《1 Engineering research fronts》

1 Engineering research fronts

《1.1 Development trends in the top 10 engineering research fronts》

1.1 Development trends in the top 10 engineering research fronts

The top 10 engineering research fronts in the field of environmental and light textile engineering (hereafter referred to as environmental engineering), which includes the subfield of environmental science, environmental engineering, meteorological science, marine science engineering, food science and engineering, textile science and engineering, and light industry technology and engineering, are summarized in Table 1.1.1. The annual number of core papers for individual research fronts between 2012 and 2017 is summarized in Table 1.1.2.

(1)     Transport and transformation mechanisms of contaminants under multi-media and multi-interface

The transport of contaminants refers to the spatial migration and the process of enrichment, diffusion, and disappearance of contaminants into the environment. The transformation of contaminants indicates a change in the form of pollutants, or a conversion into another substance, through physical, chemical, or biological processes. Environmental systems consist of multiple media and have different environmental interfaces. Therefore, the transport of contaminants between media leads to contamination and the transformation at the interface of the media determines the level of pollution.

The research focuses on the transport, transformation, distribution, and fate behavior of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, heavy metals, and organic contaminants in water–gas, water–soil, gas–soil and their biological interfaces, as well as their mechanisms for impacting the environment and ecosystems. Due to the multi-media, multi- interface, multi-component, and multi-fluid characteristics of the environmental system, the transport and transformation process of contaminants in the system is extremely complicated; while qualitatively describing this process is relatively easy, quantitatively describing it is challenging. The primary research directions include the distribution and

《Table 1.1.1》

Table 1.1.1 Top 10 engineering research fronts in environmental and light textile engineering

《Table 1.1.2》

Table 1.1.2 Annual number of core papers published for the top 10 engineering research fronts in environmental and light textile engineering

fate behavior of contaminants in environmental media, the transport and transformation mechanisms of contaminants in multi-media, the control and influence that micro-interfaces exert on pollutant transport and transformation, and the process simulation of pollutant transport and transformation in complex systems.

Traditional research on environmental pollution and control has been primarily limited to the properties of media. Scientists in the environmental field are often distinguished according to the studied medium. With a deepening of the concept of the environmental system, the study of pollution in a single medium (i.e., water, gas, soil, or organisms) is considered to be incapable of solving complex environmental problems. Future research of environmental pollution, and how to effectively control it, will increasingly move beyond the inertial thinking of transferring contaminants from one medium to another. Instead, by comprehensively considering water, gas, and soil pollution problems, the transport process of contaminants between the media and their transformation mechanism at the interface will be studied in depth, which will enable an accurate depiction and effective control of environmental pollution.

(2)  The mechanisms of combined air pollution

“Combined air pollution” refers to a complicated air pollution system in which a variety of pollutants from various sources have coupling interactions between multiple interfaces under certain atmospheric conditions (temperature, humidity, illumination, etc.). Such a system features an increase in both the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere and fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations, as well as a reduction in atmospheric visibility. Alongside China’s rapid economic growth and urbanization, urban and regional air quality has deteriorated rapidly, characterized at first by high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and PM resulting from coal-dominated energy production and consumption. This was followed by a significant increase in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) triggered by an increase in vehicle use. These primary pollutants and secondary pollutants, which are generated by the complex reactions of primary pollutants in the atmosphere, interact with the weather and climate systems, leading to a higher level and a wider range of pollution that eventually results in the reduction of visibility, frequent occurrence of haze, and formation of regional air pollution. The main research topics in this field include: revealing the key chemical and physical processes that cause the combined air pollution complex, establishing a theoretical system of combined air pollution, and developing new principles for the monitoring and source apportionment of atmospheric pollutants. The research on air pollution complex will provide a more scientific basis for solving global air pollution problems and climate issues.

