Robert William Kay

Piezoelectric self-sensing composites offer a transformative route toward next-generation self-powered structural health monitoring systems owing to their capability for simultaneous sensing and energy conversion. One-dimensional ZnO nanowires (NWs), featuring spontaneous polarization and in-situ integration, exhibit significant potential for self-monitoring textile-reinforced composites. However, the synergistic effects of nanowire morphology and textile substrate conductivity on the electromechanical response and sensing mechanisms of composites remain insufficiently understood. In this work, ZnO nanowire-functionalized composites were fabricated based on conductive carbon-fiber (CF) and insulating aramid-fiber (AF) textiles under different hydrothermal growth durations. The microscale morphology of nanowires and interfacial structures were inspected to establish correlations with the macroscopic electrical and mechanical behaviours. The results demonstrated that an optimal growth duration of 4 h enabled a balanced enhancement in sensing sensitivity and mechanical integrity through appropriate nanowire spacing and interfacial contact. Furthermore, the electrical properties of the textile substrate significantly influenced the charge transport mode in composites. ZnO@AF composites exhibited transient sensing behaviour associated with electrostatic coupling and charge accumulation, whereas ZnO@CF composites showed conduction-dominated responses governed by conductive transport networks. This work establishes the structure–charge transport–electromechanical response relationship in ZnO nanowire-functionalized composites, providing insight into substrate-adaptive self-sensing mechanisms for structural health monitoring applications.

Mineral scaling is a major cause of heat transfer deterioration in water-based thermal systems, yet existing laboratory methods often fail to provide controlled hydrodynamics, constant supersaturation, and quantitative thermal performance measurements under evaporative conditions. This study presents the development and validation of a novel once-through Flow Evaporation Scaling Cell (FESC) for the quantitative evaluation of crystallization fouling on heated surfaces. The FESC combines controlled laminar flow, localised evaporation, continuous temperature monitoring, and flat coupon geometry to determine fouling resistance, induction time, and deposited scale mass under well-defined thermal and hydrodynamic conditions. The methodology was validated using ferritic stainless steel, electroless nickel, and a nickel-polymer composite coating exposed to two calcium carbonate-forming brines representing moderate and aggressive scaling conditions. The FESC demonstrated good repeatability, with relative standard deviations of 4.3% for induction time and 2.9% for asymptotic fouling resistance. Surface-dependent differences in scale morphology, polymorph, fouling resistance, and deposited mass were successfully resolved, confirming the sensitivity of the methodology. Electroless nickel showed the best anti-scaling performance, extending induction time by up to fourfold, reducing deposited calcium mass by approximately 83%, and lowering asymptotic fouling resistance by around 50% relative to stainless steel under aggressive conditions. The proposed FESC provides a reproducible and quantitative platform for evaluating anti-scaling surfaces, coatings, water chemistries, and operating conditions relevant to heat exchangers and water heating systems.

Piezoelectric self-sensing composites offer a transformative route toward next-generation self-powered structural health monitoring systems owing to their capability for simultaneous sensing and energy conversion. One-dimensional ZnO nanowires (NWs), featuring spontaneous polarization and in-situ integration, exhibit significant potential for self-monitoring textile-reinforced composites. However, the synergistic effects of nanowire morphology and textile substrate conductivity on the electromechanical response and sensing mechanisms of composites remain insufficiently understood. In this work, ZnO nanowire-functionalized composites were fabricated based on conductive carbon-fiber (CF) and insulating aramid-fiber (AF) textiles under different hydrothermal growth durations. The microscale morphology of nanowires and interfacial structures were inspected to establish correlations with the macroscopic electrical and mechanical behaviours. The results demonstrated that an optimal growth duration of 4 h enabled a balanced enhancement in sensing sensitivity and mechanical integrity through appropriate nanowire spacing and interfacial contact. Furthermore, the electrical properties of the textile substrate significantly influenced the charge transport mode in composites. ZnO@AF composites exhibited transient sensing behaviour associated with electrostatic coupling and charge accumulation, whereas ZnO@CF composites showed conduction-dominated responses governed by conductive transport networks. This work establishes the structure–charge transport–electromechanical response relationship in ZnO nanowire-functionalized composites, providing insight into substrate-adaptive self-sensing mechanisms for structural health monitoring applications.

An instrumented total hip replacement (THR) implant capable of remote and continuous monitoring would be an attractive prospect for a surgeon to conveniently track the recovery of their patients. Measuring the relative motion of the prosthesis components would provide insight into joint kinematics and contribute to the detection of adverse events including impingement and subluxation. The aim of this study was to develop a sensing system to measure the relative orientation and translation of the prosthesis components. A tri-axis magnetometer and a permanent magnet were integrated into clinically available THR components, forming a magnetic position and orientation sensing system. A robotic arm was used to articulate the components through controlled motion routines and record the orientation of the components. The output of the robot arm and a camera tracking system were used to validate the performance of the sensing system. The sensing system measured the relative orientation of the components to two degrees of freedom with an RMSE of <4.0° and measured the displacement of the femoral head during an impingement-driven subluxation motion with an RMSE of 0.2 mm. This proof-of-concept work has shown that magnetic sensing technology can track the position and orientation of THR components. With further development, this sensing method could feature within an instrumented THR implant.

In this research, it is aimed to present a comparative analysis of soft–rigid industrial parallel rigid grippers to compare their technical capabilities and assess the potential for soft–rigid grippers to address the challenge of grasping fragile objects with various shapes and sizes. In this research, 24 soft–rigid grippers are first identified through a scoping review using the Web of Science database, capturing their technical features and performance. Providing a variable stiffness grasp (n = 9, 37.5%) and a limited grasp capability (n = 8, 33.3%) is the most common advantage and challenge, respectively, of soft–rigid grippers. Pneumatic actuators (n = 12, 50.0%), followed by tendon‐driven electric rotary actuators (n = 9, 37.5%), are the predominant actuators used for soft–rigid grippers. Soft–rigid grippers are found to have a lower output force‐to‐weight ratio (n = 9, median , standard deviation (σ) = 15.17) in comparison to industrial parallel rigid grippers (n = 63, , ), but can provide a larger range of motion (n = 20, , ). This is the first quantitative comparative analysis between industrial parallel rigid and soft–rigid grippers, enhancing the understanding of their status and prospects in industrial applications. Herein, a common approach is proposed to standardize reporting to facilitate benchmarking between research‐based and industrial grippers and highlight controlling soft–rigid grippers is an underexplored area that can enhance the technology's performance.