Symmetric Design Research Articles

Flag-transitive, point-imprimitive symmetric 2-(v,k,λ) designs with [formula omitted]

Let D=(P,B) be a symmetric 2-(v,k,λ) design admitting a flag-transitive, point-imprimitive automorphism group G that leaves invariant a non-trivial partition Σ of P. Praeger and Zhou [42] have shown that, there is a constant k0 such that, for each B∈B and Δ∈Σ, the size of |B∩Δ| is either 0 or k0. In the present paper we show that, if k>λ(λ−3)/2 and k0⩾3, D is isomorphic to one of the known flag-transitive, point-imprimitive symmetric 2-designs with parameters (45,12,3) or (96,20,4).

Nested symmetrical Latin hypercube designs

Nested symmetrical Latin hypercube designs

A new compact symmetric shear diamond anvil cell for in situ high-pressure-torsion studies.

In situ studies under severe plastic deformation at high pressures, employing shear diamond anvil cells, have recently gained much interest in the high-pressure community owing to their potential applications in material processing methods, mechanochemistry, and geophysics. These studies, combined with multi-scale computational simulations, provide important insights into the transient hierarchical microstructural evolution, structural phase transitions, and orientation relationship between parent and daughter phases and help establish the kinetics of strain-induced phase transitions under severe plastic deformation. The existing SDACs are mostly used in axial x-ray diffraction geometry due to geometrical constraints providing less reliable information about stress states and texture. Their asymmetric design also poses serious limitations to high-pressure shear studies on single crystals. To overcome these limitations, a new compact symmetric shear diamond anvil cell has been designed and developed for in situ high-pressure torsion studies on materials. The symmetric angular opening and short working distance in this new design help obtain a more reliable crystallographic orientation distribution function and lattice strain states up to a large Q range. Here, we present the advantages of the symmetric design with a few demonstrative studies.

Optimized Transverse–Longitudinal Hybrid Construction for Sustainable Design of Welded Steel Plate Girders

I-section girders with different types of steel in the flanges and web (fyf > fyw, respectively) are known as transverse hybrid girders. These have proven to be more economical than their homogeneous counterparts. However, the use of hybrid configurations in the longitudinal direction of the element has yet to be studied. This paper uses optimization techniques to explore the possibility of constructing transverse and longitudinally hybrid (TLH) steel girders. The optimization objective is to minimize the manufacturing cost, including seven activities besides the material cost. The geometrically double symmetric I-girder design subjected to a uniform transverse load is performed using Eurocode 3 specifications. Nine case studies are implemented, varying the element span (L) and the applied load. The results show that establishing various configurations along the length of the element is beneficial. The optimum number of transition points is six, meaning the girder will have four configurations, i.e., one central and three others symmetrically distributed toward each half of the element. The optimum position for the first transition would be at 0.24∗(L/2), the second at 0.40∗(L/2), and the third at 0.60∗(L/2). The optimum extreme configuration is usually homogeneous (fyf = fyw = 235 MPa). The others increase the steel quality in the plates, maintaining hybrid arrangements to reach the central one that usually remains with S700 steel for the flanges and S355 for the web. The study shows that TLH configurations are more effective for elements with larger spans. By applying the formulated design recommendations in a different case study, the manufacturing cost dropped by over 50% compared to the traditionally designed element and by more than 10% relative to the optimized element with a homogeneous configuration. The study’s limitations and encouraging results suggest future lines of research in this area.

PASAT: pathfinder in solar adaptive telescope

In the forefront of quantitative solar physics research using large-aperture ground-based solar optical telescopes, high-contrast observation along with high-accuracy polarimetric measurement in the solar active region are required. In this paper, we propose a novel high-contrast imaging telescope construction with a 60 cm medium aperture, namely, the PAthfinder in Solar Adaptive Telescope (PASAT), in which a deformable secondary mirror is used as the adaptive optical correction device and a symmetrical optical path design is employed, leading to the least Muller matrix polarization instruments. The telescope can provide a high-resolution magnetic field with high accuracy for the solar active regions, as well as high-contrast images with a superior signal-to-noise ratio and photometric accuracy of the solar photosphere and chromosphere. These data will be directly used for a better understanding of the evolution and release of magnetic energy, which will help in improving space weather forecasting. Meanwhile, PASAT will accumulate the relevant techniques for constructing similar, larger solar telescopes in the future.

