Main Structure Research Articles

Study on generating rolling method for manufacturing cylindrical parts with external cross ribs

As the main structure of launch vehicle, cylindrical parts with reinforced ribs are mainly manufactured by milling, rolling and welding methods, which have a long manufacturing cycle and low material utilization. This paper proposes a new generating rolling method for manufacturing cylindrical parts with external cross ribs integrally. The generating rolling device is developed, the flow mechanism of cylindrical parts with external cross ribs is revealed and methods to minimize the underfill defects of ribs are proposed. Simulation and experiment results show that longitudinal rib is mainly formed by gradual material accumulation in the groove under circumferential compressive strain, and transverse rib is mainly formed by gradual material accumulation in the groove under axial compressive strain. Compared with longitudinal or transverse rib, the material flow of cross rib is more difficult due to small circumferential and axial compressive strain, resulting in the underfill phenomenon. Rib structure also affects the flow of material. When the rib sparsity is large or the height-width ratio is small, the rib is subjected to small radial tensile strain and circumferential compressive strain, resulting in low rib height and uneven rib filling. The proposed forward and reverse rolling method and billet preforming method can reduce the defects of uneven filling of longitudinal rib and underfill of cross rib.

Medial positioning of the hippocampus and hippocampal fissure volume in developmental topographical disorientation.

Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) refers to the lifelong inability to orient by means of cognitive maps in familiar surroundings despite otherwise well-preserved general cognitive functions, and the absence of any acquired brain injury or neurological condition. While reduced functional connectivity between the hippocampus and other brain regions has been reported in DTD individuals, no structural differences in gray matter tissue for the whole brain neither for the hippocampus were detected. Considering that the human hippocampus is the main structure associated with cognitive map-based navigation, here, we investigated differences in morphological and morphometric hippocampal features between individuals affected by DTD (N = 20) and healthy controls (N = 238). Specifically, we focused on a developmental anomaly of the hippocampus that is characterized by the incomplete infolding of hippocampal subfields during fetal development, giving the hippocampus a more round or pyramidal shape, called incomplete hippocampal inversion (IHI). We rated IHI according to standard criteria and extracted hippocampal subfield volumes after FreeSurfer's automatic segmentation. We observed similar IHI prevalence in the group of individuals with DTD with respect to the control population. Neither differences in whole hippocampal nor major hippocampal subfield volumes have been observed between groups. However, when assessing the IHI independent criteria, we observed that the hippocampus in the DTD group is more medially positioned comparing to the control group. In addition, we observed bigger hippocampal fissure volume for the DTD comparing to the control group. Both of these findings were stronger for the right hippocampus comparing to the left. Our results provide new insights regarding the hippocampal morphology of individuals affected by DTD, highlighting the role of structural anomalies during early prenatal development in line with the developmental nature of the spatial disorientation deficit.

Cu/ZrO2 Catalyst Modified with Y2O3 for Effective and Stable Dehydration of Glycerol to Acetol.

Glycerol is a main by-product of biodiesel production, and its further processing is essential for the biorefinery. In this paper, a highly active and stable catalyst for the catalytic dehydration of glycerol to acetol is obtained by modifying a Cu-Zr (ZrO2 supported Cu) catalyst with Y2O3 using a co-precipitation method. It is found that the addition of Y2O3 effectively enhances the catalytic performance of Cu-Zr. Cu-Zr reaches the highest selectivity (82.4%) to acetol at 24 h. However, the selectivity decreases to 70.1% at 36 h. The conversion also decreases from 99.2 to 91.1%. Cu-Zr-Y exhibits very high activity and very good stability. During a 250 h reaction, no deactivation is observed, and the conversion and selectivity remains ~100% and ~85%, respectively. The catalysts are characterized by XRD, TEM, H2-TPR, and NH3-TPD. The results reveal that Y2O3 not only improves the dispersion of Cu and the acidity of the catalyst but also restrains the agglomeration of Cu particles and assists retaining the main structure of support under reaction conditions. The high dispersion, high acidity content, and stable structure contributes to the excellent catalytic performance of Cu-Zr-Y.

