Photonic low-cost sensors for in-line fluid monitoring. Design methodology

779 p.The paradigm of process monitoring has evolved in the last years, driven by a clear need for improving efficiency, quality and safety of processes and products. Sectors as manufacturing, energy, food and beverages, etc. are fostering the adoption of innovative methods for controlling their processes and products, in a non-destructive, in-place, reliable, fast, accurate and cost-efficient manner. Furthermore, the parameters requested by the industry for the quality assessment are evolving from basic magnitudes as pressures, temperatures, humidity, etc. to complete chemical and physical fingerprints of these products and processes. In this situation, techniques based on the UV/VIS/NIR light-matter interaction appear to be optimum candidates to face the request of the industry. Moreover, at this moment, when we are witnessing a technological revolution in the field of optoelectronic components, which are required for setting up these light-based analyzers.However, being able to integrate these optoelectronic components with the rest of subsystems (electronics, optics, mechanics, hydraulics, data processing, etc.) is not straightforward. The development of these multi-domain and heterogeneous sensor products meeting not just technological but also market objectives poses a considerable technical and organizational challenge for any company.In this context, a methodological hybrid and agile integration of photonic components within the rest of subsystems towards a sensor product development is presented as the main outcome of the thesis. The methodology has been validated in several industrial scenarios, being three of them included in this thesis, which covers from hydraulic fluid quality control to real-time monitoring of alcoholic beverage fermentation process

INTER-ENG 2020

These proceedings contain research papers that were accepted for presentation at the 14th International Conference Inter-Eng 2020 ,Interdisciplinarity in Engineering, which was held on 8–9 October 2020, in Târgu Mureș, Romania. It is a leading international professional and scientific forum for engineers and scientists to present research works, contributions, and recent developments, as well as current practices in engineering, which is falling into a tradition of important scientific events occurring at Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology in the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy Science, and Technology of Târgu Mures, Romania. The Inter-Eng conference started from the observation that in the 21st century, the era of high technology, without new approaches in research, we cannot speak of a harmonious society. The theme of the conference, proposing a new approach related to Industry 4.0, was the development of a new generation of smart factories based on the manufacturing and assembly process digitalization, related to advanced manufacturing technology, lean manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and manufacturing tools and equipment. The conference slogan was “Europe’s future is digital: a broad vision of the Industry 4.0 concept beyond direct manufacturing in the company”

Advancing Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells: Experimental Validation, Optimization, and Machine Learning Integration

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional efficiency and cost-effectiveness, positioning them as a leading candidate in pursuing sustainable energy solutions. However, transitioning from laboratory-scale research to large-scale commercial production presents substantial challenges. This thesis aims to address these challenges by investigating three critical aspects: the influence of rheological properties in fabrication, material synthesis for electron transport layer (ETL) modification, and the integration of machine learning to facilitate the scale-up process. Since the high costs and stability issues associated with silver or gold-based PSCs, this thesis focuses on carbon-based PSCs due to their cost-effectiveness and enhanced stability. The potential impact of these findings on the field of renewable energy and solar cell technology is immense, offering a promising future for the widespread adoption of PSCs. The influence of rheological properties on carbon-based PSC (C-PSC) performance is investigated. This involves examining the rheological impact of the mesoporous-TiO2 (m-TiO2) layer. Using SCAPS (Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator) simulations, theoretical comparisons of these variations are made and validated through experimental data. This study explores how morphological variations according to the pastes' viscosity and thickness affect the bandgap and device photovoltaic performance. Two types of m-TiO2 samples, Type 1 and Type 2, are analysed, each with six different thickness configurations. Material synthesis for ETL modification is explored by integrating morphology-modulated CeO2 into existing ETL layers. This involves synthesising rod and cube CeO2 nanoparticles and examining their performance when combined with TiO2 layers in C-PSCs. Detailed studies on these new materials' structural, electrical, and interfacial properties are conducted, and their efficiency performance is analysed through J-V, EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy), and EQE (external quantum efficiency) studies. Machine learning (ML) addresses scalability challenges in PSC production. ML algorithms are trained on extensive theoretical datasets to predict and optimise fabrication processes. Various ML models, including artificial neural networks (ANN), linear regression (LR), random forest (RF), and K-nearest neighbours (KNN), are employed to determine the most effective model. A dataset of 700 data points is curated via SCAPS-1D simulation, encompassing variations in ETL and perovskite layer thickness and bandgap characteristics. These complex and multifaceted challenges were overcome in the course of this research, demonstrating the depth and complexity of the work. For the m-TiO2 rheology, the best configurations for Type 1 and Type 2 samples exhibit theoretical efficiencies of 16.40% and 16.81%, respectively. Experimental replication yields efficiencies of 10.12% and 12.20%, respectively. These results are further scrutinised using impedance spectroscopy and external quantum efficiency (EQE) analysis. The rod structure CeO2 shows superior light scattering, resulting in the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.749% for the combined TiO2 and rod structure CeO2 configuration. The TiO2-only configuration and combined TiO2-CeO2 cube yield PCEs of 10.468% and 9.637%, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of morphology-modulated CeO2 as an efficient alternative for ETL layers. The ANN-based ML model demonstrates the highest prediction accuracy for optimising PSC fabrication parameters. By analysing key parameters influencing fabrication, the ML model forecasts performance ranges associated with specific conditions, providing a robust framework for enhancing scalability in PSC production. In summary, this research tackles pivotal challenges in commercialising perovskite solar cells by optimising fabrication techniques, significantly enhancing material stability, and leveraging sophisticated machine learning models to optimise scalability and production efficiency. These innovations collectively pave the way for the widespread adoption of cost-effective and high-performance solar technology

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Issue 24.1 (2020)

Mine Action on the Korean Peninsula Raising the Profile of Mine Action A New Approach to IMAS Compliance Disposal of EO and Environmental Risk Mitigation Explosive Ordnance Risk Education - Measuring Behavior Chang

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center Technical Publications announced in 1991

This compilation of abstracts describes and indexes the technical reporting that resulted from the scientific engineering work performed and managed by the Lewis Research Center in 1991. All the publications were announced in the 1991 issues of STAR (Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports) and/or IAA (International Aerospace Abstracts). Included are research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses

Proceedings of the Conference on Production Systems and Logistics: CPSL 2022

[no abstract available

2018 - The Twenty-third Annual Symposium of Student Scholars

The full program book from the Twenty-third Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 19, 2018. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/sssprograms/1020/thumbnail.jp