Sample records for ac sinusoidal electric

  1. A MEMS sensor for AC electric current

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leland, Eli Sidney

    This manuscript describes the development of a new MEMS sensor for the measurement of AC electric current. The sensor is comprised of a MEMS piezoelectric cantilever with a microscale permanent magnet mounted to the cantilever's free end. When placed near a wire carrying AC current, the magnet couples to the oscillating magnetic field surrounding the wire, causing the cantilever to deflect, and piezoelectric coupling produces a sinusoidal voltage proportional to the current in the wire. The sensor is itself passive, requiring no power supply to operate. It also operates on proximity and need only be placed near a current carrier in order to function. The sensor does not need to encircle the current carrier and it therefore can measure current in two-wire zip-cords without necessitating the separation of the two conductors. Applications for tins sensor include measuring residential and commercial electricity use and monitoring electric power distribution networks. An analytical model describing the behavior of the current sensor was developed. This model was also adapted to describe the power output of an energy scavenger coupled to a wire carrying AC current. A mesoscale sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 75 mV/A when measuring AC electric current in a zip-cord. A mesoscale energy scavenger produced 345 muW when coupled to a zip-cord carrying 13 A. MEMS current sensors were fabricated from aluminum nitride piezoelectric cantilevers and composite permanent magnets. The cantilevers were fabricated using a four-mask process. Microscale permanent magnets were dispenser-printed using NdFeB magnetic powder with an epoxy binder. The MEMS AC current sensor was interfaced with amplification circuitry and packaged inside an almninum enclosure. The sensor was also integrated with a mesoscale energy scavenger and power conditioning circuitry to create a fully self-powered current sensor. Unamplified sensitivity of the sensor was 0.1-1.1 mV/A when measuring currents in single

  2. Sensor-less pseudo-sinusoidal drive for a permanent-magnet brushless ac motor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Li-Hsiang; Chern, Tzuen-Lih; Pan, Ping-Lung; Huang, Tsung-Mou; Tsay, Der-Min; Kuang, Jao-Hwa

    2012-04-01

    The precise rotor-position information is required for a permanent-magnet brushless ac motor (BLACM) drive. In the conventional sinusoidal drive method, either an encoder or a resolver is usually employed. For position sensor-less vector control schemes, the rotor flux estimation and torque components are obtained by complicated coordinate transformations. These computational intensive methods are susceptible to current distortions and parameter variations. To simplify the method complexity, this work presents a sensor-less pseudo-sinusoidal drive scheme with speed control for a three-phase BLACM. Based on the sinusoidal drive scheme, a floating period of each phase current is inserted for back electromotive force detection. The zero-crossing point is determined directly by the proposed scheme, and the rotor magnetic position and rotor speed can be estimated simultaneously. Several experiments for various active angle periods are undertaken. Furthermore, a current feedback control is included to minimize and compensate the torque fluctuation. The experimental results show that the proposed method has a competitive performance compared with the conventional drive manners for BLACM. The proposed scheme is straightforward, bringing the benefits of sensor-less drive and negating the need for coordinate transformations in the operating process.

  3. Multilevel-Dc-Bus Inverter For Providing Sinusoidal And Pwm Electrical Machine Voltages

    DOEpatents

    Su, Gui-Jia [Knoxville, TN

    2005-11-29

    A circuit for controlling an ac machine comprises a full bridge network of commutation switches which are connected to supply current for a corresponding voltage phase to the stator windings, a plurality of diodes, each in parallel connection to a respective one of the commutation switches, a plurality of dc source connections providing a multi-level dc bus for the full bridge network of commutation switches to produce sinusoidal voltages or PWM signals, and a controller connected for control of said dc source connections and said full bridge network of commutation switches to output substantially sinusoidal voltages to the stator windings. With the invention, the number of semiconductor switches is reduced to m+3 for a multi-level dc bus having m levels. A method of machine control is also disclosed.

  4. Losses analysis of soft magnetic ring core under sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) and space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) excitations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Hezhe; Li, Yongjian; Wang, Shanming; Zhu, Jianguo; Yang, Qingxin; Zhang, Changgeng; Li, Jingsong

    2018-05-01

    Practical core losses in electrical machines differ significantly from those experimental results using the standardized measurement method, i.e. Epstein Frame method. In order to obtain a better approximation of the losses in an electrical machine, a simulation method considering sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) and space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) waveforms is proposed. The influence of the pulse width modulation (PWM) parameters on the harmonic components in SPWM and SVPWM is discussed by fast Fourier transform (FFT). Three-level SPWM and SVPWM are analyzed and compared both by simulation and experiment. The core losses of several ring samples magnetized by SPWM, SVPWM and sinusoidal alternating current (AC) are obtained. In addition, the temperature rise of the samples under SPWM, sinusoidal excitation are analyzed and compared.

  5. Three-Phase and Six-Phase AC at the Lab Bench

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caplan, George M.

    2009-01-01

    Utility companies generate three-phase electric power, which consists of three sinusoidal voltages with phase angles of 0 degrees, 120 degrees, and 240 degrees. The ac generators described in most introductory textbooks are single-phase generators, so physics students are not likely to learn about three-phase power. I have developed a simple way…

  6. Electrical Behavior of Copper Mine Tailings During EKR with Modified Electric Fields.

    PubMed

    Rojo, Adrian; Hansen, Henrik K; Monárdez, Omara; Jorquera, Carlos; Santis, Paulina; Inostroza, Paula

    2017-03-01

    Electro-kinetic remediation (EKR) with sinusoidal electric field obtained simultaneously with DC/AC voltage reduce the polarization of the EKR with DC voltage. The DC voltage value defines the presence of a periodic polarity reversal of the cell and the electrical charge for electro-kinetic transport. In this case, the AC frequency favors the breaking of polarization conditions resulting from the EKR with DC voltage. However, with high frequencies a negative effect occurs where the tailings behave as a filter circuit, discriminating frequencies of an electric signal. The goal of this work is to analyse the electrical behaviour of tailings in EKR experiments. The conditions selected were: DC/AC voltages: 10/15 and 20/25 V (peak values), and AC voltage frequencies 50-2000 Hz. When the AC frequency reaches 2000 Hz, the copper removal tends to zero, indicating that the tailing behaves as a high-pass filter in which the DC voltage was filtered out.

  7. AC Electric Field Communication for Human-Area Networking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kado, Yuichi; Shinagawa, Mitsuru

    We have proposed a human-area networking technology that uses the surface of the human body as a data transmission path and uses an AC electric field signal below the resonant frequency of the human body. This technology aims to achieve a “touch and connect” intuitive form of communication by using the electric field signal that propagates along the surface of the human body, while suppressing both the electric field radiating from the human body and mutual interference. To suppress the radiation field, the frequency of the AC signal that excites the transmitter electrode must be lowered, and the sensitivity of the receiver must be raised while reducing transmission power to its minimally required level. We describe how we are developing AC electric field communication technologies to promote the further evolution of a human-area network in support of ubiquitous services, focusing on three main characteristics, enabling-transceiver technique, application-scenario modeling, and communications quality evaluation. Special attention is paid to the relationship between electro-magnetic compatibility evaluation and regulations for extremely low-power radio stations based on Japan's Radio Law.

  8. A pre-heating method based on sinusoidal alternating current for lithium-ion battery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Wentao; Sun, Fengchun; Guo, Shanshan

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, a method of low temperature pre-heating of sinusoidal alternating current (SAC) is proposed. Generally, the lower the frequency of the AC current, the higher the heat generation rate. Yet at low frequency, there is a risk of lithium-ion deposition during the half cycle of charging. This study develops a temperature-adaptive, deposition-free AC pre-heating method. a equivalent electric circuit(EEC) model is established to predict the heat generation rate and temperature status, whose parameters are calibrated from the EIS impedance measurements. The effects of current frequency and amplitude on the heating effect are investigated respectively. A multistep temperature-adaptive amplitude strategy is proposed and the cell can be heated from -20°C to 5°C within 509s at 100Hz frequency with this method.

  9. AC Application of HTS Conductors in Highly Dynamic Electric Motors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oswald, B.; Best, K.-J.; Setzer, M.; Duffner, E.; Soell, M.; Gawalek, W.; Kovalev, L. K.

    2006-06-01

    Based on recent investigations we design highly dynamic electric motors up to 400 kW and linear motors up to 120 kN linear force using HTS bulk material and HTS tapes. The introduction of HTS tapes into AC applications in electric motors needs fundamental studies on double pancake coils under transversal magnetic fields. First theoretical and experimental results on AC field distributions in double-pancake-coils and corresponding AC losses will be presented. Based on these results the simulation of the motor performance confirms extremely high power density and efficiency of both types of electric motors. Improved characteristics of rare earth permanent magnets used in our motors at low temperatures give an additional technological benefit.

  10. AC-electric field dependent electroformation of giant lipid vesicles.

    PubMed

    Politano, Timothy J; Froude, Victoria E; Jing, Benxin; Zhu, Yingxi

    2010-08-01

    Giant vesicles of larger than 5 microm, which have been of intense interest for their potential as drug delivery vehicles and as a model system for cell membranes, can be rapidly formed from a spin-coated lipid thin film under an electric field. In this work, we explore the AC-field dependent electroformation of giant lipid vesicles in aqueous media over a wide range of AC-frequency from 1 Hz to 1 MHz and peak-to-peak field strength from 0.212 V/mm to 40 V/mm between two parallel conducting electrode surfaces. By using fluorescence microscopy, we perform in-situ microscopic observations of the structural evolution of giant vesicles formed from spin-coated lipid films under varied uniform AC-electric fields. The real-time observation of bilayer bulging from the lipid film, vesicle growth and fusing further examine the critical role of AC-induced electroosmotic flow of surrounding fluids for giant vesicle formation. A rich AC-frequency and field strength phase diagram is obtained experimentally to predict the AC-electroformation of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of l-alpha-phosphatidylcholine, where a weak dependence of vesicle size on AC-frequency is observed at low AC-field voltages, showing decreased vesicle size with a narrowed size distribution with increased AC-frequency. Formation of vesicles was shown to be constrained by an upper field strength of 10 V/mm and an upper AC-frequency of 10 kHz. Within these parameters, giant lipid vesicles were formed predominantly unilamellar and prevalent across the entire electrode surfaces. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Nature of Dielectric Properties, Electric Modulus and AC Electrical Conductivity of Nanocrystalline ZnIn2Se4 Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Nahass, M. M.; Attia, A. A.; Ali, H. A. M.; Salem, G. F.; Ismail, M. I.

    2018-02-01

    The structural characteristics of thermally deposited ZnIn2Se4 thin films were indexed utilizing x-ray diffraction as well as scanning electron microscopy techniques. Dielectric properties, electric modulus and AC electrical conductivity of ZnIn2Se4 thin films were examined in the frequency range from 42 Hz to 106 Hz. The capacitance, conductance and impedance were measured at different temperatures. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease with an increase in frequency. The maximum barrier height was determined from the analysis of the dielectric loss depending on the Giuntini model. The real part of the electric modulus revealed a constant maximum value at higher frequencies and the imaginary part of the electric modulus was characterized by the appearance of dielectric relaxation peaks. The AC electrical conductivity obeyed the Jonscher universal power law. Correlated barrier hopping model was the appropriate mechanism for AC conduction in ZnIn2Se4 thin films. Estimation of the density of states at the Fermi level and activation energy, for AC conduction, was carried out based on the temperature dependence of AC electrical conductivity.

  12. Critical frequency for coalescence of emulsions in an AC electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Zhou; Ali, Faizi Hammad; Shum, Ho Cheung

    2017-11-01

    Applying an electric field to trigger the coalescence of emulsions has been applied in various applications which include crude oil recovery, emulsion stability characterization as well as pico-injection and droplet-based chemical reaction in microfluidics. In this work, we systematically investigated the responses of surfactant-stabilized emulsions to a controlled AC electric field using a customer-built chip. At a given amplitude of the AC voltage, we found a critical frequency beyond which the emulsions remain stable. When the frequency is decreased to below the critical value, emulsions coalesce immediately. Such critical frequency is found to be dependent of amplitude of the AC voltage, viscosity of the fluids, concentration and type of the surfactant as well as the electric conductivity of the droplet phase. Using a model based on the drainage of thin film, we have explored the mechanism behind and interpret this phenomenon systematically. Our work extends the understanding of the electro-coalescence of emulsions and can be beneficial for any applications involve the coalescence of droplets in an AC electric field.

  13. Aligned Immobilization of Proteins Using AC Electric Fields.

    PubMed

    Laux, Eva-Maria; Knigge, Xenia; Bier, Frank F; Wenger, Christian; Hölzel, Ralph

    2016-03-01

    Protein molecules are aligned and immobilized from solution by AC electric fields. In a single-step experiment, the enhanced green fluorescent proteins are immobilized on the surface as well as at the edges of planar nanoelectrodes. Alignment is found to follow the molecules' geometrical shape with their longitudinal axes parallel to the electric field. Simultaneous dielectrophoretic attraction and AC electroosmotic flow are identified as the dominant forces causing protein movement and alignment. Molecular orientation is determined by fluorescence microscopy based on polarized excitation of the proteins' chromophores. The chromophores' orientation with respect to the whole molecule supports X-ray crystal data. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Analysis of Electrokinetic Mixing Using AC Electric Field and Patchwise Surface Heterogeneities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Win-Jet; Yarn, Kao-Feng; Hsu, Shou-Ping

    2007-04-01

    In this paper, the authors investigate the use of an applied AC electric field and microchannel surface heterogeneities to carry out the microfluidic mixing of two-dimensional, time-dependent electroosmotic flows. The time-dependent flow fields within the microchannel are simulated using the backwards-Euler time-stepping numerical method. The mixing efficiencies obtained in microchannels with two different patchwise surface heterogeneity patterns are investigated. In general, the results show that the application of an AC electric field significantly reduces the required mixing length compared with the use of a DC electric field. Furthermore, the presence of oppositely charged surface heterogeneities on the microchannel walls results in the formation of localized flow circulation regions within the bulk flow. These circulation regions grow and decay periodically in accordance with the periodic variation of the AC electric field intensity and provide an effective means of enhancing species mixing in the microchannel. Consequently, the use of an AC electric field together with patchwise surface heterogeneities permits a significant reduction in both the mixing channel length and the retention time required to attain a homogeneous solution.

  15. Measurement of electroosmotic and electrophoretic velocities using pulsed and sinusoidal electric fields

    PubMed Central

    Sadek, Samir H.; Pimenta, Francisco; Pinho, Fernando T.

    2017-01-01

    In this work, we explore two methods to simultaneously measure the electroosmotic mobility in microchannels and the electrophoretic mobility of micron‐sized tracer particles. The first method is based on imposing a pulsed electric field, which allows to isolate electrophoresis and electroosmosis at the startup and shutdown of the pulse, respectively. In the second method, a sinusoidal electric field is generated and the mobilities are found by minimizing the difference between the measured velocity of tracer particles and the velocity computed from an analytical expression. Both methods produced consistent results using polydimethylsiloxane microchannels and polystyrene micro‐particles, provided that the temporal resolution of the particle tracking velocimetry technique used to compute the velocity of the tracer particles is fast enough to resolve the diffusion time‐scale based on the characteristic channel length scale. Additionally, we present results with the pulse method for viscoelastic fluids, which show a more complex transient response with significant velocity overshoots and undershoots after the start and the end of the applied electric pulse, respectively. PMID:27990654

  16. ac propulsion system for an electric vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geppert, S.

    1980-01-01

    It is pointed out that dc drives will be the logical choice for current production electric vehicles (EV). However, by the mid-80's, there is a good chance that the price and reliability of suitable high-power semiconductors will allow for a competitive ac system. The driving force behind the ac approach is the induction motor, which has specific advantages relative to a dc shunt or series traction motor. These advantages would be an important factor in the case of a vehicle for which low maintenance characteristics are of primary importance. A description of an EV ac propulsion system is provided, taking into account the logic controller, the inverter, the motor, and a two-speed transmission-differential-axle assembly. The main barrier to the employment of the considered propulsion system in EV is not any technical problem, but inverter transistor cost.

  17. Electroosmotic Flow Driven by DC and AC Electric Fields in Curved Microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jia-Kun; Luo, Win-Jet; Yang, Ruey-Jen

    2006-10-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate electroosmotic flows driven by externally applied DC and AC electric fields in curved microchannels. For the DC electric driving field, the velocity distribution and secondary flow patterns are investigated in microchannels with various curvature ratios. We use the Dean number to describe the curvature effect of the flow field in DC electric field. The result implies that the effect of curvatures and the strength of the secondary flows become get stronger when the curvature ratio of C/A (where C is the radius of curvature of the microchannel and A is the half-height of rectangular curved tube.) is smaller. For the AC electric field, the velocity distribution and secondary flow patterns are investigated for driving frequencies in the range of 2.0 kHz (\\mathit{Wo}=0.71) to 11 kHz (\\mathit{Wo}=1.66). The numerical results reveal that the velocity at the center of the microchannel becomes lower at higher frequencies of the AC electric field and the strength of the secondary flow decreases. When the applied frequency exceeds 3.0 kHz (\\mathit{Wo}=0.87), vortices are no longer observed at the corners of the microchannel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the secondary flow induced at higher AC electric field frequencies has virtually no effect on the axial flow field in the microchannel.

  18. Thermal and ac electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid below room temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdel-Kader, M. M.; Basha, M. A. F.; Ramzy, G. H.; Aboud, A. I.

    2018-06-01

    In this study, we investigated the thermal and alternating current (ac) electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid. Based on data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, we detected two endothermic transitions at ≈ 213 K and ≈265.41 K. The weakening of hydrogen bonds as the temperature increased appeared to be the main cause of these phase transitions. We also recorded the melting point at about 475.5 K. Both the ac conductivity (σac) and complex dielectric constant (ε∗ = ε ' - jε ' ') were studied as functions of temperature over the frequency range from 1 kHz to 100 kHz. We observed significant variations in the thermal and electrical properties before and after the transition temperature at 265.41 K. The conduction mechanism responsible for the ac electrical properties before this transition was due to overlapping large polarons. These novel results are expected to have impacts on the application of organic semiconductors and dielectrics.

  19. Effect of an ac Perturbation on the Electroosmotic Behavior of a Cation-Exchange Membrane. Influence of the Cation Nature.

    PubMed

    Barragán, V. M.; Bauzá, C. Ruíz

    2001-08-01

    The effect of an ac sinusoidal perturbation of known amplitude and frequency superimposed on the usual dc applied electric voltage difference on the electroosmotic flow through a typical cation-exchange membrane has been studied using different monovalent electrolytes. As a general trend, the presence of the ac perturbation increases the value of the electroosmotic flow with respect to the value in the absence of ac perturbation. A dispersion of the electroosmotic permeability on the frequency of the applied ac signal has been found for the three studied electrolytes, observing that the electroosmotic permeability reaches maximum values for some characteristic values of the frequency. This behavior may be related to the different relaxation processes in heterogeneous mediums. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

  20. Improved SCR ac Motor Controller for Battery Powered Urban Electric Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Latos, T. S.

    1982-01-01

    An improved ac motor controller, which when coupled to a standard ac induction motor and a dc propulsion battery would provide a complete electric vehicle power train with the exception of the mechanical transmission and drive wheels was designed. In such a system, the motor controller converts the dc electrical power available at the battery terminals to ac electrical power for the induction motor in response to the drivers commands. The performance requirements of a hypothetical electric vehicle with an upper weight bound of 1590 kg (3500 lb) were used to determine the power rating of the controller. Vehicle acceleration capability, top speed, and gradeability requisites were contained in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Schedule 227a(d) driving cycle. The important capabilities contained in this driving cycle are a vehicle acceleration requirement of 0 to 72.4 kmph (0 to 45 mph) in 28 seconds a top speed of 88.5 kmph (55 mph), and the ability to negotiate a 10% grade at 48 kmph (30 mph). A 10% grade is defined as one foot of vertical rise per 10 feet of horizontal distance.

  1. Droplet condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces with enhanced dewetting under a tangential AC electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Xinzhu; Li, Jian; Li, Licheng; Huang, Zhengyong; Wang, Feipeng; Wei, Yuan

    2016-10-01

    In this Letter, the dewetting behavior of superhydrophobic condensing surfaces under a tangential AC electric field is reported. The surface coverage of condensed droplets only exhibits a negligible increase with time. The jumping frequency of droplets is enhanced. The AC electric field motivates the dynamic transition of droplets from stretch to recoil, resulting in the counterforce propelling droplet jumping. The considerable horizontal component of jumping velocity facilitates droplet departure from superhydrophobic surfaces. Both the amplitude and frequency of AC voltage are important factors for droplet departure and dewetting effect. Thereby, the tangential electric field provides a unique and easily implementable approach to enhance droplet removal from superhydrophobic condensing surfaces.

  2. Application of low-frequency alternating current electric fields via interdigitated electrodes: effects on cellular viability, cytoplasmic calcium, and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells.

    PubMed

    McCullen, Seth D; McQuilling, John P; Grossfeld, Robert M; Lubischer, Jane L; Clarke, Laura I; Loboa, Elizabeth G

    2010-12-01

    Electric stimulation is known to initiate signaling pathways and provides a technique to enhance osteogenic differentiation of stem and/or progenitor cells. There are a variety of in vitro stimulation devices to apply electric fields to such cells. Herein, we describe and highlight the use of interdigitated electrodes to characterize signaling pathways and the effect of electric fields on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). The advantage of the interdigitated electrode configuration is that cells can be easily imaged during short-term (acute) stimulation, and this identical configuration can be utilized for long-term (chronic) studies. Acute exposure of hASCs to alternating current (AC) sinusoidal electric fields of 1 Hz induced a dose-dependent increase in cytoplasmic calcium in response to electric field magnitude, as observed by fluorescence microscopy. hASCs that were chronically exposed to AC electric field treatment of 1 V/cm (4 h/day for 14 days, cultured in the osteogenic differentiation medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and β-glycerol phosphate) displayed a significant increase in mineral deposition relative to unstimulated controls. This is the first study to evaluate the effects of sinusoidal AC electric fields on hASCs and to demonstrate that acute and chronic electric field exposure can significantly increase intracellular calcium signaling and the deposition of accreted calcium under osteogenic stimulation, respectively.

  3. AC propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slicker, J. M.

    1983-06-01

    A second-generation prototype ac propulsion system for a passenger electric vehicle was designed, fabricated, tested, installed in a modified Mercury Lynx vehicle and track tested at the Contractor's site. The system consisted of a Phase 2, 18.7 kw rated ac induction traction motor, a 192-volt, battery powered, pulse-width-modulated, transistorized inverter packaged for under rear seat installation, a 2-axis, 2-speed, automatically-shifted mechanical transaxle and a microprocessor-based powertrain/vehicle controller. A diagnostics computer to assist tuning and fault finding was fabricated. Dc-to-mechanical-system efficiency varied from 78% to 82% as axle speed/torque ranged from 159 rpm/788 nm to 65 rpm/328 nm. Track test efficiency results suggest that the ac system will be equal or superior to dc systems when driving urban cycles. Additional short-term work is being performed under a third contract phase (AC-3) to raise transaxle efficiency to predicted levels, and to improve starting and shifting characteristics. However, the long-term challenge to the system's viability remains inverter cost. A final report on the Phase 2 system, describing Phase 3 modifications, will be issued at the conclusion of AC-3.

  4. AC propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Slicker, J. M.

    1983-01-01

    A second-generation prototype ac propulsion system for a passenger electric vehicle was designed, fabricated, tested, installed in a modified Mercury Lynx vehicle and track tested at the Contractor's site. The system consisted of a Phase 2, 18.7 kw rated ac induction traction motor, a 192-volt, battery powered, pulse-width-modulated, transistorized inverter packaged for under rear seat installation, a 2-axis, 2-speed, automatically-shifted mechanical transaxle and a microprocessor-based powertrain/vehicle controller. A diagnostics computer to assist tuning and fault finding was fabricated. Dc-to-mechanical-system efficiency varied from 78% to 82% as axle speed/torque ranged from 159 rpm/788 nm to 65 rpm/328 nm. Track test efficiency results suggest that the ac system will be equal or superior to dc systems when driving urban cycles. Additional short-term work is being performed under a third contract phase (AC-3) to raise transaxle efficiency to predicted levels, and to improve starting and shifting characteristics. However, the long-term challenge to the system's viability remains inverter cost. A final report on the Phase 2 system, describing Phase 3 modifications, will be issued at the conclusion of AC-3.

  5. Continuously varying skin potentials elicited by sinusoidally varying electric shock potentials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Senders, J. W.; Senders, V. L.; Tursky, B.

    1973-01-01

    An investigation was carried out to determine whether a form of quasi-linear systems analysis can be applied to electrodormal responses to yield new insights into the nature of the response mechanisms and their interrelationships. The response investigated was the electrodermal response (galvanic skin potential, GSP) as elicited by an electric shock stimulus applied to the skin. The response subsequent to this stimulation was examined and its characteristics measured. A series of experimental runs on three Ss was accomplished, using sinusoidal modulation envelopes of frequencies. Results showed that it was possible to drive the GSP and to achieve relatively high coherence between the driving frequency and the response itself. The analysis was limited to Fourier analysis of the response in order to determine the relative energies at the driving frequency and at successive harmonics of that driving frequency, and correlational analysis in order to determine the degree of linear relationship between the driving frequency and the driven response.

  6. Electrodeformation of multi-bilayer spherical concentric membranes by AC electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lira-Escobedo, J.; Arauz-Lara, J.; Aranda-Espinoza, H.; Adlerz, K.; Viveros-Mendez, P. X.; Aranda-Espinoza, S.

    2017-09-01

    It is now well established that external stresses alter the behaviour of cells, where such alterations can be as profound as changes in gene expression. A type of stresses of particular interest are those due to alternating-current (AC) electric fields. The effect of AC fields on cells is still not well understood, in particular it is not clear how these fields affect the cell nucleus and other organelles. Here, we propose that one possible mechanism is through the deformation of the membranes. In order to investigate the effect of AC fields on the morphological changes of the cell organelles, we modelled the cell as two concentric bilayer membranes. This model allows us to obtain the deformations induced by the AC field by balancing the elastic energy and the work done by the Maxwell stresses. Morphological phase diagrams are obtained as a function of the frequency and the electrical properties of the media and membranes. We demonstrate that the organelle shapes can be changed without modifying the shape of the external cell membrane and that the organelle deformation transitions can be used to measure, for example, the conductivity of the nucleus.

  7. Electric fence standards comport with human data and AC limits.

    PubMed

    Kroll, Mark W; Perkins, Peter E; Panescu, Dorin

    2015-08-01

    The ubiquitous electric fence is essential to modern agriculture and has saved lives by reducing the number of livestock automobile collisions. Modern safety standards such as IEC 60335-2-76 and UL 69 have played a role in this positive result. However, these standards are essentially based on energy and power (RMS current), which have limited direct relationship to cardiac effects. We compared these standards to bioelectrically more relevant units of charge and average current in view of recent work on VF (ventricular fibrillation) induction and to existing IEC AC current limits. There are 3 limits for normal (low) pulsing rate: IEC energy limit, IEC current limit, and UL current limit. We then calculated the delivered charge allowed for each pulse duration for these limits and then compared them to a charge-based safety model derived from published human ventricular-fibrillation induction data. Both the IEC and UL also allow for rapid pulsing for up to 3 minutes. We calculated maximum outputs for various pulse durations assuming pulsing at 10, 20, and 30 pulses per second. These were then compared to standard utility power safety (AC) limits via the conversion factor of 7.4 to convert average current to RMS current for VF risk. The outputs of TASER electrical weapons (typically < 100 μC and ~100 μs duration) were also compared. The IEC and UL electric fence energizer normal rate standards are conservative in comparison with actual human laboratory experiments. The IEC and UL electric fence energizer rapid-pulsing standards are consistent with accepted IEC AC current limits for commercially used pulse durations.

  8. Static Measurements on HTS Coils of Fully Superconducting AC Electric Machines for Aircraft Electric Propulsion System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Choi, Benjamin B.; Hunker, Keith R.; Hartwig, Jason; Brown, Gerald V.

    2017-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been developing the high efficiency and high-power density superconducting (SC) electric machines in full support of electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) systems for a future electric aircraft. A SC coil test rig has been designed and built to perform static and AC measurements on BSCCO, (RE)BCO, and YBCO high temperature superconducting (HTS) wire and coils at liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperature. In this paper, DC measurements on five SC coil configurations of various geometry in zero external magnetic field are measured to develop good measurement technique and to determine the critical current (Ic) and the sharpness (n value) of the super-to-normal transition. Also, standard procedures for coil design, fabrication, coil mounting, micro-volt measurement, cryogenic testing, current control, and data acquisition technique were established. Experimentally measured critical currents are compared with theoretical predicted values based on an electric-field criterion (Ec). Data here are essential to quantify the SC electric machine operation limits where the SC begins to exhibit non-zero resistance. All test data will be utilized to assess the feasibility of using HTS coils for the fully superconducting AC electric machine development for an aircraft electric propulsion system.

  9. The ac propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geppert, S.

    1981-08-01

    A functional prototype of an electric vehicle ac propulsion system was built consisting of a 18.65 kW rated ac induction traction motor, pulse width modulated (PWM) transistorized inverter, two speed mechanically shifted automatic transmission, and an overall drive/vehicle controller. Design developmental steps, and test results of individual components and the complex system on an instrumented test frame are described. Computer models were developed for the inverter, motor and a representative vehicle. A preliminary reliability model and failure modes effects analysis are given.

  10. The ac propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geppert, S.

    1981-01-01

    A functional prototype of an electric vehicle ac propulsion system was built consisting of a 18.65 kW rated ac induction traction motor, pulse width modulated (PWM) transistorized inverter, two speed mechanically shifted automatic transmission, and an overall drive/vehicle controller. Design developmental steps, and test results of individual components and the complex system on an instrumented test frame are described. Computer models were developed for the inverter, motor and a representative vehicle. A preliminary reliability model and failure modes effects analysis are given.

  11. Neural Network Analysis of Musculoskeletal Responses to Electrical AC-Stimulus

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-10-25

    FAM, SOM I. INTRODUCTION Various kinds of electrical measurements have been used to investigate the human body, including the mechanical or chemical...measurements were obtained from five points; namely, the patients’ wrists, ankles and back. The electrodes of an IF Electrotherapy unit [5] were attached...musculoskeletal responses to electrical AC-stimulus M. Hannula1, E. Alasaarela2 , J. Laitinen1 1Institute of Technology , Oulu Polytechnic, Oulu, Finland

  12. AC Electric-Field-Induced Fluid Flow in Microelectrodes.

    PubMed

    Ramos; Morgan; Green; Castellanos

    1999-09-15

    During the AC electrokinetic manipulation of particles in suspension on microelectrode structures, strong frequency-dependent fluid flow is observed. The fluid movement is predominant at frequencies below the reciprocal charge relaxation time, with a reproducible pattern occurring close to and across the electrode surface. This paper reports measurements of the fluid velocity as a function of frequency and position across the electrode. Evidence is presented indicating that the flow occurs due to electroosmotic stress arising from the interaction of the electric field and the electrical double layer on the electrodes. The electrode polarization plays a significant role in controlling the frequency dependence of the flow. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

  13. Test plan for performance testing of the Eaton AC-3 electric vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crumley, R.; Heiselmann, H. W.

    1985-04-01

    An alternating current (ac) propulsion system for an electric vehicle was developed and tested. The test bed vehicle is a modified 1981 Mercury Lynx. The test plan was prepared specifically for the third modification to this test bed and identified as the Eaton AC-3. The scope of the testing done on the Eaton AC-3 includes coastdown and dynamometer tests but does not include environmental, on-road, or track testing. Coastdown testing is performed in accordance with SAE J-1263 (SAE Recommended Practice for Road Load Measurement and Dynamometer Simulation Using Coastdown Techniques).

  14. Force Sensor Characterization Under Sinusoidal Excitations

    PubMed Central

    Medina, Nieves; de Vicente, Jesús

    2014-01-01

    The aim in the current work is the development of a method to characterize force sensors under sinusoidal excitations using a primary standard as the source of traceability. During this work the influence factors have been studied and a method to minimise their contributions, as well as the corrections to be performed under dynamic conditions have been established. These results will allow the realization of an adequate characterization of force sensors under sinusoidal excitations, which will be essential for its further proper use under dynamic conditions. The traceability of the sensor characterization is based in the direct definition of force as mass multiplied by acceleration. To do so, the sensor is loaded with different calibrated loads and is maintained under different sinusoidal accelerations by means of a vibration shaker system that is able to generate accelerations up to 100 m/s2 with frequencies from 5 Hz up to 2400 Hz. The acceleration is measured by means of a laser vibrometer with traceability to the units of time and length. A multiple channel data acquisition system is also required to simultaneously acquire the electrical output signals of the involved instrument in real time. PMID:25290287

  15. Force sensor characterization under sinusoidal excitations.

    PubMed

    Medina, Nieves; de Vicente, Jesús

    2014-10-06

    The aim in the current work is the development of a method to characterize force sensors under sinusoidal excitations using a primary standard as the source of traceability. During this work the influence factors have been studied and a method to minimise their contributions, as well as the corrections to be performed under dynamic conditions have been established. These results will allow the realization of an adequate characterization of force sensors under sinusoidal excitations, which will be essential for its further proper use under dynamic conditions. The traceability of the sensor characterization is based in the direct definition of force as mass multiplied by acceleration. To do so, the sensor is loaded with different calibrated loads and is maintained under different sinusoidal accelerations by means of a vibration shaker system that is able to generate accelerations up to 100 m/s2 with frequencies from 5 Hz up to 2400 Hz. The acceleration is measured by means of a laser vibrometer with traceability to the units of time and length. A multiple channel data acquisition system is also required to simultaneously acquire the electrical output signals of the involved instrument in real time.

  16. A Sinusoidal Applied Electric Potential can Induce a Long-Range, Steady Electrophoretic Force

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amrei, Seyyed Hashemi; Ristenpart, William D.; Miller, Greg R.

    2017-11-01

    We use the standard electrokinetic model to numerically investigate the electric field in aqueous solutions between parallel electrodes under AC polarization. In contrast to prior work, we invoke no simplifying assumptions regarding the applied voltage, frequency, or mismatch in ionic mobilities. We find that the nonlinear electromigration terms significantly contribute to the overall shape of the electric potential vs. time, which at sufficiently high applied potentials develops multi-modal peaks. More surprisingly, we find that electrolytes with non-equal mobilities yield an electric field with non-zero time average at large distances from the electrodes. Our calculations indicate this long-range electric field suffices to levitate colloidal particles many microns away from the electrode against the gravitational field, in accord with experimental observations of such behavior (Woehl et al., PRX, 2015). Moreover, the results indicate that particles will aggregate laterally near electrodes in some electrolytes but separate in others, helping explain a longstanding but not well understood phenomenon.

  17. Fibrillar disruption by AC electric field induced oscillation: A case study with human serum albumin.

    PubMed

    Sen, Shubhatam; Chakraborty, Monojit; Goley, Snigdha; Dasgupta, Swagata; DasGupta, Sunando

    2017-07-01

    The effect of oscillation induced by a frequency-dependent alternating current (AC) electric field to dissociate preformed amyloid fibrils has been investigated. An electrowetting-on-dielectric type setup has been used to apply the AC field of varying frequencies on preformed fibrils of human serum albumin (HSA). The disintegration potency has been monitored by a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The experimental results suggest that the frequency of the applied AC field plays a crucial role in the disruption of preformed HSA fibrils. The extent of stress generated inside the droplet due to the application of the AC field at different frequencies has been monitored as a function of the input frequency of the applied AC voltage. This has been accomplished by assessing the morphology deformation of the oscillating HSA fibril droplets. The shape deformation of the oscillating droplets is characterized using image analysis by measuring the dynamic changes in the shape dependent parameters such as contact angle and droplet footprint radius and the amplitude. It is suggested that the cumulative effects of the stress generated inside the HSA fibril droplets due to the shape deformation induced hydrodynamic flows and the torque induced by the intrinsic electric dipoles of protein due to their continuous periodic realignment in presence of the AC electric field results in the destruction of the fibrillar species. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. The electrical characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharges

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yehia, Ashraf, E-mail: yehia30161@yahoo.com; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516

    2016-06-15

    The electrical characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharges have been studied in this paper under different operating conditions. The dielectric barrier discharges were formed inside two reactors composed of electrodes in the shape of two parallel plates. The dielectric layers inside these reactors were pasted on the surface of one electrode only in the first reactor and on the surfaces of the two electrodes in the second reactor. The reactor under study has been fed by atmospheric air that flowed inside it with a constant rate at the normal temperature and pressure, in parallel with applying a sinusoidal ac voltagemore » between the electrodes of the reactor. The amount of the electric charge that flows from the reactors to the external circuit has been studied experimentally versus the ac peak voltage applied to them. An analytical model has been obtained for calculating the electrical characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharges that were formed inside the reactors during a complete cycle of the ac voltage. The results that were calculated by using this model have agreed well with the experimental results under the different operating conditions.« less

  19. Frequency and voltage dependent profile of dielectric properties, electric modulus and ac electrical conductivity in the PrBaCoO nanofiber capacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demirezen, S.; Kaya, A.; Yerişkin, S. A.; Balbaşı, M.; Uslu, İ.

    In this study, praseodymium barium cobalt oxide nanofiber interfacial layer was sandwiched between Au and n-Si. Frequency and voltage dependence of ε‧, ε‧, tanδ, electric modulus (M‧ and M″) and σac of PrBaCoO nanofiber capacitor have been investigated by using impedance spectroscopy method. The obtained experimental results show that the values of ε‧, ε‧, tanδ, M‧, M″ and σac of the PrBaCoO nanofiber capacitor are strongly dependent on frequency of applied bias voltage. The values of ε‧, ε″ and tanδ show a steep decrease with increasing frequency for each forward bias voltage, whereas the values of σac and the electric modulus increase with increasing frequency. The high dispersion in ε‧ and ε″ values at low frequencies may be attributed to the Maxwell-Wagner and space charge polarization. The high values of ε‧ may be due to the interfacial effects within the material, PrBaCoO nanofibers interfacial layer and electron effect. The values of M‧ and M″ reach a maximum constant value corresponding to M∞ ≈ 1/ε∞ due to the relaxation process at high frequencies, but both the values of M‧ and M″ approach almost to zero at low frequencies. The changes in the dielectric and electrical properties with frequency can be also attributed to the existence of Nss and Rs of the capacitors. As a result, the change in the ε‧, ε″, tanδ, M‧, M″ and ac electric conductivity (σac) is a result of restructuring and reordering of charges at the PrBaCoO/n-Si interface under an external electric field or voltage and interface polarization.

  20. Transient electroosmotic flow induced by AC electric field in micro-channel with patchwise surface heterogeneities.

    PubMed

    Luo, Win-Jet

    2006-03-15

    This paper investigates two-dimensional, time-dependent electroosmotic flow driven by an AC electric field via patchwise surface heterogeneities distributed along the micro-channel walls. The time-dependent flow fields through the micro-channel are simulated for various patchwise heterogeneous surface patterns using the backwards-Euler time stepping numerical method. Different heterogeneous surface patterns are found to create significantly different electrokinetic transport phenomena. The transient behavior characteristics of the generated electroosmotic flow are then discussed in terms of the influence of the patchwise surface heterogeneities, the direction of the applied AC electric field, and the velocity of the bulk flow. It is shown that the presence of oppositely charged surface heterogeneities on the micro-channel walls results in the formation of localized flow circulations within the bulk flow. These circulation regions grow and decay periodically in phase with the applied periodic AC electric field intensity. The location and rotational direction of the induced circulations are determined by the directions of the bulk flow velocity and the applied electric field.

  1. Improved transistorized AC motor controller for battery powered urban electric passenger vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peak, S. C.

    1982-01-01

    An ac motor controller for an induction motor electric vehicle drive system was designed, fabricated, tested, evaluated, and cost analyzed. A vehicle performance analysis was done to establish the vehicle tractive effort-speed requirements. These requirements were then converted into a set of ac motor and ac controller requirements. The power inverter is a three-phase bridge using power Darlington transistors. The induction motor was optimized for use with an inverter power source. The drive system has a constant torque output to base motor speed and a constant horsepower output to maximum speed. A gear shifting transmission is not required. The ac controller was scaled from the base 20 hp (41 hp peak) at 108 volts dec to an expanded horsepower and battery voltage range. Motor reversal was accomplished by electronic reversal of the inverter phase sequence. The ac controller can also be used as a boost chopper battery charger. The drive system was tested on a dynamometer and results are presented. The current-controlled pulse width modulation control scheme yielded improved motor current waveforms. The ac controller favors a higher system voltage.

  2. The application of Halbach cylinders to brushless ac servo motors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Atallah, K.; Howe, D.

    1998-07-01

    Halbach cylinders are applied to brushless ac servo motors. It is shown that a sinusoidal back-emf waveform and a low cogging torque can be achieved without recourse to conventional design features such as distributed windings and/or stator/rotor skew. A technique for imparting a multipole Halbach magnetization distribution on an isotropic permanent magnet cylinder is described, and it is shown that the torque capability of a Halbach ac servo motor can be up to 33% higher than conventional brushless permanent magnet ac motors.

  3. Aggregation of model amyloid insulin protein in crowding environments and under ac-electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Zhongli; Jing, Benxin; Murray, Brian; Sorci, Mirco; Belfort, Georges; Zhu, Y.

    2013-03-01

    In vitro experiments have been widely used to characterize the misfolding/unfolding pathway characteristic of amylodogenic proteins. Conversion from natively folded amyloidogenic proteins to oligomers via nucleation is the accepted path to fibril formation upon heating over a certain lag time period. In this work, we investigate the effect of crowing environment and external electric fields on the pathway and kinetics of insulin, a well-established amyloid model protein by single fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging. With added co-solutes, such as glycerol and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), to mimic the cellular crowding environments, we have observed that the lag time can be significantly prolonged. The lag time increases with increasing co-solute concentration, yet showing little dependence on solution viscosity. Conversely, applied ac-electric fields can considerably shorten the lag timewhen a critical ac-voltage is exceeded. The strong dependence of lag time on ac-frequency over a narrow range of 500 Hz-5 kHz indicates the effect of ac-electroosmosis on the diffusion controlled process of insulin nucleation. Yet, no conformational structure is detected with insulin under applied ac-fields, suggesting the equivalence of ac-polarization to the conventional thermal activation process for insulin aggregation. These finding suggest that at least the aggregation kinetics of insulin can be altered by local solution condition or external stimuli, which gives new insight to the treatment of amyloid related diseases.

  4. Electrorotation of novel electroactive polymer composites in uniform DC and AC electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zrinyi, Miklós; Nakano, Masami; Tsujita, Teppei

    2012-06-01

    Novel electroactive polymer composites have been developed that could spin in uniform DC and AC electric fields. The angular displacement as well as rotation of polymer disks around an axis that is perpendicular to the direction of the applied electric field was studied. It was found that the dynamics of the polymer rotor is very complex. Depending on the strength of the static DC field, three regimes have been observed: no rotation occurs below a critical threshold field intensity, oscillatory motion takes place just above this value and continuous rotation can be observed above the critical threshold field intensity. It was also found that low frequency AC fields could also induce angular deformation.

  5. AC electric field induced dipole-based on-chip 3D cell rotation.

    PubMed

    Benhal, Prateek; Chase, J Geoffrey; Gaynor, Paul; Oback, Björn; Wang, Wenhui

    2014-08-07

    The precise rotation of suspended cells is one of the many fundamental manipulations used in a wide range of biotechnological applications such as cell injection and enucleation in nuclear transfer (NT) cloning. Noticeably scarce among the existing rotation techniques is the three-dimensional (3D) rotation of cells on a single chip. Here we present an alternating current (ac) induced electric field-based biochip platform, which has an open-top sub-mm square chamber enclosed by four sidewall electrodes and two bottom electrodes, to achieve rotation about the two axes, thus 3D cell rotation. By applying an ac potential to the four sidewall electrodes, an in-plane (yaw) rotating electric field is generated and in-plane rotation is achieved. Similarly, by applying an ac potential to two opposite sidewall electrodes and the two bottom electrodes, an out-of-plane (pitch) rotating electric field is generated and rolling rotation is achieved. As a prompt proof-of-concept, bottom electrodes were constructed with transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) using the standard lift-off process and the sidewall electrodes were constructed using a low-cost micro-milling process and then assembled to form the chip. Through experiments, we demonstrate rotation of bovine oocytes of ~120 μm diameter about two axes, with the capability of controlling the rotation direction and the rate for each axis through control of the ac potential amplitude, frequency, and phase shift, and cell medium conductivity. The maximum observed rotation rate reached nearly 140° s⁻¹, while a consistent rotation rate reached up to 40° s⁻¹. Rotation rate spectra for zona pellucida-intact and zona pellucida-free oocytes were further compared and found to have no effective difference. This simple, transparent, cheap-to-manufacture, and open-top platform allows additional functional modules to be integrated to become a more powerful cell manipulation system.

  6. AC and DC electrical behavior of MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposite near percolation threshold: Equivalent circuits and percolation limits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alizadeh Sahraei, Abolfazl; Ayati, Moosa; Baniassadi, Majid; Rodrigue, Denis; Baghani, Mostafa; Abdi, Yaser

    2018-03-01

    This study attempts to comprehensively investigate the effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the AC and DC electrical conductivity of epoxy nanocomposites. The samples (0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 wt. % MWCNT) were produced using a combination of ultrason and shear mixing methods. DC measurements were performed by continuous measurement of the current-voltage response and the results were analyzed via a numerical percolation approach, while for the AC behavior, the frequency response was studied by analyzing phase difference and impedance in the 10 Hz to 0.2 MHz frequency range. The results showed that the dielectric parameters, including relative permittivity, impedance phase, and magnitude, present completely different behaviors for the frequency range and MWCNT weight fractions studied. To better understand the nanocomposites electrical behavior, equivalent electric circuits were also built for both DC and AC modes. The DC equivalent networks were developed based on the current-voltage curves, while the AC equivalent circuits were proposed by using an optimization problem according to the impedance magnitude and phase at different frequencies. The obtained equivalent electrical circuits were found to be highly useful tools to understand the physical mechanisms involved in MWCNT filled polymer nanocomposites.

