Plate Design Research Articles

Investigating Viability of Split-Stepped Gate Field Plate Design on Ga2O3 MOSFET for High Power Applications

Investigating Viability of Split-Stepped Gate Field Plate Design on Ga2O3 MOSFET for High Power Applications

Application of Refrigerant Cooling in a Battery Thermal Management System under High Temperature Conditions: A Review.

Battery thermal management (BTM) is crucial for the lifespan and safety of batteries. Refrigerant cooling is a novel cooling technique that is being used gradually. As the core fluid of refrigerant cooling, refrigerants need to possess excellent properties while meeting environmental requirements. This paper elucidates the current state of refrigerants (single refrigerants and mixed refrigerants), synchronously summarizing them from the perspectives of refrigerant properties and refrigerant cooling (immersion and cold plate indirect). It outlines the advantages and disadvantages of single and mixed refrigerants as well as the research and development in the vehicle thermal management system (TMS). The choice of refrigerant directly affects cooling performance, and research on vehicle air conditioning (AC) systems can indirectly guide the BTM. R1234yf and R152a can directly replace R134a, while although R744 has a strong heating capacity, it cannot directly replace R134a. Specific mixed refrigerants reduce the global warming potential (GWP) and flammability issues, thereby improving system efficiency. Additionally, immersion cooling controls the temperature through container pressure. Coordinated control strategies are crucial for indirect cold plate cooling, offering broad prospects for optimizing the cold plate design and intelligent control. The selection of refrigerant and the optimal design of the cooling method greatly improve the thermal performance of the battery. This may promote the good development of BTM.

Comparative study on air-cooled fuel cell stacks with metal and graphite bipolar plate designs for unmanned aerial vehicles

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) power source is a promising solution for the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to extend the flight endurance. However, the light weighted PEMFC stack design with improved performance remains a critical challenge for the UAVs applications. In this study, two air-cooled PEMFC stacks based on metal and graphite bipolar plates are designed respectively to optimize the fuel cell power density with comparative tests and simulations under varied operating conditions. The designed metal and graphite stacks could reach the power densities of 1189 W/kg and 792 W/kg, of which the graphite one is integrated in a hybrid power system for the UAVs and operated for a flight test with ∼45 min. Validated by the experiment, a three-dimensional coupled model is developed to comparatively study the internal performance and thermal behaviors of the two stacks. Compared with the graphite stack, the metal one outputs higher voltage by 4 %, weighs lighter by 31 % and improves air forced thermal dissipation with enhanced water retention ability. The proposed model and comparative analysis reveal the mechanisms of stack performance variation under different designs and operations, which are beneficial for the optimization of UAVs fuel cell power system.

Convolutional neural network for assisting accuracy of personalized clavicle bone implant designs

<span lang="EN-US">The clavicle is a long bone that tends to be frequently fractured in the midshaft region. The plate and screw fixing method is mainly applied to address this issue. This study aims to construct a clavicle bone implant design with a consideration to achieve a high accuracy and high-quality surface between the plate and the clavicle surface. The computational tomography scanning (CT-scan) image series data were processed using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify the clavicle image. The CNN outcomes were gathered as three-dimensional (3D) volume data of clavicle bone. This 3D model was then proposed for the plate design. The CNN testing results of 97.4% for the image clavicle bones classification, whereas the prints of the 3D model from clavicle bone and its plate and screw design reveal compatibility between the bone surface and the plate surface. Overall, the CNN application to the series of CT images could ease the classification of clavicle bone images that would precisely construct the 3D model of clavicle bone and its suitable clavicle bone plate design. This study could contribute as a guideline for other bone plate areas that need to fit the patient’s bone geometry.</span>

Design of osteosynthesis plate for detecting bone union using wire natural frequency

We have developed a novel osteosynthesis plate with bone union detection using a wire's natural frequency (BUDWF) to provide the quantitative result of bone union detection. The concept for detecting bone union is measuring the rate of frequency change. The frequency is measured from sound generated from the wire attached to a modified plate. The plate is modified from a Syncera ADLER B0409.10 and attached with 0.3 mm diameter 316L stainless steel wire. The sound generation mechanism was created by PEEK and installed on the plate to generate the sound. The preliminary experiments were conducted on a Sawbones tibia composite mimic. We used the cut Sawbones to create fracture samples with a 0, 0.5, 1-, 2-, and 5-mm gap representing the fractured bone with different gap sizes and prepared uncut Sawbones as a union sample. These samples were tested five times, and the sound was recorded from a condenser microphone and analyzed. We found that the BUDWF can differentiate samples with a fracture gap above 2 mm from the union sample, as the differences in the rates of frequency change between samples with a fracture gap above 2 mm and union samples were statistically significant. However, there was a limitation that the BUDWF plate was still unable to differentiate the 0 mm fracture gap and the union sample in this study.