Seismic performance analysis of steel frame installed with prefabricated external walls and new connection type

In order to solve the problems existing in prefabricated structure installed with non-structural elements, this paper proposes a new structure type, which is the steel frame installed with prefabricated external wall. Besides, a new connection method is also proposed and designed for this innovative structure type. Based on a specific engineering project, the full-scale pseudo-static cyclic loading test of the steel frame installed with prefabricated external wall (reinforced concrete) is conducted for analyzing the seismic performance of this structural system, which examines the ability of prefabricated external wall to adapt to the deformation of the main structure, the working performance of connection, the damage pattern of the whole structure and the influence of prefabricated wall on the load bearing capacity and stiffness of the main structure. The corresponding numerical simulation by ABAQUS is employed for further investigating the performance of prefabricated external wall and newly proposed connection methods. On the basis of verification about the accuracy of numerical model, the FEA (finite element analysis) models of the detail connection joints with different parameters are established, and the damage distribution, hysteresis curve, skeleton curve and stress distribution are analyzed and compared to explore the influence of the pre-tension force of bolts and thickness of steel plates on the seismic performance of the connections.

Rescue subthalamic stimulation after unsatisfactory outcome of pallidal stimulation in Parkinson's disease: a case series and review.

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus interna (GPi) are two main structures primarily targeted by deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). A subset of cases with unsatisfactory outcomes may benefit from rescue DBS surgery targeting another structure, while these patients' characteristics have not been well described and this phenomenon has not been well reviewed. This monocentric retrospective study included patients with PD, who underwent rescue STN DBS following an unsatisfactory outcome of the initial bilateral GPi DBS in a retrospective manner. A short review of the current literature was conducted to report the clinical outcome of rescue DBS surgeries. Eight patients were identified, and six of them were included in this study. The rescue STN DBS was performed 19.8 months after the initial GPi DBS. After 8.8 months from the rescue STN DBS, patients showed a significant off-medication improvement by 29.2% in motor symptoms compared to initial GPi DBS. Non-motor symptoms and the health-related quality of life were also significantly improved. Our findings suggest that the rescue STN DBS may improve off-medication motor and non-motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with failure of initial GPi DBS. The short review of the current literature showed that the target switching from GPi to STN was mainly due to poor initial outcomes and was performed by target substitution, whereas the switching from STN to GPi was mainly due to a gradual waning of benefits, long-term axial symptoms, dyskinesia, and dystonia and was performed by target addition.

Bidirectional seismic performance and design approach of RC infill wall with PVC tubes

In some regions, masonry infill walls are replaced by cast-in-situ reinforced concrete (RC) infill walls to effectively solve problems such as leakage, long construction periods, and high out-of-plane vulnerabilities. However, these high-stiffness RC infills impose excessively high constraints on the adjacent structural components, leading to disadvantageous seismic responses. Therefore, a flexible connection is required to isolate the infill walls and main structures. However, flexibly connected RC infill walls are not widely used in practical engineering because they are weakly supported by relevant standards and codes and have an insufficient calculation basis, especially for evaluating out-of-plane seismic properties. This study considers a type of RC infill wall with a common layout of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes for coupled shear wall systems. The in-plane and out-of-plane seismic performances of the system are studied using quasi-static loading tests and finite element analysis, respectively. The system exhibits satisfactory seismic properties during the test because the PVC tubes provide effective flexible isolation. Out-of-plane pushover analysis and bidirectional loading are successively simulated with different parameters to study the out-of-plane reliability of the infill walls with and without openings. Finally, a seismic design approach for such infill walls, considering both in-plane and out-of-plane resistances, is proposed and validated using novel and concise design formulas. The accuracy of the design approach is verified using finite element calculations.

A Narrative Review on Neuroendocrine Abnormalities in Traumatic Brain Injury: The Dread of Hyponatremia

Traumatic Brain Injury holds the potential to cause several Neuroendocrine abnormalities due to the peculiar location of two main endocrine structures i.e., the Hypothalamus and the Pituitary gland [1,2].

Under the Background of Economic Structure Optimization, Environmental Governance Promotes Macroeconomic Structural Adjustment Measures

