Smart Core Research Articles

Accident tolerant fuel design optimization for SMART reactor

Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM) fuel is one of the most advancedfuel types for the next nuclear reactor generations. The use of uranium carbide fuel in FCM offers multiple benefits such as high fuel density, improved thermal conductivity and enhanced mechanical stability. Both UC and conventional fuel (UO2) have the same melting point. As a result, under reactor operating conditions, UC has better safety margins. In addition, FeCrAl is a promising cladding material. However, because of its greater thermal neutron absorption cross section, FeCrAl has a neutronic penalty when compared to Zircaloy leading to an annual reload requirement with high fuel enrichment. Owing to their low power density and excellent design, small modular reactors (SMRs) have exceptional inherent safety. In this work, we determined the optimum design of an accident tolerant fuel (ATF), with respect to neutronics, in SMART reactor using dense UC FCM (in contrast to the conventional UO2 fuel) and a combination of zircalloy and FeCrAl (FCM -Zircaloy, FCM -FeCrAl, FCM -combining of zircaloy and FeCrAl) as cladding to achieve better thermal conductivity as well as safer performance, while considering the required fuel enrichment for the proposed designs. The effective multiplication factor and burnup were calculated for neutronic assessment of the SMART core, the outcomes are showcased alongside a comprehensive assessment of the characteristics and prospective. The neutronic parameters were estimated using the stochastic MCNPX 2.6 code. We found that Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated -Uranium Carbide (FCM-UC) fuel type was more attractive than conventional UO2. The optimum cladding design as compared to the reference case and the other cases of (FCM-UC), was determined. When 50% FeCrAl cladding was employed, case 15 in our study emerged as the superior design, demonstrating maximum production of 239Pu due to higher initial concentrations of 235U and quantities of 238U. This work may offer recommendations for future optimized designs of the SMART reactor parameters.

Total lab automation validation/verification: First step of process excellence journey in smart core lab

Total lab automation validation/verification: First step of process excellence journey in smart core lab

Development of smart core–shell nanoparticles-based sensors for diagnostics of salivary alpha-amylase in biomedical and forensics

Abstract Smart biocompatible materials that respond to a variety of external stimuli have a lot of potential in the creation of low-cost diagnostic biosensors. The present work describes the creation of core–shell nanoparticles as a biosensor for smart enzyme detection of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA). A chitosan-tripolyphosphate core was generated via ionic gelation and was coated with a starch–iodine shell to create biocompatible core–shell nanoparticles. The starch–iodine shell was ruptured in the presence of certain amounts of amylase, exposing the core. This application explains a noticeable color change from blue to white that can be used to identify sAA at the point of care. Synthesized nanoparticles were examined for scanning electron microscopy analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). An EDX report reveals that the nanoparticles have higher carbon content at 55% followed by an oxygen atom of 35%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis revealed that the core–shell nanoparticles have carbonyl (C═O) functional groups present. A confirmatory test of amylase reaction on nanoparticle-impregnated paper turns blue to white indicating that the nanoparticle reacts with amylase as an indicator. This paper-based method can be used in future applications in forensic and medical applications.

A-182 The journey From Conceptualizing, Designing, and Implementing Our Integrated Smart Core Lab at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH) & Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, India

