Computer-aided engineering (CAE) refers to software applications aimed at helping solve technological problems through numerical methods. Exploiting CAE, it is possible to evaluate determined systems through virtual models rather than physical prototypes. By doing so, useful information on the system’s performance can be gathered at the beginning of the design phase, when the modifications to the project cost less. In the field of lubrication and efficiency, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been applied to geared transmissions, leading to an important step forward in the understanding of multiphase physics and the optimization of the systems’ layout. Being the simulations of gears non-stationary, the topological changes of the domain require the adoption of mesh-handling strategies capable of accomplishing the boundaries’ rotation. In this analysis, the Global Remeshing Algorithm with Mesh Clustering (GRAMC), previously developed by the authors to reduce the computational time associated with the remeshing process, is applied to study dip and injection lubrication in helical and spur gearboxes. The results suggest that this methodology is an effective and efficient solution to analyse the lubrication and the efficiency even for complex kinematics. The investigation was conducted in the OpenFOAM framework.

Due to the climate crisis, extreme fluctuations in temperature are caused by the high sources of energy, and carbon consumption have a great impact on both construction and water resources management. Accordingly, the world today is paying attention to searching for cleaner energy resources. In Egypt, the extreme heat of the summer seasons causes constant air-conditioner (AC) usage in building to provide cooling, which produces outlet wastewater. The continuous flow of this outlet wastewater results in cracks and erosion among the facades that need maintenance.

As a way to search for environmentally friendly material that can reuse this outlet water and reduce the solar radiation on the façade providing more cooler spaces, algae are suggested due to their availability in water from several sources in Egypt. This paper presents the assessment of an innovative façade element photobioreactors (PBR) made from algae on a real administrative building facade in Cairo. The aim is to evaluate digitally by simulation the solar radiation reduced from the façade that acts as a double green skin and self-watering system with an appealing aesthetic form preventing any erosion on the façade surfaces.

The method of assessment is done using Ladybug plug-in simulation in Grasshopper plug-in in Rhino software based on the climatic data from EnergyPlus. Four main phases are followed: 1) the form generation of the façade using Rhinoceros software, 2) the simulation to assess the solar radiation before and after adding the PBR, 3) the evaluation phase to calculate the thermal conductivity and water temperature mathematically, and 4) fabrication of small-scale façade using the 3D-printed technique with algae filament.

The results recorded a reduction in the solar radiation from 301 to 75 kWh/m² comparing the current case of the building façade, while the thermal performance was 0.36 W/m²K, which is better than the most common materials used in arid climates such as rammed earth, fired brick, and concrete. The optimization of the algae tube length was based on the required outlet temperature that is suitable for plantation 15°C to help in reducing the water temperature.

The finding addresses the significant role of using algae that can generate biomass to explore their benefits regarding their O₂ production and CO₂ absorption through 3D printing, which is considered a cleaner technology.

In turning processes, cutting force is of great importance since many cutting force features are useful for predicting and detecting tool conditions. To precisely measure cutting forces, many commercial devices have been developed; however, they are costly, cumbersome, and some implementation restrictions could hinder their suitability in real applications. In this work, a simple, portable, and low-cost tool holder sensor was designed and developed to sense strain and measure cutting force applied during ultra-precision diamond turning. The device can assess cutting intensity up to 3 N with a high sensitivity of 4.592 mV/N or 0.004592 V/N, a calibration test variability of 99.6%, and a percentage error of 2.19, according to static calibration testing.