Along with the implementation of reform and opening up in the 1970s, China’s economy entered a period of rapid development. During this period, the economic structure of our country has gradually changed from the primary industry to the secondary industry. Even today, the industrial industry still plays a very important role in the economic structure of our country. The industrial chain such as the real estate industry, chemical industry, and manufacturing industry is still the main industrial structure that promotes our economic growth for a long time. However, as the energy of industrial development is obtained by massive consumption of fossil fuels, the economic development brought by industrial development is behind the serious environmental pollution problem. We gradually realize that economic development cannot be based on environmental damage, but although our country has been committed to reversing the situation of environmental sacrifice for economic development at the beginning of the discovery of problems, the effect is very little. Therefore, how to maximize environmental protection under the current economic structure is the issue to be discussed in this paper. This paper mainly summarizes relevant experience through domestic and foreign literature, and clarifies the macro relationship between environmental governance and economic structure, and then discusses it from three dimensions: technological innovation, consumer demand, and international trade. The final results show that different types of environmental regulations have different effects on industrial structure, and the effectiveness of policy incentive regulation is about 23% higher than that of command control regulation. At the same time, according to the analysis results of economic structure upgrading in the Pearl River Delta region, the effect of environmental regulation on the regional industrial structure is also different, and the average effect can improve the overall industrial structure optimization rate by about 36%.

Campesterol and dithymoquinone as a potent inhibitors of SARS cov-2 main proteases—promising drug candidates for targeting its novel variants

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has currently taken approximately 2.4 million lives, with no specific medication and fast-tracked tested vaccines for prevention. These vaccines have their own adverse effects, which have severely affected the global healthcare system. The discovery of the main protease structure of coronavirus (Mpro/Clpro) has resulted in the identification of compounds having antiviral potential, especially from the herbal system. In this study, the computer-associated drug design tools were utilised to analyze the reported phytoconstituents of Nigella sativa for their antiviral activity against the main protease. Fifty-eight compounds were subjected to pharmacological parameter analysis to determine their lead likeness in comparison to the standard drugs (chloroquine and nirmatrelvir) used in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Nearly 31 compounds were docked against five different SARS-CoV-2 main proteases, and all compounds showed better binding affinity and inhibition constant against the proteases. However, dithymoquinone and campesterol displayed the best binding scores and hence were further subjected to dynamics and MMPBSA study for 100 ns. The stability analysis shows that dithymoquinone and campesterol show less variation in fluctuation in residues compared to standard complexes. Moreover, dithymoquinone exhibited higher binding affinity and favorable interaction followed by campesterol as compared to the standard drug. The in silico computational analysis provides a promising hit for regulating the main proteases activity. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Study of resistive switching behavior in HfO2 nanocrystals synthesized via a low temperature hydrothermal method

The resistive switching property in HfO2 have attracted increasing interest in recent years. In this work, amorphous HfO2 nanocrystals are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Then, the as-synthesized nanocrystals are rapid thermal annealed in different atmospheres for improving the crystal quality, and monoclinic phase is determined as the main crystal structure of the annealed HfO2. Subsequently, metal–insulator–metal structure devices based on HfO2 samples are fabricated. Electrical measurement indicates that 700 °C annealing processes in Air and Ar environments can slightly improve the bipolar resistive switching and retention behaviors. Higher annealed temperature (900 °C) will further improve the crystal quality of HfO2, while the resistive switching and retention behaviors of the devices continuously attenuate, which can be ascribed to the reduction of the conductive filaments induced by defects.

Biochar derived from traditional Chinese medicine residues: An efficient adsorbent for heavy metal Pb(II)

Biochar (BC) is widely used in the remediation of soil and wastewater polluted by heavy metals, but there are few reports on the characteristics of biochar derived via pyrolysis from different traditional Chinese medicine residues (TCMRs). In this study, biochars were prepared by slow pyrolysis of five common Chinese medicine residues, namely, Salvia miltiorrhiza (DNS), Ligusticum striatum (CX), Angelica sinensis (DG), Codonopsis pilosula (DGS), and Astragalus membranaceus (HQ). The biochars were systematically investigated by determining their physicochemical properties and using common characterization techniques. The Spearman correlation matrix between factors was used to examine relationships between properties of different biochars. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption characteristics of biochar on Pb(II) and the mechanisms involved. The results showed that the physicochemical properties and adsorption performance of biochar were related to the type of its pharmaceutical residue. Biochar produced from materials with higher lignin content showed a better adsorption of the heavy metal Pb(II). All biochars were alkaline, with yields ranging from 29.30 to 38.65 %, and the main structure comprised of mesopores and macropores. The FT-IR and Boehm experiments revealed that the various TCMR biochars contained comparable functional groups, but their content varied. XRD and TEM results show that all biochar is amorphous with a crystalline structure, with the surface dominated by cellulose crystals and graphitic carbon. The O/C ratio (<0.2) and H/C ratio (<0.6) of biochars suggested that it had a desirable half-life. The TGA results confirmed its stability in the environment. The results of mineral experiments confirm the enrichment of the mineral content of biochar during biomass pyrolysis.The biochars' adsorption kinetics followed pseudo-second-order models (R2 > 0.99), and their isotherms were consistent with the Langmuir model (R2 > 0.99), indicating a monolayer chemisorption process. The biochar samples exhibited varying adsorption capacities for Pb(II), with the highest capacity observed for BDNS (36.42 mg/g). The adsorption mechanism mainly involved precipitation, complexation with oxygen-containing functional groups, and ion exchange. This study indicates that biochars from herbal residues exhibit promising potential for adsorbing heavy metal Pb(II), suggesting biochar production as a viable method for recycling herbal residues.

