Multi-layer quasi-zero-stiffness meta-structure for high-efficiency vibration isolation at low frequency

An easily stackable multi-layer quasi-zero-stiffness(ML-QZS)meta-structure is proposed to achieve highly efficient vibration isolation performance at low frequency.First,the distributed shape optimization method is used to design the unit cel,i.e.,the single-layer QZS(SL-QZS)meta-structure.Second,the stiffness feature of the unit cell is investigated and verified through static experiments.Third,the unit cells are stacked one by one along the direction of vibration isolation,and thus the ML-QZS meta-structure is constructed.Fourth,the dynamic modeling of the ML-QZS vibration isolation metastructure is conducted,and the dynamic responses are obtained from the equations of motion,and verified by finite element(FE)simulations.Finally,a prototype of the ML-QZS vibration isolation meta-structure is fabricated by additive manufacturing,and the vibration isolation performance is evaluated experimentally.The results show that the vibration isolation performance substantially enhances when the number of unit cells increases.More importantly,the ML-QZS meta-structure can be easily extended in the direction of vibration isolation when the unit cells are properly stacked.Hence,the ML-FQZS vibration isolation meta-structure should be a fascinating solution for highly efficient vibration isolation performance at low frequency.

A hierarchical salt-rejection strategy for sustainable and high-efficiency solar-driven desalination

Solar steam generation(SSG)is widely regarded as one of the most sustainable technologies for seawater desalination.However,salt fouling severely compromises the evaporation performance and lifetime of evaporators,limiting their practical applications.Herein,we propose a hierarchical salt-rejection(HSR)strategy to prevent salt precipitation during long-term evaporation while maintaining a rapid evaporation rate,even in high-salinity brine.The salt diffusion process is segmented into three steps—insulation,branching diffusion,and arterial transport—that significantly enhance the salt-resistance properties of the evaporator.Moreover,the HSR strategy overcomes the tradeoff between salt resistance and evaporation rate.Consequently,a high evaporation rate of 2.84 kg m^(-2) h^(-1),stable evaporation for 7 days cyclic tests in 20 wt%NaCl solution,and continuous operation for 170 h in natural seawater under 1 sun illumination were achieved.Compared with control evaporators,the HSR evaporator exhibited a>54%enhancement in total water evaporation mass during 24 h continuous evaporation in 20 wt%salt water.Furthermore,a water collection device equipped with the HSR evaporator realized a high water purification rate(1.1 kg m^(-2) h^(-1)),highlighting its potential for agricultural applications.

Effect of high-multiple water injection on rock pore structure and oil displacement efficiency

Experimental methods,including mercury pressure,nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and core(wateroil)displacement,are used to examine the effects of high-multiple water injection(i.e.water injection with high injected pore volume)on rock properties,pore structure and oil displacement efficiency of an oilfield in the western South China Sea.The results show an increase in the permeability of rocks along with particle migration,an increase in the pore volume and the average pore throat radius,and enhanced heterogeneity after high-multiple water injection.Compared with normal water injection methods,a high-multiple water injection is more effective in improving the oil displacement efficiency.The degree of recovery increases faster in the early stage due to the expansion of the swept area,and the transition from oil-wet to water-wet.The degree of recovery increases less in the late stage due to various factors,including the enhancement of heterogeneity in the rocks.Considering both the economic aspect and the production limit of water flooding,it is recommended to adopt other technologies to further enhance oil recovery after 300 PV water injection.

High Energy Efficiency Dynamic Connected Hybrid Precoding for mm Wave Massive MIMO Systems

This paper considers a high energy efficiency dynamic connected(HEDC)structure,which promotes the practicability and reduces the power consumption of hybrid precoding system by lowresolution phase shifters(PSs).Based on the proposed structure,a new hybrid precoding algorithm is presented to optimize the energy efficiency,namely,HP-HEDC algorithm.Firstly,via a new defined effective optimal precoding matrix,the problem of optimizing the analog switch precoding matrix is formulated as a sparse representation problem.Thus,the optimal analog switch precoding matrix can be readily obtained by the branch-and-bound method.Then,the digital precoding matrix optimization problem is modeled as a dictionary update problem and solved by the method of optimal direction(MOD).Finally,the diagonal entries of the analog PS precoding matrix are optimized by exhaustive search independently since PS and antenna is one-to-one.Simulation results show that the HEDC structure enjoys low power consumption and satisfactory spectral efficiency.The proposed algorithm presents at least 50%energy efficiency improvement compared with other algorithms when the PS resolution is set as 3-bit.

