Proposed Design Process Research Articles

Definition of the Layout for a New Facility to Test the Static and Dynamic Stability of Agricultural Vehicles Operating on Sloping Grounds

In this study, a new rig for investigating the static and dynamic stability of agricultural machines was conceived: its architecture was studied and its layout was designed following a specific conceptual approach. The first part of the proposed design process specifically addresses the test equipment and follows a ‘top-down’ logic starting from the requisites of the tests to perform. This approach alternates analysis and synthesis phases and exploits two important principles of the creative design process: functional analysis and decomposition, and kinematic inversion. During this process, many solutions (kinematic mechanisms, actuators) were proposed and discussed based on their advantages and disadvantages towards the definition of an optimal configuration. Therefore, the layout of a new mechanical system has been developed, which is supposed to steer subsequent and more detailed design-phases appropriately. The proposed facility has many innovative features compared to traditional test systems, in which vehicles are tested for lateral overturning under static conditions with the steering components (wheels/central joint for conventional/articulated vehicles) usually in a configuration corresponding only to a straight-path trajectory. Indeed, the present test rig is a mechanical installation with three degrees of freedom. It presents a wide plane, which can be tilted, composed by two semi-platforms connected by a central articulation hinge, operated by hydraulic jacks which allow the different angulations of the semi-platforms. It is specifically thought for performing dynamic stability tests of vehicles, especially on circular trajectories. An additional subsystem embedded in one of the two semi-platforms, configured as a rotating platform (‘turntable’), can test the global (static) stability of motionless vehicles placed on it.

A simple design of SIW horn fed multibeam transmitarray antenna using transmission matrix approach

AbstractThis article develops an efficient solution to design beam‐scanning transmitarray (TA). The four‐layer unit associated with the focal planar substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) array is presented and characterized. The proposed linearly polarized TA is implemented as four‐layer sheet admittance composed of the subwavelength unit, whose transmission feature would be accurate analyzed by the equivalent circuit model. The phase layout of TA is optimized by using the PMM method in order to achieve a wide scanning behavior and reduce the scan loss. Arc‐shaped SIW horn antenna array is adopted as the feeding source. Artificial impedance surfaces printed on either side against the low‐profile substrate results in a greatly enhanced radiation performance. The TA and feeds presented at 20 GHz are both fabricated using standard PCB processing. The measured results show a greatly improved ±45° scan range with the gain loss of 0.73 dBi by switching the SIW horn antenna. Good radiation and bandwidth characters are performed in all states of operation for both ports, confirmed the effectiveness of proposed design process.

Waterless single screw extrusion of pasta-filata cheese: Process design based on thermo-rheological material properties

Process design of a waterless single screw extrusion of pasta-filata cheese was established based on the material properties during the major steps plasticization, conveying and texturization. Thermo-rheological properties of model cheese curds (pH 5.8 adjusted by citric acid) were determined by small amplitude oscillatory strain experiments (20 – 80 °C) to narrow a promising range of the process temperature ϑprocess. It was shown that ϑprocess should be set according to the following relation: ϑgel-sol (full plasticization) ≤ ϑproduct ≤ ϑtanδmax (peak flowability). Critical shear rates (γ˙crit) of plasticized model cheese were analyzed by a capillary rheometer and translated to the screw speeds (SS) by considering the default configuration of the waterless extruder. Upscaling of process conditions was evaluated with regards to product homogeneity and chemical composition, resulting in the most promising parameters, ϑprocess = 63 °C and SS = 10 rpm. Experiments using fermented and ripened cheese curd (pH 5.0) corroborated the proposed process design strategy.