Design and Development of LM24 plate Casting using Solid Cast Simulation Technique

Abstract: This research deals with the elimination of defects in aluminium alloy castings and enhancement in the casting yield and quality. The main intention of the work is to improve the quality of a cast component using Computer Aided Casting Simulation Software. SOLID Cast simulation software is used for simulating the solidification process of casting and visualizing outputs showing possible problematic areas or defects which may occur in the cast product. Plate Castings of aluminium alloy - LM 24 are produced with different designs of gating systems and tested for defects like porosity using Archimedes immersion Technique and also Radiographic testing is used to check the quality of the castings. The produced castings are observed to be sound, and the results obtained are in agreement with the simulation results. Hence it is verified that solidification simulation helps in improving the quality of castings without any shop-floor trails. Casting yield and percentage porosity values are determined for 12 castings produced with different gating systems. The best results are observed to be produced by the castings having a 1-Ingate system in horizontal or lateral positions.

Thermal management lithium-ion battery for electric vehicles with using cold plate

Lithium-ion batteries are widely employed as the primary energy storage solution for electric vehicles (EVs). Effective thermal management of these batteries within EVs is important to ensure their safety, optimal performance, and longevity. Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to fluctuations in temperature, and if not managed correctly, these temperature variations can lead to issues like overheating, reduced efficiency, and even safety risks. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a cooling method for a prismatic NMC battery used in electric vehicles. It emphasizes the significance of maintaining the battery's temperature within a specific range, typically between 15 °C and 35 °C, to prevent capacity loss and extend the battery's life. The design of the minichannel cold plate allows for precise thermal control with the 7 °C temperature difference. It efficiently absorbs heat generated during battery operation and releases it, preventing the battery from reaching undesirable temperature levels. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of optimizing the contact area between the coolant and the battery stack for superior performance of the liquid cooling system. At higher discharge rates of the battery, a greater flow rate is required to achieve efficient cooling, with certain limitations due to the cooling system's efficiency. Overall, the study highlights the advantages of employing a liquid cooling system for proficient temperature regulation and effective heat dissipation in battery stacks for EVs.

Design of Honeycomb‐Filled End Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Based on Topology Optimization

Designing a functional end plate for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a challenging task since the structure that simultaneously satisfies uniform contact pressure and lightweight features must be achieved. To design an end plate for both requirements, a multi‐objective topology optimization model of the PEMFC based on the concept of equivalent stiffness is established with the aim of maximum stiffness and minimum root mean square (RMS) of contact displacement. Based on the final topology, the filled honeycomb‐based end plates with excellent mechanical properties and energy absorption effects are optimized through the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). The results demonstrate that the end plate mass is reduced by 39.5% and the stress distribution is more uniform. The standard deviation of pressure decreases by 30.8% compared to the original model data. The proposed optimization method is helpful in the design of future end plates.

Hygrothermomechanical loading-induced vibration study of multilayer piezoelectric nanoplates with functionally graded porous cores resting on a variable viscoelastic substrate

Harnessing vibrations in multifunctional nanostructured plates is pivotal to next-gen microsystems but necessitates understanding scale effects under multifield loading. Investigated in this work are the forced and unforced vibrations of multilayered piezoelectric nanoplates supported on a variable viscoelastic medium and loaded hygrothermo-electromechanically with functionally graded porous (FGP) cores. The viscoelastic foundation is supposed to demonstrate non-linear changes in both stiffness and damping characteristics in the x-coordinate direction. The goal is to improve the accuracy of the results by using the nonlocal strain gradient theory (NSGT) and the third-order shear deformation assumption (TSDA), which include the effects of hardening and softening materials. The FGP core layer considers four states of porosity distribution patterns. These porosity distributions are expected to change in both the in-plane and thickness directions. The governing partial differential equations resulting from Hamilton's principle can be reduced to a system of algebraic equations by applying the Galerkin method. The parametric studies evaluate the effects of several factors, such as the initial electric voltage, viscoelastic medium parameters, moisture rise, temperature changes, porosity distributions, FG index, nonlocal and strain gradient features, and boundary conditions, on the vibration response. The novelty lies in the incorporation of advanced theories, such as the NSGT and TSDT, which capture size-dependent effects and material hardening/softening phenomena. Additionally, the consideration of four distinct porosity distribution patterns in the FGP core layer provides insights into the influence of porosity gradients on the dynamic response. The proposed model can guide the design and optimization of multifunctional nanostructured plates for applications in next-generation microsystems, energy harvesting devices, and smart structures.