Group Doubly Coupled Designs

Doubly coupled designs (DCDs) have better space-filling properties between the qualitative and quantitative factors than marginally coupled designs (MCDs) which are suitable for computer experiments with both qualitative and quantitative factors. In this paper, we propose a new class of DCDs, called group doubly coupled designs (GDCDs), and provide methods for constructing two forms of GDCDs, within-group doubly coupled designs and between-group doubly coupled designs. The proposed GDCDs can accommodate more qualitative factors than DCDs, when the subdesigns for the qualitative factors are symmetric. The subdesigns of qualitative factors are not asymmetric in the existing results on DCDs, and in this paper, we construct GDCDs with symmetric and asymmetric designs for the qualitative factors, respectively. Moreover, detailed comparisons with existing MCDs show that GDCDs have better space-filling properties between qualitative and quantitative factors. Finally, the methods are particularly easy to implement.

Multi-Objective Topology Optimization of Conjugate Heat Transfer Using Level Sets and Anisotropic Mesh Adaptation

This study proposes a new computational framework for the multi-objective topology optimization of conjugate heat transfer systems using a continuous adjoint approach. It relies on a monolithic solver for the coupled steady-state Navier–Stokes and heat equations, which combines finite elements stabilized by the variational multi-scale method, level set representations of the fluid–solid interfaces and immersed modeling of heterogeneous materials (fluid–solid) to ensure that the proper amount of heat is exchanged to the ambient fluid by solid objects in arbitrary geometry. At each optimization iteration, anisotropic mesh adaptation is applied in near-wall regions automatically captured by the level set. This considerably cuts the computational effort associated with calling the finite element solver, in comparison to traditional topology optimization algorithms operating on isotropic grids with a comparable refinement level. Given that we operate within the constraint of a specified number of nodes in the mesh, this allows not only to improve the accuracy of interface representation and motion but also to retain the high fidelity of the numerical solutions at the grid points just adjacent to the interface. Finally, the remeshing and resolution steps both run within a highly parallel environment, which makes it possible for the proposed algorithm to tackle large-scale problems in three dimensions with several tens of millions of state degrees of freedom. The developed solver is validated first by minimizing dissipation in a flow splitter device, for which the method delivers relevant optimal designs over a wide range of volume constraints and flow rate distributions over the multiple outlet orifices but yields better accuracy compared to reference data from literature obtained using uniform meshes (in the sense that the layouts are more smooth, and the solutions are better resolved). The scheme is then applied to a two-dimensional heat transfer problem, using bi-objective cost functionals combining flow resistance and thermal recoverable power. A comprehensive parametric study reveals a complex arrangement of optimal solutions on the Pareto front, with multiple branches of symmetric and asymmetric designs, some of them previously unreported. Finally, the algorithmic developments are substantiated with several three-dimensional numerical examples tackled under fixed weights for heat transfer and flow resistance, for which we show that the optimal layouts computed at low Reynolds number, that are intrinsically relevant to a broad range of microfluidic application, can also serve as smooth solutions to high-Reynolds-number engineering problems of practical interest.

Emergency Strategies for Gushing Water of Borehole and Numerical Simulation on Circular Diaphragm Wall Excavation with Ring-Beams

This study explores the underground structure and soil retention capabilities of a large-scale circular diaphragm wall (93.5 m in diameter) utilized as a soil retention strategy in deep excavation projects. The symmetrical design of the wall facilitates the use of an unsupported construction method, effectively resisting soil and water pressures. Using PLAXIS 3D 2017 software, this study simulates wall deformation and ground settlement, employing three different soil models to assess behavior under standard and emergency water gushing scenarios. The results show that the hardening soil (HS) model most accurately reflects the actual deformations and settlements. This study also finds that adjusting Young’s modulus for clay significantly impacts the accuracy of soil behavior predictions, while changes in the properties of sand have minimal effects. This research highlights the challenges posed by water gushing and suggests the need for model improvements to capture better the dynamic interactions between soil and water pressure, which could lead to wall tilting. Overall, this study offers innovative and practical value, providing crucial insights for designing and mitigating strategies in large-scale circular deep excavation projects, especially in regions such as Taiwan, where such constructions are rare and face unique challenges.

The Damietta Server: a comprehensive protein design toolkit.

