Simulation Software Tools Research Articles

Comparative Performance Analysis of Different Cathode materials of Solid State Lithium ion Battery

In this paper , a single dimensional solid state lithium(Li)-ion batteries are simulated at different C-rates to analyze the characteristics like discharge curves, electrolyte potential along the thickness of electrolyte and variation of concentration along the electrolyte and positive electrode by using multi-physics simulation software tool, COMSOL. Li-ion batteries can be designed with different cathode materials but every material has its own advantages and disadvantages along with their applications. So, the main focus of this paper is to compare the characteristics of different cathode materials of Li-ion battery at different C-rates with similar design operating parameters.

Efficient Design of Majority-Logic-Based Approximate Arithmetic Circuits using Quantam-Dot Celluar Automata (QCA) Technique

Abstract: In this paper, we propose an approximate multiplier that is Approximate computing (AC) offers benefits by reducing the requirement for accuracy, thereby reducing delay. The majority logic (ML) gate functions as the fundamental logic block of many emerging nanotechnologies. These adders are designed to prevent the propagation of inexact carry-out signals to higher order computing parts to enhance accuracy. We implemented the proposed multiplier by using a unique partial product reduction (PPR) circuitry, which was based on the parallel approximate 6:3 compressor. The implemented by quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) are analyzed to evaluate the adder designs. A significant improvement is observed over previous designs based on the experimental results. The proposed design is further designed using kogge stone adder. Finally, It has added advantage that reduces logic size and facilitates with less power and delay. Here we are using Verilog HDL and Xilinx ISE14.8 software tools for simulation and synthesis purpose

Design optimization of a Dual-Interlocked-Cell in 65 nm CMOS tolerant to Single Event Upsets

Dual-Interlocked-Cell (DICE) latches are tolerant to Single Event Effects (SEE) by design owing to intrinsic redundancy. In nanometric technologies, as in the 65 nm scale, there are new SEE vulnerabilities associated with charge sharing between nodes. Herein we present a systematic analysis of the robustness against radiation using a simulation software tool for analog and mixed-signal circuits (AFTU) that emulates the possible effects generated by particle impacts. In this paper, we evaluate the influence of SEE on circuit performance using this tool as an RHbD assessment for designers. An exhaustive study of the possible vulnerabilities of the DICE architecture is performed, including an evaluation of the proximity between critical nodes at the layout level. As a result, we propose several modifications to the cell implementation to optimize its robustness against Single Event Upsets (SEU). An assortment of five designs with different variations of the original DICE scheme was sent for fabrication on a new chip and tested under ion beams, with promising results showing a clear improvement in the SEU sensitivity of the cell. The best results come from a redesign of the load circuitry to avoid a SET2SEU effect and full interleaved layout to avoid charge sharing effects after a single event.

Study on three-dimensional dielectrophoresis microfluidic chip for separation and enrichment of circulating tumor cells

BackgroundCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) which means tumor cells shed into the peripheral blood of humans, are one of the important indicators in the early and accurate detection of malignancy. ObjectiveThis paper is based on the principle of dielectrophoresis, the design and performance research of microfluidic microarray separating and enriching CTCs was carried out, and the separation and enriching of CTCs was realized by ultilizing the difference in dielectrophoretic force and the movement trajectories between CTCs and leukocytes. ResultsChip structure design and optimization based on the COMSOL software simulation tool, through the separation experiment of human breast cancer cell MCF-7 and white blood cells, 60 kHz was selected as the frequency of cell separation experiment. Taking human liver cancer cell SMMC-7721 and human leukocyte mixture as the research object, the chip separation and enrichment experiment of CTCs was conducted. At 5 V voltage and 60 kHz frequency, the maximum separation flux of three-dimensional dielectrophores is microfluidic chip for human liver cancer cell SMMC-7721 reached 1.1 mL/h, and the separation efficiency was about 94%. ConclusionThe results of this research have important implications for separating, sorting and detecting CTCs.