(3)  The health effects of air pollution

The complex and extensive effects of air pollution on human health have become a pressing issue facing the development of global society. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) identifies air pollution among the leading risk factors for the global disease burden, responsible for 3.1% of disability-adjusted life years alone. Air pollution is a complex and ubiquitous mixture of pollutants including airborne PM, heavy metal elements, and VOCs. A significant amount of epidemiological and pathophysiological data support the claim that air pollution, especially particles with respirable aerodynamic diameters less than 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.5), increases respiratory disease (such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer) and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke). The elderly, pregnant women, babies, and people with similar diseases are more susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. Therefore, it is important to address China’s human health issues by improving atmospheric conditions through a wide range of studies and comprehensive analyses of the impact of air pollution on human health.

(4)    Performance and mechanism of decontamination technologies based on environmental nanocomposites

Nanomaterials refer to materials that have at least one dimension with a size of 1–100 nm. Nanomaterials have exhibited huge advantages in the efficient purification and treatment of pollutants (e.g., adsorption and catalytic degradation) due to their large specific surface area and high reactivity, and thus, have been important to the development of new technologies for environmental protection and remediation. However, technological bottlenecks, including aggregation, deactivation, and poor operability, have significantly limited the practical application of these materials. Fabrication of nanocomposites via the immobilization of nanoparticles is a promising strategy to address these problems. For example, nanosized metal oxides (e.g., Fe and Mn oxides) have satisfactory capabilities in removing contaminants such as heavy metals from water. Meanwhile, carbonaceous materials (e.g., graphene and carbon nanotubes) and porous materials (e.g., zeolites, clay minerals, and activated carbon) are promising hosts for nanoparticles due to their suitable conductivity, confinement, and supporting effects. In recent years, scientists around the world have developed various types of environmental nanocomposites for decontamination.

The environmental nanocomposites reported recently in prominent research papers include various types such as nano metal oxides–chitosan, nano ZnO–montmorillonite, nano Mn- oxide–activated carbon, Co-impregnated carbon nanotubules, nano CuO–zeolite, and nano metal oxides–porous resins. The corresponding decontamination processes mainly include the adsorptive removal of aqueous contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, As, F, and P) from water, catalytic degradation of organic pollutants, and desulfurization of gasoline. Currently, research of decontamination technologies based on environmental nanocomposites is generally limited to lab-scale explorations, with limited instances of full-scale application. To promote environmental nanotechnologies moving from lab investigation to practical application, it is necessary to further develop novel nanocomposites with millimeter-sized hosts, upgraded operability, and sustainable reusability.

(5)  High-resolution ocean circulation models

High-resolution ocean circulation models that include multiple temporal and spatial scale physical processes are a primary method for investigating and predicting ocean multi- scale dynamic processes in the marine environment. In recent years, with the development of ocean circulation modeling and the improvement of computing power, ocean numerical models have been able to simulate large-scale circulations more accurately and also have the capability to characterize ocean mesoscale processes. However, current ocean circulation models are unable to effectively simulate key dynamic processes in the ocean’s mesoscale to small-scale, because of the relatively slow progress in theoretical research and the absence of a deep understanding of the dynamics of these scales. With regard to bottlenecks and frontier issues, the primary research directions and development trends include: developing a ultra-high-resolution ocean circulation model that utilizes high-resolution ocean observation, promoting theoretical innovation in small and mesoscale ocean dynamics, and enhancing the capability to simulate small and mesoscale dynamic processes and marine environment through the improvement of parameterization schemes based on physical processes; and further developing technologies for the data assimilation of satellite remote sensing observations and field measurements based on the high-resolution ocean circulation model, to reduce the models simulation error for marine environment elements with assimilating observation data, and to improve the forecast accuracy of the ocean circulation models in multi-scale processes and environmental elements.