Abstract Background KDAH established in 2009, is a 550 bedded tertiary care, multispecialty hospital in Mumbai, India. Annually the hospital manages about 300 000 patients, the clinical lab delivers >1 750 000 results with Compound Annual Growth Rate of 18 %. In the last 14 years, the clinical lab has expanded; increasing the test services, adding equipment, recruiting staff, and requesting for more space. There is increasing pressure to improve speed of service to impact early patient outcomes keeping an awareness on cost, non-availability of space for expansion. There is also demand to bring in new clinical tests and increase outreach beyond the hospital. In October 2018, the laboratory and hospital management decided to apply principles of Lean and design thinking to laboratory processes. The Smart Core Laboratory conceptualized was an outcome of this work and is focused on delivering results in the most efficient way, in terms of quality, cost, and speed. Methods The team of experts from various lab disciplines and lean consultants, started evaluating the end-to-end process from sample received at the central station to results review, reporting and sample disposal 1. Process Map: The process steps are classified and evaluated by the core team as value added (VA) and non-value added (NVA) & business-value added or necessary waste. Process Maps charts were generated for the following sample flow. a. Central Sample Receipt to Section. Verification, Registration & Distribution Process.b.In Lab preanalytical, analytical, post analytical processes: Clinical Chemistry, Immunoassay, Infectious Serology. (Serum, Plasma Fluoride / Heparin)Hematology (EDTA Whole Blood)Hemostasis (Citrate Plasma) 1. Value Stream Map A detailed Value Stream Map of all the actions for the above processes was generated to determine VA and NVA process steps 3. Spaghetti Mapping: Motion Study Observation and analysis of the Spaghetti mapping diagrams exposed inefficient layouts and identified areas with a lot of unnecessary movement. This helped to decide optimization of the flow and re-organization of the entire lab section Results & Discussion Based on the analysis of the data generated from the lean tools and identifying process waste and non-value added steps the following immediate improvements were implemented a. Combining steps extra-processing at centrifugation at each lab sectionb.Decreasing sample vacutainers by reducing number of sample drawsc.Eliminating Overproduction by removing extra barcode printing and registersd.Using Staff Creatively: Reorganize IQC, Calibration and maintenance to off peak hourse.Space Optimization. Conclusion This consolidation approach has enabled us to free up at least 341 sq ft prime lab space (≈14 % reduction), decrease staff motion & sample transportation. Approximately 50% simplification in overall processes is achieved. It also allowed reduction in additional patient sample draws by at least 40 %. The team could use this lean analysis to conceptualize and design a multidisciplinary Automation solution that would consolidate 5 sections namely Clinical Chemistry, Immunoassay, Infectious Serology, Hematology and Hemostasis in the Smart Core Laboratory.

B-032 Total lab Automation Validation/Verification Protocol: First Step of Process Excellence Journey in Smart Core Lab in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, India

Abstract Background The total laboratory automation (TLA) involves the integration, automation, consolidation and digitalization of pre-examination, examination, and post-examination processes. It is far simpler to introduce TLA in a lean, highly standardized smart core lab setting than it is to replicate complex procedures based on manual workflows, therefore harmonization/standardization is a requirement. In this era of modern clinical laboratory, a very important step with respect to the quality of the entire process is method validation/ verification. Hence, it is fundamental to verify/validate TLA process flow, new techniques, new methods and new test parameters.During laboratory accreditation process, the most frequently cited deficiency involves inappropriate PQ (Performance Qualification) and verification protocol. The main principles to the PQ laboratory test validation or verification protocol are Accuracy, Precision, Reference Interval, Detection Limit (LOD), Analytical Measurement Range (AMR) and Clinically Reportable Range (CRR), etc. Hence a clinically appropriate turnaround time is guaranteed via validation, which also provides accurate and precise readings. Methods Around 250 parameters, of biochemical and immunoassay for samples like serum/plasma/cerebrospinal fluid/urine have been validated/verified on this automated system. Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and best practise checklist as per international and national accreditation bodies served as the foundation for verification. Following are the steps for verification. Analytical Accuracy: Run samples by both methods to evaluate bias. Verify Precision: Run 5 replicates per run for 5 days, at all levels of control sera. Check Reference Intervals: Representative 20 healthy individuals are selected. Verify LOB and LOD Values: Run 20 blank (zero calibrator) or low patient samples. Pneumatic System Verification Protocol: 20 samples carried manually by health care assistants and 20 samples transported via the pneumatic system. We have done sigma metrics of 250 parameters in the lab. Results With particular reference to Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), we have obtained the following results: For the Reference interval study, out of 353 volunteers recruited, 8 volunteer data were excluded (7 outliers, 1 abnormal TPO values). We obtained the reference interval of 0.53–4.489 μIU/mL, which is within the range specified by the manufacturer's reference range. A good level of analytical accuracy is demonstrated between the two instruments with r2 = 0.9938 having a coefficient of variation of 4.32%. The coefficient of variation values of precision for inter laboratory method comparison for lower and high-level values is 1.39% and 1.76% respectively, which is comparable with the manufacturers claims values. The coefficient of repeatability is 1.3442 is higher than 0.7 and hence considered as the two instruments having a good retest reliability. We observed more than six sigma performance of TSH. Based on Operational Specification (OPSpecs) Chart and Method Decision Chart sigma values of all the parameters are evaluated and quality control strategies have been defined. Conclusion Thus, validation of all biochemistry & immunoassay parameters in TLA set up of the smart core laboratory promotes an environment, emphasizing patient safety and quality patient care.

