Topic Review
LAN Switching
LAN switching is a form of packet switching used in local area networks (LAN). Switching technologies are crucial to network design, as they allow traffic to be sent only where it is needed in most cases, using fast, hardware-based methods. LAN switching uses different kinds of network switches. A standard switch is known as a layer 2 switch and is commonly found in nearly any LAN. Layer 3 or layer 4 switches require advanced technology (see managed switch) and are more expensive, and thus are usually only found in larger LANs or in special network environments.
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  • 15 Nov 2022
Topic Review
HVAC Systems of Smart Building
Early fault detection and diagnosis in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems may reduce the damage of equipment, improving the reliability and safety of smart buildings, generating social and economic benefits. Data models for fault detection and diagnosis are increasingly used for extracting knowledge in the supervisory tasks. This article proposes an autonomic cycle of data analysis tasks (ACODAT) for the supervision of the building’s HVAC systems. Data analysis tasks incorporate data mining models for extracting knowledge from the system monitoring, analyzing abnormal situations and automatically identifying and taking corrective actions. This article shows a case study of a real building’s HVAC system, for the supervision with our ACODAT, where the HVAC subsystems have been installed over the years, providing a good example of a heterogeneous facility. The proposed supervisory functionality of the HVAC system is capable of detecting deviations, such as faults or gradual increment of energy consumption in similar working conditions. The case study shows this capability of the supervisory autonomic cycle, usually a key objective for smart buildings.
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  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Variable Speed Diesel Generators
Variable Speed Diesel Generators (VSDGs)  is a solution to optimize engine consumption and increase system efficiency during different regimes. It improves system behavior by adapting diesel generators (DGs) speed with demanded mechanical load from the generator. VSDG improves efficiency, increases engine lifetime, reduces fuel consumption, and GHG emissions. Conventional fixed speed DG can rarely operate at less than 50% of the maximal load, while VSDGs can operate for a long period at low rotational speed to support lower loads.
  • 2.6K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review Video
Direct Carbon Fuel Cells
Most fuel cells invariably use gaseous or liquid fuels. A fuel cell technology that has attracted attention only recently, the direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) uses solid fuel (carbon) and converts the chemical energy in the carbon to electricity through its direct participation in the fuel cell reactions and electrochemical oxidation. The fuel use can be almost 100% compared with about 85% for most other fuel cells. The electrical efficiency is expected to be above 70% - almost twice those of current generation coal-fired plants leading to 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The amount of CO2 for storage/sequestration is also halved. Moreover, the exit gas is almost pure carbon dioxide stream, requiring no or minimal gas separation and processing for sequestration. Therefore, the energy and cost penalties to capture the CO2 will be significantly less than for other technologies. However, the technology is at an early stage of development requiring many complex challenges to be overcome, related to materials and corrosion, fuel delivery mechanism, and system development, before it can be commercialized. Section 19.4 of a recent book by the author gives an overview of this technology focusing on its main issues (Sequeira, 2019.). Two of the main DCFCs, the direct carbon molten carbonate fuel cell (DC-MCFC) and the direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell (DC-SOFC) are described in this topic review. 
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  • 04 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Tesla Roadster (2008)
The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) sports car, based on the Lotus Elise chassis, that was produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors (now Tesla, Inc.) in California from 2008 to 2012. The Roadster was the first highway legal serial production all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production all-electric car to travel more than 320 kilometres (200 mi) per charge. It is also the first production car to be launched into orbit, carried by a Falcon Heavy rocket in a test flight on February 6, 2018. Tesla sold about 2,450 Roadsters in over 30 countries, and most of the last Roadsters were sold in Europe and Asia during the fourth quarter of 2012. Tesla produced right-hand-drive Roadsters from early 2010. The Roadster qualified for government incentives in several nations. According to the U.S. EPA, the Roadster can travel 393 kilometres (244 mi) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack, and can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on the model. It has a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph). The Roadster's efficiency, (As of September 2008), was reported as 120 MPGe (2.0 L/100 km). It uses 135 Wh/km (21.7 kW·h/100 mi, 13.5 kW·h/100 km or 490 kJ/km) battery-to-wheel, and has an efficiency of 88% on average.
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  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Classification of Green Solvents
Green solvents, such as bio-based (derived from renewable sources), water-based (dissolved in water), supercritical fluids (above their critical point), and deep eutectic solvents (formed by mixing two or more components), offer alternatives to conventional organic solvents for bio-oil extraction. These solvents are characterized by being non-toxic, non-volatile, recyclable, and biodegradable.
  • 2.6K
  • 16 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Microalgae Water Bioremediation
The need to reduce costs associated with the production of microalgae biomass has encouraged the coupling of process with wastewater treatment. Emerging pollutants in municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters, ranging from pharmaceuticals to metals, endanger public health and natural resources. The use of microalgae has, in fact, been shown to be an efficient method in water-treatment processes and presents several advantages, such as carbon sequestration, and an opportunity to develop innovative bioproducts with applications to several industries. Using a bibliometric analysis software, SciMAT, a mapping of the research field was performed, analyzing the articles produced between 1981 and 2018, aiming to identifying the hot topics and trends studied until now. The application of microalgae on water bioremediation is an evolving research field that currently focuses on developing efficient and cost-effective treatments methods that also enable the production of add-value products, leading to a blue and circular economy.
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  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Development of Bottom-Blowing Copper Smelting Technology
Bottom-blowing copper smelting technology was initiated and developed in China in the 1990s. Injection of oxygen-enriched high-pressure gas strongly stirs the molten bath consisting of matte and slag. Rapid reaction at relatively lower temperatures and good adaptability of the feed materials are the main advantages of this technology. Development and optimisation of bottom-blowing copper smelting technology were supported by extensive studies on the thermodynamics of the slag and the fluid dynamic of the molten bath.
  • 2.6K
  • 26 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Gas Turbines with Water Injection and Full Evaporation
The concept behind humidifying gas turbines is that increasing the amount of water/steam injected into the turbine increases the amount of mass it moves. This results in a rise in the specific power output because the effort exerted by the compressor remains the same, and it takes far less effort to raise the pressure of a liquid than it does of a gas. The efficiency of the cycle may be improved by recovering the energy contained in the gas turbine’s exhaust and either preheating the injection water, making injection steam, or the recuperator’s preheating of the combustion oxidizer. The introduction of water prior to the combustor of a recuperated gas turbine lowers the compressed air’s temperature at the input of the recuperator. This results in an increase in the rate at which energy is recovered from the exhaust gas.
  • 2.6K
  • 27 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Prestressed Concrete Girders
Prestressing methods were used to realize long-span bridges in the last few decades. For their maintenance, dynamic nondestructive procedures for identifying prestress losses were mainly developed since serviceability and safety of Prestressed Concrete (PC) girders depend on the effective state of prestressing. In fact, substantial long term prestress losses can induce excessive deflections and cracking in PC bridge girders. However, old unsolved problematics exist since a variation in prestress force does not significantly affect the vibration responses of such PC girders. As a result, this makes uncertain the use of natural frequencies as appropriate parameters for prestress loss determinations. Thus, amongst emerging techniques, static identification based on vertical deflections has preliminary proved to be a reliable method. In fact, measured vertical deflections take accurately and instantaneously into account the changes of structural geometry of PC girders due to prestressing losses. Given the current state of methodologies, the manuscript represents a state-of-the-art review of some important works on determining prestress losses. The attention is principally focused on a static nondestructive method, and a comparison with dynamic ones is elaborated.
  • 2.6K
  • 05 Nov 2020
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