Simple Design Research Articles

Calibration and implementation of a design tool for drag anchors in clay

Abstract Drag anchors are considered as one of the most applicable anchor solutions for floating offshore wind as they can be used for a wide range of soil conditions. For feasibility studies of floating offshore wind farms different anchor concepts needs to be compared in order to select the most proper anchor solution. To do so, the level of details in the analysis for the various anchor types must be similar. Currently design charts are adopted as a simple design method for drag anchors. However, design charts are developed for specific soil conditions, and do not account for site specific soil conditions. To have similar precision, as analytical solutions for suction anchors, a simple design methodology that can account for site specific soil conditions for drag anchors must be adopted. This paper presents an example for how a simple analytical solution can be calibrated against design charts, which makes it possible to account for site specific soil conditions, resulting in a better basis for comparing early stage drag anchor design to other anchor solutions.

Adaptive quantized finite-time fault-tolerant control for uncertain multi-input multi-output systems and its application

The article proposes a novel state-feedback control method for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) nonlinear system with actuator faults and input quantization. The innovation of the design approach lies in the utilization of fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) to approximate the uncertain intermediate virtual control laws, thereby achieving a simplified virtual control design form. Additionally, finite-time control is employed to enhance the system’s response speed. Different from the existing literatures, the adaptive control scheme of partial loss fault gain is integrated with input quantization, which completes the unknown gain estimation and avoids the assumption condition of unknown control gain. The theoretical analysis combined with Lyapunov stability analysis shows that the tracking error can converge regardless of whether the system experiences a fault, while the closed-loop signal remains stably bounded for a finite time. Finally, the simulation results of the quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attitude system indicate that this control scheme is effective.

Facile synthesis and fabrication of Mg2SnO4/carbon black as a sustainable electrode for determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-flutamide

The accumulation of hazardous pharmaceutical wastes in aquatic organisms, particularly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug molecules, has severe toxicological consequences for both aquatic life and humans. To protect the environment, it is essential to develop a highly efficient device with dual-purpose capabilities for drug detection while minimizing catalyst expenditure. In this work, we explored a simple and effective design for fabricating a magnesium stannate combined with carbon black (Mg2SnO4/CB) nanocomposite as a cost-effective, sustainable electrode material for the electrochemical detection of flutamide (Flu). The Mg2SnO4/CB nanocomposite was synthesized through a simple hydrothermal process followed by sonication. Various analytical methods were used to determine its physico-chemical characteristics. The electrochemical efficiency of Mg2SnO4/CB/GCE was evaluated by detecting Flu, showing a remarkable linear range from 0.6 to 198.4 µM with a sensitivity of 3.91 μA μM−1 cm−2. In addition, the constructed sensor demonstrated excellent selectivity, high repeatability, outstanding reproducibility, and long-lasting stability. The anti-interference experiments yielded a definite current response without any change in peak shifts. Consequently, Mg2SnO4/CB/GCE demonstrated superior performance in determining Flu in human urine and river water samples.

Low-Cost IoT-Based Sensors Dashboard for Monitoring the State of Health of Mobile Harbor Cranes: Hardware and Soft-ware Description

A cost-effective IoT-based real-time data acquisition and analysis hardware system was developed to enhance the performance of the mobile harbor cranes using a combination of a cost-effective quality control monitoring sensor dashboard (proximity sensors, angle position sensor, weight sensor, vibration sensor, and wind sensor), embedded microcontroller (Arduino), and embedded computer (Raspberry Pi). Hardware was operated using a specially developed novel Quality Control and Data Acquisition Multiprocessing software (QC-DAS). The QC-DAS can automatically collect and save real-time data of the sensors in a large-capacity SD card, monitor the state of health of the hardware, and transmit the real-time data of the sensors and the working state of the crane to an IoT server. The novelty of the QC-DAS design is that each function is encapsulated in a predefined module that is "immersed" in a message transmission medium. Modules interact by sending and receiving various signals through this medium. Modularity makes system design simpler, faster, and flexible. Thanks to modularity, users may incorporate their data processing modules when new sensors are added to match the system's needs. Thanks to modularity the DC-DAS can operate quality control hardware for any mobile cranes. There are several constraints in the quality control data acquisition system used by the Damietta Port Authority in Damietta, Egypt, SESCO TRANS company which cause the loading and unloading process to be slowed down. As a result, the SESCO TRANS company upgraded its quality control data acquisition system using the QC-DAS. The hardware was deployed for six months, during which the collected data was used to verify the crane's performance. The vibration produced by the slewing of the crane was monitored and compared with the bearing fault frequency limits, during the operation the wind speed was monitored and compared with the critical wind speed to stop the crane operation automatically, and the payloads data of the six months was collected and was used to calculate the working efficiency of the load and unload process of the crane. The results demonstrated that while maintenance costs were decreased, the crane load/unload procedure was improved. The SESCO TRANS company crane operators approved the developed approach and appreciated the achieved results.

