Control Engineering Research Articles

Interface engineering enabling thin lithium metal electrodes down to 0.78 μm for garnet-type solid-state batteries.

Controllable engineering of thin lithium (Li) metal is essential for increasing the energy density of solid-state batteries and clarifying the interfacial evolution mechanisms of a lithium metal negative electrode. However, fabricating a thin lithium electrode faces significant challenges due to the fragility and high viscosity of Li metal. Herein, through facile treatment of Ta-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZTO) with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, its surface Li2CO3 species is converted into a lithiophilic layer with LiCF3SO3 and LiF components. It enables the thickness control of Li metal negative electrodes, ranging from 0.78 μm to 30 μm. Quasi-solid-state lithium-metal battery with an optimized 7.54 μm-thick lithium metal negative electrode, a commercial LiNi0.83Co0.11Mn0.06O2 positive electrode, and a negative/positive electrode capacity ratio of 1.1 shows a 500 cycles lifespan with a final discharge specific capacity of 99 mAh g-1 at 2.35 mA cm-2 and 25 °C. Through multi-scale characterizations of the thin lithium negative electrode, we clarify the multi-dimensional compositional evolution and failure mechanisms of lithium-deficient and -rich regions (0.78 μm and 7.54 μm), on its surface, inside it, or at the Li/LLZTO interface.

Role of Cybersecurity in Engine Control Systems: Safeguarding the Heart of Modern Trucks

This article outlines the importance of cybersecurity for modern engine control systems. Much emphasis is placed on how fast-paced the technologies in the automotive industry are and the several risks involved with their use. Due to high connectivity and heavy dependency on software, serious vulnerabilities are present in trucks' engine control units (ECUs) that pose a severe threat regarding cybersecurity in the automotive industry. The article discusses how engine control systems have been developing over time, enumerates the most common cyber-attacks they face, and points out the consequences that may influence vehicle safety and performance, as well as environmental compliance. Attention is given to regulatory laws, industry standards, and strategies regarding how to handle these challenges. The article also discusses how artificial intelligence influences ECU security and the challenges and opportunities arising in this fast-changing sector. Overall, the article provides a broad overview of the relationship between cybersecurity and ECUs, underlining the fact that strong security is urgently needed to provide safety, reliability, and trustworthiness to modern vehicles.

TDOF PID Controller for Enhanced Disturbance Rejection with MS-Constraints for Speed Control of Marine Diesel Engine

This study proposes a two-degree-of-freedom PID controller design and tuning method based on a simple pole placement approach to enhance servo and regulatory performance while ensuring the stability of diesel engines. In the modeling of the control target, the actuator is analytically modeled. In contrast, the type of model for the diesel engine is derived analytically, and its parameter estimation uses operational data from naval ships. The proposed controller consists of a PID controller to improve regulatory performance and a set-point filter to enhance servo response. PID controller parameters consist of the parameters of the controlled plant model and a single tuning variable. At the same time, the set-point filter comprises the controller parameters and a single weighting factor. To ensure the robust stability of the controller, the controller parameters are tuned based on the maximum sensitivity. To verify the effectiveness of this study, simulations for the speed control of a diesel engine with inherent nonlinearity were conducted under three scenarios. Performance was quantitatively analyzed using the integral of time-weighted absolute error, 2% settling time, 2% recovery time, specified maximum sensitivity, and maximum peak response value, and was compared with Skogestad’s IMC and Lee’s IMC. Based on evaluation indices, the proposed controller demonstrated superior performance in both servo and regulatory responses compared to the two existing control techniques while ensuring stability.

The Analysis of Applied Innovative Mechatronics Technology in Intelligent Driving - A Case Study of New-Energy Vehicles' Development in Mainland China

Abstract. The interdisciplinary field of mechatronics, which amalgamates elements of mechanical, electrical, computer, and control engineering, has fundamentally transformed the automotive industry. This transformative influence is evident in the development of advanced vehicular functionalities such as Automatic Fuel Filling Systems, Car Attitude Control, Antilock Brake Systems (ABS), and Electronic Stability Programs (ESP), as well as in the advent of vehicles equipped with semi-active suspensions. The integration of mechatronics has not only enhanced vehicle safety, efficiency, and performance but has also positioned itself as a cornerstone for the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) market, particularly in China. Chinese companies, leveraging extensive smart factory and automation technologies, have consequently secured a dominant stance in the global EV landscape, capturing a staggering 60% market share. This paper explores the multifaceted applications of mechatronics in the automobile industry of industrialized nations, with a special focus on its pivotal role in China's technological ascendancy in automotive manufacturing. Through an exploration of practical applications including IoT integration and collaborative robotics, this study underscores the transformative potential of mechatronics in redefining automotive production and operation, propelling the industry toward unprecedented levels of innovation and efficiency.

