Multistage PRIM: patient rule induction method for optimisation of a multistage manufacturing process

Industries such as automotive, LCD, PDP, semiconductor and steel produce products through multistage manufacturing processes. In a multistage manufacturing process, performances of stages are not independent. Therefore, the relationship between stages should be considered when optimising the multistage manufacturing process. This study proposes a new procedure of optimising a multistage manufacturing process, called multistage PRIM (patient rule induction method). Multistage PRIM extends the scope of process optimisation from a single stage to the multistage process, and it can use the information encapsulated in the relationship between stages when maximising each stage's performance. A case study in a multistage steel manufacturing process is conducted to illustrate the proposed procedure.     

Dependence of target-substrate distance on crystallographic and optical properties of WO3 films prepared by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering

WO₃ films were deposited on glass substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering in a mixed gas of 80%Ar-20%O₂. From the X-ray diffraction patterns, the WO₃ films deposited at source to substrate distance (D_T-S) of 40 mm were polycrystalline, crystallizing in the monoclinic crystal structure, with highly preferred c-axis orientation perpendicular to the film plane. On the other hand, amorphous films were observed in the WO₃ films deposited at 70 mm. The crystallite sizes of the WO₃ films deposited at D_T-S of 40 mm were larger for films deposited at lower working gas pressures (P_W). The optical absorption edge of the films shifted to shorter wavelength region with increase in P_W irrespective of the D_T-S. The oxygen deficient films are obtained when the films are deposited at D_T-S of 40 mm and P_W of 0.3 Pa and stoichiometric films are formed at higher P_W. The photocatalytic oxidation of methanol proceeds via CO and formaldehyde as the intermediate species on WO₃/TiO₂ bilayer films and CO₂ is identified as the final product.     

Enhanced performance of Al2O3 coated ZnO nanorods in CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cell

CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) based on ZnO nanorods, 4.55 μm in length, were studied. Many studies have shown that the performance of QDSCs is limited by a recombination process. Therefore, the interface layer was fabricated on the surface of the ZnO nanorods to retard recombination at the interface between the semiconductor and electrolyte. Overall, the performance of the QDSCs was improved by a surface coating of aluminum isopropoxide (Al₂O₃) on the ZnO nanorod, which facilitates a decrease in electron recombination and increased adsorption of CdS/CdSe QDs on the ZnO nanorods.     

Ultra-High Capacity and Cyclability of β-phase Ca0.14V2O5 as a Promising Cathode in Calcium-Ion Batteries

Crystalline water-free β-phase Ca_0.14V₂O₅ is reported for the first time as a viable cathode material for calcium-ion batteries (CIBs). In contrast to layered α-V₂O₅ and δ-Ca_xV₂O₅·nH₂O, which have limited capacity, the β-phase delivers a reversible capacity of ≈247 mAh g⁻¹, which corresponds to the insertion/extraction of Ca²⁺ between Ca_0.14V₂O₅ and Ca_1.0V₂O₅. The process of Ca²⁺ insertion process and the accompanying structural relaxation are theoretically and experimentally verified. The initial insertion of Ca²⁺ into Ca_0.14V₂O₅ causes a slight shift of oxygen atoms surrounding hepta-coordination sites, creating penta-coordinated sites that are then partially filled up to Ca_0.33V₂O₅. Further insertion occurs through the stepwise occupation of up to 50% of neighboring hexa- and tetra-coordination sites to form Ca_0.67V₂O₅ and Ca_1.0V₂O₅, respectively. The rearrangement of oxygen atoms in Ca_0.14V₂O₅ also minimizes dimensional changes, leading to high cyclic stability during repeated charge/discharge cycles. The remarkable electrochemical performance of full cells containing a Ca_0.14V₂O₅ cathode and a K metal anode in Ca²⁺/K⁺ hybrid electrolytes, is also demonstrated, thanks to the inertness of K⁺ insertion into Ca_0.14V₂O₅ and the absence of calcium plating/stripping. The cyclic stability and high capacity of Ca_0.14V₂O₅ is not compromised in hybrid electrolytes, making it a viable CIB cathode.     