Cylindrical depth image based customized helical bone plate design

Commercial straight metal plates have been generally used to fix fractured bones, but recently, the need for customized and helical metal plates has emerged. Customized metal plates are designed to fit the shape of the fracture area that is a 3D curved surface, making it more difficult than designing on a 2D plane. Helical plates are researched due to their advantage in avoiding blood vessel damage compared to commercially available straight metal plates. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to design a customized helical metal plate for the femur using cylindrical depth images and Boolean operations. We also present the results of 3D printing a metal plate designed using the proposed algorithm, and the shape matching is verified by calculating the minimum distance between the surface of the printed plate and the surface of the femur.

Optimization, Design, and Manufacturing of New Steel-FRP Automotive Fuel Cell Medium Pressure Plate Using Compression Molding

In this work, a new plastic-intensive medium-pressure plate (MPP), which is part of a fuel-cell system, has been developed together with a steel plate meeting all mechanical and chemical requirements. This newly developed MPP had to achieve the objective of saving weight and package space. The use of compression molding as a manufacturing technique facilitated the use of glass mat thermoplastics (GMT) which has higher E-modules and strength compared to most of the injection molded materials. A steel plate was placed as an insert to help achieve the stiffness requirements. For the development, the existing MPP was benchmarked for its structural capabilities and its underlying functional features. Four different FRP materials were investigated in terms of their chemical and mechanical properties. PP-GMT material, which has both high mechanical performance and resistance against chemicals in the fuel cell fluid, had been chosen. Using the properties of the chosen PP-GMT material, topology optimization was carried out based on the quasi-static load case and manufacturing constraints, which gave a load-conforming rib structure. The obtained rib structure was utilized to develop the final MPP with adherence to the functional requirements of MPP. The developed plastic-intensive MPP exhibits a 3-in-1 component feature with a 55% reduction in package space and an 8% weight reduction. The MPP was virtually analyzed for its mechanical strength and compared with the existing benchmark values. Finally, a press tool was conceptualized and manufactured to fabricate the new plastic-intensive MPP, which was tested in a rig and validated in the FE model.

3D-Printed custom-made hemipelvic endoprosthetic reconstruction following periacetabular tumor resection: utilizing a novel classification system

BackgroundCustomized 3D-printed pelvic implants with a porous structure have revolutionized periacetabular pelvic defect reconstruction after tumor resection, offering improved osteointegration, long-term stability, and anatomical fit. However, the lack of an established classification system hampers implementation and progress.MethodsWe formulated a novel classification system based on pelvic defect morphology and 3D-printed hemipelvis endoprostheses. It integrates surgical approach, osteotomy guide plate and prosthesis design, postoperative rehabilitation plans, and perioperative processes.ResultsRetrospectively analyzing 60 patients (31 males, 29 females), we classified them into Type A (15 patients: Aa = 6, Ab = 9), Type B (27 patients: Ba = 15, Bb = 12), Type C (17 patients). All underwent customized osteotomy guide plate-assisted tumor resection and 3D-printed hemipelvic endoprosthesis reconstruction. Follow-up duration was median 36.5 ± 15.0 months (range, 6 to 74 months). The mean operating time was 430.0 ± 106.7 min, intraoperative blood loss 2018.3 ± 1305.6 ml, transfusion volume 2510.0 ± 1778.1 ml. Complications occurred in 13 patients (21.7%), including poor wound healing (10.0%), deep prosthesis infection (6.7%), hip dislocation (3.3%), screw fracture (1.7%), and interface loosening (1.7%). VAS score improved from 5.5 ± 1.4 to 1.7 ± 1.3, MSTS-93 score from 14.8 ± 2.5 to 23.0 ± 5.6. Implant osseointegration success rate was 98.5% (128/130), with one Type Ba patient experiencing distal prosthesis loosening.ConclusionThe West China classification may supplement the Enneking and Dunham classification, enhancing interdisciplinary communication and surgical outcomes. However, further validation and wider adoption are required to confirm clinical effectiveness.