Research on Integrated Optimization of Design Parameters and Process Simulation for Throughput Efficiency

This thesis presents a comprehensive approach to enhance the production throughput of aluminium bumper beams, a critical component in automotive manufacturing. Using CATIA, an innovative bumper beam design was developed, focusing on simplicity of design and manufacturability. The design parameters considered included material selection, cross-sectional area optimization, and welding techniques to ensure both performance and ease of manufacturing. Transitioning to Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, a virtual environment was constructed to simulate the bumper beam production process. The simulation incorporated the identified design parameters, process routes, layout considerations, and machine arrangements to optimize throughput without inflating costs. By leveraging advanced simulation techniques, the study aimed to identify the most efficient production strategies while maintaining design integrity and minimizing resource consumption. Through systematic scenarios experimentation and analysis, the research yielded insights into the complex relationship between design decisions and manufacturing processes. The results highlight the potential for significant throughput enhancements achievable through collaborative optimization of design and production parameters. The optimization was able to achieve an increase in throughput of about 12.64% of its initial throughput. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of holistic approaches integrating design engineering with manufacturing simulation to drive continuous improvement in industrial operations. This thesis contributes to advancing automotive manufacturing practices by offering a methodology for enhancing production efficiency while preserving product quality and cost-effectiveness. The findings provide valuable guidance for engineers and practitioners seeking to optimize manufacturing processes through the use of simulation and design parameters

Optimizing Contact-Less Magnetoelastic Sensor Design for Detecting Substances Accumulating in Constrained Environments

The optimization of a contact-less magnetoelastic sensing setup designed to detect substances/agents accumulating in its environment is presented. The setup is intended as a custom-built, low-cost yet effective magnetoelastic sensor for pest/bug detection in constrained places (small museums, labs, etc.). It involves a short, thin, and flexible polymer slab in a cantilever arrangement, with a short Metglas® 2826 MB magnetoelastic ribbon attached on part of its surface. A mobile phone both supports and supplies low-amplitude vibration to the slab’s free end. When vibrating, the magnetoelastic ribbon generates variable magnetic flux, thus inducing voltage in a contact-less manner into a pick-up coil suspended above the ribbon. This voltage carries specific characteristic frequencies of the slab’s vibration. If substances/agents accumulate on parts of the (suitably coated) slab surface, its mass distribution and, hence, characteristic frequencies change. Then, simply monitoring shifts of such frequencies in the recorded voltage enables the detection of accumulating substances/agents. The current work uses extensive testing via various vibration profiles and load positions on the slab, for statistically evaluating the sensitivity of the mass detection of the setup. It is shown that, although this custom-built substance/agent detector involves limited (low-cost) hardware and a simplified design, it achieves promising results with respect to its cost.

