Jing Li¹, Bo Ning^1,*, Bo Li², Xuemei Jin¹, Dezhi Qiu¹, Fenlan Ou¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.22, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2026.074335 - 06 February 2026

Abstract As a controllable power generation method requiring no energy storage, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology demonstrates characteristics of abundant reserves, low pollution, and round-the-clock stable operation. The free-standing cold-water pipe (CWP) in the system withstands various complex loads during operation, posing potential failure risks. To reveal the deformation and stress mechanisms of OTEC CWPs, this study first analyzes wave particle velocity and acceleration to determine wave loads at different water depths. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam model, a quasi-static load calculation model for OTEC CWPs was established. The governing equations were discretized using the… More >

Hao Chen¹, Tong Xu¹, Yutian Huang², Dabo Xin^1,*, Changting Zhong^1,3,*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.146, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2026.075792 - 29 January 2026

Abstract Optimization problems are prevalent in various fields of science and engineering, with several real-world applications characterized by high dimensionality and complex search landscapes. Starfish optimization algorithm (SFOA) is a recently optimizer inspired by swarm intelligence, which is effective for numerical optimization, but it may encounter premature and local convergence for complex optimization problems. To address these challenges, this paper proposes the multi-strategy enhanced crested porcupine-starfish optimization algorithm (MCPSFOA). The core innovation of MCPSFOA lies in employing a hybrid strategy to improve SFOA, which integrates the exploratory mechanisms of SFOA with the diverse search capacity of… More >

Ehsan Arshid^*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.146, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2025.074898 - 29 January 2026

Abstract In this work, a computational modelling and analysis framework is developed to investigate the thermal buckling behavior of doubly-curved composite shells reinforced with graphene-origami (G-Ori) auxetic metamaterials. A semi-analytical formulation based on the First-Order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT) and the principle of virtual displacements is established, and closed-form solutions are derived via Navier’s method for simply supported boundary conditions. The G-Ori metamaterial reinforcements are treated as programmable constructs whose effective thermo-mechanical properties are obtained via micromechanical homogenization and incorporated into the shell model. A comprehensive parametric study examines the influence of folding geometry, dispersion arrangement, More >

Benali Touhami¹, Bennaceur Said¹, Atouani Toufik¹, Lammari Khelifa², Ouradj Boudjamaa², Bounaama Fateh², Belkacem Draoui², Lyes Bennamoun^3,*

Energy Engineering, Vol.123, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.073329 - 27 January 2026

Abstract The aim of this study is to design, build, and evaluate an indirect forced convection solar dryer adapted to semi-arid climate, such as that of Béchar situated in the west south region of Algeria. The tested drying system consists of a flat-plate solar collector, an insulated two-chamber drying unit, and an Arduino-controlled device that ensures uniform temperature distribution and real-time monitoring using DHT22 sensors. Drying tests were conducted on locally grown beet slices at air temperatures of 45°C, 60°C, and 80°C, with a constant air velocity of 1.2 m/s and a mass flow rate of… More > Graphic Abstract

Zujun Ding, Shuaichao Wu, Chenliang Ji, Xinyu Feng, Yuanyuan Shi, Baolian Liu, Wan Chen, Qiuchan Bai, Hengrui Zhou, Hui Huang, Jie Ji^*

Energy Engineering, Vol.123, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.068106 - 27 January 2026

Abstract In the quest to enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact in the transportation sector, the recovery of waste heat from diesel engines has become a critical area of focus. This study provided an exhaustive thermodynamic analysis optimizing Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems for waste heat recovery from diesel engines. The study assessed the performance of five candidate working fluids—R11, R123, R113, R245fa, and R141b—under a range of operating conditions, specifically varying overheat temperatures and evaporation pressures. The results indicated that the choice of working fluid substantially influences the system’s exergetic efficiency, net output power,… More >

Raviduth Ramful^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.14, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0116 - 23 January 2026

Abstract Typically used thermal insulation materials such as foam insulation and fibreglass may pose notable health risks and environmental impacts thereby resulting in respiratory irritation and waste disposal issues, respectively. While these materials are affordable and display good thermal insulation, their unsustainable traits pertaining to an intensive manufacturing process and poor disposability are major concerns. Alternative insulation materials with enhanced sustainable characteristics are therefore being explored, and one type of material which has gained notable attention owing to its low carbon footprint and low thermal conductivity is natural fibre. Among the few review studies conducted on… More > Graphic Abstract

Anis Zarrad¹, Thomas Armstrong², Jaber Jemai^3,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072768 - 12 January 2026

Abstract Test case prioritization and ranking play a crucial role in software testing by improving fault detection efficiency and ensuring software reliability. While prioritization selects the most relevant test cases for optimal coverage, ranking further refines their execution order to detect critical faults earlier. This study investigates machine learning techniques to enhance both prioritization and ranking, contributing to more effective and efficient testing processes. We first employ advanced feature engineering alongside ensemble models, including Gradient Boosted, Support Vector Machines, Random Forests, and Naive Bayes classifiers to optimize test case prioritization, achieving an accuracy score of 0.98847… More >

Yonghua Huo^1,2, Ying Liu^1,*, Anni Jiang³, Yang Yang³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072681 - 12 January 2026

Abstract With the advent of sixth-generation mobile communications (6G), space–air–ground integrated networks have become mainstream. This paper focuses on collaborative scheduling for mobile edge computing (MEC) under a three-tier heterogeneous architecture composed of mobile devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and macro base stations (BSs). This scenario typically faces fast channel fading, dynamic computational loads, and energy constraints, whereas classical queuing-theoretic or convex-optimization approaches struggle to yield robust solutions in highly dynamic settings. To address this issue, we formulate a multi-agent Markov decision process (MDP) for an air–ground-fused MEC system, unify link selection, bandwidth/power allocation, and task… More >

Sai Xu^1,*, Jun Liu^1,*, Shengyu Huang¹, Zhi Li²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.071865 - 12 January 2026

Abstract In scenarios where ground-based cloud computing infrastructure is unavailable, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) act as mobile edge computing (MEC) servers to provide on-demand computation services for ground terminals. To address the challenge of jointly optimizing task scheduling and UAV trajectory under limited resources and high mobility of UAVs, this paper presents PER-MATD3, a multi-agent deep reinforcement learning algorithm with prioritized experience replay (PER) into the Centralized Training with Decentralized Execution (CTDE) framework. Specifically, PER-MATD3 enables each agent to learn a decentralized policy using only local observations during execution, while leveraging a shared replay buffer with More >

Chao Li^1,3,#, Jianing Wang^1,3,#, Caichang Ding^2,*, Zhiwei Ye^1,3

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.071242 - 12 January 2026

Abstract Underwater images frequently suffer from chromatic distortion, blurred details, and low contrast, posing significant challenges for enhancement. This paper introduces AquaTree, a novel underwater image enhancement (UIE) method that reformulates the task as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) through the integration of Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL). The framework employs an action space of 25 enhancement operators, strategically grouped for basic attribute adjustment, color component balance, correction, and deblurring. Exploration within MCTS is guided by a dual-branch convolutional network, enabling intelligent sequential operator selection. Our core contributions include: (1) a More >