Inventions

12 pages, 395 KiB

Open AccessReview

Internet of Things in Smart Grid: Architecture, Applications, Services, Key Technologies, and Challenges

by Alireza Ghasempour

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010022 - 26 Mar 2019

Cited by 398 | Viewed by 27601

Internet of Things (IoT) is a connection of people and things at any time, in any place, with anyone and anything, using any network and any service. Thus, IoT is a huge dynamic global network infrastructure of Internet-enabled entities with web services. One [...] Read more.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a connection of people and things at any time, in any place, with anyone and anything, using any network and any service. Thus, IoT is a huge dynamic global network infrastructure of Internet-enabled entities with web services. One of the most important applications of IoT is the Smart Grid (SG). SG is a data communications network which is integrated with the power grid to collect and analyze data that are acquired from transmission lines, distribution substations, and consumers. In this paper, we talk about IoT and SG and their relationship. Some IoT architectures in SG, requirements for using IoT in SG, IoT applications and services in SG, and challenges and future work are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Technologies Enabling Smart Grid)

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16 pages, 6008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Deterioration of the Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid) Structures Fabricated by a Fused Filament Fabrication 3D Printer

by Miho Suzuki, Asahi Yonezawa, Kohei Takeda and Akira Yamada

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010021 - 20 Mar 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6223

Abstract

A fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer is a simple device capable of manufacturing three-dimensional structures in a series of easy steps. Commercial-level FFF 3D printers have spread rapidly in many fields in recent years. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer [...] Read more.

A fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer is a simple device capable of manufacturing three-dimensional structures in a series of easy steps. Commercial-level FFF 3D printers have spread rapidly in many fields in recent years. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer used as a typical printing medium for FFF 3D printers. The FFF printer constructs an object with melted polymer extruded from a tiny scanning nozzle. The mechanical properties of FFF 3D structures printed with different scan patterns can therefore vary in accordance with the directions from which forces act upon them. The nozzle scan pattern also influences the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the structures in accordance with the degradation caused by the hydrolysis of PLA. In this study we conducted tensile tests to evaluate the strength characteristics of 3D printed test pieces formed from PLA using four different scan patterns: parallel, vertical, parallel-and-vertical, and cross-hatched at opposing diagonal angles to the tensile direction. We also formed test pieces by an injection molding method using the same material, for further comparison. We evaluated the deterioration of the test pieces after immersing them in saline for certain periods. After the test pieces formed by different nozzle scan patterns were immersed, they exhibited differences in the rates by which their maximum tensile stresses deteriorated and their masses increased through water uptake. The influences of the scan patterns could be classified into two types: the unidirectional scan pattern influence and bidirectional scan pattern influence. The data obtained in this research will be applied to structural design when the FFF 3D printer is employed for the fabrication of structures with PLA filament. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Inventions and Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing)

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14 pages, 2096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wax-Printed Fluidic Time Delays for Automating Multi-Step Assays in Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices (MicroPADs)

by E. Brandon Strong, Carsten Knutsen, Jay T. Wells, Aditya R. Jangid, Megan L. Mitchell, Nathaniel W. Martinez and Andres W. Martinez

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010020 - 19 Mar 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 7911

Abstract

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (microPADs) have emerged as a promising platform for point-of-care diagnostic devices. While the inherent wicking properties of microPADs allow for fluid flow without supporting equipment, this also presents a major challenge in achieving robust fluid control, which becomes especially [...] Read more.

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (microPADs) have emerged as a promising platform for point-of-care diagnostic devices. While the inherent wicking properties of microPADs allow for fluid flow without supporting equipment, this also presents a major challenge in achieving robust fluid control, which becomes especially important when performing complex multi-step assays. Herein, we describe an ideal method of fluid control mediated by wax-printed fluidic time delays. This method relies on a simple fabrication technique, does not utilize chemicals/reagents that could affect downstream assays, is readily scalable, and has a wide temporal range of tunable fluid control. The delays are wax printed on both the top and bottom of pre-fabricated microPAD channels, without subsequent heating, to create hemi-/fully-enclosed channels. With these wax printed delays, we were able to tune the time it took aqueous solutions to wick across a 25 mm-long channel between 3.6 min and 13.4 min. We then employed these fluid delays in the sequential delivery of four dyes to a test zone. Additionally, we demonstrated the automation of two simple enzymatic assays with this fluid control modality. This method of fluid control may allow future researchers to automate more complex assays, thereby further advancing microPADs toward real-world applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidics and Nanofluidics)