High Efficiency Formamidinium-Cesium Perovskite-Based Radio-Photovoltaic Cells

Radio-photovoltaic cell is a micro nuclear battery for devices operating in extreme environments,which converts the decay energy of a radioisotope into electric energy by using a phosphor and a photovoltaic converter.Many phosphors with high light yield and good environmental stability have been developed,but the performance of radio-photovoltaic cells remains far behind expectations in terms of power density and power conversion efficiency,because of the poor photoelectric conversion efficiency of traditional photovoltaic converters under low-light conditions.This paper reports an radio-photovoltaic cell based on an intrinsically stable formamidinium-cesium perovskite photovoltaic converter exhibiting a wide light wavelength response from 300 to 800 nm,high open-circuit voltage(V_(oc)),and remarkable efficiency at low-light intensity.When a He ions accelerator is adopted as a mimickedαradioisotope source with an equivalent activity of 0.83 mCi cm^(-2),the formamidinium-cesium perovskite radio-photovoltaic cell achieves a V_(oc)of 0.498 V,a short-circuit current(J_(sc))of 423.94 nA cm^(-2),and a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 0.886%,which is 6.6 times that of the Si reference radio-photovoltaic cell,as well as the highest among all radio-photovoltaic cells reported so far.This work provides a theoretical basis for enhancing the performance of radio-photovoltaic cells.

High-Efficiency Dynamic Scanning Strategy for Powder Bed Fusion by Controlling Temperature Field of the Heat-Affected Zone

Improvement of fabrication efficiency and part performance was the main challenge for the large-scale powder bed fusion(PBF)process.In this study,a dynamic monitoring and feedback system of powder bed temperature field using an infrared thermal imager has been established and integrated into a four-laser PBF equipment with a working area of 2000 mm×2000 mm.The heat-affected zone(HAZ)temperature field has been controlled by adjusting the scanning speed dynamically.Simultaneously,the relationship among spot size,HAZ temperature,and part performance has been established.The fluctuation of the HAZ temperature in four-laser scanning areas was decreased from 30.85℃to 17.41℃.Thus,the consistency of the sintering performance of the produced large component has been improved.Based on the controllable temperature field,a dynamically adjusting strategy for laser spot size was proposed,by which the fabrication efficiency was improved up to 65.38%.The current research results were of great significance to the further industrial applications of large-scale PBF equipment.

A Loss-model-based Efficiency Optimization Control Method for Induction Traction System of High-speed Train under Emergency Self-propelled Mode

Increasing attention has been paid to the efficiency improvement of the induction traction system of high-speed trains due to the high demand for energy saving. In emergency self-propelled mode, however, the dc-link voltage and the traction power of the motor are significantly reduced, resulting in decreased traction efficiency due to the low load and low speed operations. Aiming to tackle this problem, a novel efficiency improved control method is introduced to the emergency mode of high-speed train traction system in this paper. In the proposed method, a total loss model of induction motor considering the behaviors of both iron and copper loss is established. An improved iterative algorithm with decreased computational burden is then introduced, resulting in a fast solving of the optimal flux reference for loss minimization at each control period. In addition, considering the parameter variation problem due to the low load and low speed operations, a parameter estimation method is integrated to improve the controller's robustness. The effectiveness of the proposed method on efficiency improvement at low voltage and low load conditions is demonstrated by simulated and experimental results.

Precursor engineering enables high-performance all-inorganic CsPbIBr_(2) perovskite solar cells with a record efficiency approaching 13%

All-inorganic CsPbIBr_(2) perovskite has attracted widespread attention in photovoltaic and other optoelectronic devices because of its superior thermal stability.However,the deposition of high-quality solutionprocessed CsPbIBr_(2) perovskite films with large thicknesses remains challenging.Here,we develop a triple-component precursor(TCP) by employing lead bromide,lead iodide,and cesium bromide,to replace the most commonly used double-component precursor(DCP) consisting of lead bromide and cesium iodide.Remarkably,the TCP system significantly increases the solution concentration to 1.3 M,leading to a larger film thickness(~390 nm) and enhanced light absorption.The resultant CsPbIBr_(2) films were evaluated in planar n-i-p structured solar cells,which exhibit a considerably higher optimal photocurrent density of 11.50 mA cm^(-2) in comparison to that of DCP-based devices(10.69 mA cm^(-2)).By adopting an organic surface passivator,the maximum device efficiency using TCP is further boosted to a record efficiency of 12.8% for CsPbIBr_(2) perovskite solar cells.

