Reinforcement Learning-Based Energy Management for Hybrid Power Systems:State-of-the-Art Survey,Review,and Perspectives

The new energy vehicle plays a crucial role in green transportation,and the energy management strategy of hybrid power systems is essential for ensuring energy-efficient driving.This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey and review of reinforcement learning-based energy management strategies for hybrid power systems.Additionally,it envisions the outlook for autonomous intelligent hybrid electric vehicles,with reinforcement learning as the foundational technology.First of all,to provide a macro view of historical development,the brief history of deep learning,reinforcement learning,and deep reinforcement learning is presented in the form of a timeline.Then,the comprehensive survey and review are conducted by collecting papers from mainstream academic databases.Enumerating most of the contributions based on three main directions—algorithm innovation,powertrain innovation,and environment innovation—provides an objective review of the research status.Finally,to advance the application of reinforcement learning in autonomous intelligent hybrid electric vehicles,future research plans positioned as“Alpha HEV”are envisioned,integrating Autopilot and energy-saving control.

Coconut Fiber Pyrolysis: Bio-Oil Characterization for Potential Application as an Alternative Energy Source and Production of Bio-Degradable Plastics

The current energy crisis could be alleviated by enhancing energy generation using the abundant biomass waste resources. Agricultural and forest wastes are the leading organic waste streams that can be transformed into useful alternative energy resources. Pyrolysis is one of the technologies for converting biomass into more valuable products, such as bio-oil, bio-char, and syngas. This work investigated the production of bio-oil through batch pyrolysis technology. A fixed bed pyrolyzer was designed and fabricated for bio-oil production. The major components of the system include a fixed bed reactor, a condenser, and a bio-oil collector. The reactor was heated using a cylindrical biomass external heater. The pyrolysis process was carried out in a reactor at a pressure of 1atm and a varying operating temperature of 150˚C, 250˚C, 350˚C to 450˚C for 120 minutes. The mass of 1kg of coconut fiber was used with particle sizes between 2.36 mm - 4.75 mm. The results show that the higher the temperature, the more volume of bio-oil produced, with the highest yield being 39.2%, at 450˚C with a heating rate of 10˚C/min. The Fourier transformation Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy analysis was used to analyze the bio-oil components. The obtained bio-oil has a pH of 2.4, a density of 1019.385 kg/m3, and a calorific value of 17.5 MJ/kg. The analysis also showed the presence of high-oxygenated compounds;carboxylic acids, phenols, alcohols, and branched oxygenated hydrocarbons as the main compounds present in the bio-oil. The results inferred that the liquid product could be bestowed as an alternative resource for polycarbonate material production.

The strain rate sensitive and anisotropic behavior of rare-earth magnesium alloy ZEK100 sheet

To overcome the limitation in formability at room temperature,manufacturers have developed magnesium alloys with remarkable properties by adding rare-earth elements.The rare-earth magnesium alloys behave differently from the conventional alloys,especially with respect to their coupled anisotropic and strain rate sensitive behavior.In the current work,such behavior of the rare-earth Mg alloy ZEK100 sheet at room temperature is investigated with the aid of the elastic viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal plasticity model.Different strain rate sensitivities(SRSs)for various deformation modes are employed by the model to simulate the strain rate sensitive behaviors under different loading directions and loading rates.Good agreement between the experiments and simulations reveals the importance and necessity of using different SRSs for each deformation mode in hexagonal close-packed metals.Furthermore,the relative activities of each deformation mode and the texture evolution during different loadings are discussed.The anisotropic and strain rate sensitive behavior is ascribed to the various operating deformation modes with different SRSs during loading along different directions.

Influence of I-phase and W-phase on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-8Li-3Zn alloy

Microstructures and mechanical properties of LZ83?xY alloys containingI-phase andW-phase were investigated by XRD, OM, SEM and EDS. The experimental results show that the content ofI-phase andW-phase changes by varying Zn/Y mass ratio in the LZ83?xY alloys. The cohesion ofI-phase/α-Mg eutectic pockets can enhance the strength in the as-cast LZ83?0.5Y and LZ83?1.0Y alloys, while theW-phase has no obvious strengthening effect on the LZ83?1.5Y alloy. In the extruded alloys, the I-phase andW-phase were extruded into the particles with nanoscale size in theβ-Li matrix phase. The dispersion strengthening of W-phase was more obvious because of the higher volume fraction. The ultimate tensile strength of extruded LZ83?1.5Y alloy is up to 238 MPa while the elongation is up to 20%.

