Liquid-phase shear exfoliation (LPSE) is an efficient and scalable technique for the exfoliation of layered materials. By harnessing fluid shear forces to overcome interlayer van der Waals interactions, LPSE enables the preparation of two-dimensional materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron nitride, and so on. This method offers several advantages, including operational simplicity, high yield, low defect density, and environmental compatibility. In recent years, substantial breakthroughs have been achieved in mechanism understanding, process optimization, and application development. With a focus on graphene as a representative system, this review summarizes recent advances in the energy pathways, mechanisms of LPSE of layered materials, and strategies for optimizing energy utilization in LPSE. Particular emphasis is placed on the processes of energy transfer and transformation during shear-induced exfoliation, aiming to deepen the understanding of energy pathways and to guide the future development of shear exfoliation technology from the perspective of energy pathway regulation.

The high-speed dual-structure six-phase switched reluctance motor (HDSSRM) exhibits pronounced vibration and acoustic noise, arising from inherent characteristics of the switched reluctance motor (SRM) and the non-uniform circumferential arrangement of its dual-structure six-phase configuration. This paper first analyzes the magnetic flux circuits to compare the effects of long and short magnetic circuits on radial force and operating conditions, and then mitigates the radial force associated with the short magnetic circuit. Next, the Maxwell stress tensor method is employed to examine how modifications to the rotor tooth geometry and the introduction of slots at the stator tooth tips reduce the radial magnetic pull force, and the slot parameters are optimized using a genetic algorithm-optimized back-propagation (GA-BP) neural network. Finally, experiments validate the proposed noise-reduction strategy, and finite-element analysis is used to compare the motor's torque and radial-force characteristics.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have been regarded as promising next-generation energy storage systems due to the abundant potassium resources and their similar properties to those of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, compared with LIBs, PIBs face several challenges in practical applications, mainly including low energy density, short cycle life, and underdeveloped manufacturing techniques. In recent years, extensive research has been devoted to developing novel anode materials with excellent electrochemical performance. Notably, among various anode materials, zinc (Zn) and its compounds, including ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe and zinc phosphides, have shown great potential owing to their high theoretical capacity, natural abundance, and diverse chemical properties. Nevertheless, such materials also suffer from significant volume expansion and poor cycling stability during charge/discharge cycles. To address these challenges, several effective strategies have been successfully employed to mitigate the aforementioned issues, such as compositing with carbon materials, doping, nanostructure design, and heterojunction engineering. This review aims to summarize the recent progress in zinc-based anode materials for PIBs, with a focus on analyzing the advantages and limitations of various materials and discussing effective strategies for performance enhancement. Finally, the remaining challenges and future research directions for Zn-based anodes in PIBs are discussed.

Frost accumulation on the evaporator surface of air-source heat pumps and cold chain systems significantly degrades heat exchange efficiency and overall system energy efficiency. Therefore, timely and precisely defrosting operation is crucial for improving system performance, which relies on accurate recognition of the frost state. However, existing frost state recognition methods generally suffer from low accuracy, poor generalization capability, or high economic costs. To address these challenges, the ‘mechanical-electro coupling effect’ is proposed by the authors, which uncovers the strong and unique correlation between frost layer and high-order harmonic of fan current. Based on this effect, an artificial intelligence frost state recognition method is presented. A multi-dimensionally optimization on key parameters of the method (including convolutional kernel size, number of channels, learning rate, batch size, dropout rate, and loss function Gamma) is conducted, consequently. The results demonstrate that the multi-dimensionally optimized method exhibits exceptional recognition performance in multi-fan, mixed operating temperature, and mixed obstruction conditions, achieving an overall accuracy of 98.18%. It significantly outperforms methods with classical classifiers. Notably, the model maintained a high accuracy of 96.96% in cross-fan individual generalization tests, verifying its strong adaptability and robustness across different fans. Such cross-unit generalization performance, being rarely validated and reported for existing frost recognition research, highlights the practical potential and innovation of this method.