Savonius wind turbine blade selection based on computational fluid dynamics

The Savonius vertical axis wind turbine is widely used because of its simple design and efficiency at low wind speeds. The next development is the mini multi-blade Savonius helical wind turbine. At this miniature size, the performance of a mini multi-blade helical Savonius turbine due to variations in the number of blades and its impact on the energy produced has not been investigated in depth. Therefore, adjustments to the size and number of blades need to be made to optimize the performance of this turbine. The research aims to obtain the performance of the Savonius type S wind turbine with 3 blades and 4 blades using the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) method. The main dimensions of the simulation model are the shaft diameter of 0.008 m, the outer diameter of 0.24 m, the height of 0.4 m, and the number of blades 3 and 4. The inner diameter of the 3-blade turbine is 0.21 m while the inner diameter of the 4-blade turbine is also 0.21 m. Both turbine models are subjected to wind speeds of 4 m/s, 5 m/s, and 6 m/s. Based on the simulation results, a turbine with 4 blades has more optimal performance compared to the 3-blade type. At a wind speed of 6 m/s, the 4-blade Savonius helical turbine produces a rotation of 498,215 rpm and a maximum power of 6,129 watts. Meanwhile, the Savonius turbine with 3 blades at a wind speed of 6 m/s produces a rotation of 545,655 rpm and a maximum power of 4,390 watts. This difference in performance shows the importance of adjusting the number of blades in wind turbine design to achieve optimal efficiency. This research provides useful insights for the further development of mini helical Savonius wind turbines in various wind conditions

Circular rubber aggregate CFST stub columns under axial compression: prediction and reliability analysis

Extensive studies support using steel tubes to enhance the structural integrity of rubber aggregate concrete (RBAC), namely RBAC-filled steel tubes (RCFST). However, current design codes for assessing the axial compressive behaviour of circular stub RCFST (CS-RCFST) columns are limited. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of studies focused on ensuring the structural safety of these columns. Based on an extensive experimental database comprising 145 columns, this study explores machine learning (ML) capabilities for predicting the axial strength of CS-RCFST columns, using six typical machine-learning models, i.e., symbolic regression (SR), XGBoost, CatBoost, random forest, LightGBM, and Gaussian process regression models. The hyperparameter tuning of the introduced ML models is performed using the Bayesian Optimization technique. The comparison results show that the CatBoost model is the most reliable and accurate ML model (R2 = 0.999 and 0.993 for the training and testing sets, respectively). In addition, a simple and practical design expression for CS-RCFST columns has been developed with acceptable accuracy based on the SR model (an average test-to-prediction ratio of 0.99 and CoV of 0.132). Meanwhile, the axial strength predicted by ML models was compared with two prominent practice codes (i.e., AISC360 and EC4). The comparison results indicated that the ML models could introduce a highly reliable and accurate approach over current design standards for strength prediction. Furthermore, a reliability analysis is conducted on two different ML models to evaluate the reliability of utilising ML models in practical design applications. This assessment involves identifying the statistical properties associated with the compressive strength of RBAC, as well as introducing the required resistance design factors aligned with the target reliability recommended by code standards.

Lattice Structures-Mechanical Description with Respect to Additive Manufacturing.

Lattice structures, characterized by their repetitive, interlocking patterns, provide an efficient balance of strength, flexibility, and reduced weight, making them essential in fields such as aerospace and automotive engineering. These structures use minimal material while effectively distributing stress, providing high resilience, energy absorption, and impact resistance. Composed of unit cells, lattice structures are highly customizable, from simple 2D honeycomb designs to complex 3D TPMS forms, and they adapt well to additive manufacturing, which minimizes material waste and production costs. In compression tests, lattice structures maintain stiffness even when filled with powder, suggesting minimal effect from the filler material. This paper shows the principles of creating finite element simulations with 3D-printed specimens and with usage of the lattice structure. The comparing of simulation and real testing is also shown in this research. The efficiency in material and energy use underscores the ecological and economic benefits of lattice-based designs, positioning them as a sustainable choice across multiple industries. This research analyzes three selected structures-solid material, pure latices structure, and boxed lattice structure with internal powder. The experimental findings reveal that the simulation error is less than 8% compared to the real measurement. This error is caused by the simplified material model, which is considering the isotropic behavior of the used material PA12GB (not the anisotropic model). The used and analyzed production method was multi jet fusion.