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23 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Full Statistics of Conjugated Thermodynamic Ensembles in Chains of Bistable Units

by Manon Benedito, Fabio Manca and Stefano Giordano

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010019 - 14 Mar 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5669

Abstract

The statistical mechanics and the thermodynamics of small systems are characterized by the non-equivalence of the statistical ensembles. When concerning a polymer chain or an arbitrary chain of independent units, this concept leads to different force-extension responses for the isotensional (Gibbs) and the [...] Read more.

The statistical mechanics and the thermodynamics of small systems are characterized by the non-equivalence of the statistical ensembles. When concerning a polymer chain or an arbitrary chain of independent units, this concept leads to different force-extension responses for the isotensional (Gibbs) and the isometric (Helmholtz) thermodynamic ensembles for a limited number of units (far from the thermodynamic limit). While the average force-extension response has been largely investigated in both Gibbs and Helmholtz ensembles, the full statistical characterization of this thermo-mechanical behavior has not been approached by evaluating the corresponding probability densities. Therefore, we elaborate in this paper a technique for obtaining the probability density of the extension when force is applied (Gibbs ensemble) and the probability density of the force when the extension is prescribed (Helmholtz ensemble). This methodology, here developed at thermodynamic equilibrium, is applied to a specific chain composed of units characterized by a bistable potential energy, which is able to mimic the folding and unfolding of several macromolecules of biological origin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics in the 21st Century)

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15 pages, 6734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of an H∞ Robust Control for a Three-Phase Voltage Source Inverter

by Muhammad Ahmad Usman Rasool, Muhammad Mansoor Khan, Zahoor Ahmed and Muhammad Abid Saeed

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010018 - 12 Mar 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5758

Abstract

Recently, power quality improvement has gained a lot of attention due to the rapidly increasing use of power electronics equipment. Several control strategies for DC/AC Voltage Source Inverters (VSI) have been developed to obtain good quality output with low harmonic distortion. This paper [...] Read more.

Recently, power quality improvement has gained a lot of attention due to the rapidly increasing use of power electronics equipment. Several control strategies for DC/AC Voltage Source Inverters (VSI) have been developed to obtain good quality output with low harmonic distortion. This paper proposes a robust control scheme to improve the power quality of a three-phase DC/AC VSI. The control scheme includes an outer voltage loop and an inner current loop, with both controllers designed by the standard H∞ robust control technique. The system with the proposed controller has a low total harmonic distortion (THD) and improved power quality of output voltage in the presence of linear and non-linear loads. The simulation is carried out in MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the results of the proposed control scheme are compared with the performance of dead-beat (DB) predictive control and conventional proportional integral (PI) control. It is observed from the results that the proposed control scheme outperforms other control schemes in terms of the THD level, having a better steady-state and transient performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Inventions and Innovation in Electrical Engineering/Energy/Communications)

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18 pages, 7551 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Semi-Supervised Based K-Means Algorithm for Optimal Guided Waves Structural Health Monitoring: A Case Study

by Abd Ennour Bouzenad, Mahjoub El Mountassir, Slah Yaacoubi, Fethi Dahmene, Mahmoud Koabaz, Lilian Buchheit and Weina Ke

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010017 - 08 Mar 2019

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 7387

Abstract

This paper concerns the health monitoring of pipelines and tubes. It proposes the k-means clustering algorithm as a simple tool to monitor the integrity of a structure (i.e., detecting defects and assessing their growth). The k-means algorithm is applied on data collected experimentally, [...] Read more.