The growing importance of protein design to various research disciplines motivates the development of integrative computational platforms that enhance the accessibility and interoperability of different design tools. To this end, we describe a web-based toolkit that builds on the Damietta protein design engine, which deploys a tensorized energy calculation framework. The Damietta Server seamlessly integrates different design tools, in addition to other tools such as message-passing neural networks and molecular dynamics routines, allowing the user to perform multiple operations on structural models and forward them across tools. The toolkit can be used for tasks such as core or interface design, symmetric design, mutagenic scanning, or conformational sampling, through an intuitive user interface. With the envisioned integration of more tools, the Damietta Server will provide a central resource for protein design and analysis, benefiting basic and applied biomedical research communities.The toolkit isavailable with no loginrequirement through https://damietta.de/.

Broadband Janus-Helmholtz transducer with various liquid cavity resonances

To enhance the radiation capacity of the Janus-Helmholtz transducer (JHT) and achieve a broadband transmitting response, an asymmetric dual-cavity JHT is proposed and a broadband symmetric multi-cavity JHT design is introduced. Firstly, the vibration characteristics of the cylindrical liquid cavity are analyzed and two liquid cavities with different dimensions are utilized to construct the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT. The operating principles of both the typical JHT and the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT are revealed. Furthermore, an equivalent circuit model (ECM) for the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT is proposed by combining the ECMs of the Janus transducer and the liquid cavities. To validate the accuracy and generality of the ECM for the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT, four JHTs are fabricated and tested, and the finite element method (FEM) is also employed to predict their electroacoustic performance. The admittance obtained from ECM, FEM and experiment (EXPT) exhibit good agreement. Additionally, the radial transmitting voltage response (rTVR) calculated by FEM aligns well with the experimental results. Experimental results demonstrate that the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT, compared to its typical counterpart of the same dimensions, exhibits a significantly increased rTVR within the low-frequency band. Moreover, the directivity of the typical JHT and the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT are compared by FEM and the causes of radial response fluctuations in the asymmetric dual-cavity JHT are analyzed. Finally, a symmetric multi-cavity JHT with a lower resonant frequency and a wider operating bandwidth is designed through FEM, verifying the effectiveness of the multi-mode coupling design principle. The ECM for the dual-cavity JHT offers valuable theoretical support for optimizing JHT designs and the symmetric multi-cavity JHT design serves as inspirations for modifying resonant frequency, enhancing emission capability and advancing operating bandwidth of the JHTs.

Low-rank matrices, tournaments, and symmetric designs

Let a=(ai)i≥1 be a sequence in a field F, and f:F×F→F be a function such that f(ai,ai)≠0 for all i≥1. For any tournament T over [n], consider the n×n symmetric matrix MT with zero diagonal whose (i,j)th entry (for i<j) is f(ai,aj) if i→j in T, and f(aj,ai) if j→i in T. It is known [3] that if T is a uniformly random tournament over [n], then rank(MT)≥(12−o(1))n with high probability when char(F)≠2 and f is a linear function.In this paper, we investigate the other extremal question: how low can the ranks of such matrices be? We work with sequences a that take only two distinct values, so the rank of any such n×n matrix is at least n/2. First, we show that the rank of any such matrix depends on whether an associated bipartite graph has certain eigenvalues of high multiplicity. Using this, we show that if f is linear, then there are real matrices MT(f;a) of rank at most n2+O(1). For rational matrices, we show that for each ε>0 we can find a sequence a(ε) for which there are matrices MT(f;a) of rank at most (12+ε)n+O(1). These matrices are constructed from symmetric designs, and we also use them to produce bisection-closed families of size greater than ⌊3n/2⌋−2 for n≤15, which improves the previously best known bound given in [5].

Numerical and experimental analysis of 3D printer hot ends

The design of the hot end plays a critical role in additive manufacturing, especially in material extrusion. Yet the melt flow behavior within the hot end assembly has not been explicitly presented regarding the hot end design. The present study intends to fill this knowledge gap by employing a two-phase approach to investigate the melt dynamics through three commercially available hot ends. The hot ends considered are E3D v6 Standard, v6 Gold, and Revo Six, which were chosen based on brand, design, and functionality. In Phase 1, an experimental apparatus was developed to assess the impact of feeding rate and extrusion temperature on the outlet temperature, outlet velocity, and under-extrusion percentage of extruded polymer. In Phase 2, the polymer flow through each hot end is explored utilizing a computational fluid dynamics model, which was validated using data obtained in Phase 1. It was determined that the filament feeding rate is the most influential parameter in polymer extrusion and that Revo Six’s symmetrical design affects the stability of extrusion. It was also revealed that the thermal evolution of the melted filament within the hot end assembly is directly affected by the length of the heating region and the polymer's material properties. The experimental and numerical procedures developed in this investigation can be useful to 3D printing users and manufacturers in selecting a hot end assembly based on application requirements.