The Atmospheric Release Valve (ARV) serves as a critical safety component in nuclear power plants, responsible for plant cooling and secondary circuit overpressure protection. However, the high-temperature, high-velocity steam flow during operation induces significant erosion and structural deformation in the valve sleeve and plug. To address this, the present study proposes a novel porous sleeve (PARV) design and develops a comprehensive thermo-fluid-structural coupled model to evaluate its performance against the conventional window-type sleeve (WARV). Numerical simulations under typical operating conditions reveal that the PARV effectively reduces the maximum steam velocity by 11.9% at 50% opening, thereby suppressing vortex-induced vibrations and erosion potential. Structural analysis further demonstrates that the PARV achieves an 18.5% reduction in maximum equivalent stress under steady-state conditions and a 28.8% decrease in peak thermal stress during the heating phase. These results conclusively validate the superior structural reliability and enhanced thermal response of the porous sleeve, providing valuable insights for failure risk mitigation and performance optimization of ARVs in nuclear applications.

Hydrogen storage remains a central bottleneck for scalable hydrogen energy systems due to the multiscale and coupled nature of the thermodynamics, kinetics, and microstructural evolution of hydrogen storage materials (HSMs). Although artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated materials discovery, current approaches remain constrained by fragmented data, limited physical consistency, and weak integration with experimental validation. Here, we propose a unified framework that integrates coherent data infrastructure, physics-grounded modeling, and AI-driven inverse design within a closed-loop discovery paradigm. By embedding physical constraints and experimental feedback, this approach enables adaptive, physically consistent optimization, thereby establishing a pathway toward autonomous, digital-twin-enabled discovery of HSMs.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have emerged as one of the most promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for energy storage, owing to their advantages such as abundant potassium resources and low cost. The design and optimization of anode materials are paramount, as they largely determine the overall electrochemical performance of PIBs. In recent years, nickel-based compounds have attracted growing interest because of their high theoretical capacities and potentially favorable rate capability. However, the practical application of these materials as anode materials for PIBs faces major obstacles, stemming from pronounced volume expansion during the potassiation/depotassiation process and insufficient electronic conductivity during the cycling process. The latest progress of nickel-based anode materials for PIBs (nickel oxides, nickel sulfides, nickel selenides, bimetallic selenides, nickel tellurides, nickel nitrides, and nickel phosphides) was systematically reviewed in this paper. The methods of enhancing the electrochemical performance of nickel-based materials were summarized, with a focus on strategies such as compositing with carbon materials, designing nanostructures, and designing microstructures. Then, the application of these materials as anode materials in PIBs was discussed. Finally, the key challenges and future research directions for nickel-based anode materials were presented.

The globe valve is one of the most mature and widely used flow control valves, extensively employed in nuclear power engineering. Cavitation induced by high-pressure drops under extreme operating conditions is a common phenomenon in such valves, which reduces their service life and increases replacement costs. Consequently, controlling and mitigating cavitation remains a critical research focus. This study conducts a numerical investigation of cavitation flow fields in angle globe valves with traditional serial multi-stage pressure reduction (NVC), as well as modified designs incorporating a single-layer cage (AVC1) and a double-layer cage (AVC2). Flow analysis reveals that the incorporation of cages effectively suppresses cavitation, with AVC2 demonstrating superior performance compared to AVC1. For AVC2, variations in the installation angle between the two cage layers influence the vapor volume generated by cavitation. When particulate impurities are present in the fluid, the valve core surfaces are subjected to simultaneous cavitation erosion and abrasive wear, while cavitation intensity decreases with higher particle concentrations. This study proposes a novel valve cage design integrated with serial multi-stage pressure-reduction structures, demonstrating synergistic cavitation suppression through numerical and experimental validation. These findings provide valuable insights for future research on reducing cavitation effects in serial multi-stage pressure reduction globe valves.