This paper concerns the health monitoring of pipelines and tubes. It proposes the k-means clustering algorithm as a simple tool to monitor the integrity of a structure (i.e., detecting defects and assessing their growth). The k-means algorithm is applied on data collected experimentally, by means of an ultrasonic guided waves technique, from healthy and damaged tubes. Damage was created by attaching magnets to a tube. The number of magnets was increased progressively to simulate an increase in the size of the defect and also, a change in its shape. To test the performance of the proposed method for damage detection, a statistical population was created for the healthy state and for each damage step. This was done by adding white Gaussian noise to each acquired signal. To optimize the number of clusters, many algorithms were run, and their results were compared. Then, a semi-supervised based method was proposed to determine an alarm threshold, triggered when a defect becomes critical. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Health Monitoring and Their Applications Across Industry)

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Graphical abstract

54 pages, 5868 KiB

Open AccessReview

Current Advances in Ejector Modeling, Experimentation and Applications for Refrigeration and Heat Pumps. Part 2: Two-Phase Ejectors

by Zine Aidoun, Khaled Ameur, Mehdi Falsafioon and Messaoud Badache

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010016 - 06 Mar 2019

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 10024

Abstract

Two-phase ejectors play a major role as refrigerant expansion devices in vapor compression systems and can find potential applications in many other industrial processes. As a result, they have become a focus of attention for the last few decades from the scientific community, [...] Read more.

Two-phase ejectors play a major role as refrigerant expansion devices in vapor compression systems and can find potential applications in many other industrial processes. As a result, they have become a focus of attention for the last few decades from the scientific community, not only for the expansion work recovery in a wide range of refrigeration and heat pump cycles but also in industrial processes as entrainment and mixing enhancement agents. This review provides relevant findings and trends, characterizing the design, operation and performance of the two-phase ejector as a component. Effects of geometry, operating conditions and the main developments in terms of theoretical and experimental approaches, rating methods and applications are discussed in detail. Ejector expansion refrigeration cycles (EERC) as well as the related theoretical and experimental research are reported. New and other relevant cycle combinations proposed in the recent literature are organized under theoretical and experimental headings by refrigerant types and/or by chronology whenever appropriate and systematically commented. This review brings out the fact that theoretical ejector and cycle studies outnumber experimental investigations and data generation. More emerging numerical studies of two-phase ejectors are a positive step, which has to be further supported by more validation work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics in the 21st Century)

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73 pages, 12244 KiB

Open AccessReview

Current Advances in Ejector Modeling, Experimentation and Applications for Refrigeration and Heat Pumps. Part 1: Single-Phase Ejectors

by Zine Aidoun, Khaled Ameur, Mehdi Falsafioon and Messaoud Badache

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010015 - 06 Mar 2019

Cited by 69 | Viewed by 18995

Abstract

Ejectors used in refrigeration systems as entrainment and compression components or expanders, alone or in combination with other equipment devices, have gained renewed interest from the scientific community as a means of low temperature heat recovery and more efficient energy use. This paper [...] Read more.

Ejectors used in refrigeration systems as entrainment and compression components or expanders, alone or in combination with other equipment devices, have gained renewed interest from the scientific community as a means of low temperature heat recovery and more efficient energy use. This paper summarizes the main findings and trends, in the area of heat-driven ejectors and ejector-based machines, using low boiling point working fluids, which were reported in the literature for a number of promising applications. An overall view of such systems is provided by discussing the ejector physics principles, as well as a review of the main developments in ejectors over the last few years. Recent achievements on thermally activated ejectors for single-phase compressible fluids are the main focus in this part of the review. Aspects related to their design, operation, theoretical and experimental approaches employed, analysis of the complex interacting phenomena taking place within the device, and performance are highlighted. Conventional and improved ejector refrigeration cycles are discussed. Some cycles of interest employing ejectors alone or boosted combinations are presented and their potential applications are indicated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics in the 21st Century)

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43 pages, 6599 KiB

Open AccessReview

Ground-Coupled Natural Circulating Devices (Thermosiphons): A Review of Modeling, Experimental and Development Studies

by Messaoud Badache, Zine Aidoun, Parham Eslami-Nejad and Daniela Blessent

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010014 - 28 Feb 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 8862

Abstract

Compared to conventional ground heat exchangers that require a separate pump or other mechanical devices to circulate the heat transfer fluid, ground coupled thermosiphons or naturally circulating ground heat exchangers do not require additional equipment for fluid circulation in the loop. This might [...] Read more.

