Spinel-layered integrate structured nanorods with both high capacity and superior high-rate capability as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Spinel phase LiMn2O4 was successfully embedded into monoclinic phase layered- structured Li2MnO3 nanorods, and these spineMayered integrate structured nanorods showed both high capacities and superior high-rate capabilities as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries （LIBs）. Pristine Li2MnO3 nanorods were synthesized by a simple rheological phase method using α-MnO2 nanowires as precursors. The spinel-layered integrate structured nanorods were fabricated by a facile partial reduction reaction using stearic acid as the reductant. Both structural characterizations and electrochemical properties of the integrate structured nanorods verified that LiMn2O4 nanodomains were embedded inside the pristine Li2MnO3 nanorods. When used as cathode materials for LIBs, the spineMayered integrate structured Li2MnO3 nanorods （SL-Li2MnO3） showed much better performances than the pristine layered-structured Li2MnO3 nanorods （L-Li2MnO3）. When charge-discharged at 20 mA.g-1 in a voltage window of 2.0-4.8 V, the SL-Li2MnO3 showed discharge capacities of 272.3 and 228.4 mAh.g-1 in the first and the 60th cycles, respectively, with capacity retention of 83.8%. The SL-Li2MnO3 also showed superior high-rate performances. When cycled at rates of 1 C, 2 C, 5 C, and 10 C （1 C = 200 mA-g-1） for hundreds of cycles, the discharge capacities of the SL-Li2MnO3 reached 218.9, 200.5, 147.1, and 123.9 mAh-g-1, respectively. The superior performances of the SL-Li2MnO3 are ascribed to the spineMayered integrated structures. With large capacities and superior high-rate performances, these spinel-layered integrate structured materials are good candidates for cathodes of next-generation high-power LIBs.

ACTIVE VIBRATION CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION FOR INTEGRATED STRUCTURES

The finite element dynamic model for integrated structures containing distributed piezoelectric sensors and actuators ( S/As ) is formulated with a new piezoelectric plate bending element in this paper. The problem of active vibration control and suppression of integrated structures is investigated under constant gain negative velocity feedback control law. A general method for active vibration control and suppression of integrated structures is presented. Finally, numerical example is given to illustrate the validity of the method proposed in this paper.

Structured Illumination Chip Based on Integrated Optics

A compact structured illumination chip based on integrated optics is proposed and fabricated on a silicon-on- insulator platform. Based on the simulation of Caussian beam interference, we adopt a chirped diffraction grating to achieve a specific interference pattern. The experimental results match well with the simulations. The portability and flexibility of the structured illumination chip can be increased greatly through horizontal encapsulation. High levels of integration, compared with the conventional structured illumination approach, make this chip very compact, with a footprint of only around 1 mm2. The chip has no optical lenses and can be easily combined with a microfluidic system. These properties would make the chip very suitable for portable 3D scanner and compact super-resolution microscopy applications.

Integrated Optimal Model of Structure and Control of the Single Arm Manipulator

The integrated optimal design of mechanical and control system is discussed in terms of the performance requirement and configuration for the single arm flexible manipulator. By combination of dynamics of flexible structure and control theory, a PD feedback control system, which minimizes the settling time, has been designed. Then, the viable region of poles of the PD dosed-loop control system is decided according to overshoot and the settling time, and an integrated optimal model of structure and control of single arm manipulator is presented. Finally, the parameters of structure and control system are simultaneously optimized with respect to objective function induding the moment of inertia and the control effort of system.

