Performance Of Operation Research Articles

An In-Memory-Computing Structure with Quantum-Dot Transistor Toward Neural Network Applications: From Analog Circuits to Memory Arrays

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated great success in various applications, such as cloud computing, deep learning, and neural networks, among others. However, the majority of these applications rely on fast computation and large storage, which poses significant challenges to the hardware platform. Thus, there is a growing interest in exploring new computation architectures to address these challenges. Compute-in-memory (CIM) has emerged as a promising solution to overcome the challenges posed by traditional computer architecture in terms of data transfer frequency and energy consumption. Non-volatile memory, such as Quantum-dot transistors, has been widely used in CIM to provide high-speed processing, low power consumption, and large storage capacity. Matrix-vector multiplication (MVM) or dot product operation is a primary computational kernel in neural networks. CIM offers an effective way to optimize the performance of the dot product operation by performing it through an intertwining of processing and memory elements. In this paper, we present a novel design and analysis of a Quantum-dot transistor (QDT) based CIM that offers efficient MVM or dot product operation by performing computations inside the memory array itself. Our proposed approach offers energy-efficient and high-speed data processing capabilities that are critical for implementing AI applications on resource-limited platforms such as portable devices.

Physico-mechanical properties of halite and gypsum–mudstone crushed rock backfills of the Mercia Mudstone Group

Permanent disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories (DGRs) relies on engineered barriers, such as crushed rock backfills, to ensure that wastes are isolated and contained. The performance of crushed rock backfill, during construction, operation and closure, relies on optimizing its mechanical properties. This paper explores how density and composition influence the strength of (i) crushed halite and (ii) crushed gypsum–mudstone mixtures of the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group, which is a potential DGR host rock in the UK. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing of compacted halite demonstrated that strength correlated with compaction density, with UCS increasing from 220 kPa at a density of 1.72 g cm −3 up to 6600 kPa at the maximum achieved density of 1.83 g cm −3 . Direct shear testing revealed an angle of internal friction for crushed halite samples of 39°–40° at a density of 1.5 g cm −3 . Direct shear testing of gypsum–mudstone composites from 100% gypsum to 100% mudstone revealed that higher gypsum percentages provide greater frictional shearing resistance, whilst higher mudstone percentages promote more cohesive strength. Data are also presented on bulk materials characterization by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and optical microscopy. This research provides insights into how the strength properties of compacted crushed halite and gypsiferous mudstone backfills can be engineered through control of density and composition.

Intelligent analysis method of power grid monitoring signals based on affinity propagation clustering

Abstract As the scale of the power grid continues to expand, power supply companies centralize the management of grid monitoring signals at substations to adapt to the actual development of the power grid and improve the performance of grid operation. However, this leads to problems such as too many invalid signals, unidentified signal classification, excessive signal volume, and too many interfering signals at the monitoring site on a daily basis, which leads to difficulties in monitoring and certain security risks. Addressing this problem, this paper introduces a method of spatialization of text data using unique thermal coding and intelligent analysis of monitoring signals using AP clustering. The affinity propagation clustering algorithm can classify the monitoring signals faster and more accurately, count the number of signals, and deeply excavate the intelligent information implied therein. This greatly enhances the stability and safety of power grid operation. The proposed method is validated by the actual monitoring signal data.

Performance-Aware Trust Modeling within a Human–Multi-Robot Collaboration Setting

In this study, a novel time-driven mathematical model for trust is developed considering human–multi-robot performance for a Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) framework. For this purpose, a model is developed to quantify human performance considering the effects of physical and cognitive constraints and factors such as muscle fatigue and recovery, muscle isometric force, human (cognitive and physical) workload, workloads due to the robots’ mistakes, and task complexity. The performance of multi-robot in the HRC setting is modeled based upon the rate of task assignment and completion as well as the mistake probabilities of the individual robots. The human trust in HRC setting with single and multiple robots is modeled over different operation regions, namely unpredictable region, predictable region, dependable region, and faithful region. The relative performance difference between the human operator and the robot is used to analyze the effect on the human operator’s trust in robots’ operation. The developed model is simulated for a manufacturing workspace scenario considering different task complexities and involving multiple robots to complete shared tasks. The simulation results indicate that for a constant multi-robot performance in operation, the human operator’s trust in robots’ operation improves whenever the comparative performance of the robots improves with respect to the human operator performance. The impact of robot hypothetical learning capabilities on human trust in the same HRC setting is also analyzed. The results confirm that a hypothetical learning capability allows robots to reduce human workloads, which improves human performance. The simulation result analysis confirms that the human operator’s trust in the multi-robot operation increases faster with the improvement of the multi-robot performance when the robots have a hypothetical learning capability. An empirical study was conducted involving a human operator and two collaborator robots with two different performance levels in a software-based HRC setting. The experimental results closely followed the pattern of the developed mathematical models when capturing human trust and performance in terms of human–multi-robot collaboration.