Adsorption of Phenol from Both Acidic and Basic Industrial Waste via Newly Synthesized Metal Organic Framework Hybrid Smart Adsorbents

Newly prepared pH-responsive metal organic frameworks (MOFs) having a specific surface area of 1400 m2/g could be exploited in the total removal of pollutants from wastewaters in this work. Smart core–shell structures of COP-150@ZIF-8 and NPC@ZIF-8 were successfully synthesized in large scales through internal extended growth under polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) regulation and used in phenol removal from aqueous media. The essential factors on the removal, namely pH, initial concentration of phenol, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature, were studied and optimized. The experimental data were investigated by different kinetic and isotherm models, in which the removal of phenol by these smart sorbents is correlated with the Freundlich isotherm model and was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Excellent adsorption capacity of 1670 mg·g–1 and high efficiency were achieved in phenol removal (mixing time of only 20 min) that suggest the application of smart NPC@ZIF-8 core–shell in water filtration. Also, the optimal concentration of smart NPC@ZIF-8 and smart COP@ZIF-8 core–shell adsorbents was obtained as 300 and 250 mg·L–1, respectively. On the other hand, more than 94% removal of phenol was observed at pH = 3 for both smart nanosorbents (mere use of 0.1 g adsorbent). The results of thermodynamics confirm that the process of adsorption is exothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, having simulated the atomistic investigation of phenol removal via molecular dynamics, it was concluded that the different designed adsorbents in this work have a high capacity to remove phenol, specifically NPC@ZIF-8.

A Brief Review on Advanced Sandwich Structures with Customized Design Core and Composite Face Sheet.

Sandwich structures are a class of multifunctional high-performance structural composites that have the advantages of being lightweight, of a high strength-to-weight ratio, and of high specific energy absorption capabilities. The creative design of the core along with the apposite material selection for the fabrication of the face sheet and core are the two prerequisites with encouraging areas for further expedition towards the fabrication of advanced composite sandwich structures. The current review work focused on different types of core designs, such as truss, foam, corrugated, honeycomb, derivative, hybrid, hollow, hierarchical, gradient, folded, and smart core along with different composite materials accessible for face sheet fabrication, including fiber-reinforced composite, metal matrix composite, and polymer matrix composite are considered. The joining method plays a major role for the performance evolution of sandwich structures, which were also investigated. Further discussions are aligned to address major challenges in the fabrication of sandwich structures and further enlighten the future direction of the advanced composite sandwich structure. Finally, the work is summarized with a brief conclusion. This review article provides wider guidelines for researchers in designing and manufacturing next-generation lightweight multilayer core sandwich structures.