  7. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) Mechanisms and Protocols

    PubMed Central

    Tavakoli, Amir V.; Yun, Kyongsik

    2017-01-01

    Perception, cognition and consciousness can be modulated as a function of oscillating neural activity, while ongoing neuronal dynamics are influenced by synaptic activity and membrane potential. Consequently, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may be used for neurological intervention. The advantageous features of tACS include the biphasic and sinusoidal tACS currents, the ability to entrain large neuronal populations, and subtle control over somatic effects. Through neuromodulation of phasic, neural activity, tACS is a powerful tool to investigate the neural correlates of cognition. The rapid development in this area requires clarity about best practices. Here we briefly introduce tACS and review the most compelling findings in the literature to provide a starting point for using tACS. We suggest that tACS protocols be based on functional brain mechanisms and appropriate control experiments, including active sham and condition blinding. PMID:28928634

  8. High-frequency ac power distribution in Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tsai, Fu-Sheng; Lee, Fred C. Y.

    1990-01-01

    A utility-type 20-kHz ac power distribution system for the Space Station, employing resonant power-conversion techniques, is presented. The system converts raw dc voltage from photovoltaic cells or three-phase LF ac voltage from a solar dynamic generator into a regulated 20-kHz ac voltage for distribution among various loads. The results of EASY5 computer simulations of the local and global performance show that the system has fast response and good transient behavior. The ac bus voltage is effectively regulated using the phase-control scheme, which is demonstrated with both line and load variations. The feasibility of paralleling the driver-module outputs is illustrated with the driver modules synchronized and sharing a common feedback loop. An HF sinusoidal ac voltage is generated in the three-phase ac input case, when the driver modules are phased 120 deg away from one another and their outputs are connected in series.

  9. A study of some features of ac and dc electric power systems for a space station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanania, J. I.

    1983-01-01

    This study analyzes certain selected topics in rival dc and high frequency ac electric power systems for a Space Station. The interaction between the Space Station and the plasma environment is analyzed, leading to a limit on the voltage for the solar array and a potential problem with resonance coupling at high frequencies. Certain problems are pointed out in the concept of a rotary transformer, and further development work is indicated in connection with dc circuit switching, special design of a transmission conductor for the ac system, and electric motors. The question of electric shock hazards, particularly at high frequency, is also explored. and a problem with reduced skin resistance and therefore increased hazard with high frequency ac is pointed out. The study concludes with a comparison of the main advantages and disadvantages of the two rival systems, and it is suggested that the choice between the two should be made after further studies and development work are completed.

  10. Magnetic field tunable ac electrical transport of LaFeO3-wax nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, Supratim; Mandal, S. K.; Debnath, Rajesh; Nath, Debajyoti; Dey, P.

    2018-04-01

    Single phase perovskite LaFeO3 nanoparticles have been prepared through chemical pyrophoric reaction process. It is further grinded with paraffin wax of quantity 0.5 wt% of total composition to obtain an organic composite 99.5%LaFeO3-0.5%Wax. Studies of ac electrical properties viz. complex impedance, dielectric response, loss coefficient have been done in presence of external dc magnetic field, which reveals a good magnetoimpedance (˜221%) and a negative magnetodielectric (˜ 64%). The value of impedance, its real and imaginary part is observed to increase with dc field. The composite exhibits high dielectric constant (˜4760). The ac conductivity is found to decrease with applied field and increase with ac frequency.

  11. AC Electric Field Activated Shape Memory Polymer Composite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kang, Jin Ho; Siochi, Emilie J.; Penner, Ronald K.; Turner, Travis L.

    2011-01-01

    Shape memory materials have drawn interest for applications like intelligent medical devices, deployable space structures and morphing structures. Compared to other shape memory materials like shape memory alloys (SMAs) or shape memory ceramics (SMCs), shape memory polymers (SMPs) have high elastic deformation that is amenable to tailored of mechanical properties, have lower density, and are easily processed. However, SMPs have low recovery stress and long response times. A new shape memory thermosetting polymer nanocomposite (LaRC-SMPC) was synthesized with conductive fillers to enhance its thermo-mechanical characteristics. A new composition of shape memory thermosetting polymer nanocomposite (LaRC-SMPC) was synthesized with conductive functionalized graphene sheets (FGS) to enhance its thermo-mechanical characteristics. The elastic modulus of LaRC-SMPC is approximately 2.7 GPa at room temperature and 4.3 MPa above its glass transition temperature. Conductive FGSs-doped LaRC-SMPC exhibited higher conductivity compared to pristine LaRC SMP. Applying an electric field at between 0.1 Hz and 1 kHz induced faster heating to activate the LaRC-SMPC s shape memory effect relative to applying DC electric field or AC electric field at frequencies exceeding1 kHz.

  12. Modeling And Simulation Of Electrical Prevenion System Using Arduino Uno,Gsm Modem, And Acs712 Current Sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khair, Ummul; Jabbar Lubis, Abdul; Agustha, Indra; Dharmawati; Zulfin, M.

    2017-12-01

    The current electricity needs is very primary, all objects including electronics require power, it encourages people not to be able to save electricity so the theft of electric power would be done. The use of ACS712 current sensor as the sensor with arduino uno would find out the power consumption continuously and prevent the theft of electricity because of the use of electricity which has been determined by PLN and the people fetl that it is not enough for every house, so the author made a tool for prevention of theft of electric power by using the arduino uno, buzzer, ACS712 current sensor, lcd, and relay then the power usage can be controlled according to the use to prevent the occurrence of theft of electricity so the use can be seen directly on the lcd 16x2and GSM modem to give information to employees of PLN so that it can reduceelectrical theft by the public.

  13. Magnetic properties of Fe-Si steel depending on compressive and tensile stresses under sinusoidal and distorted excitations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Permiakov, V.; Pulnikov, A.; Dupré, L.; De Wulf, M.; Melkebeek, J.

    2003-05-01

    In this article, the magnetic properties of nonoriented electrical steel under sinusoidal and distorted excitations are investigated for the whole range of unidirectional mechanical stresses. The distorted flux obtained from the tooth tip of 3 kW induction machine at no-load test was put into the measurement system. The total losses increase for compressive stress both under sinusoidal and distorted excitations. For tensile elastic stresses, the total losses first decrease and then increase in a very similar way for both excitations. In contrast, the difference between total losses under sinusoidal and distorted magnetic fluxes becomes smaller with increase of the plastic strain. This work is a serious step toward complete characterization of the magnetic properties of electrical steel in the teeth area of induction machines. A deeper insight of that problem can improve the design of induction machines and other electromagnetic devices.

  14. Electrokinetically driven microfluidic mixing with patchwise surface heterogeneity and AC applied electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Win-Jet; Yue, Cheng-Feng

    2004-12-01

    This paper investigates two-dimensional, time-dependent electroosmotic flows driven by an AC electric field via patchwise surface heterogeneities distributed along the microchannel walls. The time-dependent flow fields through the microchannel are simulated for various patchwise heterogeneous surface patterns using the backwards-Euler time stepping numerical method. Different heterogeneous surface patterns are found to create significantly different electrokinetic transport phenomena. It is shown that the presence of oppositely charged surface heterogeneities on the microchannel walls results in the formation of localized flow circulations within the bulk flow. These circulation regions grow and decay periodically in accordance with the applied periodic AC electric field intensity. The circulations provide an effective means of enhancing species mixing in the microchannel. A suitable design of the patchwise heterogeneous surface pattern permits the mixing channel length and the retention time required to attain a homogeneous solution to be reduced significantly.

  15. High voltage AC plasma torches with long electric arcs for plasma-chemical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surov, A. V.; Popov, S. D.; Serba, E. O.; Pavlov, A. V.; Nakonechny, Gh V.; Spodobin, V. A.; Nikonov, A. V.; Subbotin, D. I.; Borovskoy, A. M.

    2017-04-01

    Powerful AC plasma torches are in demand for a number of advanced plasma chemical applications, they can provide high enthalpy of the working gas. IEE RAS specialists have developed a number of models of stationary thermal plasma torches for continuous operation on air with the power from 5 to 500 kW, and on mixture of H2O, CO2 and CH4 up to 150 kW. AC plasma torches were tested on the pilot plasmachemical installations. Powerful AC plasma torch with hollow electrodes and the gas vortex stabilization of arc in cylindrical channels and its operation characteristics are presented. Lifetime of its continuous operation on air is 2000 hours and thermal efficiency is about 92%, the electric arc length between two electrodes of the plasma torch exceeds 2 m.

  16. Measurement of Anisotropic Particle Interactions with Nonuniform ac Electric Fields.

    PubMed

    Rupp, Bradley; Torres-Díaz, Isaac; Hua, Xiaoqing; Bevan, Michael A

    2018-02-20

    Optical microscopy measurements are reported for single anisotropic polymer particles interacting with nonuniform ac electric fields. The present study is limited to conditions where gravity confines particles with their long axis parallel to the substrate such that particles can be treated using quasi-2D analysis. Field parameters are investigated that result in particles residing at either electric field maxima or minima and with long axes oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the electric field direction. By nonintrusively observing thermally sampled positions and orientations at different field frequencies and amplitudes, a Boltzmann inversion of the time-averaged probability of states yields kT-scale energy landscapes (including dipole-field, particle-substrate, and gravitational potentials). The measured energy landscapes show agreement with theoretical potentials using particle conductivity as the sole adjustable material property. Understanding anisotropic particle-field energy landscapes vs field parameters enables quantitative control of local forces and torques on single anisotropic particles to manipulate their position and orientation within nonuniform fields.

  17. Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome.

    PubMed

    Valla, Dominique-Charles; Cazals-Hatem, Dominique

    2016-09-01

    Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is characterized by damage to small hepatic vessels affecting particularly sinusoidal endothelium. Damaged sinusoids can be associated with a partial or complete occlusion of small hepatic veins, hence the previous denomination of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD). Exposure to certain exogenous toxins appears to be specific to this condition and is frequently included in its definition. Typical histopathological features of SOS in a liver biopsy specimen are presented in the text. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview on the different entities corresponding to this general definition. Such entities include: (i) liver disease related to pyrrolizidine alcaloids; (ii) liver injury related to conditioning for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; (iii) vascular liver disease occurring in patients treated with chemotherapy for liver metastasis of colorectal cancer; and (iv) other liver diseases related to toxic agents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. A PWM transistor inverter for an ac electric vehicle drive

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Slicker, J. M.

    1981-01-01

    A prototype system consisting of closely integrated motor, inverter, and transaxle has been built in order to demonstrate the feasibility of a three-phase ac transistorized inverter for electric vehicle applications. The microprocessor-controlled inverter employs monolithic power transistors to drive an oil-cooled, three-phase induction traction motor at a peak output power of 30 kW from a 144 V battery pack. Transistor safe switching requirements are discussed, and a circuit is presented for recovering trapped snubber inductor energy at transistor turn-off.

  19. Characterizing fiber-reinforced composite structures using AC-impedance spectroscopy (AC-IS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woo, Leta Y.

    Property enhancement in composites depends largely on the reinforcement. For fiber-reinforced composites, the distribution of fibers is crucial in determining the electrical and mechanical performance. Image analysis methods for characterization can be time-consuming and/or destructive. This work explores the capability of AC-impedance spectroscopy (AC-IS), an electrical measurement technique, to serve as a rapid, non-destructive tool for characterizing composite microstructure. The composite requirements include a filler that is electrically conducting or semi-conducting with higher conductivity than the matrix, and a high-impedance interface or coating between the filler and the matrix. To establish an AC-IS characterization method, cement-matrix composites with steel reinforcement were employed as both a technologically important and a model system to investigate how fibers affect the electrical response. Beginning with spherical particulates and then fibers, composites were examined using composite theory and an "intrinsic conductivity" approach. The intrinsic conductivity approach applies to composites with low volume fractions of fibers (i.e., in the dilute regime) and relates how the composite conductivity varies relative to the matrix as a function of volume fraction. A universal equivalent circuit model was created to understand the AC-IS response of composites based on the geometry and volume fraction of the filler. Deviation from predicted behavior was assessed using a developed f-function, which quantifies how fibers contribute to the overall electrical response of the composite. Using the f-function, an AC-IS method for investigating fiber dispersion was established to characterize alignment, settling/segregation, and aggregation. Alignment was investigated using measurements made in three directions. A point-probe technique characterized settling and/or large-scale inhomogeneous mixing in samples. Aggregation was quantified using a "dispersion factor

  20. Enhanced cell trapping throughput using DC-biased AC electric field in a dielectrophoresis-based fluidic device with densely packed silica beads.

    PubMed

    Lewpiriyawong, Nuttawut; Xu, Guolin; Yang, Chun

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents the use of DC-biased AC electric field for enhancing cell trapping throughput in an insulator-based dielectrophoretic (iDEP) fluidic device with densely packed silica beads. Cell suspension is carried through the iDEP device by a pressure-driven flow. Under an applied DC-biased AC electric field, DEP trapping force is produced as a result of non-uniform electric field induced by the gap of electrically insulating silica beads packed between two mesh electrodes that allow both fluid and cells to pass through. While the AC component is mainly to control the magnitude of DEP trapping force, the DC component generates local electroosmotic (EO) flow in the cavity between the beads and the EO flow can be set to move along or against the main pressure-driven flow. Our experimental and simulation results show that desirable trapping is achieved when the EO flow direction is along (not against) the main flow direction. Using our proposed DC-biased AC field, the device can enhance the trapping throughput (in terms of the flowrate of cell suspension) up to five times while yielding almost the same cell capture rates as compared to the pure AC field case. Additionally, the device was demonstrated to selectively trap dead yeast cells from a mixture of flowing live and dead yeast cells. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Equilibrium electrodeformation of a spheroidal vesicle in an ac electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nganguia, H.; Young, Y.-N.

    2013-11-01

    In this work, we develop a theoretical model to explain the equilibrium spheroidal deformation of a giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) under an alternating (ac) electric field. Suspended in a leaky dielectric fluid, the vesicle membrane is modeled as a thin capacitive spheroidal shell. The equilibrium vesicle shape results from the balance between mechanical forces from the viscous fluid, the restoring elastic membrane forces, and the externally imposed electric forces. Our spheroidal model predicts a deformation-dependent transmembrane potential, and is able to capture large deformation of a vesicle under an electric field. A detailed comparison against both experiments and small-deformation (quasispherical) theory showed that the spheroidal model gives better agreement with experiments in terms of the dependence on fluid conductivity ratio, permittivity ratio, vesicle size, electric field strength, and frequency. The spheroidal model also allows for an asymptotic analysis on the crossover frequency where the equilibrium vesicle shape crosses over between prolate and oblate shapes. Comparisons show that the spheroidal model gives better agreement with experimental observations.

  2. Progress on advanced dc and ac induction drives for electric vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwartz, H. J.

    1982-01-01

    Progress is reported in the development of complete electric vehicle propulsion systems, and the results of tests on the Road Load Simulator of two such systems representative of advanced dc and ac drive technology are presented. One is the system used in the DOE's ETV-1 integrated test vehicle which consists of a shunt wound dc traction motor under microprocessor control using a transistorized controller. The motor drives the vehicle through a fixed ratio transmission. The second system uses an ac induction motor controlled by transistorized pulse width modulated inverter which drives through a two speed automatically shifted transmission. The inverter and transmission both operate under the control of a microprocessor. The characteristics of these systems are also compared with the propulsion system technology available in vehicles being manufactured at the inception of the DOE program and with an advanced, highly integrated propulsion system upon which technology development was recently initiated.

  3. Consumption of the electric power inside silent discharge reactors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yehia, Ashraf, E-mail: yehia30161@yahoo.com

    An experimental study was made in this paper to investigate the relation between the places of the dielectric barriers, which cover the surfaces of the electrodes in the coaxial cylindrical reactors, and the rate of change of the electric power that is consumed in forming silent discharges. Therefore, silent discharges have been formed inside three coaxial cylindrical reactors. The dielectric barriers in these reactors were pasted on both the internal surface of the outer electrode in the first reactor and the external surface of the inner electrode in the second reactor as well as the surfaces of the two electrodesmore » in the third reactor. The reactor under study has been fed by atmospheric air that flowed inside it with a constant rate at normal temperature and pressure, in parallel with the application of a sinusoidal ac voltage between the electrodes of the reactor. The electric power consumed in forming the silent discharges inside the three reactors was measured as a function of the ac peak voltage. The validity of the experimental results was investigated by applying Manley's equation on the same discharge conditions. The results have shown that the rate of consumption of the electric power relative to the ac peak voltage per unit width of the discharge gap improves by a ratio of either 26.8% or 80% or 128% depending on the places of the dielectric barriers that cover the surfaces of the electrodes inside the three reactors.« less

  4. Cosmology and the Sinusoidal Potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartlett, David F.

    2006-06-01

    The nature of dark matter (and dark energy) remains a mystery. An alternative is being explored by several scientists: changing Newton's (and Einstein's) field equations. The sinusoidal potential is the latest attempt[1]. Here the gravitational law is alternately attractive and repulsive:φ = -GM cos(kor)/r, where λo=2π/ko = 1/20 of the distance from the sun to the center of the Milky Way. The proposal accommodates several structural features of the Milky Way including, paradoxically, its spiral shape and flat rotation curve. The sinusoidal potential's unique feature is strong galactic tidal forces (dg/dr). These may explain why the new planetoid Sedna is securely between the Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud and why distant comets are more influenced by galactic tides that are in the r, rather than the z-direction.At this meeting I discuss the consequences of the sinusoidal potential for cosmology. Here the alternation of attraction and repulsion gives (i) an open universe, and (ii) gravitational lensing which is usually weak, but occasionally very strong. An open universe is one that, asymptotically, has a size R which varies directly as time t. The open universe conflicts both with the old Einstein-deSitter model (R α t2/3} and the new accelerating one. The evidence for an accelerating universe decisively rejects the Einstein-deSitter model. The rejection of an open (or empty) universe is less secure. This rejection is influenced by the different ways the groups studying the brightness of supernovae use the HST. Surprising additional inputs include neutrino masses, the equivalence principle, LSB galaxies, and "over-luminous" Sn1a. I thank Mostafa Jon Dadras and Patrick Motl for early help and John Cumalat for continual support. [1] D.F. Bartlett, "Analogies between electricity and gravity", Metrologia 41, S115-S124 (2004).

  5. Evaluation of semiconductor devices for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle (EHV) ac-drive applications, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, F. C.; Chen, D. Y.; Jovanovic, M.; Hopkins, D. C.

    1985-01-01

    The results of evaluation of power semiconductor devices for electric hybrid vehicle ac drive applications are summarized. Three types of power devices are evaluated in the effort: high power bipolar or Darlington transistors, power MOSFETs, and asymmetric silicon control rectifiers (ASCR). The Bipolar transistors, including discrete device and Darlington devices, range from 100 A to 400 A and from 400 V to 900 V. These devices are currently used as key switching elements inverters for ac motor drive applications. Power MOSFETs, on the other hand, are much smaller in current rating. For the 400 V device, the current rating is limited to 25 A. For the main drive of an electric vehicle, device paralleling is normally needed to achieve practical power level. For other electric vehicle (EV) related applications such as battery charger circuit, however, MOSFET is advantageous to other devices because of drive circuit simplicity and high frequency capability. Asymmetrical SCR is basically a SCR device and needs commutation circuit for turn off. However, the device poses several advantages, i.e., low conduction drop and low cost.

  6. Controller for controlling operation of at least one electrical load operating on an AC supply, and a method thereof

    DOEpatents

    Cantin, Luc; Deschenes, Mario; D'Amours, Mario

    1995-08-15

    A controller is provided for controlling operation of at least one electrical load operating on an AC supply having a typical frequency, the AC supply being provided via power transformers by an electrical power distribution grid. The controller is associated with the load and comprises an input interface for coupling the controller to the grid, a frequency detector for detecting the frequency of the AC supply and producing a signal indicative of the frequency, memory modules for storing preprogrammed commands, a frequency monitor for reading the signal indicative of the frequency and producing frequency data derived thereof, a selector for selecting at least one of the preprogrammed commands with respect to the frequency data, a control unit for producing at least one command signal representative of the selected preprogrammed commands, and an output interface including a device responsive to the command signal for controlling the load. Therefore, the load can be controlled by means of the controller depending on the frequency of the AC supply.

  7. A Single-Phase Embedded Z-Source DC-AC Inverter

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Se-Jin; Lim, Young-Cheol

    2014-01-01

    In the conventional DC-AC inverter consisting of two DC-DC converters with unipolar output capacitors, the output capacitor voltages of the DC-DC converters must be higher than the DC input voltage. To overcome this weakness, this paper proposes a single-phase DC-AC inverter consisting of two embedded Z-source converters with bipolar output capacitors. The proposed inverter is composed of two embedded Z-source converters with a common DC source and output AC load. Though the output capacitor voltages of the converters are relatively low compared to those of a conventional inverter, an equivalent level of AC output voltages can be obtained. Moreover, by controlling the output capacitor voltages asymmetrically, the AC output voltage of the proposed inverter can be higher than the DC input voltage. To verify the validity of the proposed inverter, experiments were performed with a DC source voltage of 38 V. By controlling the output capacitor voltages of the converters symmetrically or asymmetrically, the proposed inverter can produce sinusoidal AC output voltages. The experiments show that efficiencies of up to 95% and 97% can be achieved with the proposed inverter using symmetric and asymmetric control, respectively. PMID:25133241

  8. A single-phase embedded Z-source DC-AC inverter.

    PubMed

    Kim, Se-Jin; Lim, Young-Cheol

    2014-01-01

    In the conventional DC-AC inverter consisting of two DC-DC converters with unipolar output capacitors, the output capacitor voltages of the DC-DC converters must be higher than the DC input voltage. To overcome this weakness, this paper proposes a single-phase DC-AC inverter consisting of two embedded Z-source converters with bipolar output capacitors. The proposed inverter is composed of two embedded Z-source converters with a common DC source and output AC load. Though the output capacitor voltages of the converters are relatively low compared to those of a conventional inverter, an equivalent level of AC output voltages can be obtained. Moreover, by controlling the output capacitor voltages asymmetrically, the AC output voltage of the proposed inverter can be higher than the DC input voltage. To verify the validity of the proposed inverter, experiments were performed with a DC source voltage of 38 V. By controlling the output capacitor voltages of the converters symmetrically or asymmetrically, the proposed inverter can produce sinusoidal AC output voltages. The experiments show that efficiencies of up to 95% and 97% can be achieved with the proposed inverter using symmetric and asymmetric control, respectively.

  9. Theoretical and experimental study of AC electrical conduction mechanism in the low temperature range of p-CuIn3Se5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Essaleh, L.; Amhil, S.; Wasim, S. M.; Marín, G.; Choukri, E.; Hajji, L.

    2018-05-01

    In the present work, an attempt has been made to study theoretically and experimentally the AC electrical conduction mechanism in disordered semiconducting materials. The key parameter considered in this analysis is the frequency exponent s(ω , T) =( ∂ln(σAC(ω , T))/∂ ln(ω)T , where σAC is the AC electrical conductivity that depends on angular frequency ω and temperature T. In the theoretical part of this work, the effect of the barrier hopping energy, the polaron radius and the characteristic relaxation time is considered. The theoretical models of Quantum Mechanical Tunneling (QMT), Non overlapping Small Polaron Tunneling (NSPT), Overlapping Large Polaron Tunneling (OLPT) and Correlated Barrier Hopping (CBH) are considered to fit experimental data of σAC in p-CuIn3Se5 (p-CIS135) in the low temperature range up to 96 K. Some important parameters, as the polaron radius, the localization length and the barrier hopping energies, are estimated and their temperature and frequency dependence discussed.

  10. Influence of electrical fields (AC and DC) on phytoremediation of metal polluted soils with rapeseed (Brassica napus) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

    PubMed

    Bi, Ran; Schlaak, Michael; Siefert, Eike; Lord, Richard; Connolly, Helen

    2011-04-01

    The combined use of electrokinetic remediation and phytoremediation to decontaminate soil polluted with heavy metals has been demonstrated in a laboratory-scale experiment. The plants species selected were rapeseed and tobacco. Three kinds of soil were used: un-contaminated soil from forest area (S1), artificially contaminated soil with 15mgkg(-1) Cd (S2) and multi-contaminated soil with Cd, Zn and Pb from an industrial area (S3). Three treatment conditions were applied to the plants growing in the experimental vessels: control (no electrical field), alternating current electrical field (AC, 1Vcm(-1)) and direct current electrical field (DC, 1Vcm(-1)) with switching polarity every 3h. The electrical fields were applied for 30d for rapeseed and 90d for tobacco, each experiment had three replicates. After a total of 90d growth for rapeseed and of 180d for tobacco, the plants were harvested. The pH variation from anode to cathode was eliminated by switching the polarity of the DC field. The plants reacted differently under the applied electrical field. Rapeseed biomass was enhanced under the AC field and no negative effect was found under DC field. However, no enhancement of the tobacco biomass under the AC treatment was found. The DC field had a negative influence on biomass production on tobacco plants. In general, Cd content was higher in both species growing in S2 treated with AC field compared to the control. Metal uptake (Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb) per rapeseed plant shoot was enhanced by the application of AC field in all soils. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Advanced AC permanent magnet axial flux disc motor for electric passenger vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kliman, G. B.

    1982-01-01

    An ac permanent magnet axial flux disc motor was developed to operate with a thyristor load commutated inverter as part of an electric vehicle drive system. The motor was required to deliver 29.8 kW (40 hp) peak and 10.4 kW (14 hp) average with a maximum speed of 11,000 rpm. It was also required to run at leading power factor to commutate the inverter. Three motors were built.

  12. AC and DC electrical properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced epoxy syntactic foam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zegeye, Ephraim; Wicker, Scott; Woldesenbet, Eyassu

    2018-04-01

    Benefits of employing graphene nanopletlates (GNPLs) in composite structures include mechanical as well as multifunctional properties. Understanding the impedance behavior of GNPLs reinforced syntactic foams may open new applications for syntactic foam composites. In this work, GNPLs reinforced syntactic foams were fabricated and tested for DC and AC electrical properties. Four sets of syntactic foam samples containing 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 vol% of GNPLs were fabricated and tested. Significant increase in conductivity of syntactic foams due to the addition of GNPLs was noted. AC impedance measurements indicated that the GNPLs syntactic foams become frequency dependent as the volume fraction of GNPLs increases. With addition of GNPLs, the characteristic of the syntactic foams are also observed to transition from dominant capacitive to dominant resistive behavior. This work was carried out at Southern University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, United States of America.

  13. Control of effect on the nucleation rate for hen egg white lysozyme crystals under application of an external ac electric field.

    PubMed

    Koizumi, H; Uda, S; Fujiwara, K; Nozawa, J

    2011-07-05

    The effect of an external ac electric field on the nucleation rate of hen egg white lysozyme crystals increased with an increase in the concentration of the precipitant used, which enabled the design of an electric double layer (EDL) formed at the inner surface of the drop in the oil. This is attributed to the thickness of the EDL controlled by the ionic strength of the precipitant used. Control of the EDL formed at the interface between the two phases is important to establishing this novel technique for the crystallization of proteins under the application of an external ac electric field. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  14. AC electrical breakdown phenomena of epoxy/layered silicate nanocomposite in needle-plate electrodes.

    PubMed

    Park, Jae-Jun; Lee, Jae-Young

    2013-05-01

    Epoxy/layered silicate nanocomposite for the insulation of heavy electric equipments were prepared by dispersing 1 wt% of a layered silicate into an epoxy matrix with a homogenizing mixer and then AC electrical treeing and breakdown tests were carried out. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation showed that nano-sized monolayers were exfoliated from a multilayered silicate in the epoxy matrix. When the nano-sized silicate layers were incorporated into the epoxy matrix, the breakdown rate in needle-plate electrode geometry was 10.6 times lowered than that of the neat epoxy resin under the applied electrical field of 520.9 kV/mm at 30 degrees C, and electrical tree propagated with much more branches in the epoxy/layered silicate nanocomposite. These results showed that well-dispersed nano-sized silicate layers retarded the electrical tree growth rate. The effects of applied voltage and ambient temperature on the tree initiation, growth, and breakdown rate were also studied, and it was found that the breakdown rate was largely increased, as the applied voltage and ambient temperature increased.

  15. Structural, optical and ac electrical characterization of CBD synthesized NiO thin films: Influence of thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, M. R.; Mukherjee, A.; Mitra, P.

    2017-09-01

    We have studied the electrical conductivity, dielectric relaxation mechanism and impedance spectroscopy characteristics of nickel oxide (NiO) thin films synthesized by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. Thickness dependent structural, optical and ac electrical characterization has been carried out and deposition time was varied to control the thickness. The material has been characterized using X-ray diffraction and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Impedance spectroscopy analysis confirmed enhancement of ac conductivity and dielectric constant for films deposited with higher deposition time. Decrease of grain size in thicker films were confirmed from XRD analysis and activation energy of the material for electrical charge hopping process was increased with thickness of the film. Decrease in band gap in thicker films were observed which could be associated with creation of additional energy levels in the band gap of the material. Cole-Cole plot shows contribution of both grain and grain boundary towards total resistance and capacitance. The overall resistance was found to decrease from 14.6 × 105 Ω for 30 min deposited film ( 120 nm thick) to 2.42 × 105 Ω for 120 min deposited film ( 307 nm thick). Activation energy value to electrical conduction process evaluated from conductivity data was found to decrease with thickness. Identical result was obtained from relaxation time approach suggesting hopping mechanism of charge carriers.

  16. Experimental prototype of an electric elevator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaiceanu, M.; Epure, S.; Ciuta, S.

    2016-08-01

    The main objective is to achieve an elevator prototype powered by a three-phase voltage system via a bidirectional static power converter ac-ac with regenerating capability. In order to diminish the power size of the electric motor up to 1/3 of rated power, the elevator contains two carriages of the same weight, one serving as the payload, and the other as counterweight. Before proper operation of the static power converter, the capacitor must be charged at rated voltage via a precharge circuit. At the moment of stabilizing the DC voltage at nominal value, the AC-AC power converter can operates in the proper limits. The functions of the control structure are: the load control task, speed and torque controls. System includes transducers for current measuring, voltage sensors and encoder. As reserve power sources the hybrid battery-photovoltaic panels are used. The control voltage is modulated by implementing four types of pulse width modulations: sinusoidal, with reduced commutation, third order harmonic insertion, and the space vector modulation. Therefore, the prototype could operates with an increased efficiency, in spite of the existing ones. The experimental results confirm the well design of the chosen solution. The control solution assures bidirectional power flow control, precharge control, and load control and it is implemented on a digital signal processor. The elevator capacity is between 300-450 kg, and it is driven by using a 1.5 kW three-phase asynchronous machine.

  17. Alternating current electric fields of varying frequencies: effects on proliferation and differentiation of porcine neural progenitor cells.

    PubMed

    Lim, Ji-Hey; McCullen, Seth D; Piedrahita, Jorge A; Loboa, Elizabeth G; Olby, Natasha J

    2013-10-01

    Application of sinusoidal electric fields (EFs) has been observed to affect cellular processes, including alignment, proliferation, and differentiation. In the present study, we applied low-frequency alternating current (AC) EFs to porcine neural progenitor cells (pNPCs) and investigated the effects on cell patterning, proliferation, and differentiation. pNPCs were grown directly on interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) localizing the EFs to a region accessible visually for fluorescence-based assays. Cultures of pNPCs were exposed to EFs (1 V/cm) of 1 Hz, 10 Hz, and 50 Hz for 3, 7, and 14 days and compared to control cultures. Immunocytochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of neural markers. pNPCs grew uniformly with no evidence of alignment to the EFs and no change in cell numbers when compared with controls. Nestin expression was shown in all groups at 3 and 7 days, but not at 14 days. NG2 expression was low in all groups. Co-expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and TUJ1 was significantly higher in the cultures exposed to 10- and 50-Hz EFs than the controls. In summary, sinusoidal AC EFs via IDEs did not alter the alignment and proliferation of pNPCs, but higher frequency stimulation appeared to delay differentiation into mature astrocytes.

  18. A method for determining electrophoretic and electroosmotic mobilities using AC and DC electric field particle displacements.

    PubMed

    Oddy, M H; Santiago, J G

    2004-01-01

    We have developed a method for measuring the electrophoretic mobility of submicrometer, fluorescently labeled particles and the electroosmotic mobility of a microchannel. We derive explicit expressions for the unknown electrophoretic and the electroosmotic mobilities as a function of particle displacements resulting from alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) applied electric fields. Images of particle displacements are captured using an epifluorescent microscope and a CCD camera. A custom image-processing code was developed to determine image streak lengths associated with AC measurements, and a custom particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) code was devised to determine DC particle displacements. Statistical analysis was applied to relate mobility estimates to measured particle displacement distributions.

  19. Hall-effect based semi-fast AC on-board charging equipment for electric vehicles.

    PubMed

    Milanés-Montero, María Isabel; Gallardo-Lozano, Javier; Romero-Cadaval, Enrique; González-Romera, Eva

    2011-01-01

    The expected increase in the penetration of electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) will produce unbalanced conditions, reactive power consumption and current harmonics drawn by the battery charging equipment, causing a great impact on the power quality of the future smart grid. A single-phase semi-fast electric vehicle battery charger is proposed in this paper. This ac on-board charging equipment can operate in grid-to-vehicle (G2V) mode, and also in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode, transferring the battery energy to the grid when the vehicle is parked. The charger is controlled with a Perfect Harmonic Cancellation (PHC) strategy, contributing to improve the grid power quality, since the current demanded or injected has no harmonic content and a high power factor. Hall-effect current and voltage transducers have been used in the sensor stage to carry out this control strategy. Experimental results with a laboratory prototype are presented.

  20. Hall-Effect Based Semi-Fast AC On-Board Charging Equipment for Electric Vehicles

    PubMed Central

    Milanés-Montero, María Isabel; Gallardo-Lozano, Javier; Romero-Cadaval, Enrique; González-Romera, Eva

    2011-01-01

    The expected increase in the penetration of electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) will produce unbalanced conditions, reactive power consumption and current harmonics drawn by the battery charging equipment, causing a great impact on the power quality of the future smart grid. A single-phase semi-fast electric vehicle battery charger is proposed in this paper. This ac on-board charging equipment can operate in grid-to-vehicle (G2V) mode, and also in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode, transferring the battery energy to the grid when the vehicle is parked. The charger is controlled with a Perfect Harmonic Cancellation (PHC) strategy, contributing to improve the grid power quality, since the current demanded or injected has no harmonic content and a high power factor. Hall-effect current and voltage transducers have been used in the sensor stage to carry out this control strategy. Experimental results with a laboratory prototype are presented. PMID:22163697

  1. Compact broadband polarization beam splitter using a symmetric directional coupler with sinusoidal bends.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Fan; Yun, Han; Wang, Yun; Lu, Zeqin; Chrostowski, Lukas; Jaeger, Nicolas A F

    2017-01-15

    We design and demonstrate a compact broadband polarization beam splitter (PBS) using a symmetric directional coupler with sinusoidal bends on a silicon-on-insulator platform. The sinusoidal bends in our PBS suppress the power exchange between two parallel symmetric strip waveguides for the transverse-electric (TE) mode, while allowing for the maximum power transfer to the adjacent waveguide for the transverse-magnetic (TM) mode. Our PBS has a nominal coupler length of 8.55 μm, and it has an average extinction ratio (ER) of 12.0 dB for the TE mode, an average ER of 20.1 dB for the TM mode, an average polarization isolation (PI) of 20.6 dB for the through port, and an average PI of 11.5 dB for the cross port, all over a bandwidth of 100 nm.

  2. AC/DC electrical conduction and dielectric properties of PMMA/PVAc/C60 down-shifting nanocomposite films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Bashir, S. M.; Alwadai, N. M.; AlZayed, N.

    2018-02-01

    Polymer nanocomposite films were prepared by doping fullerene C60 in polymer blend composed of polymethacrylate/polyvinyl acetate blends (PMMA/PVAc) using solution cast technique. The films were characterized by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), DC/AC electrical conductivity and dielectric measurements in the frequency range (100 Hz- 1 MHz). The glass transition temperature, Tg, was increased by increasing the concentration of fullerene C60; this property reflects the increase of thermal stability by increasing the nanofiller content. The DC and AC electrical conductivities were enhanced by increasing C60 concentration due to the electron hopping or tunneling between filled and empty localized states above Tg. The relaxation time was determined from the αβ -relaxations and found to be attenuated by increasing the temperature as a typical behavior of amorphous polymers. The calculated values of thermodynamic parameters revealed the increase of molecular stability by increasing the doping concentration; this feature supports the application of PMMA/PVAc/C60 nanocomposite films in a wide scale of solar energy conversion applications such as luminescent down-shifting (LDS) coatings for photovoltaic cells.

  3. Alternating current (AC) iontophoretic transport across human epidermal membrane: effects of AC frequency and amplitude.

    PubMed

    Yan, Guang; Xu, Qingfang; Anissimov, Yuri G; Hao, Jinsong; Higuchi, William I; Li, S Kevin

    2008-03-01

    As a continuing effort to understand the mechanisms of alternating current (AC) transdermal iontophoresis and the iontophoretic transport pathways in the stratum corneum (SC), the objectives of the present study were to determine the interplay of AC frequency, AC voltage, and iontophoretic transport of ionic and neutral permeants across human epidermal membrane (HEM) and use AC as a means to characterize the transport pathways. Constant AC voltage iontophoresis experiments were conducted with HEM in 0.10 M tetraethyl ammonium pivalate (TEAP). AC frequencies ranging from 0.0001 to 25 Hz and AC applied voltages of 0.5 and 2.5 V were investigated. Tetraethyl ammonium (TEA) and arabinose (ARA) were the ionic and neutral model permeants, respectively. In data analysis, the logarithm of the permeability coefficients of HEM for the model permeants was plotted against the logarithm of the HEM electrical resistance for each AC condition. As expected, linear correlations between the logarithms of permeability coefficients and the logarithms of resistances of HEM were observed, and the permeability data were first normalized and then compared at the same HEM electrical resistance using these correlations. Transport enhancement of the ionic permeant was significantly larger than that of the neutral permeant during AC iontophoresis. The fluxes of the ionic permeant during AC iontophoresis of 2.5 V in the frequency range from 5 to 1,000 Hz were relatively constant and were approximately 4 times over those of passive transport. When the AC frequency decreased from 5 to 0.001 Hz at 2.5 V, flux enhancement increased to around 50 times over passive transport. While the AC frequency for achieving the full effect of iontophoretic enhancement at low AC frequency was lower than anticipated, the frequency for approaching passive diffusion transport at high frequency was higher than expected from the HEM morphology. These observations are consistent with a transport model of multiple

  4. DC and AC Electric Field Measurements by Spin-Plane Double Probes Onboard MMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindqvist, P. A.; Marklund, G. T.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Ergun, R. E.; Goodrich, K.; Torbert, R. B.; Argall, M. R.; Nakamura, R.

    2015-12-01

    The four spacecraft of the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) were launched on 12 March 2015 into a 1.2 x 12 Re equatorial orbit to study energy conversion processes in Earth's magnetosphere. After a 5-month commissioning period the first scientific phase starts on 1 September as the orbit enters the dusk magnetopause region. The Spin-plane Double Probe electric field instrument (SDP), part of the electric and magnetic fields instrument suite FIELDS, measures the electric field in the range 0.3 - 500 mV/m with a continuous time resolution up to 8192 samples/s. The instrument features adjustable bias currents and guard voltages to optimize the measurement performance. SDP also measures the spacecraft potential, which can be controlled by the Active Spacecraft Potential Control (ASPOC) ion emitter, and under certain conditions can be used to determine plasma density. We present observations of DC and AC electric fields in different plasma regions covered by MMS since launch including the night side flow braking region, reconnection regions at the dusk and dayside magnetopause, and in the magnetosheath. We compare the electric field measurements by SDP to other, independent determinations of the electric field, in particular by the Electron Drift Instrument (EDI), in order to assess the accuracy of the electric field measurement under different plasma conditions. We also study the influence of the currents emitted by ASPOC and EDI on the SDP measurements.

  5. Electroosmosis through a Cation-Exchange Membrane: Effect of an ac Perturbation on the Electroosmotic Flow.

    PubMed

    Barragán; Ruíz Bauzá C

    2000-10-15

    Electroosmosis experiments through a cation-exchange membrane have been performed using NaCl solutions in different experimental situations. The influence of an alternating (ac) sinusoidal perturbation, of known angular frequency and small amplitude, superimposed to the usual applied continuous (dc) signal on the electroosmotic flow has been studied. The experimental results show that the presence of the ac perturbation affects the electroosmotic flow value, depending on the frequency of the ac signal and on the solution stirring conditions. In the frequency range studied, two regions have been observed where the electroosmotic flow reaches a maximum value: one at low frequencies ( approximately Hz); and another at frequencies of the order of kHz. These regions could be related to membrane relaxation phenomena. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  6. The ac and dc electric field meters developed for the US Department of Energy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kirkham, H.; Johnston, A.; Jackson, S.; Sheu, K.

    1987-01-01

    Two space-potential electric field meters developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy are described. One of the meters was designed to measure dc fields, the other ac fields. Both meters use fiber optics to couple a small measuring probe to a remote readout device, so as to minimize field perturbation due to the presence of the probe. By using coherent detection, it has been possible to produce instruments whose operating range extends from about 10 V/m up to about 2.5 kV/cm, without the need for range switching on the probe. The electrical and mechanical design of both meters are described in detail. Data from laboratory tests are presented, as well as the results of the tests at the National Bureau of Standards and the Electric Power Research Institute's High Voltage Transmission Research Facility.

  7. Spectral response of atmospheric electric field measurements near AC high voltage power lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, H. G.; Matthews, J. C.; Wright, M. D.; Shallcross, D. E.

    2015-10-01

    To understand the influence of corona ion emission on the atmospheric electrical field, measurements were made near to two AC high voltage power lines. A JCI 131 field-mill recorded the atmospheric electric field over one year. Meteorological measurements were also taken. The data series is divided in four zones (dependent on wind direction): whole zones, Z0; zone 1, Z1; zone 2, Z2; zone 3, Z3. Z3 is the least affected by corona ion emission and for that reason it is used as a reference against Z1 and Z2, which are strongly influenced by this phenomena. Analysis was undertaken for all weather days and dry days only. The Lomb-Scargle strategy developed for unevenly spaced time-series is used to calculate the spectral response of the aforementioned zones. Only frequencies above 1 minute are considered.

  8. Sensorless optimal sinusoidal brushless direct current for hard disk drives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soh, C. S.; Bi, C.

    2009-04-01

    Initiated by the availability of digital signal processors and emergence of new applications, market demands for permanent magnet synchronous motors have been surging. As its back-emf is sinusoidal, the drive current should also be sinusoidal for reducing the torque ripple. However, in applications like hard disk drives, brushless direct current (BLDC) drive is adopted instead of sinusoidal drive for simplification. The adoption, however, comes at the expense of increased harmonics, losses, torque pulsations, and acoustics. In this paper, we propose a sensorless optimal sinusoidal BLDC drive. First and foremost, the derivation for an optimal sinusoidal drive is presented, and a power angle control scheme is proposed to achieve an optimal sinusoidal BLDC. The scheme maintains linear relationship between the motor speed and drive voltage. In an attempt to execute the sensorless drive, an innovative power angle measurement scheme is devised, which takes advantage of the freewheeling diodes and measures the power angle through the detection of diode voltage drops. The objectives as laid out will be presented and discussed in this paper, supported by derivations, simulations, and experimental results. The proposed scheme is straightforward, brings about the benefits of sensorless sinusoidal drive, negates the need for current sensors by utilizing the freewheeling diodes, and does not incur additional cost.

  9. Sinusoidal Analysis-Synthesis of Audio Using Perceptual Criteria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Painter, Ted; Spanias, Andreas

    2003-12-01

    This paper presents a new method for the selection of sinusoidal components for use in compact representations of narrowband audio. The method consists of ranking and selecting the most perceptually relevant sinusoids. The idea behind the method is to maximize the matching between the auditory excitation pattern associated with the original signal and the corresponding auditory excitation pattern associated with the modeled signal that is being represented by a small set of sinusoidal parameters. The proposed component-selection methodology is shown to outperform the maximum signal-to-mask ratio selection strategy in terms of subjective quality.

  10. Deep-etched sinusoidal polarizing beam splitter grating.

    PubMed

    Feng, Jijun; Zhou, Changhe; Cao, Hongchao; Lv, Peng

    2010-04-01

    A sinusoidal-shaped fused-silica grating as a highly efficient polarizing beam splitter (PBS) is investigated based on the simplified modal method. The grating structure depends mainly on the ratio of groove depth to grating period and the ratio of incident wavelength to grating period. These ratios can be used as a guideline for the grating design at different wavelengths. A sinusoidal-groove PBS grating is designed at a wavelength of 1310 nm under Littrow mounting, and the transmitted TM and TE polarized waves are mainly diffracted into the zeroth order and the -1st order, respectively. The grating profile is optimized by using rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The designed PBS grating is highly efficient (>95.98%) over the O-band wavelength range (1260-1360 nm) for both TE and TM polarizations. The sinusoidal grating can exhibit higher diffraction efficiency, larger extinction ratio, and less reflection loss than the rectangular-groove PBS grating. By applying wet etching technology on the rectangular grating, which was manufactured by holographic recording and inductively coupled plasma etching technology, the sinusoidal grating can be approximately fabricated. Experimental results are in agreement with theoretical values.

  11. Frequency and temperature dependence of dielectric and ac electrical properties of NiFe2O4-ZnO multiferroic nanocomposite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutta, Papia; Mandal, S. K.; Dey, P.; Nath, A.

