Research Frontiers in Energy, Materials, Production, and Transportation

The growth of research in various areas highlights the increasing needs of human life, such as in the fields of energy, materials, production, and transportation. Research in the field of fluid flow for energy savings is now very advanced, and research on the fluid flow pattern with a micro-scale is performed to obtain a high heat transfer with a low pressure drop. The use of microorganisms, biomass, and the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is employed to stimulate heat transfer and fluid flow to produce energy through a more efficient and more environmentally friendly process. Furthermore, research on the designs and processes of air-conditioning systems is essential in view of energy consumption, which has exhibited a significant rise. Air conditioning is included in the future of transportation, namely electric cars, to achieve energy efficiency in vehicles. In addition to vehicle systems, attention should also be given to the precision of the routes and schedules of vehicles, particularly for public transport, so research on transportation modeling has also become very important. Another increasing requirement, which in the past has not been very well thought out, is the level of human comfort in driving. The challenge is to align the needs of driving comfort with energy efficiency requirements. The effort to reduce fuel consumption is also applied in marine transport modes by reducing the drag of ships. Moreover, cost efficiency related to energy consumption is an important issue in the production process. The management of manufacturing processes, including the production arrangement layout area, will greatly affect efficiency. This special edition presents the current manufacturing research in relation to various technologies associated with materials, automation, semiconductor, and nano devices.