P-N Heterojunction formation: Metal Sulfide@Metal Oxide Chemiresistor for ppb H2S Detection from Exhaled Breath and Food Spoilage at Flexible Room Temperature.

The development of a portable, low-cost sensor capable of accurately detecting H2S gas in exhaled human breath at room temperature is highly anticipated in the fields of human health assessment and food spoilage evaluation. However, achieving outstanding gas sensing performance and applicability for flexible room-temperature operation with parts per billion H2S gas sensors still poses technical challenges. To address this issue, this study involves the in situ growth of MoS2 nanosheets on the surface of In2O3 fibers to construct a p-n heterojunction. The In2O3@MoS2-2 sensor exhibits a high response of 460.61 to 50 ppm of H2S gas at room temperature, which is 19.5 times higher than that of the pure In2O3 sensor and 322.1 times higher than that of pure MoS2. The In2O3@MoS2-2 also demonstrates a minimum detection limit of 3 ppb and maintains a stable response to H2S gas even after being bent 50 times at a 60° angle. These exceptional gas sensing properties are attributed to the increase in oxygen vacancies and chemisorbed oxygen on In2O3@MoS2-2 nanofibers as well as the formation of the p-n heterojunction, which modulates the heterojunction barrier. Furthermore, in this study, we successfully applied the In2O3@MoS2-2 sensor for oral disease and detection of food spoilage conditions, thereby providing new design insights for the development of portable exhaled gas sensors and gas sensors for evaluating food spoilage conditions at room temperature.

Protection of entanglement in two independently decohering qubits via local prior and post parity-time symmetry operations

Protection of entanglement of two qubits undergoing two independent amplitude damping channels using a local parity-time ( PT ) symmetric operation is exactly studied. First, the explicit expressions of concurrence quantifying the entanglement of two qubits with both local PT symmetric operation and two amplitude damping channels are obtained. Then, we give two schemes, i.e. prior and post PT symmetric operations, to show the performance of PT symmetric operation on entanglement dynamics of two qubits. By investigation, we find that the effect of prior PT symmetric operation schemes on the protection of entanglement of two qubits in the double channel case is superior to that of the single channel case. Conversely, the effect of post PT symmetric operation scheme on the protection of entanglement of two qubits in the single channel case is better than that in the double channel case. In other words, the local PT symmetric operation approach may have potential applications in combating amplitude damping decoherence.

Assessment of operational performance and service quality in inland waterway transport: A case study of Warri Southwest, Nigeria

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the operational performance and service quality of inland waterway transport in Warri Southwest, Nigeria, by examining the factors that influence them. Methodology: The study employs a quantitative research approach, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 180 respondents. The data is analyzed using regression analysis and a structural equation model (SEM) with the help of PLS Software Version 13.0. Results: The findings indicate that cargo clearance, infrastructure quality, and storage facilities significantly influence the performance of agent operation in inland waterway transport (p=0.000). Staff performance also directly impacts the provision of logistical services, which affects customer service. However, jetty operations do not promote operational performance (p=0.075). Additionally, staff performance does not significantly influence the association between jetty operation and performance and the relationship between cargo clearance and infrastructure level (p=0.136, 0.388). Theoretical contribution: This study contributes to the literature on inland waterway transport by providing empirical evidence on the factors influencing operational performance and service quality. The findings can help inform the development of policies and strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of inland waterway transport in Nigeria and other similar contexts. Practical implications: The study's recommendations include improving the quality of infrastructure, cargo clearance processes, and storage facilities to enhance operational performance. Additionally, investing in staff training and development can improve the provision of logistical services and, in turn, customer service. The study also suggests that the government and relevant stakeholders should prioritize the development of inland waterway transport to unlock its potential for socio-economic development, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