    2018-04-01

    We have presented the ac electrical properties and dielectric studies of 0.5 NiFe2O4 - 0.5 ZnO multiferroic nanocomposites prepared through low temperature "pyrophoric reaction process". Structural characterization has been carried out through X-ray diffraction technique, which shows the co-existence of both the phases of the nanocomposites. The ac electrical properties of nanocomposites have been studied employing impedance spectroscopy technique. The impedance value is found to increase with increase in magnetic field attributing the magnetostriction property of the composites. Dielectric constant is found to decrease with both the increase in magnetic fields and temperatures. Studies of dielectric constant reveal the Maxwell Wagner interfacial polarization at low frequency regime. Relaxation frequency as a function of magnetic fields and temperatures is found to shift towards the high frequency region.

  12. Modelling ac ripple currents in HTS coated conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Zhihan; Grilli, Francesco

    2015-10-01

    Dc transmission using high temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductors (CCs) offers a promising solution to the globally growing demand for effective, reliable and economic transmission of green energy up to the gigawatt level over very long distances. The credible estimation of the losses and thereby the heat dissipation involved, where ac ripples (introduced in rectification/ac-dc conversion) are viewed as a potential source of notable contribution, is highly essential for the rational design of practical HTS dc transmission cables and corresponding cryogenic systems to fulfil this demand. Here we report a targeted modelling study into the ac losses in a HTS CC subject to dc and ac ripple currents simultaneously, by solving Maxwell’s equations using the finite element method (FEM) in the commercial software package COMSOL. It is observed that the instantaneous loss exhibits only one peak per cycle in the HTS CC subject to sinusoidal ripples, given that the amplitude of the ac ripples is smaller than approximately 20% of that of the dc current. This is a distinct contrast to the usual observation of two peaks per cycle in a HTS CC subject to ac currents only. The unique mechanism is also revealed, which is directly associated with the finding that, around any local minima of the applied ac ripples, the critical state of -J c is never reached at the edges of the HTS CC, as it should be according to the Bean model. When running further into the longer term, it is discovered that the ac ripple loss of the HTS CC in full-wave rectification decays monotonically, at a speed which is found to be insensitive to the frequency of the applied ripples within our targeted situations, to a relatively low level of approximately 1.38 × 10-4 W m-1 in around 1.7 s. Comparison between this level and other typical loss contributions in a HTS dc cable implies that ac ripple currents in HTS CCs should only be considered as a minor source of dissipation in superconducting dc

  13. Dynamic Kerr effect in a strong uniform AC electric field for interacting polar and polarizable molecules in the mean field approximation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deshmukh, Snehal D.; Déjardin, Pierre-Michel; Kalmykov, Yuri P.

    2017-09-01

    Analytical formulas for the electric birefringence response of interacting polar and anisotropically polarizable molecules due to a uniform alternating electric field are derived using Berne's forced rotational diffusion model [B. J. Berne, J. Chem. Phys. 62, 1154 (1975)] in the nonlinear version described by Warchol and Vaughan [J. Chem. Phys. 71, 502 (1979)]. It is found for noninteracting molecules that the signal consists of a frequency-dependent DC component superimposed on an oscillatory part with a frequency twice that of the AC driving field. However, unlike noninteracting molecules, the AC part strongly deviates from its dilute counterpart. This suggests a possible way of motivating new experimental studies of intermolecular interactions involving electro-optical methods and complementary nonlinear dielectric relaxation experiments.

  14. Microfabricated AC impedance sensor

    DOEpatents

    Krulevitch, Peter; Ackler, Harold D.; Becker, Frederick; Boser, Bernhard E.; Eldredge, Adam B.; Fuller, Christopher K.; Gascoyne, Peter R. C.; Hamilton, Julie K.; Swierkowski, Stefan P.; Wang, Xiao-Bo

    2002-01-01

    A microfabricated instrument for detecting and identifying cells and other particles based on alternating current (AC) impedance measurements. The microfabricated AC impedance sensor includes two critical elements: 1) a microfluidic chip, preferably of glass substrates, having at least one microchannel therein and with electrodes patterned on both substrates, and 2) electrical circuits that connect to the electrodes on the microfluidic chip and detect signals associated with particles traveling down the microchannels. These circuits enable multiple AC impedance measurements of individual particles at high throughput rates with sufficient resolution to identify different particle and cell types as appropriate for environmental detection and clinical diagnostic applications.

  15. Performance criteria guideline for three explosion protection methods of electrical equipment rated up to 15,000 volts AC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Linley, L. J.; Luper, A. B.; Dunn, J. H.

    1982-01-01

    The Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, is reviewing explosion protection methods for use in gassy coal mines. This performance criteria guideline is an evaluation of three explosion protection methods of machines electrically powered with voltages up to 15,000 volts ac. A sufficient amount of basic research has been accomplished to verify that the explosion proof and pressurized enclosure methods can provide adequate explosion protection with the present state of the art up to 15,000 volts ac. This routine application of the potted enclosure as a stand alone protection method requires further investigation or development in order to clarify performance criteria and verification certification requirements. An extensive literature search, a series of high voltage tests, and a design evaluation of the three explosion protection methods indicate that the explosion proof, pressurized, and potted enclosures can all be used to enclose up to 15,000 volts ac.

  16. Dielectric Breakdown Characteristics of Oil-pressboard Insulation System against AC/DC Superposed Voltage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebisawa, Yoshihito; Yamada, Shin; Mori, Shigekazu; Ikeda, Masami

    This paper describes breakdown characteristics of an oil-pressboard insulation system to a superposition voltage of AC and DC voltages. Although AC electric field is decided by the ratio of the relative permittivity of a pressboard and insulating oil, DC electric field is decided by ratio α of volume resistivities. From the measurement in this study, 13—78 and 1.8—5.7 are obtained as the volume resistivity ratios α at temperature of 30°C and 80°C, respectively. The breakdown voltages against AC, DC, and those superposition voltages are surveyed to insulation models. In normal temperature, the breakdown voltage to the superposition voltage of AC and DC is determined by AC electric field applied to the oil duct. Since the α becomes as low as 2-3 at temperature of 80°C, AC and DC voltages almost equally contribute to the electric field of the oil duct as a result. That is, it became clear that superposed DC voltage boosts the electric field across oil ducts at operating high temperature.

  17. Estimating Aquifer Properties Using Sinusoidal Pumping Tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rasmussen, T. C.; Haborak, K. G.; Young, M. H.

    2001-12-01

    We develop the theoretical and applied framework for using sinusoidal pumping tests to estimate aquifer properties for confined, leaky, and partially penetrating conditions. The framework 1) derives analytical solutions for three boundary conditions suitable for many practical applications, 2) validates the analytical solutions against a finite element model, 3) establishes a protocol for conducting sinusoidal pumping tests, and 4) estimates aquifer hydraulic parameters based on the analytical solutions. The analytical solutions to sinusoidal stimuli in radial coordinates are derived for boundary value problems that are analogous to the Theis (1935) confined aquifer solution, the Hantush and Jacob (1955) leaky aquifer solution, and the Hantush (1964) partially penetrated confined aquifer solution. The analytical solutions compare favorably to a finite-element solution of a simulated flow domain, except in the region immediately adjacent to the pumping well where the implicit assumption of zero borehole radius is violated. The procedure is demonstrated in one unconfined and two confined aquifer units near the General Separations Area at the Savannah River Site, a federal nuclear facility located in South Carolina. Aquifer hydraulic parameters estimated using this framework provide independent confirmation of parameters obtained from conventional aquifer tests. The sinusoidal approach also resulted in the elimination of investigation-derived wastes.

  18. Simultaneous distribution of AC and DC power

    DOEpatents

    Polese, Luigi Gentile

    2015-09-15

    A system and method for the transport and distribution of both AC (alternating current) power and DC (direct current) power over wiring infrastructure normally used for distributing AC power only, for example, residential and/or commercial buildings' electrical wires is disclosed and taught. The system and method permits the combining of AC and DC power sources and the simultaneous distribution of the resulting power over the same wiring. At the utilization site a complementary device permits the separation of the DC power from the AC power and their reconstruction, for use in conventional AC-only and DC-only devices.

  19. 21 CFR 880.5500 - AC-powered patient lift.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered patient lift. 880.5500 Section 880.5500... Devices § 880.5500 AC-powered patient lift. (a) Identification. An AC-powered lift is an electrically powered device either fixed or mobile, used to lift and transport patients in the horizontal or other...

  20. 21 CFR 880.5500 - AC-powered patient lift.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false AC-powered patient lift. 880.5500 Section 880.5500... Devices § 880.5500 AC-powered patient lift. (a) Identification. An AC-powered lift is an electrically powered device either fixed or mobile, used to lift and transport patients in the horizontal or other...

  1. Combined AC electroosmosis and dielectrophoresis for controlled rotation of microparticles

    PubMed Central

    Walid Rezanoor, Md.; Dutta, Prashanta

    2016-01-01

    Electrorotation is widely used for characterization of biological cells and materials using a rotating electric field. Generally, multiphase AC electric fields and quadrupolar electrode configuration are needed to create a rotating electric field for electrorotation. In this study, we demonstrate a simple method to rotate dielectrophoretically trapped microparticles using a stationary AC electric field. Coplanar interdigitated electrodes are used to create a linearly polarized nonuniform AC electric field. This nonuniform electric field is employed for dielectrophoretic trapping of microparticles as well as for generating electroosmotic flow in the vicinity of the electrodes resulting in rotation of microparticles in a microfluidic device. The rotation of barium titanate microparticles is observed in 2-propanol and methanol solvent at a frequency below 1 kHz. A particle rotation rate as high as 240 revolutions per minute is observed. It is demonstrated that precise manipulation (both rotation rate and equilibrium position) of the particles is possible by controlling the frequency of the applied electric field. At low frequency range, the equilibrium positions of the microparticles are observed between the electrode edge and electrode center. This method of particle manipulation is different from electrorotation as it uses induced AC electroosmosis instead of electric torque as in the case of electrorotation. Moreover, it has been shown that a microparticle can be rotated along its own axis without any translational motion. PMID:27014394

  2. Combined AC electroosmosis and dielectrophoresis for controlled rotation of microparticles.

    PubMed

    Walid Rezanoor, Md; Dutta, Prashanta

    2016-03-01

    Electrorotation is widely used for characterization of biological cells and materials using a rotating electric field. Generally, multiphase AC electric fields and quadrupolar electrode configuration are needed to create a rotating electric field for electrorotation. In this study, we demonstrate a simple method to rotate dielectrophoretically trapped microparticles using a stationary AC electric field. Coplanar interdigitated electrodes are used to create a linearly polarized nonuniform AC electric field. This nonuniform electric field is employed for dielectrophoretic trapping of microparticles as well as for generating electroosmotic flow in the vicinity of the electrodes resulting in rotation of microparticles in a microfluidic device. The rotation of barium titanate microparticles is observed in 2-propanol and methanol solvent at a frequency below 1 kHz. A particle rotation rate as high as 240 revolutions per minute is observed. It is demonstrated that precise manipulation (both rotation rate and equilibrium position) of the particles is possible by controlling the frequency of the applied electric field. At low frequency range, the equilibrium positions of the microparticles are observed between the electrode edge and electrode center. This method of particle manipulation is different from electrorotation as it uses induced AC electroosmosis instead of electric torque as in the case of electrorotation. Moreover, it has been shown that a microparticle can be rotated along its own axis without any translational motion.

  3. The AC photovoltaic module is here!

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strong, Steven J.; Wohlgemuth, John H.; Wills, Robert H.

    1997-02-01

    This paper describes the design, development, and performance results of a large-area photovoltaic module whose electrical output is ac power suitable for direct connection to the utility grid. The large-area ac PV module features a dedicated, integrally mounted, high-efficiency dc-to-ac power inverter with a nominal output of 250 watts (STC) at 120 Vac, 60 H, that is fully compatible with utility power. The module's output is connected directly to the building's conventional ac distribution system without need for any dc wiring, string combiners, dc ground-fault protection or additional power-conditioning equipment. With its advantages, the ac photovoltaic module promises to become a universal building block for use in all utility-interactive PV systems. This paper discusses AC Module design aspects and utility interface issues (including islanding).

  4. Bottomside sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Valladares, C. E.; Hanson, W. B.; Mcclure, J. P.; Cragin, B. L.

    1983-01-01

    By using the Ogo 6 satellite, McClure and Hanson (1973) have discovered sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region ion number density. In the present investigation, a description is provided of the properties of a distinct category of sinusoidal irregularities found in equatorial data from the AE-C and AE-E satellites. The observed scale sizes vary from about 300 m to 3 km in the direction perpendicular to B, overlapping with and extending the range observed by using Ogo 6. Attention is given to low and high resolution data, a comparison with Huancayo ionograms, the confinement of 'bottomside sinusoidal' (BSS) irregularities essentially to the bottomside of the F layer, spectral characteristics, and BSS, scintillation, and ionosonde observations.

  5. Electromagnetically induced transparency in sinusoidal modulated ring resonator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malik, Jagannath; Oruganti, Sai Kiran; Song, Seongkyu; Ko, Nak Young; Bien, Franklin

    2018-06-01

    In the present work, we demonstrate controlling the excitation of bright mode (continuum mode) resonance and dark mode (discrete mode) resonance in a planar metasurface made of sinusoidal modulation inside a closed rectangular metallic ring placed over a dielectric substrate. Unlike asymmetrical breaking of a meta-atom (often referred to as the unit cell) to achieve the dark mode response in regular metamaterials, in the present structure, the bright or dark mode resonance is achieved using even or odd half cycle modulation. The achieved dark-mode shows a sharp resonance for a particular polarization of the incident electric field, which results in an electromagnetically induced transparency like spectrum. The electromagnetic behavior of the proposed meta-atom has been investigated in the frequency domain using commercially available software and validated through experiments in the gigahertz regime.

  6. Research on a new magnetic-field-modulated brushless double-rotor machine with sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Ping; Liu, Jiaqi; Bai, Jingang; Song, Zhiyi; Liu, Yong

    2017-05-01

    The magnetic-field-modulated brushless double-rotor machine (MFM-BDRM), composed of a stator, a modulating ring rotor, and a PM rotor, is a kind of power-split device for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). In this paper, a new MFM-BDRM with sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring named Sinusoidal-Permeance-Modulating-Ring Brushless Double-Rotor Machine (SPMR-BDRM) is proposed to solve the problem of poor mechanical strength and large iron loss. The structure and the operating principle of the MFM-BDRM are introduced. The design principle of the sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring is analyzed and derived. The main idea of that is to minimize the harmonic permeance of air gap, thereby the harmonic magnetic fields can be restrained. There are comparisons between a MFM-BDRM with sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring and a same size MFM-BDRM with traditional modulating ring, including magnetic field distributions and electromagnetic performances. Most importantly, the iron losses are compared under six different conditions. The result indicates that the harmonic magnetic fields in the air gap are restrained; the electromagnetic torque and power factor are almost the same with same armature current; the torque ripples of the modulating ring rotor and the PM rotor are reduced; the stator loss is reduced by 13% at least and the PM loss is reduced by 20% at least compared with the same size traditional MFM-BDRM under the same operating conditions.

  7. Photovoltaic system with improved AC connections and method of making same

    DOEpatents

    Cioffi, Philip Michael; Todorovic, Maja Harfman; Herzog, Michael Scott; Korman, Charles Steven; Doherty, Donald M.; Johnson, Neil Anthony

    2018-02-13

    An alternating current (AC) harness for a photovoltaic (PV) system includes a wire assembly having a first end and a second end, the wire assembly having a plurality of lead wires, and at least one AC connection module positioned at a location along a length of the wire assembly between the first end and the second end. Further, the at least one AC connection module includes a first connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a first PV module of the PV system. The at least one AC connection module also includes a second connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a second PV module of the PV system.

  8. Transient electroosmotic flow induced by DC or AC electric fields in a curved microtube.

    PubMed

    Luo, W-J

    2004-10-15

    This study investigates transient electroosmotic flow in a rectangular curved microtube in which the fluid is driven by the application of an external DC or AC electric field. The resultant flow-field evolutions within the microtube are simulated using the backwards-Euler time-stepping numerical method to clarify the relationship between the changes in the axial-flow velocity and the intensity of the applied electric field. When the electric field is initially applied or varies, the fluid within the double layer responds virtually immediately, and the axial velocity within the double layer tends to follow the varying intensity of the applied electric field. The greatest net charge density exists at the corners of the microtube as a result of the overlapping electrical double layers of the two walls. It results in local maximum or minimum axial velocities in the corners during increasing or decreasing applied electric field intensity in either the positive or negative direction. As the fluid within the double layer starts to move, the bulk fluid is gradually dragged into motion through the diffusion of momentum from the double layer. A finite time is required for the full momentum of the double layer to diffuse to the bulk fluid; hence, a certain phase shift between the applied electric field and the flow response is inevitable. The patterns of the axial velocity contours during the transient evolution are investigated in this study. It is found that these patterns are determined by the efficiency of momentum diffusion from the double layer to the central region of the microtube.

  9. Accelerated detection of viral particles by combining AC electric field effects and micro-Raman spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Tomkins, Matthew Robert; Liao, David Shiqi; Docoslis, Aristides

    2015-01-08

    A detection method that combines electric field-assisted virus capture on antibody-decorated surfaces with the "fingerprinting" capabilities of micro-Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated for the case of M13 virus in water. The proof-of-principle surface mapping of model bioparticles (protein coated polystyrene spheres) captured by an AC electric field between planar microelectrodes is presented with a methodology for analyzing the resulting spectra by comparing relative peak intensities. The same principle is applied to dielectrophoretically captured M13 phage particles whose presence is indirectly confirmed with micro-Raman spectroscopy using NeutrAvidin-Cy3 as a labeling molecule. It is concluded that the combination of electrokinetically driven virus sampling and micro-Raman based signal transduction provides a promising approach for time-efficient and in situ detection of viruses.

  10. Accelerated Detection of Viral Particles by Combining AC Electric Field Effects and Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Tomkins, Matthew Robert; Liao, David Shiqi; Docoslis, Aristides

    2015-01-01

    A detection method that combines electric field-assisted virus capture on antibody-decorated surfaces with the “fingerprinting” capabilities of micro-Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated for the case of M13 virus in water. The proof-of-principle surface mapping of model bioparticles (protein coated polystyrene spheres) captured by an AC electric field between planar microelectrodes is presented with a methodology for analyzing the resulting spectra by comparing relative peak intensities. The same principle is applied to dielectrophoretically captured M13 phage particles whose presence is indirectly confirmed with micro-Raman spectroscopy using NeutrAvidin-Cy3 as a labeling molecule. It is concluded that the combination of electrokinetically driven virus sampling and micro-Raman based signal transduction provides a promising approach for time-efficient and in situ detection of viruses. PMID:25580902

  11. Sinusoidal potential cycling operation of a direct ethanol fuel cell to improving carbon dioxide yields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

    2014-12-01

    A direct ethanol fuel cell has been operated under sinusoidal (AC) potential cycling conditions in order to increase the yield of carbon dioxide and thereby increase cell efficiency relative to operation at a fixed potential. At 80 °C, faradaic yields of CO2 as high as 25% have been achieved with a PtRu anode catalyst, while the maximum CO2 production at constant potential was 13%. The increased yields under cycling conditions have been attributed to periodic oxidative stripping of adsorbed CO. These results will be important in the optimization of operating conditions for direct ethanol fuel cells, where the benefits of potential cycling are projected to increase as catalysts that produce CO2 more efficiently are implemented.

  12. Caloric restriction reduces age-related pseudocapillarization of the hepatic sinusoid

    PubMed Central

    Jamieson, Hamish A; Hilmer, Sarah N; Cogger, Victoria C; Warren, Alessandra; Cheluvappa, Rajkumar; Abernethy, Darrell R; Everitt, Arthur V; Fraser, Robin; de Cabo, Rafael; Le Couteur, David G

    2007-01-01

    Age-related changes in the hepatic sinusoid, called pseudocapillarization, may contribute to the pathogenesis of dyslipidaemia. Caloric restriction (CR) is a powerful model for the study of aging because it extends lifespan. We assessed the effects of CR on the hepatic sinusoid to determine whether pseudocapillarization is preventable and hence a target for the prevention of age-related dyslipidemia. Livers from young (6 months) and old (24 months) CR and ad libitum fed (AL) F344 rats were examined using electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. In old age, there was increased thickness of the liver sinusoidal endothelium and reduced endothelial fenestration porosity. In old CR rats, endothelial thickness was less and fenestration porosity was greater than in old AL rats. Immunohistochemistry showed that CR prevented age-related decrease in caveolin-1 expression and increase in peri-sinusoidal collagen IV staining, but did not alter the age-related increase of von Willebrand’s factor. CR reduces age-related pseudocapillarization of the hepatic sinusoid and correlates with changes in caveolin-1 expression. PMID:17204388

  13. Calcium channel dynamics limit synaptic release in response to prosthetic stimulation with sinusoidal waveforms

    PubMed Central

    Freeman, Daniel K.; Jeng, Jed S.; Kelly, Shawn K.; Hartveit, Espen; Fried, Shelley I.

    2011-01-01

    Extracellular electric stimulation with sinusoidal waveforms has been shown to allow preferential activation of individual types of retinal neurons by varying stimulus frequency. It is important to understand the mechanisms underlying this frequency dependence as a step towards improving methods of preferential activation. In order to elucidate these mechanisms, we implemented a morphologically realistic model of a retinal bipolar cell and measured the response to extracellular stimulation with sinusoidal waveforms. We compared the frequency response of a passive membrane model to the kinetics of voltage-gated calcium channels that mediate synaptic release. The passive electrical properties of the membrane exhibited lowpass filtering with a relatively high cutoff frequency (nominal value = 717 Hz). This cutoff frequency was dependent on intra-axonal resistance, with shorter and wider axons yielding higher cutoff frequencies. However, we found that the cutoff frequency of bipolar cell synaptic release was primarily limited by the relatively slow opening kinetics of Land T-type calcium channels. The cutoff frequency of calcium currents depended nonlinearly on stimulus amplitude, but remained lower than the cutoff frequency of the passive membrane model for a large range of membrane potential fluctuations. These results suggest that while it may be possible to modulate the membrane potential of bipolar cells over a wide range of stimulus frequencies, synaptic release will only be initiated at the lower end of this range. PMID:21628768

  14. High voltage AC/AC electrochemical capacitor operating at low temperature in salt aqueous electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbas, Qamar; Béguin, François

    2016-06-01

    We demonstrate that an activated carbon (AC)-based electrochemical capacitor implementing aqueous lithium sulfate electrolyte in 7:3 vol:vol water/methanol mixture can operate down to -40 °C with good electrochemical performance. Three-electrode cell investigations show that the faradaic contributions related with hydrogen chemisorption in the negative AC electrode are thermodynamically unfavored at -40 °C, enabling the system to work as a typical electrical double-layer (EDL) capacitor. After prolonged floating of the AC/AC capacitor at 1.6 V and -40°C, the capacitance, equivalent series resistance and efficiency remain constant, demonstrating the absence of ageing related with side redox reactions at this temperature. Interestingly, when temperature is increased back to 24 °C, the redox behavior due to hydrogen storage reappears and the system behaves as a freshly prepared one.

  15. AC power generation from microbial fuel cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lobo, Fernanda Leite; Wang, Heming; Forrestal, Casey; Ren, Zhiyong Jason

    2015-11-01

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) directly convert biodegradable substrates to electricity and carry good potential for energy-positive wastewater treatment. However, the low and direct current (DC) output from MFC is not usable for general electronics except small sensors, yet commercial DC-AC converters or inverters used in solar systems cannot be directly applied to MFCs. This study presents a new DC-AC converter system for MFCs that can generate alternating voltage in any desired frequency. Results show that AC power can be easily achieved in three different frequencies tested (1, 10, 60 Hz), and no energy storage layer such as capacitors was needed. The DC-AC converter efficiency was higher than 95% when powered by either individual MFCs or simple MFC stacks. Total harmonic distortion (THD) was used to investigate the quality of the energy, and it showed that the energy could be directly usable for linear electronic loads. This study shows that through electrical conversion MFCs can be potentially used in household electronics for decentralized off-grid communities.

  16. The role of electro-osmosis and dielectrophoresis in collection of micro/nano size particles in low frequency AC electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Chehung; Hsu, Che-Wei; Wang, Ching-Chieh

    2007-09-01

    The collecting and sorting micro size particles by electric force is easy to integrate with other bioassays. There are many forms of electric forces such as electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis and electroosmosis which can be used to manipulate particles. In an attempt to understand the role of electroosmosis and dielectrophoresis in the collection of micro size particles, a small device made of two parallel plates is used to study the particle movement under AC electric field. The device is fabricated by a top electrode and a bottom electrode separated by a spacer. The top electrode is made from an ITO glass where the bottom electrode is made of Corning 1737 glass sputtered with chromium. A dielectric layer is fabricated by spin coating a thin photo-resist (0.5~1μm) on the bottom electrode and a spacer made of curing PDMS is utilized to separate these electrodes. A 900μm × 900μm collecting chamber is fabricated on the bottom electrode via photolithography. The amine-modified polystyrene fluorescent particles whose average size is 1 μm were used for collection experiments. Different frequency and power were applied to generate the non-uniform electric field. It was found that frequency is the critical factor for electroosmotic velocity. There seems to be an optimum frequency that leads to largest particle velocity. The underlying mechanism is believed to the competing forces among dielectrophoresis and electroosmosis. This device demonstrates that the electroosmosis force is suitable for collecting bio-particles in AC electric field.

  17. Polaron conductivity mechanism in oxalic acid dihydrate: ac conductivity experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levstik, Adrijan; Filipič, Cene; Bobnar, Vid; Levstik, Iva; Hadži, Dušan

    2006-10-01

    The ac electrical conductivity of the oxalic acid dihydrate ( α -POX) was investigated as a function of the frequency and temperature. The real part of the complex ac electrical conductivity was found to follow the universal dielectric response σ'∝νs , indicating that hopping or tunneling of localized charge carriers governs the electrical transport. A detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the exponent s revealed that in a broad temperature range 50-200K the tunneling of polarons is the dominating charge transport mechanism.

  18. Investigation of ac-magnetic field stimulated nanoelectroporation of magneto-electric nano-drug-carrier inside CNS cells.

    PubMed

    Kaushik, Ajeet; Nikkhah-Moshaie, Roozbeh; Sinha, Raju; Bhardwaj, Vinay; Atluri, Venkata; Jayant, Rahul Dev; Yndart, Adriana; Kateb, Babak; Pala, Nezih; Nair, Madhavan

    2017-04-04

    In this research, we demonstrate cell uptake of magneto-electric nanoparticles (MENPs) through nanoelectroporation (NEP) using alternating current (ac)-magnetic field stimulation. Uptake of MENPs was confirmed using focused-ion-beam assisted transmission electron microscopy (FIB-TEM) and validated by a numerical simulation model. The NEP was performed in microglial (MG) brain cells, which are highly sensitive for neuro-viral infection and were selected as target for nano-neuro-therapeutics. When the ac-magnetic field optimized (60 Oe at 1 kHz), MENPs were taken up by MG cells without affecting cell health (viability > 92%). FIB-TEM analysis of porated MG cells confirmed the non-agglomerated distribution of MENPs inside the cell and no loss of their elemental and crystalline characteristics. The presented NEP method can be adopted as a part of future nanotherapeutics and nanoneurosurgery strategies where a high uptake of a nanomedicine is required for effective and timely treatment of brain diseases.

  19. Investigation of ac-magnetic field stimulated nanoelectroporation of magneto-electric nano-drug-carrier inside CNS cells

    PubMed Central

    Kaushik, Ajeet; Nikkhah-Moshaie, Roozbeh; Sinha, Raju; Bhardwaj, Vinay; Atluri, Venkata; Jayant, Rahul Dev; Yndart, Adriana; Kateb, Babak; Pala, Nezih; Nair, Madhavan

    2017-01-01

    In this research, we demonstrate cell uptake of magneto-electric nanoparticles (MENPs) through nanoelectroporation (NEP) using alternating current (ac)-magnetic field stimulation. Uptake of MENPs was confirmed using focused-ion-beam assisted transmission electron microscopy (FIB-TEM) and validated by a numerical simulation model. The NEP was performed in microglial (MG) brain cells, which are highly sensitive for neuro-viral infection and were selected as target for nano-neuro-therapeutics. When the ac-magnetic field optimized (60 Oe at 1 kHz), MENPs were taken up by MG cells without affecting cell health (viability > 92%). FIB-TEM analysis of porated MG cells confirmed the non-agglomerated distribution of MENPs inside the cell and no loss of their elemental and crystalline characteristics. The presented NEP method can be adopted as a part of future nanotherapeutics and nanoneurosurgery strategies where a high uptake of a nanomedicine is required for effective and timely treatment of brain diseases. PMID:28374799

  20. High-Frequency ac Power-Distribution System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, Irving G.; Mildice, James

    1987-01-01

    Loads managed automatically under cycle-by-cycle control. 440-V rms, 20-kHz ac power system developed. System flexible, versatile, and "transparent" to user equipment, while maintaining high efficiency and low weight. Electrical source, from dc to 2,200-Hz ac converted to 440-V rms, 20-kHz, single-phase ac. Power distributed through low-inductance cables. Output power either dc or variable ac. Energy transferred per cycle reduced by factor of 50. Number of parts reduced by factor of about 5 and power loss reduced by two-thirds. Factors result in increased reliability and reduced costs. Used in any power-distribution system requiring high efficiency, high reliability, low weight, and flexibility to handle variety of sources and loads.

  1. Measuring Accurately Single-Phase Sinusoidal and Non-Sinusoidal Power.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-01-01

    current component. Since the induction watthour meter is designed for measuring ac variations only, the creation of a dc component in an ac circuit due...available and the basic principle of measurement used in each. 3.1 Power Measuring Meters Instruments designed to measure the amount of average power...1.0 percent of full scale and + 0.5% of reading. 3.2 Encrgy Measuring Meters Instruments designed to measure the amount of power consumed in a circuit

  2. Road load simulator tests of the Gould phase 1 functional model silicon controlled rectifier ac motor controller for electric vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gourash, F.

    1984-02-01

    The test results for a functional model ac motor controller for electric vehicles and a three-phase induction motor which were dynamically tested on the Lewis Research Center road load simulator are presented. Results show that the controller has the capability to meet the SAE-J227a D cycle test schedule and to accelerate a 1576-kg (3456-lb) simulated vehicle to a cruise speed of 88.5 km/hr (55 mph). Combined motor controller efficiency is 72 percent and the power inverter efficiency alone is 89 percent for the cruise region of the D cycle. Steady state test results for motoring, regeneration, and thermal data obtained by operating the simulator as a conventional dynamometer are in agreement with the contractor's previously reported data. The regeneration test results indicate that a reduction in energy requirements for urban driving cycles is attainable with regenerative braking. Test results and data in this report serve as a data base for further development of ac motor controllers and propulsion systems for electric vehicles. The controller uses state-of-the-art silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) power semiconductors and microprocessor-based logic and control circuitry. The controller was developed by Gould Laboratories under a Lewis contract for the Department of Energy's Electric and Hybrid Vehicle program.

  3. Road load simulator tests of the Gould phase 1 functional model silicon controlled rectifier ac motor controller for electric vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gourash, F.

    1984-01-01

    The test results for a functional model ac motor controller for electric vehicles and a three-phase induction motor which were dynamically tested on the Lewis Research Center road load simulator are presented. Results show that the controller has the capability to meet the SAE-J227a D cycle test schedule and to accelerate a 1576-kg (3456-lb) simulated vehicle to a cruise speed of 88.5 km/hr (55 mph). Combined motor controller efficiency is 72 percent and the power inverter efficiency alone is 89 percent for the cruise region of the D cycle. Steady state test results for motoring, regeneration, and thermal data obtained by operating the simulator as a conventional dynamometer are in agreement with the contractor's previously reported data. The regeneration test results indicate that a reduction in energy requirements for urban driving cycles is attainable with regenerative braking. Test results and data in this report serve as a data base for further development of ac motor controllers and propulsion systems for electric vehicles. The controller uses state-of-the-art silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) power semiconductors and microprocessor-based logic and control circuitry. The controller was developed by Gould Laboratories under a Lewis contract for the Department of Energy's Electric and Hybrid Vehicle program.

  4. Cascading failures in ac electricity grids.

    PubMed

    Rohden, Martin; Jung, Daniel; Tamrakar, Samyak; Kettemann, Stefan

    2016-09-01

    Sudden failure of a single transmission element in a power grid can induce a domino effect of cascading failures, which can lead to the isolation of a large number of consumers or even to the failure of the entire grid. Here we present results of the simulation of cascading failures in power grids, using an alternating current (AC) model. We first apply this model to a regular square grid topology. For a random placement of consumers and generators on the grid, the probability to find more than a certain number of unsupplied consumers decays as a power law and obeys a scaling law with respect to system size. Varying the transmitted power threshold above which a transmission line fails does not seem to change the power-law exponent q≈1.6. Furthermore, we study the influence of the placement of generators and consumers on the number of affected consumers and demonstrate that large clusters of generators and consumers are especially vulnerable to cascading failures. As a real-world topology, we consider the German high-voltage transmission grid. Applying the dynamic AC model and considering a random placement of consumers, we find that the probability to disconnect more than a certain number of consumers depends strongly on the threshold. For large thresholds the decay is clearly exponential, while for small ones the decay is slow, indicating a power-law decay.

  5. Plasma characteristics in non-sinusoidally excited CCP discharges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lafleur, Trevor; Booth, Jean-Paul

    2012-10-01

    Using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations we perform a characterization of the plasma response to positive pulse-type voltage excitations (with a repetition frequency of 13.56 MHz) in a geometrically symmetric CCP reactor (with a gap length of 2 cm) operated with argon (for pressures between 20-500 mTorr). Use of these non-sinusoidal waveforms generates an electrical asymmetry effect in the system, which necessitates the formation of a DC bias. This DC bias, together with the shape of the voltage waveforms used, produces a number of new phenomena that are not present in typical sinusoidal discharges: (1) the plasma density and ion flux can be increased as the pulse width is reduced, (2) a significant asymmetry in the ion fluxes to the powered and grounded electrodes develops as the pressure increases, (3) the average ion energy striking the grounded electrode remains low and approximately constant as the pulse width decreases, and (4) the sheath at the grounded electrode never fully collapses; electrons are no longer lost in sharp pulses, but escape essentially throughout the rf cycle. Effects (1) and (3) above offer the possibility for a new form of control in these types of discharges, where the ion flux can be increased while the ion energy on the grounded electrode can be kept small and essentially constant. This effect has recently been exploited to control the crystallinity of silicon thin films [1], where the low ion bombarding energy was found to improve the quality of films grown. [4pt] [1] Johnson E V, Pouliquen S, Delattre P A, and Booth J P, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 2012, in press.

  6. Introducing AC inductive reactance with a power tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bryant, Wesley; Baker, Blane

    2016-09-01

    The concept of reactance in AC electrical circuits is often non-intuitive and difficult for students to grasp. In order to address this lack of conceptual understanding, classroom exercises compare the predicted resistance of a power tool, based on electrical specifications, to measured resistance. Once students discover that measured resistance is smaller than expected, they are asked to explain these observations using previously studied principles of magnetic induction. Exercises also introduce the notion of inductive reactance and impedance in AC circuits and, ultimately, determine self-inductance of the motor windings within the power tool.

  7. Dielectric behavior of AC aged polyethylene in humid environment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Scarpa, P.C.N.; Das-Gupta, D.K.; Bulinski, A.T.

    1996-12-31

    The present paper reports the results of a study of electrical aging of low density polyethylene (LDPE) aged in humid environment (0.1M NaCl) at an AC stress of 6kV/mm, 1kHz, at room temperature (RT) and at 65 C, and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) AC aged in humid environment (water) at an AC stress of 6kV/mm, 50Hz, at RT, for an extended period of time. For this study the dielectric spectroscopy data in the frequency range of 10{sup {minus}5}Hz to 10{sup 6}Hz and their comparative analysis, have been used to provide electrical analog models of the aging.

  8. AC conductivity and dielectric behavior of bulk Furfurylidenemalononitrile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Nahass, M. M.; Ali, H. A. M.

    2012-06-01

    AC conductivity and dielectric behavior for bulk Furfurylidenemalononitrile have been studied over a temperature range (293-333 K) and frequency range (50-5×106 Hz). The frequency dependence of ac conductivity, σac, has been investigated by the universal power law, σac(ω)=Aωs. The variation of the frequency exponent (s) with temperature was analyzed in terms of different conduction mechanisms, and it was found that the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model is the predominant conduction mechanism. The temperature dependence of σac(ω) showed a linear increase with the increase in temperature at different frequencies. The ac activation energy was determined at different frequencies. Dielectric data were analyzed using complex permittivity and complex electric modulus for bulk Furfurylidenemalononitrile at various temperatures.

  9. Hybrid immersed interface-immersed boundary methods for AC dielectrophoresis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hossan, Mohammad Robiul; Department of Engineering and Physics, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK 73034-5209; Dillon, Robert

    2014-08-01

    Dielectrophoresis, a nonlinear electrokinetic transport mechanism, has become popular in many engineering applications including manipulation, characterization and actuation of biomaterials, particles and biological cells. In this paper, we present a hybrid immersed interface–immersed boundary method to study AC dielectrophoresis where an algorithm is developed to solve the complex Poisson equation using a real variable formulation. An immersed interface method is employed to obtain the AC electric field in a fluid media with suspended particles and an immersed boundary method is used for the fluid equations and particle transport. The convergence of the proposed algorithm as well as validation of themore » hybrid scheme with experimental results is presented. In this paper, the Maxwell stress tensor is used to calculate the dielectrophoretic force acting on particles by considering the physical effect of particles in the computational domain. Thus, this study eliminates the approximations used in point dipole methods for calculating dielectrophoretic force. A comparative study between Maxwell stress tensor and point dipole methods for computing dielectrophoretic forces are presented. The hybrid method is used to investigate the physics of dielectrophoresis in microfluidic devices using an AC electric field. The numerical results show that with proper design and appropriate selection of applied potential and frequency, global electric field minima can be obtained to facilitate multiple particle trapping by exploiting the mechanism of negative dielectrophoresis. Our numerical results also show that electrically neutral particles form a chain parallel to the applied electric field irrespective of their initial orientation when an AC electric field is applied. This proposed hybrid numerical scheme will help to better understand dielectrophoresis and to design and optimize microfluidic devices.« less

  10. Mathematical model for the dc-ac inverter for the Space Shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berry, Frederick C.

    1987-01-01

    The reader is informed of what was done for the mathematical modeling of the dc-ac inverter for the Space Shuttle. The mathematical modeling of the dc-ac inverter is an essential element in the modeling of the electrical power distribution system of the Space Shuttle. The electrical power distribution system which is present on the Space Shuttle is made up to 3 strings each having a fuel cell which provides dc to those systems which require dc, and the inverters which convert the dc to ac for those elements which require ac. The inverters are units which are 2 wire structures for the main dc inputs and 2 wire structures for the ac output. When 3 are connected together a 4 wire wye connection results on the ac side. The method of modeling is performed by using a Least Squares curve fitting method. A computer program is presented for implementation of the model along with graphs and tables to demonstrate the accuracy of the model.

  11. Sinusoidal portal hypertension in hepatic amyloidosis.

    PubMed Central

    Bion, E; Brenard, R; Pariente, E A; Lebrec, D; Degott, C; Maitre, F; Benhamou, J P

    1991-01-01

    Hepatic venous catheterisation and transvenous liver biopsy were performed in five patients with hepatic amyloidosis. In three patients, hepatic venous pressures were normal and histological examination of the liver biopsy specimen showed discrete and sparse perisinusoidal amyloid deposits. In the other two, however, the gradient between wedged and free hepatic venous pressures was increased (12 and 16 mmHg; normal 1-4 mmHg) and amyloid deposits were abundant and diffuse in the Disse's space. This study shows that portal hypertension in patients with hepatic amyloidosis is of the sinusoidal type and is related to the reduction of vascular space of hepatic sinusoids by massive perisinusoidal amyloid deposits. Furthermore, portal hypertension is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with hepatic amyloidosis. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:1864548

  12. High-speed 3D imaging using digital binary defocusing method vs sinusoidal method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Song; Hyun, Jae-Sang; Li, Beiwen

    2017-02-01

    This paper presents our research findings on high-speed 3D imaging using digital light processing (DLP) technologies. In particular, we compare two different sinusoidal fringe generation techniques using the DLP projection devices: direct projection of 8-bit computer generated sinusoidal patterns (a.k.a, the sinusoidal method), and the creation of sinusoidal patterns by defocusing binary patterns (a.k.a., the binary defocusing method). This paper mainly examines their performance on high-accuracy measurement applications under precisely controlled settings. Two different projection systems were tested in this study: the commercially available inexpensive projector, and the DLP development kit. Experimental results demonstrated that the binary defocusing method always outperforms the sinusoidal method if a sufficient number of phase-shifted fringe patterns can be used.

  13. Dielectric aggregation kinetics of cells in a uniform AC electric field.

    PubMed

    Tada, Shigeru; Natsuya, Tomoyuki; Tsukamoto, Akira

    2014-01-01

    Cell manipulation and separation technologies have potential biological and medical applications, including advanced clinical protocols such as tissue engineering. An aggregation model was developed for a human carcinoma (HeLa) cell suspension exposed to a uniform AC electric field, in order to explore the field-induced structure formation and kinetics of cell aggregates. The momentum equations of cells under the action of the dipole-dipole interaction were solved theoretically and the total time required to form linear string-like cluster was derived. The results were compared with those of a numerical simulation. Experiments using HeLa cells were also performed for comparison. The total time required to form linear string-like clusters was derived from a simple theoretical model of the cell cluster kinetics. The growth rates of the average string length of cell aggregates showed good agreement with those of the numerical simulation. In the experiment, cells were found to form massive clusters on the bottom of a chamber. The results imply that the string-like cluster grows rapidly by longitudinal attraction when the electric field is first applied and that this process slows at later times and is replaced by lateral coagulation of short strings. The findings presented here are expected to enable design of methods for the organization of three-dimensional (3D) cellular structures without the use of micro-fabricated substrates, such as 3D biopolymer scaffolds, to manipulate cells into spatial arrangement.

  14. Memristors in the electrical network of Aloe vera L.

    PubMed Central

    Volkov, Alexander G; Reedus, Jada; Mitchell, Colee M; Tucket, Clayton; Forde-Tuckett, Victoria; Volkova, Maya I; Markin, Vladislav S; Chua, Leon

    2014-01-01

    A memristor is a resistor with memory, which is a non-linear passive two-terminal electrical element relating magnetic flux linkage and electrical charge. Here we found that memristors exist in vivo. The electrostimulation of the Aloe vera by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induce electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic sinusoidal or triangle electrostimulating waves. Memristive behavior of an electrical network in the Aloe vera is linked to the properties of voltage gated ion channels: the K+ channel blocker TEACl reduces the electric response to a conventional resistor. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K+ channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants. PMID:25763487

  15. Simulation study on transient electric shock characteristics of human body under high voltage ac transmission lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Tao; Zou, Yanhui; Lv, Jianhong; Yang, Jinchun; Tao, Li; Zhou, Jianfei

    2017-09-01

    Human body under high-voltage AC transmission lines will produce a certain induced voltage due to the electrostatic induction. When the human body contacts with some grounded objects, the charges transfer from the body to the ground and produce contact current which may cause transient electric shock. Using CDEGS and ATP/EMTP, the paper proposes a method for quantitatively calculating the transient electric shock characteristics. It calculates the human body voltage, discharge current and discharge energy under certain 500kV compact-type transmission lines and predicts the corresponding human feelings. The results show that the average root value of discharge current is less than 10mA when the human body is under the 500kV compact-type transmission lines and the human body is overall safe if the transmission lines satisfy the relevant design specifications. It concludes that the electric field strength above the ground should be limited to 4kV/m through the residential area for the purpose of reducing the electromagnetic impact.

  16. Electric polarization and the viability of living systems: ion cyclotron resonance-like interactions.

    PubMed

    Liboff, A R

    2009-01-01

    Wellness can be described in physical terms as a state that is a function of the organism's electric polarization vector P(r, t). One can alter P by invasive application of electric fields or by non invasive external pulsed magnetic fields (PMF) or ion cyclotron resonance (ICR)-like combinations of static and sinusoidal magnetic fields. Changes in human (total) body bioimpedance are significantly altered during exposure to ICR magnetic field combinations. The conductivities of polar amino acids in solution exhibit sharp discontinuities at ICR magnetic fields tuned to the specific charge to mass ratio of the amino acid. It has been reported that protein peptide bonds are broken by such amino acid ICR fields. Remarkably, some of these effects are only found at ultra-low AC magnetic intensities, on the order of .05 muT. This is approximately 10(3) below accepted levels determined by engineering estimates. Such strikingly low magnetic intensities imply the existence of physically equivalent endogenous weak electric field oscillations. These observations not only make claims related to electromagnetic pollution more credible but also provide a basis for future electromagnetic applications in medicine. They also reinforce the notion that physical factors acting to influence the electric polarization in living organisms play a key role in biology.

  17. Electromotile hearing: Acoustic tones mask psychophysical response to high-frequency electrical stimulation of intact guinea pig cochleaea)

    PubMed Central

    Le Prell, Colleen G.; Kawamoto, Kohei; Raphael, Yehoash; Dolan, David F.

    2011-01-01

    When sinusoidal electric stimulation is applied to the intact cochlea, a frequency-specific acoustic emission can be recorded in the ear canal. Acoustic emissions are produced by basilar membrane motion, and have been used to suggest a corresponding acoustic sensation termed “electromotile hearing.” Electromotile hearing has been specifically attributed to electric stimulation of outer hair cells in the intact organ of Corti. To determine the nature of the auditory perception produced by electric stimulation of a cochlea with intact outer hair cells, we tested guinea pigs in a psychophysical task. First, subjects were trained to report detection of sinusoidal acoustic stimuli and dynamic range was assessed using response latency. Subjects were then implanted with a ball electrode placed into scala tympani. Following the surgical implant procedure, subjects were transferred to a task in which acoustic signals were replaced by sinusoidal electric stimulation, and dynamic range was assessed again. Finally, the ability of acoustic pure-tone stimuli to mask the detection of the electric signals was assessed. Based on the masking effects, we conclude that sinusoidal electric stimulation of the intact cochlea results in perception of a tonal (rather than a broad-band or noisy) sound at a frequency of 8 kHz or above. PMID:17225416

  18. Changes in auditory nerve responses across the duration of sinusoidally amplitude-modulated electric pulse-train stimuli.