Size-dependent dynamics and instability of sandwich magnetorheological elastomer (MRE)-cored shells in presence of moving flow, based on modified first strain gradient theory

This paper is devoted to developing a comprehensive size-dependent modeling for dynamic and stability analysis of a sandwich micro-shell with magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) core, subjected to a moving fluid flow. The mathematical formulation of this model is conducted on the basis of Donnell’s shell theory and modified first strain gradient theory (MFSGT). Additionally, perturbation pressure of the fluid flow is considered to model and add the effect of the existing fluid to the governing fluid–solid interaction (FSI) equations. After mathematical modeling, the obtained governing motion equations are solved analytically to attain the dynamic characteristics of the system namely imaginary and real parts of eigenvalues, frequencies and loss factors of the system. Verification study is implemented and thereafter the exact influences of the involved parameters such as length scale parameter, circumferential wave number, moving flow velocity, applied magnetic intensity to the smart core and MRE core thickness on the dynamic and stability response of the system are examined and discussed in detail for first three modes. The results show an excellent and considerable role of the MRE core properties on dynamic and stability control of the system. This effect could be detected in forms of diminishing some possible instabilities of various modes or expanding the stable region of the system. It is hopeful that, the analysis and acquired results may provide a data bank; helpful for increasing the knowledge about MRE-based sandwich structures and designing more adaptable and efficient systems benefiting from advanced and smart materials.

Development of Self‐Folded Corrugated Structures Using Automatic Origami Technique by Inkjet Printing

The origami technique realizes unique mechanical properties of sheet materials without additional parts. Herein, a self‐folded corrugated structure (SCS) is developed based on the reinforcing properties of the origami technique. The corrugated structures are used as the core materials for a high‐strength, open‐channel sandwich structure. Research on self‐folded core materials is scarce; thus, a design concept is proposed, and the mechanical properties of the SCS are evaluated. First, the structural parameters of the SCS fabricated by changing the printing parameters (e.g., linewidth and number of lines/creases), to derive the structural model, are determined. The model facilitates the design of an SCS with the desired structure. Thereafter, the mechanical properties of the SCSs are evaluated by conducting three‐point bending tests to determine the essential design parameters corresponding to high stiffness. Moreover, SCSs can be stacked without occupying space, thus leading to improved strength. These SCSs fabricated using self‐folding paper by inkjet printing are low cost and ecofriendly. Moreover, they are specialized for rapid design and fabrication, depending on the application. Herein, the use of SCS as a novel smart core because it exhibits high transportation efficiency and stiffness without additional components is proposed. An interactive preprint version of the article can be found at: https://www.authorea.com/doi/full/10.22541/au.164915946.65764739.

On size-dependent nonlinear forced dynamics of MRE-cored sandwich micro-pipes in presence of moving flow and harmonic excitation

This paper is dedicated to examine the size-dependent nonlinear forced dynamics of MRE-cored sandwich micro-pipes in existence of external distributed load and internal flow. For this aim, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, considering von-Karman nonlinearity, together with the modified couple stress theory (MCST) are exploited to attain a mathematical formulation of the problem. Employing Galerkin’s approach with consideration of two axial and transverse modes, the obtained nonlinear partial differential equations are discretized, from which nonlinear ordinary equations are achieved. Thereafter, static condensation method is utilized in order to reduce the number of the obtained ordinary equations. The acquired nonlinear equations are then solved according to the method of multiple scales, which leads to nonlinear natural frequencies and frequency-response curves of the system. Throughout the numerical analysis, the effect of a smart MRE core existence on the system’s response, considering various boundary conditions, is explored. Additionally, a numerical investigation is implemented to highlight the influences of MRE-related intrinsic properties namely the intensity of the applied magnetic potential and MRE core thickness on the natural frequencies, frequency-response and load-response curves of the system. Totally, the substantial role of the MRE core and its intrinsic characteristics on the dynamic response of the system is explored, which implies that, this smart core could be a good candidate in such sandwich structures in order to control and boost the dynamic properties and response of the mechanical systems.

