Applied Mechanics and Materials

Preface

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934

Temperature Sensors Based on One-Dimensional Superconducting Photonic Crystal

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Soukaina Sabsi, Fatima Zohra Harroui, Ossama El Abouti, Tarik Mrabti, El Houssaine El Boudouti
In this study, we investigate the sensitive photonic crystal sensor formed by the coupling between two photonic crystals containing a superconducting layer. We consider TE polarization and normal incidence for the analysis presented in this work. Our study shows that the cavity mode resulting from this coupling is strongly dependent on the temperature of the superconductor layer. The effect of the temperature of the superconducting layer and thicknesses on the quality factor is examined. The results show that the sensor superconducting structure gives a high quality factor. This structure can be used to realize a highly sensitive photonic crystal sensor.

Improving Photovoltaic Performance in P3HT:PCBM Organic Solar Cells through Silver Nanoparticle Incorporation in Hole Transport Layer

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Abdullah A. Hussain, A. H. A. Hassan, K. M. Musa
Organic solar cells (OSCs) have significant challenges with limited light absorption and low efficiency. This study investigates enhancing OSC performance through plasmonic effects by incorporating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into the hole transport layer (PEDOT:PSS). AgNP concentrations systematically varied in PEDOT:PSS (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8%) and studied their effects on device performance using UV-vis spectroscopy and current-voltage measurements. The OSC device with 0.8% AgNPs revealed a 39% increase in light absorption within the active poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) across the visible and ultraviolet spectrum, leading to a power conversion efficiency of 5.99% - twice that of the reference device. The enhanced performance is attributed to localised surface plasmon resonance effects, which improve carrier generation. These findings demonstrate a promising approach for enhancing OSC efficiency through plasmonic enhancement.

Energy and Thermal Performance Analysis of a Residential Building with Alpha Fibers Based Materials in the Atlantic Climate of Morocco

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Jamila Elbrymy, Mustapha Boumhaout, Soufiane Oukach, Hassan Hamdi, Mhaijiba Belhous, Mohammed El Hattab
As part of a sustainable development approach, global energy consumption continues to rise, fueled by industrial development and rapid urbanization. This growth poses major challenges in terms of increased demand for buildings, which in turn leads to a significant increase in energy demand, making it essential to assess the consequences of this increased energy consumption on the climate and identify viable alternatives. Enhancing energy efficiency is crucial for minimizing our carbon footprint. By implementing measures to optimize the use of energy resources. Currently, the construction industry is seeking to reduce energy consumption by designing and manufacturing more environmentally-friendly and sustainable building materials. In this work we studied the thermal behavior of a building, in Atlantic climate, constructed with a composite material based on alfa fibers using TRNSYS software. The results show that the energy performance of the investigated building is improved by 17% for cooling and 23% for air-conditioning.

Heuristic-Based Positioning of Linear Reluctance Motors Using Simulated Annealing Algorithm

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Sarah Hareer, Diyah Kammel Shary
Due to the nonlinear magnetic characteristics of the Linear Reluctance Motor (LRM), the system exhibits overshoot and oscillatory behavior during operation. To achieve accurate rotor position control, two control strategies are implemented: a conventional Proportional-Integral (PI) controller and a Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm integrated with a PI controller. The dynamic model of the LRM is simulated using MATLAB Simulink (version 2024a) in the d-q reference frame with real-time rotor position feedback. Three types of reference position trajectories-trapezoidal, linear, and nonlinear-are applied to evaluate the motor’s performance. The simulation results show that the SA-PI controller significantly enhances both position and velocity tracking accuracy compared to various reference position trajectories.