Li metal anode shows significant potential for advancing high-energy-density and commercially viable lithium batteries due to its high specific capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, thinning Li metal encounters serious challenges owing to its mechanical stickiness and fragility during the mechanical rolling process, which severely restricts its practical utilization. Consequently, most current Li metal batteries rely on excessively thick Li foils, leading to substantial resource waste and undermining the pursuit of high energy density. This review highlights the quantitative design principles of ultrathin Li metal (≤15 µm) and elucidates its critical roles in realizing the true potential of Li metal batteries. Emerging strategies for the fabrication of ultrathin Li metal, followed by a critical evaluation of recent advances and persistent challenges in their deployment for both liquid and solid-state batteries, are summarized. A perspective on future directions for ultrathin Li metal is also presented. Ultrathin Li metal anodes are poised to deliver transformative improvements in energy density, unlocking new opportunities for advanced energy storage systems.

Recovering critical metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and upcycling them into high-value electrocatalysts for water splitting is essential for aiding circular battery manufacturing while accelerating green hydrogen (H2) production. Here, we report a high-performance Ni-Co-Mn oxide (NCMO) electrocatalyst derived from deep eutectic solvent (DES)-recycled waste LIB cathodes for efficient electrochemical water splitting. The calcination process of the DES-based leaching residue was systematically optimized, and an optimal calcination temperature of 800 degrees C was identified for generating a highly active mixed-metal oxide phase. Comprehensive structural and chemical characterisation confirms the formation of porous nanoscale architectures with abundant oxygen vacancies and synergistic cationic interactions. The optimized NCMO-800 electrocatalyst exhibits promising bifunctional performance, with low overpotential requirements of 320 mV and 193 mV for OER and HER respectively and high durability. In situ synchrotron FTIR microscopy reveals the formation of OOH* during OER and strong hydrogen bonding interactions during the HER, elucidating the origins of bifunctional activity. Notably, the catalyst remains active and stable under saline conditions and requires only 1.79 V to reach 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline full-cell electrolysis. This work demonstrates a sustainable and potentially scalable route to upcycle spent LIB cathodes into efficient and robust bifunctional catalysts for water electrolysis, advancing circular economy driven green H2 production.

The direct regeneration and high-value upcycling of spent battery cathodes demonstrate significant advantages in environmental sustainability and economic feasibility, providing an emerging technological pathway for a low-carbon circular economy.

Four-electron aqueous zinc-iodine batteries (4eZIBs) offer high energy density but suffer from irreversible I+ hydrolysis, polyiodide shuttling, poor zinc anode stability, and a limited operating temperature range. Here, we propose a coordination competition and hydrogen-bond reconstruction strategy using a hybrid electrolyte of Zn(ClO4)2·6H2O, ZnCl2, InCl3, and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400), which enables reversible I+/I2/I- conversion for large-capacity Zn‖I2 batteries over a wide temperature range. Specifically, In3+ ions suppress polyiodide formation through preferential coordination with I- and electrostatic shielding that blocks charge exchange between I- and I2, and they are also preferentially reduced to metallic indium on the zinc anode surface, forming a protective indium layer that inhibits hydrogen evolution and corrosion. Meanwhile, PEG400 reduces the activity of free water by reconstructing the hydrogen-bond network of water molecules, and its polar segments can confine the ICl intermediate to suppress I+ hydrolysis. This synergistic chemistry enables an ultra-long Zn anode lifespan (over 4000 h), excellent Zn‖I2 full cell stability (over 10 000 cycles), record wide-temperature operation (-50 °C to 70 °C), and scalable Ah-level pouch-cell stability. This work provides a robust strategy for simultaneously managing complex interhalogen chemistries and stabilizing the zinc anode, paving the way toward practical aqueous energy storage.

ABSTRACT The exponential growth of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) market driven by electric vehicles has intensified the demand for sustainable and efficient recycling technologies. Among emerging solutions, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted increasing attention due to their tunable properties, low toxicity, and environmental compatibility. While DESs have been widely applied in the leaching of spent cathodes, their functions and mechanisms remain underexplored. In this review, we critically examine the stage‐specific roles of DESs in the recovery of lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn) from spent cathodes. DES applications are systematically classified into metal co‐dissolution, single‐metal selectivity (Li‐first, Ni‐first), and two‐metal pairwise separations. We discuss key DES design principles for achieving metal‐specific selectivity, highlighting emerging hydrophobic DESs and redox‐active systems, and expanding roles beyond leaching (binder removal, graphite pre‐concentration, direct regeneration, and hydrophobic DESs for liquid‐liquid extraction). Finally, this review identifies major challenges limiting DES scalability, including viscosity, component stability, recyclability, impurity tolerance, and limited techno‐economic and life cycle analyses. We also propose future directions to fully integrated, closed‐loop, and sustainable DES‐based recycling processes for critical metals. This review provides solvent design and mechanistic insight guidance toward green, selective, and scalable LIB recycling technologies.