Biomimetic 3D printing of composite structures with decreased cracking

The development of tissue engineering and regeneration research has created new platforms for bone transplantation.However,the preparation of scaffolds with good fiber integrity is challenging,because scaffolds prepared by traditional printing methods are prone to fiber cracking during solvent evaporation.Human skin has an excellent natural heat-management system,which helps to maintain a constant body temperature through perspiration or blood-vessel constriction.In this work,an electrohydrodynamic-jet 3D-printing method inspired by the thermal-management system of skin was developed.In this system,the evaporation of solvent in the printed fibers can be adjusted using the temperature-change rate of the substrate to prepare 3D structures with good structural integrity.To investigate the solvent evaporation and the interlayer bonding of the fibers,finite-element analysis simulations of a three-layer microscale structure were carried out.The results show that the solvent-evaporation path is from bottom to top,and the strain in the printed structure becomes smaller with a smaller temperaturechange rate.Experimental results verified the accuracy of these simulation results,and a variety of complex 3D structures with high aspect ratios were printed.Microscale cracks were reduced to the nanoscale by adjusting the temperature-change rate from 2.5 to 0.5℃s-1.Optimized process parameters were selected to prepare a tissue engineering scaffold with high integrity.It was confirmed that this printed scaffold had good biocompatibility and could be used for bone-tissue regeneration.This simple and flexible 3D-printing method can also help with the preparation of a wide range of micro-and nanostructured sensors and actuators.

Improving the damage potential of W-Zr reactive structure material under extreme loading condition

Projectiles made of reactive structure materials(RSM)can damage the target with not only kinetic but also chemical energy,but the enhanced damage potential of RSM may become compromised if extreme loading condition disintegrates the projectile before the target is reached.In this work,a ductile coating of Ni was introduced to a tungsten-zirconium(W-Zr)alloy,a typical brittle RSM,to preserve the damage potential of the projectile.Detonation driving tests were carried out with X-ray photography and gunpowder deflagration driving tests were carried out with high-speed photography for the coated and uncoated RSM samples,respectively.The craters on the witness target were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The Ni coating was found to effectively preserve the damage potential of the W-Zr alloy under extreme loading conditions,whereas the uncoated sample fractured and ignited before impacting the target in both detonation and deflagration driving.The crack propagation between the reactively brittle core and the ductile coating was analyzed based on the crack arrest theory to mechanistically demonstrate how the coating improves the structural integrity and preserves the damage potential of the projectile.Specifically,the Ni coating envelops theW-Zr core until the coated sphere penetrates the target,and the coating is then eroded and worn to release the reactive core for the projectile to damage the target more intensively.

CoB and BN composites enabling integrated adsorption/catalysis to polysulfides for inhibiting shuttle-effect in Li-S batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries are hampered by the infamous shuttle effect and slow redox kinetics,resulting in rapid capacity decay.Herein,a bifunctional catalysis CoB/BN@rGO with integrated structure and synergy effect between adsorption and catalysis is proposed to solve the above problems.The integrated CoB and BN are simultaneously and uniformly introduced on the rGO substrate through a one-step calcination strategy,applied to modify the cathode side of PP separator.The transition metal borides can catalyze the conversion of lithium polysulfides(Li_(2)Sn,n≥4),whereas the bond of B-S is too weak to absorb LPS.Thus BN introduced can effectively restrict the diffusion of polysulfides via strong chemisorption with LiSnLi+…N,while the rGO substrate ensures smooth electron transfer for redox reaction.Therefore,through the integrated adsorption/catalysis,the shuttle effect is suppressed,the kinetics of redox reaction is enhanced,and the capacity decay is reduced.Using CoB/BN@rGO modified PP separator,the Li-S batteries with high initial capacity(1450 mAh g^(-1)at 0.35 mA cm^(-2))and long-cycle stability(700 cycles at 1.74 mA cm^(-2)with a decay rate of 0.032%per cycle)are achieved.This work provides a novel insight for the preparation of bifunctional catalysis with integrated structure for long-life Li-S batteries.

