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1 – 10 of 132
Article
Publication date: 24 September 2024

Jinxin Liu, Huanqin Wang, Qiang Sun, Chufan Jiang, Jitong Zhou, Gehang Huang, Fajun Yu and Baolin Feng

This study aims to establish a multi-physics-coupled model for an electrostatic particulate matter (PM) sensor. The focus lies on investigating the deposition patterns of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to establish a multi-physics-coupled model for an electrostatic particulate matter (PM) sensor. The focus lies on investigating the deposition patterns of particles within the sensor and the variation in the regeneration temperature field.

Design/methodology/approach

Computational simulations were initially conducted to analyse the distribution of particles under different temperature and airflow conditions. The study investigates how particles deposit within the sensor and explores methods to expedite the combustion of deposited particles for subsequent measurements.

Findings

The results indicate that a significant portion of the particles, approximately 61.8% of the total deposited particles, accumulates on the inside of the protective cover. To facilitate rapid combustion of these deposited particles, a ceramic heater was embedded within the metal shielding layer and tightly integrated with the high-voltage electrode. Silicon nitride ceramic, selected for its high strength, elevated temperature stability and excellent thermal conductivity, enables a relatively fast heating rate, ensuring a uniform temperature field distribution. Applying 27 W power to the silicon nitride heater rapidly raises the gas flow region's temperature within the sensor head to achieve a high-temperature regeneration state. Computational results demonstrate that within 200 s of heater operation, the sensor's internal temperature can exceed 600 °C, effectively ensuring thorough combustion of the deposited particles.

Originality/value

This study presents a novel approach to address the challenges associated with particle deposition in electrostatic PM sensors. By integrating a ceramic heater with specific material properties, the study proposes an effective method to expedite particle combustion for enhanced sensor performance.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 44 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2024

Qiang Sun, Quantong Jiang, Siwei Wu, Chang Liu, Heng Tang, L. Song, Hao Shi, Jizhou Duan and BaoRong Hou

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of ZnO on the structure and properties of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on rare earth magnesium alloy under large…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of ZnO on the structure and properties of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on rare earth magnesium alloy under large concentration gradient.

Design/methodology/approach

The macroscopic and microscopic morphology, thickness, surface roughness, chemical composition and structure of the coating were characterized by different characterization methods. The corrosion resistance of the film was studied by electrochemical and scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy. The results show that the addition of ZnO can significantly improve the compactness and corrosion resistance of the MAO coating, but the high concentration of ZnO will cause microcracks, which will reduce the corrosion resistance to a certain extent.

Findings

When the concentration of zinc oxide is 8 g/L, the compactness and corrosion resistance of the coating are the best, and the thickness of the coating is positively correlated with the concentration of ZnO.

Research limitations/implications

Too high concentration of ZnO reduces the performance of MAO coating.

Practical implications

The MAO coating prepared by adding ZnO has good corrosion resistance. Combined with organic coatings, it can be applied in corrosive marine environments, such as ship parts and hulls. To a certain extent, it can reduce the economic loss caused by corrosion.

Originality/value

The effect of ZnO on the corrosion resistance of MAO coating in electrolyte solution was studied systematically, and the conclusion was new to the common knowledge.

Details

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, vol. 71 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0003-5599

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 July 2023

Mohammed A. Alsanad

The present study focused on examining the effect of treated wastewater (TWW) on soil chemical properties. Also, efforts were made to compare the soil chemical properties under…

Abstract

Purpose

The present study focused on examining the effect of treated wastewater (TWW) on soil chemical properties. Also, efforts were made to compare the soil chemical properties under TWW irrigation with that under groundwater (GW).

Design/methodology/approach

During the years 2021 and 2022, surface and subsurface soil samples were randomly collected in triplicate by using an auger fortnightly at two depths (20 and 40 cm) from the selected spot areas to represent the different types of irrigation water sources: TWW and GW. Samples of the GW and the TWW were collected for analysis.

Findings

This study examines the impact of TWW on soil characteristics and the surrounding environment. TWW use enhances soil organic matter, nutrient availability and salt redistribution, while reducing calcium carbonate accumulation in the topsoil. However, it negatively affects soil pH, electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio, although remaining within acceptable limits. Generally, irrigating with TWW improves most soil chemical properties compared to GW.

