To improve robustness of mechanical properties of semi-solid cast A356 alloy using taguchi design method

Mechanical properties of semi-solid casting are dependent on multiple processing parameters,and improper processing parameters will not only reduce mean data but also increase variations.The present study investigated the impact of parameters in slurry preparation and heat treatment on the yield strength and ductility of T6 heat-treated A356 Al-Si alloy using rapid slurry forming(RSF)semi-solid casting.The focus was primarily on the robustness of mechanical properties based on Taguchi design method.By analyzing signal-to-noise ratio and minimum value calculated from-3S,the optimum slurry preparation parameters and heat treatment parameters were determined to be no quench,enthalpy exchange material(EEM)temperature of 140℃,EEM-to-melt ratio of 6mass%,stirring time of 18 s,solution heat treated at 520℃ for 2 h,and ageing heat treated at 190℃ for 6 h.In a small batch validation,the-3S yield strength and-3S elongation reach 256.1 MPa and 5.03% respectively,showing a satisfactory robustness.The hardness and microstructure of heat-treated samples with the best and worst properties were characterized to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms affecting the mean value and variations of mechanical properties.

Optimizing Average Electric Power During the Charging of Lithium-Ion Batteries Through the Taguchi Method

In recent times, lithium-ion batteries have been widely used owing to their high energy density, extended cycle lifespan, and minimal self-discharge rate. The design of high-speed rechargeable lithium-ion batteries faces a significant challenge owing to the need to increase average electric power during charging. This challenge results from the direct influence of the power level on the rate of chemical reactions occurring in the battery electrodes. In this study, the Taguchi optimization method was used to enhance the average electric power during the charging process of lithium-ion batteries. The Taguchi technique is a statistical strategy that facilitates the systematic and efficient evaluation of numerous experimental variables. The proposed method involved varying seven input factors, including positive electrode thickness, positive electrode material, positive electrode active material volume fraction, negative electrode active material volume fraction, separator thickness, positive current collector thickness, and negative current collector thickness. Three levels were assigned to each control factor to identify the optimal conditions and maximize the average electric power during charging. Moreover, a variance assessment analysis was conducted to validate the results obtained from the Taguchi analysis. The results revealed that the Taguchi method was an eff ective approach for optimizing the average electric power during the charging of lithium-ion batteries. This indicates that the positive electrode material, followed by the separator thickness and the negative electrode active material volume fraction, was key factors significantly infl uencing the average electric power during the charging of lithium-ion batteries response. The identification of optimal conditions resulted in the improved performance of lithium-ion batteries, extending their potential in various applications. Particularly, lithium-ion batteries with average electric power of 16 W and 17 W during charging were designed and simulated in the range of 0-12000 s using COMSOL Multiphysics software. This study efficiently employs the Taguchi optimization technique to develop lithium-ion batteries capable of storing a predetermined average electric power during the charging phase. Therefore, this method enables the battery to achieve complete charging within a specific timeframe tailored to a specificapplication. The implementation of this method can save costs, time, and materials compared with other alternative methods, such as the trial-and-error approach.

