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This study aims to accurately calculate the magnetic field distribution, which is a prerequisite for pre-design and optimization of electromagnetic performance. Accurate calculation of magnetic field distribution is a prerequisite for pre-design and optimization.

This paper proposes an analytical model of permanent magnet machines with segmented Halbach array (SHA-PMMs) to predict the magnetic field distribution and electromagnetic performance. The field problem is divided into four subdomains, i.e. permanent magnet, air-gap, stator slot and slot opening. The Poisson’s equation or Laplace’s equation of magnetic vector potential for each subdomain is solved. The field’s solution is obtained by applying the boundary conditions. The electromagnetic performances, such as magnetic flux density, unbalanced magnetic force, cogging torque and electromagnetic torque, are analytically predicted. Then, the influence of design parameters on the torque is explored by using the analytical model.

The finite element analysis and prototype experiments verify the analytical model’s accuracy. Adjusting the design parameters, e.g. segments per pole and air-gap length, can effectively increase the electromagnetic torque and simultaneously reduce the torque ripple.

The main contribution of this paper is to develop an accurate magnetic field analytical model of the SHA-PMMs. It can precisely describe complex topology, e.g. arbitrary segmented Halbach array and semi-closed slots, etc., and can quickly predict the magnetic field distribution and electromagnetic performance simultaneously.

As one of the earliest high-level programming languages, Fortran with easy accessibility and computational efficiency is widely used in the engineering field. The purpose of this paper is to present a Fortran implementation of isogeometric analysis (IGA) for thin plate problems.

IGA based on non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) offers exact geometries and is more accurate than finite element analysis (FEA). Unlike the basis functions in FEA, NURBS basis functions are non-interpolated. Hence, the penalty method is used to enforce boundary conditions.

Several thin plate examples based on the Kirchhoff-Love theory were illustrated to demonstrate the accuracy of the implementation in contrast with analytical solutions, and the efficiency was validated in comparison with another open method.

A Fortran implementation of NURBS-based IGA was developed to solve Kirchhoff-Love plate problems. It easily obtained high-continuity basis functions, which are necessary for Kirchhoff formulation. In comparison with theoretical solutions, the numerical examples demonstrated higher accuracy and faster convergence of the Fortran implementation. The Fortran implementation can well solve the time-consuming problem, and it was validated by the time-consumption comparison with the Matlab implementation. Due to the non-interpolation of NURBS, the penalty method was used to impose boundary conditions. A suggestion of the selection of penalty coefficients was given.

A free-piston engine (FPE) is an unconventional engine that abandons the crank system. This paper aims to focus on a numerical simulation for the lubricating characteristics of piston rings in a single-piston hydraulic free-piston engine (HFPE).

A time-based numerical simulation program was built using Matlab to define the piston motion of the new engine. And a lubrication mode of piston rings was built which is based on the gas flow equation, hydrodynamic lubrication equation and the asperity contact equation. The piston motion and the lubrication model are coupled, and then the finite difference method is used to obtain the piston rings lubrication performances of the FPE. Meanwhile, the lubrication characteristics of the new engine were compared with those of a corresponding conventional crankshaft-driven engine.

The study results indicate that compared with the traditional engine, the expansion stroke of the HFPE is longer, and the compression stroke is shorter. Lubrication oil film of the new engine is thicker than the traditional engine during the initial stage of compression stroke and the final stage of the power stroke. The average friction force and power of the hydraulic free piston engine are slightly lower than those of the traditional engine, but the peak friction power of the FPE is significantly greater than that of the traditional engine. With an increase in load, the friction loss power and friction loss efficiency decrease, and with a decrease in equivalence ratio, the friction power loss reduces, but the friction loss efficiency decreases first and then increases.

In this paper, only qualitative analysis was performed on the tribological difference between conventional crankshaft engine and HFPE, instead of a quantitative one.

This paper contributes to the tribological design method of HFPE.

No social implications are available now, as the HFPE is under the development phase. However, the authors are positive that their work will be commercialized in the near future.

The main originality of the paper can be introduced as follows: the lubrication and friction characteristics of the new engine (HFPE) were investigated and revealed, which have not been studied before; the effect of the HFPE’s special piston motion on the tribological characteristics was considered in the lubrication simulation. The results show that compared with the traditional crankshaft engine, the new engine shows a different lubrication performance because of its free piston motion.

The purpose of this paper is to relate to the real-time navigation and tracking of pedestrians in a closed environment. To restrain accumulated error of low-cost microelectromechanical system inertial navigation system and adapt to the real-time navigation of pedestrians at different speeds, the authors proposed an improved inertial navigation system (INS)/pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR)/ultra wideband (UWB) integrated positioning method for indoor foot-mounted pedestrians.