Zhejiang’s Push for Higher Efficiency in Government Services

A band of programs have been implemented in Zhejiang with the aim of streamlining administrative processes in the public interest.ENHANCING executive efficiency remains one of the priorities of east China’s Zhejiang Province,a coastal economic powerhouse.Over the past decade,it has launched a series of reforms to improve government performance and to better serve businesses and residents.

GHz photon-number resolving detection with high detection efficiency and low noise by ultra-narrowband interference circuits

We demonstrate the photon-number resolution(PNR)capability of a 1.25 GHz gated InGaAs single-photon avalanche photodiode(APD)that is equipped with a simple,low-distortion ultra-narrowband interference circuit for the rejection of its background capacitive response.Through discriminating the avalanche current amplitude,we are able to resolve up to four detected photons in a single detection gate with a detection efficiency as high as 45%.The PNR capability is limited by the avalanche current saturation,and can be increased to five photons at a lower detection efficiency of 34%.The PNR capability,combined with high efficiency and low noise,will find applications in quantum information processing technique based on photonic qubits.

PHUI-GA: GPU-based efficiency evolutionary algorithm for mining high utility itemsets

Evolutionary algorithms(EAs)have been used in high utility itemset mining(HUIM)to address the problem of discover-ing high utility itemsets(HUIs)in the exponential search space.EAs have good running and mining performance,but they still require huge computational resource and may miss many HUIs.Due to the good combination of EA and graphics processing unit(GPU),we propose a parallel genetic algorithm(GA)based on the platform of GPU for mining HUIM(PHUI-GA).The evolution steps with improvements are performed in central processing unit(CPU)and the CPU intensive steps are sent to GPU to eva-luate with multi-threaded processors.Experiments show that the mining performance of PHUI-GA outperforms the existing EAs.When mining 90%HUIs,the PHUI-GA is up to 188 times better than the existing EAs and up to 36 times better than the CPU parallel approach.

Correction:Highly Efficient Back-End-of-Line Compatible Flexible Si-Based Optical Memristive Crossbar Array for Edge Neuromorphic Physiological Signal Processing and Bionic Machine Vision

Following publication of the original article[1],the authors noticed a mistake in the Supplementary file,more specifically in figures S11 and S12 where they used by mistake the same sub-figures.The original article[1]has been corrected.

Understanding Bridging Sites and Accelerating Quantum Efficiency for Photocatalytic CO_(2) Reduction

We report a novel double-shelled nanoboxes photocatalyst architecture with tailored interfaces that accelerate quantum efficiency for photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)via Mo–S bridging bonds sites in S_(v)–In_(2)S_(3)@2H–MoTe_(2).The X-ray absorption near-edge structure shows that the formation of S_(v)–In_(2)S_(3)@2H–MoTe_(2) adjusts the coordination environment via interface engineering and forms Mo–S polarized sites at the interface.The interfacial dynamics and catalytic behavior are clearly revealed by ultrafast femtosecond transient absorption,time-resolved,and in situ diffuse reflectance–Infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.A tunable electronic structure through steric interaction of Mo–S bridging bonds induces a 1.7-fold enhancement in S_(v)–In_(2)S_(3)@2H–MoTe_(2)(5)photogenerated carrier concentration relative to pristine S_(v)–In_(2)S_(3).Benefiting from lower carrier transport activation energy,an internal quantum efficiency of 94.01%at 380 nm was used for photocatalytic CO_(2)RR.This study proposes a new strategy to design photocatalyst through bridging sites to adjust the selectivity of photocatalytic CO_(2)RR.