Ensuring the structural integrity of thick-walled nuclear pressure vessels necessitates considering both crack initiation and arrest. This study presents an integrated experimental and numerical investigation into the crack arrest behavior of 18MnD5 steel. Crack arrest toughness (KIa) was measured per ASTM E1221, revealing its decrease with lower temperature and higher loading rate. A shorter through-thickness notch also reduced the measured toughness. A crack arrest Master Curve was successfully predicted using Maximum Likelihood Estimation, yielding a reference temperature TKca of -102.6°C. Dynamic XFEM simulations further uncovered that stress wave reflections induce crack tip oscillations and closure, which are key mechanisms promoting arrest. The synergy of these methodologies validates the crack arrest criterion as a robust tool for assessing thick-walled pressure vessel integrity under dynamic conditions.

High-speed solenoid valves (HSVs) are widely applied in fuel injection, hydraulic control, and high-speed switching systems, where their dynamic response performance directly determines overall system efficiency and stability. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to improving HSV performance, particularly through advancements in electromagnetic coil structures and driving circuits. However, investigations into magnetic isolation structures remain relatively limited. Existing designs often lack comprehensive parameter analyses and frequently suffer from issues such as complex fabrication and high cost, which hinder their broader application in engineering practice. To address these challenges, this study proposes a novel magnetic isolation slice design aimed at enhancing the dynamic response characteristics of HSVs. A quadratic correlation model was established to describe the relationship between magnetic isolation slice parameters and response time, and a response surface methodology was employed to systematically analyze the influence of these parameters on dynamic performance. The results indicate that optimized magnetic isolation slice parameters reduce the HSV opening time by 76.0% and increase the electromagnetic force at the fully open state by 46.9%, thereby significantly enhancing the dynamic performance of the HSV. This work not only significantly enhances the performance of HSVs in industrial automation, automotive electronics, and intelligent control systems but also has important implications for the design and performance optimization of precision scientific instruments, such as automated analytical instruments and fluid dynamics devices. This study provides essential technical support for the development of efficient and precise scientific instruments, contributing to the advancement of modern scientific instrument performance.

Aqueous zinc-iodine batteries (AZIBs) hold great promise for grid-scale energy storage; however, their long-term cycling stability is severely compromised by zinc anode instability and the adverse polyiodide shuttle effect. In this study, we developed a tri-functional sulfonated electrolyte-separator system by incorporating ethyldiglycol acetate (CA), 2-sulfobenzoic acid monoammonium (SAM), and an electrospun sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (ESP) separator. This integrated system synergistically enhances the reversibility of AZIBs by expanding the operational temperature range, promoting solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, and spatially confining polyiodide species. Specifically, SAM and CA collaboratively modulate the hydrogen bond network while simultaneously facilitating SEI formation, thereby significantly improving electrochemical reversibility. The ether/ester groups in CA modify the Zn2+ solvation sheath and disrupt H-bonding, thereby suppressing water decomposition, mitigating water-related side reactions, and extending the operational temperature range. Moreover, SAM preferentially adsorbs onto Zn through electrostatic interactions and subsequently decomposes to form an S/N-containing SEI, which facilitates Zn2+ deposition along (002) plane and suppresses dendrites. Significantly, SAM and the ESP separator work synergistically to construct a sulfonate-rich environment, enabling a dynamic spatial confinement effect on polyiodides via continuous electrostatic repulsion by sulfonate groups, thereby enhancing iodine utilization efficiency. This triple-regulation strategy provides a promising approach for achieving high Coulombic efficiency and long cycling stability in AZIBs over a wide temperature range.

