Controllable thermal rectification design for buildings based on phase change composites

Phase-change material(PCM)is widely used in thermal management due to their unique thermal behavior.However,related research in thermal rectifier is mainly focused on exploring the principles at the fundamental device level,which results in a gap to real applications.Here,we propose a controllable thermal rectification design towards building applications through the direct adhesion of composite thermal rectification material(TRM)based on PCM and reduced graphene oxide(rGO)aerogel to ordinary concrete walls(CWs).The design is evaluated in detail by combining experiments and finite element analysis.It is found that,TRM can regulate the temperature difference on both sides of the TRM/CWs system by thermal rectification.The difference in two directions reaches to 13.8 K at the heat flow of 80 W/m^(2).In addition,the larger the change of thermal conductivity before and after phase change of TRM is,the more effective it is for regulating temperature difference in two directions.The stated technology has a wide range of applications for the thermal energy control in buildings with specific temperature requirements.

Optimization study of station track utilization in high-speed railroad based on constraints of control in random origin and process

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to eliminate the fluctuations in train arrival and departure times caused by skewed distributions in interval operation times.These fluctuations arise from random origin and process factors during interval operations and can accumulate over multiple intervals.The aim is to enhance the robustness of high-speed rail station arrival and departure track utilization schemes.Design/methodologylapproach-To achieve this objective,the paper simulates actual train operations,incorporating the fluctuations in interval operation times into the utilization of arrival and departure tracks at the station.The Monte Carlo simulation method is adopted to solve this problem.This approach transforms a nonlinear model,which includes constraints from probability distribution functions and is difficult to solve directly,into a linear programming model that is easier to handle.The method then linearly weights two objectives to optimize the solution.Findings-Through the application of Monte Carlo simulation,the study successfully converts the complex nonlinear model with probability distribution function constraints into a manageable linear programming model.By continuously adjusting the weighting coefficients of the linear objectives,the method is able to optimize the Pareto solution.Notably,this approach does not require extensive scene data to obtain a satisfactory Pareto solution set.Originality/value-The paper contributes to the field by introducing a novel method for optimizing high-speed rail station arrival and departure track utilization in the presence of fluctuations in interval operation times.The use of Monte Carlo simulation to transform the problem into a tractable linear programming model represents a significant advancement.Furthermore,the method's ability to produce satisfactory Pareto solutions without relying on extensive data sets adds to its practical value and applicability in real-world scenarios.

Study on the Interactivity of Controlled and Automatic Information Processing in L2 Reading

L2 reading is not only an important channel for people to obtain information and knowledge,but also the main way for people to learn a foreign language.Reading information processing can be divided into controlled processing and automatic processing.Controlled information processing is a conscious and resource-intensive processing model,while automatic information processing is an unconscious and automatic processing model.This study investigates the characteristics and interactivity of controlled and automatic information processing in L2 reading,and explores the roles of controlled and automatic information processing strategies in improving L2 reading ability.The findings are as follows:(a)controlled and automatic information processing is interactive in L2 reading;and(b)the uses of controlled and automatic information processing strategies are beneficial to the improvement of the reading ability of L2 learners.This study has important theoretical and practical value in improving the efficiency of L2 reading teaching and learning.

A master-slave generalized predictive synchronization control for preheating process of multi-cavity hot runner system

As a key component of injection molding,multi-cavity hot runner(MCHR)system faces the crucial problem of polymer melt filling imbalance among the cavities.The thermal imbalance in the system has been considered as the leading cause.Hence,the solution may rest with the synchronization of those heating processes in MCHR system.This paper proposes a’Master-Slave’generalized predictive synchronization control(MS-GPSC)method with’Mr.Slowest’strategy for preheating stage of MCHR system.The core of the proposed method is choosing the heating process with slowest dynamics as the’Master’to track the setpoint,while the other heating processes are treated as‘Slaves’tracking the output of’Master’.This proposed method is shown to have the good ability of temperature synchronization.The corresponding analysis is conducted on parameters tuning and stability,simulations and experiments show the strategy is effective.

