Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering | New and Recent Articles

This study investigated the ignition and burning behavior of single foliage elements and naturally occurring foliage groups under controlled convective heating. Across all species, droplet ejection and combustion was observed, with more frequent ejection and burning occurring in foliage groups. The combustion of ejected droplets represented a distinct ignition phenomenon and contributed to early …

The tribological performance of sliding surfaces in water can be improved by using lubricating solutions containing additives such as water-soluble sodium carboxylates, which reduce friction and prevent corrosion. These additives adsorb onto metal surfaces to exert their functions; however, the structural characteristics at the metal-solution interface and their influence on tribological properti…

To facilitate the transition of marine energy systems toward low-carbon and environmentally sustainable solutions, this study numerically investigates the medium-assisted atomization characteristics of a marine methanol tri-fuel boiler (methanol, diesel, and heavy fuel oil) under realistic operating conditions. A CFD-based VOF-DPM framework coupled with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is employed,…

IntroductionCoal mine roadheaders operate under complex conditions characterized by prolonged exposure to high vibration and dust levels, resulting in a high failure rate. Traditional fault diagnosis methods suffer from issues such as low diagnostic accuracy and poor real-time performance. This study suggests an intelligent diagnosis model for coal mine roadheader faults based on the artificial f…

In order to explore how different mass ratio combinations of virgin high-density polyethylene (V-HDPE)/recycled high-density polyethylene (R-HDPE) affect fibre and print quality, this study conducts a series of analyses. Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a process used for fibre preparation investigation; it is possible to include five groups of ratios between R-HDPE 100% and V-HDPE 100%. The p…

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) enables rapid fabrication of 316L stainless steel (SS 316L) with complex structures, but its rapid solidification and layer-by-layer deposition inevitably induce defects, such as pores and lack of fusion (LOF), severely restricting fatigue performance. This mechanics-focused mini-review summarizes recent research on the fatigue performance of SS 316L, focusing on th…

Epoxy-derived carbon fiber–reinforced polymer composites are promising for lightweight high-temperature applications, yet their performance after thermal conversion strongly depends on processing conditions. This study investigates the effects of pyrolysis atmosphere (vacuum and argon) and SiC particle addition on the microstructure–property relationships of epoxy-based CFRP and CFRP/SiC laminate…

This study focuses on the problem of image quality degradation caused by drastic changes in light intensity during unmanned aerial vehicle inspection of power transmission lines, and proposes a three-level adaptive optimization framework of light perception, parameter adjustment, and image enhancement. This framework precisely identifies the light conditions through a multi-feature fusion model (…

A variable-stiffness transverse leaf spring offers clear advantages in lightweight design, load-bearing capability, and vibration mitigation, indicating strong potential for broad application. However, the shock-vibration attenuation of conventional leaf springs is typically below 80%, which limits the ride comfort of leaf-spring suspensions under impact excitation. In this study, a high-static–l…

BackgroundAbrasive water jet (AWJ) machining is a common technology in modern manufacturing due to its ability to cut any material without causing heat damage. However, many existing models require material-dependent calibration constants, making them impractical.ObjectiveThe current study proposes a beam analogy model that treats microscopic surface details as cantilever beams subjected to a con…

This study presents the experimental and theoretical evaluation of a HDH desalination system integrating vortex tube and bubble column. The motivation stems from the need for energy-efficient and scalable solutions to address freshwater scarcity, particularly in regions with limited access to conventional desalination infrastructure. We design a system comprising an air compressor, vortex tube, b…

Multi-material polymer additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of components with spatially varied mechanical, thermal, electrical, and functional properties within a single build, overcoming the intrinsic limitations of single-material 3D printing. By combining thermoplastics, elastomers, photopolymers, and functional polymer composites, this approach allows material composition to be pro…

Surface texturing is helpful in decreasing the friction, decreasing the wear, and increasing the fluid film stiffness. This investigation studies the influence of micro-pit arrangement on the behavior of gas parallel slider bearings (GPSB) by employing the multi-grid finite element method using the Matlab software. The pressure distribution of GPSB with micro-pits was investigated. The results sh…

IntroductionThe electro-magnetic generator commonly used in automobiles generally has high excitation loss leading to low efficiency. And it cannot effectively provide power for the vehicle, thus shortening battery life.In order to solve the issues, a parallel double-rotor hybrid excitation generator is proposed, consisting of a radial permanent magnet rotor and a claw-pole electro-magnetic rotor…

Hand lay-up and vacuum resin infusion are two labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive traditional manufacturing methods used for wind turbine (WT) blades. With the ability to reduce mold manufacturing costs by up to 50%, additive manufacturing (AM) has become an attractive alternative for blade tooling and component fabrication. In 2024, the global market for 3D-printed turbine components …

IntroductionMechanical processing production management plays a critical role in optimizing production efficiency and ensuring product quality. Traditional management methods face challenges such as equipment failures, insufficient flexibility in resource scheduling, and low production efficiency. This study proposes a mechanical processing production management technology based on event scheduli…

To address challenges in subgrade construction using Yellow River floodplain soils, this study developed a reduced density filler by mixing aged fly ash with locally sourced clayey sand. The research aimed to establish a robust framework for bridging the gap between pavement design specifications (resilient modulus, E0) and construction quality control (compaction degree, K), enabling performance…

This narrative review synthesizes recent advances at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and composite additive manufacturing (AM) by qualitatively analyzing peer-reviewed journal articles, authoritative review papers, and selected conference literature across materials science, manufacturing, and data-driven engineering. A narrative approach is appropriate fo…

IntroductionConducting reliability analyses for engineering problems with small failure probabilities and expensive computational models is challenging. Subset simulation (SS) is an excellent method that has been applied in many fields. However, SS still has several limitations that need to be addressed, such as correlated samples, a large coefficient of variation (COV), the risk of deviating fro…