Demonstration of a Modular Prototype End-to-End Simulator for Aquatic Remote Sensing Applications.

This study introduces a prototype end-to-end Simulator software tool for simulating two-dimensional satellite multispectral imagery for a variety of satellite instrument models in aquatic environments. Using case studies, the impact of variable sensor configurations on the performance of value-added products for challenging applications, such as coral reefs and cyanobacterial algal blooms, is assessed. This demonstrates how decisions regarding satellite sensor design, driven by cost constraints, directly influence the quality of value-added remote sensing products. Furthermore, the Simulator is used to identify situations where retrieval algorithms require further parameterization before application to unsimulated satellite data, where error sources cannot always be identified or isolated. The application of the Simulator can verify whether a given instrument design meets the performance requirements of end-users before build and launch, critically allowing for the justification of the cost and specifications for planned and future sensors. It is hoped that the Simulator will enable engineers and scientists to understand important design trade-offs in phase 0/A studies easily, quickly, reliably, and accurately in future Earth observation satellites and systems.

A New Approach in Daylighting Design for Buildings

Daylighting is a future building design trend, subjected to all the global energy efficiency standards, but its design still largely depends on the architect and it is difficult for electrical engineers to precisely quantify the energy efficiency of the solution. This study presents an innovative integration process of design and simulation, rooted in the parameters of existing standards and regulations, and leveraging architectural design and simulation software tools. Within this novel integrated design methodology, the peripheral zones of the building envelope and the central core areas of the structure are discretely conceptualized and designed. Daylight intensity in the building envelope’s peripheral zones is calculated based on the average daylight factor and the building’s optimized window-to-wall ratio. In contrast, the central core areas are designed to attract daylight from open spaces on the roof, roof structure, reflective roofs, and clerestories. A building energy performance simulation tool is utilized to validate the energy efficiency of these new design techniques. This fresh approach is tested on a complex pilot-scale building in Nhon Trach, Dong Nai, Vietnam, to evaluate the method’s feasibility and scientific soundness. The simulation results corroborate the accuracy of the proposed approach in quantifying the efficiency of reducing a building’s lighting system energy consumption by 34%, equivalent to an annual CO2 saving of over 4,000 tons. Through the proposed daylighting design, an approximate 7% increase incurs in total initial investment, promising substantial profitable returns.

Feasibility and investigation of residential HVAC system with combined ground source heat pump and solar thermal collectors in different climates of Iran

Geoexchange is one of the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space-conditioning systems available on the market. Seasonal storage of solar energy in geothermal boreholes is sharply interesting as a means of heating and cooling in buildings with different applications. In this study, a closed-loop geo-exchange and solar thermal system with two different heat exchangers are examined in an energy-efficient house. TRNSYS, a simulation software tool, was used to model the yearly performance of the hybrid ground-source heat pump (GSHP) system. Two different types of ground heat exchangers, e.g., tube-in-tube and U-tube were employed. The mass flow rate through the heat exchangers and the solar collector was examined to choose the best scenario for each of them. The economic benefits of a gray water heat recovery system and solar collector were studied; the results show that 517 and 536 US Dollars/Year can be saved from each of them, respectively. System performance analysis was carried out in different cities with various climates in Iran. Moreover, a complete economic assessment was evaluated for all cases. The results show that for the same inlet water temperature to GSHP, the tube-in-tube heat exchanger can pass 45% more flow than the U-tube heat exchanger for the same size as the HP. Furthermore, in the absence of the solar collector, a 2.7 × 108 kJ increase was conducted in the auxiliary heater component yearly. Finally, four different climates were evaluated for the launching of the GSHP system with a solar thermal collector. The hot and dry climate with 27 °C fluid inlet to a heat pump, a total borehole depth of 220 m, and an initial cost of $ 25,047 was selected as the most appropriate weather conditions for launching the system in Iran.