Perfect Excitation of Topological States by Supersymmetric Waveguides.

Topological photonic states provide intriguing strategies for robust light manipulations, however, it remains challenging to perfectly excite these topological eigenstates due to their complicated mode profiles. In this work, we propose to realize the exact eigenmode of the topological edge states by supersymmetric (SUSY) structures. By adiabatically transforming the SUSY partner to its main topological structure, the edge modes can be perfectly excited with simple single-site input. We experimentally verify our strategy in integrated silicon waveguides in telecommunication wavelength, showing a broad working bandwidth. Moreover, a shortcut-to-adiabaticity strategy is further applied to speed up the adiabatic pump process by inverse-design approaches, thus enabling fast mode evolutions and leading to reduced device size. Our method is universal and beneficial to the topology-based or complex eigenmodes systems, ranging from photonics and microwaves to cold atoms and acoustics.

Depth and Spatial Variation of the Shear Wave Attenuation Parameters in the Shallow Crust and Lower Crust/Upper Mantle of Mt. Etna (Italy)

AbstractSeismic wave attenuation is a key feature of seismic wave propagation that provides constraints on the composition and physical state of the medium within the Earth. We separated intrinsic and scattering attenuation coefficients for the shallow crust and lower crust/upper mantle in the Mt. Etna area. For this purpose, the Multiple Lapse Time Window Analysis (MLTWA) was applied to two groups of earthquakes, well separated in depth. We also studied the spatial variation of the attenuation parameters by dividing the study area into four sectors around Etna. The results show an effective homogeneity of the propagation characteristics inside Etna and, in particular, some lateral variations and minor variations with depth. We observe that structural discontinuities and lithology control scattering losses at all frequencies, with higher scattering in the shallow crust. The intrinsic absorption shows no sensitivity to the presence of these main geological structures and is quite uniform for different depths. Furthermore, compared to the northern sector of the volcano, the southern one shows stronger scattering attenuation at low frequencies. This pattern correlates well with the high seismic activity along most of Etna’s active tectonic structures and ascending magmatic fluids that characterize this sector of the volcano. Although we only discuss the differences in the "average" scattering and inelastic properties of the investigated volumes, the results of this study are very informative about the characteristics of each region. Moreover, they suggest that a future study is necessary, providing a more detailed picture of the spatial distribution of seismic attenuation in the study area, through a 3D inversion of the attenuation parameters estimated along the single source-receiver paths.

Wave propagation and vibration attenuation in spiral ABH metamaterial beams

Metamaterials with low-frequency and broadband bandgaps have great potential for manipulating elastic/acoustic waves. Inspired by the frame structures that are widely used in engineering and the acoustic black hole (ABH) structure with extraordinary properties of wave manipulation and energy focalization, a novel metamaterial beam with spiral ABH resonators is proposed, which can cover nearly 63 % of the frequency range of 0–1100 Hz based on local resonance mechanism without degrading the strength and stiffness of the main structure. The dispersion relation and eigenmodes of low-frequency bandgap boundary are analytically derived, which provides explicit guidance for the adjustment of the bandgap characteristics. Compared with the metamaterial beam with rod mass resonators, the spiral ABH resonators have a larger energy proportion and better capacity for energy concentration. Furthermore, the results show that decreasing the base thickness of spiral ABHs can form the bandgap in the low-frequency range of 39–53 Hz. Increasing the tip thickness or base thickness of the spiral ABHs allows the tuning of the bandgaps to enlarge the bandgaps, which can exceed 50 % of the frequency range of 0–400 Hz. Due to the strong designability of the distribution and the number of spiral ABH resonators, the structure with ABH in the corners of the frame can cover 71.3 % of the 0–1100 Hz. Experimental results show that with only three cells, the proposed metamaterial beam allows considerable vibration attenuation within a broad frequency range, especially in the low-frequency range (167–235 Hz), and it can transfer and dissipate the vibration energy from the main beam to avoid large deformations in the frame, which conventional frame beam can hardly reach. This study provides new guidance for structural design and engineering applications of metamaterial beams.