Effects of slit plate design on mechanical properties of castable plastic bonded explosives

AbstractThe effect of slit plate design on PBXs quality was systematically studied from the point of view voids and powder‐binder separation phenomenon. PBXN‐109 type explosive samples were prepared in accordance with MIL−E‐82886 and cast through slit plates of different geometry and perforation size. The other casting parameters such as casting time, temperature, pressure, valve opening and PBX amount kept constant to prevent uncertainties arising from these parameters. Density measurements, X‐ray inspection and tensile tests were carried out to evaluate the air removal and powder‐binder separation characteristic of slit plates. Density measurements did not provide a clear interpretation of the powder‐binder separation and deaeration abilities of slit plates. X‐ray inspections and tensile tests showed that the dimensions and design of slit plate perforations have impact on voids and powder‐binder separation in PBXs. The slit plate #E showed relatively poor performance in terms of stress property, attributed to the largest cross‐sectional area per perimeter length ratio of perforations, leading to decrease in air removal ability.

Comparison of the biomechanical behavior between commercial and 3D-printed patient-specific Ti6Al4V L-Shaped titanium plates following le fort i osteotomy using finite element analysis: A technical Note

ObjectiveTo evaluate and compare the biomechanical behavior of three-dimensionally (3D) printed patient-specific Ti6Al4V with commercially made titanium mini plates following Lefort-I osteotomy using finite element analysis. MethodsLe Fort I osteotomy was virtually simulated with a 5 mm maxillary advancement and mediolateral rotation in the coronal plane, resulting in a 3 mm gap on the left side's posterior. Two fixation methods were modeled using software to compare 3D-printed Ti6Al4V and commercial titanium mini plates, both featuring a 4-hole l-shape with thicknesses of 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm at the strategic piriform rim and zygomaticomaxillary buttress locations. Using ANSYS R19.2, finite element models were developed to assess the fixation plates and maxilla's stress, strain, and displacement responses under occlusal forces of 125, 250, and 500 N/mm². ResultsThis comparative analysis revealed slight variation in stress, strain, and displacement between the two models under varying loading conditions. Stress analysis indicated maximum stress concentrations at the vertical change in the left posterior area between maxillary segments, with the Ti6Al4V model exhibiting slightly higher stress values (187 MPa, 375 MPa, and 750 MPa) compared to the commercial titanium model (175 MPa, 351 MPa, and 702 MPa). Strain analysis showed that the commercial titanium model recorded higher strain values at the bending area of the l-shaped miniplate. Moreover, displacement analysis revealed a maximum of 3 mm in the left posterior maxilla, with the Ti6Al4V model demonstrating slightly lower displacement values under equivalent forces. ConclusionThe maximum stress, strain, and segment displacement of both fixation models were predominantly concentrated in the area of the gap between the maxillary segments. Notably, both fixation models exhibited remarkably close values, which can be attributed to the similar design of the fixation plates.

Investigation of the single-phase immersion cold plate amid PAO-4 and Noah@3000A – An experimental approach and its numerical verification

This study investigates improving traditional immersion cooling systems by employing cold plates in single-phase immersion cooling with dielectric fluids (Noah@3000 A and PAO-4). Experimental and CFD methods explore various cold plate structures in a 1 U server with a TTV heat source. Flow rates range from 1 to 3 LPM, and configurations include side-open, fully enclosed, and dual-open designs. Results show that incorporating cold plates reduces fluid bypass, enhancing thermal performance. High-viscosity dielectric oil as a coolant yields substantial improvements (36.1% and 41.6% at low and high flow rates) compared to traditional systems. Thermal resistance decreases with higher flow rates, more notably for Noah@3000A. Immersing the cold plate in liquid enhances convective heat transfer, reducing thermal resistances by 7.2% and 9.4% for Noah@3000A and PAO-4 at low flow rates. Smaller fin pitch consistently lowers resistance by eliminating bypass. Outlet configuration significantly influences thermal resistance, with Enclosed cold plates showing the least performance for PAO-4 and dual-open cold plate yields the worst performance with Noah@3000A. Differences in heat transfer behavior between PAO-4 and Noah@3000A are linked to laminar and turbulent flow characteristics. These findings offer insights into optimizing immersion cooling systems, emphasizing the impact of fluid choice and cold plate design on thermal performance.