Adaptive variable gain linear active disturbance rejection control parameter optimization in magnetic levitation

The magnetic levitation ball system is characterized by strong nonlinearity, multiple disturbances, and intrinsic instability, which has long been a thorny problem in the field of control engineering. The magnetic levitation system can be continuously and stably levitated, even in a complex environment. In this thesis, the model of the magnetic levitation ball system is firstly constructed according to the kinetic theory and simplified according to the actual situation. After that, a linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) controller for the magnetic levitation ball system is designed. Considering that there are many parameters in the LADRC controller and it is difficult to obtain the optimal control effect by manual tuning, an adaptive variable gain LADRC algorithm is proposed to optimize the control strategy of LADRC parameters. An adaptive iterative algorithm is used to adaptively adjust the bandwidth of the linear extended state observer (LESO) in LADRC, and the convergence of the algorithm is demonstrated by using the Lyapunov function. To solve the problem that the proportional and differential gains of the LADRC controller can only be adjusted unidirectionally and simultaneously, this paper proposes an error variable gain algorithm. The aim is to realize the non-unidirectional and more detailed adjustment of the controller parameters, and it is rigorously analyzed and demonstrated through simulation and experiment. The results show that the proposed algorithm is better than proportional–integral–derivative (PID), sliding mode control (SMC), and LADRC in terms of dynamic performance, steady-state performance, and anti-interference.

Critical Role of Solenoid Valves in Modern Engine Design

Solenoid valves, which serve as actuators, are vital in engine design because they can precisely control fluid and gas flow within the engine systems. This allows fuel injection, emission controls, and better performance in modern engines. This paper explores the role that a solenoid valve has been playing in engine designs and underlines its importance for fuel efficiency, emission reduction, and reliability of the engine's performance. Keywords—Solenoid valves, Actuators, Engine control, Fuel injection, Emission control, Engine performance, Valve timing, Fluid flow regulation, Engine Braking, Piston cooling Nozzle valve, CAM phaser Control.

Novelty in Intelligent Controlled Oscillations in Smart Structures

Structural control techniques can be used to protect engineering structures. By computing instantaneous control forces based on the input from the observed reactions and adhering to a strong control strategy, intelligent control in structural engineering can be achieved. In this study, we employed intelligent piezoelectric patches to reduce vibrations in structures. The actuators and sensors were implemented using piezoelectric patches. We reduced structural oscillations by employing sophisticated intelligent control methods. Examples of such control methods include H-infinity and H2. An advantage of this study is that the results are presented for both static and dynamic loading, as well as for the frequency domain. Oscillation suppression must be achieved over the entire frequency range. In this study, advanced programming was used to solve this problem and complete oscillation suppression was achieved. This study explored in detail the methods and control strategies that can be used to address the problem of oscillations. These techniques have been thoroughly described and analyzed, offering valuable insights into their effective applications. The ability to reduce oscillations has significant implications for applications that extend to various structures and systems such as airplanes, metal bridges, and large metallic structures.

Optimization of chemical engineering control for large-scale alkaline electrolysis systems based on renewable energy sources

In the context of renewable energy, dynamic control is crucial for large-scale alkaline water electrolysis systems. Under traditional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control, the system's temperature and impurity levels may exceed safe limits during sudden load changes, compromising system safety. Therefore, this study proposes a control strategy based on mathematical models of system temperature and impurities, including Model Predictive Control (MPC) for temperature and Optimal Curve Tracking (OCT) for impurities. The MPC controller offsets the disturbances in temperature caused by current fluctuations through state prediction, while the OCT controller ensures that impurity levels remain within safe limits. Real-time application of these control strategies is achieved through MATLAB-PLC communication, validating controller performance. Experimental results show that the MPC controller exhibits excellent dynamic response and stability in controlling the stack temperature, with a maximum temperature peak deviation of only 2.9 K and a temperature fluctuation range of 5.9 K. This represents a reduction of 1.6 K in peak deviation compared to traditional PID controllers and significantly decreases the temperature fluctuation range. The OCT controller also demonstrates good safety and stability in controlling hydrogen to oxygen (HTO) impurity levels, consistently maintaining the HTO content at the set upper limit of 1.5%, thereby expanding the safe operational range of the system and reducing the need for frequent adjustments to the system setpoints.

