Vol. 2 No. 2 (2024)

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 463

Performance-based optimization of active-passive hybrid mass damper based on virtual TMD algorithm

by Yu Yang, Qi Wang, Qingshan Yang, Tao Long, Guandong Qiao, Tian Li

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

Subjecting structures to external forces inevitably leads to the generation of vibrations. For high-rise and flexible structures, excessive vibrations can significantly impact their normal operation and structural integrity. To mitigate these undesirable vibrations, structural vibration control is essential. Among various passive control methods, the tuned mass damper (TMD) is widely used for its ability to reduce vibrations through resonance with the structure. Meanwhile, the active mass damper (AMD) can also achieve an excellent control efficiency by exerting active control force on structures. Hybrid control integrates the benefits of multiple control strategies and applies the control forces on the same structure simultaneously. Hybrid mass damper (HMD) combines the passive characteristics of TMD and the active features of AMD, overcoming the limitations associated with using either system in isolation. This paper proposes a novel hybrid control method based on virtual TMD algorithm and optimizes the parameters of HMD by weighting the structural response and stroke of HMD to improve the comprehensive control performance. The effectiveness of this optimization is substantiated in the frequency domain. Additionally, numerical simulations are conducted to compare the optimized HMD with the traditional TMD and the unoptimized HMD, demonstrating both the effectiveness of the optimization and the superior control performance of the optimized HMD. The numerical results indicate that the optimized HMD reduces stroke by 15.6% compared to the unoptimized HMD on the premise that the control effect only loses 2.4%. Overall, the optimized HMD demonstrates superior comprehensive control performance relative to the unoptimized HMD.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1633

Reliability, sustainability, resiliency, and performance investigation of an embedded splice-sleeve connector at high velocity semi-trailer impact

by Suman Roy

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

Presently, dynamic impacts occurrences caused by car crashes have been frequently reported. Statistical results from different articles indicate that vehicle crashworthiness of bridge pier supersedes the other events. However, majority of the published articles focusses on sustainability and finding severity of distressed pier due to impact correlating faster construction methods, like accelerated bridge construction (ABC). This article is an attempt to examine post impacted behavior of a commonly used connector in ABC for resisting short duration shock. Static and dynamic performance analyses of a connector embedded within a coupler system has been examined. A representative ABC pier with the standardized and selected material properties collected from manufacturer’s data has been utilized. Coupler composite materials consisting of a hollow uniform cross-section cast iron cylinder filled up with specified concrete grout conforms higher strength. The performance examination has been conducted by numerical modeling using finite element method (FEM). A commercially used software ANSYS has been utilized for carrying out the simulations. To investigate the post impact dynamic behavior, mesh-independent studies seems inevitable and hence are executed to evaluate dynamic impact factor (DIF). Sensitivity studies are carried out for validating results in precision. The DIF of the main reinforcing tensile steel embedded into the grout placed inside the connector has been determined. Results captured from simulations to identify material properties at plastic stage in sustaining such load have been conducted. The results provide significant information that aids opting for selecting suitable connectors for attaining help the design offices.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1495

Research on tire internal defect identification method based on deep learning

by Jiaqi Chen, Aijuan Li, Te Wang, Xibo Wang

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

As an important part of automobile, the safety and durability of tire have attracted more and more attention. Tire defect detection is an important link to ensure tire quality, while traditional detection methods have problems such as low efficiency, high false detection rate and high labor intensity. Therefore, this study aims to develop an efficient and accurate tire defect identification and classification technique to improve the efficiency and accuracy of tire inspection. In this paper, based on YOLO (You Only Look Once) v5 algorithm, tire defect recognition and classification are studied. Firstly, the data sets containing various types of tire defects were collected and sorted out, and the data sets were preprocessed. Then, by constructing, training and optimizing the YOLOv5 tire defect recognition model, the fast and accurate recognition of tire defects was realized. Finally, the performance of the model was evaluated through experiments and compared with the existing methods. The experimental results show that the tire defect recognition and classification method based on YOLOv5 proposed in this study has high accuracy. Compared with traditional methods, this method has a significant improvement in detection speed and accuracy.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1470