Design and testing of a two-axis surface encoder with a single Littrow configuration of a first-order diffraction beam

A simple but effective optical design is proposed to expand the measurement range of a surface encoder in the out-of-plane Z-direction, which had been much shorter than that in the in-plane X-direction. A zeroth-order and a first-order diffraction beams generated at a transparent grating are projected onto a parallelly aligned scale grating. The reflected zeroth-order beam from the scale grating interferes with a beam from a reference plane mirror for the Z-directional measurement over an expanded range of 13 mm. A single Littrow configuration is established for the first-order diffraction beam to travel to and from the scale grating on the same path so that it can interfere with the reflected zeroth-order beam for the X-directional measurement regardless of the Z-position of the scale grating. A prototype sensor is constructed for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed optical design for expansion of Z-range. Uncertainty analysis on the measurement results is also conducted.

Research on Spatial Morphological Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Industrial Heritage: A Case Study of Nine Industrial Heritages in Guizhou Province

Industrial heritage, recognized as a significant aspect of historical and cultural heritage, has garnered considerable attention from scholars globally. To elucidate the spatial morphological characteristics and the underlying influencing factors of industrial heritage within karst regions, this study employs methods such as the interstice index, fractal dimension analysis, and spatial syntax. It conducts research on the spatial morphological characteristics of nine typical industrial heritages in Guizhou Province. The primary factors contributing to the variations in layout forms are the intricate karst topography and the functional requirements of production. The functional zoning of industrial heritage aligns with its layout, characterized by straightforward functional zones that have not developed into composite spaces. The overall connectivity of industrial heritage is relatively low, exhibiting weak integration, significant disparities in control values, low average depth values, and a deficiency in comprehensibility and diversity of options. This indicates that the internal connectivity of industrial heritage spaces is generally inadequate, with low accessibility, strong interrelations, average convenience, limited connectivity, and generally acceptable passage. The overall spatial, architectural, and roadway configurations of industrial heritage predominantly exhibit a uniform pattern. Importantly, industrial heritage reveals a highly variable overall spatial form, with an average fractal dimension of 1.57, complex architectural layouts (average fractal dimension of 1.50), and simplistic road network designs (average fractal dimension of 1.43), which collectively suggest high spatial complexity and irregular characteristics. This study can provide a reference for the analysis of spatial characteristics and influencing factors of other material cultural heritages, and it is of great significance for the systematic protection and revitalization of industrial heritage.

A Simple and Optimal Policy Design with Safety Against Heavy-Tailed Risk for Stochastic Bandits

We study the stochastic multi-armed bandit problem and design new policies that enjoy both optimal regret expectation and light-tailed risk for regret distribution. We first find that any policy that obtains the optimal instance-dependent expected regret could incur a heavy-tailed regret tail risk that decays slowly with T. We then focus on policies that achieve optimal worst-case expected regret. We design a novel policy that (i) enjoys the worst-case optimality for regret expectation and (ii) has the worst-case tail probability of incurring a regret larger than any regret threshold that decays exponentially with respect to T. The decaying rate is proved to be optimal for all worst-case optimal policies. Our proposed policy achieves a delicate balance between doing more exploration at the beginning of the time horizon and doing more exploitation when approaching the end, compared with standard confidence-bound-based policies. We also enhance the policy design to accommodate the “any-time” setting where T is unknown a priori, highlighting “lifelong exploration”, and prove equivalently desired policy performances as compared with the “fixed-time” setting with known T. From a managerial perspective, we show through numerical experiments that our new policy design yields similar efficiency and better safety compared to celebrated policies. Our policy design is preferable especially when (i) there is a risk of underestimating the volatility profile, or (ii) there is a challenge of tuning policy hyper-parameters. We conclude by extending our proposed policy design to the stochastic linear bandit setting that leads to both worst-case optimality in terms of regret expectation and light-tailed risk on regret distribution. This paper was accepted by J. George Shanthikumar, data science. Funding: The work of D. Simchi-Levi and F. Zhu is partially supported by the MIT Data Science Laboratory. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03512 .

