Line Design Research Articles

Design of Production Line of 2000 Tons of Fermented Milk Beverage with Annual Output of Whole Bean

The whole soybean fermented milk beverage designed by this production line is a beverage made of soybean as raw material and fermented under the fermentation action of compound probiotics. The design optimizes the production line of whole soybean fermented milk beverage with an annual output of 2000t and strictly refers to the relevant national regulations to determine the process design, material balance, equipment selection, water and electricity estimation, and workshop design of the whole soybean fermented milk beverage production line. Finally, the technical and economic analysis of the scheme shows that the fixed investment of the project is 7.95 million yuan, the annual production cost is 15193.72 million yuan, the total profit after tax reached 16.80628 million yuan, the construction period is 1 year, and the payback period is expected to be about 2 years.

Effect of Short-Fiber Orientation on the Tensile Strength of Epoxy Adhesives

Short-glass-fiber-reinforced adhesives are state-of-the-art materials used in the bond lines of wind turbine blades. Various alignments of the short fibers are emerging, which depend on the adhesive flow during the application and joining processes. This induces a spectrum of direction-dependent mechanical properties. The tensile strength, for instance, can vary by about 20% depending on the load direction. Therefore, the adhesive performance, which is normally determined under controlled laboratory conditions and implemented in bond line design routines, can deviate from the in situ application. This work investigates the effect of the short-fiber alignment on the tensile strength distribution of an industry-standard adhesive used in wind turbine rotor blades. The smeared short-fiber orientation of the tensile specimens tested is estimated locally near the damaged surface using a material model that is fed with thermomechanical measurements and calibrated via micro-computed-tomography analysis. A linear correlation between tensile strength and short-fiber alignment has been identified. This augments the identification of the material’s upper and lower strength limits for bond line design purposes.

Technical design of an axial injection low-energy carbon beam line

Technical design of an axial injection low-energy carbon beam line

Decency or devilment: the impact of blockchain technology on product line design

ABSTRACT Blockchain is a secure database shared across a network of all participants, characterised by immutability, openness, transparency, and traceability. Therefore, blockchain technology is widely used in supply chain management, which can increase consumers' understanding of product information when goods arrive at the consumer end and increase the risk of consumer privacy information leakage. Considering a supply chain system that consists of a manufacturer and a platform, this paper studies the strategic interactions between the platform's adoption of blockchain technology and the manufacturer's product line design based on blockchain's positive and negative impacts on consumers. We examine the driving factors of the platform's use of blockchain technology, which are related to the effect of information transparency and privacy concerns caused by blockchain and the marginal production cost coefficient. In particular, a higher marginal production cost coefficient could make the platform more likely to use blockchain technology. We also find that the practice of blockchain technology may incentivize a manufacturer to extend its product line.

An integrated Bi-objective green vehicle routing and partial disassembly line problem for electronic waste: an industrial case study

ABSTRACT Today, serious environmental problems arise with overconsumption. The most effective way of protecting the environment is recycling. To obtain maximum benefit from the recycling activities depends on the effective and robust design of the disassembly lines. In addition, the distribution plan of products to be recycled is as important as the disassembly process. Therefore, this study includes the integrated optimization of the partial disassembly line balancing problem and the multi-objective green vehicle routing problem for the first time. The integrated problem is formulated as a Multi-Objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming. The model’s objectives consist of minimization of total CO2 emission and cost. The Pareto optimal solution set is found by solving this problem with the Augmented ℇ-Constraint Method. The model respectively determines (i) the total number of opened workstations in the disassembly center, (ii) optimal task assignments to workstations in disassembly centers and non-disassembled tasks, (iii) total workstation times and idle times of each workstation, (iv) optimal distribution routes for all vehicles. This study examines a case study in Turkey. To determine the best Pareto optimal solution for homogeneous and heterogeneous fleets, the integrated multi-criteria decision-making method consisting of EWM (Entropy Weight Method) and COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment) is used.