Comparative Optimal Tuning of a PID Controller for a SEDC Motor Using MCTA and TLBO

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Zahraa S. Salim, Diyah K. Shary, Hayder D. Almukhtar
A Separately Excited DC (SEDC) motor is widely used in process industries and automotive applications because of its fast response and high reliability. This paper presents the optimal tuning of a PID controller for an SEDC motor using two nature-inspired optimizers: the Modified Camel Traveling Algorithm (MCTA) and the Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO). Each algorithm is applied independently to minimize the Integral of Time-Weighted Absolute Error (ITAE) in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, while a conventional trial-and-error PID serves as the baseline. Controller performance is evaluated using convergence profiles and time-domain indices (rise time, settling time, and overshoot) under reference changes and load disturbances. Both optimizers improve the transient response compared with the baseline; across all tests, TLBO achieves the lowest ITAE and slightly shorter rise and settling times, whereas MCTA remains competitive. The findings provide clear comparative insights and practical guidance for selecting between TLBO and MCTA in SEDC speed control applications.

Design and Implementation of an Accurate and Simple Remote Medical Store Monitoring System Using ESP32 Microcontroller-Based Wi-Fi and IoT Technology

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Abbas Fadhil Kadhim, Abdulwahhab Essa Hamzah, Mahmood A. Al-Shareeda, Khalid Asaad Hashim, Nurfarhana Mohamad Sapiee, Hamzah Hidi Qasm, Alaa Ibrahim, Nawar Hayder Tawfeeq, Muhammad N. Jawad, Norhafizah Burham
Medical storage systems are essential for ensuring the safety and efficacy of sensitive medical products such as pharmaceuticals and vaccines. These systems must maintain optimal environmental conditions, especially temperature, humidity, and security, to prevent spoilage and preserve product quality. However, conventional monitoring methods often rely on manual supervision and periodic inspections, which can result in human error, inefficiencies, and delayed responses to environmental changes. This study presents the design and validation of a smart, low-power medical storage monitoring system to overcome the limitations of traditional methods by providing real-time, remote oversight. An ESP32 microcontroller was integrated with temperature, humidity, and gas sensors to monitor the storage environment continuously. The system leverages Wi-Fi and Internet of Things (IoT) technology for remote data access and sends immediate mobile notifications upon detecting motion or anomalous environmental conditions. A camera was also incorporated to record video for enhanced security when detecting motion. The system's temperature readings demonstrated high accuracy, with a linear slope of 1.0636 and a y-intercept of -1.9545 when validated against a reference thermometer across a 20°C to 30°C range. A high coefficient of determination, R2 value of 0.9681, confirms that the system's measurements account for 96.81% of the variance in the reference values. Consistency assessments at intervals from 30 to 150 minutes revealed minimal fluctuations, with standard deviations of 0°C to 0.55°C for temperature, 0% to 1.64% RH for humidity, and 0% to 0.55% for gas levels of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as CO2, indicating high stability. The entire system operates with a low power consumption of 3W. The developed IoT-based monitoring system offers a highly accurate, stable, and cost-effective solution for medical storage. Its real-time monitoring and alert capabilities significantly enhance the safety, efficacy, and security of stored medical products compared to conventional methods.

Low-Cost Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation: A Literature Review

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Batool A. Younis, Hayder D. Almukhtar, Bayadir Abdulrazaq Issa
Over the past twenty years, the integration of electronic and mechatronic systems has become an integral part of human life, revolutionizing the way the world interacts with technology on a daily basis. Here, an important type of simulation emerged, which is Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation. The principle of this simulation approach is to integrate real models with simulation, which allows testing of real systems under similar conditions and without any material loss or risk. This paper briefly presents the most important challenges that this construction has faced and the benefits and most important applications of HIL simulation, especially in Direct Current (DC). It also presents to us the most important challenges and potential future directions.

Application Modern Bio-Inspired Optimization Algorithm to Investigate the MPPT of Positive Output Super Lift Luo Converter for PV System

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Ream Mohammed Jassim, Issa Ahmed Abed, Kadhim H. Hassan
A modern bio-inspired optimization algorithm, namely Coot Bird Optimization (COBO), is proposed and displayed in this paper to investigate the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) of Positive Output Super Lift Luo (POSLL) DC-DC converter for control of the proposed photovoltaic (PV) power system. The effectiveness of this suggested algorithm is evaluated. The goal of the optimization problem is to reduce the rising time, settling time, and ripple of the POSLL converter's output voltage in response to step changes in input voltage with the connected load. To improve control performance, the gain parameters of the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller are tuned using the MPPT proposed optimization technique. The MPPT algorithm has been developed to prove an efficient present optimization algorithm for solving optimization problem.