Formula Design of Hyperbranched Polyarylether‐Based Low Dielectric Photosensitive Resin and Study of UV‐Cured Films Properties

ABSTRACTFor large‐area electronic and high shape complexity structure applications, various solution‐processable materials are chosen as dielectric layer due to their simple molding process via spin‐coating, casting, or 3D printing at room temperature. Herein, the acrylic‐ended fluorinated hyperbranched polyaryletherketone (hb‐P6FAEK‐Ace) was used as the prepolymer and then, the composition of photosensitive resin formula was regulated by adjusting the addition ratio of hb‐P6FAEK‐Ace and diluents (acrylimorpholine [ACMO] 1,6‐Hexanediol diacrylate [HDDA]). These photosensitive resin solutions showed the relative low viscosities ranged ranging from 18 to 253 mPa S at 100°C which was in favor of the future 3D printing method and printing accuracy. Then, the obtained UV‐cured films show the maximum tensile strength up to 71.9 MPa and superior thermal properties with the Tg of 157°C–177°C and T5% of 314°C–351°C. Moreover, they also exhibited the good dielectric performance with dielectric constants of 2.43–2.20 and dielectric loss of 0.013–0.014 at 1 MHz–1 GHz. These abovementioned satisfactory performance could be ascribed to the aromatic skeleton of hb‐P6FAEK‐Ace, introduced polarizability‐CF3 groups and the inner cavities for the hyperbranched structures, also the precise control of formula composition. Additionally, the curing degree, shrinkage of solid, and moisture properties were also researched thoroughly. This work provides a simple formula design though to construct the high performance and low dielectric photosensitive resin for the requirements of microelectronic applications.

Design and Implementation of Digital Integrated Circuit Based CPU

This paper presents a simplified 16-bit CPU design and its implementation using digital integrated circuits developed with Verilog hardware description language, while emphasizing simulation through the EDA tool. This design puts more emphasis on the critical roles played by the data path and the control unit, executing key instructions including arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, bitwise logic, and conditional jumps. This structurally modular CPU is both functioning and stable in nature, allowing support for future enhancements and enhancements as well, thereby serving as an effective model towards an understanding of the principles of CPU design. The execution of these basic instructions puts the core of the CPU under test and reaffirms its proper operation in respect of the detailed instruction set, while its extensibility design confirms further improvement possibilities for future complex instructions as well as finite-state machine optimization for the control unit. The present work not only proves the possibility of creating a fully working CPU, using readily available bare minimum resources to implement a prototype, but is also a breakthrough in future research with CPU architecture. The obtained results will shed light on CPU functionality optimization and extension, being the ground for building more powerful and effective processors in the future.

Combining Ability and Heterosis Analysis in Maize: Insights from Line × Tester Hybridization

Fifty hybrids were obtained by crossing twenty five lines with two testers and were evaluated to study heterosis and combining ability for kernel yield per plant and its components traits. The experiment was laid out in simple lattice design with two replications during kharif 2019 at Agricultural Research Station, Peddapuram, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Heterosis studies revealed that twelve out of fifty crosses exhibited significant positive heterosis over the mid-parent, five crosses showed significant positive heterosis over the better parent and one cross exhibited significant positive heterosis over the standard check, DHM117, for kernel yield per plant. The cross PDM1732 × BML6 recorded significant heterosis over mid parent, better parent and standard check in desirable direction for kernel yield per plant. Out of the 25 lines evaluated in the present investigation, the line PDM1733 for protein content and kernel yield per plant was found to be good general combiner in desirable direction and can be utilized as parent for production of good hybrids by crossing with other divergent lines and can also be employed in the development of synthetic varieties. None of the fifty crosses recorded significant sca effect for kernel yield per plant.

Development of a compact forage harvester equipped with a stem length orienter and rectangular deflector for small farms

The object of the study is the technological processes of high-quality crushing of stem feeds, due to the oriented feeding of stems into the grinding chamber and transportation of the crushed mass through a rectangular deflector. A review of the literature sources has shown that at present, the design and technological scheme of a small-sized forage harvester has not yet been developed, which in turn ensures high-quality crushing of stem feeds and reduces operating costs in small farms. As a result of theoretical studies, analytical expressions were obtained to determine the mass velocity at the deflector outlet and the range of mass ejection in the horizontal section. The combine productivity when mowing alfalfa was equal to 6.22 t/h, the range of mass ejection in the horizontal direction was within 7.5...8.0 m (theoretical value – 7.8 m), the average size of crushed particles was 32.89 mm (estimated length – 33.5 mm), the difference between theoretical and actual values is 1.5 %. The results of laboratory and field tests showed the efficiency of the forage harvester, the reliability of the analytical expressions obtained and the efficiency of the stem length orienter was determined. A distinctive feature of the research results is that a design and technological scheme of a small-sized forage harvester equipped with an orienter and a theoretical description of the feed transportation process through a rectangular deflector were developed. According to the presented design and technological scheme, the deflector and orienter have a simplified design and good quality of crushing stem feeds. All this proves the practical significance and applicability of the developed forage harvester