rf-Magnetron sputter deposited ZrO2 dielectrics for metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors

ZrO₂ gate dielectric thin films were deposited by radio frequency (rf)-magnetron sputtering, and its structure, surface morphology and electrical properties were studied. As the oxygen flow rate increases, the surface becomes smoother. The experimental results indicate that a high temperature annealing is desirable since it improves the electrical properties of the ZrO₂ gate dielectric thin films by decreasing the number of interfacial traps at the ZrO₂/Si interface. The carrier transport mechanism is dominated by the thermionic emission.     

Design of an All-dielectric Self-supporting Cable System

All-dielectric self-supporting （ADSS） cables are installed along with transmission line for the purpose of communication. During installation the outer layer of the cable is hydrophobic and is not pron...     

Flow injection analysis of BHA by NiHCF modified electrode

Flow injection method is described for the determination of the antioxidant tert-butylhydroxy anisole (BHA) based on its catalytic oxidation at a nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) surface modified graphite wax composite electrode fabricated using a new approach. The electrochemical characteristics of the modified electrode were studied using cyclic voltammetry. The voltammetric response of BHA at the modified electrode showed current densities remarkably higher than the bare graphite electrode and occurred at a reduced over voltage of 200 mV. Linear calibration graphs were obtained in the range of 1.2 × 10⁻⁶–1.07 × 10⁻³ M. A detection limit of 6 × 10⁻⁷ M was obtained with a correlation coefficient of 0.9983 based on S/N = 3. Reliable results were obtained by applying the proposed flow injection method to determine BHA spiked in dehydrated potato flakes. Results suggest that the developed method can be effectively employed for the determination of BHA from food samples.     

Weighted cluster in mobile ad hoc network using enhanced long short-term memory-based squid game optimizer concept

A collection of autonomous frameworks will most likely make up a wireless mobile network. They are not solely dependent on a wireless network with no established infrastructure. In the mobile ad hoc network, it is highly challenging to safeguard the viability of the cluster head (CH) within a cluster; therefore, this research provides a big scope for routing utilizing enhanced long short-term memory–squid game optimizer (ELSTM-SGO). The quality of service attribute of the nodes determines which CH is chosen within them. How long the CH will hold will depend on the weight applied to it. The best CH is chosen using an ELSTM-SGO routing method within a cluster, and the best CH will improve the routing. The three procedures that make up the developed ELSTM-SGO protocol are SGO, CH selection, and cluster's gateway. The wireless system's energy consumption, buffer size, packet delivery ratio, routing overhead and end-to-end delay throughput represent the characteristics used in the suggested approach. Weighted clustering approach is evaluated on the system. According to the results of the experimental research, ELSTM-SGO yields superior results for preserving the resiliency of the CH.     

Visible light-active nitrogen-doped TiO2 thin films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering used as a photocatalyst

The visible light-active nitrogen-doped TiO₂ has been prepared by dc-reactive magnetron sputtering using Ti target in an Ar+O₂/N gas mixture. The preparation of highly crystallized anatase TiO_xN_y thin films with various nitrogen concentrations allowed us to identify the optimum nitrogen flow ratio for the photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of 2-propanol. At higher nitrogen flow rate, nitrogen is found to be difficult to substitute for oxygen having been predicted to contribute the band gap narrowing, giving rise to undesired deep level defects. In addition, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed that highly crystallized anatase growth of nitrogen-doped TiO_xN_y thin films are difficult at higher nitrogen flow rate. The optical band gap was found to be lower for the films deposited at 2 sccm of nitrogen flow rate. The PCO of 2-propanol was studied as a function of nitrogen flow rate using in situ FTIR spectroscopy. The PCO of 2-propanol found to proceed along two routes: one was through the chemisorbed species, 2-propoxide to form the CO₂ directly; the other was through conversion of 2-propanol to acetone, followed by formation of formate species, and finally CO₂.