OmniLog TM微生物鉴定系统在青海高原野生型鼠疫噬菌体宿主谱检测中的应用研究

目的采用两种微量法检测青海高原野生型鼠疫噬菌体的宿主谱,为今后噬菌体生态学研究和基于宿主范围噬菌体分类研究提供科学依据。方法基于OmniLog TM微生物鉴定系统微量法和微量点滴法,检测3株鼠疫噬菌体对2株鼠疫耶尔森菌(鼠疫疫苗株EV 76、614F)和4株非鼠疫耶尔森菌(假结核耶尔森菌PTB3、PTB5、大肠杆菌V517、小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌52302-2)的裂解情况。结果476号、087号和072204号鼠疫噬菌体均能成功感染鼠疫疫苗株EV 76、614F并依赖其生长繁殖,且基于OmniLog TM系统33℃培养48 h也能够观察到试验孔中四唑类染料颜色随着噬菌体数量的增加和宿主菌数量的减少而变淡。利用微量点滴法检测3株鼠疫噬菌体对4株非鼠疫耶尔森菌敏感性结果显示,28℃和37℃时476号鼠疫噬菌体对假结核耶尔森菌PTB5敏感,而087号和072204号对其不敏感;476号、087号和072204号鼠疫噬菌体对假结核耶尔森菌PTB3、大肠杆菌V517、小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌52302-2这3株非鼠疫耶尔森菌均不敏感,且基于OmniLog TM系统观察到试验孔与对照孔中细菌生长曲线和四唑类染料颜色分别呈现相似对应的结果。然而,以鼠疫疫苗株EV 76、614F为宿主菌,37℃时072204号鼠疫噬菌体微量点滴于固体培养基上不显示噬菌斑。结论基于OmniLog TM检测系统的噬菌体宿主范围测定法可以作为一种替代传统检测宿主谱的测定方法,在噬菌体与宿主菌相互作用研究中具有较好的应用价值。

Multi-Objective Optimization of Fused Deposition Modeling for Mechanical Properties of Biopolymer Parts Using the Grey-Taguchi Method

The urgent need to develop customized functional products only possible by 3D printing had realized when faced with the unavailability of medical devices like surgical instruments during the coronavirus-19 disease and the ondemand necessity to perform surgery during space missions.Biopolymers have recently been the most appropriate option for fabricating surgical instruments via 3D printing in terms of cheaper and faster processing.Among all 3D printing techniques,fused deposition modelling(FDM)is a low-cost and more rapid printing technique.This article proposes the fabrication of surgical instruments,namely,forceps and hemostat using the fused deposition modeling(FDM)process.Excellent mechanical properties are the only indicator to judge the quality of the functional parts.The mechanical properties of FDM-processed parts depend on various process parameters.These parameters are layer height,infill pattern,top/bottom pattern,number of top/bottom layers,infill density,flow,number of shells,printing temperature,build plate temperature,printing speed,and fan speed.Tensile strength and modulus of elasticity are chosen as evaluation indexes to ascertain the mechanical properties of polylactic acid(PLA)parts printed by FDM.The experiments have performed through Taguchi’s L27orthogonal array(OA).Variance analysis(ANOVA)ascertains the significance of the process parameters and their percent contributions to the evaluation indexes.Finally,as a multiobjective optimization technique,grey relational analysis(GRA)obtains an optimal set of FDM process parameters to fabricate the best parts with comprehensive mechanical properties.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)examines the types of defects and strong bonding between rasters.The proposed research ensures the successful fabrication of functional surgical tools with substantial ultimate tensile strength(42.6 MPa)and modulus of elasticity(3274 MPa).

Optimum Design of Stair-Climbing Robots Using Taguchi Method

Environmental issues like pollution are major threats to human health.Many systems are developed to reduce pollution.In this paper,an optimal mobile robot design to reduce pollution in Green supply chain management system.Green supply chain management involves as similating environmentally and eco-nomically feasible solutions into the supply chain life-cycle.Smartness,advanced technologies,and advanced networks are becoming pillars of a sustainable supply chain management system.At the same time,there is much change happening in the logistics industry.They are moving towards a new logistics model.In the new model,robotic logistics has a vital role.The reasons for this change are the rapid growth of the e-commerce business and the shortage of workers.The advantages of using robotic logistics are reduction in human errors,faster delivery speed,better customer satisfaction,more safety for workers,and high workforce adaptability.A robot with rocker-bogie suspension is a six-wheeled mobile platform that has a distinctive potential to keep all wheels on the ground continuously.It has been designed to traverse rough and uneven terrain by distributing the load over its wheels equally.However,there is a limitation to achieving high-speed mobility against vertical barriers.In this research,an optimal design of product delivery wheeled robots for a sustainable supply chain system is proposed to ensure higher adaptability and maximum stability during climbing staircases.The design parameters of the proposed robot are optimized using Taguchi Method.The aim is to get a smooth trajectory of the robot’s center-of-mass.The proposed approach realizes a robot with much-improved stability which can climb over heights more than the size of the wheel(i.e.,3 times the radius of wheels).The results reveal that the modified rocker-bogie system not only increases the stair-climbing capability but also thwarts instability due to overturning of a wheel of the robot.