Current-Induced Field-Free Switching of Co/Pt Multilayer via Modulation of Interlayer Exchange Coupling and Magnetic Anisotropy.

Current-induced field-free magnetic switching using spin-orbit torque has been an important topic for decades due to both academic and industrial interest. Most research has focused on introducing symmetry breakers, such as geometrical and compositional variation, pinned layers, and symmetry-broken crystal structures, which add complexity to the magnetic structure and fabrication process. We designed a relatively simple magnetic structure, composed of a [Co/Pt] multilayer and a Co layer with perpendicular and in-plane magnetic anisotropy, respectively, with a Cu layer between them. Current-induced deterministic magnetic switching was observed in this magnetic system. The system is advantageous due to its easy control of the parameters to achieve the optimal condition for magnetic switching. The balance between magnetic anisotropic strength and interlayer coupling strength is found to provide the optimal condition. This simple design and easy adjustability open various possibilities for magnetic structures in spin-based electronics applications using spin-orbit torque.

An Analysis of MUJIs Successful Strategy in the Chinese Market

Abstract: The Chinese consumer market has changed significantly in the last few years due to a tendency toward simplicity and a change in customer sentiments. MUJI has effectively entered the Chinese market by using its sustainable development idea and minimalist style, allowing it to adapt to this shift. This paper aims to examine the innovative marketing strategy employed by MUJI in the Chinese market, its capacity to achieve long-term growth, and its role as a symbol of the minimalist lifestyle, while demonstrating an ability to adapt to the changing needs of its customers. In this paper, both literature review and data analysis are employed to provide an in-depth study of MUJIs strategy to enter the Chinese market. The results show that Chinese consumers preference for MUJI products not only stems from their simple and practical design, but also coincides with the concept of minimalist aesthetics in traditional Chinese culture. In addition, MUJI's unique advantages in product quality, brand image and marketing strategy further enhance its competitiveness in the Chinese market. Through specific analysis, it comprehensively discusses the success factors of this Japanese brands minimalist design style in the Chinese market, which provides a reference for the design and marketing of other international brands in the Chinese market.

Microbial electrochemical snorkels: principle, structure, and applications in environmental amelioration

Microbial electrochemical technology (MET) represents a novel approach demonstrating promising application prospects in emerging strategic industries such as environment protection, energy saving, and sustainable energy production. Among different METs, microbial electrochemical snorkels (MES) are praised for the simple design, high flexibility, and low costs. Several pilot MESs have been employed to mitigate environmental issues in European and American countries. Despite the rapid development, only one review article on MES has been published so far. Here we review the latest achievements in this field and introduce the principles, structures, functions, and applications of MESs. Moreover, we summarize the key challenges and the future research areas in this field, aiming to give insights into the research on MESs and other METs and improve the applications of such technologies.

Rapid microwave preparation of nitrogen doped carbon dots and their applications as highly sensitive nanoprobe for hematin

In this work, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) were obtained by microwave rapid preparation method with lipase and guanidine hydrochloride as precursors in only 6 min. In order to achieve high sensitivity detection of hematin, based on obtained NCDs as a nanoprobe, a new detection method based on photoluminescence (PL) change was developed. Further studies have shown that the sensing strategy relied on the inner filter effect to selectively quench the PL emission of NCDs at 379 nm by hematin under 320 nm excitation. The nanoprobe had a wide linear range (0.2–13 μmol/L) and a detection limit of 0.07 μmol/L. The method was effectively applied to the identification of hematin in human blood samples. The proposed nanoprobe has the characteristics of simple and efficient design. It can achieve rapid and accurate detection, which is very suitable for real-time analysis of blood samples to facilitate diagnosis.