(6)  Ocean acidification

The dramatic rise of anthropogenic CO2 emissions has led to ocean acidification, an increase in the acidity (pH) of seawater resulting from the increased absorption of CO2 by oceans and changes in the terrestrial inputs and oceanic upwelling caused by climate change. Presently, global oceans are experiencing their fastest rate of acidification in 55 million years. Based on the current, increasing rate of anthropogenic CO2 emission, it is estimated that the pH of the ocean surface will drop by 0.3–0.4 (to a pH of about 7.8) by 2100, an acidification increase of 1–1.5 times the level found in 1800. To assess the harm and risk associated with ocean acidification, the main research directions of ocean acidification include the following. ① Research will be conducted on the causes, processes, and reaction mechanisms of ocean acidification, the relationship between ocean acidification and biogeochemical variations in the ocean, and the parameter changes and modeling analysis of ocean acidification. ② Sensitive organisms that are vulnerable to ocean acidification will be targeted in research to study the effects of ocean acidification on the early life process, evolutionary adaptation, and pathological response of calcifying organisms. ③ Additionally, representative species, such as coral and algae, will be selected in the early research stages. ④ Finally, research will be conducted to trace the earth’s history and investigate past climate change and acidification events through geological mineral research.

Ocean acidification is a topic at the forefront of international marine research. In addition to the research topics mentioned above, there are also a number of other trends in this field. ① Research is gradually expanding from directly affected, vulnerable organisms to other species such as large mammals. ② Research methods in the field are upgrading from simple laboratory research to near in situ containment tests with advanced technical equipment. ③ The research contents are shifting from early life stages, such as breed and larval growth, to life processes, physiological responses, functional behaviors, and gene expression. ④ The research scope of the assessment is expanding from the individual to the group level and multi-level response. ⑤ The study area is expanding beyond coastal areas to the open ocean and even the deep sea. ⑥ The study parameters are developing from a single pH test to a multi-factor joint test and a synergistic effect analysis.

(7) Weather and climate predictability and model development

The accuracy of short-term weather forecasting and medium- and long-term climate predictions is important to many people and is a key frontier in the field of atmospheric science. Presently, numerical models are the main tool for weather forecasting and climate prediction. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the UK, and the USA possess the world-class forecasting systems and models. The horizontal resolution of the high-resolution global model of the ECMWF is currently 9 km; the resolution of the global ensemble prediction system has been increased to 18 km, which can be used for ensemble prediction 15 days in advance. The ECMWF’s model also leads the way in short- and medium-term forecasting techniques for global atmospheric circulation and severe weather. For example, Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 was successfully forecasted 15 days in advance. The UK (through its Met Office) is currently the only country in the world that has developed and implemented a unified weather and climate model (i.e., using the same model system framework for short- and medium-term global and regional weather forecasts, extended forecasts, month to seasonal predictions, and 100-year climate projections). The USA’s global numerical weather prediction technology, which successfully forecasted the winter snowstorm that struck New York City in 2015, is ranked third in the world.

Based on GRAPES, a unified global and regional framework for numerical weather forecasting, China has independently improved and developed relevant technologies such as data assimilation, model dynamic physics, and ensemble forecasting. It has also established a comprehensive GRAPES technical system to achieve numerical deterministic and ensemble predictions over China with a regional resolution of 3 km and global resolutions of 10–25 km, narrowing the gap with advanced international systems.

(8)    Mechanism of food nutrition metabolism based on intestinal microbiomics

The intestine, which contains many kinds of microbes, is an important organ for digestion, immunity, and nerve perception within the human body. In recent years, studies have found that the intestinal microbiome is closely related to various diseases of the human body. There has been a worldwide surge in research examining how the use of probiotics and other dietary measures can improve intestinal health by regulating intestinal microbes. To gain a better understanding of human nutrition and health, it is important to clarify the effects of dietary structure and its components on intestinal micro-ecology. It is also necessary to fully understand the regularity and mechanism of dietary nutrients affecting the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases mediated by intestinal microorganisms, establish the relationship between intestinal micro-ecological changes and human health status, predict the risk of metabolic diseases associated with different dietary compositions, and to design new dietary combination formulas and treatment strategies based on risk analysis.