As freight transportation demand increases worldwide, railway practitioners must carefully manage the capacity of existing facilities to ensure efficient and reliable operations. Railroad gravity hump classification (marshalling) yards, where individual railcars (wagons) are sorted into new trains to reach their destination, are an integral part of the freight rail network. Efficient operation of yard processes is critical to overall freight railway performance as individual carload shipments moving in manifest trains spend most of their transit time waiting for connections at intermediate yards, with more than half of this waiting time spent dwelling on classification bowl tracks. Previous research has developed optimal strategies to allocate bowl tracks to blocks for a given set of yard track lengths. However, these strategies make simple assumptions about the performance impact of over-length blocks due to a lack of basic analytical models to describe this relationship. To meet this need, this paper develops an original hump classification yard model using AnyLogic simulation software. A representative yard with accurate geometry and operating parameters reflecting real-world practice is constructed using AutoCAD and exported to AnyLogic. The AnyLogic discrete-event simulation model uses custom Java code to determine traffic flows and railcar movements in the yard, and output performance metrics. With complete flexibility to change track layout patterns, a series of simulation experiments quantify fundamental classification yard capacity relationships between performance metrics and the distribution of track lengths, as a function of the railcar throughput volume and size of outbound blocks created in the yard. The resulting relationships are expected to better inform railway yard operating strategies as traffic, train length, and block size increase but yard track lengths remain static.

Monitoring systems are a key tool to improve the safety of railway vehicles and to support maintenance activities. Their on-board application on railway vehicles is currently well established on newly built passenger vehicles, while their use on freight vehicles is not yet sufficiently widespread. This is due to the complex management of the operating procedures of the freight wagons, to the substantial impact of the cost of these systems compared to the cost of the wagon and to the common lack of electrification on freight wagons.

This work illustrates the characteristics of a monitoring system developed at Politecnico di Torino and previously installed on freight vehicles and operationally tested as regards the detection of accelerations and temperatures as diagnostic parameters. This system has been improved by adding diagnostics of the vehicle braking system, in order to detect anomalies during braking operations and to support maintenance procedures. The activity described in the present work aims to identify, beyond the specific diagnostic system that has been implemented, the basic characteristics that a modern monitoring system, intended to be installed on railway freight wagons, should feature. The new version of the monitoring system that has been developed at Politecnico di Torino has been preliminarily tested on a scaled roller-rig in order to monitor the braking system even in abnormal operating conditions, which would be difficult to reproduce safely on a real vehicle. The monitoring system is equipped with an axle generator capable of autonomously supporting its operation, and it is also provided with a diagnostic information processing system and communication protocols to send outside this information.

To make railway systems more autonomous and energy efficient, the suction phenomenon induced by virtual coupling (VC) can be considered as a beneficial source of energy saving since trains are very closely spaced. A minimum safe distance between railway systems must be defined and maintained to ensure the safety of the whole convoy. The purpose of this paper is to study and quantify the aerodynamic gain in case of VC of two modular and autonomous trains ‘Smart Cabins’ as designated in our project. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are investigated to analyze the aerodynamic effect under several scenarios by varying the inter-cabins distance. Some design simplifications have been made for each Smart Cabin to prepare simulations and reduce computation time. Simulation results confirm the interest of VC in the sense of reducing coefficient drag of the full convoy up to 27%, which reflects a power gain of about 4% of the total traction power required for a single Smart Cabin (~200 kW).

Parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) with the reliability quantitative (RQ) specifications is recommended as reliability methodology to pinpoint design flaws and correct them in transit. It covers (1) cycles of an accumulated failure rate of X% (BX) lifetime with ALT strategy, (2) fatigue design, (3) ALTs with alterations, and (4) discernment if design(s) obtains targeted BX life. The quantum/transport-based (generalized) life-stress failure prototype and sample size formulation for generating RQ specifications were suggested. The equivalent elevated damage potential in parametric ALT was applied, represented by field power spectral density. A case study was used to evaluate a refrigerator fatigued during rail. In first ALT, for RQ specifications – 40 min, refrigerator tubes made of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber fractured because of mount designs. The failed shape in first ALT was alike to those of the field refrigerator. After mounts and tubes were redesigned, there were no difficulties during second ALT. Refrigerator was assured to fulfill a B1 lifetime for travel distance.