Design of Rotor Magnetic Barrier Structure of Built-in Permanent Magnet Motor Based on Taguchi Method

In this paper,a 20kW vehicle built-in permanent magnet synchronous motor is taken as an example,and a magnetic barrier structure is added to the rotor of the motor to solve the uneven saturation problem of the rotor side magnetic bridge.This structure improves the air-gap flux density waveform of the motor by influencing the internal magnetic flux path of the motor rotor,thus improving the sine of the no-load back EMF waveform of the motor and reducing the torque ripple of the motor.At the same time,Taguchi method is used to optimize the structural parameters of the added magnetic barrier.In order to facilitate the analysis of its uneven saturation phenomenon and improve the optimization effect,a simple equivalent magnetic network(EMN)model considering the uneven saturation of rotor magnetic bridge is established in this paper,and the initial values of optimization factors are selected based on this model.Finally,the no-load back EMF waveform distortion rate,torque ripple and output torque of the optimized motor are compared and analyzed,and the influence of magnetic barrier structure parameters on the electromagnetic performance of the motor is also analyzed.The results show that the optimized motor can not change the output torque of the motor as much as possible on the basis of reducing the waveform distortion rate of no-load back EMF and torque ripple.

An Application of the Taguchi Method (Robust Design) to Environmental Engineering: Evaluating Advanced Oxidative Processes in Polyester-Resin Wastewater Treatment

This paper presents the Taguchi Method, a statistical design modelling for experiments applied in environmental engineering. This method was applied to optimize the treatment conditions of polyester-resin effluent by means of Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs) using chemical oxygen demand (COD) as response parameter. The influence of each independent parameter including respective interactions was evaluated by Taguchi Method, which allowed determining the most statistically significant variables and conditions to best fit the process. Results showed that Taguchi Method is a very useful tool for environmental engineering field and possible simplifications of analysis and calculations through commercially available software.

基于Taguchi方法的低速潜油永磁电机优化及试验应用

潜油永磁同步电机直驱螺杆泵系统作为新一代采油技术被逐渐应用。为提高该电泵系统的性能,针对电驱系统开展低速潜油永磁同步电机的设计及优化分析。通过初始设计确定电机的主要结构参数,以电机效率最大化及齿槽转矩最小化为优化目标。基于Taguchi方法,选取气隙长度、永磁体厚度、定子齿宽和齿顶厚度4个结构参数作为优化变量,建立正交实验表,并利用有限元分析得到试验结果,确定最佳参数组合。根据最佳参数组合进行仿真分析,效率相较优化前提高了3.75%,齿槽转矩相较优化前降低了17.48%。根据优化结果,试制样机并进行了厂内测试与现场应用。结果表明:潜油永磁同步电机具有较高的效率,且运行平稳,验证了仿真结果的正确性和优化设计的有效性。

Performance Investigation of Cone Dielectric Elastomer Actuator Using Taguchi Method

Dielectric elastomer actuator （DEA） show promise for mechatronic applications due to the advantages of dielectric elastomer, such as lightweight, flexible, low cost, high strain, etc, and many configurations of DEAs have been demonstrated. As a kind of linear actuator, cone DEAs are studied in some laboratory prototypes due to easy manufacturing, however, their performance have not been exploited fully. Based on the working principle of DEA, a four-bar linkage mechanism is designed to provide negative stiffness preload, which can increase displacement output of actuator （outer diameter 100 mm） to 17 mm. Three cone actuating units are assembled in parallel to enhance the maximum force output to 5.07 N. Loading experiments of actuator in forward and backward strokes are performed, the experimental results show that backward stroke has stronger actuating capability than forward stroke, accordingly application of actuator is recommended. Four factors rather than applied voltage, i.e., number of actuating units, pre-stretch ratio, inner diameter, and outer diameter, are determined as influencing factors for Taguchi method. Then the performance objectives of actuator, i.e., displacement output, maximum force output, and maximum work in backward stroke, are investigated based on L9（34） Taguchi orthogonal design. The mean signal-to-noise （S/N） ratio based on the larger-the-better criterion is calculated according to the acquired displacement and force output. Analytical results show that outer diameter has the most significant influence on displacement output, and maximum force out and work output are influenced most by number of actuating units. Inner diameter also has an important effect on the performance objectives of actuator, while pre-stretch ratio has the least influence. The proposed performance investigation is helpful for the design and application of cone actuator in mechatronic system.