(9)  Intelligent wearable materials

The research of intelligent wearable materials aims to manufacture and process flexible materials into functional and intelligent electronic devices. These devices can sense changes in their external environment; the information processor evaluates the signal produced by a given change and then the driver adjusts the state of the material to adapt to the external environment. Through this process, these materials may eventually achieve self-diagnosis, self- adjustment, self-repair, and other functions. The materials used for manufacturing require high-speed electron mobility, good electrical conductivity, practical mechanical properties, safety features, and environmental stability. Appropriate material selection and manufacture processes are key to achieving these goals. Intelligent wearable materials have enormous potential across a wide range of applications, including intelligent electronic clothing, wearable computer clothing, wireless remote sensing and communication clothing, and leisure and entertainment clothing, etc.

(10) Deep treatment of dyeing and finishing effluents

The dyeing and finishing industries are on the list of the top dischargers of industrial effluents. The wastewater generated by dyeing and finishing processes is characterized by a complex composition, high organic content, high salt content, and significant discoloration. The emergence of newer generations of dyes and functional finishing agents has aggravated the bio-degradability of dyeing and finishing wastewater. Conventional biochemical and physicochemical treatment of these effluents is insufficient for lowering the chemical oxygen demand and chromaticity to the standard levels for discharge or reuse. Therefore, efficient and cost- effective techniques for the deep purification of dyeing and finishing wastewater must be developed urgently. Treatment by catalytic oxidation, which breaks down organic pollutants in wastewater to small non-toxic molecules or CO2 and water through a catalyst that takes advantage of light, electricity or green oxidants, has emerged as a promising method in the field.

The catalytic oxidation treatment of wastewater is a collective term that includes electrochemical oxidation, Fenton oxidation, photocatalytic oxidation, and catalytic ozone (O₃) oxidation, all of which have certain limitations. Therefore, future developments in this field will center on addressing these corresponding limitations and integrating existing technologies for improved performance. Specifically, these include the development of highly-efficient, low-cost, and exudation-resisted electrode materials, conveniently- recyclable supported photocatalysts that utilize a broader range of the electromagnetic spectrum, pretreatment and new designs of photoreactors for improved efficiency in catalysis, the development of multiphasic O₃ catalyzed oxidation, and integrated treatment techniques that take advantage of two or more existing oxidative methods, such as electrochemical + O₃ and photochemical + O₃.

《1.2 Interpretations of three key engineering research fronts》

1.2 Interpretations of three key engineering research fronts

1.2.1 The health effects of air pollution

In recent years, China has faced serious environmental problems as a result of air pollution. The complexity of air pollution also causes severe health problems; in 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer officially listed air pollution as a primary carcinogen. An estimated 92% of the world’s population live in areas with air quality that exceeds certain healthy limits. Approximately 3 million deaths each year are related to air pollution and nearly 90% of them occur in low- and middle-income countries. Air pollutants mainly include respirable particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10, etc.), SO₂, NOx, O₃, carbon monoxide (CO), and VOCs.

A number of epidemiological and pathophysiological studies have shown that air pollution is correlated with cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and some cancers. Among the different air pollutants, aerosol particles smaller than 2.5mm pose the greatest risk to human health because they are small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs and, in some cases, enter the bloodstream. Any harmful substances carried by the particles, such as bacteria, viruses, or heavy metals, can then be absorbed by the human body.

Nations are increasingly regarding the impact of air pollution on human health as a key area for research. Presently, research on this topic is mainly focused on the relationship between atmospheric pollutant concentration and exposure- response, the acute and chronic health effects of atmospheric pollutants, and genotoxic and non-genotoxic pathogenesis, among other aspects. However, due to the lack of long-term systematic monitoring and data accumulation, the academic study of the impacts of air pollution on human health in China still has much room for further development compared to that of western countries.