Highly integrated sulfur cathodes with strong sulfur/high-strength binder interactions enabling durable high-loading lithium-sulfur batteries

The development of high-sulfur-loading Li-S batteries is a key prerequisite for their commercial applications.This requires to surmount the huge polarization,severe polysulfide shuttling and drastic volume change caused by electrode thickening.High-strength polar binders are ideal for constructing robust and long-life high-loading sulfur cathodes but show very weak interfacial interaction with non-polar sulfur materials.To address this issue,this work devises a highly integrated sulfur@polydopamine/highstrength binder composite cathodes,targeting long-lasting and high-sulfur-loading Li-S batteries.The super-adhesion polydopamine(PD)can form a uniform nano-coating over the graphene/sulfur(G-S)surface and provide strong affinity to the cross-linked polyacrylamide(c-PAM)binder,thus tightly integrating sulfur with the binder network and greatly boosting the overall mechanical strength/conductivity of the electrode.Moreover,the PD coating and c-PAM binder rich in polar groups can form two effective blockades against the effusion of soluble polysulfides.As such,the 4.5 mg cm−2 sulfur-loaded G-S@PD-c-PAM cathode achieves a capacity of 480 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 1 C,while maintaining a capacity of 396 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 0.2 C when the sulfur loading rises to 9.1 mg cm−2.This work provides a system-wide concept for constructing high-loading sulfur cathodes through integrated structural design.

Review on Artificial Intelligence-aided Life Extension Assessment of Offshore Wind Support Structures

The primary objective of the present literature review is to provide a constructive and systematical discussion based on the relevant development,unsolved issues,gaps,and misconceptions in the literature regarding the fields of study that are building blocks of artificial intelligence-aided life extension assessment for offshore wind turbine support structures.The present review aims to set up the needed guidelines to develop a multi-disciplinary framework for life extension management and certification of the support structures for offshore wind turbines using artificial intelligence.The main focus of the literature review centres around the intelligent risk-based life extension management of offshore wind turbine support structures.In this regard,big data analytics,advanced signal processing techniques,supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods are discussed within the structural health monitoring and condition-based maintenance planning,the development of digital twins.Furthermore,the present review discusses the critical failure mechanisms affecting the structural condition,such as high-cycle fatigue,low-cycle fatigue,fracture,ultimate strength,and corrosion,considering deterministic and probabilistic approaches.

A METHODOLOGY FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ISO 9000 certification has been considered as an effective competitive edge for manufacturing industries. In Hong Kong, the ISO 9000 certification has been widely adopted and extended to service industries for the sole purpose of enhancing corporate image. However, complaints have been voiced by many certified organizations about increasing paperwork, non direct labour and excessive resources channelled into non core business. This paper is to propound the integrated management system, a single management system focusing on business purpose yet being flexible enough to integrate the requirements of various management standards such as the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and future ISO 18000. This paper describes how the proposed system could be implemented to achieve the desired business results.

Three-Layer Structured SnO_(2)@C@TiO_(2)Hollow Spheres for High-Performance Sodium Storage

The unsatisfactory conductivity and large volume variation severely handicap the application of SnO_(2)in sodium-ion batteries(SIBs).Herein,we design unique three-layer structured SnO_(2)@C@TiO_(2)hollow spheres to tackle the above-mentioned issues.The hollow cavity affords empty space to accommodate the volume variation of SnO_(2),while the C and TiO_(2)protecting shells strengthen the structural integrity and enhances the electrical conductivity.As a result,the three-layer structured SnO_(2)@C@TiO_(2)hollow spheres demonstrate enhanced Na storage performances.The SnO_(2)@C@TiO_(2)manifests a reversible capacity two times to that of pristine SnO_(2)hollow spheres.In addition,Ex situ XRD reveals highly reversible alloying and conversion reactions in SnO_(2)@C@TiO_(2)hollow spheres.This study suggests the introduction of a hollow cavity and robust protecting shells is a promising strategy for constructing SIB anode materials.