Structural improvement of 3D woven honeycomb composite liner for enhanced energy absorption and impact performance in aircrew helmet

This study aims to enhance the performance of aircrew helmet liners made of 3D woven honeycomb composites through structural improvements. To achieve this, an optimization of the honeycomb design was carried out using a statistical tool by varying its geometrical parameters. A Box Behnken design was employed, using three independent factors: cell height, cell size, and cell wall thickness to assess its impact and their interactions on responses. The performance was evaluated using a multiobjective response to maximize impact energy absorption, achieve the target cushion factor, and balance relative density for lightweight design. Since the liner materials were subjected to flatwise compression and dynamic impact tests to assess the performance. Their behavior. The results revealed that the honeycomb core with a cell height of 15 mm, a cell size of 10 mm, and a cell wall thickness of 0.6 mm exhibited good behavior. The response surface analysis and contour plots were used to analyze the interactions and combined effects of variables on each response. It was observed that lesser cell size shows significant improvement in impact energy with higher wall thickness. However, the cushion factor implies inadequate energy mitigation. The analysis comparing desirability and confirmatory experiments highlighted the potential for the aircrew helmet liner to achieve its maximum performance. This study provides valuable insights into the structural design of 3D woven honeycomb composite liners for aircrew helmets and its findings signify the potential for applications in the aerospace and defense industries.

Progress and challenges of the ECH transmission line design for DTT

The design of the Transmission Line (TL) as a part of the Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) system for Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) is approaching the conceptual design maturity. With an ECH system of 16 MW installed for the first phase and with a total of 32 gyrotrons (170 GHz, ≥ 1 MW, 100 s) the TL design is undertaking the challenge of an evacuated Multi-Beam TL (MBTL) concept to deliver the large number of beam lines from the gyrotron hall to the torus hall buildings. The system is organized in 4 clusters, each of them including 8 beamlines. The routing consists of single-beam TL section used to connect the gyrotron output to a beam-combiner mirror unit for each cluster, a common MBTL running in a suspended corridor reaching the Tokamak building and a beam-splitter mirror unit to connect to the ex-vessel optics and launchers sections located in the equatorial and upper ports of one sector, for a total of 4 DTT sectors. The TL mirrors will be actively water cooled to cope with the heat load in long pulses due to the high power incident radiation, with the possibility to include advanced concepts for the cooling design compatible with additive manufacturing technology. The characteristics of the system and its components are presented, showing both the progress of the adopted solutions and the current design. Since the main challenge of this TL is to maintain the overall losses below 15%, in this paper we present the expected ohmic and spillover losses, including beam coupling simulations evaluating losses given by high order Transverse Electro-Magnetic modes (i.e. aberrations). We describe how the effects have been estimated with electromagnetic simulations and how losses could be mitigated, since TL efficiency could significantly drop due to the presence of non-idealities, like the deformations of mirrors surface ascribed to the microwaves heat loads and possible misalignments and aberrations effects occurring along the line.

Kinetic Inductance Traveling Wave Amplifier Designs for Practical Microwave Readout Applications

A Kinetic Inductance Traveling Wave Amplifier (KIT) utilizes the nonlinear kinetic inductance of superconducting films, particularly niobium titanium nitride (NbTiN), for parametric amplification. These amplifiers achieve remarkable performance in terms of gain, bandwidth, and compression power and frequently approach the quantum limit for noise. However, most KIT demonstrations have been isolated from practical device readout systems. Using a KIT as the first amplifier in the readout chain of an unoptimized microwave SQUID multiplexer coupled to a transition-edge sensor microcalorimeter, we see an initial improvement in the flux noise [1]. One challenge in KIT integration is the considerable microwave pump power required to drive the non-linearity. To address this, we have initiated efforts to reduce the pump power by using thinner NbTiN films and an inverted microstrip transmission line design. In this article, we present the new transmission line design, fabrication procedure, and initial device characterization—including gain and added noise. These devices exhibit over 10 dB of gain with a 3 dB bandwidth of approximately 5.5–7.25 GHz, a maximum practical gain of 12 dB, and typical gain ripple under 4 dB peak to peak. We observe an appreciable impedance mismatch in the NbTiN transmission line, which is likely the source of the majority of the gain ripple. Finally, we perform an initial noise characterization and demonstrate system-added noise of three quanta or less over nearly the entire 3 dB bandwidth.

Designing C-Shaped Microstrip Slot Antenna for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Application

A microstrip patch antenna is a popular and easy method used for analysis. The design places a C-shaped slot on a rectangular patch and differentiates the impedance, bandwidth, and gain. The available output size is 2.4 GHz, used for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth applications. The suitable band for S-band frequency. The feed line design and impedance matching network ensures efficient power transfer and good radiation characteristics. Simulation results demonstrate the antenna’s performance in terms of return loss, radiation pattern, and bandwidth, confirming its suitability for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication systems. Key Words: Patch antenna, S-band, Feed line.

Modeling the influence of lime on the unconfined compressive strength of reconstituted graded soil using advanced machine learning approaches for subgrade and liner applications.