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Rice Paddy De-Hulling and Winnowing Machine

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Oyebola Odunayo Olabinjo, Emmanuel Olusola Olakunle, Samuel Olugbenga Oladele
This research project centered on the development, construction, and testing of a Rice de-hulling and winnowing machine at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State Nigeria. The primary objective was to alleviate the laborious task faced by small-scale farmers during the de-hulling process of paddy rice grains. The choice of materials for fabrication was guided by local availability and aligned with the machine's design specifications and analysis. Within the machine, rice paddy grains were introduced through a hopper and guided between two rubber rollers—one fixed, the other adjustable—rotating in opposite directions at a speed ratio of 1.4:1. This action led to the abrasion and dehusking of the grains. The resulting mixture of dehusked grain and husk underwent separation by a current of air generated by the winnowing fan in the separation unit. The de-husked grains, husk, and remaining un-dehusked grains were then sorted and weighed. Following the performance evaluation of the machine, it was determined that the highest average values for de-hulling efficiency and throughput capacity were 60.13% and 22.52 kilograms per hour, respectively.

Thermal Analysis of a Passive Solar Dryer for Paddy Rice Drying

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Alexander Achanya Agada, Onyebuchi Israel Ibeagwu, Samuel Ogbonna Enibe, Tien Chien Jen
This paper presents the thermal analysis of a passive solar dryer for paddy rice drying. The dryer, which was designed with a capacity of two tonnes of paddy rice per batch, was deployed and test run in a rural agrarian community. The thermal analysis of the dryer was carried out using a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of the system. The system’s two-dimensional continuity, momentum, and energy equations were developed subject to suitable boundary and initial conditions. The CFD model was executed for a day for which the available experimental data was 11 MJ/day of solar irradiance, mean wind velocity of 0.0186 m/s, and mean ambient temperature of 20°C. The simulation was carried out for nine different mesh sizes ranging from extremely coarse (5378 domain elements with 378 boundary nodes) to extremely fine (56153 domain elements with 1385 boundary nodes). The simulation time for the extremely coarse mesh size was 52.32 minutes, while that for the extremely fine was 180.95 minutes. The temperature, velocity, and pressure distributions of the drying air within the drying chamber were determined for each mesh size. From these, their mean values at given times and the day were calculated. It was found that the finer mesh sizes (33134 domain elements with 1004 boundary nodes to 56153 domain elements with 1385 boundary nodes) gave the same results which agreed with experimental data. The results show that the drying process is effective in harnessing solar energy to heat the chamber with the chamber temperature reaching a maximum temperature of approximately 336 K and an average drying chamber temperature of 315.6K. Possible design improvements to the system are suggested, including the incorporation of forced air circulation and phase change material energy storage.

Exergetic Analysis of a Solar-Powered Fish Dryer

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Johnson Felix Eiche, Adewale Akinsade, Samuel Abimbola Ayese, Adebisi Olayinka Akinola
To assess the efficiency and performance of a solar-powered fish drying system, a comprehensive exergetic analysis was conducted. The system was developed to enhance fish preservation in coastal and inland communities using renewable energy. The study evaluates the dryer’s thermodynamic behaviour based on the second law of thermodynamics, identifying energy losses and optimization opportunities. Key parameters such as solar irradiance, thermal energy, exergy destruction, and exergetic efficiency were analyzed. Results revealed that the solar-powered dryer achieved a maximum thermal and exergetic efficiencies of 72% and 54% respectively, demonstrating sustainability and viability for off-grid applications. The analysis supports the system’s potential for energy optimization and food preservation in low-resource settings.