Efficient treatment of oil sands produced water: Process integration using ion exchange regeneration wastewater as a chemical coagulant

The potential of ion exchange regeneration wastewater (IERW) containing magnesium ions to act as a coagulant for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) boiler blowdown (BBD) water was investigated with the aim of reducing the water consumption in a SAGD plant. Conventional techniques for the treatment of BBD water require significant operational costs as they rely on the extensive use of chemical coagulants or electric power. Since the proposed process design in this study uses a wastewater stream for the treatment of the BBD water, operational costs and energy consumption are predicted to be minimized. The effect of temperature, the mixing ratio of BBD and the IERW water, and the stirring intensity on the removal of organic matter and dissolved minerals were investigated. Usage of IERW as the coagulant enhanced the removal of impurities; removal efficiency of 81.1% and 98.6% were obtained for organic matter and silica concentration, respectively. The treatment of BBD water by IERW, however, has led to an increase in the concentration of calcium in the effluent, which was effectively mitigated by soda ash softening. Furthermore, resource recovery from the coagulated sludge was explored by SEM, EDX, FTIR, XPS, and XRD, and revealed that the precipitated compounds were mostly composed of calcium, magnesium, and silica. Additionally, the successful usage of IERW for the treatment of another BBD wastewater with a higher concentration of organic matter was demonstrated. In conclusion, the IERW water proved to be highly effective in removing contaminants from SAGD produced water.

Analytical design of an underwater construction robot on the slope with an up-cutting mode operation of a cutter bar

In this paper, the movements of the analytical models of complete underwater tracked vehicle (UTV) and cutter bar (CB) tool systems on a surface as well as their movements up and down a slope in the up-cutting mode operation are fully studied and analyzed. First, the mathematical expression of the mechanics, for which the forces, moments, and energy from the CB to the UTV are analyzed, is related. Next, analyses on the systemic parameters and their sensitivity are conducted to observe the variations of the operational and geometric parameters, as well as the cutter-tool and material-condition effects on the force, moment, and power components. Also, a design process composed of seven typical steps is proposed as the reference of a trencher-machine design. The important design parameters of the trenching machine such as the length of the CB, the nose radius of the CB, and the height of the pivot point are designed according to the proposed design process; furthermore, these parameters are used for the estimation of the slope-angle range when the trencher system is working on the slope. To demonstrate the application of derived equations to practical problems of the machine design, a number of numerical simulations are performed. Through the numerical simulations, the important parameters of the system such as the tangential force, Ft, the tractive thrust, H, the normal reaction, V, the cutting moment, Mc, the maximum carrier weight, W, and the available power are analyzed. From these, as a reference data for the designing of a trencher machine, the previous design of the system can be improved.

Parameter Space Design of a Guest-Host Liquid Crystal Device for Transmittance Control

A transmittance-control device requires a high transmittance difference between its transparent and opaque states. In this paper, we propose a systematic approach to find the condition for the maximum transmittance difference in a guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) cell. To this end, we calculated the transmittance difference as we varied the cell gap and dye concentration. The transmittance of a GHLC cell is dependent on the alignment of dye molecules, cell gap, and dye concentration. We used a constant-transmittance contour map to find the condition for the desired transmittance of LC cells in each state and the transmittance difference of each LC mode. We experimentally confirmed that the design of a GHLC cell with the desired performance could be achieved through the proposed design process.

Robust lateral control of cars: Towards a reduction of pessimism and an easy trade-off between performance, comfort and robustness

Abstract This paper presents a methodology to design a Lane Centering Assistance (LCA) system. It proposes an original approach to deal with the large parametric uncertainties encountered by automotive design engineers. Indeed, the same controller is supposed to be used for a specific vehicle regardless its configuration (tire, load, motorization, etc.). The methodology consists in a gradual insertion of the designers expertise in order to reduce as much as possible the inherent pessimism of a multi-model design approach. It also proposes some direct parameters to easily adjust the sought trade-off between performance (low lateral error) and driving feeling (jerks). The proposed design process is validated by high-fidelity simulations using complete nonlinear vehicle models.

Design of High Power Density and High Efficiency Wound-Field Synchronous Motor for Electric Vehicle Traction

This paper deals with a design method to improve the power density and energy efficiency of a wound-field synchronous motor (WFSM) using hairpin type rectangular wire for electric vehicle traction. First, the prototype is analyzed via experiments to come up with plans to improve it. In addition, mechanical loss of the prototype including the bearing and brush friction losses is obtained and used for designing the improved motor. After then, an analytical approach is presented for the magnetic circuit design to minimize magnetic resistance in the motor core. Also, the analytical methods are proposed to predict the resistance of the field and armature windings. At this step, rectangular wire is considered for the armature winding to reduce the copper loss. Moreover, the calculation process is presented to estimate the iron loss considering harmonics. The performances such as power density and efficiency of the improved WFSM are analyzed and compared with those of the prototype. In addition, the energy efficiency of the motors in the new European drive cycle (NEDC) is analyzed. Finally, the performances of the improved WFSM are compared with the experimental results to verify the validity of the proposed design process.