Compared to conventional ground heat exchangers that require a separate pump or other mechanical devices to circulate the heat transfer fluid, ground coupled thermosiphons or naturally circulating ground heat exchangers do not require additional equipment for fluid circulation in the loop. This might lead to a better overall efficiency and much simpler operation. This paper provides a review of the current published literature on the different types of existing ground coupled thermosiphons for use in applications requiring moderate and low temperatures. Effort has been focused on their classification according to type, configurations, major designs, and chronological year of apparition. Important technological findings and characteristics are provided in summary tables. Advances are identified in terms of the latest device developments and innovative concepts of thermosiphon technology used for the heat transfer to and from the soil. Applications are presented in a novel, well-defined classification in which major ground coupled thermosiphon applications are categorized in terms of medium and low temperature technologies. Finally, performance evaluation is meticulously discussed in terms of modeling, simulations, parametric, and experimental studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics in the 21st Century)

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15 pages, 2002 KiB

Open AccessReview

Molecular Thermodynamics Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy

by Viswanathan V. Krishnan

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010013 - 21 Feb 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 8032

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is perhaps the most widely used technology from the undergraduate teaching labs in organic chemistry to advanced research for the determination of three-dimensional structure as well as dynamics of biomolecular systems... The NMR spectrum of a molecule under [...] Read more.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is perhaps the most widely used technology from the undergraduate teaching labs in organic chemistry to advanced research for the determination of three-dimensional structure as well as dynamics of biomolecular systems... The NMR spectrum of a molecule under a given experimental condition is unique, providing both quantitative and structural information. In particular, the quantitative nature of NMR spectroscopy offers the ability to follow a reaction pathway of the given molecule in a dynamic process under well-defined experimental conditions. To highlight the use of NMR when determining the molecular thermodynamic parameters, a review of three distinct applications developed from our laboratory is presented. These applications include the thermodynamic parameters of (a) molecular oxidation from time-dependent kinetics, (b) intramolecular rotation, and (c) intermolecular exchange. An experimental overview and the method of data analysis are provided so that these applications can be adopted in a range of molecular systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics in the 21st Century)

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Graphical abstract

2 pages, 150 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Microfluidics and Nanofluidics

by Ruey-Jen Yang

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010012 - 11 Feb 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5709

Abstract

Microfluidics and nanofluidics deal with fluid flows in geometries of micro/nano scales [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidics and Nanofluidics)

22 pages, 5531 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling and Feasibility Study on Using Tidal Power with an Energy Storage Utility for Residential Needs

by Gianmaria Giannini

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010011 - 11 Feb 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7641

Abstract

Tidal power technology is at its mature stage and large deployments are soon expected. The characteristics of tidal energy and its advantage to be predictable make it an ideal type of resource to be coupled with energy storage facilities. Despite this, most energy [...] Read more.

Tidal power technology is at its mature stage and large deployments are soon expected. The characteristics of tidal energy and its advantage to be predictable make it an ideal type of resource to be coupled with energy storage facilities. Despite this, most energy storage facilities are expensive. The fact that water has a high specific heat capacity makes this a potential cost-effective medium to be used for storing large amounts of thermal energy for balancing renewable energy output. This paper is an investigation on the possible application of integrating hot water reservoirs for storing tidal energy during power output peaks for domestic use. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the major factors incident on the proposed solution and to provide considerations on which real remunerations the proposed idea could bring to communities or to single families. For this purpose, a simplified numerical analysis, concerning three different scenarios, was performed. These scenarios differ by type of buildings and type of thermal energy demand. The study mainly concerns remote communities. Findings indicated that the proposed idea is technically feasible and if applied in the context of residential compounds, this could be more attractive in economic terms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Technologies Enabling Smart Grid)

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10 pages, 1116 KiB

Open AccessReview

The 5W’s for Control as Part of Industry 4.0: Why, What, Where, Who, and When—A PID and MPC Control Perspective

by Anca Maxim, Dana Copot, Cosmin Copot and Clara M. Ionescu

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010010 - 10 Feb 2019

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 10023

Abstract

The advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has pushed technology beyond its physical limits, making the process prone to errors and poorer performance. Whether it is about smart manufacturing where mass customization is envisaged, or collaborative human–robot engineering systems, the pyramid of process operation [...] Read more.

The advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has pushed technology beyond its physical limits, making the process prone to errors and poorer performance. Whether it is about smart manufacturing where mass customization is envisaged, or collaborative human–robot engineering systems, the pyramid of process operation has changed to a matrix form and control is the backbone of all process elements. The paper gives a concise guideline as to how, when, where, and what to apply when it comes to choosing the most suitable control strategy as a function of multi-parameter objective optimization. Both proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and model predictive control (MPC) control are addressed in this context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Automatic Control and System Theory)

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14 pages, 1784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Skeleton-Based Human Action Recognition through Third-Order Tensor Representation and Spatio-Temporal Analysis

by Panagiotis Barmpoutis, Tania Stathaki and Stephanos Camarinopoulos

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010009 - 08 Feb 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6083

Abstract

Given the broad range of applications from video surveillance to human–computer interaction, human action learning and recognition analysis based on 3D skeleton data are currently a popular area of research. In this paper, we propose a method for action recognition using depth sensors [...] Read more.

Given the broad range of applications from video surveillance to human–computer interaction, human action learning and recognition analysis based on 3D skeleton data are currently a popular area of research. In this paper, we propose a method for action recognition using depth sensors and representing the skeleton time series sequences as higher-order sparse structure tensors to exploit the dependencies among skeleton joints and to overcome the limitations of methods that use joint coordinates as input signals. To this end, we estimate their decompositions based on randomized subspace iteration that enables the computation of singular values and vectors of large sparse matrices with high accuracy. Specifically, we attempt to extract different feature representations containing spatio-temporal complementary information and extracting the mode-n singular values with regards to the correlations of skeleton joints. Then, the extracted features are combined using discriminant correlation analysis, and a neural network is used to recognize the action patterns. The experimental results presented use three widely used action datasets and confirm the great potential of the proposed action learning and recognition method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Machine Intelligence for Critical Infrastructures)

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9 pages, 3560 KiB

Open AccessReview

Machine Learning Applications: The Past and Current Research Trend in Diverse Industries

by Omid Ameri Sianaki, Ashkan Yousefi, Azadeh Rajabian Tabesh and Mehregan Mahdavi

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010008 - 03 Feb 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7144

Abstract

Dramatic changes in the way we collect and process data has facilitated the emergence of a new era by providing customised services and products precisely based on the needs of clients according to processed big data. It is estimated that the number of [...] Read more.

Dramatic changes in the way we collect and process data has facilitated the emergence of a new era by providing customised services and products precisely based on the needs of clients according to processed big data. It is estimated that the number of connected devices to the internet will pass 35 billion by 2020. Further, there has also been a massive escalation in the amount of data collection tools as Internet of Things devices generate data which has big data characteristics known as five V (volume, velocity, variety, variability and value). This article reviews challenges, opportunities and research trends to address the issues related to the data era in three industries including smart cities, healthcare and transportation. All three of these industries could greatly benefit from machine learning and deep learning techniques on big data collected by the Internet of Things, which is named as the internet of everything to emphasise the role of connected devices for data collection. In the smart grid portion of this paper, the recently developed deep reinforcement learning techniques and their applications in Smart Cities are also presented and reviewed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Inventions and Innovation in Design, Modeling and Computing Methods)

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13 pages, 4047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automatically Monitoring, Controlling, and Reporting Status/Data for Multiple Product Life Test Stands

by Richard Fertell and Hamed Ershad

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010007 - 31 Jan 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5522

Abstract

This paper describes an industry laboratory implementation of local and remote automation monitoring and control of several product testing stands for status, safety, and an efficient use of resources, as well as the purpose and inter-relationship between the tests, product reliability estimations, customer [...] Read more.