Mechanism validation after stress concentration analysis mathematical calculated with safety factor requirements using dedicated software with friction factor mate

It is feasible to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) numerical simulation to validate the mathematical results obtained. Testing mechanisms in real world situations, prior to manufacturing, results in optimal designs and more reliable products. Simulation software tools evaluate the behavior of a system, improve the quality of data interpretation, and even increase product innovation. The present work shows the calculation of a simple mechanical system in two dimensions, involving the mechanical properties of the materials used, obtaining the maximum allowable load due to a required safety factor. The behavior of a mechanical element while in a stress concentration is shown along with the results obtained mathematically and with the dedicated software. Once the validity of the theoretical behavior (simulation) is known, the original design will be submitted showing the assembly with non-coincident meshing, the results obtained by the friction factor, the ISO clipping showing the volumes involved in a real situation, and the acquirement of the safety factor. The designer is shown a reliable method for decision making in the development of new equipment, modifications or even changes in the geometries and materials involved.

A mathematical model to forecast solar PV performance

ABSTRACT This work focuses on developing a mathematical model to forecast the performance of solar PV. In the present scenario, solar photovoltaic performance has been envisaged by considering the impact of limited variables subject to certain assumptions and conditions and the current work drives the attention toward the effect of temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, and panel aging effects. There hasn’t been any breakthrough in the previous research so far while collectively analyzing the efficiency loss in solar photovoltaic, due to the aforementioned parameters. Hence, this work aims to develop a mathematical model in view of the above-mentioned parameters. This work has been experimented using MATLAB software and online simulation tools are used to validate the results. The results are favorable with the deviation of efficiency between the online simulation tool and the proposed mathematical model being 2–4%. Furthermore, a real-time case study has been carried out at a solar power plant installed at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, Tamilnadu, to validate the proposed mathematical model. It is observed that the absolute difference in power between the simulation and the actual meter reading is between 30 and 60 Watts with an RMSE between 5 and 16% and MPE of 675 Watts.

Internet of Things: A Comprehensive Overview on Protocols, Architectures, Technologies, Simulation Tools, and Future Directions

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a global network of interconnected computing, sensing, and networking devices that can exchange data and information via various network protocols. It can connect numerous smart devices thanks to recent advances in wired, wireless, and hybrid technologies. Lightweight IoT protocols can compensate for IoT devices with restricted hardware characteristics in terms of storage, Central Processing Unit (CPU), energy, etc. Hence, it is critical to identify the optimal communication protocol for system architects. This necessitates an evaluation of next-generation networks with improved characteristics for connectivity. This paper highlights significant wireless and wired IoT technologies and their applications, offering a new categorization for conventional IoT network protocols. It provides an in-depth analysis of IoT communication protocols with detailed technical information about their stacks, limitations, and applications. The study further compares industrial IoT-compliant devices and software simulation tools. Finally, the study provides a summary of the current challenges, along with a broad overview of the future directions to tackle the challenges, in the next IoT generation. This study aims to provide a comprehensive primer on IoT concepts, protocols, and future insights that academics and professionals can use in various contexts.

On the effects of the mean radiant temperature evaluation in the assessment of thermal comfort by dynamic energy simulation tools

The European Directive 844/2018, the EN 16798–1 and −2, and the ISO 17772 Standards establish that when designing a new building or energy retrofitting an existing building, the Indoor Environmental Quality must be considered. One aspect of IEQ is thermal comfort, which is affected by the mean radiant temperature, tr. This variable is the only one that an HVAC system cannot control directly. In fact, it depends on the temperatures of the surfaces surrounding the subject which are influenced by the air temperature. It can be calculated using the methods envisaged by the ISO EN 7726 standard or alternative approximate methods.It is therefore important to understand whether the differenttr calculation methods affect the PMV value and, therefore, the classification of the thermal environment according to the EN 16798-1 Standard. For many years, building dynamic energy simulation software tools which integrate energy analyses with the evaluation of thermal comfort have been used for the design and verification of the energy performance of buildings. This paper compares different methods of calculating the mean radiant temperature used by Energy Plus with the Design-Builder interface and analyses the influence of the results on the evaluation of thermal comfort in three buildings.