User-centered design of a customized assistive device to support feeding

This paper presents the design process of an assistive device for people with Parkinson’s disease or some level of tremor in the hands. A user-centered design approach is proposed, based on the integration of the tools House of Quality (QFD) and TRIZ in search of feasible and inventive technical solutions focused on meeting users’ requirements. 3D printing was also used as a tool to support and refine the design, through the manufacture of mock-ups and prototypes used in interaction and testing with users. The proposed design process brought relevant improvements in four main aspects: 1) facilitated the communication among members of the multidisciplinary design team (engineers, occupational therapists, end users); 2) provided a clearer identification of the design demands as well as the users’ needs, incorporating them into the process; 3) promoted a reduction in development time as a whole; 4) allowed the generation of feasible and inventive solutions, with functionality and innovation. Preliminary tests with the functional prototype have been conducted with a 60-year-old male with Parkinson’s disease on regular medication use and the single-case experimental design has been applied to evaluate the impact on the quality of the feeding task in terms of performance and satisfaction.

A Study on Two-Stage Cold Forging for a Drive Shaft with Internal Spline and Spur Gear Geometries

A two-stage cold forging process was proposed to manufacture a drive shaft with an internal spline and spur gear geometries, and this process was mainly composed of a forward extrusion for preform and a forward-backward extrusion for the drive shaft. In the process design, the preform was designed using a volume apportioning scheme from the required target shape, thereafter, the initial round billet was outlined. AISI 1035 carbon steel was selected as the raw material, and a spheroidizing heat treatment was adopted. Using the raw and spheroidizing annealed workpieces, uni-axial tensile and compression tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of the heat treatment and to measure the mechanical properties. Finite element simulations were sequentially performed to assure the suitability of the proposed process design. Considering the results from the process design and the numerical simulations, the related tool components were prepared and applied to a series of experimental investigations. The preform and the drive shaft fabricated by the two-stage cold forging experiments were compared with the required target and the numerically predicted configurations. The results indicated that the two-stage cold forging process proposed in this study could be well applied to the production of the drive shaft with an internal spline and spur gear structures.

Structural design and optimization of a morphing wing trailing edge flap

This paper presents the structural design and optimization process of a morphing wing trailing edge (TE) flap. The flap consists of flexible upper and lower skins and various connections that constrains the relative motion between the upper and lower skins, and is actuated by an eccentric beam to which several discs of variable radii and setting angles with respect to the beam is rigidly attached. The focus of this work is to find the optimal parameters for the eccentric beam and the connections so that the upper and lower skins bend to the desired shapes and their deformation process is continuous. To achieve this goal, a computer design tool that makes synthetic use of MATLAB, Python and ABAQUS is developed. Specifically, the shape of the eccentric beam, the number, locations, shapes and orientations of the discs, and the number and locations of the connections are calculated according to the target shapes of the morphing flap in MATLAB. These parameters are passed to a Python script that automatically generates the finite element (FE) model of the morphing TE flap assembly for ABAQUS. The FE model is then simulated in ABAQUS and the needed results are extracted by the Python script and passed back to the main MATLAB code, in which a particle swarm optimization is used to find the set of parameters that lead to the optimal bent shape of the upper and lower skins. The results showed that the proposed design process is robust and able to achieve the desired morphed continuously shape of the TE flap.

Raincoat design for children for age group 7-8 years: A design development case study

This paper proposes a rain coat design and development process based on objective analysis of user needs. The proposed raincoat is developed aiming at children for age group 7–8 years. The proposed design process starts with personal interviews and participant observation. The user needs analysis will be realized in this process regarding the user need categories of functional, expressive, and aesthetic needs.These needs led to the further development of design criteria.These criteria were then translated into raincoat attributes and used in the development of a raincoat prototype. Finally, the raincoat prototype was evaluated regarding the design criteria. The final design combines the desired functional, expressive, and aesthetic attributes as outlined by the design criteria.