    PubMed

    Hu, Ning; Miller, Charles A; Abbas, Paul J; Robinson, Barbara K; Woo, Jihwan

    2010-12-01

    Response rates of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) to electric pulse trains change over time, reflecting substantial spike-rate adaptation that depends on stimulus parameters. We hypothesize that adaptation affects the representation of amplitude-modulated pulse trains used by cochlear prostheses to transmit speech information to the auditory system. We recorded cat ANF responses to sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) trains with 5,000 pulse/s carriers. Stimuli delivered by a monopolar intracochlear electrode had fixed modulation frequency (100 Hz) and depth (10%). ANF responses were assessed by spike-rate measures, while representation of modulation was evaluated by vector strength (VS) and the fundamental component of the fast Fourier transform (F(0) amplitude). These measures were assessed across the 400 ms duration of pulse-train stimuli, a duration relevant to speech stimuli. Different stimulus levels were explored and responses were categorized into four spike-rate groups to assess level effects across ANFs. The temporal pattern of rate adaptation to modulated trains was similar to that of unmodulated trains, but with less rate adaptation. VS to the modulator increased over time and tended to saturate at lower spike rates, while F(0) amplitude typically decreased over time for low driven rates and increased for higher driven rates. VS at moderate and high spike rates and degree of F(0) amplitude temporal changes at low and moderate spike rates were positively correlated with the degree of rate adaptation. Thus, high-rate carriers will modify the ANF representation of the modulator over time. As the VS and F(0) measures were sensitive to adaptation-related changes over different spike-rate ranges, there is value in assessing both measures.

  19. Study of dielectric relaxation and AC conductivity of InP:S single crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Nahass, M. M.; Ali, H. A. M.; El-Shazly, E. A.

    2012-07-01

    The dielectric relaxation and AC conductivity of InP:S single crystal were studied in the frequency range from 100 to 5.25 × 105 Hz and in the temperature range from 296 to 455 K. The dependence of the dielectric constant (ɛ1) and the dielectric loss (ɛ2) on both frequency and temperature was investigated. Since no peak was observed on the dielectric loss, we used a method based on the electric modulus to evaluate the activation energy of the dielectric relaxation. Scaling of the electric modulus spectra showed that the charge transport dynamics is independent of temperature. The AC conductivity (σAC) was found to obey the power law: Aωs. Analysis of the AC conductivity data and the frequency exponent showed that the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model is the dominant mechanism for the AC conduction. The variation of AC conductivity with temperature at different frequencies showed that σAC is a thermally activated process.

  20. Simple circuit monitors "third wire" in ac lines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kojima, T. T.; Stuck, D. E.

    1980-01-01

    Device detects interruption of ground connection in three-wire electrical equipment and shuts off ac power to prevent shock hazard. Silicon-controlled rectifiers detect floating ground, and deenergize optoelectric relays thereby breaking power connections. Circuit could be incorporated into hand tools, appliances, and other electrical equipment.

  1. Electrical energy consumption control apparatuses and electrical energy consumption control methods

    DOEpatents

    Hammerstrom, Donald J.

    2012-09-04

    Electrical energy consumption control apparatuses and electrical energy consumption control methods are described. According to one aspect, an electrical energy consumption control apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to receive a signal which is indicative of current of electrical energy which is consumed by a plurality of loads at a site, to compare the signal which is indicative of current of electrical energy which is consumed by the plurality of loads at the site with a desired substantially sinusoidal waveform of current of electrical energy which is received at the site from an electrical power system, and to use the comparison to control an amount of the electrical energy which is consumed by at least one of the loads of the site.

  2. Space Charge Modulated Electrical Breakdown

    PubMed Central

    Li, Shengtao; Zhu, Yuanwei; Min, Daomin; Chen, George

    2016-01-01

    Electrical breakdown is one of the most important physical phenomena in electrical and electronic engineering. Since the early 20th century, many theories and models of electrical breakdown have been proposed, but the origin of one key issue, that the explanation for dc breakdown strength being twice or higher than ac breakdown strength in insulating materials, remains unclear. Here, by employing a bipolar charge transport model, we investigate the space charge dynamics in both dc and ac breakdown processes. We demonstrate the differences in charge accumulations under both dc and ac stresses and estimate the breakdown strength, which is modulated by the electric field distortion induced by space charge. It is concluded that dc breakdown initializes in the bulk whereas ac breakdown initializes in the vicinity of the sample-electrode interface. Compared with dc breakdown, the lower breakdown strength under ac stress and the decreasing breakdown strength with an increase in applied frequency, are both attributed to the electric field distortion induced by space charges located in the vicinity of the electrodes. PMID:27599577

  3. In vitro and in vivo comparisons of constant resistance AC iontophoresis and DC iontophoresis.

    PubMed

    Li, S Kevin; Higuchi, William I; Zhu, Honggang; Kern, Steven E; Miller, David J; Hastings, Matthew S

    2003-09-04

    A previous in vitro constant electrical resistance alternating current (AC) iontophoresis study with human epidermal membrane (HEM) and a model neutral permeant has shown less inter- and intra-sample variability in iontophoretic transport relative to conventional constant direct current (DC) iontophoresis. The objectives of the present study were to address the following questions. (1) Can the skin electrical resistance be maintained at a constant level by AC in humans in vivo? (2) Are the in vitro data with HEM representative of those in vivo? (3) Does constant skin resistance AC iontophoresis have less inter- and intra-sample variability than conventional constant current DC iontophoresis in vivo? (4) What are the electrical and the barrier properties of skin during iontophoresis in vivo? In the present study, in vitro HEM experiments were carried out with the constant resistance AC and the conventional constant current DC methods using mannitol and glucose as the neutral model permeants. In vivo human experiments were performed using glucose as the permeant with a constant skin resistance AC only protocol and two conventional constant current DC methods (continuous constant current DC and constant current DC with its polarity alternated every 10 min with a 3:7 on:off duty cycle). Constant current DC iontophoresis was conducted with commercial constant current DC devices, and constant resistance AC iontophoresis was carried out by reducing and maintaining the skin resistance at a constant target value with AC supplied from a function generator. This study shows that (1) skin electrical resistance can be maintained at a constant level during AC iontophoresis in vivo; (2) HEM in vitro and human skin in vivo demonstrate similar electrical and barrier properties, and these properties are consistent with our previous findings; (3) there is general qualitative and semi-quantitative agreement between the HEM data in vitro and human skin data in vivo; and (4) constant

  4. Memory elements in the electrical network of Mimosa pudica L.

    PubMed Central

    Volkov, Alexander G; Reedus, Jada; Mitchell, Colee M; Tuckett, Clayton; Volkova, Maya I; Markin, Vladislav S; Chua, Leon

    2014-01-01

    The fourth basic circuit element, a memristor, is a resistor with memory that was postulated by Chua in 1971. Here we found that memristors exist in vivo. The electrostimulation of the Mimosa pudica by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induce electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic electrostimulating waves. Memristive behavior of an electrical network in the Mimosa pudica is linked to the properties of voltage gated ion channels: the channel blocker TEACl reduces the electric response to a conventional resistor. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K+ channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants. PMID:25482796

  5. Memory elements in the electrical network of Mimosa pudica L.

    PubMed

    Volkov, Alexander G; Reedus, Jada; Mitchell, Colee M; Tuckett, Clayton; Volkova, Maya I; Markin, Vladislav S; Chua, Leon

    2014-01-01

    The fourth basic circuit element, a memristor, is a resistor with memory that was postulated by Chua in 1971. Here we found that memristors exist in vivo. The electrostimulation of the Mimosa pudica by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induce electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic electrostimulating waves. Memristive behavior of an electrical network in the Mimosa pudica is linked to the properties of voltage gated ion channels: the channel blocker TEACl reduces the electric response to a conventional resistor. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.

  6. Direct simulation of phase delay effects on induced-charge electro-osmosis under large ac electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugioka, Hideyuki

    2016-08-01

    The standard theory of induced-charge electro-osmosis (ICEO) often overpredicts experimental values of ICEO velocities. Using a nonsteady direct multiphysics simulation technique based on the coupled Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Stokes equations for an electrolyte around a conductive cylinder subject to an ac electric field, we find that a phase delay effect concerning an ion response provides a fundamental mechanism for electrokinetic suppression. A surprising aspect of our findings is that the phase delay effect occurs even at much lower frequencies (e.g., 50 Hz) than the generally believed charging frequency of an electric double layer (typically, 1 kHz) and it can decrease the electrokinetic velocities in one to several orders. In addition, we find that the phase delay effect may also cause a change in the electrokinetic flow directions (i.e., flow reversal) depending on the geometrical conditions. We believe that our findings move toward a more complete understanding of complex experimental nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena.

  7. Introducing AC Inductive Reactance with a Power Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Wesley; Baker, Blane

    2016-01-01

    The concept of reactance in AC electrical circuits is often non-intuitive and difficult for students to grasp. In order to address this lack of conceptual understanding, classroom exercises compare the predicted resistance of a power tool, based on electrical specifications, to measured resistance. Once students discover that measured resistance…

  8. Applications for Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) and Electrical Properties of the Human Body.

    PubMed

    Lymperopoulos, Georgios; Lymperopoulos, Panagiotis; Alikari, Victoria; Dafogianni, Chrisoula; Zyga, Sofia; Margari, Nikoletta

    2017-01-01

    Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a promising application that displays changes in conductivity within a body. The basic principle of the method is the repeated measurement of surface voltages of a body, which are a result of rolling injection of known and small-volume sinusoidal AC current to the body through the electrodes attached to its surface. This method finds application in biomedicine, biology and geology. The objective of this paper is to present the applications of Electrical Impedance Tomography, along with the method's capabilities and limitations due to the electrical properties of the human body. For this purpose, investigation of existing literature has been conducted, using electronic databases, PubMed, Google Scholar and IEEE Xplore. In addition, there was a secondary research phase, using paper citations found during the first research phase. It should be noted that Electrical Impedance Tomography finds use in a plethora of medical applications, as the different tissues of the body have different conductivities and dielectric constants. Main applications of EIT include imaging of lung function, diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, detection of tumors in the chest area and diagnosis and distinction of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. EIT advantages include portability, low cost and safety, which the method provide, since it is a noninvasive imaging method that does not cause damage to the body. The main disadvantage of the method, which blocks its wider spread, appears in the image composition from the voltage measurements, which are conducted by electrodes placed on the periphery of the body, because the injected currents are affected nonlinearly by the general distribution of the electrical properties of the body. Furthermore, the complex impedance of the skin-electrode interface can be modelled by using a capacitor and two resistor, as a result of skin properties. In conclusion, Electrical Impedance Tomography is a promising method for the

  9. Particle Line Assembly/Patterning by Microfluidic AC Electroosmosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lian, Meng; Islam, Nazmul; Wu, Jie

    2006-04-01

    Recently AC electroosmosis has attracted research interests worldwide. This paper is the first to investigate particle line assembly/patterning by AC electroosmosis. Since AC electroosmotic force has no dependence on particle sizes, this technique is particularly useful for manipulating nanoscale substance, and hopefully constructs functional nanoscale devices. Two types of ACEO devices, in the configurations of planar interdigitated electrodes and parallel plate electrodes, and a biased ACEO technique are studied, which provides added flexibility in particle manipulation and line assembly. The paper also investigates the effects of electrical field distributions on generating microflows for particle assembly. The results are corroborated experimentally.

  10. The Integrity bare-metal stent made by continuous sinusoid technology.

    PubMed

    Turco, Mark A

    2011-05-01

    The Integrity Coronary Stent System (Medtronic Vascular, CA, USA) is a low-profile, open-cell, cobalt-chromium-alloy advanced bare-metal iteration of the well-known Driver/Micro-Driver Coronary Stent System (Medtronic Vascular). The Integrity stent is made with a process called continuous sinusoid technology. This process allows stent construction via wrapping a single thin strand of wire around a mandrel in a sinusoid configuration, with laser fusion of adjacent crowns. The wire-forming process and fusion pattern provide the stent with a continuous preferential bending plane, intended to allow easier access to, and smoother tracking within, distal and tortuous vessels while radial strength is maintained. Continuous sinusoid technology represents innovation in the design of stent platforms and will provide a future stent platform for newer technology, including drug-eluting stent platforms, drug-filled stents and core wire stents.

  11. Instantaneous velocity measurement of AC electroosmotic flows by laser induced fluorescence photobleaching anemometer with high temporal resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Wei; Yang, Fang; Qiao, Rui; Wang, Guiren; Rui Qiao Collaboration

    2015-11-01

    Understanding the instantaneous response of flows to applied AC electric fields may help understand some unsolved issues in induced-charge electrokinetics and enhance performance of microfluidic devices. Since currently available velocimeters have difficulty in measuring velocity fluctuations with frequency higher than 1 kHz, most experimental studies so far focus only on the average velocity measurement in AC electrokinetic flows. Here, we present measurements of AC electroosmotic flow (AC-EOF) response time in microchannels by a novel velocimeter with submicrometer spatial resolution and microsecond temporal resolution, i.e. laser-induced fluorescence photobleaching anemometer (LIFPA). Several parameters affecting the AC-EOF response time to the applied electric signal were investigated, i.e. channel length, transverse position and solution conductivity. The experimental results show that the EOF response time under a pulsed electric field decreases with the reduction of the microchannel length, distance between the detection position to the wall and the conductivity of the solution. This work could provide a new powerful tool to measure AC electrokinetics and enhance our understanding of AC electrokinetic flows.

  12. Multiple piezo-patch energy harvesters on a thin plate with respective AC-DC conversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aghakhani, Amirreza; Basdogan, Ipek

    2018-03-01

    Piezoelectric patch energy harvesters can be directly integrated to plate-like structures which are widely used in automotive, marine and aerospace applications, to convert vibrational energy to electrical energy. This paper presents two different AC-DC conversion techniques for multiple patch harvesters, namely single rectifier and respective rectifiers. The first case considers all the piezo-patches are connected in parallel to a single rectifier, whereas in the second case, each harvester is respectively rectified and then connected in parallel to a smoothing capacitor and a resistive load. The latter configuration of AC-DC conversion helps to avoid the electrical charge cancellation which is a problem with the multiple harvesters attached to different locations of the host plate surface. Equivalent circuit model of the multiple piezo-patch harvesters is developed in the SPICE software to simulate the electrical response. The system parameters are obtained from the modal analysis solution of the plate. Simulations of the voltage frequency response functions (FRFs) for the standard AC input - AC output case are conducted and validated by experimental data. Finally, for the AC input - DC output case, numerical simulation and experimental results of the power outputs of multiple piezo-patch harvesters with multiple AC-DC converters are obtained for a wide range of resistive loads and compared with the same array of harvesters connected to a single AC-DC converter.

  13. AC electrothermal technique in microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salari, Alinaghi; Navi, Maryam; Dalton, Colin

    2017-02-01

    Electrokinetic techniques have a wide range of applications in droplet, particle, and fluid manipulation systems. In general, they can be categorized into different subgroups including electroosmosis, electrothermal, electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis, etc. The AC electrothermal (ACET) technique has been shown to be very effective in applications which involve high conductivity fluids, such as blood, which are typically used in biomedical applications. In the past few years, the ACET effect has received considerable attention. Unlike AC electroosmosis (ACEO), the ACET effect shows plateaus in force in a wide frequency range. In other words, with electrothermal force, velocity is more steady and predictable at different frequencies, compared to ACEO and dielectrophoresis (DEP). Although electrothermal microflows form as a result of Joule heating in the fluid, due to high conduction of heat to the ambience, the temperature rise in the fluid is not so high as to threaten the nature of the biofluids. The average temperature rise resulting from the ACET effect is below 5 °K. In order to generate high strength AC electric fields, microfabricated electrode arrays are commonly used in microchannels. For pumping applications, it is essential to create asymmetry in the electric field, typically by having asymmetrical electrode pairs. There is no defined border between many electrokinetic techniques, and as such the point where electrothermal processes interferes with other electrokinetic techniques is not clear in the literature. In addition, there have been comprehensive reviews on micropumps, electrokinetics, and their subcategories, but the literature lacks a detailed up-to-date review on electrothermal microdevices. In this paper, a brief review is made specifically on electric fields in ACET devices, in order to provide an insight for the reader about the importance of this aspect of ACET devices and the improvements made to date.

  14. Shapiro steps for skyrmion motion on a washboard potential with longitudinal and transverse ac drives

    DOE PAGES

    Reichhardt, Charles; Reichhardt, Cynthia Jane

    2015-12-28

    In this work, we numerically study the behavior of two-dimensional skyrmions in the presence of a quasi-one-dimensional sinusoidal substrate under the influence of externally applied dc and ac drives. In the overdamped limit, when both dc and ac drives are aligned in the longitudinal direction parallel to the direction of the substrate modulation, the velocity-force curves exhibit classic Shapiro step features when the frequency of the ac drive matches the washboard frequency that is dynamically generated by the motion of the skyrmions over the substrate, similar to previous observations in superconducting vortex systems. In the case of skyrmions, the additionalmore » contribution to the skyrmion motion from a nondissipative Magnus force shifts the location of the locking steps to higher dc drives, and we find that the skyrmions move at an angle with respect to the direction of the dc drive. For a longitudinal dc drive and a perpendicular or transverse ac drive, the overdamped system exhibits no Shapiro steps; however, when a finite Magnus force is present, we find pronounced transverse Shapiro steps along with complex two-dimensional periodic orbits of the skyrmions in the phase-locked regimes. Both the longitudinal and transverse ac drives produce locking steps whose widths oscillate with increasing ac drive amplitude. We examine the role of collective skyrmion interactions and find that additional fractional locking steps occur for both longitudinal and transverse ac drives. Finally, at higher skyrmion densities, the system undergoes a series of dynamical order-disorder transitions, with the skyrmions forming a moving solid on the phase locking steps and a fluctuating dynamical liquid in regimes between the steps.« less

  15. Sinusoidal transform coding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcaulay, Robert J.; Quatieri, Thomas F.

    1988-01-01

    It has been shown that an analysis/synthesis system based on a sinusoidal representation of speech leads to synthetic speech that is essentially perceptually indistinguishable from the original. Strategies for coding the amplitudes, frequencies and phases of the sine waves have been developed that have led to a multirate coder operating at rates from 2400 to 9600 bps. The encoded speech is highly intelligible at all rates with a uniformly improving quality as the data rate is increased. A real-time fixed-point implementation has been developed using two ADSP2100 DSP chips. The methods used for coding and quantizing the sine-wave parameters for operation at the various frame rates are described.

  16. Recovery of consciousness in broilers following combined dc and ac stunning

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Broilers in the United States are typically electrically stunned using low voltage-high frequency pulsed DC water bath stunners and in the European Union broilers are electrocuted using high voltage-low frequency AC. DC stunned broilers regain consciousness in the absence of exsanguination and AC st...

  17. Walking strategies of visually impaired people on trapezoidal- and sinusoidal-section tactile groundsurface indicators.

    PubMed

    Ranavolo, A; Conte, C; Iavicoli, S; Serrao, M; Silvetti, A; Sandrini, G; Pierelli, F; Draicchio, F

    2011-03-01

    The visual system in walking serves to perceive feedback or feed-forward signals. Therefore, visually impaired persons (VIP) have biased motor control mechanisms. The use of leading indicators (LIs) and long canes helps to improve their walking efficiency. The aims of this study were to compare the walking efficiency of VIP on trapezoidal- and sinusoidal-section LIs using an optoelectronic motion analysis system. VIP displayed a significantly longer stance phase, a shorter swing phase and shorter step and stride lengths when they walked on the sinusoidal LI than when they walked on the trapezoidal LI. Compared with the trapezoidal LI, VIP walking on the sinusoidal LI displayed significantly lower joint ranges of motion. The centre of mass lateral displacement was wider for VIP walking on the sinusoidal LI than on the trapezoidal LI. Some significant differences were also found in sighted persons walking on both LIs. In conclusion, the trapezoidal shape enabled visually impaired subjects to walk more efficiently, whereas the sinusoidal shape caused dynamic balance problems. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that VIP can walk more efficiently, with a lower risk of falls, on trapezoidal-section than on sinusoidal-section LIs. These results should be considered when choosing the most appropriate ground tactile surface indicators for widespread use.

  18. Single Phase Passive Rectification Versus Active Rectification Applied to High Power Stirling Engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Santiago, Walter; Birchenough, Arthur G.

    2006-01-01

    Stirling engine converters are being considered as potential candidates for high power energy conversion systems required by future NASA explorations missions. These types of engines typically contain two major moving parts, the displacer and the piston, in which a linear alternator is attached to the piston to produce a single phase sinusoidal waveform at a specific electric frequency. Since all Stirling engines perform at low electrical frequencies (less or equal to 100 Hz), space explorations missions that will employ these engines will be required to use DC power management and distribution (PMAD) system instead of an AC PMAD system to save on space and weight. Therefore, to supply such DC power an AC to DC converter is connected to the Stirling engine. There are two types of AC to DC converters that can be employed, a passive full bridge diode rectifier and an active switching full bridge rectifier. Due to the inherent line inductance of the Stirling Engine-Linear Alternator (SE-LA), their sinusoidal voltage and current will be phase shifted producing a power factor below 1. In order to keep power the factor close to unity, both AC to DC converters topologies will implement power factor correction. This paper discusses these power factor correction methods as well as their impact on overall mass for exploration applications. Simulation results on both AC to DC converters topologies with power factor correction as a function of output power and SE-LA line inductance impedance are presented and compared.

  19. Peliosis hepatis and sinusoidal dilation during infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). An ultrastructural study.

    PubMed Central

    Scoazec, J. Y.; Marche, C.; Girard, P. M.; Houtmann, J.; Durand-Schneider, A. M.; Saimot, A. G.; Benhamou, J. P.; Feldmann, G.

    1988-01-01

    The description of hepatic sinusoidal lesions in a significant number of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients prompted the authors to undertake an ultrastructural study of the sinusoidal barrier abnormalities during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, in order to compare these lesions with those described in other conditions and to discuss their possible origin. In a series of 29 patients with serologic evidence of HIV infection and liver abnormalities, 8 (28%) had sinusoidal lesions. Peliosis hepatis was present in 2 cases, and sinusoidal dilatation in 6. These patients were classified as follows: 3 AIDS, 4 AIDS-related complex, 1 unclassifiable. Ultrastructural lesions of the sinusoidal barrier were observed in all the cases. They closely mimicked the changes previously reported in peliotic and peliotic-like changes of various origins. A striking particularity was, however, the presence of numerous and hyperplastic sinusoidal macrophages. This work suggests that an injury of the endothelial cells, directly or indirectly related to the presence of HIV, may be incriminated in the pathogenesis of sinusoidal lesions during HIV infection. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 PMID:3354642

  20. Sub-micrometer particles produced by a low-powered AC electric arc in liquids.

    PubMed

    Jaworski, Jacek A; Fleury, Eric

    2012-01-01

    The article presents the report of the production of composites of sub-micrometer metal particles in matrix consisted of the metal compounds by means of an AC electric arc in water and paraffin solutions using electrodes carbon-metal and metal-metal (metal: Ni, Fe, Co, Cu). The advantage of this method is the low electric power (from 5 to 10 W) needed in comparison to standard DC arc-discharge methods (0.8 to 3 kW). This method enables the production of particles from conductive material also in wide range of temperature and in solvent which could be either transparent to light or opaque. Moreover the solvent can be electrolyte or insulating liquid. The microstructure of the composite layer was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) and X-ray. During particles production in water metal oxides were created. Additionally using cobalt-copper, nickel-copper as couple electrodes, insoluble in water copper (II) hydroxide crystal grains were created additionally which crystals shape was depended on transition metal. For iron-copper couple electrodes system the copper (II) hydroxide was not formed. Experiments with sequence production of Ni and Fe particles with C electrode assisting in molten paraffin let to obtain both Ni and Fe particles surrounded by paraffin. After solidification the material was insulator but if locally magnetic field influenced on the liquid solution in that place after solidification a new composite was created which was electric current conductor with resistivity around 0.1 omega x m, was attracted by magnetic field and presented magneto resistance around 0.4% in changing magnetic field in a range 150 mT. After mixing the concentrated paraffin with normal paraffin resistivity of the mixture increased and it became photosensitive and created small voltage under light influence.

  1. A Computer Model for Teaching the Dynamic Behavior of AC Contactors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruiz, J.-R. R.; Espinosa, A. G.; Romeral, L.

    2010-01-01

    Ac-powered contactors are extensively used in industry in applications such as automatic electrical devices, motor starters, and heaters. In this work, a practical session that allows students to model and simulate the dynamic behavior of ac-powered electromechanical contactors is presented. Simulation is carried out using a rigorous parametric…

  2. Propulsion by sinusoidal locomotion: A motion inspired by Caenorhabditis elegans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ulrich, Xialing

    Sinusoidal locomotion is commonly seen in snakes, fish, nematodes, or even the wings of some birds and insects. This doctoral thesis presents the study of sinusoidal locomotion of the nematode C. elegans in experiments and the application of the state-space airloads theory to the theoretical forces of sinusoidal motion. An original MATLAB program has been developed to analyze the video records of C. elegans' movement in different fluids, including Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. The experimental and numerical studies of swimming C. elegans has revealed three conclusions. First, though the amplitude and wavelength are varying with time, the motion of swimming C. elegans can still be viewed as sinusoidal locomotion with slips. The average normalized wavelength is a conserved character of the locomotion for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. Second, fluid viscosity affects the frequency but not the moving speed of C. elegans, while fluid elasticity affects the moving speed but not the frequency. Third, by the resistive force theory, for more elastic fluids the ratio of resistive coefficients becomes smaller. Inspired by the motion of C. elegans and other animals performing sinusoidal motion, we investigated the sinusoidal motion of a thin flexible wing in theory. Given the equation of the motion, we have derived the closed forms of propulsive force, lift and other generalized forces applying on the wing. We also calculated the power required to perform the motion, the power lost due to the shed vortices and the propulsive efficiency. These forces and powers are given as functions of reduced frequency k, dimensionless wavelength z, dimensionless amplitude A/b, and time. Our results show that a positive, time-averaged propulsive force is produced for all k>k0=pi/ z. At k=k0, which implies the moment when the moving speed of the wing is the same as the wave speed of its undulation, the motion reaches a steady state with all forces being zero. If there were no

  3. High-speed high-accuracy three-dimensional shape measurement using digital binary defocusing method versus sinusoidal method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyun, Jae-Sang; Li, Beiwen; Zhang, Song

    2017-07-01

    This paper presents our research findings on high-speed high-accuracy three-dimensional shape measurement using digital light processing (DLP) technologies. In particular, we compare two different sinusoidal fringe generation techniques using the DLP projection devices: direct projection of computer-generated 8-bit sinusoidal patterns (a.k.a., the sinusoidal method), and the creation of sinusoidal patterns by defocusing binary patterns (a.k.a., the binary defocusing method). This paper mainly examines their performance on high-accuracy measurement applications under precisely controlled settings. Two different projection systems were tested in this study: a commercially available inexpensive projector and the DLP development kit. Experimental results demonstrated that the binary defocusing method always outperforms the sinusoidal method if a sufficient number of phase-shifted fringe patterns can be used.

  4. An Adaptive Filter for the Removal of Drifting Sinusoidal Noise Without a Reference.

    PubMed

    Kelly, John W; Siewiorek, Daniel P; Smailagic, Asim; Wang, Wei

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a method for filtering sinusoidal noise with a variable bandwidth filter that is capable of tracking a sinusoid's drifting frequency. The method, which is based on the adaptive noise canceling (ANC) technique, will be referred to here as the adaptive sinusoid canceler (ASC). The ASC eliminates sinusoidal contamination by tracking its frequency and achieving a narrower bandwidth than typical notch filters. The detected frequency is used to digitally generate an internal reference instead of relying on an external one as ANC filters typically do. The filter's bandwidth adjusts to achieve faster and more accurate convergence. In this paper, the focus of the discussion and the data is physiological signals, specifically electrocorticographic (ECoG) neural data contaminated with power line noise, but the presented technique could be applicable to other recordings as well. On simulated data, the ASC was able to reliably track the noise's frequency, properly adjust its bandwidth, and outperform comparative methods including standard notch filters and an adaptive line enhancer. These results were reinforced by visual results obtained from real ECoG data. The ASC showed that it could be an effective method for increasing signal to noise ratio in the presence of drifting sinusoidal noise, which is of significant interest for biomedical applications.

  5. Non-invasive Brain Stimulation: A Paradigm Shift in Understanding Brain Oscillations.

    PubMed

    Vosskuhl, Johannes; Strüber, Daniel; Herrmann, Christoph S

    2018-01-01

    Cognitive neuroscience set out to understand the neural mechanisms underlying cognition. One central question is how oscillatory brain activity relates to cognitive processes. Up to now, most of the evidence supporting this relationship was correlative in nature. This situation changed dramatically with the recent development of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, which open up new vistas for neuroscience by allowing researchers for the first time to validate their correlational theories by manipulating brain functioning directly. In this review, we focus on transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), an electrical brain stimulation method that applies sinusoidal currents to the intact scalp of human individuals to directly interfere with ongoing brain oscillations. We outline how tACS can impact human brain oscillations by employing different levels of observation from non-invasive tACS application in healthy volunteers and intracranial recordings in patients to animal studies demonstrating the effectiveness of alternating electric fields on neurons in vitro and in vivo . These findings likely translate to humans as comparable effects can be observed in human and animal studies. Neural entrainment and plasticity are suggested to mediate the behavioral effects of tACS. Furthermore, we focus on mechanistic theories about the relationship between certain cognitive functions and specific parameters of brain oscillaitons such as its amplitude, frequency, phase and phase coherence. For each of these parameters we present the current state of testing its functional relevance by means of tACS. Recent developments in the field of tACS are outlined which include the stimulation with physiologically inspired non-sinusoidal waveforms, stimulation protocols which allow for the observation of online-effects, and closed loop applications of tACS.

  6. AC Loss Measurements on a 2G YBCO Coil

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rey, Christopher M; Duckworth, Robert C; Schwenterly, S W

    2011-01-01

    The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is collaborating with Waukesha Electric Systems (WES) to continue development of HTS power transformers. For compatibility with the existing power grid, a commercially viable HTS transformer will have to operate at high voltages in the range of 138 kV and above, and will have to withstand 550-kV impulse voltages as well. Second-generation (2G) YBCO coated conductors will be required for an economically-competitive design. In order to adequately size the refrigeration system for these transformers, the ac loss of these HTS coils must be characterized. Electrical AC loss measurements were conducted on a prototype highmore » voltage (HV) coil with co-wound stainless steel at 60 Hz in a liquid nitrogen bath using a lock-in amplifier technique. The prototype HV coil consisted of 26 continuous (without splice) single pancake coils concentrically centered on a stainless steel former. For ac loss measurement purposes, voltage tap pairs were soldered across each set of two single pancake coils so that a total of 13 separate voltage measurements could be made across the entire length of the coil. AC loss measurements were taken as a function of ac excitation current. Results show that the loss is primarily concentrated at the ends of the coil where the operating fraction of critical current is the highest and show a distinct difference in current scaling of the losses between low current and high current regimes.« less

  7. Application of the parametric proper generalized decomposition to the frequency-dependent calculation of the impedance of an AC line with rectangular conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sancarlos-González, Abel; Pineda-Sanchez, Manuel; Puche-Panadero, Ruben; Sapena-Bano, Angel; Riera-Guasp, Martin; Martinez-Roman, Javier; Perez-Cruz, Juan; Roger-Folch, Jose

    2017-12-01

    AC lines of industrial busbar systems are usually built using conductors with rectangular cross sections, where each phase can have several parallel conductors to carry high currents. The current density in a rectangular conductor, under sinusoidal conditions, is not uniform. It depends on the frequency, on the conductor shape, and on the distance between conductors, due to the skin effect and to proximity effects. Contrary to circular conductors, there are not closed analytical formulas for obtaining the frequency-dependent impedance of conductors with rectangular cross-section. It is necessary to resort to numerical simulations to obtain the resistance and the inductance of the phases, one for each desired frequency and also for each distance between the phases' conductors. On the contrary, the use of the parametric proper generalized decomposition (PGD) allows to obtain the frequency-dependent impedance of an AC line for a wide range of frequencies and distances between the phases' conductors by solving a single simulation in a 4D domain (spatial coordinates x and y, the frequency and the separation between conductors). In this way, a general "virtual chart" solution is obtained, which contains the solution for any frequency and for any separation of the conductors, and stores it in a compact separated representations form, which can be easily embedded on a more general software for the design of electrical installations. The approach presented in this work for rectangular conductors can be easily extended to conductors with an arbitrary shape.

  8. Electric-Field Instrument With Ac-Biased Corona Point

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markson, R.; Anderson, B.; Govaert, J.

    1993-01-01

    Measurements indicative of incipient lightning yield additional information. New instrument gives reliable readings. High-voltage ac bias applied to needle point through high-resistance capacitance network provides corona discharge at all times, enabling more-slowly-varying component of electrostatic potential of needle to come to equilibrium with surrounding air. High resistance of high-voltage coupling makes instrument insensitive to wind. Improved corona-point instrument expected to yield additional information assisting in safety-oriented forecasting of lighting.

  9. The sinusoidal probe: a new approach to improve electrode longevity

    PubMed Central

    Sohal, Harbaljit S.; Jackson, Andrew; Jackson, Richard; Clowry, Gavin J.; Vassilevski, Konstantin; O’Neill, Anthony; Baker, Stuart N.

    2014-01-01

    Micromotion between the brain and implanted electrodes is a major contributor to the failure of invasive brain–machine interfaces. Movements of the electrode tip cause recording instabilities while spike amplitudes decline over the weeks/months post-implantation due to glial cell activation caused by sustained mechanical trauma. We have designed a sinusoidal probe in order to reduce movement of the recording tip relative to the surrounding neural tissue. The probe was microfabricated from flexible materials and incorporated a sinusoidal shaft to minimize tethering forces and a 3D spheroid tip to anchor the recording site within the brain. Compared to standard microwire electrodes, the signal-to-noise ratio and local field potential power of sinusoidal probe recordings from rabbits was more stable across recording periods up to 678 days. Histological quantification of microglia and astrocytes showed reduced neuronal tissue damage especially for the tip region between 6 and 24 months post-implantation. We suggest that the micromotion-reducing measures incorporated into our design, at least partially, decreased the magnitude of gliosis, resulting in enhanced longevity of recording. PMID:24808859

  10. Electromechanical systems with transient high power response operating from a resonant AC link

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burrows, Linda M.; Hansen, Irving G.

    1992-01-01

    The combination of an inherently robust asynchronous (induction) electrical machine with the rapid control of energy provided by a high frequency resonant AC link enables the efficient management of higher power levels with greater versatility. This could have a variety of applications from launch vehicles to all-electric automobiles. These types of systems utilize a machine which is operated by independent control of both the voltage and frequency. This is made possible by using an indirect field-oriented control method which allows instantaneous torque control in all four operating quadrants. Incorporating the AC link allows the converter in these systems to switch at the zero crossing of every half cycle of the AC waveform. This zero loss switching of the link allows rapid energy variations to be achieved without the usual frequency proportional switching loss. Several field-oriented control systems were developed by LeRC and General Dynamics Space Systems Division under contract to NASA. A description of a single motor, electromechanical actuation system is presented. Then, focus is on a conceptual design for an AC electric vehicle. This design incorporates an induction motor/generator together with a flywheel for peak energy storage. System operation and implications along with the associated circuitry are addressed. Such a system would greatly improve all-electric vehicle ranges over the Federal Urban Driving Cycle (FUD).

  11. Efficiency enhancement of a self-propelled pitching profile using non-sinusoidal trajectories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mekadem, M.; Chihani, E.; Oualli, H.; Hanchi, S.; Bouabdallah, A.; Gad-El-Hak, M.

    2017-11-01

    A symmetrical profile is subjected to non-sinusoidal pitching motion. The airfoil has a chord length c = 0.006 m and a semi-circular leading edge with a diameter of D = 0.001 m. The extrados and intrados are two straight lines that intersect at a tapered trailing edge, and the pitching pivot point is positioned at the leading edge. The pitching frequency is in the range of 1 <= f <= 190 Hz, while the tangential amplitude of the flapping trailing edge varies from 18% to 114% of the foil cord. To improve the airfoil propulsive performance, two-dimensional numerical simulations are implemented on FLUENT. The Reynolds number based upon the maximum profile thickness D varies in the range of 35 <= Re <= 210 , which matches insect's Reynolds numbers. The foil movement is executed using the dynamic mesh technique and a user defined function (UDF). The adopted mesh has 70,445 nodes with 5,1960 quadrilateral cells. The results are in good agreement with prior experiments, and, compared to sinusoidal oscillations, show that non-sinusoidal flapping trajectories lead to advancing velocity increase of 550%. Additionally, if improved propulsive efficiency is sought, non-sinusoidal flapping lead to better thrust.

  12. Dynamic Characteristics of Ventilatory and Gas Exchange during Sinusoidal Walking in Humans.

    PubMed

    Fukuoka, Yoshiyuki; Iihoshi, Masaaki; Nazunin, Juhelee Tuba; Abe, Daijiro; Fukuba, Yoshiyuki

    2017-01-01

    Our present study investigated whether the ventilatory and gas exchange responses show different dynamics in response to sinusoidal change in cycle work rate or walking speed even if the metabolic demand was equivalent in both types of exercise. Locomotive parameters (stride length and step frequency), breath-by-breath ventilation (V̇E) and gas exchange (CO2 output (V̇CO2) and O2 uptake (V̇O2)) responses were measured in 10 healthy young participants. The speed of the treadmill was sinusoidally changed between 3 km·h-1 and 6 km·h-1 with various periods (from 10 to 1 min). The amplitude of locomotive parameters against sinusoidal variation showed a constant gain with a small phase shift, being independent of the oscillation periods. In marked contrast, when the periods of the speed oscillations were shortened, the amplitude of V̇E decreased sharply whereas the phase shift of V̇E increased. In comparing walking and cycling at the equivalent metabolic demand, the amplitude of V̇E during sinusoidal walking (SW) was significantly greater than that during sinusoidal cycling (SC), and the phase shift became smaller. The steeper slope of linear regression for the V̇E amplitude ratio to V̇CO2 amplitude ratio was observed during SW than SC. These findings suggested that the greater amplitude and smaller phase shift of ventilatory dynamics were not equivalent between SW and SC even if the metabolic demand was equivalent between both exercises. Such phenomenon would be derived from central command in proportion to locomotor muscle recruitment (feedforward) and muscle afferent feedback.

  13. Ac electroosmotic flows above coplanar electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kweon Suh, Yong

    2009-03-01

    Interactive numerical method has been proposed to calculate the ac electroosmotic flows above a pair of coplanar electrodes. The thin electrical triple layer (ETL) has been modeled by an asymptotic theory developed by the authors. The model corresponds to a simple dynamic equation for the surface charge density representing the integrated charge over the inner layer. Interactive calculation of the dynamic equation and the Laplace equation for several periods of ac frequency then yielded steady-state distribution of potential and the potential drop across the Stern and inner layers. The Smoluchowski's slip velocity was then determined from those two set of data and used as the boundary condition for the calculation of the Stokes' flow above the electrodes. We have shown that our solutions compared well with the experimental data reported in the literature. We investigated the effect of various parameters on the slip velocity distribution, such as the ac frequency, the electrode length, the effective Stern-layer thickness and the adsorption coefficients.

  14. Power processing and control requirements of dispersed solar thermal electric generation systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Das, R. L.

    1980-01-01

    Power Processing and Control requirements of Dispersed Receiver Solar Thermal Electric Generation Systems are presented. Kinematic Stirling Engines, Brayton Engines and Rankine Engines are considered as prime movers. Various types of generators are considered for ac and dc link generations. It is found that ac-ac Power Conversion is not suitable for implementation at this time. It is also found that ac-dc-ac Power Conversion with a large central inverter is more efficient than ac-dc-ac Power Conversion using small dispersed inverters. Ac-link solar thermal electric plants face potential stability and synchronization problems. Research and development efforts are needed in improving component performance characteristics and generation efficiency to make Solar Thermal Electric Generation economically attractive.

  15. DISPLAY OF PIXEL LOSS AND REPLICATION IN REPROJECTING RASTER DATA FROM THE SINUSOIDAL PROJECTION

    EPA Science Inventory

    Recent studies show the sinusoidal projection to be a superior planar projection for representing global raster datasets. This study uses the sinusoidal projection as a basis for evaluating pixel loss and replication in eight other planar map projections. The percent of pixels ...

  16. Effect of ac electric field on the dynamics of a vesicle under shear flow in the small deformation regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinha, Kumari Priti; Thaokar, Rochish M.

    2018-03-01

    Vesicles or biological cells under simultaneous shear and electric field can be encountered in dielectrophoretic devices or designs used for continuous flow electrofusion or electroporation. In this work, the dynamics of a vesicle subjected to simultaneous shear and uniform alternating current (ac) electric field is investigated in the small deformation limit. The coupled equations for vesicle orientation and shape evolution are derived theoretically, and the resulting nonlinear equations are handled numerically to generate relevant phase diagrams that demonstrate the effect of electrical parameters on the different dynamical regimes such as tank treading (TT), vacillating breathing (VB) [called trembling (TR) in this work], and tumbling (TU). It is found that while the electric Mason number (Mn), which represents the relative strength of the electrical forces to the shear forces, promotes the TT regime, the response itself is found to be sensitive to the applied frequency as well as the conductivity ratio. While higher outer conductivity promotes orientation along the flow axis, orientation along the electric field is favored when the inner conductivity is higher. Similarly a switch of orientation from the direction of the electric field to the direction of flow is possible by a mere change of frequency when the outer conductivity is higher. Interestingly, in some cases, a coupling between electric field-induced deformation and shear can result in the system admitting an intermediate TU regime while attaining the TT regime at high Mn. The results could enable designing better dielectrophoretic devices wherein the residence time as well as the dynamical states of the vesicular suspension can be controlled as per the application.

  17. Analytical theory and possible detection of the ac quantum spin Hall effect

    DOE PAGES

    Deng, W. Y.; Ren, Y. J.; Lin, Z. X.; ...

    2017-07-11

    Here, we develop an analytical theory of the low-frequency ac quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect based upon the scattering matrix formalism. It is shown that the ac QSH effect can be interpreted as a bulk quantum pumping effect. When the electron spin is conserved, the integer-quantized ac spin Hall conductivity can be linked to the winding numbers of the reflection matrices in the electrodes, which also equal to the bulk spin Chern numbers of the QSH material. Furthermore, a possible experimental scheme by using ferromagnetic metals as electrodes is proposed to detect the topological ac spin current by electrical means.

  18. Measurements of Induced-Charge Electroosmotic Flow Around a Metallic Rod

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beskok, Ali; Canpolat, Cetin

    2012-11-01

    A cylindrical gold-coated stainless steel rod was positioned at the center of a straight microchannel connecting two fluid reservoirs on either end. The microchannel was filled with 1 mM KCl containing 0.5 micron diameter carboxylate-modified spherical particles. Induced-charge electro-osmotic (ICEO) flow occurred around the metallic rod under a sinusoidal AC electric field applied using two platinum electrodes. The ICEO flows around the metallic rod were measured using micro particle image velocimetry (micro-PIV) technique as functions of the AC electric field strength and frequency. The present study provides experimental data about ICEO flow in the weakly nonlinear limit of thin double layers, in which, the charging dynamics of the double layer cannot be presented analytically. Flow around the rod is quadrupolar, driving liquid towards the rod along the electric field and forcing it away from the rod in the direction perpendicular to the imposed electric field. The measured ICEO flow velocity is proportional to the square of the electric field strength, and depends on the applied AC frequency.

  19. 21 CFR 886.1630 - AC-powered photostimulator.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered photostimulator. 886.1630 Section 886.1630 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... allows measurement of retinal or visual function by perceptual or electrical methods (e.g., stroboscope...

  20. A Experimental Investigation of Hydrodynamic Forces on Circular Cylinders in Sinusoidal and Random Oscillating Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Longoria, Raul Gilberto

    An experimental apparatus has been developed which can be used to generate a general time-dependent planar flow across a cylinder. A mass of water enclosed with no free surface within a square cross-section tank and two spring pre-loaded pistons is oscillated using a hydraulic actuator. A circular cylinder is suspended horizontally in the tank by two X-Y force transducers used to simultaneously measure the total in-line and transverse forces. Fluid motion is measured using a differential pressure transducer for instantaneous acceleration and an LVDT for displacement. This investigation provides measurement of forces on cylinders subjected to planar fluid flow velocity with a time (and frequency) dependence which more accurately represent the random conditions encountered in a natural ocean environment. The use of the same apparatus for both sinusoidal and random experiments provides a quantified assessment of the applicability of sinusoidal planar oscillatory flow data in offshore structure design methods. The drag and inertia coefficients for a Morison equation representation of the inline force are presented for both sinusoidal and random flow. Comparison of the sinusoidal results is favorable with those of previous investigations. The results from random experiments illustrates the difference in the force mechanism by contrasting the force transfer coefficients for the inline and transverse forces. It is found that application of sinusoidal results to random hydrodynamic inline force prediction using the Morison equation wrongly weighs the drag and inertia components, and the transverse force is overpredicted. The use of random planar oscillatory flow in the laboratory, contrasted with sinusoidal planar oscillatory flow, quantifies the accepted belief that the force transfer coefficients from sinusoidal flow experiments are conservative for prediction of forces on cylindrical structures subjected to random sea waves and the ensuing forces. Further analysis of

  1. Electrical Characteristics, Electrode Sheath and Contamination Layer Behavior of a Meso-Scale Premixed Methane-Air Flame Under AC/DC Electric Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Qi; Yan, Limin; Zhang, Hao; Li, Guoxiu

    2016-05-01

    Electrical characteristics of a nozzle-attached meso-scale premixed methane-air flame under low-frequency AC (0-4300 V, 0-500 Hz) and DC (0-3300 V) electric fields were studied. I-V curves were measured under different experimental conditions to estimate the magnitude of the total current 100-102 μA, the electron density 1015-1016 m-3 and further the power dissipation ≤ 0.7 W in the reaction zone. At the same time, the meso-scale premixed flame conductivity 10-4-10-3 Ω-1·m-1 as a function of voltage and frequency was experimentally obtained and was believed to represent a useful order-of magnitude estimate. Moreover, the influence of the collision sheath relating to Debye length (31-98 μm) and the contamination layer of an active electrode on measurements was discussed, based on the combination of simulation and theoretical analysis. As a result, the electrode sheath dimension was evaluated to less than 0.5 mm, which indicated a complex effect of the collision sheath on the current measurements. The surface contamination effect of an active electrode was further analyzed using the SEM imaging method, which showed elements immigration during the contamination layer formation process. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51376021), and the Fundamental Research Fund for Major Universities (No. 2013JBM079)

  2. Unified design of sinusoidal-groove fused-silica grating.

    PubMed

    Feng, Jijun; Zhou, Changhe; Cao, Hongchao; Lu, Peng

    2010-10-20

    A general design rule of deep-etched subwavelength sinusoidal-groove fused-silica grating as a highly efficient polarization-independent or polarization-selective device is studied based on the simplified modal method, which shows that the device structure depends little on the incident wavelength, but mainly on the ratio of groove depth to incident wavelength and the ratio of wavelength to grating period. These two ratios could be used as the design guidelines for wavelength-independent structure from deep ultraviolet to far infrared. The optimized grating profile with a different function as a polarizing beam splitter, a polarization-independent two-port beam splitter, or a polarization-independent grating with high efficiency of -1st order is obtained at a wavelength of 1064 nm, and verified by using the rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The performance of the sinusoidal grating is better than a conventional rectangular one, which could be useful for practical applications.