Synchronization of the bovine estrous cycle: Current and emerging opportunities

Controlling the bovine estrous cycle is a necessity if performing fixed-time artificial insemination or embryo transfer. Addition­ally, irrespective of the genetic objectives driving the decision to use reproductive technologies, the use of synchronization protocols often has beneficial effects on the overall reproduc­tive performance and commercial production output of a beef cattle operation. This proceedings paper provides a general review of the conceptual goals and challenges associated with synchronization of estrus, and directs readers to resources on current protocols and emerging opportunities in the field.

Self-Powered Autonomous Electrostatic Dust Removal for Solar Panels by an Electret Generator.

Solar panels often suffer from dust accumulation, significantly reducing their output, especially in desert regions where many of the world's largest solar plants are located. Here, an autonomous dust removal system for solar panels, powered by a wind-driven rotary electret generator is proposed. The generator applies a high voltage between one solar panel's output electrode and an upper mesh electrode to generate a strong electrostatic field. It is discovered that dust particles on the insulative glass cover of the panel can be charged under the high electrical field, assisted by adsorbed water, even in low-humidity environments. The charged particles are subsequently repelled from the solar panel with the significant Coulomb force. Two panels covered with sand dust are cleaned in only 6.6min by a 15cm diameter rotary electret generator at 1.6ms-1 wind speed. Experimental results manifest that the system can work effectively in a wide range of environmental conditions, and doesn't impact the panel performance for long-term operation. This autonomous system, with its high dust removal efficiency, simplicity, and low cost, holds great potential in practical applications.

Design of high-performance entangling logic in silicon quantum dot systems with Bayesian optimization

Device engineering based on computer-aided simulations is essential to make silicon (Si) quantum bits (qubits) be competitive to commercial platforms based on superconductors and trapped ions. Combining device simulations with the Bayesian optimization (BO), here we propose a systematic design approach that is quite useful to procure fast and precise entangling operations of qubits encoded to electron spins in electrode-driven Si quantum dot (QD) systems. For a target problem of the controlled-X (CNOT) logic operation, we employ BO with the Gaussian process regression to evolve design factors of a Si double QD system to the ones that are optimal in terms of speed and fidelity of a CNOT logic driven by a single microwave pulse. The design framework not only clearly contributes to cost-efficient securing of solutions that enhance performance of the target quantum operation, but can be extended to implement more complicated logics with Si QD structures in experimentally unprecedented ways.

Recent advancements with the H− injector performance for the Spallation Neutron Source operation and upgrade

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an accelerator-based, pulsed neutron facility utilized for a broad range of scientific research and industrial applications. In the past 5 years, the facility has reliably been operated at its baseline design beam power of 1.4 MW, and it is currently undertaking an upgrade to double its power to 2.8 MW. A 65-keV H− injector, which comprises an rf-driven H− ion source and an electrostatic low energy beam transport, delivers the required high-current, time-structured H− beam to the accelerator. The H− injector can reliably provide 50-60 mA beam current at 6% duty-factor (1 ms, 60 Hz) for a 3-4 month service cycle. To ensure sufficient operational margins for the SNS routine operations and ongoing upgrade requirements, the injector system has been continuously improved on a R&D test stand. This paper presents the operational status and recent advancements with the injector system performance including the enhanced ion source beam output capability up to ∼110 mA, the improved ion source plasma ignition reliability using a 27.12-MHz RF system, and the upgraded LEBT beam chopper system etc.