Experimental Validation of a Novel PI Speed Controller for AC Motor Drives With Improved Transient Performances

A proportional–integral (PI) controller is the most frequently used control technique for adjustable speed-motor drives. The main advantage of a PI controller is its ability to ensure zero steady-state error under low-frequency disturbances and model uncertainties as long as the closed-loop system is stable. However, the transient performances, under a PI regulator, are highly dependent on the machine parameters, the external disturbances, and the input constraints. This brief proposes the design process of a novel PI speed controller that is capable of preserving almost the nominal transient performance under the parameter variation and external disturbances such as the load torque. The controller also suppresses the effect of input saturation that may occur because of the armature current limitation. Simulation and experimental tests are carried out to verify the validity of the proposed design process. The results revealed that the proposed PI controller is effective regarding nominal performance recovery and input constraints handling.

Design of an On-Silicon-Interposer Passive Equalizer for Next Generation High Bandwidth Memory With Data Rate Up To 8 Gb/s

In this paper, we propose a new on-silicon-interposer passive equalizer for next generation high bandwidth memory (HBM) with 1024 I/O lines and 8-Gb/s data transmission, which is four times higher than the data rate of HBM generation 2. The proposed equalizer meets the three requirements for the implementation of ultra-high bandwidth interface with wide I/O lines: 1) small area; 2) fine pitch; and 3) low power. The proposed equalizer is embedded in a ground plane on an interposer to reduce additional area consumption. By staggering the equalizers in two rows, 7- $\mu \text{m}$ pitch of the channel can be maintained. The equalizer consumes only 8.24 mW at the data rate of 8 Gb/s since it adopts passive equalization methodology. Robust performance that is independent of insertion location provides design flexibility. The proposed design process for the equalizer helps to reduce manufacturing time and cost. We have verified the performance of the proposed equalizer using simulation and measurement. By applying the proposed equalizer, the eye diagram which was completely closed is successfully open with an eye height of 11.5% $V_{{\mathrm {TX,output}}}$ and an eye width of 57.8% unit interval at a bit-error rate of 10−12.

Towards a Design Process for Computer-Aided Biomimetics.

Computer-Aided Biomimetics (CAB) tools aim to support the integration of relevant biological knowledge into biomimetic problem-solving processes. Specific steps of biomimetic processes that require support include the identification, selection and abstraction of relevant biological analogies. Existing CAB tools usually aim to support these steps by describing biological systems in terms of functions, although engineering functions do not map naturally to biological functions. Consequentially, the resulting static, functional view provides an incomplete understanding of biological processes, which are dynamic, cyclic and self-organizing. This paper proposes an alternative approach that revolves around the concept of trade-offs. The aim is to include the biological context, such as environmental characteristics, that may provide information crucial to the transfer of biological information to an engineering application. The proposed design process is exemplified by an illustrative case study.

Supporting business processes through human and IT factors: a maturity model

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assist organizations in the assessment of both information technology (IT) and human factors required to support their business processes (BPs) by taking into account the interdependence and alignment of these factors, rather than considering them independently.Design/methodology/approachA design science research methodology was followed to build a maturity model (MM) enabling this assessment. The proposed design process is composed of four steps: problem identification, comparison of 19 existing MMs in business process management (BPM), iterative model development, and model evaluation. The last two steps were specifically based on three research methods: literature analysis, case studies, and expert panels.FindingsThis paper presents a MM that assigns a maturity level to an organization’s BPs in two assessment steps. The first step evaluates the level of sophistication and integration of the IT systems supporting each BP, while the second step assesses the alignment of human factors with the technological efforts.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was conducted with SMEs, leading to results that may be specific to this type of organization.Practical implicationsPractitioners can use the proposed model throughout their journey toward process excellence. The application of this model leads to two main process improvement scenarios: upgrading the sophistication and integration of the software technologies in support of the processes, and improving the cohesion of the resources the organization already owns (human and IT resources).Originality/valueThe proposed MM constitutes a first step in the assessment of the interdependence between the factors influencing BPM.

