation of aircraft passenger seats. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive analysis of seat installation process for commercial aircraft was carried out to identify and describe criticalities associated with this manufacturing phase. Different means were used to gather information, starting from the analysis of technical documents, and conducting interviews with industry experts. The research methodology employs a unique translation mechanism, harnessing the power of scoring matrices which are based on a graduated scale ranging from 1 (best option) to 5 (worst option). The scoring matrix serves as a tool for quantifying and translating the qualitative data gathered from the experts into quantitative analysis reflecting the installation process workload. By quantifying the qualitative information provided by the experts, this approach enables a systematic evaluation of seat installation and aids in decision-making within the aircraft assembly domain. In essence, this research contributes a structured and rigorous framework for assessing the ease of installing aircraft components, with a specific emphasis on seats, resulting in an improved assembly process of aircraft.

Application Analysis of Conceptual Design in Architectural Structure Design

Application Analysis of Conceptual Design in Architectural Structure Design

Energy, exergy and exergo-economic analysis of a novel SOFC based CHP system integrated with organic Rankine cycle and biomass co-gasification

This paper proposes a novel SOFC based cogeneration system, consisting of biomass co-gasification, SOFC power generation and ORC waste heat recovery, to achieve the efficient and clean utilization of poultry litter. Based on the conceptual design, the energy, exergy and exergo-economic analysis are conducted, including sensitivity analysis, uncertainty analysis and multi-objective optimization. Results show that when using straw as the co-gasification biomass with poultry litter, the highest energy utilization efficiency of 44.70 % is obtained with the electricity and heat production of 162.02 kW and 52.41 kW, respectively. The biomass gasifier and the SOFC stack have the highest exergy destruction, accounting for 24.43 % and 19.99 % of the total. Sensitivity analysis presents complex results concerning mass fraction of poultry litter, water content, equivalent air ratio and water-carbon ratio, etc. The optimal solution for the current optimization problem is obtained. When poultry litter mass fraction is fixed at 25 %, TSOFC = 852 °C and uf = 0.73, the exergy efficiency is obtained as 41.95 % and the overall exergy cost per unit is obtained as 42.35 $/GJ. This paper investigates a novel cogeneration system relying on the biomass co-gasification of poultry litter, providing a new solution for poultry litter treatment and sustainable development of agriculture, forestry and husbandry.

Neutronics analysis for conceptual design of target system based on a deuteron accelerator-driven fusion neutron source

A Breeding Blanket (BB), producing tritium and heat energy converted to electricity, is a critical component for the successful Fusion Demonstration Reactor (DEMO). A dedicated neutron source is required to validate the performance of the DEMO BB in a continuous long-term fusion-like environment. Therefore, a pre-conceptual design study has been carried out for the Integrated Breeding Test Facility (IBTF) to evaluate the DEMO BB performance. The IBTF is based on a 40 MeV deuteron accelerator-driven system with a maximum current of 10 mA. A solid Beryllium (Be) target with a 20 cm width and height is used to irradiate the tritium breeding unit (TBU).This study conducted a neutronics analysis of the Be target system of the IBTF. The produced neutron energy spectrum and yield were evaluated on a beam energy of 30 to 50 MeV. The analysis results show that the forward direction neutron yield with the 40 MeV deuteron is the highest at 4.92E + 15 n/s, and the neutron ratio of 10–20 MeV is also the highest. A Blistering Mitigation Layer (BML) was added to prevent the blistering effect caused by the deuteron beam within the Be target. A comparison was done for the performance evaluation of the BML candidates vanadium, palladium, tantalum, and niobium. There were no significant differences in the forward direction neutron yield for the BML options. Vanadium was the most beneficial based on the activation analysis results. Therefore, vanadium with a 0.3 mm thickness was added behind the Be target with a 5 mm thickness. In addition, neutronics analysis was conducted for the test cell shielding designs. Concrete 3.5 m thick was required to satisfy a dose of less than 100 uSv/h during the beam operation. When evaluating the dose rate during maintenance, a dose along the cooling pipes was observed due to the activation of the pipes. The neutron flux with the cooling pipes was reduced by using B4C in the maintenance cell shielding, the dose rate was below 100 uSv/h in the test cell.Deuteron and neutron transport calculations were carried out using MCNP6 with the TENDL2019 cross-section library. Activity analysis and gamma source production were performed using FISPACT-Ⅱ with the TENDL2017 cross-section library.