Li-O2 batteries with high theoretical energy density are limited by low kinetics due to the insulating discharge product, which passivates the cathode surface, and hindering oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER). Herein, methylamine-intercalated MoS2 (MIMS) nanoflowers were synthesized and applied as the cathode to promote the catalytic reactions of Li-O2 batteries. The introduction of electron-rich methylamine facilitates charge injection into Mo 4d orbitals of MoS2, triggering its phase transition from 2H to 1T. This results in an elevated d-band center to enhance the adsorption energies toward key intermediate LiO2, boosting formation of film-like Li2O2. In situ EIS data combined with distribution of relaxation times (DRT) and distribution of capacitive times (DCT) analyses reveal the distinct electrocatalytic mechanisms of MIMS and MS cathodes, effectively illustrating the enhanced capacitive contribution and reduced interfacial impedance induced by dynamic oxygen intermediate evolution at the electrochemical interfaces on MIMS cathodes. The resultant Li-O2 batteries show a reduced voltage gap (0.85 V), high discharge/charge capacities (19083/18839 mAh g-1), and long-term stability (620 cycles at 1000 mA g-1). Besides, the fabricated pouch cells deliver a high energy density of 726.7 Wh kg-1 and stable operation over 1000 h, showing promise for practical use. These findings demonstrate the contribution of intercalation to the regulation of the interfacial chemistry and electrochemical performance of Li-O2 batteries.

Bifunctional electrocatalysts that simultaneously drive CO2 reduction (CO2RR) and oxygen evolution (OER) in neutral electrolytes are essential for aqueous Zn-CO2 batteries (AZCBs), but conventional designs prioritize CO2RR and are often incompatible with OER, resulting in low energy efficiency, poor reversibility, and rapid degradation of batteries. Here, we introduce a unified catalyst architecture integrating Cu and Ni single atoms with boron-, nitrogen-co-doped carbon (CuNi@BNC-T). Heteroatom co-doping stabilizes high single-atom loadings, enhances metal-support interactions, and suppresses carbon corrosion, while N-coordinated Cu+ and Ni3+ sites cooperatively boost CO2RR-OER, enabling ethanol formation and low-overpotential OER. This strategy achieves a 0.7 V voltage gap at 5 mA cm-2, 522 h cycling at 20 mA cm-2, and first ethanol production via AZCBs with energy efficiency of 88% (flow-cell). By elucidating previously unresolved degradation pathways, this work also correlates catalyst dynamics with battery failure, establishing design principles for durable bifunctional catalysts in aqueous Zn-CO2 systems.

High-speed valves (HSVs) often exhibit excessive steady-state temperature rise and sluggish dynamic response under rated current conditions, which constrain their performance and reliability in high-speed fluid control systems. This paper proposes an innovative magnetic isolation slice structure that significantly enhances the electromagnetic performance of HSVs while avoiding additional temperature rise and ohmic loss. A weighted function method is adopted to model the relationship among current, response time, and temperature, enabling the determination of an optimal operating current to achieve a trade-off between electromagnetic performance and thermal performance. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared with the original HSV structure operating at the rated current, the proposed design reduces the response time by 69.2%, steady-state ohmic loss by 53.3%, and steady-state temperature rise by 51.7%. These findings indicate that the magnetic isolation slice facilitates a coordinated control of thermal and electromagnetic behaviors, providing a practical solution for enhancing HSV performance in high-speed applications.

To elucidate the distribution of fluid flow and temperature within the axial-radial hybrid (A-RH) ventilation structure of the rotor in a high-power asynchronous motor (HPAM), a 2500 kW asynchronous motor was taken as the reasrch object. Employing the finite volume method (FVM), a numerical analysis of the 3D fluid and temperature fields during steady-state operation of the motor was conducted. Besides, the wind friction loss curve at varying speeds was derived and verified experimentally. Moreover, the correlation between flow parameters and temperature distribution was clarified, the uneven temperature distributions in the rotor was revealed, both axially (due to unique flow path) and circumferentially (due to panel structure). Consequently, a novel structure to improve the uniformity of circumferential temperature distribution is proposed, which contributes valuable insights and data for optimizing the performance of ventilation structures in HPAM.