Optimization of Polishing Parameters with Taguchi Method for LBO Crystal in CMP

Chemical mechanical polishing （CMP） was used to polish Lithium triborate （LiB3O5 or LBO） crystal. Taguchi method was applied for optimization of the polishing parameters. Material removal rate （MRR） and surface roughness are considered as criteria for the optimization. The polishing pressure, the abrasive concentration and the table velocity are important parameters which influence MRR and surface roughness in CMP of LBO crystal. Experiment results indicate that for MRR the polishing pressure is the most significant polishing parameter followed by table velocity; while for the surface roughness, the abrasive concentration is the most important one. For high MRR in CMP of LBO ctystal the optimal conditions are： pressure 620 g/cm^2, concentration 5.0 wt pct, and velocity 60 r/min, respectively. For the best surface roughness the optimal conditions are： pressure 416 g/cm^2, concentration 5.0 wt pct, and velocity 40 r/min, respectively. The contributions of individual parameters for MRR and surface roughness were obtained.

Optimization of back bead geometry in the PMAG-TIG twin arc hybrid root welding process using grey based Taguchi method

This study investigated multi-response optimization of the pulse metal active gas-tungsten inert gas( PMAG-TIG) twin arc hybrid root welding process for an optimal parametric combination to yield favorable back bead geometry of welded joints using grey relational analysis and Taguchi method.Eighteen experimental runs based on an orthogonal array following the Taguchi method were performed to derive objective functions to be optimized within the experimental domain.The objective functions were selected in relation to parameters of PMAG-TIG twin arc root welding back bead geometry: back bead width to root reinforcement ratio and deposited metal height.The Taguchi approach was followed by grey relational analysis to solve the multi-response optimization problem.The significance of factors on overall quality characteristics of the weld joint was also evaluated quantitatively using analysis of variance.Optimal results were verified through additional experiments,and showed to feasibility of applying grey relation analysis in combination with Taguchi technique for continuous improvement of product quality in the manufacturing industry.

Retro-Reflective Fiber Optic Displacement Sensor for Performance Optimization Using Taguchi Method

Fiber optic displacement sensors are widely used in industry. Retro reflective fiber optic displacement sensor consists of parallel fibers with a reflector at a distance. Light is launched into the transmitting fiber which gets reflected by reflector. This reflected light is collected by the receiving fiber. The received light is function of the displacement of the reflector from the fiber end faces. This paper is targeted to obtain a robust design for the fiber optic displacement sensor (FODS) using well known Taguchi method. The design takes care of all noise parameters within constraints of manufacturing tolerances. The statistical data analysis is performed on the simulated results. The larger the better signal to noise quality characteristics is used to find the effect of control parameters in the data analysis. Taguchi analysis suggests dominant parameters, which affects the sensitivity of the FODS and causes immunity to noise. A source fiber inclination angle is chosen as an adjustment parameter. Other control parameters are used for fine tuning of the FODS design for achieving three qualities viz. best robustness, optimized sensitivity and robustness and best sensitivity.

Statistical evaluation and optimization of zinc electrolyte hot purification process by Taguchi method

The neutral zinc sulfate solution obtained from hydrometallurgical process of Angouran zinc concentrate has cadmium, nickel and cobalt impurities, that must be purified before electrowinning. Therefore, cadmium and nickel are usually cemented out by addition of zinc dust and remained nickel and cobalt cemented out at second stage with zinc powder and arsenic trioxide. In this research, a new approach is described for determination of effective parameters and optimization of zinc electrolyte hot purification process using statistical design of experiments. The Taguchi method based on orthogonal array design(OAD) has been used to arrange the experimental runs. The experimental conditions involved in the work are as follows: the temperature range of 70-90 ℃ for reaction temperature(T), 30-90 min for reaction time(t), 2-4 g/L for zinc powder mass concentration(M), one to five series for zinc dust particle size distributions(S1-S5), and 0.1-0.5 g/L(C) for arsenic trioxide mass concentration. Optimum conditions for hot purification obtained in this work are T4(85 °C), t4=75 min, M4=3.5 g/L, S4(Serie 4), and C2=0.2 g/L.

