Topic Review
LHTES
Latent heat thermal energy storage systems (LHTES) are useful for solar energy storage and many other applications, but there is an issue with phase change materials (PCMs) having low thermal conductivity. This can be enhanced with fins, metal foam, heat pipes, multiple PCMs, and nanoparticles (NPs). This entry focuses on nano-enhanced PCM (NePCM) alone and with additional enhancements. Low, middle, and high temperature PCM are classified, and the achievements and limitations of works are assessed. The review is categorized based upon enhancements: solely NPs, NPs and fins, NPs and heat pipes, NPs with highly conductive porous materials, NPs and multiple PCMs, and nano-encapsulated PCMs. Both experimental and numerical methods are considered, focusing on how well NPs enhanced the system. Generally, NPs have been proven to enhance PCM, with some types more effective than others. Middle and high temperatures are lacking compared to low temperature, as well as combined enhancement studies. Al2O3, copper, and carbon are some of the most studied NP materials, and paraffin PCM is the most common by far.
  • 1.2K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Technologies for Railway Track Maintenance
Inspection and repair interventions play vital roles in the asset management of railways. Autonomous mobile manipulators possess considerable potential to replace humans in many hazardous railway track maintenance tasks with high efficiency and increased asset utilization. Railway track maintenance technologies ranges from handheld devices to whole train, from manually pushed trolley to autonomous robots. 
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Broadband Power Line
Broadband Power Line (BPL) communications are enlisted to play an important role in the development of new Smart Grid (SG) services and applications, due to the high-performance features that will be demanded in the transformation of the electrical grid model in the next few years. BPL communications are the most immediate and affordable answer to the SG challenge in the distribution grid. While Smart Metering has been instrumental to reaching the outer edge of the grid (i.e., the customer), the capability to deploy broadband communications through the grid is not just a question of the natural evolution of telecommunication technologies but is a requirement for accomplishing the SG evolution. In particular, BPL technologies are a key tool for the control and monitoring of secondary substations. They will also be essential in the distribution grid, in terms of PQ monitoring and distribution generation, especially considering the growth of solar and wind power sources and the progressive introduction of massive EV fleets, with hundreds of vehicles charging and discharging at the same time. In addition, BPL technologies have a great potential towards the diagnosis of the power grid and security assurance. The methods for cable health monitoring are mainly based on the topological parameters of the network, physical properties of the cable, and the measured Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, while other methods include simulations and diagnostics solutions.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review
3D Printing Building Envelope Prefabricated
The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents the beginning of a profound change for the building sector. In the last decade, the perspective of shapes, materials, and construction techniques is evolving fast due to the additive manufacturing technology. On the other hand, even if the technology is growing fast and several 3D printed buildings are being developed worldwide, the potential of concrete 3D printing in building prefabrication remains unexplored. Consequently, the application of new digital fabrication technologies in the construction industry requires a redesign of the construction process and its components. This paper proposes a novel conception, design, and prototyping of a precast building envelope to be prefabricated with extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (3DCP). 
  • 1.2K
  • 20 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics
Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) is widely used in many fields of energy and power engineering, such as nuclear reactors, solar thermal power generation systems, and refrigeration systems. In practical applications, SCO2 undergoes a cooling process significantly when it is cooled near the pseudo–critical point.
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Infrared and Visible Image Fusion
Infrared and visible image fusion technologies make full use of different image features obtained by different sensors, retain complementary information of the source images during the fusion process, and use redundant information to improve the credibility of the fusion image.
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Haptic Assistive Driving Systems with Human Operators
With the availability of modern assistive techniques, ambient intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), various innovative assistive environments have been developed, such as driving assistance systems (DAS), where the human driver can be provided with physical and emotional assistance. In this human–machine collaboration system, haptic interaction interfaces are commonly employed because they provide drivers with a more manageable way to interact with other components. From the view of control system theory, this is a typical closed-loop feedback control system with a human in the loop. To make such a system work effectively, both the driving behaviour factors, and the electrical–mechanical components should be considered. However, the main challenge is how to deal with the high degree of uncertainties in human behaviour. 
  • 1.1K
  • 19 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Traditional Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping
Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) was first applied in the field of robotics. Its goal is to build a real-time map of the surrounding environment based on sensor data without any prior knowledge, and at the same time predict its own location based on the map. SLAM has attracted extensive attention from many researchers since it was first proposed in 1986 and is now a necessary capability for autonomous mobile robots.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Zeolites as Carriers of Nano-Fertilizers
The world is facing immense challenges in terms of food security, due to the combined impacts of the ever-increasing population and the adversity of climate change. In an attempt to counteract these factors, smart nutrient delivery systems, including nano-fertilizers, additives, and material coatings, have been introduced to increase food productivity to meet the growing food demand. Use of nanocarriers in agro-practices for sustainable farming contributes to achieving up to 75% nutrient delivery for a prolonged period to maintain nutrient availability in soil for plants in adverse soil conditions.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Advanced Combustion for Improving Thermal Efficiency
Improving thermal efficiency and reducing carbon emissions are the permanent themes for internal combustion (IC) engines. Improving thermal efficiency and reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions motivate the technological progress of the automobile and engine industry.
  • 1.1K
  • 14 Sep 2022
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