Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electrical vehicles (EVs), but safety issues with LIBs still occur frequently. State of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) are two crucial parameters for describing the state of LIBs. However, due to inconsistencies that may occur among hundreds to thousands of battery cells connected in series and parallel in the battery pack, these parameters can be difficult to estimate accurately. To address this problem, this paper proposes a joint SOC and SOH estimation method based on the nonlinear state space reconstruction (NSSR) and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. An experiment testbed was set up to measure the SOC and SOH of battery packs under different criteria and configurations, and thousands of charging/discharging cycles were recorded. The joint estimation algorithms were validated using testbed data, and the errors for SOC and SOH estimation were found to be within 2.5% and 1.3%, respectively, which is smaller than the errors obtained using traditional Ah-Integral and LSTM-only algorithms.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Annual coffee consumption continues to increase, but at the same time, it generates a large amount of spent coffee grounds from the brewing process that give rise to environmental problems. An appropriate solution to manage these spent coffee grounds (SCGs) becomes crucial. Our project aims at discussing the feasibility of utilizing SCGs to synthesize polylactic acid (PLA) as a recycling application for SCGs. Producing PLA from SCGs offers the opportunity to contribute to the circular economy and sustainability due to the significant volume of coffee consumption. This approach reduces waste, provides environmental benefits, and promotes the use of renewable resources. Through repurposing SCGs into PLA, we can close the loop, minimize environmental impact, and create a more sustainable alternative to fossil-fuel-based plastics. This paper first discusses the properties and potential recycling applications of spent coffee grounds. The production of PLA from lactic acid and the potential processes for converting SCGs to lactic acid are then briefly discussed. From our review, it is feasible to utilize SCGs as the primary source for lactic acid production via bacteria fermentation and, further, to produce PLA via ring-opening polymerization. Possible ways to improve the yield and a corresponding cost analysis are also discussed.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, which is the intensified digitalization and automation in industry, embraces cyber–physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence, among others. This study utilizes Fuzzy Integration–Rough Set Theory (FI-RST) analysis to quantify the impacts of the imperative Industry 4.0 technologies for manufacturing firms located in Fujian Province, China, namely, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Additive Manufacturing (AM), on the sustainable development performance of firms. The findings of the study indicate that these technologies greatly improve the effectiveness of the utilization of resources, reduce the costs of operations, and reduce the impact on the environment. In addition, they have a favorable influence on social considerations, such as preserving the well-being of employees and the outcome of training programs. This research work has convincingly provided an underlying strategic adoption of these technologies for sustainability production by raising important insights that could be valuable for industry managers and policymakers, especially those seeking sustainability at the global level.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Annual coffee consumption continues to increase, but at the same time, it generates a large amount of spent coffee grounds from the brewing process, that arises environmental problems. An appropriate solution to manage these spent coffee grounds becomes crucial. Our project aims to discuss the feasibility of utilizing the spent coffee ground to synthesize polylactic acid as a recycling application for spent coffee ground. This paper will discuss the properties and potential recycling applications of spent coffee grounds, the brief production process of polylactic acid, and the potential process for converting spent coffee ground to lactic acid. From our review, it is feasible to utilize spend coffee ground as the primary sources for lactic acid production by bacteria fermentation, and further produce bioplastics, polylactic acids by ring-opening polymerization. Possible ways to improve the yield and corresponding cost analysis are also discussed.

Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) are adopted to examine if a product conforms to regulatory standards respected to safety, quality and functionality that are globally accepted. Nowadays, testing, inspection and certification applied in products aims to verify the quality of product so that consumers can make proper decision and consideration in the selection of products. Due to the importance of testing, inspection and certification, market trend, competency of practitioners engaged in TIC and the methodology to study the readiness of their engagement are discussed. This paper reviewed the market trend of the testing, inspection and certification industry, discussing competency standards for practitioners engaging in TIC industry. Three main areas are studied: testing, inspection and certification industry market trend, competency requirements and content analysis methodology.

Nowadays, self-cleaning is a new technology which is applied on the glass to clean the dirt in the windshield of automobile. Many scientists are searching the materials of the coating and helping to develop and improve the self-cleaning glass all over the world. There are many self-cleaning glass products in the market. However, without standard testing standards, the performance of self-cleaning products is still an unknown. A review on the self-cleaning technology and the methods on the product testing are discussed in the paper.