Renewable energies are clean alternatives to the highly polluting fossil fuels that are still used in the power generation sector. The goal of this research was to look into replacing a Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) thermal power plant in Limbe, southwest Cameroon, with a hybrid photovoltaic (PV) and wind power plant combined with a storage system. Lithium batteries and hydrogen associated with fuel cells make up this storage system. The total cost (TC) of the project over its lifetime was minimized in order to achieve the optimal sizing of the hybrid power plant components. To ensure the reliability of the new hybrid power plant, a criterion measuring the loss of power supply probability (LPSP) was implemented as a constraint. Moth Flame Optimization (MFO), Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (I-GWO), Multi-Verse Optimizer (MVO), and African Vulture Optimization Algorithm (AVOA) were used to solve this single-objective optimization problem. The optimization techniques entailed the development of mathematical models of the components, with hourly weather data for the selected site and the output of the replaced thermal power plant serving as input data. All four algorithms produced acceptable and reasonably comparable results. However, in terms of proportion, the total cost obtained with the MFO algorithm was 0.32%, 0.40%, and 0.63% lower than the total costs obtained with the I-GWO, MVO, and AVOA algorithms, respectively. Finally, the effect of the type of storage coupled to the PV and wind systems on the overall project cost was assessed. The MFO meta-heuristic was used to compare the results for the PV–Wind–Hydrogen–Lithium Battery, PV–Wind–Hydrogen, and PV–Wind–Lithium Battery scenarios. The scenario of the PV–Wind–Hydrogen–Lithium Battery had the lowest total cost. This scenario’s total cost was 2.40% and 18% lower than the PV–Wind–Hydrogen and PV–Wind–Lithium Battery scenarios.

The paper focuses on the importance of prompt and efficient process fault detection in contemporary manufacturing industries, where product quality and safety protocols are critical. The study compares the efficiencies of two techniques for process fault detection: Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) and the observer method. Both techniques are applied to observe water volume variation within a hydraulic system comprising three tanks. PCA is an unsupervised learning technique used for dimensionality reduction and pattern recognition. It is an extension of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that utilizes kernel functions to transform data into higher-dimensional spaces, where it becomes easier to separate classes or identify patterns. In this paper, KPCA is applied to detect faults in the hydraulic system by analyzing the variation in water volume. The observer method originates from control theory and is utilized to estimate the internal states of a system based on its output measurements. It is commonly used in control systems to estimate the unmeasurable or hidden states of a system, which is crucial for ensuring proper control and fault detection. In this study, the observer method is applied to the hydraulic system to estimate the water volume variations within the three tanks. The paper presents a comparative study of these two techniques applied to the hydraulic system. The results show that both KPCA and the observer method perform similarly in detecting faults within the system. This similarity in performance highlights the efficacy of these techniques and their potential adaptability in various fault diagnosis scenarios within modern manufacturing processes.

In this article, the authors propose a new approach for modelling and failure analysis by combining the graphical representation provided by Petri nets and fuzzy logic. The graphical method is used for describing the relationship between conditions and events. The use of Petri nets in failure analysis enables replacing logic gate functions in fault trees. The Fuzzy logic technique allows natural language descriptions of process entities as well as an if-then rule-based definition of production. In addition, this study devises an alternative, a trapezoidal graph method in order to account for failure scenarios. Examples validating this novel method in dealing with failure analysis are also provided.

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) path planning is a challenging optimization problem that seeks the optimal or near-optimal flight path for military operations. The problem is further complicated by the need to operate in a complex battlefield environment with minimal military risk and fewer constraints. To address these challenges, highly sophisticated control methods are required, and Swarm Intelligence (SI) algorithms have proven to be one of the most effective approaches. In this context, a study has been conducted to improve the existing Spider Monkey Optimization (SMO) algorithm by integrating a new explorative local search algorithm called Beta-Hill Climbing Optimizer (BHC) into the three main phases of SMO. The result is a novel SMO variant called SMOBHC, which offers improved performance in terms of intensification, exploration, avoiding local minima, and convergence speed. Specifically, BHC is integrated into the main SMO algorithmic structure for three purposes: to improve the new Spider Monkey solution generated in the SMO Local Leader Phase (LLP), to enhance the new Spider Monkey solution produced in the SMO Global Leader Phase (GLP), and to update the positions of all Local Leader members of each local group under a specific condition in the SMO Local Leader Decision (LLD) phase. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, SMOBHC is applied to UCAV path planning in 2D space on three different complex battlefields with ten, thirty, and twenty randomly distributed threats under various conditions. Experimental results show that SMOBHC outperforms the original SMO algorithm and a large set of twenty-six powerful and recent evolutionary algorithms. The proposed method shows better results in terms of the best, worst, mean, and standard deviation outcomes obtained from twenty independent runs on small-scale (D = 30), medium-scale (D = 60), and large-scale (D = 90) battlefields. Statistically, SMOBHC performs better on the three battlefields, except in the case of SMO, where there is no significant difference between them. Overall, the proposed SMO variant significantly improves the obstacle avoidance capability of the SMO algorithm and enhances the stability of the final results. The study provides an effective approach to UCAV path planning that can be useful in military operations with complex battlefield environments.

Fault diagnosis plays a crucial role in enhancing system dependability and minimizing potential catastrophic consequences for both equipment and human safety. This article presents a research study focused on developing a diagnosis and control approach for discrete event systems using the Petri net Fuzzy Interval (IFPN). The Petri net is utilized as a modeling tool for the target system. The paper describes a case study conducted on an ingredient mixing system, where the objective is to maintain the concentration of ingredients within a valid range. A diagnostic framework is constructed and successfully applied to identify faults in the system. The proposed approach is further validated through simulation tests conducted on a mixing system.