Circuit breakers (CBs) are mainly designed to interrupt current flow when faults are detected and have been widely used in industrial applications. The existing CBs manufacturing method is semi-automatic and requires a lot of labor. To realize flexible manufacturing, a multi-robot cooperative CBs flexible manufacturing system (CBFMS) is presented in this study. Aiming at the efficiency of the multi-robot cooperative CBFMS key units, a two-arm cooperation robot approach is proposed. The reinforcement learning algorithm is developed to optimize the manufacturing trajectory of the two-arm cooperation robot. To build and optimize the multi-robot cooperative CBFMS, a digital twin (DT) system describing all physical properties of the physical manufacturing plant is constructed for simulation. In the developed DT system, a kinematic control model of the collaboration robot is established. A real-time display of the robot’s trajectory, manufacturing status, and process manufacturing is provided by the data interaction with the physical cell flow between the units. Following this design, a synchronous mapping between the flexible manufacturing DT system of the CBs and the physical workshop is realized, which enables real-time monitoring and management of the physical production line. The experiments’ results show that the manufacturing efficiency, compared with traditional CBs production, is improved by 22%. Moreover, the multi-robot cooperative CBFMS can make process changes according to the production requirements, which can improve the stability of production.
The impact freezing of supercooled water droplets poses a significant threat to the safety of aircraft and power transmission equipment. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted using numerical methods to investigate this phenomenon. However, existing models often incorrectly predict premature freezing near the droplet–air contact line during the early stage of impact, thereby unreasonably suppressing the spreading process in these regions. To address this limitation, this study proposes a velocity-gate-based activation control strategy for the Darcy momentum source, enabling its dynamic adjustment during simulation. The methodology integrates the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model, the solidification model, and the dynamic contact angle (DCA) model with the proposed dynamic Darcy source, while accounting for the influence of supercooling on physical properties. The numerical simulations are performed using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 and validated against experimental spreading factor data. The results demonstrate that the proposed methodology effectively eliminates nonphysical freezing during the initial spreading stage, and the predicted spreading factors agree well with experiments, with a maximum relative deviation of up to 11.7% across all simulated cases. The proposed approach improves consistency with real-world behavior and enhances the reliability of existing numerical tools for aircraft icing prediction and anti-icing design.
While direct current (DC) ice-melting is currently adopted for some transmission lines, its application to 10 kV distribution transformers—often located in remote and rugged terrain—presents significant operational challenges. Disconnecting these transformers prior to ice-melting is a complex procedure that incurs substantial labor, material, and financial costs. Leaving transformers connected risks DC current flowing into idle windings, potentially causing damage. Furthermore, existing mobile DC ice-melting power supplies are bulky and impose stringent transportation requirements, rendering them unsuitable for use on mountain roads. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes a compact, lightweight variable-frequency ice-melting device. The operating principle and output characteristics of the variable-frequency method are investigated in detail. Using Simulink, system modeling and simulation analyses are performed to obtain the voltage and current output characteristics, along with harmonic spectra. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed device achieves significant miniaturization compared with conventional solutions: within the typical parameter range of conventional devices, the volume can be reduced by 44–58% and the weight by 43–52%. In addition, the selected LC filter parameters (L = 10.39 mH, C = 86.62 μF) represent an optimized compromise solution that effectively suppresses input harmonics while maintaining the output current total harmonic distortion (THD) within an acceptable limit of 3.6%. Experimental results further validate the feasibility of the variable-frequency ice-melting current. Based on a matrix converter topology, the proposed device enables flexible adjustment of the output melting voltage and frequency, exhibits excellent low-frequency performance and dynamic response, and maintains low output harmonic content—fully meeting the application requirements for variable-frequency ice-melting. The key novelty lies in a compact matrix-converter-based de-icing device with systematic low-frequency performance analysis, offering superior portability and adaptability over traditional DC solutions.