Natural convection and field synergy principle analysis of the influence of fins redistribution on the performance of a latent heat storage unit in a successive charge and discharge

The present study focuses on analyzing the impact of enhancing the heat exchanges on the shell side by surface extension on the kinetics of melting/solidification in a latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) unit. Particular attention is paid to the influence of fins redistribution on the performance of the LHTES unit, natural convection, and Phase Change Material (PCM) melting/solidification kinetics. The particularity of this study lies in the improvement of the LHTES unit performances in a successive charging-discharging operation by only redistributing the fins while keeping the same total heat transfer surface, PCM volume, and compactness. The first part of the study consists of evaluating the impact of fin redistribution for the same total heat transfer surface on the LHTES unit performance. Attention was paid to the fully charging and discharging times and the heat duty absorbed or released during the melting or solidification process. For this purpose, 4 configurations of LHTES units having 4 and 8 radial fins with the same total transfer surface were analyzed, with the aim of ensuring a maximum performance on charging process. In a second part, an improved configuration was proposed in order to minimize the successive charging and discharging time for a cyclic operation of the LHTES unit. The coordination factor derived from the field synergy principle, PCM liquid fraction, the heat duty exchanged, phase change kinetics, and liquid PCM velocity were used as performance key factors. They were used to analyze and compare the different configurations in order to find the best configuration for a successive charging-discharging operation. The selected improved configuration has been found to enhance both the charging and discharging processes. It leads to the reduction of the successive charging-discharging overall duration by 10 % to 47 % compared to the other configurations investigated with the same heat transfer surface. The enhanced LHTES unit developed in the present study is intended to improve the thermal comfort of buildings by valorizing and storing renewable and waste energies.

Optical clocks at sea

Deployed optical clocks will improve positioning for navigational autonomy1, provide remote time standards for geophysical monitoring2 and distributed coherent sensing3, allow time synchronization of remote quantum networks4,5 and provide operational redundancy for national time standards. Although laboratory optical clocks now reach fractional inaccuracies below 10−18 (refs. 6,7), transportable versions of these high-performing clocks8,9 have limited utility because of their size, environmental sensitivity and cost10. Here we report the development of optical clocks with the requisite combination of size, performance and environmental insensitivity for operation on mobile platforms. The 35 l clock combines a molecular iodine spectrometer, fibre frequency comb and control electronics. Three of these clocks operated continuously aboard a naval ship in the Pacific Ocean for 20 days while accruing timing errors below 300 ps per day. The clocks have comparable performance to active hydrogen masers in one-tenth the volume. Operating high-performance clocks at sea has been historically challenging and continues to be critical for navigation. This demonstration marks a significant technological advancement that heralds the arrival of future optical timekeeping networks.

Crosslinking and fluorination reinforced PTFE nanofibrous membrane with excellent amphiphobic performance for low-scaling membrane distillations

Membrane distillation (MD) has emerged as a promising technology for desalination and concentration of hypersaline brine. However, the efficient preparation of a structurally stable and salinity-resistant membrane remains a significant challenge. In this study, an amphiphobic polytetrafluoroethylene nanofibrous membrane (PTFE NFM) with exceptional resistance to scaling has been developed, using an energy-efficient method. This innovative approach avoids the high-temperature sintering treatment, only involving electrospinning with PTFE/PVA emulsion and subsequent low-temperature crosslinking and fluorination. The impact of the PVA and PTFE contents, as well as the crosslinking and subsequent fluorination on the morphology and MD performance of the NFM, were systematically investigated. The optimized PTFE NFM displayed robust amphiphobicity, boasting a water contact angle of 155.2º and an oil contact angle of 132.7º. Moreover, the PTFE NFM exhibited stable steam flux of 52.1 L·m−2·h−1 and 26.7 L·m−2·h−1 when fed with 3.5 wt % and 25.0 wt % NaCl solutions, respectively, and an excellent salt rejection performance (99.99 %, ΔT = 60 °C) in a continuous operation for 24 h, showing exceptional anti-scaling performance. It also exhibited stable anti-wetting and anti-fouling properties against surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and hydrophobic contaminants (diesel oil). These results underscore the significant potential of the PTFE nanofibrous membrane for practical applications in desalination, especially in hypersaline or polluted aqueous environments.