Effect of thermal processing and fermentation with Chinese traditional starters on characteristics and allergenicity of wheat matrix

Wheat allergy has become a serious health threat worldwide and its prevalence has increased alarmingly in the past few years.Factors such as food matrix and food processing may alter the structure of wheat proteins,and hence affect its allergenic properties.However,few reports have focused on the influence of Chinese traditional starter fermentation on wheat allergy.In this study,5 starters from different regions of China were used for fermentation,and protein characteristics were monitored by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electropheresis,and immunoreactivity analyzed by immunoassay with allergenic serum was obtained from New Zealand white rabbits.The allergenicity of steamed and baked matrices was also evaluated.The results showed that the allergenicity of wheat dough was basically increased at the beginning and then decreased during fermentation,but specific trends depend on different starters.With the progress of fermentation,especially as pH value decreased to 3.0-4.0,the allergenicity decreased significantly.Baking and steaming can reduce the allergenicity of wheat matrix,but fermentation is not a key factor affecting the allergenic activity of proteins.Our results can provide a theoretical basis for controlling wheat allergenicity in food proces sing or producing hypoallergenic food.

Controllable rectification on the thermal conductivity of porous YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7−x) superconductors from 3D-printing

Superconducting YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7−x)(YBCO)bulks have promising applications in quasi-permanent magnets,levitation,etc.Recently,a new way of fabricating porous YBCO bulks,named direct-ink-writing(DIW)3D-printing method,has been reported.In this method,the customized precursor paste and programmable shape are two main advantages.Here,we have put forward a new way to customize the YBCO 3D-printing precursor paste which is doped with Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles to obtain YBCO with higher thermal conductivity.The great rheological properties of precursor paste after being doped with Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles can help the macroscopic YBCO samples with high thermal conductivity fabricated stably with high crystalline and lightweight properties.Test results show that the peak thermal conductivity of Al_(2)O_(3)-doped YBCO can reach twice as much as pure YBCO,which makes a great effort to reduce the quench propagation speed.Based on the microstructure analysis,one can find that the thermal conductivity of Al_(2)O_(3)-doped YBCO has been determined by its components and microstructures.In addition,a macroscopic theoretical model has been proposed to assess the thermal conductivity of different microstructures,whose calculated results take good agreement with the experimental results.Meanwhile,a microstructure with high thermal conductivity has been found.Finally,a macroscopic YBCO bulk with the presented high thermal conductivity microstructure has been fabricated by the Al_(2)O_(3)-doped method.Compared with YBCO fabricated by the traditional 3D-printed,the Al_(2)O_(3)-doped structural YBCO bulks present excellent heat transfer performances.Our customized design of 3D-printing precursor pastes and novel concept of structural design for enhancing the thermal conductivity of YBCO superconducting material can be widely used in other DIW 3D-printing materials.

Guide and control of thermal conduction with isotropic thermodynamic parameters based on a rotary-concentrating device

A rotary-concentrating device for thermal conduction is constructed to control and guide thermal energy transmitting in elastic plates.The designed device has the ability of concentrating for thermal conduction and controlling the processes of thermal diffusion in a plate.The multilayered isotropic material properties of the rotary-concentrating device are derived based on the transformation and rotary medium method and a rotation parameter to control the thermal diffusion process is introduced.The efficiency of the rotary-concentrating device for thermal conduction is verified.Stability of temperature fields in a plate with the rotary-concentrating device is analyzed to study the performance of rotary-concentrating.Numerical examples show that the constructed rotary-concentrating device for thermal conduction can effectively rotate and focus on the thermal energy into the device for a wide range of diffusion temperatures,which can enhance the thermal conduction.Therefore,this study can provide a theoretical support for potential applications in fields of energy harvesting and thermal conduction control.

Spatiotemporal phase change materials for thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release

Phase change materials(PCMs)have attracted much attention in the field of solar thermal utilization recently,due to their outstanding thermal energy storage performance.However,PCMs usually release their stored latent heat spontaneously as the temperature below the phase transition temperature,rendering thermal energy storage and release uncontrollable,thus hindering their practical application in time and space.Herein,we developed erythritol/sodium carboxymethylcellulose/tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate(ERY/CMC/EDTA-4Na)composite PCMs with novel spatiotemporal thermal energy storage properties,defined as spatiotemporal PCMs(STPCMs),which exhibit the capacity of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release.Our results show that the composite PCMs are unable to lose latent heat due to spontaneous crystallization during cooling,but can controllably release thermal energy through cold crystallization during reheating.The cold-crystallization temperature and enthalpy of composite PCMs can be adjusted by proportional addition of EDTA-4Na to the composite.When the mass fractions of CMC and EDTA-4Na are both 10%,the composite PCMs can exhibit the optical coldcrystallization temperature of 51.7℃ and enthalpy of 178.1 J/g.The supercooled composite PCMs without latent heat release can be maintained at room temperature(10-25℃)for up to more than two months,and subsequently the stored latent heat can be controllably released by means of thermal triggering or heterogeneous nucleation.Our findings provide novel insights into the design and construction of new PCMs with spatiotemporal performance of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release,and consequently open a new door for the development of advanced solar thermal utilization techniques on the basis of STPCMs.