Hydrogel 3D printing with direct and indirect extruder

by Thanh Tan Nguyen, Ngoc Hieu Pham, Hoang Son Tran, Le Nguyen Cao, Thi Hong Nga Pham, Quoc Bao Phan, Van Tron Tran

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

The advancement of additive manufacturing technology or 3-Dimesion printing (3D printing) allows for the creation of parts with intricate designs, resulting in less material waste compared to conventional manufacturing methods. Although current 3D printers primarily use plastic or metal materials, there is a growing interest in using biomaterials for 3D printing. To facilitate this trend, developing and designing 3D printers capable of using hydrogel materials is crucial. In this research, the 3D printer with direct and indirect extruders for hydrogel material is designed, calculated, and manufactured. Then, the 3D printer is tested with conductive sodium alginate 5% + 5% activated carbon by weight. In addition, the electrical conductivity of the material is measured. Through meticulous research and development, a 3D printer capable of printing hydrogel materials has been successfully manufactured, setting the stage for further exploration and the creation of environmentally friendly 3D biomedical printing materials.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 421

Traction drive simulations when starting an electric locomotive series ŽS 444 on the railway tracks of Serbia

by Branislav Gavrilovic, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Baboshin

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

The manuscript presents and describes the Model in Matlab-simulink, which allows to display the time change of the firing angle of the thyristor of the single-phase rectifier, the mean value of the voltage, the armature current and the speed of the electric motor during the start-up of the electric locomotive ŽS 444 series for different given mechanically loaded and reference speeds of traction electric motors. The model makes it possible to establish the desired reference speed change ramps for different reference speeds and mechanical loads from +250 rpm, i.e., the maximum current of the electric motor armature up to 1250 A.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1578

Design of optimum spacecraft reorientation control with a combined criteria of quality based on the quaternions

by Mikhail Levskii

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

Specifical original problem of attitude controlling for spacecraft was proposed in this paper. Problem of optimal rotation from a known initial state in a prescribed spatial orientation was studied in detail (turnaround time is not fixed). Design of optimal program of reorientation is based on new indicator of quality that combines energy costs including the contribution of controlling torques and integral of rotary energy (in a known proportion) and reorientation time; presence of duration factor bounds time of rotation finish. To construct an optimal control of angular momentum changing, quaternionic method and the maximum principle were applied. Differential equation that relates spacecraft angular momentum and quaternion of spacecraft orientation is a base to obtain analytic solution to a problem. We reveal the properties of optimum control program analytically, and study key features of optimum motion in details. Also, we write the formalized equations, mathematical formulas to design optimal law for change of spacecraft’s angular momentum. Analytic relations and equations are given for finding the optimal solution. Control law (in as explicit dependence between phase variables and con-trolling variables has been formulated. Main relations determining optimum values of parameters for rotation control algorithm were given. The closed-form law for rotation was obtained for dynamically symmetric solids. Numerical example as well as results of mathematical modeling of spacecraft motion that formed using optimum control are presented. This data as addition to the made theoretic descriptions shows reorientation process (in virtual form) and demonstrates practical feasibility of the developed control method. A designed algorithm for optimal control of rotation improves an efficiency of attitude system, and originates more economical performing of space vehicle during its flight along orbit.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1561

Ocean current turbine power take-off design using fluid dynamics and towing tank experiments

by Setare Sadeqi, Shahab Rouhi, Nikolaos I. Xiros, Erdem Aktosun, Lothar Birk, Juliette Ioup, Miguel Trejos