In the field of soil mechanics, especially in transportation and environmental geotechnics, the use of machine learning (ML) techniques has emerged as a powerful tool for predicting and understanding the compressive strength behavior of soils especially graded ones. This is to overcome the sophisticated equipment, laboratory space and cost needs utilized in multiple experiments on the treatment of soils for environmental geotechnics systems. This present study explores the application of machine learning (ML) techniques, namely Genetic Programming (GP), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (EPR), and the Response Surface Methodology in predicting the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of soil-lime mixtures. This was for purposes of subgrade and landfill liner design and construction. By utilizing input variables such as Gravel, Sand, Silt, Clay, and Lime contents (G, S, M, C, L), the models forecasted the strength values after 7 and 28 days of curing. The accuracy of the developed models was compared, revealing that both ANN and EPR achieved a similar level of accuracy for UCS after 7 days, while the GP model performed slightly lower. The complexity of the formula required for predicting UCS after 28 days resulted in decreased accuracy. The ANN and EPR models achieved accuracies of 85% and 82%, with R2 of 0.947 and 0.923, and average error of 0.15 and 0.18, respectively, while the GP model exhibited a lower accuracy of 66.0%. Conversely, the RSM produced models for the UCS with predicted R2 of more than 98% and 99%, for the 7- and 28- day curing regimes, respectively. The RSM also produced adequate precision in modelling UCS of more than 14% against the standard 7%. All input factors were found to have almost equal importance, except for the lime content (L), which had an average influence. This shows the importance of soil gradation in the design and construction of subgrade and landfill liners. This research further demonstrates the potential of ML techniques for predicting the strength of lime reconstituted G-S-M-C graded soils and provides valuable insights for engineering applications in exact and sustainable subgrade and liner designs, construction and performance monitoring and rehabilitation of the constructed civil engineering infrastructure.

Calculation method and evaluation of surrounding rock pressure of vertical shaft

The surrounding rock pressure of vertical shafts is one of the basic parameters of shaft lining design. Investigating its calculation methods and applicable scopes has great engineering significance. The paper classifies and compares the calculation methods, discusses the application scopes of various calculation methods, and proposes that the axisymmetric layered method is highly consistent with the field monitoring data for the calculation of surrounding rock pressure of vertical shafts in bedrock sections on the basis of practical engineering examples. On the basis of Terzaghi theory, the calculation formula of surrounding rock pressure of vertical shaft in inclined rock strata with single group joints is derived. The formula can reflect the influence of rock strata dip angle and joints.

Fretting and Tribocorrosion of Modular Dual Mobility Liners: Role of Design, Microstructure, and Malseating

BackgroundModular dual mobility (DM) bearings have a junction between a cobalt chrome alloy (CoCrMo) liner and titanium shell, and the risk of tribocorrosion at this interface remains a concern. The purpose of this study was to determine whether liner malseating and liner designs are associated with taper tribocorrosion. MethodsWe evaluated 28 retrieved modular DM implants with a mean in situ duration of 14.6 months (range, 1 to 83). There were 2 manufacturers included (12 and 16 liners, respectively). Liners were considered malseated if a distinct divergence between the liner and shell was present on postoperative radiographs. Tribocorrosion was analyzed qualitatively with the modified Goldberg Score and quantitatively with an optical coordinate-measuring machine. An acetabular shell per manufacturer was sectioned for metallographic analysis. ResultsThere were 6 implants (22%) that had severe grade 4 corrosion, 6 (22%) had moderate grade 3, 11 (41%) had mild grade 2, and 5 (18.5%) had grade 1 or no visible corrosion. The average volumetric material loss at the taper was 0.086 ± 0.19 mm3. There were 7 liners (25%) that had radiographic evidence of malseating, and all were of a single design (P = .01). The 2 liner designs were fundamentally different from one another with respect to the cobalt chrome alloy type, taper surface finish, and shape deviations. Malseating was an independent risk factor for increased volumetric material loss (P = .017). ConclusionsDM tribocorrosion with quantifiable material loss occurred more commonly in malseated liners. Specific design characteristics may make liners more prone to malseating, and the interplay between seating mechanics, liner characteristics, and patient factors likely contributes to the shell/liner tribocorrosion environment. Level of EvidenceLevel III.