Field observation of the thermal disturbance and freezeback processes of cast-in-place pile foundations in warm permafrost regions

The bearing capacity of pile foundations is affected by the temperature of the frozen soil around pile foundations.The construction process and the hydration heat of cast-in-place(CIP)pile foundations affect the thermal stability of permafrost.In this paper,temperature data from inside multiple CIP piles,borehole observations of ground thermal status adjacent to the foundations and local weather stations were monitored in warm permafrost regions to study the thermal influence process of CIP pile foundations.The following conclusions are drawn from the field observation data.(1)The early temperature change process of different CIP piles is different,and the differences gradually diminish over time.(2)The initial concrete temperature is linearly related with the air temperature,net radiation and wind speed within 1 h before the completion of concrete pouring;the contributions of the air temperature,net radiation,and wind speed to the initial concrete temperature are 51.9%,20.3%and 27.9%,respectively.(3)The outer boundary of the thermal disturbance annulus is approximately 2 m away from the pile center.It took more than 224 days for the soil around the CIP piles to return to the natural permafrost temperature at the study site.

Effects of different thermal processing methods on bioactive components,phenolic compounds,and antioxidant activities of Qingke(highland hull-less barley)

Qingke(highland hull-less barley)is a grain replete with substantial nutrients and bioactive ingredients.In this study,we evaluated the effects of boiling(BO),steaming(ST),microwave baking(MB),far-infrared baking(FB),steam explosion(SE),and deep frying(DF)on bioactive components,phenolic compounds,and antioxidant activities of Qingke compared with the effects of traditional roast(TR).Results showed that the soluble dietary fiber,beta-glucan and water-extractable pentosans of Qingke in dry heat processes of TR,SE,MB and FB had a higher content compared with other thermal methods and had a better antioxidant activity of hydroxyl radical scavenging and a better reduction capacity,while those in wet heat processes of BO and ST had a better antioxidant activity of ABTS radical scavenging and a better Fe^(2+) chelating ability.DF-and SE-Qingke had a higher content of tocopherol,phenolic,and flavonoid.Overall,6 free phenolic compounds and 12 bound phenolic compounds of Qingke were identified,and free phenolic compounds suffered more damage during thermal processing.Principal component analysis showed that SE had more advantages in retaining and improving the main biological active ingredients of Qingke,and it may be the best method for treating Qingke.

Process design and intensification of multicomponent azeotropes special distillation separation via molecular simulation and system optimization

This work provides an overview of distillation processes,including process design for different distillation processes,selection of entrainers for special distillation processes,system integration and intensification of distillation processes,optimization of process parameters for distillation processes and recent research progress in dynamic control strategies.Firstly,the feasibility of using thermodynamic topological theories such as residual curve,phase equilibrium line and distillation boundary line to analyze different separation regions is discussed,and the rationality of distillation process design is discussed by using its feasibility.Secondly,the application of molecular simulation methods such as molecular dynamics simulation and quantum chemical calculation in the screening of entrainer is discussed for the extractive distillation process.The thermal coupling mechanism of different distillation processes is used to explore the process of different process intensifications.Next,a mixed integer nonlinear optimization strategy for the distillation process based on different algorithms is introduced.Finally,the improvement of dynamic control strategies for different distillation processes in recent years is summarized.This work focuses on the application of process intensification and system optimization in the design of distillation process,and analyzes the challenges,prospects,and development trends of distillation technology in the separation of multicomponent azeotropes.

Reinforcement Learning in Process Industries:Review and Perspective

This survey paper provides a review and perspective on intermediate and advanced reinforcement learning(RL)techniques in process industries. It offers a holistic approach by covering all levels of the process control hierarchy. The survey paper presents a comprehensive overview of RL algorithms,including fundamental concepts like Markov decision processes and different approaches to RL, such as value-based, policy-based, and actor-critic methods, while also discussing the relationship between classical control and RL. It further reviews the wide-ranging applications of RL in process industries, such as soft sensors, low-level control, high-level control, distributed process control, fault detection and fault tolerant control, optimization,planning, scheduling, and supply chain. The survey paper discusses the limitations and advantages, trends and new applications, and opportunities and future prospects for RL in process industries. Moreover, it highlights the need for a holistic approach in complex systems due to the growing importance of digitalization in the process industries.