Rationalized Timetabling Using a Simulation Tool: A Paradigm Shift in Indian Railways

During the year 2020, Indian Railways undertook an extensive timetabling exercise for its entire network. The timetable for its six principal routes known as the golden quadrilateral + diagonals (GQD) was generated using a rail traffic simulation tool. The simulation tool and the methodology had to be customized to handle the complex technical requirements of the GQD network, which spans more than 9,000 km. Challenges related to using and integrating data into the simulator also had to be addressed. This was the first time that a simulation software tool of this kind was used for timetabling in Indian Railways, and hence, there were uncertainties regarding the timely delivery, which gave rise to additional challenges to the overall effort. This paper focuses on these challenges and the managerial and human aspects of this massive timetabling exercise. It also explains how this project leverages the benefits of combining top-down and bottom-up approaches in timetabling and how it sets a new paradigm for network-wide timetabling in Indian Railways. History: This paper was refereed. Funding: This work was supported financially through the Indian Railways–sponsored project titled “Implementing Zero Based Timetabling for Major IR Routes by IIT Bombay through Simulation Model of Mixed Rail Traffic” [Grant RD/0120-WRAIL00-002].

Surgical simulation education in plastic surgery: current state of the art and need for improvement

: Simulation tools continue to play an important part in surgical education, particularly allowing junior trainees an opportunity to familiarize themselves with various procedures that they either have not been exposed to or have not had enough repetition to feel confident enough to execute. It is particularly relevant when surgical training is interrupted due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019, also called COVID-19) or to personal reasons (i.e., pregnancy, leave of absence). The ability to remotely work on technical skills has tremendous value and is certainly one of the reasons that we have continued to develop new surgical simulation tools, particularly in the field of plastic surgery. A review of the major surgical simulation and anatomy software tools available within the various subdivisions of plastic surgery such as craniofacial, microsurgery, aesthetic, hand/upper extremity and burn was performed. We also reviewed some of the simulation tools available in other surgical specialties and evaluated them for fit and utility in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) surgical education. Our study shows that while various surgical simulators have been developed in PRS over the years, there remains a gap in terms of the ability for residents and trainees to acquire real-life skills remotely along with the capability to receive live feedback from faculty. This review shows that further tools need to be developed to optimize the acquisition and maintenance of surgical skills in a remote fashion. Taken together, it provides an overview of the evolution of surgical simulation education within plastic surgery.

Optimization of the Automated Production Process Using Software Simulation Tools

The purpose of this article is to point out the need to use software simulation tools in industrial practice to optimize the production process and assess the economic effectiveness of investment, including risk. The goal of the research is to find an optimal investment variant to ensure an increase in the production volume of at least 50% and to achieve the maximum economic efficiency of the investment, even considering the risk. The article presents a comprehensive approach that enables the achievement of the set research goal. The selection of the optimal version of the investment is carried out in three steps. Firstly, the versions of the investment variants are assessed from the production point of view using the program Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. Subsequently, the versions of the investment variants are assessed from an economic point of view and from a risk point of view. Economic efficiency is assessed using the financial criteria net present value (NPV), profitability index (PI), and discounted payback period (DPP), and risk analysis is carried out using Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, the accepted outputs are evaluated overall using a multi-criteria method, namely the method of partial order.