Nanosecond photography observation of the discharge process across the 220 kV/500 kV insulators in lightning impulse

Long air gap discharge is the basis for the study of lightning protection and external insulation design of high voltage lines. However, there is a lack of detailed and comprehensive observation of the long air gap discharge process at the ns-level, as well as higher voltage insulator discharge observations. In this paper, the lightning impulse discharge/flashover tests are conducted on 220 kV glass insulators and 500 kV glass/composite insulators. Firstly, the U50% test is performed to determine the U50% value of each insulator under standard lightning impulse, and 1.1U50%, slightly higher than U50%, is applied to ensure the breakdown of the insulator. Subsequently, emICCD is utilized with a very short exposure time (minimum 10 ns) to obtain repeated single shots of discharge images under different delays, exposure times and light intensity gain. These images were spliced together based on time sequence to create a continuous discharge process. The discharge processes of 220 kV glass insulator and 500 kV glass/composite insulator are compared and analyzed. The results show that in the early stage of discharge, the discharge processes at the low voltage end of both 220 kV and 500 kV glass insulators are more intense. Additionally, the downward leader is faster than the upward leader in the discharge process of 500 kV composite insulators.

A tool for beam optics design and its application on the VEGA transport line at ELI-NP

The Variable Energy Gamma (VEGA) System, currently under construction at Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), is a storage ring-based gamma beam source that aims to provide gamma-ray beams with a variable energy range from 1 MeV to 19.5 MeV to the users. The electron beam transport line has been designed to connect the linear accelerator and the storage ring in the VEGA electron beam system. Considering the geometrical constraints in the accelerator halls and the location of the injection point at the storage ring, the trajectory of the electron beam in the transport line has to first ascend by a 36-degree dog-leg elevation to align with a plane parallel to the storage ring, undergo a 180-degree horizontal turn, and then descend by 36 degrees vertically to reach the injection point at the storage ring. In this paper, we introduce a beam optics tool implemented for the beam optics design and fine-matching in the electron beam transport line. The design of the VEGA transport line including the layout and lattice design, is also described. The tool has been applied to the beam optics design and optimization, utilizing tracking simulations and beam matching for the VEGA transport line lattice. Furthermore, the tool's potential application to similar lattice designs is also discussed.

Balance of mixed flow assembly line based on industrial engineering mathematics and simulated annealing improved algorithm

The frequent changes in customer orders have led to the need for production line rebalancing and design. The increasing complexity of mixed assembly of multiple products makes it an urgent issue to perfect the balance of mixed flow assembly lines. This study proposes an improved simulated annealing algorithm by combining industrial engineering mathematical methods with intelligent optimization algorithms. The purpose is to achieve balanced optimization of mixed flow assembly lines by minimizing production rhythm, balancing load between workstations, and minimizing loss time within workstations. Firstly, industrial engineering methods are used to analyze the mixed flow assembly line, and then a mathematical optimization model is established by combining simulated annealing algorithm and genetic algorithm. Finally, through example simulation, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified, and the superiority of its performance is verified through algorithm comparison. The experiment shows that the balance rate of the optimized assembly line for a total of 60 processes in 12 workstations has increased by about 6%. The smoothness index decreases by about 4. The loss coefficient has decreased by approximately 0.06. The overall efficiency has increased by about 12%. The smoothness index decreases by 0.3 in comparison with the solution results of Jackson's law in a case of 11 processes in 5 workstations. This fully demonstrates that the hybrid model has higher optimization efficiency, achieves balanced optimization of the mixed flow assembly line, improves production efficiency, and reduces equipment idle rate.

MULTI-OBJECTIVE GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR THE ASSEMBLY LINE WORKER ASSIGNMENT AND BALANCING PROBLEM: A CASE STUDY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY INDUSTRY

The primary challenge in assembly line design is the need for more appropriately allocating tasks and workers to workstations. This study addresses the problem of line balancing and worker assignments, considering the performance disparities among workers during the line balancing process. In the relevant literature, this problem is known as the Assembly Line Worker Assignment and Balancing (ALWAB) problem. This research examines a multi-objective ALWAB Type-2 problem, simultaneously evaluating cycle time and squared load assignment objectives. The study is conducted based on a real-life scenario in a sub-industry automotive industry that manufactures cable equipment. To solve this problem, a multi-objective genetic algorithm approach is proposed. Recognising that the selection of parameter values will influence the algorithm’s performance, parameter calibration has been performed. A full factorial experimental design and the irace method have been utilised for this purpose. The results are compared with those using parameter values utilised for similar problems in the literature. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out to examine the impact of various relative weight values of the objectives on the result. The results indicate that the experimental design generally yields superior results compared to other methods.