Performance Evaluation of a Wood-Polymer Composite Extruder

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Olufemi Adeyemi Adetola, Julius Olabiyi, Olawale John Olukunle, Bolanle Victoria Agbede
Sawdust and used plastic materials are generally considered as waste and due to the inability of the later to degrade, it constitutes a lot of hazard to the environment and ecosystem. This research aimed at evaluating the performance and quality of the extrudates produced from a single screw wood-plastic composite extruder. The machine performance was evaluated using shredded Poly ethylene, terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to produce wood-plastic composites. The composite comprising of six samples of different mix ratios (plastic to stone dust mix ratio of 60:40, 70:30 and 80:20 and plastic to sawdust mix ratio of 60:40, 70:30 and 80:20) of the materials. Temperature range of 200°C to 300°C was adopted throughout the evaluation. The plastic composite was shredded into smaller bits and then inserted into the plastic chamber for melting at a determined temperature. The functional efficiency, throughput capacity, specific energy consumption, and selected physical properties were evaluated. Data collected were analyzed using Microsoft Excel package. It was discovered that the extruder work optimally when the mixing ratio of plastic to sawdust and plastic to stone dust content were in the ratio 80% and 20% which gave the functional efficiency of 73% and 84% respectively. However, it was observed that the throughput capacity of the machine has the highest at the 70% and 30% mixing ratio of plastic to stone dust of 7.2 kg/hr and plastic to sawdust of 9.38 kg/hr respectively. Also, the specific energy consumption has its highest value at 60% and 40% mixing ratio of the plastic to stone dust and saw dust of 5.67 KWh/Kg and 1.7 KWh/Kg respectively. A linear trend on the effect of the percentage of wood and stone content on the unit density of the products was also observed. It was observed that the higher the wood or stone dust content in the composite the denser the products. There are no changes in the physical composition in terms of size (length and thickness ) and mass such as water absorption, thickness swelling and linear expansion. It was observed that the extruder performed optimally when the percentage of plastic & wood and plastic & stone dust were in the mix ratio of 80 and 20 respectively. These products can be use for internal and external applications in buildings and other structures.

Enhancement of Energy Content of Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) Using Particle Size Effects Approach

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Publication date: 20 February 2026
Source: Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 934
Author(s): Taiwo Stephen Mogaji, A.A. Amuleya, D.A. Jesugoroye, D.C. James, A.M. Akinwole, M.C. Elaine
This study presents a report on the energy content enhancement of biomass derived from palm kernel shells (PKS) by varying the sample sizes using a developed hammer mill machine. A hammer mill was designed, simulated, and constructed to efficiently mill palm kernel shells into various particle sizes. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed on the hammer mill’s frame and shaft, ensuring the structural integrity of the machine under operational loads. The machine’s rotor, crushing chamber, hammers, sieves, and prime mover were strategically engineered to achieve precise size reduction while maintaining operational efficiency and durability. The energy content of the selected biomass was evaluated for the control PKS sample and the milled PKS sample of two different particle sizes (0.4 and 0.6 mm). The main objective of this research was to examine palm kernel shells' energy potential by analysing the impact of particle size reduction on their energy content. To evaluate the energy characteristics of the processed biomass (grain size reduction), proximate and ultimate analyses were conducted on each particle size fraction, assessing parameters such as moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon, elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur), and calorific value. The results revealed a direct correlation between particle size and energy content, with finer particles exhibiting improved combustion properties due to increased surface area and enhanced reactivity. It is found that higher carbon content of the milled PKS samples (54.5% at 0.4 mm and 48.37% at 0.6 mm), representing 49.4% and 43.04% enhancement, respectively, over the control PKS sample before the milling process was achieved in this study. The results of which yield a 3.36% energy content increment in terms of particle size variation from 0.4 to 0.6 mm, highlighting enhanced energy efficiency in this work. The attained reduced nitrogen and sulfur content of the milled samples in this work contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions, making them a more environmentally sustainable biofuel option. These findings elucidate the potential of particle size optimization as an effective approach for improving the energy content of PKS, thereby enhancing its suitability as a clean and efficient bioenergy source.