Approach for Obtaining Material Mechanical Properties in Local Region of Structure Based on Accurate Analysis of Micro-indentation Test

The hot or cold processing would induce the change and the inhomogeneous of the material mechanical properties in the local processing region of the structure,and it is difficult to obtain the specific mechanical properties in these regions by using the traditional material tensile test.To accurately get actual material mechanical properties in the local region of structure,a micro-indentation test system incorporated by an electronic universal material test device has been established.An indenter displacement sensor and a group of special micro-indenter assemblies are estab-lished.A numerical indentation inversion analysis method by using ABAQUS software is also proposed in this study.Based on the above test system and analysis platform,an approach to obtaining material mechanical properties in the local region of structures is proposed and established.The ball indentation test is performed and combined with the energy method by using various changed mechanical properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel under differ-ent elongations.The investigated results indicate that the material mechanical properties and the micro-indentation morphological changes have evidently relevance.Compared with the tensile test results,the deviations of material mechanical parameters,such as hardness H,the hardening exponent n,the yield strength σy and others are within 5%obtained through the indentation test and the finite element analysis.It provides an effective and convenient method for obtaining the actual material mechanical properties in the local processing region of the structure.

Nonlinear analysis of slow drift extreme responses of a compliant offshore structure

This paper first demonstrates that the accuracy and efficiency of the method of numerical simulation often used is not very high in predicting the slow drift surge extreme responses of a compliant offshore structure. Next, the slow drift surge extreme responses of the structure are analyzed via the path integral solution racy and efficiency of the PIS （PIS） method, and the accumethod is found to be higher than those of the numerical simulation method. A compound PIS （CPIS） method is first proposed in this article to further improve the efficiency of the path integral solution method, and the accuracy and efficiency of the CPIS method is validated.

Impact Performance of 3D Integrated Cellular Woven Composite Panel

This paper studied the impact resistance of 3D integrated cellular woven composite panel under persudo-static impact, comprised the test result with property of typical 3D woven composites, analyzed some parameters that maybe affect composites＇ impact resistance and at last used SEM to observe the damage process and mechanism of samples. The result shows that the impact resistance of 3D integrated cellular woven composites is much better than the performance of typical 3D woven composites; it is an active method to improve the impact resistance of composites that developing preform with cellular on the basis of typical 3D woven structure; for different 3D integrated cellular woven structure, the value of absorbed-energy is increasing with the hollow percentage; tiny deformatlen will not emerge on samples until the acting force gets to 85% of the maximum; similar with typical 3D woven composites, the delaminated phenomenon of 3D integrated cellular woven composites is also unapparent during impact process.

Hidden Properties of Mathematical Physics Equations. Double Solutions. The Realization of Integrable Structures. Emergence of Physical Structures and Observable Formations

With the help of skew-symmetric differential forms the hidden properties of the mathematical physics equations are revealed. It is shown that the equations of mathematical physics can describe the emergence of various structures and formations such as waves, vortices, turbulent pulsations and others. Such properties of the mathematical physics equations, which are hidden (they appear only in the process of solving these equations), depend on the consistency of derivatives in partial differential equations and on the consistency of equations, if the equations of mathematical physics are a set of equations. This is due to the integrability of mathematical physics equations. It is shown that the equations of mathematical physics can have double solutions, namely, the solutions on the original coordinate space and the solutions on integrable structures that are realized discretely (due to any degrees of freedom). The transition from the solutions of the first type to one of the second type describes discrete transitions and the processes of origin of various structures and observable formations. Only mathematical physics equations, on what no additional conditions such as the integrability conditions are imposed, can possess such properties. The results of the present paper were obtained with the help of skew-symmetric differential forms.

Discrete Quantum Transitions, Duality: Emergence of Physical Structures and Occurrence of Observed Formations (Hidden Properties of Mathematical Physics Equations)

With the help of skew-symmetric differential forms, the hidden properties of the mathematical physics equations that describe discrete quantum transitions and emergence the physical structures are investigated. It is shown that the mathematical physics equations possess a unique property. They can describe discrete quantum transitions, emergence of physical structures and occurrence observed formations. However, such a property possesses only equations on which no additional conditions, namely, the conditions of integrability, are imposed. The intergrability conditions are realized from the equations themselves. Just under realization of integrability conditions double solutions to the mathematical physics equations, which describe discrete transitions and so on, are obtained. The peculiarity consists in the fact that the integrability conditions do not directly follow from the mathematical physics equations;they are realized under the description of evolutionary process. The hidden properties of differential equations were discovered when studying the integrability of differential equations of mathematical physics that depends on the consistence between the derivatives in differential equations along different directions and on the consistence of equations in the set of equations. The results of this work were obtained with the help of skew-symmetric differential forms that possess a nontraditional mathematical apparatus such as nonidentical relations, degenerate transformations and the transition from nonintegrable manifolds to integrable structures. Such results show that mathematical physics equations can describe quantum processes.