New Housing Concepts: Modular, Circular, Biobased, Reproducible, and Affordable

For a moment, it seemed that the architect had disappeared from the construction supply chain for sustainable and affordable housing provided by Dutch housing associations. Large contractors were making direct agreements with housing associations and wanted to scale up production with their housing factories. However, with the ‘So You Think You Can BUILD’ challenge, architects, consultancies, and contractors reinvented themselves within the construction supply chain and acquired a position as providers of circular building concepts. The aim of this challenge is to stimulate providers of homes to design and produce (in great numbers) affordable and sustainable houses. This not only scales up building production in empty fields but also within difficult and dense build urban areas. A whole new generation of Dutch architects, consultancies, and contractors working in collaboration are now intensively involved with circular and biobased residential buildings, innovative materials and production processes. They are managing to provide attractive products for housing associations and other clients. In the first part of 2021, ‘So You Think You Can BUILD’ challenged teams of designers, engineers and contractors to develop new concepts, with the three winners applying the principles of the ‘passive house’, which is modular and circular, as well as a smart building skin and smart core with open floor space in between.

Metal-organic framework nanohybrid carrier for precise pesticide delivery and pest management

Smart core–shell nanocarriers can release pesticides in response to stimuli from the microenvironment associated with pests and the physiological behaviors of protected crops. In this work, a smart nanocarrier (MIL-101(Fe)@silica) with dual functions of site-specific delivery and plant nutrition was fabricated to deliver chlorantraniliprole (CAP) for sustainable pest management. The results showed that the developed CAP@MIL-101(Fe)@silica with a size of approximately 270 nm had a stable core–shell nanostructure with a highly crystallized regular octahedron. The photostability of the drug loaded in the carrier under UV-light irradiation was 16.5 times higher than that of technical CAP. The introduction of the silica shell prevented the premature escape of CAP from the MIL-101(Fe) core in the environment and endowed the developed nanohybrid carrier with base-triggered release properties. In a laboratory bioassay, CAP@MIL-101(Fe)@silica had favorable insecticidal activity (LC50 = 0.389 mg/L) in controlling Plutella xylostella larvae. After fourteen days of spraying in the greenhouse experiment, the mortality of the CAP@MIL-101(Fe)@silica treatment (86%) against P. xylostella larvae was significantly higher than that of the CAP suspension concentration treatment (36.7%). In addition, MIL-101(Fe)@silica was safe for crops and could enhance the crop fresh weight and dry weight by 18.6–19.6% and 4.8–17.7%, respectively. Therefore, MIL-101(Fe)@silica could be used as a biocompatible carrier for site-specific pesticide delivery and simultaneously as a fertilizer for crop growth, which would be a novel route for the development of a precise pesticide delivery nanoplatform.

A new nano-grain Mn–Zn spinel ferrite smart cores to enhance the efficiency of high-frequency devices

Mn-Zn ferrites are widely interested in the application as current-compensated chokes due to their astounding features. In this study, nanocrystalline Mn-Zn ferrite (Mn0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4) was synthesized using the coprecipitation method. The structures and magnetic properties of the resulting powder were assessed using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron micrographs (TEM), magnetic properties at room temperature (AGFM) and Curie temperature measurement. XRD pattern confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline Mn-Zn ferrite with average crystallite sizes in 11.3 nm. The magnetic measurements revealed that they have superparamagnetic behavior. The electromagnetic properties of these cores including the output voltage versus input voltage, quality factor and impedance versus frequency at four sintered temperatures were assessed. The results demonstrated that the fabricated smart core sintered at low temperature (800 °C) could efficiently be appropriate for work in a test frequency of 15 MHz. This encouraging feature suggests that it is worthwhile for application in modern switch-mode power supply modules.