Automatic control strategy of electronic and electrical engineering based on FPGA

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) have demonstrated significant potential in the field of automation control due to their flexibility, programmability, and high performance. This study designs an FPGA-based automation control strategy for motor control systems, encompassing four core modules: signal acquisition, signal processing, control algorithm, and output drive. The signal acquisition module employs the AD9280 high-speed, high-precision ADC chip to achieve rapid and accurate signal acquisition. The signal processing module utilizes digital filtering and FFT analysis within the FPGA to extract key information such as motor speed. The control algorithm module adopts an adaptive fuzzy control strategy that fine-tunes control rules in real-time to ensure precise control. The output drive module generates PWM signals via the FPGA to drive the motor, guaranteeing efficient and stable operation. Experimental results indicate that the FPGA-based control strategy significantly outperforms traditional methods in terms of response speed and stability, capable of meeting the high-performance requirements of modern industrial motor control systems. This research provides new technical insights and practical references for the field of automation control in electrical and electronic engineering.

Diffraction‐Driven Parallel Convolution Processing with Integrated Photonics

AbstractTraditional electronic processors often struggle with bandwidth limitations and high power consumption when executing extensive linear operations for deep learning tasks. Optical computing has emerged as a promising alternative, offering parallel and energy‐efficient computation capabilities. Yet, the development of high‐density optical computing architectures on integrated photonic platforms remains limited, hindered by constraints in neuron scalability and control engineering complexities. Addressing these challenges, this work presents a diffraction‐driven multi‐kernel optical convolution unit (MOCU) that enables on‐chip parallel convolution processing. By utilizing cascaded silica 1D metalines as pre‐trained large‐scale weights and employing spatial multiplexing at the output, MOCU allows simultaneous passive computation of diverse convolutions within a single unit. This architecture facilitates the construction of optical convolutional neural networks (OCNNs), enabling efficient machine vision processing with a streamlined design. To mitigate errors in MOCU‐embedded OCNNs, a lightweight electronic neural network operates concurrently to calibrate systematic deviations via a low‐rank adaptation (LoRA) algorithm, with minimal overhead. The fabricated MOCU chip demonstrates the highest independent 8‐kernel convolutions in parallel, each with a kernel size and occupying just 0.06 . This architecture effectively merges photonic and electronic technologies, offering a scalable design pathway for energy‐efficient, high‐density deep learning hardware.

Progress on Si‐based photoelectrodes for industrial production of green hydrogen by solar‐driven water splitting

AbstractSolar power has been regarded as the ultimate green‐energy source because of its inexhaustibility and eco‐friendliness. The solar‐driven water‐splitting technology for green hydrogen production is considered to be one of effective ways for solar energy harvesting and storage, which may provide solutions for the energy crisis and environmental issues. In the past decades, great progress has been achieved in this area. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is especially promising for the production of solar fuels because of expected large‐scale industrial application. Silicon (Si), as an ideal candidate for the photoelectrode, is the most suitable material for the PEC device in industrial photocatalytic water splitting because of its abundance, mature fabrication technology, and suitable band gap. Here, we give a systematic review on the recent progress for Si‐based photoelectrodes for water splitting with a focus on the industrial application. Particularly, the strategies, such as band‐alignment control, morphology design, and surface engineering, are summarized to enhance the PEC performance and durability for practical application. Furthermore, the perspective for the design of commercial Si‐based PEC devices with high PEC performance, long‐term stability, large‐size, and low cost are given at the end, which shall guide the development of PEC water splitting for industrial application.

Innovative Application of Optoelectronic Control Engineering for Safety Assurance of Surgical Robots

As an emerging technology, optoelectronic control engineering has demonstrated a wide range of application potential in surgical robot safety and security. Through a literature review, this paper provides an in-depth discussion on the innovative applications of optoelectronics technology in enhancing the positioning accuracy, environment sensing, supple control and remote operation of surgical robots. At the same time, this paper summarizes the current research hotspots and future research directions, with a view to providing a reference for promoting the technological progress in this field. The current research focuses on improving the operating precision of surgical robots, enhancing the environment sensing ability and the application of force feedback system, while the future research will mainly focus on interdisciplinary cooperation and new technology development.