High-strength and thermally stable TiB_(2)-modified Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy fabricated via selective laser melting

To increase the processability and plasticity of the selective laser melting(SLM)fabricated Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloys,a novel TiB_(2)-modified Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy with a mixture of Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr and nano-TiB_(2) powders was fabricated by SLM.The pro-cessability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the alloy were systematically investigated by density measurement,microstruc-ture characterization,and mechanical properties testing.The alloys fabricated at 250 W displayed higher relative densities due to a uni-formly smooth top surface and appropriate laser energy input.The maximum relative density value of the alloy reached(99.7±0.1)%,demonstrating good processability.The alloy exhibited a duplex grain microstructure consisting of columnar regions primarily and equiaxed regions with TiB_(2),Al6Mn,and Al3Er phases distributed along the grain boundaries.After directly aging treatment at a high tem-perature of 400℃,the strength of the SLM-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy increased due to the precipitation of the secondary Al6Mn phases.The maximum yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the aging alloy were measured to be(374±1)and(512±13)MPa,respectively.The SLM-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy demonstrates exceptional strength and thermal stability due to the synergistic effects of the inhibition of grain growth,the incorporation of TiB_(2) nanoparticles,and the precipitation of secondary Al6Mn nanoparticles.

Effect of safety valve types on the gas venting behavior and thermal runaway hazard severity of large-format prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries

The safety valve is an important component to ensure the safe operation of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).However,the effect of safety valve type on the thermal runaway(TR)and gas venting behavior of LIBs,as well as the TR hazard severity of LIBs,are not known.In this paper,the TR and gas venting behavior of three 100 A h lithium iron phosphate(LFP)batteries with different safety valves are investigated under overheating.Compared to previous studies,the main contribution of this work is in studying and evaluating the effect of gas venting behavior and TR hazard severity of LFP batteries with three safety valve types.Two significant results are obtained:(Ⅰ)the safety valve type dominates over gas venting pressure of battery during safety venting,the maximum gas venting pressure of LFP batteries with a round safety valve is 3320 Pa,which is one order of magnitude higher than other batteries with oval or cavity safety valve;(Ⅱ)the LFP battery with oval safety valve has the lowest TR hazard as shown by the TR hazard assessment model based on gray-fuzzy analytic hierarchy process.This study reveals the effect of safety valve type on TR and gas venting,providing a clear direction for the safety valve design.

Design and analysis of an advanced thermal management system for the solar close observations and proximity experiments spacecraft

In this paper,the mission and the thermal environment of the Solar Close Observations and Proximity Experiments(SCOPE)spacecraft are analyzed,and an advanced thermal management system(ATMS)is designed for it.The relationship and functions of the integrated database,the intelligent thermal control system and the efficient liquid cooling system in the ATMS are elaborated upon.For the complex thermal field regulation system and extreme space thermal environment,a modular simulation and thermal field planning method are proposed,and the feasibility of the planning algorithm is verified by numerical simulation.A solar array liquid cooling system is developed,and the system simulation results indicate that the temperatures of the solar arrays meet the requirements as the spacecraft flies by perihelion and aphelion.The advanced thermal management study supports the development of the SCOPE program and provides a reference for the thermal management in other deep-space exploration programs.

Cross-section distortion and springback characteristics of double-cavity aluminum profile in force controlled stretch-bending

3D elastic-plastic FE model for simulating the force controlled stretch-bending process of double-cavity aluminum profile was established using hybrid explicit−implicit solvent method.Considering the computational accuracy and efficiency,the optimal choices of numerical parameters and algorithms in FE modelling were determined.The formation mechanisms of cross-section distortion and springback were revealed.The effects of pre-stretching,post-stretching,friction,and the addition of internal fillers on forming quality were investigated.The results show that the stress state of profile in stretch-bending is uniaxial with only a circumferential stress.The stress distribution along the length direction of profile is non-uniform and the maximum tensile stress is located at a certain distance away from the center of profile.As aluminum profile is gradually attached to bending die,the distribution characteristic of cross-section distortion along the length direction of profile changes from V-shape to W-shape.After unloading the forming tools,cross-section distortion decreases obviously due to the stress relaxation,with a maximum distortion difference of 13%before and after unloading.As pre-stretching and post-stretching forces increase,cross-section distortion increases gradually,while springback first decreases and then remains unchanged.With increasing friction between bending die and profile,cross-section distortion slightly decreases,while springback increases.Cross-section distortion decreases by 83%with adding PVC fillers into the cavities of profile,while springback increases by 192.2%.