Finite Element Analysis in the Balancing Phase for an Open Source Transfemoral Prosthesis with Magneto-Rheological Damper

The article presents a finite element simulation for the stress analysis of a transfemoral prosthesis with damping for a 100 kg person in the balancing phase. The maximum force is exerted at this stage when the person supports his or her whole body on a single foot. Materials used included stainless steel and polymer matrix composites, for which mechanical testing was performed. The study applied the SolidWorks simulation software tools, where material properties were specified for each part that composes the prosthesis and considered loads, the fastenings, and the meshing. The simulation resembles the manufacturing process for each component, including the sole built by the novel composite fused deposition modeling technique. As a result of the simulation, the stress, displacement fields, and safety factor are obtained. Analysis of the safety factor indicates that the components can withstand the loads imposed. Finally, a fatigue analysis indicated that the most critically loaded component lasts at least 294,107 cycles at maximum constant loading.

A Novel Approach for Optimizing Building Energy Models Using Machine Learning Algorithms

The current practice with building energy simulation software tools requires the manual entry of a large list of detailed inputs pertaining to the building characteristics, geographical region, schedule of operation, end users, occupancy, control aspects, and more. While these software tools allow the evaluation of the energy consumption of a building with various combinations of building parameters, with the manual information entry and considering the large number of parameters related to building design and operation, global optimization is extremely challenging. In the present paper, a novel approach is developed for the global optimization of building energy models (BEMs) using Python EnergyPlus. A Python-based script is developed to automate the data entry into the building energy modeling tool (EnergyPlus) and numerous possible designs that cover the desired ranges of multiple variables are simulated. The resulting datasets are then used to establish a surrogate BEM using an artificial neural network (ANN) which is optimized through two different approaches, including Bayesian optimization and a genetic algorithm. To demonstrate the proposed approach, a case study is performed for a building on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology, located in Melbourne, FL, USA. Eight parameters are selected and 200 variations of them are supplied to EnergyPlus, and the produced results from the simulations are used to train an ANN-based surrogate model. The surrogate model achieved a maximum of 90% R2 through hyperparameter tuning. The two optimization approaches, including the genetic algorithm and the Bayesian method, were applied to the surrogate model, and the optimal designs achieved annual energy consumptions of 11.3 MWh and 12.7 MWh, respectively. It was shown that the approach presented bridges between the physics-based building energy models and the strong optimization tools available in Python, which can allow the achievement of global optimization in a computationally efficient fashion.

Using simulation to quantify the performance of automotive perception systems

The design and evaluation of complex systems can benefit from a software simulation - sometimes called a digital twin. The simulation can be used to characterize system performance or to test its performance under conditions that are difficult to measure (e.g., nighttime for automotive perception systems). We describe the image system simulation software tools that we use to evaluate the performance of image systems for object (automobile) detection. We describe experiments with 13 different cameras with a variety of optics and pixel sizes. To measure the impact of camera spatial resolution, we designed a collection of driving scenes that had cars at many different distances. We quantified system performance by measuring average precision and we report a trend relating system resolution and object detection performance. We also quantified the large performance degradation under nighttime conditions, compared to daytime, for all cameras and a COCO pre-trained network.

Відновлення працездатності радіоелектронних пристроїв шляхом реінжинірингу

Domestic radio-electronics, which is still incorporated in many electronic devices, has practically exhausted its technical resource. The longer modernization is postponed and the radio-electronic equipment based on outdated elements remains in use, the more its efficiency declines and operating costs increase. This paper analyzes the problems of maintaining the operational efficiency of radio-electronics that has exhausted its technical resource and the production of its elemental base has been discontinued. The authors substantiate the approach to extending the life cycle of technical products by updating the target functions of modules and cells through reengineering. The reengineering was performed for the functional control system 4PK, which is part of the radar 5N86 (“Hen House”), which has been in operation since 1975. To check the possibility of preserving the existing operating principles, simulations of cells and modules on the new elemental base and existing modules were carried out using Tina-Ti software simulation tools (Texas Instruments), Electronics Workbench, Micro Cap. The results of the reengineering of the 2TM modules indicated the problem of choosing a new element base — they use negative logic, which complicates the using a series of modern elemental base, the vast majority of elements of which are designed on positive logic and positive supply voltage. In order not to disturb the power supply architecture of the active radar, a way was found to coordinate different levels. Testing the model showed a positive result, and a number of cells showed the possibility to build a universal cell using reconfigurable electronic microcircuits in its composition.