  3. Ultra-Wideband Chaos Life-Detection Radar with Sinusoidal Wave Modulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Hang; Li, Ying; Zhang, Jianguo; Han, Hong; Zhang, Bing; Wang, Longsheng; Wang, Yuncai; Wang, Anbang

    2017-12-01

    We propose and experimentally demonstrate an ultra-wideband (UWB) chaos life-detection radar. The proposed radar transmits a wideband chaotic-pulse-position modulation (CPPM) signal modulated by a single-tone sinusoidal wave. A narrow-band split ring sensor is used to collect the reflected sinusoidal wave, and a lock-in amplifier is utilized to identify frequencies of respiration and heartbeat by detecting the phase change of the sinusoidal echo signal. Meanwhile, human location is realized by correlating the CPPM echo signal with its delayed duplicate and combining the synthetic aperture technology. Experimental results demonstrate that the human target can be located accurately and his vital signs can be detected in a large dynamic range through a 20-cm-thick wall using our radar system. The down-range resolution is 15cm, benefiting from the 1-GHz bandwidth of the CPPM signal. The dynamic range for human location is 50dB, and the dynamic ranges for heartbeat and respiration detection respectively are 20dB and 60dB in our radar system. In addition, the bandwidth of the CPPM signal can be adjusted from 620MHz to 1.56GHz to adapt to different requirements.

  4. Characterization of AC current sensor based on giant magnetoresistance and coil for power meter design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhani, H. S.; Aminudin, A.; Waslaluddin

    2018-05-01

    Electric current is the basic variable of measurement in instrumentation system. One of the current measurements had been developed was based on magnetic sensor. Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) produces an output voltage when it detects the magnetic field from electric current flow. The purpose of this study was to characterize the response of GMR when variation number of coil was given. The characterization was the GMR voltage response to the AC current values from 0.01 A to 5.00 A. The linearity of the relation was reaching saturation point when the magnetic field measured higher than 10.5 Oe at room temperature. As the number of coil increased, the earlier saturation occurred. To see the sensitivity of the sensor response, the data graph was cut off at 1.56 A AC. From this research, we got single coil was ideal to measure electric current higher than 1.56 A AC, as the relation of GMR voltage to the current tended to maintain its linearity. For measurement of 1.56 A AC and less, coil number addition would increase the sensitivity of sensor response. This research hopefully will be benefit for further development using an electric current measurement based on GMR magnetic sensor for power meter design.

  5. Riding the Ferris Wheel: A Sinusoidal Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mittag, Kathleen Cage; Taylor, Sharon E.

    2011-01-01

    When thinking of models for sinusoidal waves, examples such as tides of the ocean, daily temperatures for one year in your town, light and sound waves, and certain types of motion are used. Many textbooks [1, p. 222] also present a "Ferris wheel description problem" for students to work. This activity takes the Ferris wheel problem out of the…

  6. AC Loss Analysis of MgB2-Based Fully Superconducting Machines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feddersen, M.; Haran, K. S.; Berg, F.

    2017-12-01

    Superconducting electric machines have shown potential for significant increase in power density, making them attractive for size and weight sensitive applications such as offshore wind generation, marine propulsion, and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion. Superconductors exhibit no loss under dc conditions, though ac current and field produce considerable losses due to hysteresis, eddy currents, and coupling mechanisms. For this reason, many present machines are designed to be partially superconducting, meaning that the dc field components are superconducting while the ac armature coils are conventional conductors. Fully superconducting designs can provide increases in power density with significantly higher armature current; however, a good estimate of ac losses is required to determine the feasibility under the machines intended operating conditions. This paper aims to characterize the expected losses in a fully superconducting machine targeted towards aircraft, based on an actively-shielded, partially superconducting machine from prior work. Various factors are examined such as magnet strength, operating frequency, and machine load to produce a model for the loss in the superconducting components of the machine. This model is then used to optimize the design of the machine for minimal ac loss while maximizing power density. Important observations from the study are discussed.

  7. Superconducting ac cable

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, F.

    1980-11-01

    The components of a superconducting 110 kV ac cable for power ratings or = 2000 MVA were developed. The cable design is of the semiflexible type, with a rigid cryogenic envelope containing a flexible hollow coaxial cable core. The cable core consists of spirally wound Nb-A1 composite wires electrically insulated by high pressure polyethylene tape wrappings. A 35 m long single phase test cable with full load terminals rated at 110 kV and 10 kA was constructed and successfully tested. The results obtained prove the technical feasibility and capability of this cable design.

  8. AC Resistance measuring instrument

    DOEpatents

    Hof, Peter J.

    1983-01-01

    An auto-ranging AC resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an AC excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance. After the auto-ranging and auto-compensation functions are complete, the microprocessor calculates the resistance of the load from the selected range resistance, the excitation signal, and the load voltage signal, and displays of the measured resistance on a digital display of the instrument.

  9. Electroporation of cells using EM induction of ac fields by a magnetic stimulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, C.; Evans, J. A.; Robinson, M. P.; Smye, S. W.; O'Toole, P.

    2010-02-01

    This paper describes a method of effectively electroporating mammalian cell membranes with pulsed alternating-current (ac) electric fields at field strengths of 30-160 kV m-1. Although many in vivo electroporation protocols entail applying square wave or monotonically decreasing pulses via needles or electrode plates, relatively few have explored the use of pulsed ac fields. Following our previous study, which established the effectiveness of ac fields for electroporating cell membranes, a primary/secondary coil system was constructed to produce sufficiently strong electric fields by electromagnetic induction. The primary coil was formed from the applicator of an established transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) system, while the secondary coil was a purpose-built device of a design which could eventually be implanted into tissue. The effects of field strength, pulse interval and cumulative exposure time were investigated using microscopy and flow cytometry. Results from experiments on concentrated cell suspensions showed an optimized electroporation efficiency of around 50%, demonstrating that electroporation can be practicably achieved by inducing such pulsed ac fields. This finding confirms the possibility of a wide range of in vivo applications based on magnetically coupled ac electroporation.

  10. Experimental studies of a prototype model of the multilevel 6KW-power inverter at supply by 12 accumulators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taissariyeva, K.; Issembergenov, N.; Dzhobalaeva, G.; Usembaeva, S.

    2016-09-01

    The given paper considers the multilevel 6 kW-power transistor inverter at supply by 12 accumulators for transformation of solar battery energy to the electric power. At the output of the multilevel transistor inverter, it is possible to receive voltage close to a sinusoidal form. The main objective of this inverter is transformation of solar energy to the electric power of industrial frequency. The analysis of the received output curves of voltage on harmonicity has been carried out. In this paper it is set forth the developed scheme of the multilevel transistor inverter (DC-to-ac converter) which allows receiving at the output the voltage close to sinusoidal form, as well as to regulation of the output voltage level. In the paper, the results of computer modeling and experimental studies are presented.

  11. Comparison between the water activation effects by pulsed and sinusoidal helium plasma jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Han; Liu, Dingxin; Xia, Wenjie; Chen, Chen; Wang, Weitao; Liu, Zhijie; Wang, Xiaohua; Kong, Michael G.

    2018-01-01

    Comparisons between pulsed and sinusoidal plasma jets have been extensively reported for the discharge characteristics and gaseous reactive species, but rarely for the aqueous reactive species in water solutions treated by the two types of plasma jets. This motivates us to compare the concentrations of aqueous reactive species induced by a pulsed and a sinusoidal plasma jet, since it is widely reported that these aqueous reactive species play a crucial role in various plasma biomedical applications. Experimental results show that the aqueous H2O2, OH/O2-, and O2-/ONOO- induced by the pulsed plasma jet have higher concentrations, and the proportional difference increases with the discharge power. However, the emission intensities of OH(A) and O(3p5P) are higher for the sinusoidal plasma jet, which may be attributed to its higher gas temperature since more water vapor could participate in the plasma. In addition, the efficiency of bacterial inactivation induced by the pulsed plasma jet is higher than that for the sinusoidal plasma jet, in accordance with the concentration relation of aqueous reactive species for the two types of plasma jets.

  12. Non-oxidized porous silicon-based power AC switch peripheries.

    PubMed

    Menard, Samuel; Fèvre, Angélique; Valente, Damien; Billoué, Jérôme; Gautier, Gaël

    2012-10-11

    We present in this paper a novel application of porous silicon (PS) for low-power alternating current (AC) switches such as triode alternating current devices (TRIACs) frequently used to control small appliances (fridge, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, coffee makers, etc.). More precisely, it seems possible to benefit from the PS electrical insulation properties to ensure the OFF state of the device. Based on the technological aspects of the most commonly used AC switch peripheries physically responsible of the TRIAC blocking performances (leakage current and breakdown voltage), we suggest to isolate upper and lower junctions through the addition of a PS layer anodically etched from existing AC switch diffusion profiles. Then, we comment the voltage capability of practical samples emanating from the proposed architecture. Thanks to the characterization results of simple Al-PS-Si(P) structures, the experimental observations are interpreted, thus opening new outlooks in the field of AC switch peripheries.

  13. High-throughput separation of cells by dielectrophoresis enhanced with 3D gradient AC electric field.

    PubMed

    Tada, Shigeru; Hayashi, Masako; Eguchi, Masanori; Tsukamoto, Akira

    2017-11-01

    We propose a novel, high-performance dielectrophoretic (DEP) cell-separation flow chamber with a parallel-plate channel geometry. The flow chamber, consisting of a planar electrode on the top and an interdigitated-pair electrode array at the bottom, was developed to facilitate the separation of cells by creating a nonuniform AC electric field throughout the volume of the flow chamber. The operation and performance of the device were evaluated using live and dead human epithermal breast (MCF10A) cells. The separation dynamics of the cell suspension in the flow chamber was also investigated by numerically simulating the trajectories of individual cells. A theoretical model to describe the dynamic cell behavior under the action of DEP, including dipole-dipole interparticle, viscous, and gravitational forces, was developed. The results demonstrated that the live cells traveling through the flow chamber congregated into sites where the electric field gradient was minimal, in the middle of the flow stream slightly above the centerlines of the grounded electrodes at the bottom. Meanwhile, the dead cells were trapped on the edges of the high-voltage electrodes at the bottom. Cells were thus successfully separated with a remarkably high separation ratio (∼98%) at the appropriately tuned field frequency and applied voltage. The numerically predicted behavior and spatial distribution of the cells during separation also showed good agreement with those observed experimentally.

  14. Focal nodular hyperplasia with major sinusoidal dilatation: a misleading entity

    PubMed Central

    Laumonier, Hervé; Frulio, Nora; Laurent, Christophe; Balabaud, Charles; Zucman-Rossi, Jessica; Bioulac-Sage, Paulette

    2010-01-01

    Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign liver lesion thought to be a non-specific response to locally increased blood flow. Although the diagnosis of FNH and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) has made great progress over the last few years using modern imaging techniques, there are still in daily practice some difficulties concerning some atypical nodules. Here, the authors report the case of a 47-year-old woman with a single liver lesion thought to be, by imaging, an inflammatory HCA with major sinusoidal congestion. This nodule was revealed to be, at the microscopical level and after specific immunostaining and molecular analysis, an FNH with sinusoidal dilatation (so-called telangiectatic focal nodular hyperplasia). PMID:22798311

  15. Imaging ac losses in superconducting films via scanning Hall probe microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dinner, Rafael B.; Moler, Kathryn A.; Feldmann, D. Matthew; Beasley, M. R.

    2007-04-01

    Various local probes have been applied to understanding current flow through superconducting films, which are often surprisingly inhomogeneous. Here, we show that magnetic imaging allows quantitative reconstruction of both current density J and electric field E resolved in time and space in a film carrying subcritical ac current. Current reconstruction entails inversion of the Biot-Savart law, while electric fields are reconstructed using Faraday’s law. We describe the corresponding numerical procedures, largely adapting existing work to the case of a strip carrying ac current, but including other methods of obtaining the complete electric field from the inductive portion determined by Faraday’s law. We also delineate the physical requirements behind the mathematical transformations. We then apply the procedures to images of a strip of YBa2Cu3O7-δ carrying an ac current at 400Hz . Our scanning Hall probe microscope produces a time series of magnetic images of the strip with 1μm spatial resolution and 25μs time resolution. Combining the reconstructed J and E , we obtain a complete characterization including local critical current density, E-J curves, and power losses. This analysis has a range of applications from fundamental studies of vortex dynamics to practical coated conductor development.

  16. Liquid sinusoidal pressure measurement by laser interferometry based on the refractive index of water.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jun; Fan, Shangchun; Li, Cheng; Guo, Zhanshe; Li, Bo; Shi, Bo

    2016-12-01

    A new method with laser interferometry is used to enhance the traceability for sinusoidal pressure calibration in water. The laser vibrometer measures the dynamic pressure based on the acousto-optic effect. The relation of the refractive index of water and the optical path length with the pressure's change is built based on the Lorentz-Lorenz equation, and the conversion coefficients are tested by static calibration in situ. A device with a piezoelectric transducer and resonant pressure pipe with water is set up to generate sinusoidal pressure up to 20 kHz. With the conversion coefficients, the reference sinusoidal pressure is measured by the laser interferometer for pressure sensors' dynamic calibration. The experiment results show that under 10 kHz, the measurement results between the laser vibrometer and a piezoelectric sensor are in basic agreement and indicate that this new method and its measurement system are feasible in sinusoidal pressure calibration. Some disturbing components including small amplitude, temperature change, pressure maldistribution, and glass windows' vibration are also analyzed, especially for the dynamic calibrations above 10 kHz.

  17. Electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs in stretchable geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tompkins, R. P.; Mahaboob, I.; Shahedipour-Sandvik, F.; Lazarus, N.

    2017-10-01

    Many biological materials are naturally soft and stretchable, far more so than crystalline semiconductors. Creating systems that can be placed directly on a surface such as human skin has required new approaches in electronic device design and materials, a field known as stretchable electronics. One common method for fabricating a highly brittle semiconductor device able to survive tens of percent strain is to incorporate stress relief structures ('waves'). Although the mechanical advantages of this approach are well known, the effects on the electrical behavior of a device such as a transistor compared to a more traditional geometry have not been studied. Here, AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on rigid sapphire substrates were fabricated in a common wavy geometry, a sinusoid, with dimensions similar to those used in stretchable electronics. The study analyzes control parameters available to the designer including gate location along the sinusoid, angle the source-drain contacts make with the gate, as well as variation of the gate length at the peak of the sinusoid. Common electrical parameters such as saturation current density, threshold voltage, and transconductance were compared between the sinusoidal and conventional straight geometries and results found to fall to within experimental uncertainty, suggesting shifting to a stretchable geometry is possible without appreciably degrading semiconductor device performance.

  18. Bi-directional flow induced by an AC electroosmotic micropump with DC voltage bias.

    PubMed

    Islam, Nazmul; Reyna, Jairo

    2012-04-01

    This paper discusses the principle of biased alternating current electroosmosis (ACEO) and its application to move the bulk fluid in a microchannel, as an alternative to mechanical pumping methods. Previous EO-driven flow research has looked at the effect of electrode asymmetry and transverse traveling wave forms on the performance of electroosmotic pumps. This paper presents an analysis that was conducted to assess the effect of combining an AC signal with a DC (direct current) bias when generating the electric field needed to impart electroosmosis (EO) within a microchannel. The results presented here are numerical and experimental. The numerical results were generated through simulations performed using COMSOL 3.5a. Currently available theoretical models for EO flows were embedded in the software and solved numerically to evaluate the effects of channel geometry, frequency of excitation, electrode array geometry, and AC signal with a DC bias on the flow imparted on an electrically conducting fluid. Simulations of the ACEO flow driven by a constant magnitude of AC voltage over symmetric electrodes did not indicate relevant net flows. However, superimposing a DC signal over the AC signal on the same symmetric electrode array leads to a noticeable net forward flow. Moreover, changing the polarity of electrical signal creates a bi-directional flow on symmetrical electrode array. Experimental flow measurements were performed on several electrode array configurations. The mismatch between the numerical and experimental results revealed the limitations of the currently available models for the biased EO. However, they confirm that using a symmetric electrode array excited by an AC signal with a DC bias leads to a significant improvement in flow rates in comparison to the flow rates obtained in an asymmetric electrode array configuration excited just with an AC signal. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Dietary macronutrients and the aging liver sinusoidal endothelial cell.

    PubMed

    Cogger, Victoria Carroll; Mohamad, Mashani; Solon-Biet, Samantha Marie; Senior, Alistair M; Warren, Alessandra; O'Reilly, Jennifer Nicole; Tung, Bui Thanh; Svistounov, Dmitri; McMahon, Aisling Clare; Fraser, Robin; Raubenheimer, David; Holmes, Andrew J; Simpson, Stephen James; Le Couteur, David George

    2016-05-01

    Fenestrations are pores within the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) that line the sinusoids of the highly vascularized liver. Fenestrations facilitate the transfer of substrates between blood and hepatocytes. With pseudocapillarization of the hepatic sinusoid in old age, there is a loss of fenestrations. LSECs are uniquely exposed to gut-derived dietary and microbial substrates delivered by the portal circulation to the liver. Here we studied the effect of 25 diets varying in content of macronutrients and energy on LSEC fenestrations using the Geometric Framework method in a large cohort of mice aged 15 mo. Macronutrient distribution rather than total food or energy intake was associated with changes in fenestrations. Porosity and frequency were inversely associated with dietary fat intake, while fenestration diameter was inversely associated with protein or carbohydrate intake. Fenestrations were also linked to diet-induced changes in gut microbiome, with increased fenestrations associated with higher abundance of Firmicutes and reduced abundance of Bacteroidetes Diet-induced changes in levels of several fatty acids (C16:0, C19:0, and C20:4) were also significantly inversely associated with fenestrations, suggesting a link between dietary fat and modulation of lipid rafts in the LSECs. Diet influences fenestrations and these data reflect both the key role of the LSECs in clearing gut-derived molecules from the vascular circulation and the impact these molecules have on LSEC morphology. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  20. Modeling and simulation of dielectrophoretic collective dynamics in a suspension of polarizable particles under the action of a gradient AC electric field.

    PubMed

    Tada, Shigeru; Shen, Yan; Qiu, Zhiyong

    2017-06-01

    When a suspension of polarizable particles is subjected to a gradient AC electric field, the particles exhibit collective motion due to an interaction between the dipole induced in the particles and the spatial gradient of the electric field; this is known as dielectrophoresis. In the present study, the collective dynamics of suspended particles in a parallel-plate electric chamber was investigated by simulating numerically the trajectories of individual particles under the action of combined dielectrophoretic and dipole-dipole interparticle forces. The particles were transported by the dielectrophoretic forces toward the grounded electrodes. Before long, when the particles approached the site of the minimum field strength, attractive/repulsive interparticle forces became dominant and acted among the particles attempting to form a column-like cluster, having the particles distribution in concentric circles in its cross-section, in line with the centerline of the grounded electrodes. Our results also well reproduced the transient particle aggregation that was observed experimentally. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Protective and control relays as coal-mine power-supply ACS subsystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kostin, V. N.; Minakova, T. E.

    2017-10-01

    The paper presents instantaneous selective short-circuit protection for the cabling of the underground part of a coal mine and central control algorithms as a Coal-Mine Power-Supply ACS Subsystem. In order to improve the reliability of electricity supply and reduce the mining equipment down-time, a dual channel relay protection and central control system is proposed as a subsystem of the coal-mine power-supply automated control system (PS ACS).

  2. Cascaded Quadruple Active Bridge Structures for Multilevel DC to Three-Phase AC Conversion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnson, Brian B; Achanta, Prasanta K; Maksimovic, Dragan

    This paper introduces a multilevel architecture comprised of interconnected dc to three-phase ac converter units. To enable series connected operation, each converter unit contains a quadruple active bridge (QAB) converter that provides isolation between the dc side and each of the three ac sides. Since each converter unit transfers dc-side power as constant balanced three-phase power on the ac side, this implies instantaneous input-output power balance and allows elimination of bulk capacitive energy storage. In addition to minimizing required capacitance, the proposed approach simultaneously enables simplified dc-link controllers amenable to decentralized implementation, supports bidirectional power transfer, and exhibits a modularmore » structure to enhance scalability. Isolation provided by the QAB allows a wide range of electrical configurations among multiple units in various dc-ac, ac-dc or ac-ac applications. In this paper, the focus is on series connections on the ac side to emphasize multilevel operation, and the approach is experimentally validated in a dc-ac system containing two cascaded converter units.« less

  3. Deformation analysis of vesicles in an alternating-current electric field.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yu-Gang; Liu, Ying; Feng, Xi-Qiao

    2014-08-01

    In this paper the shape equation for axisymmetric vesicles subjected to an ac electric field is derived on the basis of the liquid-crystal model. The equilibrium morphology of a lipid vesicle is determined by the minimization of its free energy in coupled mechanical and ac electric fields. Besides elastic bending, the effects of the osmotic pressure difference, surface tension, Maxwell pressure, and flexoelectric and dielectric properties of phospholipid membrane as well are taken into account. The influences of elastic bending, osmotic pressure difference, and surface tension on the frequency-dependent behavior of a vesicle membrane in an ac electric field are examined. The singularity of the ac electric field is also investigated. Our theoretical results of vesicle deformation agree well with previous experimental and numerical results. The present study provides insights into the physical mechanisms underpinning the frequency-dependent morphological evolution of vesicles in the electric and mechanical fields.

  4. Dynamic performance of maximum power point tracking circuits using sinusoidal extremum seeking control for photovoltaic generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leyva, R.; Artillan, P.; Cabal, C.; Estibals, B.; Alonso, C.

    2011-04-01

    The article studies the dynamic performance of a family of maximum power point tracking circuits used for photovoltaic generation. It revisits the sinusoidal extremum seeking control (ESC) technique which can be considered as a particular subgroup of the Perturb and Observe algorithms. The sinusoidal ESC technique consists of adding a small sinusoidal disturbance to the input and processing the perturbed output to drive the operating point at its maximum. The output processing involves a synchronous multiplication and a filtering stage. The filter instance determines the dynamic performance of the MPPT based on sinusoidal ESC principle. The approach uses the well-known root-locus method to give insight about damping degree and settlement time of maximum-seeking waveforms. This article shows the transient waveforms in three different filter instances to illustrate the approach. Finally, an experimental prototype corroborates the dynamic analysis.

  5. Sinusoidal modulation analysis for optical system MTF measurements.

    PubMed

    Boone, J M; Yu, T; Seibert, J A

    1996-12-01

    The modulation transfer function (MTF) is a commonly used metric for defining the spatial resolution characteristics of imaging systems. While the MTF is defined in terms of how an imaging system demodulates the amplitude of a sinusoidal input, this approach has not been in general use to measure MTFs in the medical imaging community because producing sinusoidal x-ray patterns is technically difficult. However, for optical systems such as charge coupled devices (CCD), which are rapidly becoming a part of many medical digital imaging systems, the direct measurement of modulation at discrete spatial frequencies using a sinusoidal test pattern is practical. A commercially available optical test pattern containing spatial frequencies ranging from 0.375 cycles/mm to 80 cycles/mm was sued to determine the MRF of a CCD-based optical system. These results were compared with the angulated slit method of Fujita [H. Fujita, D. Tsia, T. Itoh, K. Doi, J. Morishita, K. Ueda, and A. Ohtsuka, "A simple method for determining the modulation transfer function in digital radiography," IEEE Trans. Medical Imaging 11, 34-39 (1992)]. The use of a semiautomated profiled iterated reconstruction technique (PIRT) is introduced, where the shift factor between successive pixel rows (due to angulation) is optimized iteratively by least-squares error analysis rather than by hand measurement of the slit angle. PIRT was used to find the slit angle for the Fujita technique and to find the sine-pattern angle for the sine-pattern technique. Computer simulation of PIRT for the case of the slit image (a line spread function) demonstrated that it produced a more accurate angle determination than "hand" measurement, and there is a significant difference between the errors in the two techniques (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, p < 0.001). The sine-pattern method and the Fujita slit method produced comparable MTF curves for the CCD camera evaluated.

  6. An electrohydrodynamic flow in ac electrowetting.

    PubMed

    Lee, Horim; Yun, Sungchan; Ko, Sung Hee; Kang, Kwan Hyoung

    2009-12-17

    In ac electrowetting, hydrodynamic flows occur within a droplet. Two distinct flow patterns were observed, depending on the frequency of the applied electrical signal. The flow at low-frequency range was explained in terms of shape oscillation and a steady streaming process in conjunction with contact line oscillation. The origin of the flow at high-frequency range has not yet been explained. We suggest that the high-frequency flow originated mainly from the electrothermal effect, in which electrical charge is generated due to the gradient of electrical conductivity and permittivity, which is induced by the Joule heating of fluid medium. To support our argument, we analyzed the flow field numerically while considering the electrical body force generated by the electrothermal effect. We visualized the flow pattern and measured the flow velocity inside the droplet. The numerical results show qualitative agreement with experimental results with respect to electric field and frequency dependence of flow velocity. The effects of induced-charge electro-osmosis, natural convection, and the Marangoni flow are discussed.

  7. The chording effect on core losses of three-phase induction motor under sinusoidal and PWM voltage supplies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deshmukh, Ram; Moses, A. J.; Anayi, F.

    The core losses and the lower-order voltage harmonics of four different chorded motors fed from sinusoidal supply and inverter voltage supply were invigilated at no-load condition. All the four motors were tested with 4, 8 and 16 kHz switching frequencies and 30, 40, 50 and 60 Hz modulation frequencies The motor with 120° coil pitch has the least core losses and the lower-order voltage harmonics under sinusoidal and pulse width modulation (PWM) voltage supplies at all switching and modulation frequencies. The drop in the core losses for this motor was 46% and 53% under sinusoidal and PWM voltage supplies, respectively. The motor with 120° coil pitch is recommended to be used under sinusoidal and PWM voltage supplies.

  8. AC resistance measuring instrument

    DOEpatents

    Hof, P.J.

    1983-10-04

    An auto-ranging AC resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an AC excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance. After the auto-ranging and auto-compensation functions are complete, the microprocessor calculates the resistance of the load from the selected range resistance, the excitation signal, and the load voltage signal, and displays of the measured resistance on a digital display of the instrument. 8 figs.

  9. Measurements and calculations of transport AC loss in second generation high temperature superconducting pancake coils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Weijia; Coombs, T. A.; Kim, Jae-Ho; Han Kim, Chul; Kvitkovic, Jozef; Pamidi, Sastry

    2011-12-01

    Theoretical and experimental AC loss data on a superconducting pancake coil wound using second generation (2 G) conductors are presented. An anisotropic critical state model is used to calculate critical current and the AC losses of a superconducting pancake coil. In the coil there are two regions, the critical state region and the subcritical region. The model assumes that in the subcritical region the flux lines are parallel to the tape wide face. AC losses of the superconducting pancake coil are calculated using this model. Both calorimetric and electrical techniques were used to measure AC losses in the coil. The calorimetric method is based on measuring the boil-off rate of liquid nitrogen. The electric method used a compensation circuit to eliminate the inductive component to measure the loss voltage of the coil. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical calculations thus validating the anisotropic critical state model for loss estimations in the superconducting pancake coil.

  10. Sinusoidal synthesis based adaptive tracking for rotating machinery fault detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Gang; McDonald, Geoff L.; Zhao, Qing

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a novel Sinusoidal Synthesis Based Adaptive Tracking (SSBAT) technique for vibration-based rotating machinery fault detection. The proposed SSBAT algorithm is an adaptive time series technique that makes use of both frequency and time domain information of vibration signals. Such information is incorporated in a time varying dynamic model. Signal tracking is then realized by applying adaptive sinusoidal synthesis to the vibration signal. A modified Least-Squares (LS) method is adopted to estimate the model parameters. In addition to tracking, the proposed vibration synthesis model is mainly used as a linear time-varying predictor. The health condition of the rotating machine is monitored by checking the residual between the predicted and measured signal. The SSBAT method takes advantage of the sinusoidal nature of vibration signals and transfers the nonlinear problem into a linear adaptive problem in the time domain based on a state-space realization. It has low computation burden and does not need a priori knowledge of the machine under the no-fault condition which makes the algorithm ideal for on-line fault detection. The method is validated using both numerical simulation and practical application data. Meanwhile, the fault detection results are compared with the commonly adopted autoregressive (AR) and autoregressive Minimum Entropy Deconvolution (ARMED) method to verify the feasibility and performance of the SSBAT method.

  11. Electromechanical systems with transient high power response operating from a resonant ac link

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burrows, Linda M.; Hansen, Irving G.

    1992-01-01

    The combination of an inherently robust asynchronous (induction) electrical machine with the rapid control of energy provided by a high frequency resonant ac link enables the efficient management of higher power levels with greater versatility. This could have a variety of applications from launch vehicles to all-electric automobiles. These types of systems utilize a machine which is operated by independent control of both the voltage and frequency. This is made possible by using an indirect field-oriented control method which allows instantaneous torque control all four operating quadrants. Incorporating the ac link allows the converter in these systems to switch at the zero crossing of every half cycle of the ac waveform. This zero loss switching of the link allows rapid energy variations to be achieved without the usual frequency proportional switching loss. Several field-oriented control systems were developed under contract to NASA.

  12. Power spectral analysis of R-R interval variability before and during the sinusoidal heart rate pattern in fetal lambs.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, T; Okamura, K; Kimura, Y; Watanabe, T; Yaegashi, N; Murotsuki, J; Uehara, S; Yajima, A

    2000-05-01

    The appearance of the sinusoidal heart rate pattern found on fetal cardiotocograms has not been fully explained, either physiologically or clinically. In this study we performed power spectral analysis on the sinusoidal heart rate pattern obtained by administration of arginine vasopressin and atropine sulfate to investigate its frequency components in fetal lambs with long-term instrument implantation. Eleven tests were performed in 4 fetal lambs at 120 to 130 days' gestation. An artificial sinusoidal heart rate pattern was obtained by administration of atropine sulfate and arginine vasopressin in 9 tests. An autoregression model was used to compare the spectral patterns before and during the sinusoidal heart rate pattern. Marked decreases in low-frequency (0.025-0.125 cycles/beat) and high-frequency (0.2-0.5 cycles/beat) areas were observed in the presence of the sinusoidal heart rate pattern. However, there were no significant changes in the very-low-frequency area (0.01-0.025 cycles/beat), which corresponds to the frequency of the sinusoidal heart rate pattern. The sinusoidal heart rate pattern may represent a very low-frequency component inherent in fetal heart rate variability that appears when low- and high-frequency components are reduced as a result of strongly suppressed autonomic nervous activity.

  13. Three-Space Interaction in Doubly Sinusoidal Periodic Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian-Lin, Dong; Ping, Chen

    2006-06-01

    Three-space-harmonic (3SH) interaction in doubly sinusoidal periodic (DSP) medium is investigated. Associated physical effects such as additional gap, defect state, and indirect gaps, are theoretically and numerically revealed. This simple DSP model can facilitate the understanding and utilizing of a series of effects in rather complicated periodic structures with additional defect or modulation.

  14. Stable Rotation of Microparticles using a Combination of Dielectrophoresis and Electroosmosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutta, Prashanta; Rezanoor, Walid

    2016-11-01

    Electric field induced microparticle rotation has become a powerful technique to evaluate cell membrane dielectric properties and cell morphology. In this study, stable rotations of microparticles are demonstrated in a stationary AC electric field created from a set of coplanar interdigitated microelectrodes. The medium, particle size, and material are carefully chosen so that particle can be controlled by dielectrophoretic force, while a sufficiently high AC electroosmotic flow is produced for continuous particle rotation. Stable rotation up to 218 rpm is observed at 30 Vp-p applied sinusoidal potential in the frequency range of 80 - 1000 Hz. The particle spin rate observed from the experimental study is then validated with a numerical model. The model is formulated around complex charge conservation equation to determine the electric potential distribution in the domain. Stokes equation is employed to solve for AC electroosmotic fluid flow in the domain. Complexity arising from nonlinear potential drop across the electric double layer due to the application of a very large electric potential is also addressed by introducing modified capacitance equation which considers steric effect. This work was supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMS 1317671.

  15. Analysis and Control of Pulse-Width Modulated AC to DC Voltage Source Converters.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Rusong

    The pulse width modulated AC to DC voltage source converter is comprehensively analyzed in the thesis. A general mathematical model of the converter is first established, which is discontinuous, time-variant and non-linear. The following three techniques are used to obtain closed form solutions: Fourier analysis, transformation of reference frame and small signal linearization. Three models, namely, a steady-state DC model, a low frequency small signal AC model and a high frequency model, are consequently developed. Finally, three solution sets, namely, the steady-state solution, various dynamic transfer functions and the high frequency harmonic components, are obtained from the three models. Two control strategies, the Phase and Amplitude Control (PAC) and a new proposed strategy, Predicted Current Control with a Fixed Switching Frequency (PCFF), are investigated. Based on the transfer functions derived from the above mentioned analysis, regulators for a closed-loop control are designed. A prototype circuit is built to experimentally verify the theoretical predictions. The analysis and experimental results show that both strategies produce nearly sinusoidal line current with unity power factor on the utility side in both rectifying and regenerating operations and concurrently provide a regulated DC output voltage on the load side. However the proposed PCFF control has a faster and improved dynamic response over the PAC control. Moreover it is also easier to be implemented. Therefore, the PCFF control is preferable to the PAC control. As an example of application, a configuration of variable DC supply under PCFF control is proposed. The quasi-optimal dynamic response obtained shows that the PWM AC to DC converter lays the foundation for building a four-quadrant, fast-dynamic system, and the PCFF control is an effective strategy for improving dynamic performances not only as applied to the AC to DC converter, but also as applied to the DC to DC chopper or other

  16. LYVE1 and PROX1 in the reconstruction of hepatic sinusoids after partial hepatectomy in mice.

    PubMed

    Meng, F

    2017-01-01

    Revascularisation is crucial to liver regeneration after liver injury, but the process remains unclear. This study investigated changes in the levels and distribution of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE1) and prospero homeobox protein 1 (PROX1) in liver tissue sections after partial hepatectomy in mice. Mice were subjected to partial hepatectomy. Control animals were sham-operated. From days 1 through 8, the remaining liver tissues were collected from 8 animals each day. Histology showed that after partial hepatectomy, the remaining liver tissue samples underwent initial degeneration and then hepatocyte proliferation and regeneration. Using immunohistochemical analysis, relative to the control a significantly higher number of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA)-positive hepatocytes was observed on days 4 and 5 after partial hepatectomy. LYVE1 was mainly present in the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and the number of LYVE1-positive cells gradually increased with time. PROX1 was detected in some of the hepatocytes, but liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, artery, and vein were negative for PROX1 staining in the early stage after liver injury. The presence of PROX1 could be observed in some central veins as well as liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. Seven days after partial hepatectomy, colocalisation of PROX1 and LYVE1 was observed in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and veins. This study revealed the dynamic process of revascularisation and hepatic sinusoid reconstruction during liver regeneration in response to liver injury in mice. PROX1 and LYVE1 may participate in this process and serve as biomarkers for identification of newly formed liver sinusoidal endothelial cells.

  17. AC losses in horizontally parallel HTS tapes for possible wireless power transfer applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Boyang; Geng, Jianzhao; Zhang, Xiuchang; Fu, Lin; Li, Chao; Zhang, Heng; Dong, Qihuan; Ma, Jun; Gawith, James; Coombs, T. A.

    2017-12-01

    This paper presents the concept of using horizontally parallel HTS tapes with AC loss study, and the investigation on possible wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. An example of three parallel HTS tapes was proposed, whose AC loss study was carried out both from experiment using electrical method; and simulation using 2D H-formulation on the FEM platform of COMSOL Multiphysics. The electromagnetic induction around the three parallel tapes was monitored using COMSOL simulation. The electromagnetic induction and AC losses generated by a conventional three turn coil was simulated as well, and then compared to the case of three parallel tapes with the same AC transport current. The analysis demonstrates that HTS parallel tapes could be potentially used into wireless power transfer systems, which could have lower total AC losses than conventional HTS coils.

  18. ac aging and space-charge characteristics in low-density polyethylene polymeric insulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, G.; Fu, M.; Liu, X. Z.; Zhong, L. S.

    2005-04-01

    In the present work efforts have been made to investigate the influence of ac aging on space-charge dynamics in low-density polyethylene (LDPE). LDPE films with 200 μm were aged under various electric stress levels at 50 Hz for various times at ambient temperature. Space-charge dynamics in the samples after aging were monitored using the pulsed electroacoustic technique. It has been revealed that the space charge under ac aging conditions is related to the level of the applied field, duration of the voltage application, as well as the electrode materials. By comparing with the results of unaged sample the results from aged sample provide a direct evidence of changing trapping characteristics after ac aging. Negative space charge is present in the bulk of the material and the total amount of charge increases with the aging time. The amount of charge increases with the applied field. Charge decay test indicates that the charges are captured in deep traps. These deep traps are believed to form during the aging and related to change caused by injected charge. By using different electrode materials such as gold, brass alloy, and polyethylene loaded with carbon black, it was found that the electrode has an important role in the formation of charge, hence subsequent changes caused by charge. The charge dynamics of the aged samples under dc bias differ from the sample without ac aging, indicating changes brought in by ac aging. Chemical analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscope and Raman microscope reveals no detectable chemical changes taken place in the bulk of the material after ac aging. Finally, the consequence of the accumulation of space charge under ac conditions on the lifetime of the material has been discussed. The presence of deeply trapped space charge leads to an electric stress enhancement which may shorten the lifetime of the insulation system.

  19. Low AC Loss YBCO Coated Conductor Geometry by Direct Inkjet Printing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rupich, Martin, Dr.; Duckworth, Robert, Dr.

    The second generation (2G) high temperature superconductors (HTS) wire offers potential benefits for many electric power applications, including ones requiring filamentized conductors with low ac loss, such as transformers and fault current limiters. However, the use of 2G wire in these applications requires the development of both novel multi-filamentary conductor designs with lower ac losses and the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that enable the low-cost manufacturing of these filamentized architectures. This Phase I SBIR project focused on testing inkjet printing as a potential low-cost, roll-to-roll manufacturing technique to fabricate potential low ac loss filamentized architectures directly on the 2Gmore » template strips.« less

  20. AC/DC Power Systems with Applications for future Lunar/Mars base and Crew Exploration Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chowdhury, Badrul H.

    2005-01-01

    ABSTRACT The Power Systems branch at JSC faces a number of complex issues as it readies itself for the President's initiative on future space exploration beyond low earth orbit. Some of these preliminary issues - those dealing with electric power generation and distribution on board Mars-bound vehicle and that on Lunar and Martian surface may be summarized as follows: Type of prime mover - Because solar power may not be readily available on parts of the Lunar/Mars surface and also during the long duration flight to Mars, the primary source of power will most likely be nuclear power (Uranium fuel rods) with a secondary source of fuel cell (Hydrogen supply). The electric power generation source - With nuclear power being the main prime mover, the electric power generation source will most likely be an ac generator at a yet to be determined frequency. Thus, a critical issue is whether the generator should generate at constant or variable frequency. This will decide what type of generator to use - whether it is a synchronous machine, an asynchronous induction machine or a switched reluctance machine. The type of power distribution system - the distribution frequency, number of wires (3- wire, 4-wire or higher), and ac/dc hybridization. Building redundancy and fault tolerance in the generation and distribution sub-systems so that the system is safe; provides 100% availability to critical loads; continues to operate even with faulted sub-systems; and requires minimal maintenance. This report descril_es results of a summer faculty fellowship spent in the Power Systems Branch with the specific aim of investigating some of the lessons learned in electric power generation and usage from the terrestrial power systems industry, the aerospace industry as well as NASA's on-going missions so as to recommend novel surface and vehicle-based power systems architectures in support of future space exploration initiatives. A hybrid ac/dc architecture with source side and load side

  1. Influence of Electric Fields and Conductivity on Pollen Tube Growth assessed via Electrical Lab-on-Chip

    PubMed Central

    Agudelo, Carlos; Packirisamy, Muthukumaran; Geitmann, Anja

    2016-01-01

    Pollen tubes are polarly growing plant cells that are able to rapidly respond to a combination of chemical, mechanical, and electrical cues. This behavioural feature allows them to invade the flower pistil and deliver the sperm cells in highly targeted manner to receptive ovules in order to accomplish fertilization. How signals are perceived and processed in the pollen tube is still poorly understood. Evidence for electrical guidance in particular is vague and highly contradictory. To generate reproducible experimental conditions for the investigation of the effect of electric fields on pollen tube growth we developed an Electrical Lab-on-Chip (ELoC). Pollen from the species Camellia displayed differential sensitivity to electric fields depending on whether the entire cell or only its growing tip was exposed. The response to DC fields was dramatically higher than that to AC fields of the same strength. However, AC fields were found to restore and even promote pollen growth. Surprisingly, the pollen tube response correlated with the conductivity of the growth medium under different AC frequencies—consistent with the notion that the effect of the field on pollen tube growth may be mediated via its effect on the motion of ions. PMID:26804186

  2. Day-Ahead Short-Term Forecasting Electricity Load via Approximation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khamitov, R. N.; Gritsay, A. S.; Tyunkov, D. A.; E Sinitsin, G.

    2017-04-01

    The method of short-term forecasting of a power consumption which can be applied to short-term forecasting of power consumption is offered. The offered model is based on sinusoidal function for the description of day and night cycles of power consumption. Function coefficients - the period and amplitude are set up is adaptive, considering dynamics of power consumption with use of an artificial neural network. The presented results are tested on real retrospective data of power supply company. The offered method can be especially useful if there are no opportunities of collection of interval indications of metering devices of consumers, and the power supply company operates with electrical supply points. The offered method can be used by any power supply company upon purchase of the electric power in the wholesale market. For this purpose, it is necessary to receive coefficients of approximation of sinusoidal function and to have retrospective data on power consumption on an interval not less than one year.

  3. Using Antenna Arrays to Motivate the Study of Sinusoids

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, J. P.

    2010-01-01

    Educational activities involving antenna arrays to motivate the study of sinusoids are described. Specifically, using fundamental concepts related to phase and simple geometric arguments, students are asked to predict the location of interference nulls in the radiation pattern of two-element phased array antennas. The location of the radiation…

  4. Hepatic sinusoidal cells in health and disease: update from the 14th International Symposium.

    PubMed

    Smedsrød, Bård; Le Couteur, David; Ikejima, Kenichi; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Kawada, Norifumi; Naito, Makoto; Knolle, Percy; Nagy, Laura; Senoo, Haruki; Vidal-Vanaclocha, Fernando; Yamaguchi, Noriko

    2009-04-01

    This review aims to give an update of the field of the hepatic sinusoid, supported by references to presentations given at the 14th International Symposium on Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid (ISCHS2008), which was held in Tromsø, Norway, August 31-September 4, 2008. The subtitle of the symposium, 'Integrating basic and clinical hepatology', signified the inclusion of both basal and applied clinical results of importance in the field of liver sinusoidal physiology and pathophysiology. Of nearly 50 oral presentations, nine were invited tutorial lectures. The authors of the review have avoided writing a 'flat summary' of the presentations given at ISCHS2008, and instead focused on important novel information. The tutorial presentations have served as a particularly important basis in the preparation of this update. In this review, we have also included references to recent literature that may not have been covered by the ISCHS2008 programme. The sections of this review reflect the scientific programme of the symposium (http://www.ub.uit.no/munin/bitstream/10037/1654/1/book.pdf): 1. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. 2. Kupffer cells. 3. Hepatic stellate cells. 4. Immunology. 5. Tumor/metastasis. Symposium abstracts are referred to by a number preceded by the letter A.

  5. Fibronectin Extra Domain A Promotes Liver Sinusoid Repair following Hepatectomy.

    PubMed

    Sackey-Aboagye, Bridget; Olsen, Abby L; Mukherjee, Sarmistha M; Ventriglia, Alexander; Yokosaki, Yasuyuki; Greenbaum, Linda E; Lee, Gi Yun; Naga, Hani; Wells, Rebecca G

    2016-01-01

    Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are the main endothelial cells in the liver and are important for maintaining liver homeostasis as well as responding to injury. LSECs express cellular fibronectin containing the alternatively spliced extra domain A (EIIIA-cFN) and increase expression of this isoform after liver injury, although its function is not well understood. Here, we examined the role of EIIIA-cFN in liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. We carried out two-thirds partial hepatectomies in mice lacking EIIIA-cFN and in their wild type littermates, studied liver endothelial cell adhesion on decellularized, EIIIA-cFN-containing matrices and investigated the role of cellular fibronectins in liver endothelial cell tubulogenesis. We found that liver weight recovery following hepatectomy was significantly delayed and that sinusoidal repair was impaired in EIIIA-cFN null mice, especially females, as was the lipid accumulation typical of the post-hepatectomy liver. In vitro, we found that liver endothelial cells were more adhesive to cell-deposited matrices containing the EIIIA domain and that cellular fibronectin enhanced tubulogenesis and vascular cord formation. The integrin α9β1, which specifically binds EIIIA-cFN, promoted tubulogenesis and adhesion of liver endothelial cells to EIIIA-cFN. Our findings identify a role for EIIIA-cFN in liver regeneration and tubulogenesis. We suggest that sinusoidal repair is enhanced by increased LSEC adhesion, which is mediated by EIIIA-cFN.