Optimization and characterization of pectin extracted from hawthorn by deep eutectic solvent

In this study, hawthorn pectin was extracted from dried hawthorn with deep eutectic solvent(DES) and compared with the traditional extraction methods such as acid extraction (AE) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE). Under optimal conditions, with a molar ratio of choline chloride to urea at 1:3, a water content of 30 %, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 30:1 (mL/g), an extraction temperature of 80 °C, an extraction time of 60 min, and a pH of 1, the yield of hawthorn pectin was 4.33 % ± 0.02 %. The measured results were consistent with the prediction. In addition, compared with AE and UAE, the experimental results showed that DES had a higher yield, a lower degree of esterification, and a slightly different monosaccharide composition from other extraction methods. The results of infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that DES had a fine microstructure and coarser surface, and the main chemical structure of DES didn't change. The rheological analysis showed that DES had lower apparent viscosity than AE and UAE. These results represent a green source for pectin extraction with high pectin yield and good performance. In conclusion, the deep eutectic solvent has good application prospects in extracting hawthorn pectin.

Refining protein amide I spectrum simulations with simple yet effective electrostatic models for local wavenumbers and dipole derivative magnitudes.

Analysis of the amide I band of proteins is probably the most wide-spread application of bioanalytical infrared spectroscopy. Although highly desirable for a more detailed structural interpretation, a quantitative description of this absorption band is still difficult. This work optimized several electrostatic models with the aim to reproduce the effect of the protein environment on the intrinsic wavenumber of a local amide I oscillator. We considered the main secondary structures - α-helices, parallel and antiparallel β-sheets - with a maximum of 21 amide groups. The models were based on the electric potential and/or the electric field component along the CO bond at up to four atoms in an amide group. They were bench-marked by comparison to Hessian matrices reconstructed from density functional theory calculations at the BPW91, 6-31G** level. The performance of the electrostatic models depended on the charge set used to calculate the electric field and potential. Gromos and DSSP charge sets, used in common force fields, were not optimal for the better performing models. A good compromise between performance and the stability of model parameters was achieved by a model that considered the electric field at the positions of the oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen atoms of the considered amide group. The model describes also some aspects of the local conformation effect and performs similar on its own as in combination with an explicit implementation of the local conformation effect. It is better than a combination of a local hydrogen bonding model with the local conformation effect. Even though the short-range hydrogen bonding model performs worse, it captures important aspects of the local wavenumber sensitivity to the molecular surroundings. We improved also the description of the coupling between local amide I oscillators by developing an electrostatic model for the dependency of the dipole derivative magnitude on the protein environment.

Guest size effects on a robust structure of semiclathrate hydrates and their thermophysical properties.

The ability to tune the pore size, shape, and functionality of semiclathrate hydrates, host-guest materials formed from aqueous solutions of ionic guest materials and water, makes them attractive materials for thermal storage and gas storage applications. The flexibility of semi-clathrate hydrates and their guest-molecule-dependent reactions produce these unexpected and desirable properties. As an ionic guest, tetra-n-butylammonium cation is known for best-fit in hydrogen-bonded water structures. Few investigations have been conducted for other cations, while there are numerous candidates. Relationships between the molecular structures of ionic guest substances and their hydrate structure and relevant thermodynamic properties are yet to be understood. In this study, the semiclathrate hydrates formed with two variations of tetra-n-butylammonium chloride (N4444Cl) that are n-propyl, tri-n-butylammonium chloride (N3444Cl) and tri-n-butyl, n-pentylammonium chloride (N4445Cl) were investigated. Structure analyses found that both salts formed Jeffrey's type III tetragonal hydrate structure which is the same as that of tetra-n-butylammonium chloride hydrate, although their lattice parameters are significantly different. The present data found that this hydrate structure can cover a wide range of melting temperature compared to the other two main semiclathrate structures. The present N4445Cl hydrate is an example in which its melting temperature was adjusted to be suitable for air conditioning, i.e., ∼282 K, compared to that of the N4444Cl hydrate, the melting temperature of which is slightly too high for this purpose. The results provide insight that the thermal properties of the tetragonal P42/m hydrate structure can be widely tuned by ionic guests for various practical requirements.