Feasibility Assessment of Fast Numerical Simulations for Real-Time Monitoring and Control of PEM Fuel Cells

Computational models that ensure accurate and fast responses to the variations in operating conditions,such as the cell tem-perature and relative humidity(RH),are essential monitoring tools for the real-time control of proton exchange membrane(PEM)fuel cells.To this end,fast cell-area-averaged numerical simulations are developed and verifi ed against the present experiments under various RH levels.The present simulations and measurements are found to agree well based on the cell voltage(polarization curve)and power density under variable RH conditions(RH=40%,RH=70%,and RH=100%),which verifi es the model accuracy in predicting PEM fuel cell performance.In addition,computationally feasible reduced-order models are found to deliver a fast output dataset to evaluate the charge/heat/mass transfer phenomena as well as water production and two-phase fl ow transport.Such fast and accurate evaluations of the overall fuel cell operation can be used to inform the real-time control systems that allow for the improved optimization of PEM fuel cell performance.

A Survey on an Emerging Safety Challenge for Autonomous Vehicles:Safety of the Intended Functionality

As the complexity of autonomous vehicles(AVs)continues to increase and artificial intelligence algorithms are becoming increasingly ubiquitous,a novel safety concern known as the safety of the intended functionality(SOTIF)has emerged,presenting significant challenges to the widespread deployment of AVs.SOTIF focuses on issues arising from the functional insufficiencies of the AVs’intended functionality or its implementation,apart from conventional safety considerations.From the systems engineering standpoint,this study offers a comprehensive exploration of the SOTIF landscape by reviewing academic research,practical activities,challenges,and perspectives across the development,verification,validation,and operation phases.Academic research encompasses system-level SOTIF studies and algorithm-related SOTIF issues and solutions.Moreover,it encapsulates practical SOTIF activities undertaken by corporations,government entities,and academic institutions spanning international and Chinese contexts,focusing on the overarching methodologies and practices in different phases.Finally,the paper presents future challenges and outlook pertaining to the development,verification,validation,and operation phases,motivating stakeholders to address the remaining obstacles and challenges.

Experimental Study of the Motion Modes of a Planar Mechanical System with Multi-Clearance Revolute Joints

Clearances in joints of a mechanical multibody system can induce impulsive forces, leading to vibrations that compromise the system’s reliability, stability, and lifespan. Through dynamic analysis, designers can investigate the effects of the clearances on the dynamics of the multibody system. A revolute joint with clearance exhibits three motions which are;free-flight, impact and continuous contact motion modes. Therefore, a multibody system with n-number of revolute clearance joints will exhibit 3n motion modes which are a combination of the three motions in each joint. This study investigates experimentally the nine motion modes in a mechanical system with two revolute clearance joints. A slider crank mechanism has been used as the demonstrative example. We observed that the experimental curve exhibits a greater impact compared to the simulation curve. In conclusion, this experimental investigation offers valuable insights into the dynamics of planar mechanical systems with multiple clearance revolute joints. Utilizing a slider-crank mechanism for data acquisition, the study successfully confirmed seven out of nine motion modes previously identified in numerical research. The missing modes are attributed to inherent complexities in real-world systems, such as journal-bearing misalignment.

Overall Assessment of Heat Transfer for a Rarefied Flow in a Microchannel with Obstacles Using Lattice Boltzmann Method

The objective of this investigation is to assess the effect of obstacles on numerical heat transfer and fluid flow momentum in a rectangular microchannel(MC).Two distinct configurations were studied:one without obstacles and the other with alternating obstacles placed on the upper and lower walls.The research utilized the thermal lattice Boltzmann method(LBM),which solves the energy and momentum equations of fluids with the BGK approximation,implemented in a Python coding environment.Temperature jump and slip velocity conditions were utilized in the simulation for the MC and extended to all obstacle boundaries.The study aims to analyze the rarefaction effect,with Knudsen numbers(Kn)of 0.012,0.02,and 0.05.The outcomes indicate that rarefaction has a significant impact on the velocity and temperature distribution.The presence of nine obstacles led to slower fluid movement inside the microchannel MC,resulting in faster cooling at the outlet.In MCs with obstacles,the rarefaction effect plays a crucial role in decreasing the Nusselt number(Nu)and skin friction coefficient(Cf).Furthermore,the study demonstrated that the obstacles played a crucial role in boosting fluid flow and heat transfer in the MC.The findings suggest that the examined configurations could have potential applications as cooling technologies in micro-electro-mechanical systems and microdevice applications.