Enhancing efficiency and stability of organic solar cells through a simplified four-step synthesis of fully non-fused ring electron acceptor

Design and synthesis of superior cost-effective non-fullerene acceptors(NFAs)are still big challenges for facilitating the commercialization of organic solar cells(OSCs),yet to be realized.Herein,two medium bandgap fully non-fused ring electron acceptors(NFREAs,medium bandgap,i,e.,1,3-1,8 eV),namely PTR-2Cl and PTR-4Cl are synthesized with only four steps by using intramolecular noncovalent interaction central core,structured alkyl side chain orientation linking units and flanking with different electron-withdrawing end group.Among them,PTR-4C1 exhibits increased average electrostatic potential(ESP)difference with polymer donor,enhanced crystallinity and compactπ-πstacking compared with the control molecule PTR-2CI.As a result,the PTR-4Cl-based OSC achieved an impressive power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 14.72%,with a much higher open-circuit voltage(V_(OC))of 0.953 V and significantly improved fill factor(FF)of 0.758,demonstrating one of the best acceptor material in the top-performing fully NFREA-based OSCs with both high PCE and V_(OC).Notably,PTR-4Cl-based cells maintain a good T_80lifetime of its initial PCE after over 936 h under a continuous thermal annealing treatment and over1300 h T_(80)lifetime without encapsulation.This work provides a cost-effective design strategy for NFREAs on obtaining high V_(OC),efficient exciton dissociation,and ordered molecular packing and thus high-efficiency and stable OSCs.

Enhancing Energy Efficiency with a Dynamic Trust Measurement Scheme in Power Distribution Network

The application of Intelligent Internet of Things(IIoT)in constructing distribution station areas strongly supports platform transformation,upgrade,and intelligent integration.The sensing layer of IIoT comprises the edge convergence layer and the end sensing layer,with the former using intelligent fusion terminals for real-time data collection and processing.However,the influx of multiple low-voltage in the smart grid raises higher demands for the performance,energy efficiency,and response speed of the substation fusion terminals.Simultaneously,it brings significant security risks to the entire distribution substation,posing a major challenge to the smart grid.In response to these challenges,a proposed dynamic and energy-efficient trust measurement scheme for smart grids aims to address these issues.The scheme begins by establishing a hierarchical trust measurement model,elucidating the trust relationships among smart IoT terminals.It then incorporates multidimensional measurement factors,encompassing static environmental factors,dynamic behaviors,and energy states.This comprehensive approach reduces the impact of subjective factors on trust measurements.Additionally,the scheme incorporates a detection process designed for identifying malicious low-voltage end sensing units,ensuring the prompt identification and elimination of any malicious terminals.This,in turn,enhances the security and reliability of the smart grid environment.The effectiveness of the proposed scheme in pinpointing malicious nodes has been demonstrated through simulation experiments.Notably,the scheme outperforms established trust metric models in terms of energy efficiency,showcasing its significant contribution to the field.

Effect of building energy efficiency standards on carbon emission efficiency in commercial buildings

The building sector plays a crucial role in the worldwide shift toward achieving net-zero emissions.Building energy efficiency standards(BEESs)are highly effective policies for reducing carbon emissions.Therefore,exploring the provincial variations in carbon emission efficiency(CEE)in the building sector and identifying the effect of BEESs on CEE is crucial.This study focuses on commercial buildings in China and applies a difference in differences model to evaluate the impact of BEESs on the CEE of commercial buildings.The slacks-based measure–data envelopment analysis model is employed to assess the CEE of commercial buildings in 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2019.Furthermore,heterogeneous tests are used to explore how climate characteristics and economic conditions affect the efficiency of BEESs.The results indicate that BEESs positively influence the CEE of commercial buildings.Specifically,a 1%increase in the intensity of BEESs causes a 0.1484%increase in the CEE of commercial buildings.Moreover,the impact of BEESs is particularly pronounced in the southern and western provinces.This study provides valuable scientific evidence for governments to enhance BEESs implementation.