This paper describes an industry laboratory implementation of local and remote automation monitoring and control of several product testing stands for status, safety, and an efficient use of resources, as well as the purpose and inter-relationship between the tests, product reliability estimations, customer applications, and possible solutions to test specification issues. Like an airport departure/arrival board, the summary statuses of several life stands are reported on a monitor using a mobile application interface. Detailed data analysis reports and emergency shutdown statuses are emailed to authorized-interested parties. The life stands include submersion tanks and flow rigs at different fluid temperatures (steady-state, slow cycling, thermal shock). To reduce equipment costs and lab space requirements, some life test stands are combined to share heating/cooling transfer fluids and pumping resources that are automatically controlled to direct different fluid temperature ranges through different flow paths. A heater/chilling system cycles between −80 °C and +140 °C with automated diverter valves to route −80 °C to +85 °C fluid through a set of products; when the fluid temperature is increased to > +85 °C, diverter valves route the > +85 °C fluid through a different set of products that are tested only between fluid temperatures of +85 °C to +140 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Automatic Control and System Theory)

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17 pages, 4394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Star Type Wireless Sensor Network for Future Distributed Structural Health Monitoring Applications

by James Meech, Christopher Crabtree and Zoltán Rácz

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010006 - 23 Jan 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6416

Abstract

A star type wireless sensor network based on nine-axis micro-electromechanical inertial motion sensors with the potential to include up to 254 sensor nodes is presented, and an investigation into the mechanical and structural effects of bell ringing on bell towers is presented as [...] Read more.

A star type wireless sensor network based on nine-axis micro-electromechanical inertial motion sensors with the potential to include up to 254 sensor nodes is presented, and an investigation into the mechanical and structural effects of bell ringing on bell towers is presented as a possible application. This low-power and low-cost system facilitates the continual monitoring of mechanical forces exerted by swinging bells on their support and thus helps avoid structural degradation and damage. Each sensor measures bell rotation, and a novel method utilising only the instantaneous rotational angle is implemented to calculate the force caused by bell ringing. In addition, a commonly used, however, previously experimentally unconfirmed assumption that allows great simplification of force calculations was also proven to be valid by correlating predicted theoretical values with measurement data. Forces produced by ringing a 1425 kg bell in Durham Cathedral were characterised and found to agree with literature. The sensor network will form the basis of a toolkit that provides a scalable turnkey method to determine the exact mechanisms that cause excessive vibration in mechanical and architectural structures, and has the potential to find further applications in low-frequency distributed structural health monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Health Monitoring and Their Applications Across Industry)

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3 pages, 300 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Inventions in 2018

by Inventions Editorial Office

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010005 - 23 Jan 2019

Viewed by 4685

Abstract

Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...] Full article

2 pages, 138 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Heat Transfer and Its Innovative Applications

by Ping-Hei Chen and Hyung Hee Cho

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010004 - 18 Jan 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5076

Abstract

Innovative and high-end techniques have been recently developed in academic institutes and are gradually being employed in our daily lives for improving living quality, namely, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, autonomous cars, hyper-loop for high-speed transportation, miniaturization of electronic devices, heat dissipation from cooling [...] Read more.

Innovative and high-end techniques have been recently developed in academic institutes and are gradually being employed in our daily lives for improving living quality, namely, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, autonomous cars, hyper-loop for high-speed transportation, miniaturization of electronic devices, heat dissipation from cooling films to outer space, and so on [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heat Transfer and Its Innovative Applications)

25 pages, 4306 KiB

Open AccessArticle

HVAC Systems Applied in University Buildings with Control Based on PMV and aPMV Indexes

by Eusébio Z. E. Conceição, António F. M. Sousa, João M. M. Gomes and António E. Ruano

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010003 - 15 Jan 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6166

Abstract

In this work, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems applied in university buildings with control based on PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) and aPMV (adaptive Predicted Mean Vote) indexes are discussed. The building’s thermal behavior with complex topology, in transient thermal conditions, for [...] Read more.