A novel tree -like bionic structure for liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery plates

To maintain the optimal operating temperature range for the power batteries of new energy vehicles, this paper proposes a novel tree-structured channel cold plate. An orthogonal experimental approach was employed to investigate the effects of inlet flow rate m, inlet channel quantity n, channel width d, and hierarchy ratio α on battery temperatures Tmax, standard temperature difference Tσ, and pressure drop ΔP. Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) was utilized to obtain an optimized solution set. The results reveal that the tree-like cold plate configuration including m = 15 g/s, n = 7 and 8, d = 3 mm, and α = 1:2:1 demonstrates superior performance. Thus, the developed cold plate was further compared with the conventional straight-through cold plate design. The results indicate that the proposed tree-like cold plate exhibits the maximum decreases of 13.94% in Tmax, 52.94% in Tσ, and 61.5% in ΔP. The most significant improvement in the composite indicator PEC was 89%. In conclusion, the tree-like channel cold plate developed in this study provides excellent heat dissipation capability for power batteries, offering valuable insights for the thermal design of battery liquid cooling systems.

Parametric Investigation of Mechanical Aspect for TV Wall Mount Bracket via Finite Element Analysis

Nowadays, most flat screen television (TV) come with a feature that allows users to mount the TV and it takes some effort on the user's part to attach the mount to the wall and the TV to the mount. Various TV wall mount designs available on the market with different dimensions, thicknesses, and materials may cause mechanical problems. This study aims to analyze the effect of the design parameters on the wall mounting bracket and evaluate the best design parameters for minimal mechanical defects. The validated 3D model is simulated using SolidWorks software. Different wall mount lengths, widths, thicknesses, and TV wall mount bracket designs are selected as factors in this study. Meanwhile, stress, displacement, and strain are selected as responses in this study. Statistical regression analysis analyzes the correlations between design parameters and mechanical defects. The analysis shows that 6 mm thickness, 430 mm length, and 160 mm width have the lowest stress, strain, and displacement. Design 3 is the best wall plate design to minimize stress and strain. To conclude, the results of this study could make the TV wall mount bracket a universal mounting for various weights of TVs.

Fluid-structure interaction dynamic analysis of large civil aircraft tank sloshing

To meet the requirements of passengers, the tank volume of large civil aircraft is gradually increasing, which brings certain risks. Under different 0 pertaining conditions during the flight, the liquid in the tank will cause structural failure and affect the aircraft’s safety. Therefore, based on the assumption of an ideal fluid, the smooth particle method (SPH) combined with the finite element method (FEM) is used to establish the coupling dynamic equation between the tank and the liquid. The effects of sloshing impact on the water tank under different filling rates were studied, and the influences of the water wave shape, the center of gravity shift, stress distribution, and deformation of the tank were obtained. The results show that the mass accumulation of water particles occurs in the acceleration stage, the relative center of gravity changes greatly in less water, and the accumulated liquid greatly influences the tank under the action of inertia. The more liquid in the tank is, the more the impact effect on the tank increases. The analysis results provide some reference for the analysis and design of tank anti-sway plates and flight attitude adjustment.

Optimal design of elastic plates

This paper is concerned with optimal design problems in the setting of the Kirchhoff–Love model for pure bending of a thin solid symmetric plate under a transverse load. For two isotropic elastic materials with a prescribed amount, the goal is to find their rearrangement within the domain that forms a least compliant structure. The homogenization method is used as a relaxation tool to overcome the lack of a classical solution of optimal design problem. Neccessary conditions of optimality were derived and an optimality criteria method for the single state compliance minimization problems is developed and tested on several examples.

Forming of large scale bipolar plates for high power fuel cell stacks

Developing high-power (e.g. megawatt-scale) single fuel cell stacks is of significance to extending the application of hydrogen fuel cells in high-energy-consumption fields such as aerospace, maritime, and rail transportation. Bipolar plate is one of the core components of hydrogen fuel cell stacks. Currently, the mainstream hydrogen fuel cell stacks achieve a maximum power of about 200 kW with a bipolar plate area of approximately 600 cm2. While the megawatt-scale hydrogen fuel cell stacks requires large scale bipolar plates with an area of e.g. >2000 cm2 and higher geometric complexity of flow channel. However, the structural design and manufacturing process for such large scale bipolar plates remain unexplored. Based on the concept of “partitioned modular manufacturing”, the large scale bipolar plate is divided into multiple smaller scale bipolar plate modules in this work, and then integrated into a single component, which is then formed by applying multi-step stamping process to each module. Therefore, a so-called “partitioned multi-step stamping process” is proposed to form large scale bipolar plates with fine flow channels. Experimental validation was conducted using 0.1 mm thick titanium sheets and austenitic stainless steel sheets, demonstrating a prospective solution to manufacture large scale bipolar plates for high power hydrogen fuel cell stacks.