A review of 1119 core papers on the health effects of air pollution revealed that these studies were cited as many as 68 394 times, with a per paper citation frequency of 61.12—mostly from 2012 to 2015 (Table 1.1.1). Almost all 1119 core studies were conducted in the USA and China, and the citations per paper for both countries are 71.26 and 84.89, respectively (Table 1.2.1). Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, are the 2 major producers of the core papers, publishing 7.42% and 6.88% of the papers which were cited 11 212 and 9938 times, respectively.

When analyzing the engineering research front of “the health effects of air pollution”, the top three countries or regions that published the highest number of core papers are the USA (556), China (228), and the UK (168); the top 3 countries or regions with the highest average citations are Switzerland (149.60), Germany (139.42), and the Netherlands (134.87) (Table 1.2.1). Among these countries or regions, China, and the USA extended the highest level of cooperation to each other, followed by the UK, Canada, and Germany (Figure 1.2.1).

The 3 institutions that published the highest number of core papers are Harvard University (83), the University of California, Berkeley (77), and Peking University (53), and the top 3 cited institutions per core paper are the University of British Columbia (197.93), Health Canada (195.91), and Fudan University (195.18) (Table 1.2.2). The institutions with the highest number of published papers in China include Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Fudan University (Table 1.2.2). The University of California, Berkeley has the largest cooperation with Health Canada and Peking University has significant cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fudan University, and the University of British Columbia (Figure 1.2.2).

The major research institutions with regard to citing core papers include the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, and Tsinghua University in China; Harvard University, the University of Washington, the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University in the USA; and the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in the UK (Table 1.2.3 and Table 1.2.4).

《Table 1.2.1》

Table 1.2.1 Countries or regions with the greatest output of core papers on the “health effects of air pollution”

《Table 1.2.2》

Table 1.2.2 Institutions with the greatest output of core papers on the “health effects of air pollution”

《Figure 1.2.1》

Figure 1.2.1 Collaboration network among major countries or regions in the engineering research front of “the health effects of air pollution”

In summary, China is gradually taking the global lead in research on the topic of “the health effects of air pollution.” Therefore, the country should continue to invest in this research area and promote research that will accelerate the progression that will allow it to remain at the forefront of the field

1.2.2 High-resolution ocean circulation models

Marine environment forecasting forms the basis of human maritime activities which in turn drive the development of ocean circulation models. Since the 1990s, progress made in ocean observation, data assimilation, and high-performance computer technology has enabled high-resolution ocean circulation models to develop rapidly to meet an increasing

《Figure 1.2.2》

Figure 1.2.2 Collaboration network among major institutions in the engineering research front of “the health effects of air pollution”

《Table 1.2.3》

Table 1.2.3 Countries or regions with the greatest output of citing papers on the “health effects of air pollution”

《Table 1.2.4》

Table 1.2.4 Institutions with the greatest output of citing papers on the “health effects of air pollution”

demand for global operational ocean forecasting. A number of internationally renowned ocean circulation models have been generated, including HYCOM, POM, ROMS, NLOM, HAMSOM, LICOM, NEMO, and MOM. Ocean circulation involves multi- scale dynamic processes ranging from large-scale circulation over thousands of kilometers to small-scale turbulent mixing over centimeters, and interactions and coupling between these multi-scale processes. Nonlinear interactions between different scales lead to the mass and energy transferring in multi-scale dynamic space. Although high-resolution ocean numerical models have been able to simulate large-scale circulation structures relatively accurately and have a certain ability to characterize the ocean mesoscale process, there is still a lack of theoretical research to provide an in-depth understanding of small-scale dynamic processes and their interactions in the ocean. The dynamic frames and mixed parameterization schemes of current mainstream circulation models determine that the mesoscale energy in models tends to reverse cascade, which cannot accurately describe the forward cascade and dissipation of mesoscale energy. This is one of the main bottlenecks that currently restricts the development of marine environmental forecasting and it is an international frontier for developing high-resolution ocean circulation models.