Effect of antioxidants on the efficiency of jet milling and the powder characteristics of Sm2Co17 permanent magnets

This study investigated the effect of antioxidants on the grinding efficiency,magnetic powder characteristics,microstructure,and magnetic properties of 2:17 type SmCo permanent magnet materials.The results show that adding antioxidants helps improve the dispersion among magnetic powders,leading to a 33.3%decrease in jet milling time and a 15.8%increase in magnet powder production yield.Additionally,adding antioxidants enhances the oxidation resistance of the magnetic powders.After being stored in a constant temperature air environment at 25C for 48 h,the O content in the powder decreased by 33%compared to samples without antioxidants.While in the magnet body,the O content decreased from 0.21 wt.%to 0.14 wt.%,which helps increase the effective Sm content and domain wall pinning uniformity in the magnet.Excellent magnetic properties were obtained in the magnet with added antioxidants:B_(r)=11.6 kGs,SF=79.6%,H_(cj)=16.8 kOe,and(BH)_(max)=32.5 MGOe.

The Impact of Privatization on Terminal Efficiency: A Case Study of Tema Port

Port and terminal efficiency are of utmost importance to the container shipping industry due to their significance in enhancing the competitive advantage of ports within a region. Consequently, there have always been notable variations of studies around it. This paper analyzes the impact of privatization on terminal efficiency using the Port of Tema as a Case Study. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the efficiency trends of the public and private terminals in the port over the years. To achieve this objective, DEA-CCR methodology was employed to calculate the annual technical efficiency trends of the private and public terminals using four input variables and three output variables. The main results of the paper indicated that the public and private terminals were efficient for multiple years. However, the efficiency scores over the years demonstrated inconsistency, exhibiting notable fluctuations. The findings of this study will aid policymakers across the region on policies relating to the efficiency and ownership structure of ports and terminals.

A high‐performance transition‐metal phosphide electrocatalyst for converting solar energy into hydrogen at 19.6% STH efficiency

The construction of high-efficiency and low-cost non-noble metal bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis is crucial for commercial large-scale application of hydrogen energy.Here,we report a novel strategy with erbiumdoped NiCoP nanowire arrays in situ grown on conductive nickel foam(Er-NiCoP/NF).Significantly,the developed electrode shows exceptional bifunctional catalytic activity,which only requires overpotentials of 46 and 225 mV to afford a current density of 10 mAcm^(−2) for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and the oxygen evolution reaction(OER),respectively.Density functional theory calculations reveal that the appropriate Er incorporation into the NiCoP lattice can significantly modulate the electronic structure with the d-band centers of Ni and Co atoms by shifting to lower energies with respect to the Fermi level,and optimize the Gibbs free energies of HER/OER intermediates,thereby accelerating water-splitting kinetics.When assembled as a solar-driven overall water-splitting electrolyzer,the as-prepared electrode shows a high and stable solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 19.6%,indicating its potential for practical storage of intermittent energy.

OsNPF3.1,a nitrate,abscisic acid and gibberellin transporter gene,is essential for rice tillering and nitrogen utilization efficiency

Low-affinity nitrate transporter genes have been identified in subfamilies 4-8 of the rice nitrate transporter 1(NRT1)/peptide transporter family(NPF),but the OsNPF3 subfamily responsible for nitrate and phytohormone transport and rice growth and development remains unknown.In this study,we described OsNPF3.1 as an essential nitrate and phytohormone transporter gene for rice tillering and nitrogen utilization efficiency(NUtE).OsNPF3.1 possesses four major haplotypes of its promoter sequence in 517 cultivars,and its expression is positively associated with tiller number.Its expression was higher in the basal part,culm,and leaf blade than in other parts of the plant,and was strongly induced by nitrate,abscisic acid(ABA)and gibberellin 3(GA_3)in the root and shoot of rice.Electrophysiological experiments demonstrated that OsNPF3.1 is a pH-dependent low-affinity nitrate transporter,with rice protoplast uptake assays showing it to be an ABA and GA_3 transporter.OsNPF3.1 overexpression significantly promoted ABA accumulation in the roots and GA accumulation in the basal part of the plant which inhibited axillary bud outgrowth and rice tillering,especially at high nitrate concentrations.The NUtE of OsNPF3.1-overexpressing plants was enhanced under low and medium nitrate concentrations,whereas the NUtE of OsNPF3.1 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)plants was increased under high nitrate concentrations.The results indicate that OsNPF3.1 transports nitrate and phytohormones in different rice tissues under different nitrate concentrations.The altered OsNPF3.1 expression improves NUtE in the OsNPF3.1-overexpressing and CRISPR lines at low and high nitrate concentrations,respectively.