Evaluation of Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of <i>α</i>-Brass Alloy Produced from Scrap Copper and Zinc Metal through Sand Casting Process

Cu-Zn alloy (Brass) is widely used as an industrial material because of its excellent characteristics such as high corrosion resistance, non-magnetism and good forging ability. This paper evaluates the mechanical and microstructure properties of α-brass alloy gotten from scrap copper and zinc metal, and compares the properties with normal α-brass billets. Five different compositions of the α-brass alloy (Cu-5%Zn, Cu-10%Zn, Cu-15%Zn, Cu-20%Zn, Cu-30%Zn) were produced from scraps of copper wire and zinc batteries casing respectively by method of sand casting. The parts of the cast rods were machined to a specification of 60 mm × 100 mm × 300 mm on a lathe to obtain tensile test specimens. After homogenization annealing, the samples were heated in an electric furnace at 500℃ for 3 hours. The samples were etched with ferric chloride solution for 20 seconds and sent for metallographic examination. The result of the hardness test shows variation in hardness of the cast Cu-Zn alloys with increasing zinc content. The ductility and elongation of the α-brass decrease with increasing zinc content. The colouration of the α-brass changed from red to yellow as the zinc content increases. In conclusion, hard brass can be obtained from recycled Cu and Zn as compared to normal brass billets.

Revealing microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of resistance spot welded NiTi-stainless steel with Ni or Nb interlayer

Dissimilar welding of NiTi and stainless steel(SS)for multifunctional device fabrication is challenging due to the brittle nature of intermetallic compounds(IMCs)that are formed in the weld zone.In this work,Ni and Nb interlayers were applied for the resistance spot welding(RSW)of NiTi and SS to replace the harmful Fe_(2)Ti phase and to restrict the mixing of dissimilar molten metals,respectively.Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the joints were investigated.It was shown that a conventional weld nugget was created in the absence of any interlayer in the welded joint suffering from traversed cracks due to the formation of brittle IMCs network in the fusion zone(FZ).By the addition of Ni from the interlayer,Fe_(2)Ti dominated weld nugget was efficaciously replaced by Ni_(3)Ti phase;however,the presence of the large pore and cracks reduced the effective joining area.The use of a Nb interlayer resulted in a fundamentally different joint,in which FZs at NiTi and SS sides separated by the unmolten Nb would suppress the mixing of dissimilar molten metals.Nb-containing eutectic structures with low brittleness formed at the interfaces,contributing to the enhancement of joint strength(increased by 38%on fracture load and 460%on energy absorption).A high-melting-point interlayer showed great potential to realize a reliable and high-performing RSWed NiTi-SS joint.

Synthesis, Properties and Potential Applications of Porous Graphene: A Review

Since the discovery of graphene, many efforts have been done to modify the graphene structure for integrating this novel material to nanoelectronics, fuel cells, energy storage devices and in many other applications. This leads to the production of different types of graphene-based materials, which possess properties different from those of pure graphene. Porous graphene is an example of this type of materials. It can be considered as a graphene sheet with some holes/pores within the atomic plane. Due to its spongy structure, porous graphene can have potential applications as membranes for molecular sieving, energy storage components and in nanoelectronics. In this review, we present the recent progress in the synthesis of porous graphene. The properties and the potential applications of this new material are also discussed.

Mathematical modeling of thermo-mechanical behavior of strip during twin roll casting of an AZ31 magnesium alloy

The effect of set-back distance on the thermo-mechanical behavior of the strip during twin roll casting(TRC)of an AZ31 magnesium alloy was modeled using finite element method(FEM).Model validation was done by comparing the predicted and measured exit strip surface temperature as well as the secondary dendrite arm spacing(SDAS)through the thickness of the sheet to those measured during experiments.Model results showed as the set-back distance increases,the strip exit temperature decreases and the solidification front moves toward the entry of the roll gap.The cast strip also experiences more plastic deformation and consequently,the normal stress on the strip surface and effective strain at the strip center-line increase.Moreover,higher separating forces were predicted for longer set-back distances.Model predictions showed that changing the set-back distance by varying the final thickness has a more significant effect on the temperature and stress-strain fields than altering the nozzle opening height.

