Search in Publications

Found 6374 publications

Multi-objective-period heat exchanger network synthesis and decarbonization for industrial-scale crude oil distillation system

Chenglin Chang Zekun Yang Shuhao Zhang Ting Pan Nan Zhang Robin Smith

Publication Name: Energy

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 326

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Transitioning heat exchanger network (HEN) synthesis designs to industrial application involves operational, environmental, and cost considerations, posing computational challenges. This study proposes a systematic optimization approach integrating multi-objective, multi-period optimization HEN synthesis with waste heat recovery and multiple utilities. The proposed methodology incorporates a novel two-step unit reduction strategy to overcome the increase of model combinational complexities arisen from the multi-period features, thereby facilitating the solving of large-scale problems. Meanwhile, environmental impacts are concerned by using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution approach. A new optimization route, Enhanced Pinch-assisted Multi-Objective Optimization is proposed to obtain the final decision in this multi-objective problem time-efficiently. The case study includes a 15 streams problem, and a real industrial-scale crude oil distillation preheat system. The results showed that assigning carbon compensation to the waste heat recovery option can significantly reduce carbon emissions and change energy distribution.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.136300

Effect of Fermented Feed on Growth Performance and Gut Health of Broilers: A Review

Tamás Tóth Balázs Ásványi Zoltán Hatvan Jim Kioko Katu László Varga

Publication Name: Animals

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 13

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The fermented feed used in broiler production has gained significant attention for its potential to improve growth performance, enhance gut health, and modulate gut microbiota. This review synthesized findings on the effects of both solid and liquid fermented feed in broilers. Fermentation processes enhance nutrient bioavailability; reduce anti-nutritional factors; and generate beneficial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, which contribute to gut health. Incorporating fermented feed in broiler diets has been shown to improve weight gain, the feed conversion ratio, and nutrient absorption by promoting favorable gut morphology changes, including an increased villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratios. Additionally, fermented feed fosters a beneficial microbial environment by increasing lactic acid bacteria populations while reducing pathogenic microbes. Fermentation also modulates gut immunity by regulating cytokine production and stimulating immune cell activity. However, challenges such as inconsistent effects on feed intake and growth during the early production stages underscore the need for optimizing fermentation protocols tailored to broiler production systems. Although the implementation of liquid fermented feed presents logistical challenges, research suggests it can significantly improve feed digestibility. Advances in precision fermentation techniques and multi-strain inoculant use hold promise for further improving fermented feed efficacy. Future research should focus on assessing the long-term impacts, economic viability, and environmental sustainability of fermented feed in commercial poultry systems. Overall, fermented feed offers a promising strategy to enhance productivity and sustainability in broiler farming while reducing the reliance on conventional feed additives. This review reflects the body of knowledge at the time of writing.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/ani15131957

Numbers do not lie, but they can mislead: rethinking what doping prevalence statistics really mean

Andrea Petróczi

Publication Name: Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 65

Issue: 7

Page Range: 835-838

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.25.17281-2

Performance of Concrete Incorporating Waste Glass Cullet and Snail Shell Powder: Workability and Strength Characteristics

Majid Movahedi Rad Akindele Christopher Apata Udeme Udo Imoh

Publication Name: Buildings

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 13

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study investigates the combined use of waste glass cullet (WGC) and snail shell powder (SSP) as a sustainable binary cementitious system to enhance the mechanical performance and durability of concrete, particularly for rigid pavement applications. Nine concrete mixes were formulated: a control mix, four mixes with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% WGC as partial cement replacement, and four corresponding mixes with 1% SSP addition. Slump, compressive strength, and flexural strength were evaluated at various curing ages. Results showed that while WGC reduced workability due to its angular morphology (slump decreased from 30 mm to 20 mm at 20% WGC), the inclusion of SSP slightly mitigated this reduction (21 mm at 20% WGC + 1% SSP). At 28 days, compressive strength increased from 40.0 MPa (control) to 45.0 MPa with 20% WGC and further to 48.0 MPa with the addition of SSP. Flexural strength also improved from 7.0 MPa (control) to 7.8 MPa with both WGC and SSP. These improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and supported by correlation analysis, which revealed a strong inverse relationship between WGC content and slump (r = −0.97) and strong positive correlations between early and later-age strength. Microstructural analyses (SEM/EDX) confirmed enhanced matrix densification and pozzolanic activity. The findings demonstrate that up to 20% WGC with 1% SSP not only enhances strength development but also provides a viable, low-cost, and eco-friendly alternative for producing durable, load-bearing, and sustainable concrete for rigid pavements and infrastructure applications. This approach supports circular economic principles by valorizing industrial and biogenic waste streams in civil construction.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/buildings15132161

