System Design Concept Research Articles

Conceptual design of a novel sustainable hybrid renewable energy system based on biogas/molten carbonate fuel cell/water desalination for a building energy supply

To ensure an independent and sustainable energy supply, including electricity, drinking water, hot water, heating, and cooling for a 4-floor building in Bandar Dayyer, located in the south of Iran, a novel hybrid renewable energy system consisting of biogas/molten carbonate fuel cell/water desalination was proposed. With a hydraulic retention time of 15 days and a temperature of 55 °C in the digester section, the daily methane production reached 16,000 L. A power output of 98 kW was achieved with the fuel cell operation at a temperature of 650 °C. Additionally, 1137.4 kg of fresh water was produced daily to meet the consumption needs and the reformer's water requirements. The amounts of CO2 produced in the combustion chamber and the fuel cell were 43.93 and 23.3 kg/h, respectively. The gas composition analysis indicated a CO2 output of 4 %. The hybrid system's overall energy and exergy efficiency were 54 % and 52.58 %, respectively. This system demonstrates outstanding performance as a sustainable renewable energy system, providing reduced waste production and electricity, drinking water, hot water, heating, and cooling while exhibiting favorable environmental impacts with limited greenhouse gas emissions.

Decision-making frameworks for assessment of small-scale off-grid photovoltaic home system-based design concepts in rural context of north-east India

Energy security plays an influential role in developing sustainable cities and promoting a better quality of life for the population. The United Nations' sustainable development goal focuses on energy security. Against the backdrop of India's energy concerns in the northeastern region, the study investigates the user-centric challenges related to the designs of solar photovoltaic home system concepts to facilitate access to energy. This is followed by the proposal of design concepts for solar photovoltaic home systems that take due cognizance of the identified challenges. To facilitate determining the optimal design concept in the context of small-scale off-grid photovoltaic home systems the paper proposes and applies an extended TOmada de Decisao Interativa Multicriteria (TODIM) methodology wherein the linguistic evaluations have been modelled using T-Spherical fuzzy sets. The information was aggregated using T-Spherical Fuzzy Aczel-Alsina Hammy Mean and T-Spherical Fuzzy Aczel-Alsina Weighted Hammy Mean operators. Ten design concepts were developed and evaluated through the proposed decision-making frameworks. Five performance metrics arising out of the field study: Functionality, Reliability, Affordability, Novelty and Usability have been chosen to appraise the conceptualized design concepts. Design concept 3 has been revealed to be the optimal design concept for the application of the proposed approach. Sensitivity analysis of the ranking results revealed that although both the proposed methodologies are robust, the methodology based on T-Spherical fuzzy Aczel-Alsina Weighted Hammy Mean operator was revealed to be the superior of the two. By presenting an effective method to address the complexities in design assessment for off-grid PV systems, this research offers practical insights to guide context-specific design in the region.

A Systematic Approach towards the Integration of Initial Airworthiness Regulatory Requirements in Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Conceptual Design Methodologies

The regulatory framework of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs) has recently experienced an extraordinary evolution. This article seeks to improve the integration of certification considerations in RPAS conceptual design approaches so as to enhance the safety, certifiability and competitiveness of their resulting designs. The first part of the research conducts a two-stage analysis of contemporary regulations related to an RPAS’s initial airworthiness. In the first stage, the broad international regulation paradigm is evaluated attending to a set of criteria that are tightly related to both airworthiness and design considerations. The second stage keeps the most promising documents from a design–integration standpoint, which are assessed according to their applicability considering both design and operational aspects. The results of this analysis provide insights regarding the main issues in airworthiness design criteria extraction and integration in design methodologies. To aid the designer in surmounting these challenges, a flexible procedure named DECEX is developed. Considering the documents and findings from the survey, and attending to the scope of the design methodology being developed, it aids in establishing a complete regulatory document corpus and in comparing and extracting the applicable airworthiness design criteria. Two case studies for different RPAS types are conducted to demonstrate its application.