Synthesis of amorphous manganese borohydride in the(NaBH_4–MnCl_2) system, its hydrogen generation properties and crystalline transformation during solvent extraction

The mixture of(2NaBH4+ MnCl2) was ball milled in a magneto-mill. No gas release was detected. The XRD patterns of the ball milled mixture exhibit only the Bragg diffraction peaks of the Na Cl-type salt which on the basis of the present X-ray diffraction results and the literature is likely to be a solid solution Na(Cl)x(BH4)(1-x), possessing a cubic Na Cl-type crystalline structure. No presence of any crystalline hydride was detected by powder X-ray diffraction which clearly shows that NaBH4in the initial mixture must have reacted with MnCl2forming a Na Cl-type by-product and another hydride that does not exhibit X-ray Bragg diffraction peaks. Mass spectrometry(MS) of gas released from the ball milled mixture during combined MS/thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)/differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) experiments, confirms mainly hydrogen(H2) with a small quantity of diborane gas, B2H6. The Fourier transform infra-red(FT-IR) spectrum of the ball milled(2NaBH4+ MnCl2) is quite similar to the FT-IR spectrum of crystalline manganese borohydride, c-Mn(BH4)2, synthesized by ball milling, which strongly suggests that the amorphous hydride mechano-chemically synthesized during ball milling could be an amorphous manganese borohydride. Remarkably, the process of solvent filtration and extraction at 42 °C, resulted in the transformation of mechano-chemically synthesized amorphous manganese borohydride to a nanostructured,crystalline, c-Mn(BH4)2hydride.

Laser Erasing and Rewriting of Flexible Copper Circuits

Integrating construction and reconstruction of highly conductive structures into one process is of great interest in developing and manufacturing of electronics,but it is quite challenging because these two involve contradictive additive and subtractive processes.In this work,we report an all-laser mask-less processing technology that integrates manufacturing,modifying,and restoring of highly conductive Cu structures.By traveling a focused laser,the Cu patterns can be fabricated on the flexible substrate,while these as-written patterns can be selectively erased by changing the laser to a defocused state.Subsequently,the fresh patterns with identical conductivity and stability can be rewritten by repeating the writing step.Further,this erasing–rewriting process is also capable of repairing failure patterns,such as oxidation and cracking.Owing to the high controllability of this writing–erasing–rewriting process and its excellent reproducibility for conductive structures,it opens a new avenue for rapid healing and prototyping of electronics.

Potential Utilization of Sawdust in Energy, Manufacturing and Agricultural Industry;Waste to Wealth

Sawdust which is basically considered as?a timber-industrial waste?that pollutes the environment can become a valuable commodity which is considered in three ways: Manufacturing, Energy and Agricultural utilization. The sawdust is burnt in an updraft gasifier under a limited supply of air to obtain?producer gas which is carbon II oxide and hydrogen as main components. The sawdust and other biomass materials are mixed in certain proportions, then bound together and palletized to a small blocks called briquettes. The material?was also considered to be composted by mixing it with animal digestion or?wood ashes and calcium carbonate to form fertilizers. The sawdust and wood shavings can be used for particle board as well as oil production.

Development and Optimisation of Drying Parameters for Low-Cost Hybrid Solar Dryer Using Response Surface Method

After harvest and storage problems are major dilemma, which requires to be looked into carefully in developing nation like Nigeria. This paper presents a development of low-cost hybrid solar dryer for food preservation with the objective of setting optimum drying parameters for the preservation of cassava and tomato products. The work was carried out by designing, constructing and finally evaluating the hybrid dryer for effective performance. The optimization of the drying parameters was done using composite technique (Response surface method). The assessment of the dryer shows that 150 Kg cassava mesh and 5000 grams of tomato with 35% and 94% moisture content, respectively were dried to 100 Kg and 334 g with 10% moisture level for 4 hours and 11 hours respectively, for cassava and tomato. The optimization result shows that the dryer will perform optimally with drying temperature of 62°C and 48°C for cassava and tomato respectively with 24% and 91% moisture uptake. Therefore, sustainable techniques for preservation of food are essentially required. Hybrid solar dryer is an alternative to consider in the situation.

