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Topic Review
Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems
Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADASs) are used for increasing safety in the automotive domain, yet current ADASs notably operate without taking into account drivers’ states, e.g., whether she/he is emotionally apt to drive.
  • 903
  • 23 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Non-Destructive Evaluation of Structural Composite Materials
The growing demand and diversity in the application of industrial composites and the current inability of present non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods to perform detailed inspection of these composites has motivated this comprehensive review of sensing technologies. NDE has the potential to be a versatile tool for maintaining composite structures deployed in hazardous and inaccessible areas, such as offshore wind farms and nuclear power plants. Therefore, the future composite solutions need to take into consideration the niche requirements of these high-value/critical applications. Composite materials are intrinsically complex due to their anisotropic and non-homogeneous characteristics. This presents a significant challenge for evaluation and the associated data analysis for NDEs. For example, the quality assurance, certification of composite structures, and early detection of the failure is complex due to the variability and tolerances involved in the composite manufacturing. Adapting existing NDE methods to detect and locate the defects at multiple length scales in the complex materials represents a significant challenge, resulting in a delayed and incorrect diagnosis of the structural health. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the NDE techniques, that includes a detailed discussion of their working principles, setup, advantages, limitations, and usage level for the structural composites. A comparison between these techniques is also presented, providing an insight into the future trends for composites’ prognostic and health management (PHM). Current research trends show the emergence of the non-contact-type NDE (including digital image correlation, infrared tomography, as well as disruptive frequency-modulated continuous wave techniques) for structural composites, and the reasons for their choice over the most popular contact-type (ultrasonic, acoustic, and piezoelectric testing) NDE methods is also discussed. The analysis of this new sensing modality for composites’ is presented within the context of the state-of-the-art and projected future requirements.
  • 903
  • 20 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Variobahn
The Variobahn, formerly known as the Variotram, is a German-designed model of articulated low-floor tram and light rail vehicle. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variobahn has been manufactured variously by ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation, and since 2001 by Stadler Rail. As of 2009, 254 trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option. A unit costs about €2.5 million. Operators include the Graz Holding, the Bergen Light Rail, the Chemnitz Tramway, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, the Helsinki Tramway, the Rhine Neckar Area Tramway and London Tramlink.
  • 902
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Fossil Free Future for Track Work Machinery
Fossil free future for track work machinery indicates the possibility of achieving zero direct emissions during maintenance and construction work in railways by switching to alternative drives. Current railway track work machinery is mainly operated with diesel fuel. As a result, track maintenance of Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) amounts to nearly 9000 t CO2 equivalent per year according to calculations from Graz University of Technology. OeBB’s total length of railway lines only accounts for 0.56% of the world’s length of lines. This indicates huge potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions considering the need for track maintenance worldwide. Environmental concerns have led to the introduction of alternative drives in the transport sector.
  • 902
  • 11 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Ionic Liquids for CO2 Capture
Ionic Liquids (ILs) are the molten salts with a melting point lower than 100 °C and behave as a liquid at room temperature. ILs properties can be altered by the careful selection of the anion and cation. ILs have bulky organic cations with low molecular symmetry and small organic/inorganic anions that are in their molten form in their pure states under ambient conditions. Global warming is one of the major problems in the developing world, and one of the major causes of global warming is the generation of carbon dioxide (CO2) because of the burning of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels to meet the energy demand of households and industries is unavoidable. The current commercial and experimental techniques used for capturing and storing CO2 have serious operational and environmental constraints. The amine-based absorption technique for CO2 capture has a low absorption and desorption ratio, and the volatile and corrosive nature of the solvent further complicates the situation. To overcome all of these problems, researchers have used ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as a replacement for commercial amine-based solvents. ILs and DESs are tunable solvents that have a very low vapor pressure, thus making them an ideal medium for CO2 capture. Moreover, most ILs and DESs have low toxicity and can be recycled without a significant loss in their CO2 capture capability.
  • 902
  • 23 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Modern Displacement Measuring Systems
The contemporary displacement measurement systems used in geotechnical laboratories during the determination of soil precise mechanical parameters, (e.g., the shear modules G: initial and in the range of small and very small strains) are not universal and their use depends on the type of soil (cohesive, non-cohesive), its condition (loose or dense, stiff or very soft), and its characteristic properties (e.g., organic soil, swelling soil).
  • 901
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Deep Learning in Controlled Environment Agriculture
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is an unconventional production system that is resource efficient, uses less space, and produces higher yields. Deep learning (DL) has been introduced in CEA for different applications including crop monitoring, detecting biotic and abiotic stresses, irrigation, microclimate prediction, energy efficient controls, and crop growth prediction.
  • 901
  • 07 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) operate by converting the chemical energy in a fuel into electrical energy. The most crucial parameters in the operation process are the temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and air stoichiometry ratio. The classical structure of a PEMFC consists of a proton exchange membrane, anode electrode, cathode electrode, catalyst layers (CLs), microporous layer (MPLs), gas diffusion layers (GDLs), two bipolar plates (BPs), and gas flow channels (GFCs). The mechanical behavior and the conductivity of the protons are highly dependent on the structure of the MEAs.
  • 901
  • 20 Feb 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Japanese Prefabricated Housing Manufacturers
Japanese prefabricated housing manufacturers have gained international recognition for their innovative approaches to the whole design process, ranging from initial design to innovative cutting-edge technologies, state-of-the-art automated production lines, meticulous workmanship, and mass customisation. In this entry, three manufacturers (Daiwa House, Sekisui House, and Misawa Homes) were selected as case studies for close examination. By studying these leading companies, researchers and industry professionals can gain valuable insights into best practices, challenges, and innovations within the Japanese prefabricated housing sector. The research methods involved a desktop study of available information on websites, articles, and reports, as well as undertaking two study tours on residential sustainable design in Japan in 2022 and 2023. These three manufacturers were discussed and compared with respect to their development trajectories, design customisation, research capabilities and technological advancements, sustainable initiatives and procurement, as well as their after-sale services. They have demonstrated their adaptability and flexibility in response to natural disasters and the transformation of the needs in society. They are all keen on reducing the environmental impacts of their work towards zero carbon emissions and a sustainable future.
  • 901
  • 12 Jul 2024
Topic Review
Biological Processes for Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen technology has great potential as a source of clean energy. The production of green hydrogen is a desirable and beneficial way to contribute to the decarbonization of the energy sector. In response to the demand for environmentally friendly and economically feasible approaches, biohydrogen production from waste materials has attracted interest. Waste materials from industrial or municipal production can be used as low-cost substrates for biohydrogen production through microbial degradation.
  • 901
  • 13 Mar 2023
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