Advanced Methods for Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis of Control Loops in Common Rail Systems

Common rail systems are a key component of modern diesel engines and highly increase their performance. During their working lifetime, there could be critical damages or failures related to aging, like backlash or friction, or out-of-spec operating conditions, like low-quality fuel with, e.g., the presence of water or particles or a high percentage of biodiesel. In this work, suitable data-driven methods are adopted to develop an automatic procedure to monitor, diagnose, and estimate some types of faults in common rail systems. In particular, the pressure control loop operating within the engine control unit is investigated; the system is described using a Hammerstein model composed of a nonlinear model for the control valve behavior and an extended linear model for the process dynamics, which also accounts for the presence of external disturbances. Three different sources of oscillations can be successfully detected and quantified: valve stiction, aggressive controller tuning, and external disturbance. Selected case studies are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed methodology.

Optimization of PCA Error Correction Conditions to Improve Efficiency of Virus Genome De Novo Synthesis.

In recent years, there have been frequent global outbreaks of viral epidemics such as Zika, COVID-19, and monkeypox, which have had a huge impact on human health and society and have also spurred innovation in virus engineering technology. The rise of synthetic virus genome technology has provided researchers with a new platform to accelerate vaccine and drug development. Although DNA synthesis technology has made significant progress, the current virus genome synthesis technology still requires the assembly of short oligonucleotides of around 60 bp into kb-level lengths when constructing long segments, a process in which the commonly used polymerase chain reaction assembly (PCA) technology has high error rates and is cumbersome to operate. This study optimized the error correction conditions after PCA assembly, increasing the accuracy of synthesizing 1 kb DNA fragments from 4.2 ± 2.1% before error correction to 31.3 ± 3.1% after two rounds of correction, an improvement of over 6 times. This study provides a more efficient operational process for synthesizing virus genomes from scratch, indicating greater potential for virus engineering in epidemic prevention and control and the field of biomedicine.

Interlocking Elements to Control Erosion in Natural and Urban Ecosystems

Advancements in comprehending soil erosion alleviation, relevant to both natural terrains and urban settings, have experienced notable growth in knowledge and products. Nevertheless, the increasing influence of climate change-driven forces, extreme weather events, and human-caused actions have resulted in reduced attainment of the desired results in erosion mitigation efforts. This paper aims to investigate how interlocking elements contribute to the reduction of soil erosion in natural landscapes and urban green spaces. This will be achieved by analyzing published materials, patents, installation instructions, manuals, and reports from organizations. Furthermore, we delve into novel interlocking products and emerging strategies like soft solutions and ecologically engineered blocks designed to effectively address soil erosion within vegetated habitats while enhancing the system’s capacity to adapt and withstand shifts in climate, curbing soil loss, and diminishing the speed of water runoff, consequently mitigating the potential for erosion. Geotechnical engineering and other erosion control solutions like biobased interlocking components and interlocking permeable blocks offer promise in safeguarding natural landscapes and urban infrastructure from erosion-related impacts. The geotextiles market, for instance, which was valued at over $7 billion in 2022, is anticipated to experience an annual growth rate of 6.6% from 2023 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to increasing environmental concerns related to soil erosion and the rapid urbanization occurring in developing countries. However, continuous progress in the economic viability and sustainability of these techniques and products is crucial to effectively achieve erosion mitigation goals in the face of a shifting climate.

Enhancement of Operational Safety in Marine Cargo Cranes on a Container Ship Through the Application of Authenticated Wi-Fi Based Wireless Data Transmission from Multiple Sensors.

The use of wireless technology in common marine engineering applications as a medium for data transaction in measurement and control systems, is not as popular as it should be. This article aims to demonstrate the advantages of using wireless technology in maritime engineering applications through a proposed Wi-Fi based wireless system dedicated to performance and safety monitoring in marine cargo cranes. The system is based on some concepts that were suggested in the earlier literature to perform authenticated data transmission from multiple sensors through using both the ESP-NOW protocol and the WebSerial remote serial monitor. The introduced system will be integrated with an already installed system in order to render the means for implementing effective principles in automation and control engineering, such as functional safety and predictive maintenance. Additionally, this article will highlight the economic efficiency of adopting wireless technology instead of cabling as a medium for data transaction in measurement and control systems in marine engineering applications such as cargo cranes.

Acoustography by Beam Engineering and Acoustic Control Node: BEACON.