Upconversion Luminescence Properties of Ho^(3+),Tm^(3+),Yb^(3+) Co-Doped Nanocrystal NaYF_4 Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method

Nanocrystal of upconversion （UC） phosphor Ho^3＋, Tm^3＋ , and Yb^3＋ co-doped NaYF4 was prepared by the hydrothermal method in the presence of the complexing agent EDTA. Under 980 nm diode laser excitation, the impact of different concentrations of Ho^3＋ ion on the UC luminescence intensity was discussed. The law of luminescence intensity versus pump power shows that the 474 nm blue emission, 538 nm green emission, and 642 nm red emission are all due to the two-photon process, while the 450 nm blue emission is a three-photon process. The UC mechanism and processes were also analyzed. The sample was characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The result shows that Ho^3＋ ,Tm^3＋ , and Yb^3＋ co-doped NaYF4 prepared by the hydrothermal method exhibits a hexagonal nanocrystal.

Identification of strategy parameters for particle swarm optimizer through Taguchi method

Particle swarm optimization (PSO), like other evolutionary algorithms is a population-based stochastic algorithm inspired from the metaphor of social interaction in birds, insects, wasps, etc. It has been used for finding promising solutions in complex search space through the interaction of particles in a swarm. It is a well recognized fact that the performance of evolu- tionary algorithms to a great extent depends on the choice of appropriate strategy/operating parameters like population size, crossover rate, mutation rate, crossover operator, etc. Generally, these parameters are selected through hit and trial process, which is very unsystematic and requires rigorous experimentation. This paper proposes a systematic based on Taguchi method reasoning scheme for rapidly identifying the strategy parameters for the PSO algorithm. The Taguchi method is a robust design approach using fractional factorial design to study a large number of parameters with small number of experiments. Computer simulations have been performed on two benchmark functions—Rosenbrock function and Griewank function—to validate the approach.

A Method for Retrieving Water-leaving Radiance from Landsat TM Image in Taihu Lake, East China

The visible and infrared bands of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) can be used for inland water studies. A method of retrieving water-leaving radiance from TM image over Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province of China was investigated in this article. To estimate water-leaving radiance, atmospheric correction was performed in three visible bands of 485nm, 560nm and 660nm. Rayleigh scattering was computed precisely, and the aerosol contribution was estimated by adopting the clear-water-pixels approach. The clear waters were identified by using the Landsat TM middle-infrared band (2.1μm), and the water-leaving radiance of clear water pixels in the green band was estimated by using field data. Aerosol scattering at green band was derived for six points, and interpolated to match the TM image. Assuming the atmospheric correction coefficient was 1.0, the aerosol scattering image at blue and red bands were derived. Based on a simplified atmospheric radiation transfer model, the water-leaving radiance for three visible bands was retrieved. The water-leaving radiance was normalized to make it comparable with that estimated from other remotely sensed data acquired at different times, and under different atmospheric conditions. Additionally, remotely sensed reflectance of water was computed. To evaluate the atmospheric correction method presented in this article, the correlation was analyzed between the corrected remotely sensed data and the measured water parameters based on the retrieval model. The results show that the atmospheric correction method based on the image itself is more effective for the retrieval of water parameters from Landsat TM data than 6S (Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum) code based on standard atmospheric and aerosol models.