Originality/value

In general, almost all of the soil’s chemical properties were improved by irrigating with TWW rather than GW. Following that, wastewater is used to irrigate the soil. Additionally, the application of gypsum to control the K/Na and Ca/Na ratios should be considered under long-term TWW and GW usage in this study area in order to control the salt accumulation as well as prevent soil conversion to saline-sodic soil in the future. However, more research is needed to thoroughly investigate the long-term effects of using TWW on soil properties as well as heavy metal accumulation in soil.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2024

Xi Liang Chen, Zheng Yu Xie, Zhi Qiang Wang and Yi Wen Sun

The six-axis force/torque sensor based on a Y-type structure has the advantages of simple structure, small space volume, low cost and wide application prospects. To meet the…

Abstract

Purpose

The six-axis force/torque sensor based on a Y-type structure has the advantages of simple structure, small space volume, low cost and wide application prospects. To meet the overall structural stiffness requirements and sensor performance requirements in robot engineering applications, this paper aims to propose a Y-type six-axis force/torque sensor.

Design/methodology/approach

The performance indicators such as each component sensitivities and stiffnesses of the sensor were selected as optimization objectives. The multiobjective optimization equations were established. A multiple quadratic response surface in ANSYS Workbench was modeled by using the central composite design experimental method. The optimal manufacturing structural parameters were obtained by using multiobjective genetic algorithm.

Findings

The sensor was optimized and the simulation results show that the overload resistance of the sensor is 200%F.S., and the axial stiffness, radial stiffness, bending stiffness and torsional stiffness are 14.981 kN/mm, 16.855 kN/mm, 2.0939 kN m/rad and 6.4432 kN m/rad, respectively, which meet the design requirements, and the sensitivities of each component of the optimized sensor have been well increased to be 2.969, 2.762, 4.010, 2.762, 2.653 and 2.760 times as those of the sensor with initial structural parameters. The sensor prototype with optimized parameters was produced. According to the calibration experiment of the sensor, the maximum Class I and II errors and measurement uncertainty of each force/torque component of the sensor are 1.835%F.S., 1.018%F.S. and 1.606%F.S., respectively. All of them are below the required 2%F.S.

Originality/value

Hence, the conclusion can be drawn that the sensor has excellent comprehensive performance and meets the expected practical engineering requirements.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 44 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2024

Qianwen Zhou and Xiaopeng Deng

Despite the knowledge transfer between projects has received increasing attention from scholars, few scholars still conduct comprehensive research on inter-project knowledge…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the knowledge transfer between projects has received increasing attention from scholars, few scholars still conduct comprehensive research on inter-project knowledge transfer from both horizontal and vertical perspectives. Besides, knowledge transfer is affected by multiple antecedent conditions, and these factors should be combined for analysis. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the key factors influencing knowledge transfer between projects using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method from both horizontal and vertical perspectives and how these factors combine to improve the effectiveness of knowledge transfer (EKT) between projects.

Design/methodology/approach

First, nine factors affecting knowledge transfer between projects were identified, which were from the four dimensions of subject, relationship, channel, and context, namely temporary nature (TN), time urgency (TU), transmit willingness (TW), receive willingness (RW), trust (TR), project-project transfer channels (PPC), project-enterprise transfer channels (PEC), organizational atmosphere (OA), and motivation system (MS). Then, the source of the samples was determined and the data from the respondents was collected for analysis. Following the operation steps of the fsQCA method, variable calibration, single condition necessity analysis, and configuration analysis were carried out. After that, the configurations of influencing factors were obtained and the robustness test was conducted.

Findings

The results of the fsQCA method show that there are five configurations that can obtain better EKT between projects. Configuration 3 (∼TN * ∼TU * TW * RW * TR * ∼PPC * PEC * MS) has the highest consistency, indicating that it has the highest degree of the explanatory variable subset. Configuration 1 (∼TN * ∼TU * TW * RW * PEC * OA * MS) has the highest coverage, meaning that this configuration can explain most cases. Also, the five configurations were divided into three types: vertical transfer, horizontal-vertical transfer, and channel-free transfer category.