In view of these bottlenecks and frontier issues, the primary research directions and development trends at present include: carrying out in-depth research on ocean mesoscale processes and promoting theoretical innovation with regard to marine dynamics and parameterization schemes for physical processes by developing ultra-high-resolution ocean circulation models combined with high-resolution satellite remote sensing and field observation. The simulation and forecasting capability of ocean mesoscale dynamic processes and marine environment is also improved by the progress of the parameterization schemes of ocean circulation models. Currently, this work is primarily undertaken by the global ultra-high-resolution circulation model of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the USA and NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite program. On the other hand, there is also a need to further develop data assimilation technologies based on satellite remote sensing and field observation. Assimilating the observation data by using the three-dimensional variation, multi-scale coupling and other technologies could reduce the error happened in calculation of marine environmental elements. This work is primarily undertaken by the global HYCOM data assimilation model jointly developed by Florida State University, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the University of Miami.

Table 1.2.5 shows the main output countries or regions of the core papers published in the research front “high-resolution ocean circulation models.” It is evident that the USA ranks first in the proportion of both the number of papers published and citation frequency and there is a large gap between the other countries. This indicates that the USA holds significant research advantages in this field. China has a small number of core papers in this area, ranked eighth; however, it is worth noting that it ranks second in citation frequency with 31. In terms of the cooperative networks of major output countries or regions (Figure 1.2.3), there is extensive cooperation and exchange among the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK, while China only cooperates with the USA.

Table 1.2.6 is the main output organization of core papers in the engineering fronts. The top 10 institutions in terms of the number of core papers produced are predominantly concentrated in the USA, while the Chinese research institutions do not appear in the top 10. According to the major inter-agency cooperation network (Figure 1.2.4), four institutions, the University Michigan, the University of

《Table 1.2.5》

Table 1.2.5 Countries or regions with the greatest output of core papers on “high-resolution ocean circulation models”

《Table 1.2.6》

Table 1.2.6 Institutions with the greatest output of core papers on “high-resolution ocean circulation models”

California, San Diego, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and Bangor University, have cooperative relationships with each other. Three institutions, the University of Southampton, Woods Hole Oceanography Institute, and the University of New South Wales, also have cooperative relationships.

China ranks fourth in terms of citation frequency of its core papers (Table 1.2.7). There is still a significant gap between China and the USA, the leader in the category. The Ocean University of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the rankings of institutions from which core papers were cited (Table 1.2.8). Institutions in the USA still occupy the majority of the institutional rankings.

It is evident that the USA is a world leader in the field, not only in terms of the development of "high-resolution global ocean circulation models", but also with regard to its cooperation with other countries. In contrast, China is still following in this field; to overcome this China should strengthen exchange and cooperation with other countries and institutions, continue to increase research investment, and promote research in the innovative fields that will enable it to become a world leader.

1.2.3 Intelligent wearable materials

As electronic information systems have become indispensable to our daily lives, intelligent wearable materials have received significantly more attention in the engineering field. They are the combination of electronic components and textiles, but their properties are vastly different: the former is hard

《Figure 1.2.3》

Figure 1.2.3 Collaborative network among major countries or regions in the engineering research front of “high-resolution ocean circulation models”

《Figure 1.2.4》

Figure 1.2.4 Collaborative network among major institutions  in the engineering research front of “high-resolution ocean circulation models”

《Table 1.2.7》

Table 1.2.7 Countries or regions with the greatest output of citing papers on “high-resolution ocean circulation models”

and brittle and the latter is flexible. Functional and intelligent wearable textiles sense changes in the external environment. The information processor judges the signal produced by a given change and the driver then adjusts the state of the material to adapt to the external environment and ultimately achieve self-diagnosis, self-adjustment, and self-repair, among other functions.

(1)  One-dimensional flexible conductive material

One-dimensional flexible conductive material, an important component of fiber-based intelligent wearable materials, requires high-speed electronic mobility, good conductivity, practical mechanical properties, safety features, and environmental stability. Appropriate material selection and manufacture processes are key to achieving these goals. Presently, fiber-based flexible conductive materials primarily include conductive polymers, metal oxides, and carbon materials. The most promising technology in the manufacturing process is textile technology, followed by nano-coating technology.