Teaching Reform in Urban Planning System Engineering: Integrating the Concepts of the Slow System and Barrier-Free Design

Teaching Reform in Urban Planning System Engineering: Integrating the Concepts of the Slow System and Barrier-Free Design

Dumbbell-shaped piezoelectric energy harvesting from coupled vibrations

This paper presents a novel dumbbell-shaped piezoelectric energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and galloping. The designed harvester system leverages the coupled vibrations to improve the output performance. The conceptual design of the dumbbell-shaped harvester system is first developed, the theoretical model of the harvester is then established, three-dimensional simulation analyses are conducted, and the prototypes of the harvester that combines a cylinder and a cuboid are finally manufactured. The effect of the cylinder lengths and airflow velocity on the harvesting characteristics is explored. The results demonstrate the derived mathematical model is fully verified through experimental method. VIV occurs in the 0.5D and 1D dumbbell-shaped harvester systems at lower airflow velocities, while galloping takes place at higher velocities, both of which contribute to increase the output performance. In contrast, the 1D - 3D dumbbell-shaped harvesters demonstrate a VIV behavior only and suppress vibration. The maximum voltage generated by the 0.5D harvester is 12.03 V at 4.29 m s-1, which is 11.18 % higher than that of a single cuboid harvester. The vorticity fields illustrate the vortex shedding mode and intensity, as well as reveal the underlying influence mechanism.

Conceptual design of a modular EC heating system for EU-DEMO

The European DEMO (EU-DEMO) reactor studies within EUROfusion aim to develop a fusion power plant concept. The large tokamak device needs an auxiliary heating power which, at the present stage, is provided by the Electron Cyclotron (EC) heating system with up to 130 MW foreseen to reach different regions of plasma for heating, suppression of instabilities and the possibility to support ramp-up and ramp-down phases. The present conceptual design of the system is based on 2 MW coaxial-cavity gyrotron sources, a transmission line (TL) using both circular corrugated waveguides and quasi-optical evacuated multi-beam TLs, and mirror antennas located in the Equatorial Port. In order to create a modular system, the sources are grouped in ‘clusters’, whose powers are combined in the quasi-optical TL, up to the tokamak building, where they are split and routed as single waveguides. In the launcher, they are combined together again on the launching mirrors, to save space for the apertures in the Breeding Blanket. The present EC heating system has a certain flexibility to adapt to changing design guidelines. The development status of the system is presented.

(Invited) Battery-Free Wearable and Implantable Electronics for Chronic Disease Management

60% of Americans live with at least one chronic disease. These diseases and their associated comorbidities are now the leading causes of death in the United States. The effective management of complex chronic diseases requires body-wide, long-term, accurate, and continuous monitoring of multiple physiological signals from wearable and implantable devices to precisely determine the pathological state. Wearable physiological signal monitoring can dramatically reduce the demand for physician visits and increase patients' engagement and treatment adherence rates. Specifically, battery-free wearables and implantable electronics reduce device volume and mechanical stiffness, significantly improving wear comfort, which is highly desirable for next-generation wearable and implantable electronics. However, battery-free wearables and implantable electronics still face many challenges, mainly wireless energy and data transfer. To address these challenges, my research has been involved in the exploration of rational system design concepts, material and device fabrication innovation, and tailored algorithms to enable smart battery-free wearables and implantable electronics targeting next-generation chronic disease management.Here, I would like to discuss two of my developed technology platforms to elaborate on the concept of battery-free wearable and implantable systems. First, I will describe an RFID-based body area sensor network technology platform. This technology uses electromagnetic waves and RF antennas as energy and data transmission media and has broad applications in sleep tracking, workout monitoring, chronic wound healing, and inflammation management. Second, I will describe a triboelectric transducer-based implantable battery-free device. This technology platform uses ultrasound waves and triboelectric transducers as energy and data transmission media and has broad applications in implantable sensing. Overall, the developed technology platforms can assess multiple health outcomes and treatment responses to various chronic diseases. Ultimately, this technology will help reduce the burden of chronic diseases, lower medical costs, and provide a better quality of life for patients. (1,2,3,4)

High-precision CSNS beam monitor system conceptual design based on SiC

High-precision CSNS beam monitor system conceptual design based on SiC

Conceptual design and optimization of heat rejection system for nuclear reactor coupled with supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle used on Mars

During the conceptual design of the Mars surface nuclear reactor coupled with supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle, the heat rejection system occupies most of the weight, and reducing the weight of heat rejection system can effectively cut down the transportation cost from Earth to Mars. This paper explored the feasibility of adopting a combination of heat pipe cooling device and convective heat exchanger to design the heat rejection system for the Mars surface nuclear power station, established flow and heat transfer model and weight model, developed a thermal-hydraulic design program for the heat rejection system, and verified its accuracy; then, the NSGA-II multi-objective optimization method is used to optimize the weight of heat rejection system. Pareto front shows that with higher heat rejection proportion of convective heat exchanger, corresponding inlet velocity of Mars' atmosphere should also be increased. As the optimization result of heat rejection system, the ratio of weight to heat rejection is between 0.94 kg/kW and 2.92 kg/kW, and the maximum power consumption of convective heat exchanger accounts for 3.29% of the total power generation.