Acoustic manipulation has emerged as a valuable tool for precision controls and dynamic programming of cells and particles. However, conventional acoustic manipulation approaches lack the finesse necessary to form intricate, configurable, continuous, and 3D patterning of particles. Here, this study reports acoustography by Beam Engineering and Acoustic Control Node (BEACON), which delivers intricate, configurable patterns by guiding particles along custom paths with independent phase modulation. Leveraging analytical methods of orbital angular momentum beam via iterative Wirtinger hologram algorithm, this study accomplish acoustography by facilitating orbital angular momentum traps, enabling continuous 2D and 3D acoustic manipulation of microparticles in any desired geometry, with phase modulation independent of intensity. Utilizing on-chip acoustography, the BEACON platform markedly increases the space-bandwidth product to 31000 while attaining an enhanced resolution with a pixel size of ≈25µm, surpassing the typical resolution of over 200µm in previous holographic particle manipulation methods. The capabilities of BEACON are demonstrated in creating intricate triple helical tracing structures using microdroplets (20µm in diameter) and those carrying DNA to validate the effectiveness of the acoustography and phase control methods. This study offers new particle manipulation opportunities, paving the way for next-generation biomedical systems and the future of contact-free precision manufacturing.

Molecules in Motion: Unravelling the Dynamics of Vascularization Control in Tissue Engineering.

Significant progress has been made in tissue engineering (TE), aiming at providing personalized solutions and overcoming the current limitations of traditional tissue and organ transplantation. 3D bioprinting has emerged as a transformative technology in the field, able to mimic key properties of the natural architecture of the native tissues. However, most successes in the area are still limited to avascular or thin tissues due to the difficulties in controlling the vascularization of the engineered tissues. To address this issue, several molecules, biomaterials, and cells with pro- and anti-angiogenic potential have been intensively investigated. Furthermore, different bioreactors capable to provide a dynamic environment for in vitro vascularization control have been also explored. The present review summarizes the main molecules and TE strategies used to promote and inhibit vascularization in TE, as well as the techniques used to deliver them. Additionally, it also discusses the current challenges in 3D bioprinting and in tissue maturation to control in vitro/in vivo vascularization. Currently, this field of investigation is of utmost importance and may open doors for the design and development of more precise and controlled vascularization strategies in TE.

Study on radiation characteristics of multi-phase plumes containing ice crystals in orbit-control engines

In order to obtain the radiation characteristics of the multiphase plume containing ice crystals in the high-altitude orbit control engine and analyze its influence on the telemetry effect, this paper deduces the radiation characteristics parameters of gases based on Einstein radiation theory and radiation transfer equation. Based on the latest HITRAN2020 spectral line library solving gas radiation and the Mie theory of particle scattering solving particle radiation, the radiation characteristic parameters of the multi-phase plume containing ice crystals in the high-altitude orbital control engine and the radiation intensity distribution in the near-infrared and mid-long wave infrared bands are simulated, and the main influencing factors of the radiation are analyzed. The results show that, in general, the main radiation of the engine plume includes the scattered light in the near infrared band and the thermal radiation in the middle long wave infrared band. In the near-infrared band, considering solar background radiation, the total radiation amount in the calculation domain is about 10 −6 W/sr, and the thermal radiation is dominant within the axial distance of 0.5 m, while the ice crystal scattering is dominant beyond the axial distance of 0.5 m . In the mid-long wave infrared band, the total radiation amount in the calculation domain is about 10 W/sr, and the thermal radiation of gas dominates within 1 m axial distance, while the thermal radiation of ice crystal dominates beyond 1 m axial distance.

Occupational safety and hidden risks in a furniture factory: A comprehensive assessment of hazards related to noise, lighting, thermal comfort, and dust exposure

This study assessed the occupational health and safety conditions in a furniture manufacturing facility, focusing on key environmental factors such as noise, lighting, thermal comfort, and dust exposure. Noise measurements recorded levels as high as 95.3 dB(A) during CNC machine operations, exceeding legal exposure limits of 87 dB(A), posing significant risks to workers’ hearing health. Lighting assessments showed levels ranging from 134 to 247 lux in production lines, which falls below the recommended threshold of 300 lux for adequate visibility. Thermal comfort was evaluated with temperature readings at 14.2 °C and relative humidity at 43%, revealing marginal comfort conditions that could reduce worker efficiency and satisfaction. Dust exposure measurements indicated respirable dust concentrations reaching 3.69 mg/m³ in the cutting department, which is close to the permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m³, raising concerns about long-term respiratory health. These findings suggest several measures to improve workplace safety, including enhanced engineering controls, mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE), improved lighting systems, optimised thermal conditions, and advanced ventilation to reduce dust exposure. This comprehensive evaluation provides critical insights for improving furniture factories’ occupational health and safety practices.