A Symmetric Sixth-Order Step-Up Converter with Asymmetric PWM Achieved with Small Energy Storage Components

This research explores an improved operation of a recently studied converter, the so-called two-phase sixth-order boost converter (2P6OBC). The converter consists of a symmetric design of power stations followed by an LC filter; its improved operation incorporates an asymmetric pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme for transistor switching, sometimes known as an interleaved PWM approach. The new operation leads to improved performance for the 2P6OBC. Along with studying the 2P6OBC, one of the contributions of this research is providing design equations for the converter and comparing it versus the interleaved (or multiphase) boost converter, known for its competitiveness and advantages; the single-phase boost topology was also included in the comparison. The comparison consisted of a design scenario where all converters must achieve the same power conversion with an established maximum switching ripple, and then the stored energy in passive components is compared. Although the 2P6OBC requires a greater number of components, the total amount of stored energy is smaller. It is known that the stored energy is related to the size of the passive components. Still, the article includes a discussion of this topic. The new operation of the converter offers more streamlined, cost-effective, and efficient alternatives for a range of applications within power electronics. The final design of the 2P6OBC required only 68% of the stored energy in inductors compared to the multiphase boost converter, and 60% of the stored energy in capacitors. This result is outstanding, considering that the multiphase boost converter is a very competitive topology. Experimental results are provided to validate the proposed concept.

12-mJ 1-kHz cryogenically cooled rod Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier

We report on a continuous-wave (CW) pumped cryogenically cooled rod Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier delivering uncompressed 12-mJ, 90-ps, 1030-nm pulses at a 1-kHz repetition rate. The amplifier demonstrates an efficiency of 31.7%. A symmetric cavity design was utilized to compensate for the substantial thermal lensing effect, yielding a final measured beam quality of 1.1 in both horizontal and vertical directions. After significant gain narrowing, the measured spectra exhibit a bandwidth of 0.3 nm corresponding to an approximately 5 ps transform-limited pulse.

Compensating thermal bending of the runner disk in hydrodynamic thrust bearings: Simple approach for passively improving the performance of gas bearings

This paper presents a method for passively compensating thermal bending distortions of the thrust disk in gas thrust bearings by passive approaches. Thermal bending displays a prominent problem in hydrodynamic thrust bearings, especially in connection with air bearings. Axial temperature gradients cause the rotor disk to dish which in turn diminishes the lubricating gap topology and reduces the load capacity of the bearing. Consequently, the bearing performance is decreased and the bearing may even fail. The here proposed straightforward solutions are small changes in the rotor and runner disk design and are therefore rather simple and inexpensive to adopt. They comprise asymmetric mass distributions, recesses, disk cuts, and dual-material rotor disks. In order to show the benefit for the thrust bearing performance, detailed multiphysical numerical simulations of a representative rotor assembly with a foil thrust bearing are presented. The fully coupled finite element model calculates the deformations of the foil package (2D Reissner–Mindlin type shell equations), lubricating air film pressure (2D compressible Reynolds equation), air film temperatures (3D energy equation), and thermo-elastic deformations of the rotor and rotor disk (2D Navier-Lamé equations including centrifugal forces and thermal stresses). When the proposed design changes are applied, the model predicts reduced thermal bending, marked improvements in load capacity as well as decreased temperatures. The load capacity increase ranges up to 43% for an optimized design when compared against a standard symmetric design. Also, the sensitivity of different design parameters is discussed in detail. The suggested disk design changes may be applied to a broad variety of rotor-bearing systems. However, the design has to be tailored to the specific and individual machine operating conditions.

Towards a fiber barrel detector for next-generation high-pressure gaseous xenon TPCs

The NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) project is an international collaboration aimed at finding evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay using gaseous xenon. The current phase of the project involves the construction and operation of NEXT-100, which is designed to hold 100 kg of xenon at 15 bar and is expected to start commissioning in the first quarter of 2024. NEXT-HD will be a tonne scale experiment following NEXT-100 and will incorporate a symmetric design, with one cathode and two anodes. For this detector, the collaboration is considering to implement a barrel of wavelength-shifting fibers read-out by silicon photomultipliers to measure the energy of the particles interacting in the gaseous xenon. In this document, we will discuss the characteristics of this approach and provide an update on the related R&D efforts.