Neutronic performance of fully ceramic microencapsulated of uranium oxycarbide and uranium nitride composite fuel in SMR

The existing commercial nuclear power plants (PWR and BWR) utilize the oxide fuels, i.e., UO2. This fuel selection is not questionable, where the safety and economy are the top priority in the nuclear industry. In this work, the potential advantages of microencapsulated fuels to System Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor “SMART” has been explored. The UN and UCO have been considered as the candidate fuel material for the SMART reactor. The detailed design and fuel assembly configurations with different fuel types of the SMART reactor have been investigated for criticality with depletion (burn up), fuel and moderator temperature coefficients, and power peaking factor using OpenMC. The fissile and fertile fuel elements with coated particles are embedded in graphite matrices. The results are presented with a review of attributes and potential benefits. The nitride fuel has an advantage of mechanical stability, enhanced thermal conductivity, and high fuel density compared to dioxide fuel (UO2). The melting point of standard fuel, UN, and UCO are similar. Thus, they have higher safety margins under NPP's operating conditions. Therefore, nitride (UN) and carbide (UCO) fuel types are more attractive than standard uranium oxides because they are safer and beneficial. The dioxide fuel (UO2) is considered as the reference and compared with candidate material. The neutronic assessment within SMART core specification examined the effective multiplication factor, thermal flux distribution, axial and radial power distribution, and power peaking factor at the beginning, and end of the fuel cycle.

ESFR SMART PROJECT CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF IN-VESSEL CORE CATCHER

Even before Fukushima accident occurred, the safety authorities have required that new power plant designs must take into account beyond design-basis accidents including possible core meltdown. Among the mitigation strategies, the corium retention must be ensured, so a core catcher is implemented in the design of the Generation IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor. An internal core catcher within the vessel (in-vessel retention) is the option chosen for the European Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor investigated in the H2020 ESFR-SMART project. The new core investigated in ESFR SMART with lower void effect has a better behavior in case of severe accident. The use of passive control rods is also an improvement for prevention of severe accident. Moreover, we have in the ESFR SMART core dedicated tubes for corium discharge that should allow discharging quickly the melted materials and should help to prevent large criticality. Calculations show that after several seconds, these discharge tubes begin to open, and the corium arrives by this preferential way on the core catcher, quicker and in limited quantities at the beginning of the accident. However, the core catcher is designed to be able to retain the whole core meltdown. Its design allows good possibilities of cooling by natural convection of sodium. Some thermal calculations were provided with a multi-layer concept but the global mechanical conception seems difficult. So a one layer core catcher in molybdenum, material compatible with sodium and used on the core catcher of the last SFR, started in 2016: BN 800, is investigated. Explanations are given on the choice of this material proposed for the catcher and used for thermal calculations. With the proposed design, the corium is spread on the core catcher and the residual power of the corium can be dispelled by natural convection by the sodium circulating around and above the core catcher without boiling of sodium if the melted core is less than about 25% of whole core. In case of bigger quantities of melted core, boiling of sodium could appear under the core catcher. Further less conservative calculations would be necessary to better know the limit.

SMART with Trans-Critical CO2 power conversion system for maritime propulsion in Northern Sea Route, part 1: System design

The Northern Sea Route is a new way to connect Asia and Europe. To utilize the sea route, merchant ships are required to have the icebreaking capability. Since conventional fossil fuel engines have limitations for the icebreaking merchant ship propulsion, nuclear power having a long refueling period for icebreaking merchant ship is proposed in this paper. To evaluate the technical feasibility of the nuclear power for the icebreaking ship’s engine, 330MWth SMART is selected for the reference reactor core. The power conversion system for the SMART core is substituted with the trans-critical CO2 recompression cycle that has advantageous in low-temperature heat sink as in Northern Sea Route and low-temperature heat source, Pressurized Water Reactor operating conditions. In this paper, the major components of the trans-critical CO2 cycle are designed. Then, CO2 PRHRS, which is driven by CO2 natural circulation loop, is designed to substitute steam-water based PRHRS.