Research on the conceptual design and performance analysis of a 10 MW SPIC concept floating wind turbine foundation in intermediate water depth

The sea area in China demands high requirements for water depth adaptability, stability, structural integrity, dynamic response characteristics, and economic performance of large-scale floating wind turbines (FWTs). The aim of the research is to propose the 10 megawatts (MW) SPIC concept (Semi-submersible platform with Partially Inclined Columns, SPIC for short) FWT in intermediate water depth, providing guidance for the concept design of large-scale FWT. The SPIC concept FWT incorporates partially tilted outward side columns, which effectively minimize the risk of bottom contact and significantly enhance the stability of the floating wind turbine. This is achieved by increasing the inertia moment of the waterplane without increasing the displaced water or water surface area. The 10 MW SPIC concept FWT exhibits superior performance in terms of smaller static heeling angle, motion amplitude response function, and wave force transfer function. It also features lower steel consumption and less displaced water, achieving good stability, hydrodynamic performance, and low cost. The rationality of the concept design and the accuracy of the numerical simulation process were validated in this study using experimental results. The study assessed the extreme responses of the 10 MW SPIC concept FWT in its six degrees of freedom (DOFs) under various scenarios, including power production, power production with faults, parked condition, and parked condition with faults, thus verifying the safety of the SPIC concept.

Conceptual process design and technoeconomic analysis of an e-ammonia plant: Green H2 and cryogenic air separation coupled with Haber-Bosch process

Manufacturing low-carbon ammonia (NH3) is paramount for the green transition of the chemical industry and society at large. The conventional Haber-Bosch (HB) process based on steam methane reforming (SMR) entails whopping CO2 emissions (i.e., 400 Mt y−1), therefore we propose a sustainable plant design comprising water electrolysis and cryogenic distillation for H2 and N2 production, respectively. This electrified configuration powered by wind energy affords 80% lower carbon emissions than the conventional SMR-based process. However, the electrolyser unit can represent between 36 and 61% of the total capital cost, depending on its energy efficiency, and its high energy demand drives the electricity cost which accounts for more than 68% of the plant operational costs. Thus, even with anticipated improvements in efficiency of the electrolyser unit, the Levelized Cost of Production (LCOP) of e-NH3 in a 2050 scenario is 65% higher than the current benchmark; nonetheless, the two processes could be equally viable with a 135.8 $ tCO2−1 carbon penalty on the average conventional process. Notably, the cost of electricity is the most prominent cost driver in the e-process, which could be more economically viable than the fossil counterpart with electricity prices below 12.5 $ MWh−1. These findings provide evidence that the proposed e-process can replace the commercial benchmark in small-scale, standalone applications.

Conceptual design and analysis of remote steering system for CFETR ECRH system

In order to optimize the operational safety and reliability of the upper launcher for the CFETR ECRH system, a design of the launcher based on the remote steering concept is currently being carried out for comparison with the front steering equivalent. This paper presents the remote steering system's conceptual design and simulation analysis. A Square Corrugated Waveguide (SCW) of 65 × 65 mm has been designed with an optimized length of 9.35 m. By changing the relative length of the waveguide, the transmission efficiency of the SCW is optimized within the range of steering angles ±12°. Different error factors are investigated in detail, and corresponding acceptable error ranges are provided. Considering these error factors and ignoring ohmic losses and thermal effects, the relative transmission efficiency of the SCW is estimated to be >98 % within the steering angle range. A matching steering unit for the SCW is designed, which consists of an ellipsoidal focusing mirror and a steerable flat mirror. The detailed design of the steerable mirror motion trajectory is presented. Also, the influence of the possible beam incident errors caused by the steering unit on the transmission efficiency is analyzed in detail.

Conceptual Design, Sizing and Thermal Analysis of An Alerting System for Manned Airships

This paper describes an automatic and self-contained electromechanical safety system for manned airships, which alerts the flight crew when the temperature at some point over the envelope exceeds a pre-determined safe limit. The system consists of a thin electrical wire that is looped over the airship envelope along its length, which melts at the location(s) at which the safe temperature is exceeded, and sounds an alarm in the crew cabin. A detailed technical description of the alerting system and all its elements is provided, and a methodology for carrying out sizing of the system, and to carry out thermal analysis is outlined. The methodology is used to size the system for an airship of 30 m envelope length cruising at a speed of 20 m/s at an altitude of 10,000 ft. Results indicate that the mass of the system is a small fraction of the force of buoyancy generated by the airship envelope. Thermal analysis indicates that the alerting system is thermally stable, and despite the fact that current is consistently and continuously flowing in the alarming circuit, the wires are not overheated. The system can be of great help in increasing operational safety levels of a manned airship.