Recent Patents on Engineering - Volume 11, Issue 1, 2017

Background: A thermal runaway phenomenon occurs in batteries of all the electrochemical systems. In the case of the thermal runaway occurrence, a battery heats up sharply and afterwards a battery body inflammation is possible followed by an explosion. In this case inevitably, a system contained the battery goes unserviceable. Objective: The goal of this work is to review the most important results received on thermal runaway by the present moment. Results: It has been established experimentally that a probability of a thermal runaway in the nickel-cadmium accumulators KSX-25 grows with an increase of a constant-voltage charge as well as of an environmental temperature and an accumulator time in service. It was shown on the basis of charge cur-rent, terminal voltage, and change in battery temperature that during thermal runaway, the observed changes cannot be explained by the self-acceleration of known reactions (due to overheating), battery charging and electrolyte decomposition. The observed changes can only be explained if we assume, that the thermal runaway is associated with a powerful electrochemical reaction going within the battery with a terminal voltage approximately 0.55 V. It is shown that the recombination reaction of atomic hydrogen accumulated in the electrodes is exothermic thermal runaway reaction in alkaline batteries. Conclusion: New mechanism of thermal runaway in Ni-Cd batteries, which explains all the experimental data known currently is proposed. Based on the proposed mechanism received patents for a method of diagnosing a predisposition of batteries to thermal runaway.

Background: We consider the unified neural network simulation methodology concerning with construction of the robust mathematical models of complex systems in physics and technology based on the differential equation. This methodology allows overcoming the problems of research and simulation in Engineering caused by the complexity of geometry, different scale of processes etc. The analysis of patents with the differential equation solution as the essential part of a technique is carried out. Method: We present all stages of neural network modeling from the functional basis selection and quality functional building to verifying and refining models of objects in their operating. Results: Our approach successful applying to different types of problems with parameters is presented in this article. The stiff differential problem and differential-algebraic task with the different number of solutions are considered. In the catalyst problem, we solve the task in the region that is wider than the region of existence of the solution of the differential equation. Conclusion: The particular algorithms based on our unified neural network approach can be patented. The corresponding algorithms allow the natural parallelism. Moreover, Neurochip structures accelerating the work of the concrete equation solving algorithms can also be patented. Our methods can be used to create a new paradigm of supercomputing.

Background: Nowadays the thermal runaway is a serious obstacle in functioning of modern devices and systems because it leads inevitably to their damage. Insufficient study of this phenomenon does not allow to estimate safely predisposition of various accumulators to thermal runaway. There are few works on mathematical modeling of the thermal runaway phenomenon. The works on the phenomenological description of this phenomenon are also not numerous. Methods: In this work, patents and literary data are analyzed concerning the factors which could cause the development of thermal runaway in various types of batteries. We have a problem of modeling with incompleteness of initial data in the conditions of uncertainty. We offer a new approach to model thermal runaway phenomenon based on fuzzy logic formalism. As it is convenient to display initial and final data in the table form we chose Excel spreadsheets as the tool of modeling. Results: Examples of thermal runaway probability modelling during the discharge of Ni-CD batteries were reviewed by means of fuzzy logic methods. Our calculations confirmed the conclusion about the influence of battery operation life on the probability of thermal runaway. In our calculations a significant increase in temperature or capacity had a significant influence upon the probability of thermal runaway in the same conditions. Our results also demonstrate that probability of thermal runaway occurrence grows with the growth of charging voltage. It is consistent with experimental data. Conclusion: Our results are qualitatively and quantitatively coordinated with known experimental data. The summary of available data found in literature and patents related to the thermal runaway phenomenon allows us to conclude that it is feasible to use fuzzy logic methods to model such phenomenon. Im-plementation of the algorithm in Excel spreadsheets is described.

Background: The pollution created by heavy metals has caused a difficult situation for the entire ecosystem because of their ill-effects on both the abiotic and biotic components of the environment. Nickel is one such heavy metal which is released at various concentration ranges from the different industrial activities, and if not treated properly may have enormous effects on life. Thus, suppression of the level of nickel from industrial release before its disposal into the water bodies is a necessity. Objective: This paper aims to explore a comprehensive review on the existing treatment technologies used for the nickel removal in terms of their outcome, advantages and drawbacks. Method: The paper reviews the existing treatment techniques such as elctrocoagulation, membrane sep-aration, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, biological methods and adsorption adopted for an effective decontamination of nickel-bearing wastewater. Some recent adsorbents relating to Ni(II) adsorption are outlined in this article. In addition, a collection of 10 patent documents was also elucidated briefly. Results: Various limitations of the conventional treatment processes can be overcome by employing an effective adsorption process. The paper put forward some suggestions to improve the adsorbent charac-teristics. Conclusion: Adsorption processes have various advantages like ease of operation and control, flexibility towards the flow variation under diurnal and seasonal conditions. As a result, the present review suggests significant features in which adsorption phenomena can be adopted for improving the process efficiency.