Originality/value

Firstly, this study explores the key factors influencing knowledge transfer between projects from four dimensions, which presents the logical chain of influencing factors more clearly. Then, this study divided the five configurations obtained into three categories according to the transfer direction: vertical, horizontal-vertical, and channel-free transfer, which gives implications to focus on both horizontal knowledge transfer (HKT) and (VKT) when studying knowledge transfer between projects. Lastly, this study helps to realize the exploration of combined improvement strategies for EKT, thereby providing meaningful recommendations for enterprises and project teams to facilitate knowledge transfer between projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 November 2023

Yang Zhou, Zhong Li, Yuhe Huang, Xiaohan Chen, Xinggang Li, Xiaogang Hu and Qiang Zhu

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in-situ alloying is a recently developed technology that provides a facile approach to optimizing the microstructural and compositional…

Abstract

Purpose

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in-situ alloying is a recently developed technology that provides a facile approach to optimizing the microstructural and compositional characteristics of the components for high performance goals. However, the complex mass and heat transfer behavior of the molten pool results in an inhomogeneous composition distribution within the samples fabricated by LPBF in-situ alloying. The study aims to investigate the heat and mass transfer behavior of an in-situ alloyed molten pool by developing a three-dimensional transient thermal-flow model that couples the metallurgical behavior of the alloy, thereby revealing the formation mechanism of composition inhomogeneity.

Design/methodology/approach

A multispecies multiphase computational fluid dynamic model was developed with thermodynamic factors derived from the phase diagram of the selected alloy system. The characteristics of the Al/Cu powder bed in-situ alloying process were investigated as a benchmark. The metallurgical behaviors including powder melting, thermal-flow, element transfer and solidification were investigated.

Findings

The Peclet number indicates that the mass transfer in the molten pool is dominated by convection. The large variation in material properties and temperature results in the presence of partially melted Cu-powder and pre-solidified particles in the molten pool, which further hinder the convection mixing. The study of simulation and experiment indicates that optimizing the laser energy input is beneficial for element homogenization. The effective time and driving force of the convection stirring can be improved by increasing the volume energy density.

Originality/value

This study provides an in-depth understanding of the formation mechanism of composition inhomogeneity in alloy fabricated by LPBF in-situ alloying.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2024

Ming Xu, Qiang Xu, Sheng Wei, Xufei Gu and Furong Liu

The increasing focus of consumers on health and environmental sustainability continues to drive the demand for organic food. Despite the recognized importance of health and…

Abstract

Purpose

The increasing focus of consumers on health and environmental sustainability continues to drive the demand for organic food. Despite the recognized importance of health and environmental concerns, the differential impact of these factors on organic food purchasing decisions is evident, indicating the presence of moderating variables. This investigation attempts to delineate these contingencies within the realms of socio-environmental and individual factors, paying particular attention to subjective norms, uncertainty, and egoistic values.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the convenience sampling method, the primary data sample was collected by a professional market research consulting firm and included 1876 usable respondents from China. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was utilized to verify the model and test the relationships between the constructs.

Findings

The results indicated that the path from environmental concern to organic food purchase intention was significantly influenced by subjective norms and uncertainty, both of which enhance this relationship. In contrast, egoistic values appeared to dampen this effect. Uncertainty also emerged as a key factor in the link between health concerns and organic food purchase intention, albeit with an opposite impact, weakening the relationship.

Practical implications

This study provides useful insights for academics and marketers to understand the complex phenomenon of organic consumer behavior. This result indicates that marketers can target reference groups to develop organic food marketing strategies.

Originality/value

Few studies have proposed and validated a model with these moderating factors collectively to study the purchase intention of organic food consumers in China.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2024

Miao Ye, Lin Qiang Huang, Xiao Li Wang, Yong Wang, Qiu Xiang Jiang and Hong Bing Qiu

A cross-domain intelligent software-defined network (SDN) routing method based on a proposed multiagent deep reinforcement learning (MDRL) method is developed.