Characterization of Phosphide Platelets in Eutectic Sand Cast Cu-Sn-P Alloy

A procedure for evaluating the degree of spheroidization of phosphide platelets in cast Cu-4%Sn- 5%P alloys using fractal analysis was investigated. The specimens were obtained by melting copper and tin in an improvised clay mould raised to a temperature of 1850&degC ± 20&degC, holding for a period of 10 minutes to 1 hour to modify the aspect ratio of the phosphide platelets. It was found that these platelets have the tendency to change their shape from being spherical to more Euclidian shapes as time elapses. It was found that the inter-platelets distances are approximately equal with time. This effect was more pronounced in samples with high holding time.

End-to-End Joint Multi-Object Detection and Tracking for Intelligent Transportation Systems

Environment perception is one of the most critical technology of intelligent transportation systems(ITS).Motion interaction between multiple vehicles in ITS makes it important to perform multi-object tracking(MOT).However,most existing MOT algorithms follow the tracking-by-detection framework,which separates detection and tracking into two independent segments and limit the global efciency.Recently,a few algorithms have combined feature extraction into one network;however,the tracking portion continues to rely on data association,and requires com‑plex post-processing for life cycle management.Those methods do not combine detection and tracking efciently.This paper presents a novel network to realize joint multi-object detection and tracking in an end-to-end manner for ITS,named as global correlation network(GCNet).Unlike most object detection methods,GCNet introduces a global correlation layer for regression of absolute size and coordinates of bounding boxes,instead of ofsetting predictions.The pipeline of detection and tracking in GCNet is conceptually simple,and does not require compli‑cated tracking strategies such as non-maximum suppression and data association.GCNet was evaluated on a multivehicle tracking dataset,UA-DETRAC,demonstrating promising performance compared to state-of-the-art detectors and trackers.

Sustainable Biocomposites Materials for Automotive Brake Pad Application:An Overview

Research into converting waste into viable eco-friendly products has gained global concern.Using natural fibres and pulverized metallic waste becomes necessary to reduce noxious environmental emissions due to indiscriminately occupying the land.This study reviews the literature in the broad area of green composites in search of materials that can be used in automotive brake pads.Materials made by biocomposite,rather than fossil fuels,will be favoured.A database containing the tribo-mechanical performance of numerous potential components for the future green composite was established using the technical details of bio-polymers and natural reinforcements.The development of materials with diverse compositions and varying proportions is now conceivable,and these materials can be permanently connected in fully regulated processes.This explanation demonstrates that all of these variables affect friction coefficient,resistance to wear from friction and high temperatures,and the operating life of brake pads to varying degrees.In this study,renewable materials for the matrix and reinforcement are screened to determine which have sufficient strength,coefficient of friction,wear resistance properties,and reasonable costs,making them a feasible option for a green composite.The most significant,intriguing,and unusual materials used in manufacturing brake pads are gathered in this review,which also analyzes how they affect the tribological characteristics of the pads.

Planning and Decision-making for Connected Autonomous Vehicles at Road Intersections:A Review

Planning and decision-making technology at intersections is a comprehensive research problem in intelligent transportation systems due to the uncertainties caused by a variety of traffic participants.As wireless communication advances,vehicle infrastructure integrated algorithms designed for intersection planning and decision-making have received increasing attention.In this paper,the recent studies on the planning and decision-making technologies at intersections are primarily overviewed.The general planning and decision-making approaches are presented,which include graph-based approach,prediction base approach,optimization-based approach and machine learning based approach.Since connected autonomous vehicles(CAVs)is the future direction for the automated driving area,we summarized the evolving planning and decision-making methods based on vehicle infrastructure cooperative technologies.Both four-way signalized and unsignalized intersection(s)are investigated under purely automated driving traffic and mixed traffic.The study benefit from current strategies,protocols,and simulation tools to help researchers identify the presented approaches’challenges and determine the research gaps,and several remaining possible research problems that need to be solved in the future.