Topic Review
Digital Twin Definitions and Categories
During the course of its rapid expansion into various fields of application, many definitions of the Digital Twin emerged, tailored to its respective applications. Taxonomies can cluster the diversity and define application-specific archetypes. 
  • 95
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Design Model for Digital Shadow of Value Stream
The value stream method, a key tool in industry to analyze and visualize value streams in production, aims to holistically optimize process steps, reduce waste, and achieve continuous material flow. However, this method primarily relies on data from a single on-site inspection, which is subjective and represents just a snapshot of the process. This limitation can lead to uncertainty and potentially incorrect decisions, especially in industries producing customer-specific products. The increasing digitization in production offers a solution to this limitation by supporting the method through data provision. The concept of the digital shadow emerges as a key tool that systematically captures, processes, and integrates necessary data into a model to enhance traditional value stream mapping. 
  • 99
  • 17 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Energy Storage and Battery Management for Electrified Vehicles
The transport sector is tackling the challenge of reducing vehicle pollutant emissions and carbon footprints by means of a shift to electrified powertrains, i.e., battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). However, electrified vehicles pose new issues associated with the design and energy management for the efficient use of onboard energy storage systems (ESSs). Thus, strong attention should be devoted to ensuring the safety and efficient operation of the ESSs. In this framework, a dedicated battery management system (BMS) is required to contemporaneously optimize the battery’s state of charge (SoC) and to increase the battery’s lifespan through tight control of its state of health (SoH).
  • 95
  • 11 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Next-Generation High-Temperature Solar Particle Receivers
Concentrated solar thermal (CST) systems are pivotal in the pursuit of renewable energy solutions to meet emissions reduction targets. They play a vital role in addressing the negative impacts of energy-intensive industrial processes, such as the high-temperature calcination step in the alumina Bayer process, requiring temperatures of approximately 1000 °C. However, achieving such high temperatures poses challenges, as radiative losses increase significantly with temperature. Current commercially available CST technologies, employing heat transfer mediums like molten salts, are constrained to temperatures below 600 °C. The emerging focus on sand-like ceramic particles, either as standalone materials or in suspension within an air stream, as heat transfer mediums signifies a promising avenue in the development of high-temperature receiver-based CST technologies. These particle-laden suspension flow receiver systems have the potential to reach operating temperatures exceeding 1000 °C.
  • 117
  • 04 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Automotive Chassis Control Technology
Automotive chassis control technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the stability, performance, and safety of vehicles. This paper reviews and discusses automotive steering/braking/driving/suspension systems from perspectives of system composition, the state of the art, and key technologies. Detailed analysis is conducted on critical techniques related to system fault tolerance, road feel feedback, brake force distribution strategy, electric motors, and motor controllers.The development and application of automotive chassis control technology is in line with the goals and objectives for the advancement of the automotive industry in terms of innovation, safety, and environmental sustainability.
  • 468
  • 29 Dec 2023
Topic Review
A Vision-Based Micro-Manipulation System
Micro-manipulation systems play a critical role in various scientific and industrial applications, enabling precise handling and control of microscopic objects. Precise micro-manipulation is essential, whether it involves the assembly of microelectronic components, the handling of biological samples, or the fabrication of micro-scale structures. However, achieving accurate manipulation at the micro-scale poses unique challenges, primarily due to the minuscule size of the objects involved.
  • 126
  • 27 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Buildings' Circular Refurbishment to Operationalize Circular Economy Policies
The current policies aimed at promoting the decarbonization of existing buildings under the principles of the circular economy are in need of practical measures tailored to local conditions to increase their effectiveness. The lack of standard practices for assessing buildings’ refurbishment strategies toward energy efficiency and CE principles reflects this reality. To tackle this issue, a new framework for refurbishing circular buildings, is proposed in this paper, based on circular procurement and incorporating a lifecycle perspective. This framework articulates a dialogue between local authorities and private stakeholders through a set of steps that encompass building mapping, selective disassembly, (re)design, and (re)build practices, providing opportunities to implement policy-based incentives.
  • 111
  • 25 Dec 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Maxwell’s Early Unitary View of Electricity and Fluid Mechanics
In young Maxwell’s eyes, electricity, magnetism and fluid mechanics present analogies that let the first be mathematically grasped in a unitary way similarly to the latter. This entry sketches the first steps of James Clerk Maxwell’s unitary view of electromagnetism and fluid mechanics, with long-lasting effects on understanding the physical world. In his very first paper on the subject, Maxwell interpreted Faraday’s concept of lines of force of both electricity and magnetism as filaments of a flowing fluid. That is, Maxwell suggested to unify the previously distinct fields of electricity and magnetism, considering them as different aspects of the same entity, the ‘electromagnetic field’, which is mathematically described by four partial differential equations. In the literature there are several comprehensive works on Maxwell’s mature exposition of his theory; however, the aim of this entry contribution is rather more limited. Indeed, it is restricted to examining the contributions of Maxwell’s first paper towards developing the idea of electric current as the motion of an incompressible fluid. Thus, this entry highlights the strong connections of Maxwell’s epistemological view with the ‘mechanistic’ approach of the time to every aspect of physical phenomenology. For this purpose, this entry mentions some historical context surrounding the emergence of Maxwell’s innovative concepts.
  • 326
  • 25 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Advancements of Rim-Driven Fans in Aerial Vehicles
As the aviation industry seeks sustainable propulsion solutions, innovative technologies have emerged, among which rim-driven fan (RDF) systems hold notable promise. Amid escalating concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, the aviation sector’s shift towards electric propulsion has gained impetus. RDF technology has emerged as a beacon of optimism, heralding the prospect of energy-efficient and eco-conscious air travel. 
  • 164
  • 22 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Composite Cold Spray for Coated Bores
The tribological performance of a thermal sprayed, mirror-like surface with localized protuberances was investigated through tribotests and computational simulation. A composite coating with a 410L steel matrix and M2 tool steel hard particles was applied by the cold spray process as a bore coating for combustion engines. The presence of protuberances promoted the quick formation of an antifriction tribofilm when tested with an SAE 0W-16 containing ZDDP and MoDTC, which significantly reduced the asperity friction in comparison to the conventional engine coated bores in reciprocating tribological tests.
  • 236
  • 21 Dec 2023
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