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For many years, the IT industry has sought to accelerate the software development process by assembling new applications from existing software assets. However, true component-based reuse of the form Douglas Mcllroy envisaged in the 1960s is still the exception rather than the rule, and most of the systematic software reuse practiced today uses heavyweight approaches such as product-line engineering or domain-specific frameworks. By component, we mean any cohesive and compact unit of software functionality with a well-defined interface - from simple programming language classes to more complex artifacts such as Web services and Enterprise JavaBeans.

In the US, over 400 state and local incentives have been issued to increase the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) since 2008. This article quantifies the influence of key incentives and enabling factors like charging infrastructure and receptive demographics on PEV adoption. The study focuses on three central questions. First, do consumers respond to certain types of state level vehicle purchase incentives? Second, does the density of public charging infrastructure increase PEV purchases? Finally, does the impact of various factors differ for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV) and vehicle attributes within each category? Based on a regression of vehicle purchase data from 2008-2016, we found that tax incentives and charging infrastructure significantly influence per capita PEV purchases. Within tax incentives, rebates are generally more effective than tax credits. BEV purchases are more affected by tax incentives than PHEVs. The correlation of public charging and vehicle purchases increases with the battery-only driving range of a PHEV, while decreasing with increasing driving range of BEVs. Results indicate that early investments in charging infrastructure, particularly along highways; tax incentives targeting affordable BEVs and PHEVs with higher battery only range, and better reflection of the environmental cost of owning gasoline vehicles are likely to increase PEV adoption in the US.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are gaining momentum due to several factors, including the price reduction as well as the climate and environmental awareness. This paper reviews the advances of EVs regarding battery technology trends, charging methods, as well as new research challenges and open opportunities. More specifically, an analysis of the worldwide market situation of EVs and their future prospects is carried out. Given that one of the fundamental aspects in EVs is the battery, the paper presents a thorough review of the battery technologies—from the Lead-acid batteries to the Lithium-ion. Moreover, we review the different standards that are available for EVs charging process, as well as the power control and battery energy management proposals. Finally, we conclude our work by presenting our vision about what is expected in the near future within this field, as well as the research aspects that are still open for both industry and academic communities.

The Sn58Bi alloy plug, composed of 58% bismuth (Bi) and 42% tin (Sn), emerges as a promising alternative to conventional cement plugs. Investigating its mechanical behavior throughout the molten-to-solidified transition is crucial for predicting its performance in downhole oil and gas applications. Particular emphasis was placed on characterizing early expansion behavior during solidification, as the magnitude of expansion force directly correlates with sealing integrity. To analyze temperature and expansion force dynamics during plug formation, a specialized experimental apparatus was developed. Expansion and sealing integrity tests revealed three key findings: Applying overlying axial pressure (0–2 MPa) significantly enhanced plug sealing capacity, with a linear relationship observed between sealing performance and pressure magnitude. In addition, slower and more uniform cooling facilitated expansion both radially and at the axially constrained bottom. Increasing the length-to-diameter ratio (L/D) of 2–6 induced sequential solidification patterns, wherein final-stage solidification drove radial expansion of residual molten alloy, thereby improving gas sealing integrity. These findings establish a theoretical framework for the application of Sn58Bi alloy as downhole casing-plug material.

From the point of view of primary diagram, secondary equipment and Model Association of distribution network, this paper studies Plug and Play technology of distribution network equipment from access to application, describes the advantages and disadvantages of different technologies, and provides development ideas for future construction of distribution automation.

This article presents a systematic literature review on the Plug and Produce concept in advanced automated manufacturing control systems. Over recent decades, this concept has evolved significantly, with researchers focusing on enhancing its applicability and improving its conceptual, logical, and physical aspects across various sub-areas such as system design, methodologies, and supporting tools within the Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 frameworks. The review offers technical insights on the research domain of Plug and Produce accompanied by an analytical schematic outlining five key evolving research streams ranging from system design framework, and functionality features, up to the empirical application. Additionally, the article discusses important issues surrounding the evolution of Plug and Produce in alignment with emerging trends within Industry 5.0 automation. By analyzing the literature and current trends in industrial automation, the article highlights critical key development directions for shaping the future of manufacturing systems focusing on smart, circular, and human-centric solutions using Plug and Produce.

In order to solve certain issues, such as brittle fracture corrosion and easy failure, which occur under high ambient temperatures and high breakthrough pressures when conventional cement is used to plug rock perforations, a method using a Sn58Bi alloy was adopted in this paper; it was utilized to melt and plug a perforation. Subsequently, the influence of the characteristics of the rock perforation (such as perforation length and diameter) on alloy plugging performance under different conditions and ambient temperatures was studied. The experimental results show that the plugging effect of the Sn58Bi alloy was affected by ambient temperature, plugging diameter, and length. When the plugging length was 100 mm and the perforation diameter was 10 mm, the mechanical plug performance decreased by 24.0% when the ambient temperature increased from 30 °C to 60 °C, and then decreased by 19.0% when the ambient temperature increased to 90 °C. At 30 °C, the mechanical plug performance decreased by 30.4% when the diameter decreased from 10 mm to 8 mm, and decreased by 28.0% when the diameter decreased to 6 mm. When the length was constant and the diameter was decreased from 10 mm to 8 mm and then to 6 mm, the hydraulic plugging effect became better, and the trend increased from 33.7% to 37.2%.

A developing trend in stormwater treatment and management is the use of green technologies. Plant biofilters have been gaining increasing use in support of green technology objectives. This technical note reports on the development and preliminary testing of a laboratory-scale plant biofilter prototype for ammonia removal using a South African native plant species (Juncus efusus ). The prototype design was based on a conceptual model for nitrogen fixation, plant uptake, bacterial nitrification and soil sorption. Additionally, a plug compartment was incorporated into the design to simulate plug flow as part of the conceptual model. Biofilter models with and without inoculated bacteria were compared. Ammonia reduction, nitrite and nitrate formation were observed. Results showed that the inoculated plant biofilter performed best, with an average of 61% reduction in ammonia within the filter compared to 15% in the normal plant biofilter. The incorporation of a plug compartment aided in slowing down the ammonia infiltration rate, increasing the retention time, and allowing for nitrification to occur.

The fracture position of a friction plug welding (FPW) joint is typically located at or near the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). Here, we found that microcracks in all FPW specimens initiate at the deformed plug center (DPC) zone and then propagate through the plug center along 45° shear surfaces, because the lowest hardness occurs at the DPC zone rather than the TMAZ or other zones, and the DPC zone presents a tilt fiber-like microstructure. Such a tilt microstructure stimulates formations and deformations of microvoids and propagation of microcracks along 45° shear surfaces. The ultimate tensile strength (237.7 MPa) and yield strength (220.8 MPa) of the FPW joint reach 78.8% and 85.7% of the base metal, respectively. These results indicate that 6061-T6 aluminum alloy can be effectively joined by the FPW technique.