  6. Fibronectin Extra Domain A Promotes Liver Sinusoid Repair following Hepatectomy

    PubMed Central

    Sackey-Aboagye, Bridget; Olsen, Abby L.; Mukherjee, Sarmistha M.; Ventriglia, Alexander; Yokosaki, Yasuyuki; Greenbaum, Linda E.; Lee, Gi Yun; Naga, Hani

    2016-01-01

    Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are the main endothelial cells in the liver and are important for maintaining liver homeostasis as well as responding to injury. LSECs express cellular fibronectin containing the alternatively spliced extra domain A (EIIIA-cFN) and increase expression of this isoform after liver injury, although its function is not well understood. Here, we examined the role of EIIIA-cFN in liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. We carried out two-thirds partial hepatectomies in mice lacking EIIIA-cFN and in their wild type littermates, studied liver endothelial cell adhesion on decellularized, EIIIA-cFN-containing matrices and investigated the role of cellular fibronectins in liver endothelial cell tubulogenesis. We found that liver weight recovery following hepatectomy was significantly delayed and that sinusoidal repair was impaired in EIIIA-cFN null mice, especially females, as was the lipid accumulation typical of the post-hepatectomy liver. In vitro, we found that liver endothelial cells were more adhesive to cell-deposited matrices containing the EIIIA domain and that cellular fibronectin enhanced tubulogenesis and vascular cord formation. The integrin α9β1, which specifically binds EIIIA-cFN, promoted tubulogenesis and adhesion of liver endothelial cells to EIIIA-cFN. Our findings identify a role for EIIIA-cFN in liver regeneration and tubulogenesis. We suggest that sinusoidal repair is enhanced by increased LSEC adhesion, which is mediated by EIIIA-cFN. PMID:27741254

  7. Electrical and Biological Effects of Transmission Lines: A Review.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Jack M.

    1989-06-01

    This review describes the electrical properties of a-c and d-c transmission lines and the resulting effects on plants, animals, and people. Methods used by BPA to mitigate undesirable effects are also discussed. Although much of the information in this review pertains to high-voltage transmission lines, information on distribution lines and electrical appliances is included. The electrical properties discussed are electric and magnetic fields and corona: first for alternating-current (a-c) lines, then for direct current (d-c).

  8. AC Initiation System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    An ac initiation system is described which uses three ac transmission signals interlocked for safety by frequency, phase, and power discrimination...The ac initiation system is pre-armed by the application of two ac signals have the proper phases, and activates a load when an ac power signal of the proper frequency and power level is applied. (Author)

  9. Experimental investigation of SDBD plasma actuator driven by AC high voltage with a superimposed positive pulse bias voltage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Xiao-Hua; Yan, Hui-Jie; Yang, Liang; Hua, Yue; Ren, Chun-Sheng

    2017-08-01

    In this work, a driven voltage consisting of AC high voltage with a superimposed positive pulse bias voltage ("AC+ Positive pulse bias" voltage) is adopted to study the performance of a surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator under atmospheric conditions. To compare the performance of the actuator driven by single-AC voltage and "AC+ Positive pulse bias" voltage, the actuator-induced thrust force and power consumption are measured as a function of the applied AC voltage, and the measured results indicate that the thrust force can be promoted significantly after superimposing the positive pulse bias voltage. The physical mechanism behind the thrust force changes is analyzed by measuring the optical properties, electrical characteristics, and surface potential distribution. Experimental results indicate that the glow-like discharge in the AC voltage half-cycle, next to the cycle where a bias voltage pulse has been applied, is enhanced after applying the positive pulse bias voltage, and this perhaps is the main reason for the thrust force increase. Moreover, surface potential measurement results reveal that the spatial electric field formed by the surface charge accumulation after positive pulse discharge can significantly affect the applied external electric field, and this perhaps can be responsible for the experimental phenomenon that the decrease of thrust force is delayed by pulse bias voltage action after the filament discharge occurs in the glow-like discharge region. The schlieren images further verify that the actuator-induced airflow velocity increases with the positive pulse voltage.

  10. Gate-opening gas adsorption and host-guest interacting gas trapping behavior of porous coordination polymers under applied AC electric fields.

    PubMed

    Kosaka, Wataru; Yamagishi, Kayo; Zhang, Jun; Miyasaka, Hitoshi

    2014-09-03

    The gate-opening adsorption behavior of the one-dimensional chain compound [Ru2(4-Cl-2-OMePhCO2)4(phz)] (1; 4-Cl-2-OMePhCO2(-) = 4-chloro-o-anisate; phz = phenazine) for various gases (O2, NO, and CO2) was electronically monitored in situ by applying ac electric fields to pelletized samples attached to a cryostat, which was used to accurately control the temperature and gas pressure. The gate-opening and -closing transitions induced by gas adsorption/desorption, respectively, were accurately monitored by a sudden change in the real part of permittivity (ε'). The transition temperature (TGO) was also found to be dependent on the applied temperature and gas pressure according to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. This behavior was also observed in the isostructural compound [Rh2(4-Cl-2-OMePhCO2)4(phz)] (2), which exhibited similar gate-opening adsorption properties, but was not detected in the nonporous gate-inactive compound [Ru2(o-OMePhCO2)4(phz)] (3). Furthermore, the imaginary part of permittivity (ε″) effectively captured the electronic perturbations of the samples induced by the introduced guest molecules. Only the introduction of NO resulted in the increase of the sample's electronic conductivity for 1 and 3, but not for 2. This behavior indicates that electronic host-guest interactions were present, albeit very weak, at the surface of sample 1 and 3, i.e., through grain boundaries of the sample, which resulted in perturbation of the conduction band of this material's framework. This technique involving the in situ application of ac electric fields is useful not only for rapidly monitoring gas sorption responses accompanied by gate-opening/-closing structural transitions but also potentially for the development of molecular framework materials as chemically driven electronic devices.

  11. Design and implementation of co-operative control strategy for hybrid AC/DC microgrids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahmud, Rasel

    This thesis is mainly divided in two major sections: 1) Modeling and control of AC microgrid, DC microgrid, Hybrid AC/DC microgrid using distributed co-operative control, and 2) Development of a four bus laboratory prototype of an AC microgrid system. At first, a distributed cooperative control (DCC) for a DC microgrid considering the state-of-charge (SoC) of the batteries in a typical plug-in-electric-vehicle (PEV) is developed. In DC microgrids, this methodology is developed to assist the load sharing amongst the distributed generation units (DGs), according to their ratings with improved voltage regulation. Subsequently, a DCC based control algorithm for AC microgrid is also investigated to improve the performance of AC microgrid in terms of power sharing among the DGs, voltage regulation and frequency deviation. The results validate the advantages of the proposed methodology as compared to traditional droop control of AC microgrid. The DCC-based control methodology for AC microgrid and DC microgrid are further expanded to develop a DCC-based power management algorithm for hybrid AC/DC microgrid. The developed algorithm for hybrid microgrid controls the power flow through the interfacing converter (IC) between the AC and DC microgrids. This will facilitate the power sharing between the DGs according to their power ratings. Moreover, it enables the fixed scheduled power delivery at different operating conditions, while maintaining good voltage regulation and improved frequency profile. The second section provides a detailed explanation and step-by-step design and development of an AC/DC microgrid testbed. Controllers for the three-phase inverters are designed and tested on different generation units along with their corresponding inductor-capacitor-inductor (LCL) filters to eliminate the switching frequency harmonics. Electric power distribution line models are developed to form the microgrid network topology. Voltage and current sensors are placed in the proper

  12. Electronic and thermal transport study of sinusoidally corrugated nanowires aiming to improve thermoelectric efficiency.

    PubMed

    Park, K H; Martin, P N; Ravaioli, U

    2016-01-22

    Improvement of thermoelectric efficiency has been very challenging in the solid-state industry due to the interplay among transport coefficients which measure the efficiency. In this work, we modulate the geometry of nanowires to interrupt thermal transport with causing only a minimal impact on electronic transport properties, thereby maximizing the thermoelectric power generation. As it is essential to scrutinize comprehensively both electronic and thermal transport behaviors for nano-scale thermoelectric devices, we investigate the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductance, and the thermal conductivity of sinusoidally corrugated silicon nanowires and eventually look into an enhancement of the thermoelectric figure-of-merit [Formula: see text] from the modulated nanowires over typical straight nanowires. A loss in the electronic transport coefficient is calculated with the recursive Green function along with the Landauer formalism, and the thermal transport is simulated with the molecular dynamics. In contrast to a small influence on the thermopower and the electrical conductance of the geometry-modulated nanowires, a large reduction of the thermal conductivity yields an enhancement of the efficiency by 10% to 35% from the typical nanowires. We find that this approach can be easily extended to various structures and materials as we consider the geometrical modulation as a sole source of perturbation to the system.

  13. Removal of Stationary Sinusoidal Noise from Random Vibration Signals.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnson, Brian; Cap, Jerome S.

    In random vibration environments, sinusoidal line noise may appear in the vibration signal and can affect analysis of the resulting data. We studied two methods which remove stationary sine tones from random noise: a matrix inversion algorithm and a chirp-z transform algorithm. In addition, we developed new methods to determine the frequency of the tonal noise. The results show that both of the removal methods can eliminate sine tones in prefabricated random vibration data when the sine-to-random ratio is at least 0.25. For smaller ratios down to 0.02 only the matrix inversion technique can remove the tones, but the metricsmore » to evaluate its effectiveness also degrade. We also found that using fast Fourier transforms best identified the tonal noise, and determined that band-pass-filtering the signals prior to the process improved sine removal. When applied to actual vibration test data, the methods were not as effective at removing harmonic tones, which we believe to be a result of mixed-phase sinusoidal noise.« less

  14. Alteration by hyperoxia of ventilatory dynamics during sinusoidal work.

    PubMed

    Casaburi, R; Stremel, R W; Whipp, B J; Beaver, W L; Wasserman, K

    1980-06-01

    The effects of hyperoxia on ventilatory and gas exchange dynamics were studied utilizing sinusoidal work rate forcings. Five subjects exercised on 14 occasions on a cycle ergometer for 30 min with a sinusoidally varying work load. Tests were performed at seven frequencies of work load during air or 100% O2 inspiration. From the breath-by-breath responses to these tests, dynamic characteristics were analyzed by extracting the mean level, amplitude of oscillation, and phase lag for each six variables with digital computer techniques. Calculation of the time constant (tau) of the ventilatory responses demonstrated that ventilatory kinetics were slower during hyperoxia than during normoxia (P less than 0.025; avg 1.56 and 1.13 min, respectively). Further, for identical work rate fluctuations, end-tidal CO2 tension fluctuations were increased by hyperpoxia. Ventilation during hyperoxia is slower to respond to variations in the level of metabolically produced CO2, presumably because hyperoxia attenuates carotid body output; the arterial CO2 tension is consequently less tightly regulated.

  15. Sinusoidal current and stress evolutions in lithium-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Xiao-Guang; Bauer, Christoph; Wang, Chao-Yang

    2016-09-01

    Mechanical breakdown of graphite materials due to diffusion-induced stress (DIS) is a key aging mechanism of lithium-ion batteries. In this work, electrochemical-thermal coupled model along with a DIS model is developed to study the DIS distribution across the anode thickness. Special attention is paid to the evolution behavior of surface tangential stress (STS) in the discharge process for graphite at different locations of the anode. For the first time, we report that the evolution of STS, as well as local current, at all locations of the anode, evolve like sinusoidal waves in the discharge process with several crests and troughs. The staging behavior of graphite active material, in particular the sharp change of open-circuit potential (OCP) of graphite in the region between two plateaus, is found to be the root cause for the sinusoidal patterns of current and stress evolution. Furthermore, the effects of various parameters, such as starting state of charge, discharge C-rate and electrode thickness on the current and stress evolutions are investigated.

  16. The influence of a magnetic field on the heat transfer of a magnetic nanofluid in a sinusoidal channel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valiallah Mousavi, S.; Barzegar Gerdroodbary, M.; Sheikholeslami, Mohsen; Ganji, D. D.

    2016-09-01

    In this study, two dimensional numerical simulations are performed to investigate the influence of the magnetic field on the nanofluid flow inside a sinusoidal channel. This work reveals the influence of variable magnetic field in the heat transfer of heat exchanger while the mixture is in a single phase. In this heat exchanger, the inner tube is sinusoidal and the outer tube is considered smooth. The magnetic field is applied orthogonal to the axis of the sinusoidal tube. In our study, the ferrofluid (water with 4 vol% nanoparticles (Fe3O4)) flows in a channel with sinusoidal bottom. The finite volume method with the SIMPLEC algorithm is used for handling the pressure-velocity coupling. The numerical results present validated data with experimentally measured data and show good agreement with measurement. The influence of different parameters, like the intensity of magnetic field and Reynolds number, on the heat transfer is investigated. According to the obtained results, the sinusoidal formation of the internal tube significantly increases the Nusselt number inside the channel. Our findings show that the magnetic field increases the probability of eddy formation inside the cavities and consequently enhances the heat transfer (more than 200%) in the vicinity of the magnetic field at low Reynolds number ( Re=50). In addition, the variation of the skin friction shows that the magnetic field increases the skin friction (more than 600%) inside the sinusoidal channel.

  17. Onboard power line conditioning system for an electric or hybrid vehicle

    DOEpatents

    Kajouke, Lateef A.; Perisic, Milun

    2016-06-14

    A power line quality conditioning system for a vehicle includes an onboard rechargeable direct current (DC) energy storage system and an onboard electrical system coupled to the energy storage system. The energy storage system provides DC energy to drive an electric traction motor of the vehicle. The electrical system operates in a charging mode such that alternating current (AC) energy from a power grid external to the vehicle is converted to DC energy to charge the DC energy storage system. The electrical system also operates in a vehicle-to-grid power conditioning mode such that DC energy from the DC energy storage system is converted to AC energy to condition an AC voltage of the power grid.

  18. AC Conductivity and Dielectric Properties of Borotellurite Glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taha, T. A.; Azab, A. A.

    2016-10-01

    Borotellurite glasses with formula 60B2O3-10ZnO-(30 - x)NaF- xTeO2 ( x = 0 mol.%, 5 mol.%, 10 mol.%, and 15 mol.%) have been synthesized by thermal melting. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the glasses were amorphous. The glass density ( ρ) was determined by the Archimedes method at room temperature. The density ( ρ) and molar volume ( V m) were found to increase with increasing TeO2 content. The direct-current (DC) conductivity was measured in the temperature range from 473 K to 623 K, in which the electrical activation energy of ionic conduction increased from 0.27 eV to 0.48 eV with increasing TeO2 content from 0 mol.% to 15 mol.%. The dielectric parameters and alternating-current (AC) conductivity ( σ ac) were investigated in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz and temperature range from 300 K to 633 K. The AC conductivity and dielectric constant decreased with increasing TeO2 content from 0 mol.% to 15 mol.%.

  19. Phase-contrast CT: Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Capillarized Sinusoids and Trabecular Structure in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues.

    PubMed

    Jian, Jianbo; Zhang, Wenxue; Yang, Hao; Zhao, Xinyan; Xuan, Ruijiao; Li, Dongyue; Hu, Chunhong

    2017-01-01

    Capillarization of sinusoids and change of trabecular thickness are the main histologic features in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Of particular interest are the three-dimensional (3D) visualization and quantitative evaluation of such alterations in the HCC progression. X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCCT) is an emerging imaging method that provides excellent image contrast for soft tissues. This study aimed to explore the potential of in-line PCCT in microstructure imaging of capillarized sinusoids and trabecular structure in human HCC tissues and to quantitatively evaluate the alterations of those fine structures during the development of HCC. This project was designed as an ex vivo experimental study. The study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from the patients. Eight human resected HCC tissue samples were imaged using in-line PCCT. After histologic processing, PCCT images and histopathologic data were matched. Fine structures in HCC tissues were revealed. Quantitative analyses of capillarized sinusoids (ie, percentage of sinusoidal area [PSA], sinusoidal volume) and trabecular structure (ie, trabecular thickness, surface-area-to-volume ratio [SA/V]) in low-grade (well or moderately differentiated) and high-grade (poorly differentiated) HCC groups were performed. Using PCCT, the alterations of capillarized sinusoids and trabecular structure were clearly observed in 3D geometry, which was confirmed by the corresponding histologic sections. The 3D qualitative analyses of sinusoids in the high-grade HCC group were significantly different (P < 0.05) in PSA (7.8 ± 2.5%) and sinusoidal volume (2.9 ± 0.6 × 10 7  µm 3 ) from those in the low-grade HCC group (PSA, 12.9 ± 2.2%; sinusoidal volume, 2.4 ± 0.3 × 10 7  µm 3 ). Moreover, the 3D quantitative evaluation of the trabecular structure in the high-grade HCC group showed a significant change (P < 0.05) in the

  20. Enhanced sub-micron colloidal particle separation with interdigitated microelectrode arrays using mixed AC/DC dielectrophoretic scheme.

    PubMed

    Swaminathan, Vikhram V; Shannon, Mark A; Bashir, Rashid

    2015-04-01

    Dielectrophoretic separation of particles finds a variety of applications in the capture of species such as cells, viruses, proteins, DNA from biological systems, as well as other organic and inorganic contaminants from water. The ability to capture particles is constrained by poor volumetric scaling of separation force with respect to particle diameter, as well as the weak penetration of electric fields in the media. In order to improve the separation of sub-micron colloids, we present a scheme based on multiple interdigitated electrode arrays under mixed AC/DC bias. The use of high frequency longitudinal AC bias breaks the shielding effects through electroosmotic micromixing to enhance electric fields through the electrolyte, while a transverse DC bias between the electrode arrays enables penetration of the separation force to capture particles from the bulk of the microchannel. We determine the favorable biasing conditions for field enhancement with the help of analytical models, and experimentally demonstrate the improved capture from sub-micron colloidal suspensions with the mixed AC/DC electrostatic excitation scheme over conventional AC-DEP methods.

  1. Sinusoidal input describing function for hysteresis followed by elementary backlash

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ringland, R. F.

    1976-01-01

    The author proposes a new sinusoidal input describing function which accounts for the serial combination of hysteresis followed by elementary backlash in a single nonlinear element. The output of the hysteresis element drives the elementary backlash element. Various analytical forms of the describing function are given, depending on the a/A ratio, where a is the half width of the hysteresis band or backlash gap, and A is the amplitude of the assumed input sinusoid, and on the value of the parameter representing the fraction of a attributed to the backlash characteristic. The negative inverse describing function is plotted on a gain-phase plot, and it is seen that a relatively small amount of backlash leads to domination of the backlash character in the describing function. The extent of the region of the gain-phase plane covered by the describing function is such as to guarantee some form of limit cycle behavior in most closed-loop systems.

  2. dc Arc Fault Effect on Hybrid ac/dc Microgrid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fatima, Zahra

    The advent of distributed energy resources (DER) and reliability and stability problems of the conventional grid system has given rise to the wide spread deployment of microgrids. Microgrids provide many advantages by incorporating renewable energy sources and increasing the reliability of the grid by isolating from the main grid in case of an outage. AC microgrids have been installed all over the world, but dc microgrids have been gaining interest due to the advantages they provide over ac microgrids. However the entire power network backbone is still ac and dc microgrids require expensive converters to connect to the ac power network. As a result hybrid ac/dc microgrids are gaining more attention as it combines the advantages of both ac and dc microgrids such as direct integration of ac and dc systems with minimum number of conversions which increases the efficiency by reducing energy losses. Although dc electric systems offer many advantages such as no synchronization and no reactive power, successful implementation of dc systems requires appropriate protection strategies. One unique protection challenge brought by the dc systems is dc arc faults. A dc arc fault is generated when there is a gap in the conductor due to insulation degradation and current is used to bridge the gap, resulting in an arc with very high temperature. Such a fault if it goes undetected and is not extinguished can cause damage to the entire system and cause fires. The purpose of the research is to study the effect of the dc arc fault at different locations in the hybrid ac/dc microgrid and provide insight on the reliability of the grid components when it is impacted by arc faults at various locations in the grid. The impact of dc arc fault at different locations on the performance of the PV array, wind generation, and constant power loads (CPL) interfaced with dc/dc converters is studied. MATLAB/Simulink is used to model the hybrid ac/dc microgrid and arc fault.

  3. AC electrokinetic manipulation of selenium nanoparticles for potential nanosensor applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mahmoodi, Seyed Reza; Bayati, Marzieh, E-mail: m-bayati@tums.ac.ir; Hosseinirad, Somayeh

    2013-03-15

    Highlights: ► Se nanoparticles were synthesized using a reverse-microemulsion process. ► AC osmotic fluid flow repulses the particles from electrode edges. ► Dielectrophoretic force attracts the particles to electrode edges. ► Dielectrophoresis electrode showed non-ohmic behavior. ► The device can potentially be used as a nanosensor. - Abstract: We report the AC electrokinetic behavior of selenium (Se) nanoparticles for electrical characterization and possible application as micro/nano devices. selenium Se nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a reverse-microemulsion process and investigated structurally using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Interdigitated castellated ITO and non-castellated platinum electrodes were employed for manipulation of suspendedmore » materials in the fluid. Using ITO electrodes at low frequency limits resulted in deposition of Se particles on electrode surface. When Se particles exposed to platinum electrodes in the 10 Hz–1 kHz range and V {sub p−p}> 8, AC osmotic fluid flow repulses the particles from electrode edges. However, in 10 kHz–10 MHz range and V {sub p−p}> 5, dielectrophoretic force attracts the particles to electrode edges. As the Se particle concentration increased, the trapped Se particles were aligned along the electric field line and bridged the electrode gap. The device was characterized and can potentially be useful in making micro/nano electronic devices.« less

  4. Sinusoidal nanotextures for light management in silicon thin-film solar cells.

    PubMed

    Köppel, G; Rech, B; Becker, C

    2016-04-28

    Recent progresses in liquid phase crystallization enabled the fabrication of thin wafer quality crystalline silicon layers on low-cost glass substrates enabling conversion efficiencies up to 12.1%. Because of its indirect band gap, a thin silicon absorber layer demands for efficient measures for light management. However, the combination of high quality crystalline silicon and light trapping structures is still a critical issue. Here, we implement hexagonal 750 nm pitched sinusoidal and pillar shaped nanostructures at the sun-facing glass-silicon interface into 10 μm thin liquid phase crystallized silicon thin-film solar cell devices on glass. Both structures are experimentally studied regarding their optical and optoelectronic properties. Reflection losses are reduced over the entire wavelength range outperforming state of the art anti-reflective planar layer systems. In case of the smooth sinusoidal nanostructures these optical achievements are accompanied by an excellent electronic material quality of the silicon absorber layer enabling open circuit voltages above 600 mV and solar cell device performances comparable to the planar reference device. For wavelengths smaller than 400 nm and higher than 700 nm optical achievements are translated into an enhanced quantum efficiency of the solar cell devices. Therefore, sinusoidal nanotextures are a well-balanced compromise between optical enhancement and maintained high electronic silicon material quality which opens a promising route for future optimizations in solar cell designs for silicon thin-film solar cells on glass.

  5. Avoiding neuromuscular stimulation in liver irreversible electroporation using radiofrequency electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castellví, Quim; Mercadal, Borja; Moll, Xavier; Fondevila, Dolors; Andaluz, Anna; Ivorra, Antoni

    2018-02-01

    Electroporation-based treatments typically consist of the application of high-voltage dc pulses. As an undesired side effect, these dc pulses cause electrical stimulation of excitable tissues such as motor nerves. The present in vivo study explores the use of bursts of sinusoidal voltage in a frequency range from 50 kHz to 2 MHz, to induce irreversible electroporation (IRE) whilst avoiding neuromuscular stimulation. A series of 100 dc pulses or sinusoidal bursts, both with an individual duration of 100 µs, were delivered to rabbit liver through thin needles in a monopolar electrode configuration, and thoracic movements were recorded with an accelerometer. Tissue samples were harvested three hours after treatment and later post-processed to determine the dimensions of the IRE lesions. Thermal damage due to Joule heating was ruled out via computer simulations. Sinusoidal bursts with a frequency equal to or above 100 kHz did not cause thoracic movements and induced lesions equivalent to those obtained with conventional dc pulses when the applied voltage amplitude was sufficiently high. IRE efficacy dropped with increasing frequency. For 100 kHz bursts, it was estimated that the electric field threshold for IRE is about 1.4 kV cm-1 whereas that of dc pulses is about 0.5 kV cm-1.

  6. Structural, ac conductivity and dielectric properties of 3-formyl chromone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, H. A. M.

    2017-07-01

    The structure for the powder of 3-formyl chromone was examined by X-ray diffraction technique in the 2θ° range ( 4° - 60° . The configuration of Al/3-formyl chromone/Al samples was designed. The electrical and dielectric properties were studied as a function of frequency (42- 5 × 106 Hz) and temperature (298-408K). The ac conductivity data of bulk of 3-formyl chromone varies as a power law with the frequency at different temperatures. The predominant mechanism for ac conduction was deduced. The ac conductivity shows a thermally activated process at different frequencies. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss were determined using the capacitance and dissipation factor measurements at different temperatures. The dielectric loss shows a peak of relaxation time that shifted to higher frequency with an increase in the temperature. The activation energy of the relaxation process was estimated.

  7. Comparison of arterial potassium and ventilatory dynamics during sinusoidal work rate variation in man.

    PubMed Central

    Casaburi, R; Stringer, W W; Singer, E

    1995-01-01

    1. The mechanisms underlying the exercise hyperpnoea have been difficult to define. Recently it has been suggested that exercise ventilation (VE) changes in proportion to changes in arterial potassium concentration ([K+]a). Similar VE and [K+]a time courses following work rate changes have been cited as supporting evidence. This study compared [K+]a and VE dynamics during moderate exercise in man. 2. We observed VE and gas exchange responses in five healthy men to sinusoidal work rate variation between 25 and approximately 105 W. Tests of approximately 30 min duration were performed at sinusoidal periods of 9, 6 and 3 min and in the steady state. In each test, during two or three sine periods, arterial blood was sampled (24 per test) and analysed for [K+] and blood gases. Response amplitude and phase (relative to work rate) were determined for each variable. 3. [K+]a fluctuated in response to sinusoidal work rate forcing with mean-to-peak amplitude averaging 0.15 mmol 1(-1). However, among tests, VE amplitude and phase were not highly correlated with [K+]a (r = 0.36 and 0.67, respectively). Further, average [K+]a amplitude in the 9 and 6 min sinusoidal studies tended to exceed the steady-state amplitude, while average VE amplitude fell progressively with increasing forcing frequency. The dissimilar dynamics of [K+]a and VE seem inconsistent with a major role for [K+]a as a proportional controller of ventilation during non-steady state moderate exercise in man. 4. Among tests, VE and CO2 output (VCO2) amplitude and phase were closely correlated (r = 0.87 and 0.94, respectively). Further, arterial CO2 pressure (Pa,CO2) and arterial pH(pHa) did not fluctuate significantly in ten of twenty and thirteen of twenty studies, respectively. In tests where sinusoidal fluctuation was detected, amplitude averaged 1.1 mmHg and 0.008 units, respectively. Thus VE demonstrated a close dynamic coupling to CO2 output, with consequent tight regulation of Pa,CO2 and pHa. PMID:7666376

  8. Storing the Electric Energy Produced by an AC Generator

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carvalho, P. Simeao; Lima, Ana Paula; Carvalho, Pedro Simeao

    2010-01-01

    Producing energy from renewable energy sources is nowadays a priority in our society. In many cases this energy comes as electric energy, and when we think about electric energy generators, one major issue is how we can store that energy. In this paper we discuss how this can be done and give some ideas for applications that can serve as a…

  9. R dump converter without DC link capacitor for an 8/6 SRM: experimental investigation.

    PubMed

    Kavitha, Pasumalaithevan; Umamaheswari, Bhaskaran

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to investigate the performance of 8/6 switched reluctance motor (SRM) when excited with sinusoidal voltage. The conventional R dump converter provides DC excitation with the help of capacitor. In this paper the converter used is the modified R dump converter without DC link capacitor providing AC or sinusoidal excitation. Torque ripple and speed ripple are investigated based on hysteresis current control. Constant and sinusoidal current references are considered for comparison in both DC and AC excitation. Extensive theoretical and experimental investigations are made to bring out the merits and demerits of AC versus DC excitation. It is shown that the constructionally simple SRM can be favorably controlled with simple R dump converter with direct AC excitation without need for DC link capacitor. A 4-phase 8/6 0.5 kW SRM is used for experimentation.

  10. Changes in receptor-mediated endocytosis in liver sinusoidal cells after partial hepatectomy in the rat.

    PubMed

    Kamimoto, Y; Tanabe, D; Tashiro, S; Hiraoka, T; Miyauchi, Y

    1994-06-01

    Liver sinusoidal cells play an important role in host defense by clearing particulate matter and macromolecules from the circulation. In this study, receptor-mediated endocytosis in sinusoidal cells was examined in two-thirds hepatectomized rats using 125I-labeled formaldehyde-treated bovine serum albumin (fBSA) as an endocytable macromolecule. The liver-weight to body-weight ratio in hepatectomized rats returned to the control value 10 days after hepatectomy. The endocytotic index for fBSA in sinusoidal cells decreased significantly to 0.0210 +/- 0.0017 (controls, 0.0598 +/- 0.0019) on the first day, then returned to the control level at 5 days (0.0554 +/- 0.0030). The changes in hepatic uptake for fBSA showed a similar time course of the endocytotic index. A transient increase in the uptake of fBSA per unit weight of liver of 22-39% above control occurred 2 to 3 days after hepatectomy. In contrast to fBSA, the endocytotic index in hepatocytes evaluated with 125I-labeled asialofetuin reached the minimum level on the second day, and then recovered to the control level 10 days after hepatectomy. These results suggest that endocytosis of fBSA by sinusoidal cells decreases after hepatectomy and rapidly recovers to normal before the completion of liver regeneration, whereas endocytosis of asialofetuin by hepatocytes decreases following hepatic resection and returns to normal when regeneration is substantially complete.

  11. Method and apparatus for spur-reduced digital sinusoid synthesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zimmerman, George A. (Inventor); Flanagan, Michael J. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    A technique for reducing the spurious signal content in digital sinusoid synthesis is presented. Spur reduction is accomplished through dithering both amplitude and phase values prior to word-length reduction. The analytical approach developed for analog quantization is used to produce new bounds on spur performance in these dithered systems. Amplitude dithering allows output word-length reduction without introducing additional spurs. Effects of periodic dither similar to that produced by a pseudo-noise (PN) generator are analyzed. This phase dithering method provides a spur reduction of 6(M + 1) dB per phase bit when the dither consists of M uniform variates. While the spur reduction is at the expense of an increase in system noise, the noise power can be made white, making the power spectral density small. This technique permits the use of a smaller number of phase bits addressing sinusoid look-up tables, resulting in an exponential decrease in system complexity. Amplitude dithering allows the use of less complicated multipliers and narrower data paths in purely digital applications, as well as the use of coarse-resolution, highly-linear digital-to-analog converters (DAC's) to obtain spur performance limited by the DAC linearity rather than its resolution.

  12. Microwave a.c. conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Tselev, Alexander; Yu, Pu; Cao, Ye; ...

    2016-05-31

    Ferroelectric domain walls are of great interest as elementary building blocks for future electronic devices due to their intrinsic few-nanometre width, multifunctional properties and field-controlled topology. To realize the electronic functions, domain walls are required to be electrically conducting and addressable non-destructively. However, these properties have been elusive because conducting walls have to be electrically charged, which makes them unstable and uncommon in ferroelectric materials. Here we reveal that spontaneous and recorded domain walls in thin films of lead zirconate and bismuth ferrite exhibit large conductance at microwave frequencies despite being insulating at d.c. We explain this effect by morphologicalmore » roughening of the walls and local charges induced by disorder with the overall charge neutrality. a.c. conduction is immune to large contact resistance enabling completely non-destructive walls read-out. Finally, this demonstrates a technological potential for harnessing a.c. conduction for oxide electronics and other materials with poor d.c. conduction, particularly at the nanoscale.« less

  13. Microwave a.c. conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric thin films

    PubMed Central

    Tselev, Alexander; Yu, Pu; Cao, Ye; Dedon, Liv R.; Martin, Lane W.; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Maksymovych, Petro

    2016-01-01

    Ferroelectric domain walls are of great interest as elementary building blocks for future electronic devices due to their intrinsic few-nanometre width, multifunctional properties and field-controlled topology. To realize the electronic functions, domain walls are required to be electrically conducting and addressable non-destructively. However, these properties have been elusive because conducting walls have to be electrically charged, which makes them unstable and uncommon in ferroelectric materials. Here we reveal that spontaneous and recorded domain walls in thin films of lead zirconate and bismuth ferrite exhibit large conductance at microwave frequencies despite being insulating at d.c. We explain this effect by morphological roughening of the walls and local charges induced by disorder with the overall charge neutrality. a.c. conduction is immune to large contact resistance enabling completely non-destructive walls read-out. This demonstrates a technological potential for harnessing a.c. conduction for oxide electronics and other materials with poor d.c. conduction, particularly at the nanoscale. PMID:27240997

  14. Roebel assembled coated conductor cables (RACC): Ac-Losses and current carrying potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frank, A.; Heller, R.; Goldacker, W.; Kling, A.; Schmidt, C.

    2008-02-01

    Low ac-loss HTS cables for transport currents well above 1 kA are required for application in transformers and generators and are taken into consideration for future generations of fusion reactor coils. Coated conductors (CC) are suitable candidates for high field application at an operation temperature in the range 50-77 K. Ac-field applications require cables with low ac-losses and hence twisting of the individual strands. We solved this problem using the Roebel technique. Short lengths of Roebel bar cables were prepared from industrial DyBCO and YBCO-CC. Meander shaped tapes of 4 or 5 mm width with twist pitches of 123 or 127 mm were cut from the 10 or 12 mm wide CC tapes using a specially designed tool. Eleven or twelve of these strands were assembled to a cable. The electrical and mechanical connection of the tapes was achieved using a silver powder filled conductive epoxy resin. Ac-losses of a short sample in an external ac-field were measured as a function of frequency and field amplitude as well as the coupling current decay time constant. We discuss the results in terms of available theories and compare measured time constants in transverse field with measured coupling losses. Finally the potential of this cable type for ac-use is discussed with respect to ac-losses and current carrying capability.

  15. Electric-hybrid-vehicle simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pasma, D. C.

    The simulation of electric hybrid vehicles is to be performed using experimental data to model propulsion system components. The performance of an existing ac propulsion system will be used as the baseline for comparative purposes. Hybrid components to be evaluated include electrically and mechanically driven flywheels, and an elastomeric regenerative braking system.

  16. Endogenous Cortical Oscillations Constrain Neuromodulation by Weak Electric Fields

    PubMed Central

    Schmidt, Stephen L.; Iyengar, Apoorva K.; Foulser, A. Alban; Boyle, Michael R.; Fröhlich, Flavio

    2014-01-01

    Background Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation modality that may modulate cognition by enhancing endogenous neocortical oscillations with the application of sine-wave electric fields. Yet, the role of endogenous network activity in enabling and shaping the effects of tACS has remained unclear. Objective We combined optogenetic stimulation and multichannel slice electrophysiology to elucidate how the effect of weak sine-wave electric field depends on the ongoing cortical oscillatory activity. We hypothesized that the structure of the response to stimulation depended on matching the stimulation frequency to the endogenous cortical oscillation. Methods We studied the effect of weak sine-wave electric fields on oscillatory activity in mouse neocortical slices. Optogenetic control of the network activity enabled the generation of in vivo like cortical oscillations for studying the temporal relationship between network activity and sine-wave electric field stimulation. Results Weak electric fields enhanced endogenous oscillations but failed to induce a frequency shift of the ongoing oscillation for stimulation frequencies that were not matched to the endogenous oscillation. This constraint on the effect of electric field stimulation imposed by endogenous network dynamics was limited to the case of weak electric fields targeting in vivo-like network dynamics. Together, these results suggest that the key mechanism of tACS may be enhancing but not overriding of intrinsic network dynamics. Conclusion Our results contribute to understanding the inconsistent tACS results from human studies and propose that stimulation precisely adjusted in frequency to the endogenous oscillations is key to rational design of non-invasive brain stimulation paradigms. PMID:25129402

  17. SNDR enhancement in noisy sinusoidal signals by non-linear processing elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martorell, Ferran; McDonnell, Mark D.; Abbott, Derek; Rubio, Antonio

    2007-06-01

    We investigate the possibility of building linear amplifiers capable of enhancing the Signal-to-Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) of sinusoidal input signals using simple non-linear elements. Other works have proven that it is possible to enhance the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) by using limiters. In this work we study a soft limiter non-linear element with and without hysteresis. We show that the SNDR of sinusoidal signals can be enhanced by 0.94 dB using a wideband soft limiter and up to 9.68 dB using a wideband soft limiter with hysteresis. These results indicate that linear amplifiers could be constructed using non-linear circuits with hysteresis. This paper presents mathematical descriptions for the non-linear elements using statistical parameters. Using these models, the input-output SNDR enhancement is obtained by optimizing the non-linear transfer function parameters to maximize the output SNDR.

  18. Age-Related Pseudocapillarization of the Liver Sinusoidal Endothelium Impairs the Hepatic Clearance of Acetaminophen in Rats

    PubMed Central

    Huizer-Pajkos, Aniko; Cogger, Victoria C.; McLachlan, Andrew J.; Le Couteur, David G.; Jones, Brett; de Cabo, Rafael; Hilmer, Sarah N.

    2011-01-01

    We investigated the effect of age-related pseudocapillarization of the liver sinusoidal endothelium on the hepatic disposition of acetaminophen. The multiple indicator dilution technique assessed the hepatic disposition of tracer 14C-acetaminophen and reference markers in isolated perfused livers of young (n = 11) and old (n = 12) rats. Electron microscopy confirmed defenestration of the sinusoidal endothelium in old rats compared with young rats. Acetaminophen recovery following a single pass through the liver was significantly increased in old rats (0.64 ± 0.04, old; 0.59 ± 0.05, young; p < .05). In old age, there was significant reduction of the intercompartmental rate constant k1 (0.34 ± 0.10s-1, old; 0.61 ± 0.38s-1, young; p < .05) and the permeability-surface area product for the transfer of acetaminophen across the sinusoidal endothelium (0.034 ± 0.006 mL/s/g, old; 0.048 ± 0.014 mL/s/g, young; p < .005). There was no difference in k3, the measure of sequestration of acetaminophen that reflects enzyme activity. Age-related pseudocapillarization of the liver sinusoid resulted in increased acetaminophen recovery and decreased transfer of acetaminophen into the liver. PMID:21300741

  19. Impact Testing and Simulation of a Sinusoid Foam Sandwich Energy Absorber

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jackson, Karen E.; Fasanella, Edwin L; Littell, Justin D.

    2015-01-01

    A sinusoidal-shaped foam sandwich energy absorber was developed and evaluated at NASA Langley Research Center through multi-level testing and simulation performed under the Transport Rotorcraft Airframe Crash Testbed (TRACT) research project. The energy absorber, designated the "sinusoid," consisted of hybrid carbon- Kevlar® plain weave fabric face sheets, two layers for each face sheet oriented at +/-45deg with respect to the vertical or crush direction, and a closed-cell ELFOAM(TradeMark) P200 polyisocyanurate (2.0-lb/ft3) foam core. The design goal for the energy absorber was to achieve an average floor-level acceleration of between 25- and 40-g during the full-scale crash test of a retrofitted CH-46E helicopter airframe, designated TRACT 2. Variations in the design were assessed through quasi-static and dynamic crush testing of component specimens. Once the design was finalized, a 5-ft-long subfloor beam was fabricated and retrofitted into a barrel section of a CH-46E helicopter. A vertical drop test of the barrel section was conducted onto concrete to evaluate the performance of the energy absorber prior to retrofit into TRACT 2. Finite element models were developed of all test articles and simulations were performed using LSDYNA ®, a commercial nonlinear explicit transient dynamic finite element code. Test analysis results are presented for the sinusoid foam sandwich energy absorber as comparisons of load-displacement and acceleration-time-history responses, as well as predicted and experimental structural deformations and progressive damage for each evaluation level (component testing through barrel section drop testing).

  20. Chance-Constrained AC Optimal Power Flow: Reformulations and Efficient Algorithms

    DOE PAGES

    Roald, Line Alnaes; Andersson, Goran

    2017-08-29

    Higher levels of renewable electricity generation increase uncertainty in power system operation. To ensure secure system operation, new tools that account for this uncertainty are required. Here, in this paper, we adopt a chance-constrained AC optimal power flow formulation, which guarantees that generation, power flows and voltages remain within their bounds with a pre-defined probability. We then discuss different chance-constraint reformulations and solution approaches for the problem. Additionally, we first discuss an analytical reformulation based on partial linearization, which enables us to obtain a tractable representation of the optimization problem. We then provide an efficient algorithm based on an iterativemore » solution scheme which alternates between solving a deterministic AC OPF problem and assessing the impact of uncertainty. This more flexible computational framework enables not only scalable implementations, but also alternative chance-constraint reformulations. In particular, we suggest two sample based reformulations that do not require any approximation or relaxation of the AC power flow equations.« less

  1. Study on AC loss measurements of HTS power cable for standardizing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mukoyama, Shinichi; Amemiya, Naoyuki; Watanabe, Kazuo; Iijima, Yasuhiro; Mido, Nobuhiro; Masuda, Takao; Morimura, Toshiya; Oya, Masayoshi; Nakano, Tetsutaro; Yamamoto, Kiyoshi

    2017-09-01

    High-temperature superconducting power cables (HTS cables) have been developed for more than 20 years. In addition of the cable developments, the test methods of the HTS cables have been discussed and proposed in many laboratories and companies. Recently the test methods of the HTS cables is required to standardize and to common in the world. CIGRE made the working group (B1-31) for the discussion of the test methods of the HTS cables as a power cable, and published the recommendation of the test method. Additionally, IEC TC20 submitted the New Work Item Proposal (NP) based on the recommendation of CIGRE this year, IEC TC20 and IEC TC90 started the standardization work on Testing of HTS AC cables. However, the individual test method that used to measure a performance of HTS cables hasn’t been established as world’s common methods. The AC loss is one of the most important properties to disseminate low loss and economical efficient HTS cables in the world. We regard to establish the method of the AC loss measurements in rational and in high accuracy. Japan is at a leading position in the AC loss study, because Japanese researchers have studied on the AC loss technically and scientifically, and also developed the effective technologies for the AC loss reduction. The JP domestic commission of TC90 made a working team to discussion the methods of the AC loss measurements for aiming an international standard finally. This paper reports about the AC loss measurement of two type of the HTS conductors, such as a HTS conductor without a HTS shield and a HTS conductor with a HTS shield. The AC loss measurement method is suggested by the electrical method..

  2. AC-130 Employment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    1 AC -130 Employment Subject Area Aviation EWS 2006 Author Captain Robert Hornick, USMC Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704...00-2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE AC -130 Employment 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER... AC -130 gunship is an aircraft that can provide all of these needs. Regrettably, there are too few AC -130’s in the inventory to cover all the needs

  3. Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS): A light and electron microscopy study in human liver.

    PubMed

    Vreuls, C P H; Driessen, A; Olde Damink, S W M; Koek, G H; Duimel, H; van den Broek, M A J; Dejong, C H C; Braet, F; Wisse, E

    2016-05-01

    Oxaliplatin is an important chemotherapeutic agent, used in the treatment of hepatic colorectal metastases, and known to induce the sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS). Pathophysiological knowledge concerning SOS is based on a rat model. Therefore, the aim was to perform a comprehensive study of the features of human SOS, using both light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM). Included were all patients of whom wedge liver biopsies were collected during a partial hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases, in a 4-year period. The wedge biopsy were perfusion fixated and processed for LM and EM. The SOS lesions were selected by LM and details were studied using EM. Material was available of 30 patients, of whom 28 patients received neo-adjuvant oxaliplatin. Eighteen (64%) of the 28 patients showed SOS lesions, based on microscopy. The lesions consisted of sinusoidal endothelial cell detachment from the space of Disse on EM. In the enlarged space of Disse a variable amount of erythrocytes were located. Sinusoidal endothelial cell detachment was present in human SOS, accompanied by enlargement of the space of Disse and erythrocytes in this area. These findings, originally described in a rat model, were now for the first time confirmed in human livers under clinically relevant settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of DC electric field distribution of PPLP specimen based on the measurement of electrical conductivity in LN2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hwang, Jae-Sang; Seong, Jae-Kyu; Shin, Woo-Ju; Lee, Jong-Geon; Cho, Jeon-Wook; Ryoo, Hee-Suk; Lee, Bang-Wook

    2013-11-01

    High temperature superconducting (HTS) cable has been paid much attention due to its high efficiency and high current transportation capability, and it is also regarded as eco-friendly power cable for the next generation. Especially for DC HTS cable, it has more sustainable and stable properties compared to AC HTS cable due to the absence of AC loss in DC HTS cable. Recently, DC HTS cable has been investigated competitively all over the world, and one of the key components of DC HTS cable to be developed is a cable joint box considering HVDC environment. In order to achieve the optimum insulation design of the joint box, analysis of DC electric field distribution of the joint box is a fundamental process to develop DC HTS cable. Generally, AC electric field distribution depends on relative permittivity of dielectric materials but in case of DC, electrical conductivity of dielectric material is a dominant factor which determines electric field distribution. In this study, in order to evaluate DC electric field characteristics of the joint box for DC HTS cable, polypropylene laminated paper (PPLP) specimen has been prepared and its DC electric field distribution was analyzed based on the measurement of electrical conductivity of PPLP in liquid nitrogen (LN2). Electrical conductivity of PPLP in LN2 has not been reported yet but it should be measured for DC electric field analysis. The experimental works for measuring electrical conductivity of PPLP in LN2 were presented in this paper. Based on the experimental works, DC electric field distribution of PPLP specimen was fully analyzed considering the steady state and the transient state of DC. Consequently, it was possible to determine the electric field distribution characteristics considering different DC applying stages including DC switching on, DC switching off and polarity reversal conditions.