TCP-Puerto-Londero: A New Approach for End-to-End Queue Length Control

This paper presents a new TCP protocol called TCPPuerto-Londero, which makes dynamic tuning in the congestion window (cwnd) by means of adaptive control theory aiming to keep stable and small the queue length in the bottleneck link located on the path from source to destination. This adaptive control loop has the relative delay in the forward path measured as an input and the cwnd value as an output. Thus, unlike classic TCP protocols, TCP-Puerto-Londero does not use Round Trip Time (RTT) information. Also, unlike classic Active Queue Management (AQM) strategies and Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) based protocols, TCP-Puerto-Londero employs end-to-end queue management without the need for ECN resources. Moreover, TCP-Puerto-Londero also aims to attend to the new challenges of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Its performance has been tested in a Dumbbell network topology shared by TCP and UDP-like Networked Control Systems (NCS) flows. Therefore, TCP-Puerto-Londero performance has been compared with ECN-based protocols like DCTCP, E-DCTCP, TCP-Jersey, and ENCN. Furthermore, this paper employs an approach for modeling, analysis, simulation, and verification of the communication network and NCS employing UPPAAL simulation software tool, where all network constituents (transmitters, channels, routers, receivers, controllers, and plants) were modeled employing timed automata, simplifying a formal verification of the complete studied system. Simulations and statistical verification indicate that even though utilizing fewer resources (as it does not require the AQM/ECN information) TCP-Puerto-Londero overcomes TCP-Jersey, DCTCP, and EDCTCP with regard to throughput and fairness for TCP flows. Also, TCP-Puerto-Londero flows are capable to keep the queue length more stable and smaller than other protocols that were compared, and consequently, it reduces the impact in NCS-UDPlike flows sharing the same network, whose performance was measured employing the Integral Time Absolute Error (ITAE), which is a desirable feature for Industrial IoT.

Design as Exploration

There are an increasing number of optimal-design paradigms used in architectural design nowadays. In these paradigms, a design task is formulated, or partially formulated, as an optimization problem. Multi-Disciplinary Optimization and Multi-Objective Optimization, as two important optimal-design paradigms, have shown their great potential in improving the performances of complex buildings in recent decades. Nevertheless, current paradigms for ill‑defined conceptual architectural design still lack ways to ensure the achievement of a reliable optimization problem, which hinders reliable design solutions despite the use of advanced optimization algorithms. To address this problem, it is necessary to shift the focus from Optimization Problem Solving to Optimization Problem Formulation. This research particularly focuses on knowledge‑supported, dynamic and interactive Optimization Problem Re-Formulation in order to construct a new Multi‑Objective and Multi-Disciplinary Optimization (MOMDO) method suitable for use in ill‑defined conceptual architectural design. The proposed method consists of two subtype methods: Non‑dynamic, Interactive Re-formulation method (Subtype-I) and Dynamic, Interactive Re‑formulation method (Subtype-II), which can be used to explore design space in a convergent and divergent manner respectively. To support the re-formulation, various kinds of information and knowledge need to be extracted by utilizing different computational techniques, such as advanced sampling algorithms, Self-Organizing Map, Hierarchical Clustering, Smoothing Spline Analysis of Variance, Two-Level Variable Structure and modular programming. Moreover, a software workflow that can provide these computational techniques is developed; it integrates McNeel’s Grasshopper, ESTECO's modeFRONTIER and simulation software tools Daysim, EnergyPlus and Karamba3D. With the support of this software workflow, the proposed method is demonstrated via two case studies concerning the conceptual design of indoor sports halls.