A design process for the adoption of composite materials and supply chain reconfiguration supported by a software tool

Abstract Composite materials comprising fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) possess advantageous properties that surpass that of traditional materials. The use of composite materials may give the opportunity to improve the technical specifications of a manufactured module and also impact the configuration of the supply chain. However, this represents a challenging decision-making process as various technologies are available for the manufacturing of composite materials. This paper proposes a design process based on the identification of the bill of materials of a component where the substitution of certain sub-assemblies using composite materials may result in the reduction of parts, operations and suppliers. The design process is supported by a customized software tool that generates a graphic representation of the bill of materials of the selected module, allowing users to choose a specific sub-assembly, select composite materials process types and identify potential suppliers from a database. An industry case involving the production of a module used in urban buses/long distance coach manufacturing is employed to illustrate the proposed design process. The software tool developed satisfactorily integrates the bill-of-materials and current product and process specifications with an existing costing engine and a populated database of potential composite materials suppliers. The approach presented in the paper can be used to address the lack of evaluation tools for using composite materials/carbon fiber.

Parameter selection in the design of displacement and motion functions by means of B-splines

This work analyses the incidence of the parameter selection of B-spline curves, used in the design of displacement and motion functions, on its degree of freedom and shape. A complete design process based on the use of non-parametric B-spline curves and the convenience of selecting the curve parameters from the point of view of its practical application is shown. In order to make easy the design and use of the displacement function, the algorithms for derivation and integration of the B-splines used are presented. Three case studies validate the proposed design process and the selection of the adequate parameters. The first case presents the design of a displacement function of a roller follower driven by a disk cam; the corresponding cam profile and its prototype are shown. The second case presents the design of the motion function corresponding to the cutting unit of a manufacturing cardboard tube machine. The third case exposes the design of the displacement function of the bar feeding mechanism in a single-spindle automatic lathe, to produce a partial thread screw of hexagonal head.

Computational approach to design face-milled spiral bevel gear drives with favorable conditions of meshing and contact

The micro-geometry of the tooth surfaces of spiral bevel and hypoid pinions has to be fine-adjusted to obtain enhanced meshing and contact characteristics during the meshing process with their corresponding mating gears. In this paper, a new methodology is proposed to design face-milled spiral bevel gear drives to, firstly, derive favorable orientation and dimensions of the contact pattern between the mating surfaces of the gears and, secondly, obtain a predesigned parabolic function of negative transmission errors with limited magnitude of maximum transmission errors. The proposed approach is based on the definition of the desired topography for the active surfaces of the pinion followed by a numerical derivation of their finishing machine-tool settings through a bound-constrained optimization algorithm. Increasing mechanical strength and reducing the levels of noise and vibration of face-milled spiral bevel gear drives constitute the main objectives of the proposed design process. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the applicability of the developed theory .

Process and cost modeling of lactic acid recovery from fermentation broths by membrane-based process

Abstract Process and cost models for lactic acid recovery from fermentation broths at an annual capacity of 100,000 kg were developed as a research tool to evaluate an alternate process technology. The models were developed using SuperPro® Designer software by gathering the optimized data from the laboratory scale experiments. Sizing of unit operations, chemicals and utility consumptions, and estimation of capital and operating costs with the cost breakdown analysis were acquired from the simulation. A membrane-based process design was proposed in this study. The processes mainly consisted of microfiltration for cell removal, a series of ultrafiltration for eliminating proteins, and the integrated reverse osmosis systems to recover, pre-concentrate, and pre-purify lactic acid. Among the 3 proposed process designs, the in-parallel membrane-based process exhibited the highest lactic acid recovery yield, while the purity remained sufficiently high compared to commercial-grade products. The number of unit operations was found to be responsible for high production cost, in terms of both investment and operating costs. Omitting centrifugation and ultrafiltration at a 30-kDa molecular weight cut-off and use of the in-parallel integrated brackish water reverse-osmosis membrane units could lower operating costs by 23–31% for various fermentation broths that entered the downstream processing units.