Background: The Philippines is becoming one of the largest and most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia in recent years, since the government effected several national reforms. The progressing economy demands an increase in residential buildings and expects higher energy consumption as many households become able to afford better and more comfortable living conditions. Methodology: The goal of this paper is to review and evaluate the Philippine residential building sector in terms of its contribution in building construction, energy consumption, energy distribution, gadgets and technologies used in households. Results: The residential building sector shares the largest percentage of total building construction, and detached houses account for the majority of that residential building construction. There are diverse classes of residential designs and sizes and there is a diverse source of energy for the households. There is a large income gap in the Philippines which contributes to the diverse design and size of residential buildings. Large percentage of the residential buildings’ design and materials are based on glass windows and concrete, both of which affect the indoor thermal environment. The diverse sources of energy in the Philippine household are due to the economic factor. Conclusion: As the economy, population and standard of living increases, it is expected that the energy consumption increases resulted in searching ways in utilizing new energy sources and technologies to minimize the increase of household energy consumption. Some patents and research outputs shown in this paper could be utilized to support the Philippine residential building sector in building technologies, energy consumption reduction, and energy efficient gadgets and technologies.

Background: Methods for describing physics of impact and ballistics have been developed over a number of decades. These include analytical mathematical representations as well as modern computer simulations. Objective: Recent and historic developments towards modeling of impact phenomena pertinent to terminal ballistic events are summarized and compared. Two classes of physical problem are of focus: impact and penetration of metallic and/or ceramic targets by projectiles, and propagation of planar shock waves through solid material specimens induced by collision with flyer plates or by explosive loading. Method: The projectile-target problem is analyzed from perspectives of classical hydrodynamics, extensions accounting for strength, and fully resolved explicit dynamics simulations. The planar impact test is studied from perspectives of analytical solutions to Rankine-Hugoniot equations, steady wave analysis, and dynamic finite element simulations of shock waves in material microstructures. Key features of each approach are critically compared. Results: The two classes of physical problem are inherently related since material properties obtained from analysis of the latter experiments are typical input for models of the former problem involving ballistic penetration. Patents to computer methods and ballistic protection systems are noted. Conclusion: Reduced order models are shown to provide efficient, but often approximate, solutions giving insight into general trends. Modern, fully resolved calculations appear to be the only viable route to design and optimization of novel materials or structures with heterogeneous properties or complex geometries.

Background: Online inspection technology of cold-rolled steel surface defects has become an important means to improve product quality. This paper focuses on the development of cold-rolled steel strip surface defects detection system using the line light source and line scan cameras. Objective: The image of the strip surface needs to be of sufficient quality so that defects can be detected accurately. Basically, this concerns image gray level. The image processing of defects detection needs to overcome the influence of the noise points and complete the defects contour extraction well. Method: A closed-loop control method is studied. It evaluates the gray value of captured image and ad-justs the exposure time of line scan camera accordingly. A six steps image processing method is pro-posed. It could complete the contour extraction of surface defects well and ensure the processing time. Results: Experimental results show that the system can realize online detection for cold-rolled steel strip surface defects. Conclusion: The defects of cold-rolled steel strips need to be recorded. The patent proposed in this paper provides a new way of surface defects inspection based on machine vision.

Background: The problem of assembly line balancing has become one of the most important research aspects. Recent relevant patents and researchers have found that how to look for a better method to improve the efficiency of assembly line is important. Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide a novel approach for the assembly line balancing problem through integration of genetic algorithm and simulation analysis. Methods: In this study, the assembly line balancing problem of type-I is described and the mathematic model for assembly line balancing problem of type-I is established. Moreover, genetic algorithm is applied for optimizing the workstation operation time and simulation analysis method is used to explore the bottleneck workstations and potential bottleneck workstations. The key techniques of the proposed approach are elaborated and the flowchart is designed. Finally, an electric tapping machine assembly line balancing problem is taken as an industry application example to verify the proposed approach. Results: Simulation results show that the (potential) bottleneck workstations can be identified and the efficiency of assembly line can be improved. Conclusion: Through integration of genetic algorithm and simulation analysis, the efficiency of the electric tapping machine assembly line has been improved as well as improvement of the (potential) bottleneck workstations leads to reliability of the assembly line.