Driver Clustering Based on Individual Curve Path Selection Preference

Erno Horváth Gergo Igneczi Krisztian Nyilas Tamas Dobay

Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 14

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADASs) has reached a stage where, in addition to the traditional challenges of path planning and control, there is an increasing focus on the behavior of these systems. Assistance functions shall be personalized to deliver a full user experience. Therefore, driver modeling is a key area of research for next-generation ADASs. One of the most common tasks in everyday driving is lane keeping. Drivers are assisted by lane-keeping systems to keep their vehicle in the center of the lane. However, human drivers often deviate from the center line. It has been shown that the driver’s choice to deviate from the center line can be modeled by a linear combination of preview curvature information. This model is called the Linear Driver Model. In this paper, we fit the LDM parameters to real driving data. The drivers are then clustered based on the individual parameters. It is shown that clusters are not only formed by the numerical similarity of the driver parameters, but the drivers in a cluster actually have similar behavior in terms of path selection. Finally, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is proposed to learn the model parameters at run-time. Any new driver can be classified into one of the driver type groups. This information can be used to modify the behavior of the lane-keeping system to mimic human driving, resulting in a more personalized driving experience.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/app15147718

The Impact of Rainwater Quality Harvested from Asbestos Cement Roofs on Leaf Temperature in Solanum lycopersicum as a Plant Water Stress Indicator

Gergely Zoltán Macher

Publication Name: Water Switzerland

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 17

Issue: 14

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Rainwater harvesting (abbreviation: RWH) presents a valuable alternative water source for agriculture, particularly in regions facing water scarcity. However, contaminants leaching from roofing materials, such as asbestos cement (abbreviation: AC), may compromise water quality and affect plant physiological responses. This paper aimed to assess how simulated rainwater, reflecting the different levels of contamination (1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L), influences leaf temperature in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum), a known non-invasive indicator of plant water stress. The treatments were applied over a four-week period under controlled greenhouse conditions. Leaf temperature was monitored using infrared thermography. Results showed that higher treatment concentrations led to a significant increase in leaf temperature, indicating elevated water stress. These findings suggest that even low levels of contaminants originating from roofing materials can induce detectable physiological stress in plants. Monitoring leaf temperature offers a rapid and non-destructive method for assessing environmental water quality impacts on crops. The outcomes of this research have direct applicability in the safer design of RWH systems and in evaluating the suitability of collected rainwater for irrigation use.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/w17142070

Coffees Brewed from Standard Capsules Help to Compare Different Aroma Fingerprinting Technologies—A Comparison of an Electronic Tongue and Electronic Noses

Tamás Tóth Biborka Gillay George Bázár Iyas Aldib Zoltan Kovacs Viktoria Eles Zoltán Gillay Haruna Gado Yakubu