Research on the Optimization of Multibeam Bathymetric Survey Line Arrangement Based on Multimodal and Clustering Techniques

Currently, there is limited research on the survey line arrangement for multibeam bathymetric technology in the marine surveying field. This study aims to propose a more cost-effective and efficient survey line arrangement for multibeam bathymetric technology, providing stronger theoretical and practical support for the relevant field. Assuming an ideal scenario where the seafloor is a flat slope, this study, based on computational geometry, establishes five survey line models. It plans the survey line arrangement reasonably, calculating the number of survey lines, their lengths, overlap rates, and omission rates, achieving multimodal universality of the model. In addition, hypothetical situations are constructed for computational comparisons. Subsequently, a set of real seafloor surface parameters were selected for discussion. The seafloor slope was first clustered and the slope was calculated using the central difference method. The sea area was then gridded, and using clustering techniques and sensitivity tests on the slope, effective clustering of the seafloor was achieved. Finally, comprehensive solutions were sought for each partitioned area, combined with the multimodal survey line model. Therefore, based on multimodal and clustering techniques, this study provides an effective survey line design method for multibeam transducer technology in marine surveying. The proposed line arrangement model and computational scheme provide strong theoretical and practical guidance for further applications of marine depth measurement technology.

Analysis of Bridge Dynamics and Response Characteristics Under The Influence of Axle Coupling Vibration

To ensure the safety and stability of high-speed rail lines and reduce external interference, it is essential to build a large number of elevated bridges. These elevated bridges account for a considerable proportion of the total length of high-speed rail lines. However, when high-speed rail lines pass through earthquake prone areas, the likelihood of earthquakes occurring when trains pass through bridges increases significantly. Therefore, it is necessary to study the dynamic response of bridge structures under earthquake action to ensure the safety of bridges during train operation and operation. The optimization scheme proposed in this article has undergone moderate impact tests, and the results show that the maximum lateral displacement of the bridge can reach 124 mm, while the maximum vertical acceleration is 5.16 m/s2, Exceeded the safety limit of 0.35 g. Through the analysis of train derailment coefficient, wheel load reduction rate, lateral sway force, lateral and vertical acceleration, and Spelling comfort index, we have come to the conclusion that bridges can ensure the safety of train operation in the absence of earthquakes and small earthquakes, and can also maintain certain stability under medium and large earthquakes. These research results have important guiding significance for the design and construction of high-speed rail lines. By optimizing the bridge structure and adopting relevant technical measures, the seismic disaster resistance of high-speed rail lines can be further improved, ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers during travel. At the same time, these research results also provide useful reference and inspiration for the construction and improvement of future high-speed rail lines.

Comparison of Response Surface Based Preliminary Design Methodologies for a Gas Turbine Combustor

Preliminary design of gas turbine combustor is a multi-objective optimization problem. The methodology to be used at the preliminary design stage depends on the freedom of design choices available. In this article, we explore three preliminary design methodologies for gas turbine combustor - M1: combustion liner design for a given casing; M2: combustion liner design without the casing and M3: coupled design of combustion liner and casing. A workflow for the automated design space exploration of gas turbine combustor using response surface methodology is presented. Computational fluid dynamics studies along with central composite design for design of experiments and genetic aggregation for response surface generation are used to quantify the combustor performance in design space. Comparison of three different design methodologies (M1, M2 and M3) is made to show how the choice of design methodology changes the available design space and limits/expands combustor performance. Candidate optimal designs and associated trade-offs from the optimization study are also presented. This study can aid combustor design engineers choose the most suitable preliminary design methodology for their specific use case.

On the relationship between free public transport, stop spacing, and optimal frequencies

Recent years have witnessed a reignition of the debate about free public transport, especially after a wider implementation due to the pandemic. However, most implementations have consisted of eliminating the fare without further structural adjustments, and one of the main reported concerns is that they seem to primarily attract commuters from active modes rather than car drivers. In this paper, we develop an analytical model to investigate how the design of a representative public transport line, situated in a corridor where it competes with both walking and cars, should be adjusted in response to fare reductions. We first conduct a detailed analysis of the effect of frequency and spacing on mode choice, showing that while increased frequencies attract both walkers and drivers, an increased spacing tends to attract long-distance commuters (often drivers) and discourage short-distance ones (which are more likely to walk). Hence, spacing can play a crucial role in inducing a desired mode choice.Afterwards, we study the optimal response of public transport design under two possible objectives. If the aim is to minimise users’ plus operator’s costs in public transport, a decrease in the fare should be joined by an increased frequency and, potentially, a reduced spacing. If the objective is to induce a more sustainable mode split, the measures are the opposite: increase spacing and reduce frequencies. These divergent findings show that it is crucial to have a clear goal when reducing the fare, as no singular policy can achieve all of the objectives. We remark that an increased spacing and reduced frequency reduce the financial burden of the system, although it is most likely not enough to compensate for the loss of revenue when fares go free.