In this work, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems applied in university buildings with control based on PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) and aPMV (adaptive Predicted Mean Vote) indexes are discussed. The building’s thermal behavior with complex topology, in transient thermal conditions, for summer and winter conditions is simulated by software. The university building is divided into 124 spaces, on two levels with an area of 5931 m², and is composed of 201 transparent surfaces and 1740 opaque surfaces. There are 86 compartments equipped with HVAC systems. The simulation considers the actual occupation and ventilation cycles, the external environmental variables, the internal HVAC system and the occupants’ and building’s characteristics. In this work, a new HVAC control system, designed to simultaneously obtain better occupants’ thermal comfort levels according to category C of ISO 7730 with less energy consumption, is presented. This new HVAC system with aPMV index control is numerically implemented, and its performance is compared with the performance of the same HVAC system with the usual PMV index control. Both HVAC control systems turn on only when the PMV index or the aPMV index reaches values below −0.7, in winter conditions, and when the PMV index or the aPMV index reaches values above +0.7, in summer conditions. In accordance with the results obtained, the HVAC system guarantees negative PMV and aPMV indexes in winter conditions and positive PMV and aPMV indexes in summer conditions. The energy consumption level is higher in winter conditions than in summer conditions for compartments with shading, and it is lower in winter conditions than in summer conditions for compartments exposed to direct solar radiation. The consumption level is higher using the PMV control than with the aPMV control. Air temperature, in accordance with Portuguese standards, is higher than 20 °C in winter conditions and lower than 27 °C in summer conditions. In Mediterranean climates, the HVAC systems with aPMV control provide better occupants’ thermal comfort levels and less energy consumption than the HVAC system with PMV control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Internet of Things Solutions for Intelligent Management and Control of Buildings)

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16 pages, 1531 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temperature Distribution through a Nanofilm by Means of a Ballistic-Diffusive Approach

by Hatim Machrafi

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010002 - 03 Jan 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5193

Abstract

As microelectronic devices are important in many applications, their heat management needs to be improved, in order to prolong their lifetime, and to reduce the risk of damage. In nanomaterials, heat transport shows different behaviors than what can be observed at macroscopic sizes. [...] Read more.

As microelectronic devices are important in many applications, their heat management needs to be improved, in order to prolong their lifetime, and to reduce the risk of damage. In nanomaterials, heat transport shows different behaviors than what can be observed at macroscopic sizes. Studying heat transport through nanofilms is a necessary tool for nanodevice thermal management. This work proposes a thermodynamic model incorporating both ballistic, introduced by non-local effects, and diffusive phonon transport. Extended thermodynamics principles are used in order to develop a constitutive equation for the ballistic behavior of heat conduction at small-length scales. Being an irreversible process, the present two-temperature model contains a one-way transition of ballistic to diffusive phonons as time proceeds. The model is compared to the classical Fourier and Cattaneo laws. These laws were not able to present the non-locality that our model shows, which is present in cases when the length scale of the material is of the same order of magnitude or smaller than the phonon mean free path, i.e., when the Knudsen number

K n \leq O (1)

. Moreover, for small

K n

numbers, our model predicted behaviors close to that of the classical laws, with a weak temperature jump at both sides of the nanofilm. However, as

K n

increases, the behavior changes completely, the ballistic component becomes more important, and the temperature jump at both sides of the nanofilms becomes more pronounced. For comparison, a model using Fourier’s and Cattaneo’s laws with an effective thermal conductivity has shown, with reasonable qualitative comparison for small Knudsen numbers and large times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics in the 21st Century)

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11 pages, 1085 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Microfluidic Cell Stretch Device to Investigate the Effects of Stretching Stress on Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

by Kae Sato, Manami Nitta and Aiko Ogawa

Inventions 2019, 4(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4010001 - 26 Dec 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8804

Abstract

A microfluidic cell stretch device was developed to investigate the effects of stretching stress on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The microfluidic device harbors upper cell culture and lower control channels, separated by a stretchable poly(dimethylsiloxane) [...] Read more.

A microfluidic cell stretch device was developed to investigate the effects of stretching stress on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The microfluidic device harbors upper cell culture and lower control channels, separated by a stretchable poly(dimethylsiloxane) membrane that acts as a cell culture substrate. The lower channel inlet was connected to a vacuum pump via a digital switch-controlled solenoid valve. For cyclic stretch at heartbeat frequency (80 bpm), the open or close time for each valve was set to 0.38 s. Proliferation of normal PASMCs and those obtained from patients was enhanced by the circumferential stretching stimulation. This is the first report showing patient cells increased in number by stretching stress. These results are consistent with the abnormal proliferation observed in PAH. Circumferential stretch stress was applied to the cells without increasing the pressure inside the microchannel. Our data may suggest that the stretch stress itself promotes cell proliferation in PAH. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidics and Nanofluidics)

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Inventions, Volume 4, Issue 1 (March 2019) – 22 articles

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