  5. Observer-based higher order sliding mode control of power factor in three-phase AC/DC converter for hybrid electric vehicle applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jianxing; Laghrouche, Salah; Wack, Maxime

    2014-06-01

    In this paper, a full-bridge boost power converter topology is studied for power factor control, using output higher order sliding mode control. The AC/DC converters are used for charging the battery and super-capacitor in hybrid electric vehicles from the utility. The proposed control forces the input currents to track the desired values, which can control the output voltage while keeping the power factor close to one. Super-twisting sliding mode observer is employed to estimate the input currents and load resistance only from the measurement of output voltage. Lyapunov analysis shows the asymptotic convergence of the closed-loop system to zero. Multi-rate simulation illustrates the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller in the presence of measurement noise.

  6. [Effects of 100 Hz sinusoidal vibration on H reflex and M wave in rat soleus muscle following immobilization].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xue-hong; Fan, Xiao-li; Song, Xin-ai; Shi, Lei

    2011-09-01

    To investigate the effects of 100 Hz sinusoidal vibration on H reflex and M wave in rat soleus muscle following immobilization. The immobilization of rat soleus muscle was induced as a disuse muscle model, and 100 Hz sinusoidal vibration was generated by a vibrator and applied to the immobilized soleus muscle, then the changes of H reflex and M wave in muscle were observed after 14 d. Compared to control, after 14 d of immobilization M(max) in soleus muscle decreased (P<0.01), stimulus threshold and S(max) increased (P<0.01); Hmax and H(max)/M(max) decreased (P<0.05, S(max) increased (P<0.05). Compared to immobilized soleus muscle, after 14 d of immobilization with 100 Hz sinusoidal vibration, the M(max) increased(P<0.01), stimulus threshold and S(Mmax) decreased (P<0.05), H(max) (P<0.01) increased and H(max)/M(max) increased (P<0.05). 100 Hz sinusoidal vibration plays a significant antagonist role against the changes in H reflex and M wave in rat soleus muscle following immobilization.

  7. R Dump Converter without DC Link Capacitor for an 8/6 SRM: Experimental Investigation

    PubMed Central

    Kavitha, Pasumalaithevan; Umamaheswari, Bhaskaran

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to investigate the performance of 8/6 switched reluctance motor (SRM) when excited with sinusoidal voltage. The conventional R dump converter provides DC excitation with the help of capacitor. In this paper the converter used is the modified R dump converter without DC link capacitor providing AC or sinusoidal excitation. Torque ripple and speed ripple are investigated based on hysteresis current control. Constant and sinusoidal current references are considered for comparison in both DC and AC excitation. Extensive theoretical and experimental investigations are made to bring out the merits and demerits of AC versus DC excitation. It is shown that the constructionally simple SRM can be favorably controlled with simple R dump converter with direct AC excitation without need for DC link capacitor. A 4-phase 8/6 0.5 kW SRM is used for experimentation. PMID:25642452

  8. An experimental study on flow friction and heat transfer of water in sinusoidal wavy silicon microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Houxue; Wu, Huiying; Zhang, Chi

    2018-05-01

    Sinusoidal wavy microchannels have been known as a more heat transfer efficient heat sink for the cooling of electronics than normal straight microchannels. However, the existing experimental study on wavy silicon microchannels with different phase differences are few. As a result of this, in this paper an experimental study has been conducted to investigate the single phase flow friction and heat transfer of de-ionized water in eight different sinusoidal wavy silicon microchannels (SWSMCs) and one straight silicon microchannel (SMC). The SWSMCs feature different phase differences (α  =  0 to π) and different relative wavy amplitudes (β  =  A/l  =  0.05 to 0.4), but the same average hydraulic diameters (D h  =  160 µm). It is found that both flow friction constant fRe and the Nusselt number depend on the phase difference and relative wavy amplitude. For sinusoidal wavy microchannels with a relative wavy amplitude (β  =  0.05), the Nusselt number increased noticeably with the phase difference for Re  >  250, but the effect was insignificant for Re  <  250 however, both pressure drop and apparent flow friction constant fRe increased with the increase in phase difference. For sinusoidal wavy microchannels with 0 phase difference, the increase in relative wavy amplitude obtained by reducing the wavy wave length induced higher pressure drop and apparent friction constant fRe, while the Nusselt number increased with relative wavy amplitude for Re  >  300. The results indicate that the thermal resistances of sinusoidal wavy silicon microchannels were generally lower than that of straight silicon microchannels, and the thermal resistance decreased with the increase in relative wavy amplitude. The enhancement of thermal performance is attributed to the flow re-circulation occurring in the corrugation troughs and the secondary flows or Dean vortices introduced by curved channels. It is concluded that

  9. Core losses of a permanent magnet synchronous motor with an amorphous stator core under inverter and sinusoidal excitations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Atsushi; Sugimoto, Takaya; Odawara, Shunya; Fujisaki, Keisuke

    2018-05-01

    We report core loss properties of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) with amorphous magnetic materials (AMM) core under inverter and sinusoidal excitations. To discuss the core loss properties of AMM core, a comparison with non-oriented (NO) core is also performed. In addition, based on both experiments and numerical simulations, we estimate higher (time and space) harmonic components of the core losses under inverter and sinusoidal excitations. The core losses of PMSM are reduced by about 59% using AMM stator core instead of NO core under sinusoidal excitation. We show that the average decrease obtained by using AMM instead of NO in the stator core is about 94% in time harmonic components.

  10. Preprocessing method to correct illumination pattern in sinusoidal-based structured illumination microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shabani, H.; Doblas, A.; Saavedra, G.; Preza, C.

    2018-02-01

    The restored images in structured illumination microscopy (SIM) can be affected by residual fringes due to a mismatch between the illumination pattern and the sinusoidal model assumed by the restoration method. When a Fresnel biprism is used to generate a structured pattern, this pattern cannot be described by a pure sinusoidal function since it is distorted by an envelope due to the biprism's edge. In this contribution, we have investigated the effect of the envelope on the restored SIM images and propose a computational method in order to address it. The proposed approach to reduce the effect of the envelope consists of two parts. First, the envelope of the structured pattern, determined through calibration data, is removed from the raw SIM data via a preprocessing step. In the second step, a notch filter is applied to the images, which are restored using the well-known generalized Wiener filter, to filter any residual undesired fringes. The performance of our approach has been evaluated numerically by simulating the effect of the envelope on synthetic forward images of a 6-μm spherical bead generated using the real pattern and then restored using the SIM approach that is based on an ideal pure sinusoidal function before and after our proposed correction method. The simulation result shows 74% reduction in the contrast of the residual pattern when the proposed method is applied. Experimental results from a pollen grain sample also validate the proposed approach.

  11. Design modification of airfoil by integrating sinusoidal leading edge and dimpled surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masud, M. H.; Naim-Ul-Hasan, Arefin, Amit Md. Estiaque; Joardder, Mohammad U. H.

    2017-06-01

    Airfoil is widely used for aircraft wings and blades of helicopters, turbines, propellers, fans and compressors. Many researches have been conducted on focusing the leading edge, surface and trailing edge of airfoil in order to maximize airfoil lift and to reduce drag. Literature shows that using protuberances along the leading edge of NACA 2412, it is possible to attain better performance from the baseline. Besides, the inward dimpled surface of NACA 0018 produces lesser drag at a positive angle of attacks. However, there is no literature that integrates sinusoidal leading edge and dimpled to attain the benefits of the both. In this study, simulation has been done for design improvement of airfoil by integrating sinusoidal leading edge and dimpled surface. Simulations have been run using finite element method environment. Significant improvement has been observed from the simulation results.

  12. New perspectives on the dynamics of AC and DC plasma arcs exposed to cross-fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdo, Youssef; Rohani, Vandad; Cauneau, François; Fulcheri, Laurent

    2017-02-01

    Interactions between an arc and external fields are crucially important for the design and the optimization of modern plasma torches. Multiple studies have been conducted to help better understand the behavior of DC and AC current arcs exposed to external and ‘self-induced’ magnetic fields, but the theoretical foundations remain very poorly explored. An analytical investigation has therefore been carried out in order to study the general behavior of DC and AC arcs under the effect of random cross-fields. A simple differential equation describing the general behavior of a planar DC or AC arc has been obtained. Several dimensionless numbers that depend primarily on arc and field parameters and the main arc characteristics (temperature, electric field strength) have also been determined. Their magnitude indicates the general tendency pattern of the arc evolution. The analytical results for many case studies have been validated using an MHD numerical model. The main purpose of this investigation was deriving a practical analytical model for the electric arc, rendering possible its stabilization and control, and the enhancement of the plasma torch power.

  13. Numerical simulation of dielectrophoretic separation of live/dead cells using a three-dimensional nonuniform AC electric field in micro-fabricated devices.

    PubMed

    Tada, Shigeru

    2015-01-01

    The analysis of cell separation has many important biological and medical applications. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is one of the most effective and widely used techniques for separating and identifying biological species. In the present study, a DEP flow channel, a device that exploits the differences in the dielectric properties of cells in cell separation, was numerically simulated and its cell-separation performance examined. The samples of cells used in the simulation were modeled as human leukocyte (B cell) live and dead cells. The cell-separation analysis was carried out for a flow channel equipped with a planar electrode on the channel's top face and a pair of interdigitated counter electrodes on the bottom. This yielded a three-dimensional (3D) nonuniform AC electric field in the entire space of the flow channel. To investigate the optimal separation conditions for mixtures of live and dead cells, the strength of the applied electric field was varied. With appropriately selected conditions, the device was predicted to be very effective at separating dead cells from live cells. The major advantage of the proposed method is that a large volume of sample can be processed rapidly because of a large spacing of the channel height.

  14. Inhibition of motor cortex excitability with 15Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

    PubMed

    Zaghi, Soroush; de Freitas Rezende, Larissa; de Oliveira, Laís Machado; El-Nazer, Rasheda; Menning, Sanne; Tadini, Laura; Fregni, Felipe

    2010-08-02

    There remains a lack of solid evidence showing whether transcranial stimulation with weak alternating current (transcranial alternating current stimulation, tACS) can in fact induce significant neurophysiological effects. Previously, a study in which tACS was applied for 2 and 5min with current density=0.16-0.25A/m(2) was unable to show robust effects on cortical excitability. Here we applied tACS at a significantly higher current density (0.80A/m(2)) for a considerably longer duration (20min) and were indeed able to demonstrate measurable changes to cortical excitability. Our results show that active 15Hz tACS of the motor cortex (electrodes placed at C3 and C4) significantly diminished the amplitude of motor evoked potentials and decreased intracortical facilitation (ICF) as compared to baseline and sham stimulation. In addition, we show that our method of sham tACS is a reliable control condition. These results support the notion that AC stimulation with weak currents can induce significant changes in brain excitability; in this case, 15Hz tACS led to a pattern of inhibition of cortical excitability. We propose that tACS may have a dampening effect on cortical networks and perhaps interfere with the temporal and spatial summation of weak subthreshold electric potentials. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Third harmonic ac susceptibility of superconductors with finite thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, M. J.; Ong, C. K.

    Third harmonic ac susceptibility of superconducting strips with finite thickness in perpendicularly applied magnetic field Ha = H0 sin(ω t) have been calculated. The flux creep effect is taken into account by using a power-law electric field E( j) = Ec( j/ jc) n. Results for different thicknesses and creep exponents n have been derived and compared to the results derived from the Bean critical state model.

  16. Digital ac monitor

    DOEpatents

    Hart, George W.; Kern, Jr., Edward C.

    1987-06-09

    An apparatus and method is provided for monitoring a plurality of analog ac circuits by sampling the voltage and current waveform in each circuit at predetermined intervals, converting the analog current and voltage samples to digital format, storing the digitized current and voltage samples and using the stored digitized current and voltage samples to calculate a variety of electrical parameters; some of which are derived from the stored samples. The non-derived quantities are repeatedly calculated and stored over many separate cycles then averaged. The derived quantities are then calculated at the end of an averaging period. This produces a more accurate reading, especially when averaging over a period in which the power varies over a wide dynamic range. Frequency is measured by timing three cycles of the voltage waveform using the upward zero crossover point as a starting point for a digital timer.

  17. Digital ac monitor

    DOEpatents

    Hart, G.W.; Kern, E.C. Jr.

    1987-06-09

    An apparatus and method is provided for monitoring a plurality of analog ac circuits by sampling the voltage and current waveform in each circuit at predetermined intervals, converting the analog current and voltage samples to digital format, storing the digitized current and voltage samples and using the stored digitized current and voltage samples to calculate a variety of electrical parameters; some of which are derived from the stored samples. The non-derived quantities are repeatedly calculated and stored over many separate cycles then averaged. The derived quantities are then calculated at the end of an averaging period. This produces a more accurate reading, especially when averaging over a period in which the power varies over a wide dynamic range. Frequency is measured by timing three cycles of the voltage waveform using the upward zero crossover point as a starting point for a digital timer. 24 figs.

  18. Measured losses in superconductor magnets for 60-Hertz ac operation.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hamlet, I. L.; Kilgore, R. A.

    1971-01-01

    Results of an experimental study of electrical losses in superconductor magnets. Preliminary 60-Hz ac loss data are presented for coils constructed of Nb3Sn ribbon, Nb-Ti cable, and multifilament Nb-Ti. Losses have been measured for different size coils up to approximately 20 cm in diameter. Of the conductor types tested, Nb3Sn ribbon has the lowest losses for ac operation. In Nb3Sn-ribbon coils of different sizes, the loss per unit length of conductor is shown to decrease with a decrease in the rate of change of current and to increase, in general, with increase in coil size. An important aspect of the study is the high degree of repeatability of the data.

  19. Analysis of Drop Oscillations Excited by an Electrical Point Force in AC EWOD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oh, Jung Min; Ko, Sung Hee; Kang, Kwan Hyoung

    2008-03-01

    Recently, a few researchers have reported the oscillation of a sessile drop in AC EWOD (electrowetting on dielectrics), and some of its consequences. The drop oscillation problem in AC EWOD is associated with various applications based on electrowetting such as LOC (lab-on-a-chip), liquid lens, and electronic display. However, no theoretical analysis of the problem has been attempted yet. In the present paper, we propose a theoretical model to analyze the oscillation by applying the conventional method to analyze the drop oscillation. The domain perturbation method is used to derive the shape mode equations under the assumptions of weak viscous flow and small deformation. The Maxwell stress is exerted on the three-phase contact line of the droplet like a point force. The force is regarded as a delta function, and is decomposed into the driving forces of each shape mode. The theoretical results on the shape and the frequency responses are compared with experiments, which shows a qualitative agreement.

  20. Soap-film flow induced by electric fields in asymmetric frames.

    PubMed

    Mollaei, S; Nasiri, M; Soltanmohammadi, N; Shirsavar, R; Ramos, A; Amjadi, A

    2018-04-01

    Net fluid flow of soap films induced by (ac or dc) electric fields in asymmetric frames is presented. Previous experiments of controllable soap film flow required the simultaneous use of an electrical current passing through the film and an external electric field or the use of nonuniform ac electric fields. Here a single voltage difference generates both the electrical current going through the film and the electric field that actuates on the charge induced on the film. The film is set into global motion due to the broken symmetry that appears by the use of asymmetric frames. If symmetric frames are used, the film flow is not steady but time dependent and irregular. Finally, we study numerically these film flows by employing the model of charge induction in ohmic liquids.

  1. Soap-film flow induced by electric fields in asymmetric frames

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mollaei, S.; Nasiri, M.; Soltanmohammadi, N.; Shirsavar, R.; Ramos, A.; Amjadi, A.

    2018-04-01

    Net fluid flow of soap films induced by (ac or dc) electric fields in asymmetric frames is presented. Previous experiments of controllable soap film flow required the simultaneous use of an electrical current passing through the film and an external electric field or the use of nonuniform ac electric fields. Here a single voltage difference generates both the electrical current going through the film and the electric field that actuates on the charge induced on the film. The film is set into global motion due to the broken symmetry that appears by the use of asymmetric frames. If symmetric frames are used, the film flow is not steady but time dependent and irregular. Finally, we study numerically these film flows by employing the model of charge induction in ohmic liquids.

  2. Study of hopping type conduction from AC conductivity in multiferroic composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, Rabichandra; Guha, Shampa; Pradhan, Lagen Kumar; Kumar, Sunil; Supriya, Sweety; Kar, Manoranjan

    2018-05-01

    0.5BiFe0.80Ti0.20O3-0.5Co0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4(BFTO-CNFO) multiferroic composite was prepared by planetary ball mill method. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of the compound with the simultaneous presence of spinel Co0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4 (CNFO) and perovskite BiFe0.80Ti0.20O3 (BFTO) phase. Temperature dependent dielectric permittivity and loss tangent were studied with a frequency range of 100Hz to 1MHz. AC conductivity study was performed to analyze the electrical conduction behaviour in the composite. Johnscher's power law was employed to the AC conductivity data to understand the hopping of localized charge carrier in the compound. The binding energy, minimum hopping distance and density of states of the charge carriers in the composite were evaluated from the AC conductivity data. Minimum hopping distance is found to be in order of Angstrom (Å).

  3. Wide-field fluorescence diffuse optical tomography with epi-illumination of sinusoidal pattern

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Tongxin; Gao, Feng; Chen, Weiting; Qi, Caixia; Yan, Panpan; Zhao, Huijuan

    2017-02-01

    We present a wide-field fluorescence tomography with epi-illumination of sinusoidal pattern. In this scheme, a DMD projector is employed as a spatial light modulator to generate independently wide-field sinusoidal illumination patterns at varying spatial frequencies on a sample, and then the emitted photons at the sample surface were captured with a EM-CCD camera. This method results in a significantly reduced number of the optical field measurements as compared to the point-source-scanning ones and thereby achieves a fast data acquisition that is desired for a dynamic imaging application. Fluorescence yield images are reconstructed using the normalized-Born formulated inversion of the diffusion model. Experimental reconstructions are presented on a phantom embedding the fluorescent targets and compared for a combination of the multiply frequencies. The results validate the ability of the method to determine the target relative depth and quantification with an increasing accuracy.

  4. The calibration of a model for simulating the thermal and electrical performance of a 2.8 kW AC solid-oxide fuel cell micro-cogeneration device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beausoleil-Morrison, Ian; Lombardi, Kathleen

    The concurrent production of heat and electricity within residential buildings using solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) micro-cogeneration devices has the potential to reduce primary energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollutants. A realistic assessment of this emerging technology requires the accurate simulation of the thermal and electrical production of SOFC micro-cogeneration devices concurrent with the simulation of the building, its occupants, and coupled plant components. The calibration of such a model using empirical data gathered from experiments conducted with a 2.8 kW AC SOFC micro-cogeneration device is demonstrated. The experimental configuration, types of instrumentation employed, and the operating scenarios examined are treated. The propagation of measurement uncertainty into the derived quantities that are necessary for model calibration are demonstrated by focusing upon the SOFC micro-cogeneration system's gas-to-water heat exchanger. The calibration coefficients necessary to accurately simulate the thermal and electrical performance of this prototype device are presented and the types of analyses enabled to study the potential of the technology are demonstrated.

  5. Sinusoidal Siemens star spatial frequency response measurement errors due to misidentified target centers

    DOE PAGES

    Birch, Gabriel Carisle; Griffin, John Clark

    2015-07-23

    Numerous methods are available to measure the spatial frequency response (SFR) of an optical system. A recent change to the ISO 12233 photography resolution standard includes a sinusoidal Siemens star test target. We take the sinusoidal Siemens star proposed by the ISO 12233 standard, measure system SFR, and perform an analysis of errors induced by incorrectly identifying the center of a test target. We show a closed-form solution for the radial profile intensity measurement given an incorrectly determined center and describe how this error reduces the measured SFR of the system. As a result, using the closed-form solution, we proposemore » a two-step process by which test target centers are corrected and the measured SFR is restored to the nominal, correctly centered values.« less

  6. Comparative performance evaluation of advanced AC and DC EV propulsion systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacDowall, R. D.; Crumley, R. L.

    Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) evaluates EV propulsion systems and components for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Electric and Hybrid Vehicle (EHV) Program. In this study, experimental data were used to evaluate the relative performances of the benchmark Chrysler/GE ETV-1 DC and the Ford/GE First Generation Single-Shaft AC (ETX-I) propulsion systems. Tests were conducted on the INEL's chassis dynamometer using identical aerodynamic and rolling resistance road-load coefficients and vehicle test weights. The results allowed a direct comparison of selected efficiency and performance characteristics for the two propulsion system technologies. The ETX-I AC system exhibited slightly lower system efficiency during constant speed testing than the ETV-1 DC propulsion system.

  7. ACS experiment for atmospheric studies on "ExoMars-2016" Orbiter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korablev, O. I.; Montmessin, F.; Fedorova, A. A.; Ignatiev, N. I.; Shakun, A. V.; Trokhimovskiy, A. V.; Grigoriev, A. V.; Anufreichik, K. A.; Kozlova, T. O.

    2015-12-01

    ACS is a set of spectrometers for atmospheric studies (Atmospheric Chemistry Suite). It is one of the Russian instruments for the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) of the Russian-European "ExoMars" program. The purpose of the experiment is to study the Martian atmosphere by means of two observations regimes: sensitive trace gases measurements in solar occultations and by monitoring the atmospheric state during nadir observations. The experiment will allow us to approach global problems of Mars research such as current volcanism, and the modern climate status and its evolution. Also, the experiment is intended to solve the mystery of methane presence in the Martian atmosphere. Spectrometers of the ACS set cover the spectral range from the near IR-range (0.7 μm) to the thermal IR-range (17 μm) with spectral resolution λ/Δλ reaching 50000. The ACS instrument consists of three independent IR spectrometers and an electronics module, all integrated in a single unit with common mechanical, electrical and thermal interfaces. The article gives an overview of scientific tasks and presents the concept of the experiment.

  8. Comparison of the efficiency of rat papillary muscles during afterloaded isotonic contractions and contractions with sinusoidal length changes.

    PubMed

    Mellors, L J; Gibbs, C L; Barclay, C J

    2001-05-01

    The results of previous studies suggest that the maximum mechanical efficiency of rat papillary muscles is lower during a contraction protocol involving sinusoidal length changes than during one involving afterloaded isotonic contractions. The aim of this study was to compare directly the efficiency of isolated rat papillary muscle preparations in isotonic and sinusoidal contraction protocols. Experiments were performed in vitro (27 degrees C) using left ventricular papillary muscles from adult rats. Each preparation performed three contraction protocols: (i) low-frequency afterloaded isotonic contractions (10 twitches at 0.2 Hz), (ii) sinusoidal length change contractions with phasic stimulation (40 twitches at 2 Hz) and (iii) high-frequency afterloaded isotonic contractions (40 twitches at 2 Hz). The first two protocols resembled those used in previous studies and the third combined the characteristics of the first two. The parameters for each protocol were adjusted to those that gave maximum efficiency. For the afterloaded isotonic protocols, the afterload was set to 0.3 of the maximum developed force. The sinusoidal length change protocol incorporated a cycle amplitude of +/-5% resting length and a stimulus phase of -10 degrees. Measurements of force output, muscle length change and muscle temperature change were used to calculate the work and heat produced during and after each protocol. Net mechanical efficiency was defined as the proportion of the energy (enthalpy) liberated by the muscle that appeared as work. The efficiency in the low-frequency, isotonic contraction protocol was 21.1+/-1.4% (mean +/- s.e.m., N=6) and that in the sinusoidal protocol was 13.2+/-0.7%, consistent with previous results. This difference was not due to the higher frequency or greater number of twitches because efficiency in the high-frequency, isotonic protocol was 21.5+/-1.0%. Although these results apparently confirm that efficiency is protocol-dependent, additional experiments

  9. Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome (Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease)

    PubMed Central

    Fan, Cathy Q.; Crawford, James M.

    2014-01-01

    Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is an obliterative venulitis of the terminal hepatic venules, which in its more severe forms imparts a high risk of mortality. SOS, also known as veno-occlusive disease (VOD), occurs as a result of cytoreductive therapy prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), following oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver and treated by partial hepatectomy, in patients taking pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing herbal remedies, and in other particular settings such as the autosomal recessive condition of veno-occlusive disease with immunodeficiency (VODI). A central pathogenic event is toxic destruction of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC), with sloughing and downstream occlusion of terminal hepatic venules. Contributing factors are SEC glutathione depletion, nitric oxide depletion, increased intrahepatic expression of matrix metalloproteinases and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and activation of clotting factors. The clinical presentation of SOS includes jaundice, development of right upper-quadrant pain and tender hepatomegaly, ascites, and unexplained weight gain. Owing to the potentially critical condition of these patients, transjugular biopsy may be the preferred route for liver biopsy to exclude other potential causes of liver dysfunction and to establish a diagnosis of SOS. Treatment includes rigorous fluid management so as to avoid excessive fluid overload while avoiding too rapid diuresis or pericentesis, potential use of pharmaceutics such as defibrotide, coagulolytic agents, or methylprednisolone, and liver transplantation. Proposed strategies for prevention and prophylaxis include reduced-intensity conditioning radiation for HSCT, treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid, and inclusion of bevacizumab with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapeutic regimes. While significant progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis

  10. Observation of Sinusoidal Voltage Behaviour in Silver Doped YBCO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Altinkok, Atilgan; Olutas, Murat; Kilic, Kivilcim; Kilic, Atilla

    The influence of bi-directional square wave (BSW) current was investigated on the evolution of the V - t curves at different periods (P) , temperatures and external magnetic fields. It was observed that slow transport relaxation measurements result in regular sinusoidal voltage oscillations which were discussed mainly in terms of the dynamic competition between pinning and depinning.The symmetry in the voltage oscillations was attributed to the elastic coupling between the flux lines and the pinning centers along grain boundaries and partly inside the grains. This case was also correlated to the equality between flux entry and exit along the YBCO/Ag sample during regular oscillations. It was shown that the voltage oscillations can be described well by an empirical expression V (t) sin(wt + φ) . We found that the phase angle φgenerally takes different values for the repetitive oscillations. Fast Fourier Transform analysis of the V - t oscillations showed that the oscillation period is comparable to that (PI) of the BSW current. This finding suggests a physical mechanism associated with charge density waves (CDWs), and, indeed, the weakly pinned flux line system in YBCO/Ag resembles the general behavior of CDWs. At certain values of PI, amplitude of BSW current, H and T, the YBCO/Ag sample behaves like a double-integrator, since it converts the BSW current to sinusoidal voltage oscillations in time.

  11. Lateral separation of colloids or cells by dielectrophoresis augmented by AC electroosmosis.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Hao; White, Lee R; Tilton, Robert D

    2005-05-01

    Colloidal particles and biological cells are patterned and separated laterally adjacent to a micropatterned electrode array by applying AC electric fields that are principally oriented normally to the electrode array. This is demonstrated for yeast cells, red blood cells, and colloidal polystyrene particles of different sizes and zeta-potentials. The separation mechanism is observed experimentally to depend on the applied field frequency and voltage. At high frequencies, particles position themselves in a manner that is consistent with dielectrophoresis, while at low frequencies, the positioning is explained in terms of a strong coupling between gravity, the vertical component of the dielectrophoretic force, and the Stokes drag on particles induced by AC electroosmotic flow. Compared to high frequency dielectrophoretic separations, the low frequency separations are faster and require lower applied voltages. Furthermore, the AC electroosmosis coupling with dielectrophoresis may enable cell separations that are not feasible based on dielectrophoresis alone.

  12. Electrical modulus and dielectric behavior of Cr3+ substituted Mg-Zn nanoferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mansour, S. F.; Abdo, M. A.

    2017-04-01

    The dielectric parameters and ac electrical conductivity of Mg0.8Zn0.2CrxFe2-xO4; (0≤x≤0.025) nanoferrites synthesized citrate-nitrate auto-combustion method were studied using the complex impedance technique in the frequency and temperature ranges 4 Hz-5 MHz and 303-873 K respectively. Hopping of charge carriers plus interfacial polarization could interpret the behaviors of dielectric constant (ε‧), dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) and ac electrical conductivity (σac) with frequency, temperatures and composition. The up-normal behavior observed in tanδ trend with temperatures confirms the presence of relaxation loss (dipoles losses). Correlated barrier hopping (CBH) of electron is the conduction mechanism of the investigated nanoferrites. Cole-Cole plots at different temperatures emphasize the main role of grain and grain boundaries in the properties of the investigated nanoferrites. Cr3+ substitution can control the dielectric parameters and ac electrical conductivity of Mg-Zn nanoferrites making it candidates for versatile applications.

  13. Power dissipation in HTS coated conductor coils under the simultaneous action of AC and DC currents and fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Boyang; Li, Chao; Geng, Jianzhao; Zhang, Xiuchang; Gawith, James; Ma, Jun; Liu, Yingzhen; Grilli, Francesco; Coombs, T. A.

    2018-07-01

    This paper presents a comprehensive alternating current (AC) loss study of a circular high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductor coil. The AC losses from a circular double pancake coil were measured using the electrical method. A 2D axisymmetric H -formulation model using the FEM package in COMSOL Multiphysics has been established to match the circular geometry of the coil used in the experiment. Three scenarios have been analysed: Scenario 1 with AC transport current and DC magnetic field (experiment and simulation); Scenario 2 with DC transport current and AC magnetic field (simulation); and Scenario 3 with AC transport current and AC magnetic field (simulation and experimental data support). The angular dependence analysis on the coil under a magnetic field with different orientation angle θ has been carried out for all three scenarios. For Scenario 3, the effect of the relative phase difference Δφ between the AC current and the AC field on the total AC loss of the coil has been investigated. In summary, a current/field/angle/phase dependent AC loss ( I , B , θ, Δφ) study of a circular HTS coil has been carried out. The obtained results provide useful indications for the future design and research of HTS AC systems.

  14. Oblique propagating electromagnetic ion - Cyclotron instability with A.C. field in outer magnetosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, R. S.; Singh, Vikrant; Rani, Anju; Varughese, George; Singh, K. M.

    2018-05-01

    In the present paper Oblique propagating electromagnetic ion-cyclotron wave has been analyzed for anisotropic multi ion plasma (H+, He+, O+ ions) in earth magnetosphere for the Dione shell of L=7 i.e., the outer radiation belt of the magnetosphere for Loss-cone distribution function with a spectral index j in the presence of A.C. electric field. Detail for particle trajectories and dispersion relation has been derived by using the method of characteristic solution on the basis of wave particle interaction and transformation of energy. Results for the growth rate have been calculated numerically for various parameters and have been compared for different ions present in magnetosphere. It has been found that for studying the wave over wider spectrum, anisotropy for different values of j should be taken. The effect of frequency of A.C. electric field and angle which propagation vector make with magnetic field, on growth rate has been explained.

  15. Numerical analysis of beam with sinusoidally corrugated webs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Górecki, Marcin; Pieńko, Michał; Łagoda, GraŻyna

    2018-01-01

    The paper presents numerical tests results of the steel beam with sinusoidally corrugated web, which were performed in the Autodesk Algor Simulation Professional 2010. The analysis was preceded by laboratory tests including the beam's work under the influence of the four point bending as well as the study of material characteristics. Significant web's thickness and use of tools available in the software allowed to analyze the behavior of the plate girder as beam, and also to observe the occurrence of stresses in the characteristic element - the corrugated web. The stress distribution observed on the both web's surfaces was analyzed.

  16. "Artificial micro organs"--a microfluidic device for dielectrophoretic assembly of liver sinusoids.

    PubMed

    Schütte, Julia; Hagmeyer, Britta; Holzner, Felix; Kubon, Massimo; Werner, Simon; Freudigmann, Christian; Benz, Karin; Böttger, Jan; Gebhardt, Rolf; Becker, Holger; Stelzle, Martin

    2011-06-01

    In order to study possible toxic side effects of potential drug compounds in vitro a reliable test system is needed. Predicting liver toxicity presents a major challenge of particular importance as liver cells grown in a cell culture suffer from a rapid loss of their liver specific functions. Therefore we are developing a new microfluidic test system for liver toxicity. This test system is based on an organ-like liver 3D co-culture of hepatocytes and endothelial cells. We devised a microfluidic chip featuring cell culture chambers with integrated electrodes for the assembly of liver sinusoids by dielectrophoresis. Fluid channels enable an organ-like perfusion with culture media and test compounds. Different chamber designs were studied and optimized with regard to dielectrophoretic force distribution, hydrodynamic flow profile, and cell trapping rate using numeric simulations. Based on simulation results a microchip was injection-moulded from COP. This chip allowed the assembly of viable hepatocytes and endothelial cells in a sinusoid-like fashion.

  17. Modeling AC ripple currents in HTS coated conductors by integral equations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grilli, Francesco; Xu, Zhihan

    2016-12-01

    In several HTS applications, the superconducting tapes experience the simultaneous presence of DC and AC excitations. For example in high-current DC cables, where the transport current is not perfectly constant, but it exhibits some ripples at different frequencies introduced by the rectification process (AC-DC conversion). These ripples give rise to dissipation, whose magnitude and possible influence on the device's cooling requirements need to be evaluated. Here we report a study of the AC losses in a HTS coated conductor subjected to DC currents and AC ripples simultaneously. The modeling approach is based on an integral equation method for thin superconductors: the superconducting tape is modeled as a 1-D object with a non-linear resistivity, which includes the dependence of the critical current density Jc on the magnetic field. The model, implemented in a commercial finite-element program, runs very fast (the simulation of one AC cycle typically takes a few seconds on standard desktop workstation): this allows simulating a large number of cycles and estimating when the AC ripple losses stabilize to a constant value. The model is used to study the influence of the flux creep power index n on the stabilization speed and on the AC loss values, as well as the effect of using a field-dependent Jc instead of a constant one. The simulations confirm that the dissipation level should not be a practical concern in HTS DC cables. At the same time, however, they reveal a strong dependence of the results upon the power index n and the form of Jc , which spurs the question whether the power-law is the most suitable description of the superconductor's electrical behavior for this kind of analysis.

  18. ac response of thin superconductors in the flux-creep regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gurevich, A.; Brandt, E. H.

    1997-05-01

    We calculate both analytically and numerically the ac susceptibility χ(ω) and the nonlinear electromagnetic response of thin superconductor strips and disks of constant thickness in a perpendicular time-dependent magnetic field Ba(t)=B0cos ωt, taking account of the strong nonlinearity of the voltage-current characteristics below the irreversibility line. We consider integral equations of nonlinear nonlocal flux diffusion for a wide class of thermally activated creep models. It is shown that thin superconductors, despite being fully in the critical state, exhibit a universal Meissner-like electromagnetic response in the dissipative flux-creep regime. The expression for the linear ac susceptibility during flux creep appears to be similar to the susceptibility of Ohmic conductors, but with the relaxation time constant replaced by the time t elapsed after flux creep has started. This result is independent of any material parameter or temperature or dc field. For ωt>>:1, we obtain χ(ω)~-1+pln (qiωt)/(iωt), where p and q are constants. Above a critical ac amplitude B0=Bl, the local response of the electric field becomes nonlinear, and there are two distinctive nonlinear regimes at B0>Bl, where Bl~s(d/a)1/2Bp, Bp is a characteristic field of full flux penetration, s(T,B)=\\|dln j/dln t\\| is the dimensionless flux-creep rate and d and a are the sample thickness and width, respectively. For Blelectric field is strongly nonlinear but nonhysteretic, since the ac field Ba(t) does not cause a periodic inversion of the critical state. As a result, the magnetic moment exhibits a Meissner-like nondissipative response, in stark contrast to the Bean model. For B0>Bh(ω) the ac field causes hysteresis dissipation due to a periodic remagnetization of the critical state that gives rise to the hysteretic magnetic response of the Bean model at B0>>:Bh. Here Bh(ω) weakly depends on ω and is of order (d/a)1/2Bp for a very wide frequency range, well

  19. Effect of an alternating current electric field on Co(OH)2 periodic precipitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karam, Tony; Sultan, Rabih

    2013-02-01

    The present paper studies the effect of an alternating current (AC) electric field on Co(OH)2 Liesegang patterns. In the presence of an AC electric field, the band spacing increases with spacing number, but reaches a plateau at large spacing (or band) numbers. The band spacing increases with applied AC voltage, but to a much lesser extent than the effect of a DC electric field under the same applied voltage [see R. Sultan, R. Halabieh, Chem. Phys. Lett. 332 (2000) 331][1]. At low enough applied voltage, the band spacing increases with frequency. At higher voltages, the band spacing becomes independent of the field frequency. The effect of concentration of the inner electrolyte (Co2+), exactly opposes that observed under DC electric field; i.e., the band spacing decreases with increasing concentration. The dynamics were shown to be governed by a competitive scenario between the diffusion gradient and the alternating current electric field factor.

  20. Electrical power generation by mechanically modulating electrical double layers.

    PubMed

    Moon, Jong Kyun; Jeong, Jaeki; Lee, Dongyun; Pak, Hyuk Kyu

    2013-01-01

    Since Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry made their great discovery of electromagnetic induction, there have been continuous developments in electrical power generation. Most people today get electricity from thermal, hydroelectric, or nuclear power generation systems, which use this electromagnetic induction phenomenon. Here we propose a new method for electrical power generation, without using electromagnetic induction, by mechanically modulating the electrical double layers at the interfacial areas of a water bridge between two conducting plates. We find that when the height of the water bridge is mechanically modulated, the electrical double layer capacitors formed on the two interfacial areas are continuously charged and discharged at different phases from each other, thus generating an AC electric current across the plates. We use a resistor-capacitor circuit model to explain the results of this experiment. This observation could be useful for constructing a micro-fluidic power generation system in the near future.

  1. Experimental investigation on AC unit integrated with sensible heat storage (SHS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aziz, N. A.; Amin, N. A. M.; Majid, M. S. A.; Hussin, A.; Zhubir, S.

    2017-10-01

    The growth in population and economy has increases the energy demand and raises the concerns over the sustainable energy source. Towards the sustainable development, energy efficiency in buildings has become a prime objective. In this paper, the integration of thermal energy storage was studied. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the performance of an air conditioning unit integrated with sensible heat storage (SHS) system. The results were compared to the conventional AC systems in the terms of average electricity usage, indoor temperature and the relative humidity inside the experimented room (cabin container). Results show that the integration of water tank as an SHS reduces the electricity usage by 5%, while the integration of well-insulated water tank saves up to 8% of the electricity consumption.

  2. Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization for retrieval of amplitude images under sinusoidal patterns of illumination

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Structured illumination using sinusoidal patterns has been utilized for optical imaging of biological tissues in biomedical research and, of horticultural products. Implementation of structured-illumination imaging relies on retrieval of amplitude images, which is conventionally achieved by a phase-...

  3. Spectrophotometric and electrical properties of imperatorin: an organic molecule

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mir, Feroz A.

    2015-09-01

    Imperatorin (molecular formula = C16H14O4, molecular mass = 270) an organic molecule was isolated from ethyl acetate extract of the root parts of the plant Prangos pabularia. The optical study was carried out by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and this compound showed an indirect allowed transition. The optical band gap ( E g ) was found around 3.75 eV. Photoluminescence shows various good emission bands. The frequency-dependent real part of the complex ac conductivity was found to follow the universal dielectric response: σ ac ( ω) α ω s [where σ ac ( ω) is the frequency-dependent total conductivity, ω is the frequency, and s is the frequency exponent]. From ac conductivity data analysis, correlated barrier hopping charge-transport mechanism is the dominant electrical transport process shown by this compound. The good emission, less absorption, wide band gap and good electrical properties shown by this compound project them as a bright choice for organic electronic devices.

  4. Correlation between dielectric property by dielectrophoretic levitation and growth activity of cells exposed to electric field.

    PubMed

    Hakoda, Masaru; Hirota, Yusuke

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop a system analyzing cell activity by the dielectrophoresis method. Our previous studies revealed a correlation between the growth activity and dielectric property (Re[K(ω)]) of mouse hybridoma 3-2H3 cells using dielectrophoretic levitation. Furthermore, it was clarified that the differentiation activity of many stem cells could be evaluated by the Re[K(ω)] without differentiation induction. In this paper, 3-2H3 cells exposed to an alternating current (AC) electric field or a direct current (DC) electric field were cultivated, and the influence of damage by the electric field on the growth activity of the cells was examined. To evaluate the activity of the cells by measuring the Re[K(ω)], the correlation between the growth activity and the Re[K(ω)] of the cells exposed to the electric field was examined. The relations between the cell viability, growth activity, and Re[K(ω)] in the cells exposed to the AC electric field were obtained. The growth activity of the cells exposed to the AC electric field could be evaluated by the Re[K(ω)]. Furthermore, it was found that the adverse effects of the electric field on the cell viability and the growth activity were smaller in the AC electric field than the DC electric field.

  5. Vascular endothelial growth factor increases fenestral permeability in hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells.

    PubMed

    Yokomori, Hiroaki; Oda, Masaya; Yoshimura, Kazunori; Nagai, Toshihiro; Ogi, Mariko; Nomura, Masahiko; Ishii, Hiromasa

    2003-12-01

    Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important regulator of vasculogenesis and vascular permeability. Hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) possess sieve-like pores that form an anastomosing labyrinth structure by the deeply invaginated plasma membrane. Caveolin is the principal structural protein in caveolae. In this study, we examined the role of VEGF on the fenestration and permeability of SECs and the relation with caveolin-1. SECs isolated from rat livers by collagenase infusion method were cultured for 24 h with (10 or 100 ng/ml) or without VEGF. The cells were then examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy (EM). The expression of caveolin was investigated by confocal immunofluorescence, immunogold EM, and Western blot. Endocytosis and intracellular traffic was studied using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) reaction as a marker of fluid phase transport in SECs. Both transmission and scanning EM showed an increased number of sinusoidal endothelial fenestrae (SEF) in SECs cultured with VEGF. By confocal immunofluorescence, SECs cultured with VEGF displayed prominent caveolin-l-positive aggregates in the cytoplasm, especially surrounding the nucleus region. Immunogold EM depicted increased caveolin-1 reactivity on vesicles and vacuoles of VEGF-treated SECs compared with VEGF-nontreated cells. However, there was no change in the level of caveolin-1 protein expression on Western blot. After HRP injection, an increase of electron-dense tracer filled the SEF in cells treated with VEGF. Our results suggested that VEGF induced fenestration in SECs, accompanied by an increased number of caveolae-like vesicles. Increased caveolin-1 might be associated with vesicle formation but not with fenestration. Increased fenestration may augment hepatic sinusoidal permeability and transendothelial transport.

  6. Thixotropy and Rheopexy of Muscle Fibers Probed Using Sinusoidal Oscillations

    PubMed Central

    Altman, David; Minozzo, Fabio C.; Rassier, Dilson E.

    2015-01-01

    Length changes of muscle fibers have previously been shown to result in a temporary reduction in fiber stiffness that is referred to as thixotropy. Understanding the mechanism of this thixotropy is important to our understanding of muscle function since there are many instances in which muscle is subjected to repeated patterns of lengthening and shortening. By applying sinusoidal length changes to one end of single permeabilized muscle fibers and measuring the force response at the opposite end, we studied the history-dependent stiffness of both relaxed and activated muscle fibers. For length change oscillations greater than 1 Hz, we observed thixotropic behavior of activated fibers. Treatment of these fibers with EDTA and blebbistatin, which inhibits myosin-actin interactions, quashed this effect, suggesting that the mechanism of muscle fiber thixotropy is cross-bridge dependent. We modeled a half-sarcomere experiencing sinusoidal length changes, and our simulations suggest that thixotropy could arise from force-dependent cross-bridge kinetics. Surprisingly, we also observed that, for length change oscillations less than 1 Hz, the muscle fiber exhibited rheopexy. In other words, the stiffness of the fiber increased in response to the length changes. Blebbistatin and EDTA did not disrupt the rheopectic behavior, suggesting that a non-cross-bridge mechanism contributes to this phenomenon. PMID:25880774

  7. AC signal characterization for optimization of a CMOS single-electron pump

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, Roy; Perron, Justin K.; Stewart, M. D., Jr.; Zimmerman, Neil M.

    2018-02-01

    Pumping single electrons at a set rate is being widely pursued as an electrical current standard. Semiconductor charge pumps have been pursued in a variety of modes, including single gate ratchet, a variety of 2-gate ratchet pumps, and 2-gate turnstiles. Whether pumping with one or two AC signals, lower error rates can result from better knowledge of the properties of the AC signal at the device. In this work, we operated a CMOS single-electron pump with a 2-gate ratchet style measurement and used the results to characterize and optimize our two AC signals. Fitting this data at various frequencies revealed both a difference in signal path length and attenuation between our two AC lines. Using this data, we corrected for the difference in signal path length and attenuation by applying an offset in both the phase and the amplitude at the signal generator. Operating the device as a turnstile while using the optimized parameters determined from the 2-gate ratchet measurement led to much flatter, more robust charge pumping plateaus. This method was useful in tuning our device up for optimal charge pumping, and may prove useful to the semiconductor quantum dot community to determine signal attenuation and path differences at the device.