Analysis of IoT technologies suitable for remote areas in Colombia: Conceptual design of an IoT system for monitoring and managing distributed energy systems

This study presents a conceptual design of an Internet of Things (IoT) communication system for monitoring power generation systems in Colombian Non-Interconnected Zones (NIZs), which lack IoT connectivity due to complex geographical factors. The proposed system aims to ensure the proper operation and energy efficiency of off-grid systems while tracking the variables that influence their performance.The methods used in this study include identifying the needs of such a system, identifying requirements, obtaining technical specifications, and developing a conceptual design. The study also analyses and compares various technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa and ZigBee, to determine which ones are best suited for IoT system design.The conceptual design of the proposed IoT monitoring system considers the geographical, communication and coverage characteristics of the NIZs and the technical characteristics of the energy projects to provide a complete functional system that can connect approximately 2 million people located in these isolated and vulnerable zones. Finally, the defined system can serve as a precedent for building prototypes in various NIZs, and research on IoT technologies suitable for NIZs can help us seek the technologies that are most suitable for these areas. Depending on the application and conditions of the energy project, the most appropriate technology can be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Development of a Software Package Architecture for Simulation and Prototyping of Radar Systems and Complexes

Introduction. Computer simulation and prototyping software can simplify the design process of complex information and measurement systems significantly, including radar systems and complexes. At present, a number of software packages are used to solve these problems to varying degrees. However, these software packages are either versatile, thus being incapable of taking the specifics of radar operation into account and requiring hand-made implementation of mathematical models for simulating radar signals, or are aimed at a narrow range of prototyping problems and algorithm development for processing radar information for a strictly defined radar type (or even a specific model). Some software packages, such as MATLAB, offer extension packages that allow radar signal simulation for automotive radars, as well as radar signal processing; however, these packages cannot cover the full range of simulation and prototyping tasks.Aim. Analysis of current software packages for simulation and prototyping of radar systems and complexes, justification of the demand and development of the concept and architecture of a software package for simulation and prototyping of radar systems and complexes.Materials and methods. Systems approach, architectural and conceptual software design, system analysis, criterion analysis. Results. The criteria that software packages for simulating and prototyping of radar systems and complexes must meet were determined. A comparative analysis of the existing approaches and software packages that solve problems arising at various stages of radar development was carried out. A list of requirements for such a software package was compiled, its concept and architecture was developed, and some features of its implementation were determined.Conclusion. The developed architecture allows creation of a versatile software package which could provide solutions to the problems of simulation and prototyping of radar systems and complexes using a single software package. The applied principles of modularity and decomposition ensure versatility and a high potential for adapting software modules, including for creating software for controlling radar prototypes and visualizing radar data in real time.

An improved system design method for cell-based energy storage systems: A combination of a constraint satisfaction problem with an extended Ragone plot

Over the past three decades, advancements in electrical energy storage technologies have substantially enhanced performance and reduced costs, rendering them viable for diverse applications. Cell-based energy storage systems, such as batteries and supercapacitors, are particularly notable for their adaptability and scalable interconnection capabilities. However, the design process for such systems lacks uniform standards, presenting a gap in research for the conceptual system design. This paper introduces an improved system design method (SDM), addressing critical limitations of existing approaches: (a) Shifting from current-based to power-based requirements; (b) Enabling flexible adaptation of operational design points beyond fixed datasheet specifications; (c) Ensuring harmonization of energy storage design with other system components, notably power electronics. Central to our SDM is the novel “extended Ragone plot” (ERP), which maps cell-specific energy–power relations and allows for flexible adjustment of operational limits. Since it can be determined experimentally, the subsequent design method is model-free and can efficiently be executed for different cell types. In the SDM, this ERP is coupled with a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) to compute a comprehensive design solution space that accommodates all application-specific requirements and component interrelations. It is implemented in a holistic, interactive tool, facilitating mathematical optimization and enabling visual analysis of energy storage system designs. As a proof-of-concept, two case studies on the design of lithium-ion battery systems for stationary grid supply demonstrate the method’s superiority over conventional approaches. While in the first case, an optimal design can be determined immediately, in the second case, there are no valid design solutions based on the cell’s initial operating point. Utilizing the ERP, a practical design solution is achieved by reducing the maximum cell power by approximately 9%, thereby modifying the cell’s available voltage and current limits. This approach provides a possible solution for scenarios where a system design based on data sheets alone is not feasible. A comparative analysis and graphical synthesis of both case studies validate this hypothesis, illustrating the novel system design method’s ability to precalculate and evaluate diverse design scenarios in advance. The source code and data used in this study are openly accessible, offering the SDM as an interactive tool for analyzing and designing energy storage systems.