Screen printed carbon electrode from coconut shell char for lead ions detection

This research aimed to produce a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) from an activated coconut shell carbon. As a raw material, coconut shell char provides renewability and is abundantly available in the market. Meanwhile, SPCE offers a simple electroanalytical electrode because the working, counter, and reference electrodes are in one piece. The coconut shell carbon was activated by steam at 700 oC for 1h, producing AC700 that was then characterized to ensure the result by following per under carbon as the main component, the phases, crystal structure, surface area, morphology, and elemental content. The result showed that the surface area of AC700 is 816 m2/g, and the surface structure is porous, as identified by SEM images. Impedance analysis followed by data fitting and conductivity calculation found a high conductivity of 8.68 x 10-2 Scm‑1. The produced-SPCE or SPAC700 was modified by ferrocene at various compositions of 10%; 20%; and 30% of mass. The SPAC700-Fc30 provided the best performance for lead analysis with a detection limit of 0.35 mM, a quantitation limit of 1.17 mM, and good reproducibility with a Repeatability Coefficient (RC) of 0.022. SPAC700-Fc30 showed good lead ions detection despite under 10% Cu2+ and 10% Co2+ interferences. The result confirmed the potential use of coconut shell char as the raw material for SPCE production.

Design and innovation of a utility model patent for tracheal cannula fixation belt

Tracheostomy is a very common airway procedure in the treatment of critically ill neurological patients. At present, the traditional tracheal cannula fixation belt is easy to be contaminated, difficult to disinfect, and needs to be replaced regularly. It is prone to infection, skin injury, unplanned extubation and other adverse events, which cannot meet the clinical treatment effect and patient safety management. In order to overcome the above problems, the medical staff of the neurology intensive care unit of Henan Provincial People's Hospital designed a new type of tracheal cannula fixation belt to increase patient comfort and reduce complications, and obtained a National Utility Model Patent of China (ZL 2022 2 0855188.8). The main structure of the device includes a following shaped bending plate, a fastening belt, a locking pin, and a distance adjustment hole. The left and right sides of the shaped bending plate are equipped with fastening belts with breathable and anti-wear pads. The inner side of the left fastening belt is equipped with two sets of locking pins, and the outer surface of the right fastening belt and breathable and anti-wear pad is equipped with multiple sets of distance adjustment holes. Additionally, the back of the shaped bending plate is equipped with breathable buffer pads. The fastening belt can drive the following bending plate to stick tightly to the patient's neck. The operator installs the locking pin card into the distance adjustment hole according to the "one back" principle, and the fastening belts on both sides fix the device with the cooperation of the locking pin, greatly reducing the probability of excessive displacement of the tracheal tube during use, effectively improving the fixation effect of the device, strengthening the adaptability of the device to different personnel, and thus enhancing the practicality of the device. The new type of tracheal cannula fixation band is convenient, safe and efficient, which can increase patient comfort, reduce complications. It has certain clinical value and is suitable for clinical promotion.

Numerical simulation of a novel small water turbine generator for installation in a deep-flow hydroponics system

Hydroponics systems are crucial for providing sustainable and cost-effective choices when soils are unavailable for conventional farming. The application of water flow rates within hydroponics systems to generate electricity is another idea that can be used in the field of power generation. This paper presents the determination of the mechanical power efficiency of a novel small water turbine generator for use in a deep-flow hydroponics system (DFT). The system was designed, analysed, and calculated for the most suitable geometries of the water pipeline inlet, DFT system, main structure of the PVC Tee Pipe Fitting, and a water turbine wheel using computational fluid dynamics software. The diameter of the water turbine wheel in this research was 48 mm. A DFT hydroponic system was modelled for the purposes of this research. We conducted a numerical simulation with water flow rates of 6, 8, and 10 l/min to evaluate the turbulent kinetic energy distribution in the DFT hydroponic system. The numerical simulation employed the control volume methodology, and the k-epsilon turbulence model was applied to obtain the computational conclusions. The highest torque and power that a novel small water turbine for installation in a DFT system could generate at a maximum flow rate of 0.000167 m3/s were 0.082 N.m. and 1.9568 watts, respectively. The forces generated by the fluid's speed and pressure can then be transferred to the building process of a novel small water turbine wheel. The FEA numerical result shows that the maximum value of the total deformation at a wheel speed of 228 rpm is 7.0 x 10-5 mm. The numerical simulations used in this study could potentially be used to further develop prototypes for innovative miniature water turbines that generate commercial electricity.