This paper proposes a self-adaptive integrated positioning algorithm that can recognize multi-gait and realize a high accurate pedestrian multi-gait indoor positioning. First, the corresponding gait method is used to detect different gaits of pedestrians at different velocities; second, the INS/PDR/UWB integrated system is used to get the positioning information. Thus, the INS/UWB integrated system is used when the pedestrian moves at normal speed; the PDR/UWB integrated system is used when the pedestrian moves at rapid speed. Finally, the adaptive Kalman filter correction method is adopted to modify system errors and improve the positioning performance of integrated system.

The algorithm presented in this paper improves performance of indoor pedestrian integrated positioning system from three aspects: in the view of different pedestrian gaits at different speeds, the zero velocity detection and stride frequency detection are adopted on the integrated positioning system. Further, the accuracy of inertial positioning systems can be improved; the attitude fusion filter is used to obtain the optimal quaternion and improve the accuracy of INS positioning system and PDR positioning system; because of the errors of adaptive integrated positioning system, the adaptive filter is proposed to correct errors and improve integrated positioning accuracy and stability. The adaptive filtering algorithm can effectively restrain the divergence problem caused by outliers. Compared to the KF algorithm, AKF algorithm can better improve the fault tolerance and precision of integrated positioning system.

The INS/PDR/UWB integrated system is built to track pedestrian position and attitude. Finally, an adaptive Kalman filter is used to improve the accuracy and stability of integrated positioning system.

This paper aims to synthesise and evaluate the properties of a novel smart material consisting of a metal-free organic black pigment with a unique chromophore for bifunctional applications in optoelectronics.

A robust and highly efficient organic reaction, namely, a double [2 + 2] cycloaddition, was deployed to transform a rod-like structure for charge-transfer applications to a strongly conjugated light-absorbing molecule for both optical and electronic applications.

The synthesis and characterisation of an air-stable metal-free black pigment is reported, which contains an unconventional donor–acceptor panchromatic chromophore with an absorption window spanning 600 nm; the compound was synthetically converted from an organic semiconducting molecular rod and retains strong charge-transfer properties. The chromophore comprises tetracyanoquinodimethane adduct on either side of a dithienothiophenyl core, capped with hexyl thiophenes that ensure solubility in common organic solvents. Its propensity to form excellent thin films on different substrates such as glass and paper, with a total opacity in organic solvent, gives it the potential for wide-ranging applications in organic optoelectronics.

The synthetic chemistry and fundamental properties are investigated in the present study, with more detailed treatments and analysis to be soon developed. One leading smart material is presented, with further derivatives under investigation.

The work presented shows the possibility of converting structures from one application to another with relative ease, but how they retain properties for both, using well-known and facile conditions.

The structures are novel and an enhanced air-stable organic panchromatic chromophore is reported for processing in common organic solvents.

This paper aims to study the influence of different seal structure parameters and working conditions on the air-oil two-phase flow characteristics and leakage characteristics of the seal cavity in the bearing cavity of the aero-engine spindle bearing tester.

In this paper, the VOF method and RNG k-ε turbulence model are used to explore the flow characteristics and leakage characteristics of the labyrinth seal cavity of an aero-engine spindle bearing tester under the condition of air-oil two-phase flow.

The distribution of the lubricating oil is related to the sealing clearance and the air-oil ratio. The amount of oil leakage increases with increasing of sealing chamber clearance, air-oil ratio and inlet velocity and decreases with increasing curvature and speed. The amount of air leakage increases with sealing clearance and inlet velocity.

In comparison to the pure air-phase flow field, the air-oil two-phase flow field can more accurately simulate the lubricating oil flow in the sealing chamber.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from wastewater by using activated carbon-supported Fe catalysts derived from walnut shell prepared using a wetness impregnation process. The different conditions of preparation such as impregnation rate and calcination conditions (temperature and time) were optimized to determine their effects on the catalyst’s characteristics.

The catalyst samples were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The adsorption of Cr(VI) by using using activated carbon supported Fe catalysts derived from walnut shell as an adsorbent and catalyst was investigated under different adsorption conditions. The parameters studied were contact time, adsorbent dose, solution pH and initial concentrations.

Results showed that higher adsorption capacity and rapid kinetics were obtained when the activated walnut shell was impregnated with Fe at 5 per cent and calcined under N₂ flow at 400°C for 2 h. The adsorption isotherms data were analyzed with Langmuir and Freundlich models. The better fit is obtained with the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 29.67 mg/g for Cr(VI) on Fe5-AWS at pH 2.0.

A comparison of two kinetic models shows that the adsorption isotherms system is better described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.