Determining the Effect of Cutting Fluids on Surface Roughness in Turning AISI 1330 Alloy Steel Using Taguchi Method

Taguchi method has been employed to investigate the effects of cutting fluids on surface roughness in turning AISI 1330 alloy steel, using manually operated lathe machine. Experiments have been conducted using L27 (34) orthogonal array and each experiment was repeated three times and each test used a new cutting tool, High Speed Steel (HSS), to ensure accurate readings of the surface roughness. The statistical methods of Signal-to-Noise (S/N) ratio and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were applied to investigate effects of cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut on surface roughness under different cutting fluids. Minitab 14 software was used to analyze the effect of variables on the surface roughness. Results obtained indicated that optimal variables for the minimum surface roughness were cutting speed of 35 m/min (level 2), feed of 0.124 mm/rev (level 1), depth of cut of 0.3 mm (level 1) and a cutting fluid with a viscosity of 2.898 mm2/s (level 3). Hence, the optimal parameters to obtain better surface roughness of the workpiece material were obtained when groundnut oil based cutting fluid was used. Analysis of variance shows that feed rate has the most significant effect on surface roughness.

Synthesis of the CuInSe_2 thin film for solar cells using the electrodeposition technique and Taguchi method

The Taguchi method was used to obtain the optimum electrodeposition parameters for the synthesis of the CuInSe2 thin film for solar cells. The parameters consist of annealing temperature, current density, CuCl2 concentration, FeCl3 concentration, H2SeO3 concentration, TEA amount, pH value, and deposition time. The experiments were carried out according to an L18（2^13^7） table An X-ray diffractometer （XRD） and a scanning electron microscope （SEM） were respectively used to analyze the phases and observe the microstructure and the grain size of the CuInSe2 film before and after annealing treatment. The results showed that the CuInSe2 phase was deposited with a preferred plane （112） parallel to the substrate surface. The optimum parameters are as follows： current density, 7 mA/cm^2; CuCl2 concentration, 10 mM; FeCl3 concentration, 50 mM; H2SeO3 concentration, 15 mM; TEA amount, 0 mL; pH value, 1.65; deposition time, 10 min; and annealing temperature, 500℃.

Process Window Determination for Biofiltration by the Taguchi Method

Raw water from the Yantian Reservoir in Southern China was used for this study. Several process parameters of biofiltration, temperature, media, empty bed contact time, ozone dosage and concentration of geosmin and MIB, were adopted in order to determine their effects. Experiments were conducted using the Taguchi method and 9 experiments were needed to obtain the best process parameter settings and parameter effects. The results of these experiments indicate the use of biological filtration as a method of geosmin and MIB removal, to be satisfactory. In addition, the results show that temperature impacts the removal rate of both geosmin and MIB. Useful insights into the effects of the filter media on such as, empty bed contact time, ozone dosage and concentration of geosmin and MIB were also obtained.

EFFECTS OF REACTION AND PROCESSING PARAMETERS ON ETHYLENE POLYMERIZATION USING DIFFERENT ZIEGLER-NATTA CATALYSTS:EMPLOYMENT OF TAGUCHI EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESPONSE SURFACE METHOD

Different Ziegler-Natta catalysts were employed to polymerize ethylene. To investigate the influences of reaction parameters, namely Al/Ti molar ratio, hydrogen and processing parameters, i.e. ethylene pressure and temperature, a Taguchi experimental design was worked out. An L27 orthogonal array was chosen to take the above-mentioned parameters and relevant interactions into account. Response surface method was the tool used to analyze the experimental design results. Al/Ti, ethylene pressure and temperature were selected as experimental design factors, and catalyst activity and polymerization yield were the response parameters. Increasing pressure, due to an increment in monomer accessibility, and rising Al/Ti, because of higher reduction in the catalysts, cause an increase in both polymerization yield and catalyst activity. Nonetheless, a higher temperature, thanks to reducing ethylene solubility in the slurry medium and partially catalyst destruction, lead to a reduction in both response parameters. A synergistic effect was also observed between temperature and pressure. All catalyst activities will reduce in the presence of hydrogen. Molecular weight also shows a decline in the presence of hydrogen as a transfer agent. However, the polydispersity index remains approximately intact. Using SEM, various morphologies, owing to different catalyst morphologies, were seen for the polyethylene.