Asymmetric Implant Design for Posterolateral Overhang of the Femoral Component in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Computed Tomography-Based Study.

Introduction During total knee arthroplasty (TKA), also referred to as total knee replacement (TKR), patients may experience pain in the posterolateral knee. One possible cause is the impingement between the popliteus tendon and the femoral components. The purpose of this study was to analyze the posterolateral overhang of the femoral component using 3D template software. Methods Preoperative CT scan images of 50 knees (11 males and 39 females) with osteoarthritis of grade 2 or lower according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification were analyzed. The mean age of the subjects was 73.8±7.6 years (range 52-84 years). The Athena (Soft Cube Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan) knee 3D image-matching software was used for the analysis. The positions of the two femoral components (symmetrical and asymmetrical) were simulated. In the coronal plane, the component overhang was measured between the resected lateral part of the posterior femur and its corresponding component size, and the two designs were compared in three zones (proximal, central, and distal). Results In the simulated femoral component, the asymmetric design had a significantly lower component overhang than the symmetric design in the proximal zone of the lateral posterior condyle (0.2±1.9 mm vs. 3.5±1.6 mm, p<0.01). In the proximal zone, significant overhang (>3 mm) was observed in 30 knees (60.0%) with the symmetric design, but only three knees (6.0%) had asymmetric designs (p<0.01). Conclusions The posterolateral overhang of the lateral posterior condyle occurs when a symmetrical prosthesis is used. The use of an asymmetric implant with a small, rounded proximal portion of the lateral posterior condyle improves this overhang and is expected to decrease problems such as impingement of the popliteus tendon and improve patient satisfaction.

A 4-Element UWB MIMO Antenna System with High Isolation Performance

This paper proposes a 4-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system, which is intended for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications. The antenna has a dimension of 92 × 70 × 1.6 mm3. It achieves element isolation via the defected ground structure (DGS) and symmetric E-shaped branch structures design. The realized operating bandwidth is from 3 GHz to 18 GHz, with 15 dB isolation within the whole wide band. The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is less than 0.01 with diversity gain (DG) greater than 9.95. The prototype is fabricated and measured to verify its potential applications for UWB MIMO communication.

Dumbbell shaped structure loaded modified circular ring resonator based perfect metamaterial absorber for S, X and Ku band microwave sensing applications

In this paper, a new metamaterial absorber (MMA) is presented that exhibits peak absorptions at 3.26 GHz, 11.6 GHz, and 17.13 GHz within S, X, and Ku bands. The unit cell of the proposed MMA is constructed on an FR4 substrate having an electrical dimension of 0.144λ × 0.144λ, where wavelength, λ is calculated at the lowest absorption frequency. The unique structural design of the unit cell consists of two concentric copper rings with which dumbbell-shaped structures are attached. The rotating symmetrical structural design of this MMA provides around 93.8%, 96.47%, and 99.95% peak absorptance in the mentioned frequencies, which is invariable with the change of incident angle as well as polarization angle. The metamaterial properties of the proposed absorber are studied along with the surface current analysis. The MMA shows single negative behaviour and it also exhibits high-quality factors (Q factor) of 21.73, 41.42, and 51.90 at maximum absorptance frequencies. The MMA is analysed by it's equivalent circuit to understand the resonance phenomenon, which is verified through simulation in Advanced Design Systems (ADS) software. The testing is done on the developed prototype of the proposed MMA. Measurement results are in close proximity to the simulation results. Due to its high Q factor, high EMR, and insensitivity to polarization and angle of incidence, it can be utilized as a part of miniaturized microwave device. In addition, the proposed MMA can exhibit high sensing performance and flexibility to differentiate different oils in S, X, and Ku bands.

Polarized and Unpolarized Emission from a Single Emitter in a Bullseye Resonator

AbstractPolarized , and unpolarized emission from a single emitter embedded in a single, cylindrically symmetric device design is presented. The polarization stems from a position offset of the single emitter with respect to the cavity center, which breaks the cylindrical symmetry, and a position‐dependent coupling to the frequency degenerate eigenmodes of the resonator structure is shown. The experimental results are interpreted by using numerical simulations and by experimental mapping of the polarization‐resolved far‐field emission patterns. The findings can be generalized to any nanophotonic structure where two orthogonal eigenmodes are not fully spatially overlapping.