Spontaneous Emergence of Physical Structures and Observable Formations: Fluctuations, Waves, Turbulent Pulsations and So on

As it is known, the closed inexact exterior form and associated closed dual form make up a differential-geometrical structure. Such a differential-geometrical structure describes a physical structure, namely, a pseudostructure on which conservation laws are fulfilled (A closed dual form describes a pseudostructure. And a closed exterior form, as it is known, describes a conservative quantity, since the differential of closed form is equal to zero). It has been shown that closed inexact exterior forms, which describe physical structures, are obtained from the equations of mathematical physics. This process proceeds spontaneously under realization of any degrees of freedom of the material medium described. Such a process describes an emergence of physical structures and this is accompanied by an appearance of observed formations such as fluctuations, waves, turbulent pulsations and so on.

MEASURING OF COMPLEX STRUCTURE TRANSFER FUNCTION AND CALCULATING OF INNER SOUND FIELD

In order to measure complex structure transfer function and calculate inner sound field, transfer function of integration is mentioned. By establishing virtual system, transfer function of integration can be measured and the inner sound field can also be calculated. In the experiment, automobile body transfer function of integration is measured and experimental method of establishing virtual system is very valid.

Effect of cold-working on corrosion induced damage in lug joints

Lug joints are preferred joineries for transferring heavy loads to parent components in aerospace vehicles.They experience corrosion due to environmental conditions,improper surface finishes and rubbing displacement between the pin and lug-hole.This causes damage of different sizes and shapes near the lug-hole.Stiffness degradation due to corrosion-induced damage is modelled as a through-pit at one of the identified critical locations through stress analysis.The effect of this pit on fatigue crack initiation life is estimated.Lug-hole is pre-stressed by cold-working and the benefits of inducing plastic wake on the intended performance of the lug joint during the damages due to corrosion are brought out and compared with non-cold-worked lug-hole.Numerical analysis is performed on this lug joint with pressfit.The results obtained highlight the benefits of cold-working and the methodology can be extended to damage growth and analyse the effect of surface treatments for better structural integrity of components of aerospace vehicles.

Interfacial fusion-enhanced 11 μm-thick gel polymer electrolyte for high-performance lithium metal batteries

In the pursuit of ultrathin polymer electrolyte(<20 μm) for lithium metal batteries, achieving a balance between mechanical strength and interfacial stability is crucial for the longevity of the electrolytes.Herein, 11 μm-thick gel polymer electrolyte is designed via an integrated electrode/electrolyte structure supported by lithium metal anode. Benefiting from an exemplary superiority of excellent mechanical property, high ionic conductivity, and robust interfacial adhesion, the in-situ formed polymer electrolyte reinforced by titanosiloxane networks(ISPTS) embodies multifunctional roles of physical barrier, ionic carrier, and artificial protective layer at the interface. The potent interfacial interactions foster a seamless fusion of the electrode/electrolyte interfaces and enable continuous ion transport. Moreover, the built-in ISPTS electrolyte participates in the formation of gradient solid-electrolyte interphase(SEI) layer, which enhances the SEI's structural integrity against the strain induced by volume fluctuations of lithium anode.Consequently, the resultant 11 μm-thick ISPTS electrolyte enables lithium symmetric cells with cycling stability over 600 h and LiFePO_(4) cells with remarkable capacity retention of 96.6% after 800 cycles.This study provides a new avenue for designing ultrathin polymer electrolytes towards stable, safe,and high-energy–density lithium metal batteries.