Systematic conceptual design strategies for the recovery of metals from E-waste

As the consumption of electronics increases worldwide, significant strain is posed on both the availability of mineral resources and the accumulation of waste due to their disposal. Recovering valuable minerals from e-waste can potentially alleviate both. This paper discusses the systematic design of processes for the recycling of waste printed circuit boards (WPCB). After reviewing the relevant processing steps, the generation of processing superstructures is explained. Next, a formulation of the optimization problem is presented to identify the best processing pathway, and the use of process simulators to specify optimization-relevant parameters. These ideas are described in detail via a WPCB to metals case study.

Digital Twin-Enabled Response Function Analysis: A Synthetic Approach to Ship's Propulsion System Assessment

Analyzing the behavior of vessels in actual sea conditions is crucial for conceptual system design, safety and energy efficiency considerations. However, the essential seakeeping problem is reduced to the analysis of wave-hull interactions often neglecting consideration of the propulsion. But in the meantime, the synthetic consideration of wave–propulsion interactions is a key for safety and energy efficiency. Furthermore, safety evaluation of a ship's design with reduced propulsion power in adverse seas is vital for risk management. Response functions are commonly used to estimate propulsion system responses in incoming seaways. This paper proposes a synthetic approach using digital twin technology for rapid response function estimation. It introduces a companion linearized state-space model linked with the digital twin, enabling immediate retrieval of coefficients for response function analysis at the desired operating point. This integrated methodology provides a comprehensive representation of ship propulsion behavior in wave environments, offering a comprehensive framework for system performance assessment.

Material Research for Hypersonic Travel

The goal of travelling faster than five times the speed ofsound, or hypersonic travel, has enormous potential to transform global transportation, defence capabilities, and space access. However, materials and structures face severe obstacles because to harsh aerothermal conditions inherent in high Mach number trajectories. This work focuses on new approaches to do research for ceramics, composites, and refractory alloys that are essential for building hypersonic vehicles. Essential design concepts for primary structures, heat shielding, and propulsion systems are covered, highlighting the critical role that theory and computation play in comprehending the links between structure, property, and processing. The remarkable high-temperature capabilities, stiffness, strength, and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials are highlighted in the study as reasons for theirincreasing importance in aircraft applications. Based on their distinct features, titanium alloys, nickel aluminides, metal- matrix composites, carbon-carbon, and ceramic-matrix composites stand out as top choices for a high temperature. In pursuit of lightweight, high- performance materials for hypersonic travel, this paper summarises ongoing researchefforts, evaluates the state of the art, offers insights into technological hurdles, and identifies areas that require future improvement. To explore the complex field of hypersonicmaterials design and selection in this research, this paper hope to shed light on the critical role that materials science plays in pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology by investigating the special difficulties presented by hypersonic flight as well as the characteristics and potential of various material classes.

РОЗРОБКА FRAMEWORK ДЛЯ КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНОГО ПРОЕКТУВАННЯ СИСТЕМ РЕАЛЬНОГО ЧАСУ (FCD_RTS)

The paper proposes new results in improving the CoDeCS framework for the conceptual design of complex systems. A new architecture consisting of a subsystem for generating variants of enterprise information architectures (GEntA) and a subsystem for conceptual analytics (ConAn) for characterisation of real-time computer systems (RTSCS) is considered. Both subsystems rely on a common intellectual knowledge bank consisting of a base of facts, a base of production rules and a base of goals formed on the basis of the known experience of conceptual design of complex information-management computer systems. The paper describes the information-technological structures of formalised production lines and presents the first results of subsystems development.

Bioelectrochemical reactor to manage anthropogenic sulfate pollution for freshwater ecosystems: Mathematical modeling and experimental validation

Anthropogenic sulfate loading into otherwise low-sulfate freshwater systems can cause significant ecological consequences as a biogeochemical stressor. To address this challenge, in situ bioremediation technologies have been developed to leverage naturally occurring microorganisms that transform sulfate into sulfide rather than implementing resource-intensive physio-chemical processes. However, bioremediation technologies often require the supply of electron donors to facilitate biological sulfate reduction. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) can be an alternative approach for supplying molecular hydrogen as an electron donor for sulfate-reducing bacteria through water electrolysis. Although the fundamental mechanisms behind BESs have been studied, limited research has evaluated the design and operational parameters of treatment systems when developing BESs on a scale relevant to environmental systems. This study aimed to develop an application-based mathematical model to evaluate the performance of BESs across a range of reactor configurations and operational modes. The model was based on sulfate transformation by hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria coupled with the recovery of solid iron sulfide species formed by the oxidative dissolution of dissolved ferrous iron from a stainless steel anode. Sulfate removal closely corresponded to the rate of electrolytic hydrogen production and hydraulic residence time but was less sensitive to specific microbial rate constants. The mathematical model results were compared to experimental data from a pilot-scale BES tested with nonacidic mine drainage as a case study. The close agreement between the mathematical model and the pilot-scale BES experiment highlights the efficacy of using a mathematical model as a tool to develop a conceptual design of a scaled-up treatment system.