Abstract

Purpose

A cross-domain intelligent software-defined network (SDN) routing method based on a proposed multiagent deep reinforcement learning (MDRL) method is developed.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the network is divided into multiple subdomains managed by multiple local controllers, and the state information of each subdomain is flexibly obtained by the designed SDN multithreaded network measurement mechanism. Then, a cooperative communication module is designed to realize message transmission and message synchronization between the root and local controllers, and socket technology is used to ensure the reliability and stability of message transmission between multiple controllers to acquire global network state information in real time. Finally, after the optimal intradomain and interdomain routing paths are adaptively generated by the agents in the root and local controllers, a network traffic state prediction mechanism is designed to improve awareness of the cross-domain intelligent routing method and enable the generation of the optimal routing paths in the global network in real time.

Findings

Experimental results show that the proposed cross-domain intelligent routing method can significantly improve the network throughput and reduce the network delay and packet loss rate compared to those of the Dijkstra and open shortest path first (OSPF) routing methods.

Originality/value

Message transmission and message synchronization for multicontroller interdomain routing in SDN have long adaptation times and slow convergence speeds, coupled with the shortcomings of traditional interdomain routing methods, such as cumbersome configuration and inflexible acquisition of network state information. These drawbacks make it difficult to obtain global state information about the network, and the optimal routing decision cannot be made in real time, affecting network performance. This paper proposes a cross-domain intelligent SDN routing method based on a proposed MDRL method. First, the network is divided into multiple subdomains managed by multiple local controllers, and the state information of each subdomain is flexibly obtained by the designed SDN multithreaded network measurement mechanism. Then, a cooperative communication module is designed to realize message transmission and message synchronization between root and local controllers, and socket technology is used to ensure the reliability and stability of message transmission between multiple controllers to realize the real-time acquisition of global network state information. Finally, after the optimal intradomain and interdomain routing paths are adaptively generated by the agents in the root and local controllers, a prediction mechanism for the network traffic state is designed to improve awareness of the cross-domain intelligent routing method and enable the generation of the optimal routing paths in the global network in real time. Experimental results show that the proposed cross-domain intelligent routing method can significantly improve the network throughput and reduce the network delay and packet loss rate compared to those of the Dijkstra and OSPF routing methods.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 January 2024

Shuo Su, Xiong-Tao Zhu and Hong-Qiang Fan

This paper aims to study the effect of ultraviolet (UV) light on the corrosion behavior of BC550 weathering steel in simulated marine atmospheric environment.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the effect of ultraviolet (UV) light on the corrosion behavior of BC550 weathering steel in simulated marine atmospheric environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The effect of UV light on the corrosion behavior of BC550 weathering steel in simulated marine atmospheric environments were investigated by the corrosion weight gain experiment, in situ electrochemical noise, scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction.

Findings

UV light accelerated the corrosion process of BC550 weathering steel in the simulated marine atmospheric environment during the first 168 h. The maximum influence factor of UV light was 0.32, and it was only 0.08 after 168 h of corrosion process.

Originality/value

As the extension of corrosion time, the thickness and density of the corrosion product layer increased, which weakened the acceleration effect of UV light.

Details

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, vol. 71 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0003-5599

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Yuehua Bao, Qiang Chen and Xingcan Xia

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the development and evolution of industrial innovation ecosystems of Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle from the three levels mentioned…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the development and evolution of industrial innovation ecosystems of Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle from the three levels mentioned above, focusing on knowledge-producing populations, core populations and service-supporting populations, and to further develop this research framework by combining with the latest developments.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the five-helix theory and economic census statistical data, this paper adopts geographic information system technology and examines the characteristics of the industrial innovation ecosystem and the synergistic evolution process in Around-Tongji knowledge economy circle.

Findings

The knowledge product populations lead the development of industries in Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle. It contributes political capital output for the government. It innovates community cooperation and governance mode, and it improves the natural ecological environment. In the face of the changes and challenges in the development environment, the future development must be recognised from the height of the iterative development of the interaction mode between university knowledge production and economic and social development.

Originality/value

Based on the five-helix theory and economic census statistical data, this paper examines the characteristics of the industrial innovation ecosystem and the synergistic evolution process in Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle. It further expands the research framework used to develop a synergistic evolution model, which reveals the interactive and synergistic relationship among the populations and the evolution characteristics of the entire industrial innovation ecosystem. This paper also provides useful perspectives for the study of the industrial innovation ecosystem.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2071-1395

Keywords

1 – 10 of 132