ON DE FINETTI'S OPTIMAL IMPULSE DIVIDEND CONTROL PROBLEM UNDER CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY

Motivated by recent advances made in the study of dividend control and risk management problems involving the U.S.bankruptcy code,in this paper we follow[44]to revisit the De Finetti dividend control problem under the reorganization process and the regulator's intervention documented in U.S.Chapter 11 bankruptcy.We do this by further accommodating the fixed transaction costs on dividends to imitate the real-world procedure of dividend payments.Incorporating the fixed transaction costs transforms the targeting optimal dividend problem into an impulse control problem rather than a singular control problem,and hence computations and proofs that are distinct from[44]are needed.To account for the financial stress that is due to the more subtle concept of Chapter 11 bankruptcy,the surplus process after dividends is driven by a piece-wise spectrally negative Lévy process with endogenous regime switching.Some explicit expressions of the expected net present values under a double barrier dividend strategy,new to the literature,are established in terms of scale functions.With the help of these expressions,we are able to characterize the optimal strategy among the set of admissible double barrier dividend strategies.When the tail of the Lévy measure is log-convex,this optimal double barrier dividend strategy is then verified as the optimal dividend strategy,solving our optimal impulse control problem.

Predictive Sliding Mode Control to a Thermal Process for Batch Dyeing

The batch dyeing process is a typical nonlinear process with time-delay,where precise controlling of temperature plays a vital role on the dyeing quality.Because the accuracy and robustness of the commonly used proportion integration differentiation(PID) algorithm had been limited,a novel method was developed to precisely control the heating and cooling stages for batch dyeing process based on predictive sliding mode control(SMC) algorithm.Firstly,a special predictive sliding mode model was constructed according to the principle of generalized predictive control(GPC);secondly,an appropriate reference trajectory for SMC was designed based on the improved approaching law;finally,the predictive sliding mode model and the Diophantine equation were used to predict the output and then the optimized control law was derived using the generalized predictive law.This method combined GPC and the SMC with their respective advantages,so it could be applied to time-delay process,making the control system more robust.Simulation experiments show that this algorithm can well track the temperature variation for the batch dyeing process.

Fabrication and Characterization of Bamboo—Epoxy Reinforced Composite for Thermal Insulation

As global warming intensifies, researchers worldwide strive to develop effective ways to reduce heat transfer. Among the natural fiber composites studied extensively in recent decades, bamboo has emerged as a prime candidate for reinforcement. This woody plant offers inherent strengths, biodegradability, and abundant availability. Due to its high cellulose content, its low thermal conductivity establishes bamboo as a thermally resistant material. Its low thermal conductivity, enhanced by a NaOH solution treatment, makes it an excellent thermally resistant material. Researchers incorporated Hollow Glass Microspheres (HGM) and Kaolin fillers into the epoxy matrix to improve the insulating properties of bamboo composites. These fillers substantially enhance thermal resistance, limiting heat transfer. Various compositions, like (30% HGM + 25% Bamboo + 65% Epoxy) and (30% Kaolin + 25% Bamboo + 45% Epoxy), were compared to identify the most efficient thermal insulator. Using Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) ensures uniform distribution of fillers and resin, creating a structurally sound thermal barrier. These reinforced composites, evaluated using the TOPSIS method, demonstrated their potential as high-performance materials combating heat transfer, offering a promising solution in the battle against climate change.

A HybridManufacturing ProcessMonitoringMethod Using Stacked Gated Recurrent Unit and Random Forest

This study proposed a new real-time manufacturing process monitoring method to monitor and detect process shifts in manufacturing operations.Since real-time production process monitoring is critical in today’s smart manufacturing.The more robust the monitoring model,the more reliable a process is to be under control.In the past,many researchers have developed real-time monitoring methods to detect process shifts early.However,thesemethods have limitations in detecting process shifts as quickly as possible and handling various data volumes and varieties.In this paper,a robust monitoring model combining Gated Recurrent Unit(GRU)and Random Forest(RF)with Real-Time Contrast(RTC)called GRU-RF-RTC was proposed to detect process shifts rapidly.The effectiveness of the proposed GRU-RF-RTC model is first evaluated using multivariate normal and nonnormal distribution datasets.Then,to prove the applicability of the proposed model in a realmanufacturing setting,the model was evaluated using real-world normal and non-normal problems.The results demonstrate that the proposed GRU-RF-RTC outperforms other methods in detecting process shifts quickly with the lowest average out-of-control run length(ARL1)in all synthesis and real-world problems under normal and non-normal cases.The experiment results on real-world problems highlight the significance of the proposed GRU-RF-RTC model in modern manufacturing process monitoring applications.The result reveals that the proposed method improves the shift detection capability by 42.14%in normal and 43.64%in gamma distribution problems.