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

This study investigates the performance and power generation capabilities of a small-scale hydrokinetic turbine by comparing numerical simulations with experimental measurements. The key difference between the two models comes from the initial numerical analysis which focused only on the permanent magnet DC motor (PMDC) motor’s parameters and did not account for the gear-head reduction that leads to discrepancies in current and torque predictions, especially at lower input voltages. In practice, friction losses within the gear-head increased the required current and torque, highlighting inefficiencies in the motor gear-head system. A modified experimental setup incorporated a magnetic coupling to address leakage issues and enhance system reliability. While the magnetic coupling resulted in a slight reduction in speed, current, and torque, it improved the overall integrity of the system which is essential for marine applications. The comparison between experimental results and Blade Element Momentum (BEM) simulations showed good agreement at lower speeds, but the simulations under-predicted power at higher speeds, likely due to the model’s limitations in capturing complex hydrodynamic phenomena. This shows the need for comprehensive analysis, integrating both numerical and experimental approaches to optimize turbine performance. Future research will focus on refining experimental methodologies and further improving turbine design and efficiency for hydrokinetic energy systems.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1752

Influence of the new wavy teat liner “Stimulor StressLess” on milk yield performance and its quality in dairy cows: Results of a field study

by Shehadeh Kaskous, Khaled Al-Najjar, Michael W. Pfaffl

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

The ideal milking system meets the physiological needs of dairy cows to increase milk yield, achieve better milk quality and maintain healthy udders. Therefore, the settings of the milking machine and the properties of the teat cup liners are very important on dairy farms. The aim of the present study was to test a new teat cup liner “Stimulor StressLess” (SSL) in two commercial dairy farms and to investigate its influence on daily milk production and quality having different experimental settings. For this purpose, 40 dairy cows of different breeds in Tirol, Austria (farm 1) were investigated for 6 months, where 3 months represent the control phase (Gr 1) and milked with conventional teat liners, and the second 3 months phase (Gr 2) was the experimental phase and milked with SSL teat cup liners. On the second farm 90 dairy cows of Simmental breed in Baden-Württemberg, Germany (farm 2) were examined for one year equally divided in the first 6 months of control phase and second 6 months of treatment phase. All cows on both farms had the same stage of lactation and lactation number. During the study period, the daily milk production of each cow was recorded and milk samples were collected to determine the ingredients. The results showed that higher daily milk production and better milk quality were observed after using the new SSL teat cup liner in the existing milking machines. However, the use of the new teat cup liner SSL was more efficient in the longer treatment in farm 2 than in farm 1. In addition, after the use of the new SSL teat cup liner, the udders remained healthy throughout the study period, showing lower somatic cell counts (SCC). It can be concluded that high milk yield and better milk quality can be achieved by using SSL teat cup liners, as they are adapted to all teat shapes and dimensions.

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 1223

Prelithiation of electrodes in lithium-ion capacitors: A review

by Aston Sam D’Silva, M. P. Eldho, K. Lekha, J. Anushree, Vinayambika S. Bhat, Raghavendra Sagar

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are one of the modern state-of-the-art hybrid capacitors, comprising a high potential window and imparting a higher energy density than supercapacitors (SCs). These LICs encompass elevated power density and a longer life span than lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Preparation of high-performance electrode materials with electrochemically active microstructure and prelithiation are two efficient approaches to fabricate highly efficient LICs. But it comes across as a real dilemma of low initial Columbic efficiency if only microstructure is considered as an efficient way to enhance the performance. Nevertheless, prelithiation plays a crucial role in the manufacturing of LICs, improving the initial Coulombic efficiency and enlarging the voltage window. This paper reviews the recent lithiation approaches for lithium-ion capacitors by providing their methods and discussing their results concerning their energy and power density.

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 1746

The development of machine vision and its applications in different industries: A review

by Lili Zhang, Xiaowei Jia, Qing Chang, Xin Liu, Zhicheng Zhang, Yanghao Cao, Junjie Liu, Yizhao Yang

Mechanical Engineering Advances, Vol.2, No.2, 2024;

In recent years, the development of machine vision research is rapid in several areas. In order to promote the better development of machine vision research, it is necessary to clarify its development and application direction. At present, there are few reviews on the application direction of machine vision. This paper sorts out the application of machine vision in various fields, and summarizes the current application status of machine vision from four main functions: recognition, measurement, classification and detection. This paper mainly introduces the improvement of different algorithms of machine vision and its application in medical, agriculture, manufacturing and other industries, providing guidance for the selection of machine vision research direction.