Conceptual design and multi-objective optimization of a hybrid system based on direct ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cell and alkali metal thermal electric converter

As a power generation device, direct ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cells (NH3–PCFCs) also produce a significant amount waste heat, which not only results in energy wastage but also abnormal operation if the waste heat is not removed. To address these concerns and enhance generation electricity capacity, a novel waste heat recovery system based upon NH3-PCFC and alkali metal thermal electric converter (AMTEC) is first proposed, wherein the AMTEC converts the high-grade exhaust heat produced by the NH3-PCFC to extra electricity. Considering ammonia decomposition sluggish kinetics, various irreversible overpotential losses of NH3-PCFC as well as thermodynamic losses within the integrated system, the energetic/exergetic performance parameters evaluating the NH3-PCFC, AMTEC and the hybrid system are formulated. The general performance characteristics of the proposed system are revealed, along with a sensitive analysis conducted under specific operational conditions or structural parameters. Numerical calculation exhibited that the maximum attainable power density of the hybrid system has been promoted 20.5 % than that of stand-alone NH3-PCFC system. The multi-objective genetic algorithm is utilized to optimize the hybrid system performance for trade-off the power output and efficiency. Optimized results show the power density and corresponding efficiency of proposed system can respectively reach 6762.3 W m−2 and 49.8 % in the corresponding optimization conditions.

An intelligent body frame structure modeling and optimization system based on conceptual design

The conceptual design stage is an indispensable and important stage in the development of the modern body. However, due to the lack of sufficient body structure parameter support, the design defects generated at this time are difficult to make up for in the subsequent design stage. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a conceptual design software for body structure that integrates design, analysis, and optimization. This paper proposes an intelligent body frame structure modeling and optimization system based on conceptual design, S-iVCD (Intelligent System for Conceptual Design of Vehicle Body Structure). Based on deep learning methods and body design sketches, a conceptual model of body structure is quickly established. Based on the data parameters stored in the Excel table, the system is seamlessly connected to the domestic independent finite element software SIPESC to calculate the simulated working conditions. The body structure optimization module is driven by the MMA (method of moving asymptotes), and takes the body structure performance and total mass as the optimization goals or constraints of the mathematical model to achieve body structure performance improvement and lightweight design.

REALIZATION OF THE DECISION-MAKING SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR TWITTER USERS’ PUBLICATIONS ANALYSIS

Context. The paper emphasizes the need for a decision-making system that can analyze users’ messages and determine the sentiment to understand how news and events impact people’s emotions. Such a system would employ advanced techniques to analyze users’ messages, delving into the sentiment expressed within the text. The primary goal is to gain insights into how news and various events reverberate through people’s emotions.
 Objective. The objective is to create a decision-making system that can analyze and determine the sentiment of user messages, understand the emotional response to news and events, and distribute the data into clusters to gain a broader understanding of users’ opinions. This multifaceted objective involves the integration of advanced techniques in natural language processing and machine learning to build a robust decision-making system. The primary goals are sentiment analysis, comprehension of emotional responses to news and events, and data clustering for a holistic view of user opinions.
 Method. The use of long-short-term memory neural networks for sentiment analysis and the k-means algorithm for data clustering is proposed for processing large volumes of user data. This strategic combination aims to tackle the challenges posed by processing large volumes of user-generated data in a more nuanced and insightful manner.
 Results. The study and conceptual design of the decision-making system have been completed and the decision-making system was created. The system incorporates sentiment analysis and data clustering to understand users’ opinions and the sentiment value of such opinions dividing them into clusters and visualizing the findings.
 Conclusions. The conclusion is that the development of a decision-making system capable of analyzing user sentiment and clustering data can provide valuable insights into users’ reactions to news and events in social networks. The proposed use of longshort-term memory neural networks and the k-means algorithm is considered suitable for sentiment analysis and data clustering tasks. The importance of studying existing works and systems to understand available algorithms and their applications is emphasized. The article also describes created and implemented a decision-making system and demonstrated the functionality of the system using a sample dataset.