(2)  One-dimensional flexible energy storage device

In addition to exploring the function of wearable flexible textiles, researchers also pay attention to energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors and flexible batteries, especially for advanced nanotechnology, that make it feasible to directly integrate electronic devices into fibers. However, it is also a significant challenge to integrate one-dimensional fibers into three-dimensional clothing that can maintain their performance when in use. Therefore, the design of intelligent wearable components should be considered in terms of material preparation, manufacturing technology, and device structure.

(3)  Intelligent wearable materials applications

The applications of intelligent wearable materials mainly include electronic components, wearable electronic devices, and other applications. Electronic components include optical fiber transistors, fabric antennas, electronic connectors, and fiber circuits. Wearable electronic devices include sensors and sensor networks, wearable energy converters, wearable energy storage, etc. Other applications include electronic intelligent protective clothing, electronic intelligent monitoring clothing, wearable computer clothing, wireless remote sensing and communication clothing, and leisure and entertainment clothing, etc.

The research front of “intelligent wearable materials” is mainly undertaken in China, the USA, and Iran (Table 1.2.9). These three countries are responsible for more than 81% of the core papers published in this field across the world, with most of this activity concentrated over the last three years. The top five research institutes relating to this front are the Institute for Color Science and Technology, Nanyang Technological University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and the National University of Singapore (Table 1.2.10).

China and the USA occupy the top two positions in the research front, and China, which has cooperative relationships with many other countries, is at the forefront (Figure 1.2.5). Among

《Table 1.2.8》

Table 1.2.8 Institutions with the greatest output of citing papers on “high-resolution ocean circulation models”

《Table 1.2.9》

Table 1.2.9 Countries or regions with the greatest output of core papers on “intelligent wearable materials”

《Table 1.2.10》

Table 1.2.10 Institutions with the greatest output of core papers on “intelligent wearable materials”

the major institutions, MIT and Joint Ctr Energy Storage Res cooperate more than others (Figure 1.2.6).

Among major countries/regions, China ranks first in the output of citing papers on this front (Table 1.2.11). And among major institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences ranks first in the output of citing papers on this front (Table 1.2.12).

《2 Engineering development fronts》

2 Engineering development fronts

《2.1 Development trends in the top 10 engineering development fronts》

2.1 Development trends in the top 10 engineering development fronts

The top 10 engineering development fronts in this field, which are summarized in Table 2.1.1, include the subfields of environmental science, environmental engineering, meteorological science, marine science engineering, food science and engineering, textile science and engineering, and light industry technology and engineering. The number of patents issued between 2012 and 2017 related to these individual topics is summarized in Table 2.1.2.

(1)  New energy and clean energy technologies

New energy and clean energy refer to solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, bioenergy, small hydropower, and nuclear energy, as opposed to conventional fossil-fuel energy and large- and medium-sized hydropower. Countries around the world are actively promoting the development and utilization of these various forms of clean energy. The main difficulties in solar and wind energy

《Figure 1.2.5》

Figure 1.2.5 Collaborative network among major countries or regions in the engineering research front of “intelligent wearable materials”

《Figure 1.2.6》

Figure 1.2.6 Collaborative network among major institutions in the engineering research front of “intelligent wearable materials”

《Table 1.2.11》

Table 1.2.11 Countries or regions with the greatest output of citing papers on “intelligent wearable materials”

applications are low energy conversion efficiencies, high costs, short life spans, and challenges in energy storage. The development of solar thermal conversion key materials and spectrally selective absorption coatings is a key technical

《Table 1.2.12》

Table 1.2.12 Institutions with the greatest output of citing papers on “intelligent wearable materials”

《Table 2.1.1》

Table 2.1.1 Top 10 engineering development fronts in environmental and light textile engineering

《Table 2.1.2》

Table 2.1.2 Annual number of core patents published for the top 10 engineering development fronts in environmental and light textile engineering