Modeling of novel nanoscale mass sensor made of smart FG magneto-electro-elastic nanofilm integrated with graphene layers

This paper is devoted to presenting theoretical modeling for a novel nano-mass sensor system composed of smart core integrated with graphene layers in its top and bottom surfaces. The smart core is made of a functionally graded (FG) magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) nanofilm. On the basis of the nonlocal strain gradient theory and first-order shear deformation plate theory, the size-dependent governing equations for this graphene/FG-MEE/graphene nanofilm based nano-mass sensor system are derived. The frequency shift behavior of this system is investigated with consideration of different distribution configurations, different attaching locations, and different total masses of the attached nanoparticles. Furthermore, the influences of graphene faces, FG index of the MEE core, nonlocal and strain gradient parameters, as well as external electric and magnetic potentials on the frequency shift behavior of the nanoscale mass sensor are examined in detail. Significant enhancement of the frequency shift and frequency shift ratio can be observed for the nano-mass sensor system by covering graphene in the top and bottom surfaces of FG-MEE nanofilm. The theoretical model and conclusion presented in this paper may serve as an inspiration to researchers for exploiting nanoscale mass sensors with high sensitivities.

Resolving the internal morphology of core-shell microgels with super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.

We investigate the internal morphology of smart core–shell microgels by super-resolution fluorescence microscopy exploiting a combination of 3D single molecule localization and structured illumination microscopy utilizing freely diffusing fluorescent dyes. This approach does not require any direct chemical labeling and does not perturb the network structure of these colloidal gels. Hence, it allows us to study the morphology of the particles with very high precision. We found that the structure of the core-forming seed particles is drastically changed by the second synthesis step necessary for making the shell, resulting in a core region with highly increased dye localization density. The present work shows that super-resolution microscopy has great potential with respect to the study of soft colloidal systems.

Assessment of dynamic characteristics of thin cylindrical sandwich panels with magnetorheological core

Based on the equivalent single-layer linear theory for laminated shells, free and forced vibrations of thin cylindrical sandwich panels with magnetorheological core are studied. Five variants of available magnetorheological elastomers differing in their composition and physical properties are considered for smart viscoelastic core. Coupled differential equations in terms of displacements based on the generalized kinematic hypotheses of Timoshenko accounting for transverse shears with coefficients depending on the complex shear modulus for a smart core are used to govern vibrations of cylindrical panels. Assuming conditions of simple support for straight and curvilinear edges, solutions in the explicit form describing natural modes as well as an equation with respect to the required complex eigenfrequencies are found. To predict the shell response to an external harmonic force, the general solution of non-homogeneous governing equations is derived in the form of series in natural modes. To estimate damping capability of magnetorheological elastomers under consideration, the principle tunable parameters, the lowest natural frequencies and associated logarithmic decrements are calculated for the same panels with different magnetorheological elastomers under the action of a magnetic field of different intensities. Finally, the amplitude–frequency plots for magnetorheological elastomer-based panels of different opening angles with and without magnetic field are presented.

SmartEdge: An end-to-end encryption framework for an edge-enabled smart city application

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to transform communities around the globe into smart cities. The massive deployment of sensor-embedded devices in the smart cities generates voluminous amounts of data that need to be stored and processed in an efficient manner. Long-haul data transmission to the remote cloud data centers leads to higher delay and bandwidth consumption. In smart cities, the delay-sensitive applications have stringent requirements in term of response time. To reduce latency and bandwidth consumption, edge computing plays a pivotal role. The resource-constrained smart devices at the network core need to offload computationally complex tasks to the edge devices located in their vicinity and have relatively higher resources. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end encryption framework, SmartEdge, for a smart city application by executing computationally complex tasks at the network edge and cloud data centers. Using a lightweight symmetric encryption technique, we establish a secure connection among the smart core devices for multimedia streaming towards the registered and verified edge devices. Upon receiving the data, the edge devices encrypts the multimedia streams, encodes them, and broadcast to the cloud data centers. Prior to the broadcasting, each edge device establishes a secured connection with a data center that relies on the combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption techniques. In SmartEdge, the execution of a lightweight encryption technique at the resource-constrained smart devices, and relatively complex encryption techniques at the network edge and cloud data centers reduce the resource utilization of the entire network. The proposed framework reduces the response time, security overhead, computational and communication costs, and has a lower end-to-end encryption delay for participating entities. Moreover, the proposed scheme is highly resilient against various adversarial attacks.