Publication Name: Chemosensors

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 13

Issue: 7

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

With the development of various new types of instrumental aroma sensing technologies, there is a need for methodologies that help developers and users evaluate the performance of the different devices. This study introduces a simple method that uses standard coffee beverages, reproducible worldwide, thus allowing users to compare aroma sensing devices and technologies globally. Eight different variations of commercial coffee capsules were used to brew espresso coffees (40 mL), consisting of either Arabica coffee or a blend of Robusta and Arabica coffee, covering a wide range of sensory attributes. The AlphaMOS Astree electronic tongue (equipped with sensors based on chemically modified field-effect transistor technology) and the AlphaMOS Heracles NEO and the Volatile Scout3 electronic noses (both using separation technology based on gas chromatography) were used to describe the taste and odor profiles of the freshly brewed coffee samples and also to compare them to the various sensory characteristics declared on the original packaging, such as intensity, roasting, acidity, bitterness, and body. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) results showed that these technologies were able to classify the samples similarly to the pattern of the coffees based on the human sensory characteristics. In general, the arrangement of the different coffee types in the LDA results—i.e., the similarities and dissimilarities in the types based on their taste or smell—was the same in the case of the Astree electronic tongue and the Heracles electronic nose, while slightly different arrangements were found for the Scout3 electronic nose. The results of the Astree electronic tongue and those of the Heracles electronic nose showed the taste and smell profiles of the decaffeinated coffees to be different from their caffeinated counterparts. The Heracles and Scout3 electronic noses provided high accuracies in classifying the samples based on their odor into the sensory classes presented on the coffee capsules’ packaging. Despite the technological differences in the investigated devices, the introduced coffee test could assess the similarities in the taste and odor profiling capacities of the aroma fingerprinting technologies. Since the coffee capsules used for the test can be purchased all over the world in the same quality, these coffees can be used as global standard samples during the comparison of different devices applying different measurement technologies. The test can be used to evaluate instrumentational and data analytical developments worldwide and to assess the potential of novel, cost-effective, accurate, and rapid solutions for quality assessments in the food and beverage industry.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors13070261

Gas Barrier Properties of Organoclay-Reinforced Polyamide 6 Nanocomposite Liners for Type IV Hydrogen Storage Vessels

Attila Bata Eszter Kókai Dávid István Kis Péter Gerse Ferenc Tajti Pál Hansághy Nándor Nemestóthy

Publication Name: Nanomaterials

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 14

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study investigates the hydrogen permeability of injection-molded polyamide 6 (PA6) nanocomposites reinforced with organo-modified montmorillonite (OMMT) at varying concentrations (1, 2.5, 5, and 10 wt. %) for potential use as Type IV composite-overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) liners. While previous work examined their mechanical properties, this study focuses on their crystallinity, morphology, and gas barrier performance. The precise inorganic content was determined using thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the structural and morphological changes induced by varying filler content. The results showed that generally higher OMMT concentrations promoted γ-phase formation but also led to increased agglomeration and reduced crystallinity. The PA6/OMMT-1 wt. % sample stood out with higher crystallinity, well-dispersed clay, and low hydrogen permeability. In contrast, the PA6/OMMT-2.5 and -5 wt. % samples showed increased permeability, which corresponded to WAXD and SEM evidence of agglomeration and DSC results indicating a lower degree of crystallinity. PA6/OMMT-10 wt. % showed the most-reduced hydrogen permeability compared to all other samples. This improvement, however, is attributed to a tortuous path effect created by the high filler loading rather than optimal crystallinity or dispersion. SEM images revealed significant OMMT agglomeration, and DSC analysis confirmed reduced crystallinity, indicating that despite the excellent barrier performance, the compromised microstructure may negatively impact mechanical reliability, showing PA6/OMMT-1 wt. % to be the most balanced candidate combining both mechanical integrity and hydrogen impermeability for Type IV COPV liners.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/nano15141101

Phase portraits and bifurcations induced by static and dynamic friction models

Mate Antali Balazs J. Bekesi G. Csernák

Publication Name: Nonlinear Dynamics

Publication Date: 2025-07-01

Volume: 113

Issue: 13

Page Range: 15863-15899

Description:

The paper discusses the phase-space structure of six variants of a simple mechanical system that differ in the applied friction model. It is shown that many properties of the Coulomb and the Stribeck models, such as the number of equilibria and their stability, are inherited by the Dahl and the LuGre dynamic friction models, respectively. Exploiting similar relationships, a Coulomb-based and a Stribeck-based version of the Generalized Maxwell-Slip model are also introduced. The detailed analysis of these models reveals a surprisingly rich variety of equilibrium types and bifurcations. Moreover, it is highlighted that the most frequently used values of the Stribeck exponent may lead to atypical results such that even a small deviation from these values changes the bifurcation scenario.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1007/s11071-025-10974-y