Arteriovenous fistula access for dialysis using vessels of the arm

Background: Site selection, configuration of the access and technical performance of operation are keys to a successful arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for haemodialysis. Objective: To evaluate the primary success rate and complications of AVF performed in Port Harcourt using vessels of the arm. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study on the success rate of the Arteriovenous fistulas done using vessels of the arm in patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis across public and private health facilities in Port Harcourt. The study was conducted between March 1, 2017, and February 29, 2024. Preoperatively, using a duplex scan (and sometimes through clinical examination) with and without a tourniquet, the selected vein size was ≥ 2.5mm and the artery ≥2mm with a healthy wall and good flow. Parameters monitored were thrill and bruit intra-operatively, immediate, one- week and 6-8 weeks post-operative periods; the size of the vein intra-operatively, one -week and 6-8 weeks post-operatively. In addition, the patients were monitored for complications. Data were analyzed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 25. Th demographic data and medical information were summarized using descriptive statistics (mean, median, frequency percentage and standard deviation) as appropriate. Result: There were 87 patients during the period under review. The age range was 14-85years with mean age of 54 ± 6.4 years. Of these, 18 (20.69%) were females, and 69 (79.31%) were males; 92 AVFs were done in 87 patients (87 primary and 5 repeat) with ESRD for dialysis; 69 (75%) Brachiocephalic (BC) and 23 (25%) Brachiobasilic (BB)AVFs. The AVFs were primarily successful in 82 cases (94.25%), with 5 primary failures (5.75%), and a total of 5 repeat AVFs within this period, excluding secondary failures. Complications were 1 (1.15%) upper limb oedema, 6 (6.90%) delayed wound healing, 4 (4.60%) cases of seroma, 1 (1.15%) case of steal syndrome, 4 (4.60%) cases of spontaneous thrombosis and 3 (3.45%) cases of superficial wound infection. Conclusion: The primary success rate of AVF for dialysis in Port Harcourt using vessels of the arm is quite good with few complications.

Optimal configuration of energy storage system capacity in traction power supply system considering photovoltaic consumption

In order to achieve energy savings and promote on-site integration of photovoltaic energy in electrified railways, a topology structure is proposed for the integration of photovoltaic (PV) and the energy storage system (ESS) into the traction power supply system (TPSS) based on a railway power conditioner (RPC). This paper analyzes the composition and operation principles of this structure. To assess the economic benefits brought by the integration of photovoltaic and energy storage systems, a bilevel optimization model is established, with the objectives of optimizing energy storage capacity configuration and photovoltaic energy integration. The KKT (Karush–Kuhn–Tucker) method is employed to transform the model into a single-layer mixed-integer linear programming model, which is then solved using the CPLEX solver in MATLAB. The research findings indicate that, with the configuration of the ESS, the optimal PV consumption rate achieved is 96.8749%. Compared to a 100% PV consumption rate, the ESS capacity configuration is reduced by 13.14%, and the overall operational cost of the TPSS is at its lowest. The study suggests that the proposed bilevel optimization algorithm can more effectively consider PV consumption, leading to enhanced economic performance of the TPSS operation.

Long-term thermal performance investigation of phase change plates (PCPs) employing tunnel lining ground heat exchangers for cool storage

Combining tunnel lining ground heat exchangers (GHEs) and phase change plates (PCPs) to extract and store the geothermal energy is a novel and environment-friendly energy utilization method, and then PCPs can be used for space cooling. However, existing investigations have not focused on the long-term thermal performances of PCPs employing tunnel lining GHEs for cool storage. In the present work, a coupled finite element model of tunnel lining GHEs and PCPs was built to study long-term operation performances of PCPs during the cold energy charging operation period. Numerical modeling and programming (i.e., co-simulation) were employed to realize the continuous cold energy charging operation mode of PCPs employing tunnel lining GHEs for cool storage. The results indicate that the solidification efficiency (i.e., cold energy charging efficiency) of PCPs and phase interface evolution within the PCPs under the long-term cold energy charging mode are affected by the number of times for cool storage (N) and thermal conductivity of the surrounding rock (ksr) compared with the short-term mode. The drop rate of the liquid fraction and solidification efficiency of PCPs decrease with an increase in the number of times for cool storage. At N = 1, there is no obvious difference for the solidification efficiency of PCPs with increasing ksr. The solidification efficiency of PCPs under N = 10 improves by approximately 35.3% as ksr rises by 3 W/(m K). Additionally, the solidification time of PCPs increases linearly with N under ksr = 1.22 W/(m K). However, the solidification time is related parabolically to N under ksr = 2.22, 3.22, and 4.22 W/(m K). Finally, the long-term thermal response of the surrounding rock is analyzed, which also verifies the heat transfer characteristics of PCPs under the long-term cold energy charging mode.

Advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from groundwater by a composite functional particle-ceramic membrane bioreactor

Nutrients are the main environment pollution issue in groundwater, while the efficient and sustainable membrane technology is the key to solving this problem. In this work, a composite functional particle-ceramic membrane bioreactor (CFP-CMR) was developed for advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from groundwater. Under the condition of moderate flux (5–15 L·m−2·h−1), CFP-CMR is able to sustain the preferable water purification performance (effluent: TP < 0.1 mg/L, NH3-N < 0.5 mg/L) for long-term stable operation (>100 days) via the synergy of membrane, adsorption, and microorganism. Composite functional particle could enrich and provide the carbon source for microorganism, as well as combine with the P in the water to form the crystals. The adsorption effect of composite functional particles in the early stage and the biological phosphorus removal in the later stage could synergistically improve the TP removal. Similarly, the CFP-CMR could ensure that the NH3-N in effluent reached the Chinese drinking water standard through the synergy of adsorption and microbial. However, the excessive gel layer with high C/N (i.e. Rhodobacter) on the ceramic membrane surface brought about the dissimilation reduction of nitrate to ammonium and affected the ammonia nitrogen removal. Besides, as the main membrane fouling, the biological gel layer could be effectively removed by hydraulic backwashing, so as to reduce the TMP and restore the permeability. Whereas, the re-startup after membrane cleaning clearly reduced the microbial and organics in the system, then weakened the nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency. In general, the findings of this work verify the reliability of CFP-CMR for the effective and sustainable operation of groundwater purification. The CFP-CMR combines the advantages of adsorption and biological processes, and is expected to become an effective technology for nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

Static Series Compensator for the compensation of voltage-quality disturbances based on particle swarm optimization techniques

Static Series Compensator (SSC) is a power electronic based device that provides three-phase controllable voltage source to restore the load voltage to pre-sag conditions within few milliseconds. This paper proposes a new control technique based on an adaptive tunning PI controller that uses a selective controller to describe the effectiveness of SSC for mitigating voltage sags in power distribution systems at critical loads. The integral of time multiply squared error (ITSE) index is minimized to reach the optimal tuning of PI controllers based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique to determine whether the best fitting solution is achieved. The controller is designed in a synchronously-rotating reference frame. Independent (homopolar component, d-axis component and qaxis component) controllers are used to tackle balanced and unbalanced voltage supplies. Simulation is done using Simulink “SimPowerSystem” Toolbox to illustrate the principle and performance of an SSC operation in load voltage compensation

Potentiality of PLA 3D printed macro-structured feed spacers with a rational and facile layout for improved MD desalination performance

Membrane performance, regarding water flux and water recovery during membrane distillation (MD), is crucial during desalination. In this study, the membrane performance was improved using 3D-printed macro-structured feed spacers. Typically, 3D-printed feed spacers offer maximum flexibility for designing favorable geometrical transformations. The role of 3D-printed spacers in enhancing the permeate flux and recovery in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) has been thoroughly investigated. A comparative assessment was performed for various designs of 3D printed feed spacers with varying hydraulic diameters and filament thicknesses. An economical, biocompatible, and highly robust 3D-printed membrane spacer was developed using polylactic acid (PLA), which has a high elastic modulus. PLA is a biodegradable and environmentally friendly material. The thermal stability of PLA materials is advantageous for temperature-driven MD processes. PLA filaments were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for evaluating thermal stability. It provides structural support for the membranes and enhances mass movement through the membrane surface. In addition, these 3D-printed membrane spacers employing PLA have proven superior to conventional layouts in performance. These 3D-printed feed spacers were rationally designed to create a high flow disruption, which can lead to increased turbulence, thereby increasing the permeate flux. The overall results suggest that the 3D printed spacers can be ranked like TR˃DI ≈ SQ ˃ CR in terms of water flux. Eventually, the presence of 3D-printed spacers may prevent the external foulant layer onto the surface of membrane. Thus, the 3D printed spacers were ranked as TR˃DI ≈ CR≈ SQ for fouling mitigation ability. Furthermore, the used PVDF membrane with 3D printed spacers indicates lower hydrophobicity reduction, 11–14%. Therefore, this paper illustrates a facile approach to designing 3D-printed feed spacers that exhibit increased membrane performance in MD operation.