  8. Evolution of statistical properties for a nonlinearly propagating sinusoid.

    PubMed

    Shepherd, Micah R; Gee, Kent L; Hanford, Amanda D

    2011-07-01

    The nonlinear propagation of a pure sinusoid is considered using time domain statistics. The probability density function, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, and crest factor are computed for both the amplitude and amplitude time derivatives as a function of distance. The amplitude statistics vary only in the postshock realm, while the amplitude derivative statistics vary rapidly in the preshock realm. The statistical analysis also suggests that the sawtooth onset distance can be considered to be earlier than previously realized. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

  9. On two-liquid AC electroosmotic system for thin films.

    PubMed

    Navarkar, Abhishek; Amiroudine, Sakir; Demekhin, Evgeny A

    2016-03-01

    Lab-on-chip devices employ EOF for transportation and mixing of liquids. However, when a steady (DC) electric field is applied to the liquids, there are undesirable effects such as degradation of sample, electrolysis, bubble formation, etc. due to large magnitude of electric potential required to generate the flow. These effects can be averted by using a time-periodic or AC electric field. Transport and mixing of nonconductive liquids remain a problem even with this technique. In the present study, a two-liquid system bounded by two rigid plates, which act as substrates, is considered. The potential distribution is derived by assuming a Boltzmann charge distribution and using the Debye-Hückel linearization. Analytical solution of this time-periodic system shows some effects of viscosity ratio and permittivity ratio on the velocity profile. Interfacial electrostatics is also found to play a significant role in deciding velocity gradients at the interface. High frequency of the applied electric field is observed to generate an approximately static velocity profile away from the Electric Double Layer (EDL). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Electric Drive Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-03-01

    compound promises to reduce weight of future permanent magnet motors by 20 to 30 percent; a similar reduction is expected in size (approximately 20...drive systems. The AC permanent magnet (brushless DC motor) is rapidly evolving and will replace most electrically excited machines. Permanent magnet motors using

  11. Low Offset AC Correlator.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    This patent describes a low offset AC correlator avoids DC offset and low frequency noise by frequency operating the correlation signal so that low...noise, low level AC amplification can be substituted for DC amplification. Subsequently, the high level AC signal is demodulated to a DC level. (Author)

  12. Sinusoidal Forcing of Interfacial Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rasheed, Fayaz; Raghunandan, Aditya; Hirsa, Amir; Lopez, Juan

    2015-11-01

    Fluid transport, in vivo, is accomplished via pumping mechanisms of the heart and lungs, which results in biological fluids being subjected to oscillatory shear. Flow is known to influence biological macromolecules, but predicting the effect of shear is incomplete without also accounting for the influence of complex interfaces ubiquitous throughout the body. Here, we investigated the oscillatory response of the structure of aqueous interfacial films using a cylindrical knife edge viscometer. Vitamin K1 was used as a model monolayer because its behaviour has been thoroughly quantified and it doesn't show any measurable hysteresis. The monolayer was subjected to sinusoidal forcing under varied conditions of surface concentrations, periodic frequencies, and knife edge amplitudes. Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV) data was collected using Brewster Angle Microscopy(BAM), revealing the influence of oscillatory interfacial shear stress on the monolayer. Insights were gained as to how the velocity profile dampens at specific distances from the knife edge contact depending on the amplitude, frequency, and concentration of Vitamin K1. Supported by NNX13AQ22G, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  13. Preliminary investigation of the effects of γ-tACS on working memory in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Hoy, Kate E; Whitty, Dean; Bailey, Neil; Fitzgerald, Paul B

    2016-10-01

    Working memory impairment in schizophrenia has been strongly associated with abnormalities in gamma oscillations within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC). We recently published the first ever study showing that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left DLPFC was able to significantly improve working memory in schizophrenia and did so seemingly via restoring normal gamma oscillatory function. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a form of electrical brain stimulation that delivers stimulation at a specific frequency and has been shown to entrain endogenous cortical oscillations. Therefore, gamma (γ) tACS may be even more effective than tDCS in improving working memory in schizophrenia. In a randomized repeated-measures study we compared the effects of γ-tACS, tDCS and sham stimulation on the performance of the two back working memory tasks in ten patients with schizophrenia. There was a significant time by stimulation interaction, with tDCS and sham showing trend-level improvements in working memory, while γ-tACS, contrary to our hypothesis, showed no change. The results are discussed in light of posited divergent effects of tACS and tDCS on the pathophysiology of working memory impairment in schizophrenia.

  14. Optimal management of batteries in electric systems

    DOEpatents

    Atcitty, Stanley; Butler, Paul C.; Corey, Garth P.; Symons, Philip C.

    2002-01-01

    An electric system including at least a pair of battery strings and an AC source minimizes the use and maximizes the efficiency of the AC source by using the AC source only to charge all battery strings at the same time. Then one or more battery strings is used to power the load while management, such as application of a finish charge, is provided to one battery string. After another charge cycle, the roles of the battery strings are reversed so that each battery string receives regular management.

  15. Speech transformations based on a sinusoidal representation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quatieri, T. E.; McAulay, R. J.

    1986-05-01

    A new speech analysis/synthesis technique is presented which provides the basis for a general class of speech transformation including time-scale modification, frequency scaling, and pitch modification. These modifications can be performed with a time-varying change, permitting continuous adjustment of a speaker's fundamental frequency and rate of articulation. The method is based on a sinusoidal representation of the speech production mechanism that has been shown to produce synthetic speech that preserves the waveform shape and is essentially perceptually indistinguishable from the original. Although the analysis/synthesis system originally was designed for single-speaker signals, it is equally capable of recovering and modifying nonspeech signals such as music; multiple speakers, marine biologic sounds, and speakers in the presence of interferences such as noise and musical backgrounds.

  16. Recognition and processing of randomly fluctuating electric signals by Na,K-ATPase.

    PubMed Central

    Xie, T. D.; Marszalek, P.; Chen, Y. D.; Tsong, T. Y.

    1994-01-01

    Previous work has shown that Na,K-ATPase of human erythrocytes can extract free energy from sinusoidal electric fields to pump cations up their respective concentration gradients. Because regularly oscillating waveform is not a feature of the transmembrane electric potential of cells, questions have been raised whether these observed effects are biologically relevant. Here we show that a random-telegraph fluctuating electric field (RTF) consisting of alternating square electric pulses with random lifetimes can also stimulate the Rb(+)-pumping mode of the Na,K-ATPase. The net RTF-stimulated, ouabain-sensitive Rb+ pumping was monitored with 86Rb+. The tracer-measured, Rb+ influx exhibited frequency and amplitude dependencies that peaked at the mean frequency of 1.0 kHz and amplitude of 20 V/cm. At 4 degrees C, the maximal pumping activity under these optimal conditions was 28 Rb+/RBC-hr, which is approximately 50% higher than that obtained with the sinusoidal electric field. These findings indicate that Na,K-ATPase can recognize an electric signal, either regularly oscillatory or randomly fluctuating, for energy coupling, with high fidelity. The use of RTF for activation also allowed a quantitative theoretical analysis of kinetics of a membrane transport model of any complexity according to the theory of electroconformational coupling (ECC) by the diagram methods. A four-state ECC model was shown to produce the amplitude and the frequency windows of the Rb(+)-pumping if the free energy of interaction of the transporter with the membrane potential was to include a nonlinear quadratic term. Kinetic constants for the ECC model have been derived. These results indicate that the ECC is a plausible mechanism for the recognition and processing of electric signals by proteins of the cell membrane. PMID:7811939

  17. Does pressure cause liver cirrhosis? The sinusoidal pressure hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Mueller, Sebastian

    2016-12-28

    Independent of their etiology, all chronic liver diseases ultimately lead to liver cirrhosis, which is a major health problem worldwide. The underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood and no efficient treatment strategies are available. This paper introduces the sinusoidal pressure hypothesis (SPH), which identifies an elevated sinusoidal pressure (SP) as cause of fibrosis. SPH has been mainly derived from recent studies on liver stiffness. So far, pressure changes have been exclusively seen as a consequence of cirrhosis. According to the SPH, however, an elevated SP is the major upstream event that initiates fibrosis via biomechanic signaling by stretching of perisinusoidal cells such as hepatic stellate cells or fibroblasts (SPH part I: initiation). Fibrosis progression is determined by the degree and time of elevated SP. The SPH predicts that the degree of extracellular matrix eventually matches SP with critical thresholds > 12 mmHg and > 4 wk. Elevated arterial flow and final arterialization of the cirrhotic liver represents the self-perpetuating key event exposing the low-pressure-organ to pathologically high pressures (SPH part II: perpetuation). It also defines the "point of no return" where fibrosis progression becomes irreversible. The SPH is able to explain the macroscopic changes of cirrhotic livers and the uniform fibrotic response to various etiologies. It also opens up new views on the role of fat and disease mechanisms in other organs. The novel concept will hopefully stimulate the search for new treatment strategies.

  18. Does pressure cause liver cirrhosis? The sinusoidal pressure hypothesis

    PubMed Central

    Mueller, Sebastian

    2016-01-01

    Independent of their etiology, all chronic liver diseases ultimately lead to liver cirrhosis, which is a major health problem worldwide. The underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood and no efficient treatment strategies are available. This paper introduces the sinusoidal pressure hypothesis (SPH), which identifies an elevated sinusoidal pressure (SP) as cause of fibrosis. SPH has been mainly derived from recent studies on liver stiffness. So far, pressure changes have been exclusively seen as a consequence of cirrhosis. According to the SPH, however, an elevated SP is the major upstream event that initiates fibrosis via biomechanic signaling by stretching of perisinusoidal cells such as hepatic stellate cells or fibroblasts (SPH part I: initiation). Fibrosis progression is determined by the degree and time of elevated SP. The SPH predicts that the degree of extracellular matrix eventually matches SP with critical thresholds > 12 mmHg and > 4 wk. Elevated arterial flow and final arterialization of the cirrhotic liver represents the self-perpetuating key event exposing the low-pressure-organ to pathologically high pressures (SPH part II: perpetuation). It also defines the “point of no return” where fibrosis progression becomes irreversible. The SPH is able to explain the macroscopic changes of cirrhotic livers and the uniform fibrotic response to various etiologies. It also opens up new views on the role of fat and disease mechanisms in other organs. The novel concept will hopefully stimulate the search for new treatment strategies. PMID:28082801

  19. Representative Sinusoids for Hepatic Four-Scale Pharmacokinetics Simulations

    PubMed Central

    Schwen, Lars Ole; Schenk, Arne; Kreutz, Clemens; Timmer, Jens; Bartolomé Rodríguez, María Matilde; Kuepfer, Lars; Preusser, Tobias

    2015-01-01

    The mammalian liver plays a key role for metabolism and detoxification of xenobiotics in the body. The corresponding biochemical processes are typically subject to spatial variations at different length scales. Zonal enzyme expression along sinusoids leads to zonated metabolization already in the healthy state. Pathological states of the liver may involve liver cells affected in a zonated manner or heterogeneously across the whole organ. This spatial heterogeneity, however, cannot be described by most computational models which usually consider the liver as a homogeneous, well-stirred organ. The goal of this article is to present a methodology to extend whole-body pharmacokinetics models by a detailed liver model, combining different modeling approaches from the literature. This approach results in an integrated four-scale model, from single cells via sinusoids and the organ to the whole organism, capable of mechanistically representing metabolization inhomogeneity in livers at different spatial scales. Moreover, the model shows circulatory mixing effects due to a delayed recirculation through the surrounding organism. To show that this approach is generally applicable for different physiological processes, we show three applications as proofs of concept, covering a range of species, compounds, and diseased states: clearance of midazolam in steatotic human livers, clearance of caffeine in mouse livers regenerating from necrosis, and a parameter study on the impact of different cell entities on insulin uptake in mouse livers. The examples illustrate how variations only discernible at the local scale influence substance distribution in the plasma at the whole-body level. In particular, our results show that simultaneously considering variations at all relevant spatial scales may be necessary to understand their impact on observations at the organism scale. PMID:26222615

  20. Electrohydrodynamics of a compound vesicle under an AC electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Priti Sinha, Kumari; Thaokar, Rochish M.

    2017-07-01

    Compound vesicles are relevant as simplified models for biological cells as well as in technological applications such as drug delivery. Characterization of these compound vesicles, especially the inner vesicle, remains a challenge. Similarly their response to electric field assumes importance in light of biomedical applications such as electroporation. Fields lower than that required for electroporation cause electrodeformation in vesicles and can be used to characterize their mechanical and electrical properties. A theoretical analysis of the electrohydrodynamics of a compound vesicle with outer vesicle of radius R o and an inner vesicle of radius λ {{R}o} , is presented. A phase diagram for the compound vesicle is presented and elucidated using detailed plots of electric fields, free charges and electric stresses. The electrohydrodynamics of the outer vesicle in a compound vesicle shows a prolate-sphere and prolate-oblate-sphere shape transitions when the conductivity of the annular fluid is greater than the outer fluid, and vice-versa respectively, akin to single vesicle electrohydrodynamics reported in the literature. The inner vesicle in contrast shows sphere-prolate-sphere and sphere-prolate-oblate-sphere transitions when the inner fluid conductivity is greater and smaller than the annular fluid, respectively. Equations and methodology are provided to determine the bending modulus and capacitance of the outer as well as the inner membrane, thereby providing an easy way to characterize compound vesicles and possibly biological cells.

  1. EFFECT OF AMBIENT LEVELS OF POWER-LINE-FREQUENCY ELECTRIC FIELDS ON A DEVELOPING VERTEBRATE (JOURNAL VERSION)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Fertilized eggs of Gallus domesticus were exposed continuously during their 21-day incubation period to either 50-Hz or 60-Hz sinusoidal electric fields at an average intensity of 10 Vrms/m. Within 1.5 days after hatching, the chickens were removed from the apparatus and tested. ...

  2. Basement membrane of mouse bone marrow sinusoids shows distinctive structure and proteoglycan composition: a high resolution ultrastructural study.

    PubMed

    Inoue, S; Osmond, D G

    2001-11-01

    Venous sinusoids in bone marrow are the site of a large-scale traffic of cells between the extravascular hemopoietic compartment and the blood stream. The wall of the sinusoids consists solely of a basement membrane interposed between a layer of endothelial cells and an incomplete covering of adventitial cells. To examine its possible structural specialization, the basement membrane of bone marrow sinusoids has now been examined by high resolution electron microscopy of perfusion-fixed mouse bone marrow. The basement membrane layer was discontinuous, consisting of irregular masses of amorphous material within a uniform 60-nm-wide space between apposing endothelial cells and adventitial cell processes. At maximal magnifications, the material was resolved as a random arrangement of components lacking the "cord network" formation seen in basement membranes elsewhere. Individual components exhibited distinctive ultrastructural features whose molecular identity has previously been established. By these morphological criteria, the basement membrane contained unusually abundant chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) revealed by 3-nm-wide "double tracks," and moderate amounts of both laminin as dense irregular coils and type IV collagen as 1-1.5-nm-wide filaments, together with less conspicuous amounts of amyloid P forming pentagonal frames. In contrast, 4.5-5-nm-wide "double tracks" characteristic of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) were absent. The findings demonstrate that, in comparison with "typical" basement membranes in other tissues, the bone marrow sinusoidal basement membrane is uniquely specialized in several respects. Its discontinuous nature, lack of network organization, and absence of HSPG, a molecule that normally helps to maintain membrane integrity, may facilitate disassembly and reassembly of basement membrane material in concert with movements of adventitial cell processes as maturing hemopoietic cells pass through the sinusoidal wall: the

  3. Age differences between the controlled force exertion measured by a computer-generated sinusoidal and a bar chart display.

    PubMed

    Nagasawa, Yoshinori; Demura, Shinichi; Takahashi, Kenji

    2013-01-01

    It is important to develop an accurate method of measuring controlled force exertion. This study examined the age differences between the controlled force exertion measured by a sinusoidal waveform and a bar chart display. The participants comprised 175 right-handed male adults aged 20-86 years. The participants were divided into three age groups: young (n=53), middle-aged (n=71), and elderly (n=51). They matched the submaximal grip strength exerted by their dominant hand to changing demand values displayed as either a sinusoidal waveform or a bar chart appearing on a personal computer screen. The participants performed the controlled force exertion test three times with a 1-min inter-trial interval using their dominant hand. The dependent variable was the total sum of the percentage values of the differences between the demand value and grip exertion value for more than 25s. The coefficient of variance had almost the same range in all age groups in both displays (CVSW=28.0-36.9, CVBC=29.1-32.6), but the elderly group showed a somewhat higher value with the sinusoidal waveform. Significant correlations were found between the scores with sinusoidal waveform and bar chart displays in the young, middle-aged, and elderly groups (r=0.47-0.68), but the correlations did not differ significantly between the age groups. Scores over 1500% in sinusoidal and bar chart display were found in one and two participants, respectively, in the middle-aged group and in 12% and 16% of the participants, respectively, in the elderly group. Furthermore, among all participants, only 8% of participants in the elderly group scored over 1500% in both displays. Scores over 1500% in both displays are considered to be considerably worse in controlled force exertion than lower scores. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Development of software to improve AC power quality on large spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kraft, L. Alan

    1991-01-01

    To insure the reliability of a 20 kHz, AC power system on spacecraft, it is essential to analyze its behavior under many adverse operating conditions. Some of these conditions include overloads, short circuits, switching surges, and harmonic distortions. Harmonic distortions can cause malfunctions in equipment that the power system is supplying, and during extreme distortions such as voltage resonance, it can cause equipment and insulation failures due to the extreme peak voltages. HARMFLO, a power flow computer program, which was capable of analyzing harmonic conditions on three phase, balanced, 60 Hz, AC power systems, was modified to analyze single phase, 20 kHz, AC power systems. Since almost all of the equipment used on spacecraft power systems is electrically different from equipment used on terrestrial power systems, it was also necessary to develop mathematical models for the equipment to be used on the spacecraft. The results are that (1) the harmonic power now has a model of a single phase, voltage controlled, full wave rectifier; and (2) HARMFLO was ported to the SUN workstation platform.

  5. Discharging a DC bus capacitor of an electrical converter system

    DOEpatents

    Kajouke, Lateef A; Perisic, Milun; Ransom, Ray M

    2014-10-14

    A system and method of discharging a bus capacitor of a bidirectional matrix converter of a vehicle are presented here. The method begins by electrically shorting the AC interface of the converter after an AC energy source is disconnected from the AC interface. The method continues by arranging a plurality of switching elements of a second energy conversion module into a discharge configuration to establish an electrical current path from a first terminal of an isolation module, through an inductive element, and to a second terminal of the isolation module. The method also modulates a plurality of switching elements of a first energy conversion module, while maintaining the discharge configuration of the second energy conversion module, to at least partially discharge a DC bus capacitor.

  6. Electric dipole spin resonance in a quantum spin dimer system driven by magnetoelectric coupling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kimura, Shojiro; Matsumoto, Masashige; Akaki, Mitsuru; Hagiwara, Masayuki; Kindo, Koichi; Tanaka, Hidekazu

    2018-04-01

    In this Rapid Communication, we propose a mechanism for electric dipole active spin resonance caused by spin-dependent electric polarization in a quantum spin gapped system. This proposal was successfully confirmed by high-frequency electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements of the quantum spin dimer system KCuCl3. ESR measurements by an illuminating linearly polarized electromagnetic wave reveal that the optical transition between the singlet and triplet states in KCuCl3 is driven by an ac electric field. The selection rule of the observed transition agrees with the calculation by taking into account spin-dependent electric polarization. We suggest that spin-dependent electric polarization is effective in achieving fast control of quantum spins by an ac electric field.

  7. AC Electroosmotic Pumping in Nanofluidic Funnels.

    PubMed

    Kneller, Andrew R; Haywood, Daniel G; Jacobson, Stephen C

    2016-06-21

    We report efficient pumping of fluids through nanofluidic funnels when a symmetric AC waveform is applied. The asymmetric geometry of the nanofluidic funnel induces not only ion current rectification but also electroosmotic flow rectification. In the base-to-tip direction, the funnel exhibits a lower ion conductance and a higher electroosmotic flow velocity, whereas, in the tip-to-base direction, the funnel has a higher ion conductance and a lower electroosmotic flow velocity. Consequently, symmetric AC waveforms easily pump fluid through the nanofunnels over a range of frequencies, e.g., 5 Hz to 5 kHz. In our experiments, the nanofunnels were milled into glass substrates with a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument, and the funnel design had a constant 5° taper with aspect ratios (funnel tip width to funnel depth) of 0.1 to 1.0. We tracked ion current rectification by current-voltage (I-V) response and electroosmotic flow rectification by transport of a zwitterionic fluorescent probe. Rectification of ion current and electroosmotic flow increased with increasing electric field applied to the nanofunnel. Our results support three-dimensional simulations of ion transport and electroosmotic transport through nanofunnels, which suggest the asymmetric electroosmotic transport stems from an induced pressure at the junction of the nanochannel and nanofunnel tip.

  8. Effect of neodymium substitution on the electric and dielectric properties of Mn-Ni-Zn ferrite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agami, W. R.

    2018-04-01

    Ferrite samples of Mn0.5Ni0.1Zn0.4NdxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1) have been prepared by usual ceramic method. The temperature and composition dependences of the dc electric resistivity (ρdc) were studied. The frequency and composition dependences of the ac electric resistivity (ρac) and dielectric parameters (dielectric constant ε' and dielectric loss ε'') have been investigated. ρdc was found to decrease with temperature for all samples while it increases with increasing Nd3+ concentration. On the other hand, ρac and the dielectric properties were found to decrease with increasing the frequency while ρac increases and both ε' and ε'' decrease with increasing Nd3+ concentration. These results were explained by the Maxwell-Wagner two-layer model and Koops's theory. The improvement in dc and ac electric resistivities shows that these prepared materials are valid for decreasing the eddy current losses at high frequencies, so they can be used in the fabrication of multilayer chip inductor (MLCI) devices.

  9. Temperature characteristics of fusion splicing Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fiber by sinusoidal modulation CO2 laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Guangwei; Li, Kuixing; Fu, Xinghu; Bi, Weihong

    2013-07-01

    During the fusion splicing Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fiber (HC-PCF), the air-holes collapse easily due to the improper fusion duration time and optical power. To analyze the temperature characteristics of fusion splicing HC-PCF, a heating method by sinusoidal modulation CO2 laser has been proposed. In the sinusoidal modulation, the variation relationships among laser power, temperature difference and angular frequency are analyzed. The results show that the theoretical simulation is basically in accordance with the experimental data. Therefore, a low-loss fusion splicing can be achieved by modulating the CO2 laser frequency to avoid the air-holes collapse of HC-PCF. Further, the errors are also given.

  10. Module Twelve: Series AC Resistive-Reactive Circuits; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

    The module covers series circuits which contain both resistive and reactive components and methods of solving these circuits for current, voltage, impedance, and phase angle. The module is divided into six lessons: voltage and impedance in AC (alternating current) series circuits, vector computations, rectangular and polar notation, variational…

  11. Design of Helical Capacitance Sensor for Holdup Measurement in Two-Phase Stratified Flow: A Sinusoidal Function Approach

    PubMed Central

    Lim, Lam Ghai; Pao, William K. S.; Hamid, Nor Hisham; Tang, Tong Boon

    2016-01-01

    A 360° twisted helical capacitance sensor was developed for holdup measurement in horizontal two-phase stratified flow. Instead of suppressing nonlinear response, the sensor was optimized in such a way that a ‘sine-like’ function was displayed on top of the linear function. This concept of design had been implemented and verified in both software and hardware. A good agreement was achieved between the finite element model of proposed design and the approximation model (pure sinusoidal function), with a maximum difference of ±1.2%. In addition, the design parameters of the sensor were analysed and investigated. It was found that the error in symmetry of the sinusoidal function could be minimized by adjusting the pitch of helix. The experiments of air-water and oil-water stratified flows were carried out and validated the sinusoidal relationship with a maximum difference of ±1.2% and ±1.3% for the range of water holdup from 0.15 to 0.85. The proposed design concept therefore may pose a promising alternative for the optimization of capacitance sensor design. PMID:27384567

  12. Electrical conductivity and dielectric relaxation of 2-(antipyrin-4-ylhydrazono)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)acetonitrile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Menyawy, E. M.; Zedan, I. T.; Nawar, H. H.

    2014-03-01

    The electrical and dielectric properties of the synthesized 2-(antipyrin-4-ylhydrazono)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)acetonitrile (AHNA) have been studied. The direct and alternating current (DC and AC) conductivities and complex dielectric constant were investigated in temperature range 303-403 K. The AC conductivity and dielectric properties of AHNA were investigated over frequency range 100 Hz-5 MHz. From DC and AC measurements, electrical conduction is found to be a thermally activated process. The frequency-dependent AC conductivity obeys Jonscher's universal power law in which the frequency exponent decreases with increasing temperature. The correlated barrier hopping (CBH) is the predominant model for describing the charge carrier transport in which the electrical parameters are evaluated. The activation energy is found to decrease with increasing frequency. The behaviors of dielectric and dielectric loss are discussed in terms of a polarization mechanism. The dielectric loss shows frequency power law from which the maximum barrier height is determined as 0.19 eV in terms of the Guintini model.

  13. AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 2. UNIT XVI, LEARNING ABOUT AC GENERATOR (ALTERNATOR) PRINCIPLES (PART I).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Human Engineering Inst., Cleveland, OH.

    THIS MODULE OF A 25-MODULE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF ALTERNATING CURRENT GENERATORS USED ON DIESEL POWERED EQUIPMENT. TOPICS ARE REVIEWING ELECTRICAL FUNDAMENTALS, AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF ALTERNATORS. THE MODULE CONSISTS OF A SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMED TRAINING FILM "AC GENERATORS…

  14. Needle-array to Plate DBD Plasma Using Sine AC and Nanosecond Pulse Excitations for Purpose of Improving Indoor Air Quality

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Li; Yang, Dezheng; Wang, Wenchun; Wang, Sen; Yuan, Hao; Zhao, Zilu; Sang, Chaofeng; Jia, Li

    2016-01-01

    In this study, needle-array to plate electrode configuration was employed to generate an atmospheric air diffuse discharge using both nanosecond pulse and sine AC voltage as excitation voltage for the purpose of improving indoor air quality. Different types of voltage sources and electrode configurations are employed to optimize electrical field distribution and improve discharge stability. Discharge images, electrical characteristics, optical emission spectra, and plasma gas temperatures in both sine AC discharge and nanosecond pulse discharge were compared and the discharge stability during long operating time were discussed. Compared with the discharge excited by sine AC voltage, the nanosecond pulsed discharge is more homogenous and stable, besides, the plasma gas temperature of nanosecond pulse discharge is much lower. Using packed-bed structure, where γ- Al2O3 pellets are filled in the electrode gap, has obvious efficacy in the production of homogenous discharge. Furthermore, both sine AC discharge and nanosecond pulse discharge were used for removing formaldehyde from flowing air. It shows that nanosecond pulse discharge has a significant advantage in energy cost. And the main physiochemical processes for the generation of active species and the degradation of formaldehyde were discussed. PMID:27125663

  15. AC field exposure study: human exposure to 60-Hz electric fields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Silva, J.M.

    1985-04-01

    The objective of this study was to develop a method of estimating human exposure to the 60 Hz electric fields created by transmission lines. The Activity Systems Model simulates human activities in a variety of situations where exposure to electric fields is possible. The model combines maps of electric fields, activity maps, and experimentally determined activity factors to provide histograms of time spent in electric fields of various strengths in the course of agricultural, recreational, and domestic activities. For corroboration, the study team measured actual human exposure at locations across the United States near transmission lines ranging in voltage frommore » 115 to 1200 kV. The data were collected with a specially designed vest that measures exposure. These data demonstrate the accuracy of the exposure model presented in this report and revealed that most exposure time is spent in fields of magnitudes similar to many household situations. The report provides annual exposure estimates for human activities near transmission lines and in the home and compares them with exposure data from typical laboratory animal experiments. For one exposure index, the cumulative product of time and electric field, exposure during some of the laboratory animal experiments is two to four orders of magnitude greater than cumulative exposure for a human during one year of outdoor work on a farm crossed by a transmission line.« less

  16. Bead-on-string structure printed by electrohydrodynamic jet under alternating current electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Juan; Lin, Yihuang; Jiang, Jiaxin; Liu, Haiyan; Zhao, Yang; Zheng, Gaofeng

    2016-09-01

    Electrohydrodynamic printing (EHDP) under alternating current (AC) electric field provides a novel way for the precise micro-/nano-droplet printing. The AC electric field induces the free charge to reciprocate along the EHDP jet and changes the electric field force on the jet periodically. The stability of jet can be enhanced by increasing the voltage frequency, and the regular bead-on-string structure is direct-written along the trajectory of collector. The deposition frequency of bead structure increases with the increasing of voltage frequency, due to the short period of AC electric field. As the voltage frequency is increased from 10 to 60 Hz, the diameter of bead structure decreases from 200 to 110 µm. As the duty ration increased from 10 to 60 %, the diameter of bead structure increased from 100 to 140 µm. This work would accelerate the development and the application of micro-/nano-printing technology in the fields of flexible electronic and micro-/nano-system.

  17. FLUIDIC AC AMPLIFIERS.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    Several fluidic tuned AC Amplifiers were designed and tested. Interstage tuning and feedback designs are considered. Good results were obtained...corresponding Q’s as high as 12. Element designs and test results of one, two, and three stage amplifiers are presented. AC Modulated Carrier Systems

  18. CFD study on NACA 4415 airfoil implementing spherical and sinusoidal Tubercle Leading Edge

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The Humpback whale tubercles have been studied for more than a decade. Tubercle Leading Edge (TLE) effectively reduces the separation bubble size and helps in delaying stall. They are very effective in case of low Reynolds number flows. The current Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study is on NACA 4415 airfoil, at a Reynolds number 120,000. Two TLE shapes are tested on NACA 4415 airfoil. The tubercle designs implemented on the airfoil are sinusoidal and spherical. A parametric study is also carried out considering three amplitudes (0.025c, 0.05c and 0.075c), the wavelength (0.25c) is fixed. Structured mesh is utilized to generate grid and Transition SST turbulence model is used to capture the flow physics. Results clearly show spherical tubercles outperform sinusoidal tubercles. Furthermore experimental study considering spherical TLE is carried out at Reynolds number 200,000. The experimental results show that spherical TLE improve performance compared to clean airfoil. PMID:28850622

  19. CFD study on NACA 4415 airfoil implementing spherical and sinusoidal Tubercle Leading Edge.

    PubMed

    Aftab, S M A; Ahmad, K A

    2017-01-01

    The Humpback whale tubercles have been studied for more than a decade. Tubercle Leading Edge (TLE) effectively reduces the separation bubble size and helps in delaying stall. They are very effective in case of low Reynolds number flows. The current Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study is on NACA 4415 airfoil, at a Reynolds number 120,000. Two TLE shapes are tested on NACA 4415 airfoil. The tubercle designs implemented on the airfoil are sinusoidal and spherical. A parametric study is also carried out considering three amplitudes (0.025c, 0.05c and 0.075c), the wavelength (0.25c) is fixed. Structured mesh is utilized to generate grid and Transition SST turbulence model is used to capture the flow physics. Results clearly show spherical tubercles outperform sinusoidal tubercles. Furthermore experimental study considering spherical TLE is carried out at Reynolds number 200,000. The experimental results show that spherical TLE improve performance compared to clean airfoil.

  20. [Defibrotide therapy for patients with sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

    PubMed

    Yakushijin, Kimikazu; Okamura, Atsuo; Ono, Kanako; Kawano, Yuko; Kawano, Hiroki; Funakoshi, Yohei; Kawamori, Yuriko; Nishikawa, Shinichiro; Minagawa, Kentaro; Sada, Akiko; Shimoyama, Manabu; Yamamoto, Katsuya; Katayama, Yoshio; Matsui, Toshimitsu

    2009-01-01

    Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is one of the life-threatening complications caused by endothelial damage to the hepatic sinusoids after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, a satisfactory treatment for SOS has not yet been established. Defibrotide has anti-thrombotic, anti-ischemic, anti-inflammatory, and thrombolytic properties without systemic anticoagulant effects. We treated eight post-transplant SOS patients with defibrotide. Three patients responded to the therapy and the initial response was observed within a week. In addition to the improvement of liver function, rapid recovery of response to diuretic drugs followed by the improvement of renal function was observed. All of the five patients with respiratory dysfunction died despite administration of defibrotide, suggesting that early treatment might lead to better outcomes. There were no severe adverse effects directly due to defibrotide administration. Defibrotide seems to be a promising treatment for SOS, and the initiation of a clinical study in Japan would be important.

  1. Design of portable electric and magnetic field generators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stewart, M. G.; Siew, W. H.; Campbell, L. C.; Stewart, M. G.; Siew, W. H.

    2000-11-01

    Electric and magnetic field generators capable of producing high-amplitude output are not readily available. This presents difficulties for electromagnetic compatibility testing of new measurement systems where these systems are intended to operate in a particularly hostile electromagnetic environment. A portable electric and a portable magnetic field generator having high pulsed field output are described in this paper. The output of these generators were determined using an electromagnetic-compatible measurement system. These generators allow immunity testing in the laboratory of electronic systems to very high electrical fields, as well as for functional verification of the electronic systems on site. In the longer term, the basic design of the magnetic field generator may be developed as the generator to provide the damped sinusoid magnetic field specified in IEC 61000-4-10, which is adopted in BS EN 61000-4-10.

  2. Stress singularities in a model of a wood disk under sinusoidal pressure

    Treesearch

    Jay A. Johnson; John C. Hermanson; Steven M. Cramer; Charles Amundson

    2005-01-01

    A thin, solid, circular wood disk, cut from the transverse plane of a tree stem, can be modeled as a cylindrically orthotropic elastic material. It is known that a stress singularity can occur at the center of a cylindrically orthotropic disk subjected to uniform pressure. If a solid cylindrically orthotropic disk is subjected to sinusoidal pressure distributions, then...

  3. Alternating-Current Motor Drive for Electric Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krauthamer, S.; Rippel, W. E.

    1982-01-01

    New electric drive controls speed of a polyphase as motor by varying frequency of inverter output. Closed-loop current-sensing circuit automatically adjusts frequency of voltage-controlled oscillator that controls inverter frequency, to limit starting and accelerating surges. Efficient inverter and ac motor would give electric vehicles extra miles per battery charge.

  4. A comparative study of electric power distribution systems for spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stuart, Thomas A.; King, Roger J.

    1990-01-01

    The electric power distribution systems for spacecraft are compared concentrating on two interrelated issues: the choice between dc and high frequency ac, and the converter/inverter topology to be used at the power source. The relative merits of dc and ac distribution are discussed. Specific converter and inverter topologies are identified and analyzed in detail for the purpose of detailed comparison. Finally, specific topologies are recommended for use in dc and ac systems.

  5. Novel method for immunofluorescence staining of mammalian eggs using non-contact alternating-current electric-field mixing of microdroplets

    PubMed Central

    Hiromitsu, Shirasawa; Jin, Kumagai; Emiko, Sato; Katsuya, Kabashima; Yukiyo, Kumazawa; Wataru, Sato; Hiroshi, Miura; Ryuta, Nakamura; Hiroshi, Nanjo; Yoshihiro, Minamiya; Yoichi, Akagami; Yukihiro, Terada

    2015-01-01

    Recently, a new technique was developed for non-catalytically mixing microdroplets. In this method, an alternating-current (AC) electric field is used to promote the antigen–antibody reaction within the microdroplet. Previously, this technique has only been applied to histological examinations of flat structures, such as surgical specimens. In this study, we applied this technique for the first time to immunofluorescence staining of three-dimensional structures, specifically, mammalian eggs. We diluted an antibody against microtubules from 1:1,000 to 1:16,000, and compared the chromatic degree and extent of fading across dilutions. In addition, we varied the frequency of AC electric-field mixing from 5 Hz to 46 Hz and evaluated the effect on microtubule staining. Microtubules were more strongly stained after AC electric-field mixing for only 5 minutes, even when the concentration of primary antibody was 10 times lower than in conventional methods. AC electric-field mixing also alleviated microtubule fading. At all frequencies tested, AC electric-field mixing resulted in stronger microtubule staining than in controls. There was no clear difference in a microtubule staining between frequencies. These results suggest that the novel method could reduce antibody consumption and shorten immunofluorescence staining time. PMID:26477850

  6. Development of a hardware-based AC microgrid for AC stability assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swanson, Robert R.

    As more power electronic-based devices enable the development of high-bandwidth AC microgrids, the topic of microgrid power distribution stability has become of increased interest. Recently, researchers have proposed a relatively straightforward method to assess the stability of AC systems based upon the time-constants of sources, the net bus capacitance, and the rate limits of sources. In this research, a focus has been to develop a hardware test system to evaluate AC system stability. As a first step, a time domain model of a two converter microgrid was established in which a three phase inverter acts as a power source and an active rectifier serves as an adjustable constant power AC load. The constant power load can be utilized to create rapid power flow transients to the generating system. As a second step, the inverter and active rectifier were designed using a Smart Power Module IGBT for switching and an embedded microcontroller as a processor for algorithm implementation. The inverter and active rectifier were designed to operate simultaneously using a synchronization signal to ensure each respective local controller operates in a common reference frame. Finally, the physical system was created and initial testing performed to validate the hardware functionality as a variable amplitude and variable frequency AC system.

  7. A dual-channel flux-switching permanent magnet motor for hybrid electric vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hua, Wei; Wu, Zhongze; Cheng, Ming; Wang, Baoan; Zhang, Jianzhong; Zhou, Shigui

    2012-04-01

    The flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) motor is a relatively novel brushless machine having both magnets and concentrated windings in the stator, which exhibits inherently sinusoidal PM flux-linkage, back-EMF waveforms, and high torque capability. However, in the application of hybrid electric vehicles, it is essential to prevent magnets and armature windings moving in radial direction due to the possible vibration during operation, and to ensure fault-tolerant capability. Hence, in this paper based on an original FSPM motor, a dual-channel FSPM (DC-FSPM) motor with modified structure to fix both armature windings and magnets and improved reliability is proposed for a practical 10 kW integral starter/generator (ISG) in hybrid electric vehicles. The influences of different solutions and the end-effect on the static characteristics, are evaluated based on the 2D and 3D finite element analysis, respectively. Finally, both the predicted and experimental results, compared with a prototype DC-FSPM motor and an interior PM motor used in Honda Civic, confirm that the more sinusoidal back-EMF waveform and lower torque ripple can be achieved in the DC-FSPM motor, whereas the torque is smaller under the same coil current.

  8. Nematic liquid crystals on sinusoidal channels: the zigzag instability.

    PubMed

    Silvestre, Nuno M; Romero-Enrique, Jose M; Telo da Gama, Margarida M

    2017-01-11

    Substrates which are chemically or topographically patterned induce a variety of liquid crystal textures. The response of the liquid crystal to competing surface orientations, typical of patterned substrates, is determined by the anisotropy of the elastic constants and the interplay of the relevant lengths scales, such as the correlation length and the surface geometrical parameters. Transitions between different textures, usually with different symmetries, may occur under a wide range of conditions. We use the Landau-de Gennes free energy to investigate the texture of nematics in sinusoidal channels with parallel anchoring bounded by nematic-air interfaces that favour perpendicular (hometropic) anchoring. In micron size channels 5CB was observed to exhibit a non-trivial texture characterized by a disclination line, within the channel, which is broken into a zigzag pattern. Our calculations reveal that when the elastic anisotropy of the nematic does not favour twist distortions the defect is a straight disclination line that runs along the channel, which breaks into a zigzag pattern with a characteristic period, when the twist elastic constant becomes sufficiently small when compared to the splay and bend constants. The transition occurs through a twist instability that drives the defect line to rotate from its original position. The interplay between the energetically favourable twist distortions that induce the defect rotation and the liquid crystal anchoring at the surfaces leads to the zigzag pattern. We investigate in detail the dependence of the periodicity of the zigzag pattern on the geometrical parameters of the sinusoidal channels, which in line with the experimental results is found to be non-linear.

  9. EFFECTS OF CONTINUOUS-WAVE, PULSED, AND SINUSOIDAL-AMPLITUDE-MODULATED MICROWAVES ON BRAIN ENERGY METABOLISM

    EPA Science Inventory

    A comparison of the effects of continuous wave, sinusoidal-amplitude modulated, and pulsed square-wave-modulated 591-MHz microwave exposures on brain energy metabolism was made in male Sprague Dawley rats (175-225g). Brain NADH fluorescence, adensine triphosphate (ATP) concentrat...

  10. Functional differences between sinusoidal endothelial cells and interlobular or central vein endothelium in rat liver.

    PubMed

    Yokota, S

    1985-05-01

    The fine topological relationship between sinus-lining endothelial cells (SLE) and vessel-lining endothelial cells (VLE) at the opening portion of sinusoids into central or interlobular veins of rat liver was studied by a comparison of morphological and functional properties of both types of cells. Three minutes after intravenous injection of formalin-denatured albumin conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP-FDA), liver was perfused with fixative. Chopped sections of the liver (50 micron thick) were incubated in diaminobenzidine-H2O2 medium, followed by processing for electron microscopy. The HRP-FDA was localized in endocytotic vesicles and vacuoles of the SLE and Kupffer cells but not of the VLE lining interlobular or central veins or interlobular arteries. In the opening portion of the sinusoids into these veins, the attenuated cytoplasmic extensions of the SLE containing positive vesicles were in direct contact with squamous process of the VLE having no positive vesicles. The contact was mediated by overlapping junctions. No intermediate cell type between the SLE and VLE in this region or other portions was noted. The results indicate that the habitat of the SLE is exactly isolated from that of the VLE in rat liver and at the transitional portion from sinusoids to veins or arteries they are directly connected with each other by overlapping junctions.

  11. Characterization of Rose Bengal binding to sinusoidal and bile canalicular plasma membrane from rat liver.

    PubMed

    Yachi, K; Sugiyama, Y; Sawada, Y; Iga, T; Ikeda, Y; Toda, G; Hanano, M

    1989-01-16

    The binding of Rose bengal, a model organic anion, to sinusoidal and bile canalicular membrane fractions isolated from rat liver was compared. The fluorescence change of Rose bengal after being bound to liver plasma membranes was utilized for measuring the binding. The dissociation constants (Kd = 0.1-0.12 microM) and the binding capacities (n = 11-15 nmol/mg protein) for Rose bengal are comparable between the two membrane fractions, although the n value for sinusoidal membrane is somewhat larger than that for bile canalicular membrane. The Rose bengal binding to both membrane fractions was inhibited by various organic anions at relatively low concentrations, i.e., the half-inhibition concentrations (IC50) for Indocyanine green, sulfobromophthalein, Bromophenol blue and 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate were 0.1, 100, 1.5-2.5 and 100 microM, respectively, while taurocholate did not inhibit the Rose bengal binding to either membrane fraction at these low concentration ranges. The type of inhibition of sulfobromophthalein and Indocyanine green for Rose bengal binding is different between the two membrane domains. That is, in sinusoidal and bile canalicular membrane fractions, these organic anions exhibit mixed-type and competitive-type inhibition, respectively. It was suggested that the fluorescence method using Rose bengal may provide a simple method for detecting the specific organic anion binding protein(s) in the liver plasma membrane.

  12. Introduction to the Control of Electric Motors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spencer, Frederick

    The fundamentals of electric circuits and electric machines are presented in the text, with an emphasis on the practical operation rather than on mathematical analyses of theories involved. The material contained in the text includes the fundamentals of both D.C. and A.C. circuits together with the principles of magnetism and electro-magnetic…

  13. Diffraction Efficiency Testing of Sinusoidal and Blazed Off-Plane Reflection Gratings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tutt, James H.; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Marlowe, Hannah; Miles, Drew M.; Peterson, Thomas J.; Deroo, Casey T.; Scholze, Frank; Laubis, Christian

    2016-09-01

    Reflection gratings in the off-plane mount have the potential to enhance the performance of future high resolution soft X-ray spectrometers. Diffraction efficiency can be optimized through the use of blazed grating facets, achieving high-throughput on one side of zero-order. This paper presents the results from a comparison between a grating with a sinusoidally grooved profile and two gratings that have been blazed. The results show that the blaze does increase throughput to one side of zero-order; however, the total throughput of the sinusoidal gratings is greater than the blazed gratings, suggesting the method of manufacturing the blazed gratings does not produce precise facets. The blazed gratings were also tested in their Littrow and anti-Littrow configurations to quantify diffraction efficiency sensitivity to rotations about the grating normal. Only a small difference in the energy at which efficiency is maximized between the Littrow and anti-Littrow configurations is seen with a small shift in peak efficiency towards higher energies in the anti-Littrow case. This is due to a decrease in the effective blaze angle in the anti-Littrow mounting. This is supported by PCGrate-SX V6.1 modeling carried out for each blazed grating which predicts similar response trends in the Littrow and anti-Littrow orientations.

  14. Sinusoidal high-intensity exercise does not elicit ventilatory limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    PubMed

    Porszasz, Janos; Rambod, Mehdi; van der Vaart, Hester; Rossiter, Harry B; Ma, Shuyi; Kiledjian, Rafi; Casaburi, Richard

    2013-06-01

    During exercise at critical power (CP) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, ventilation approaches its maximum. As a result of the slow ventilatory dynamics in COPD, ventilatory limitation during supramaximal exercise might be escaped using rapid sinusoidal forcing. Nine COPD patients [age, 60.2 ± 6.9 years; forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)), 42 ± 17% of predicted; and FEV(1)/FVC, 39 ± 12%] underwent an incremental cycle ergometer test and then four constant work rate cycle ergometer tests; tolerable duration (t(lim)) was recorded. Critical power was determined from constant work rate testing by linear regression of work rate versus 1/t(lim). Patients then completed fast (FS; 60 s period) and slow (SS; 360 s period) sinusoidally fluctuating exercise tests with mean work rate at CP and peak at 120% of peak incremental test work rate, and one additional test at CP; each for a 20 min target. The value of t(lim) did not differ between CP (19.8 ± 0.6 min) and FS (19.0 ± 2.5 min), but was shorter in SS (13.2 ± 4.2 min; P < 0.05). The sinusoidal ventilatory amplitude was minimal (37.4 ± 34.9 ml min(-1) W(-1)) during FS but much larger during SS (189.6 ± 120.4 ml min(-1) W(-1)). The total ventilatory response in SS reached 110 ± 8.0% of the incremental test peak, suggesting ventilatory limitation. Slow components in ventilation during constant work rate and FS exercises were detected in most subjects and contributed appreciably to the total response asymptote. The SS exercise was associated with higher mid-exercise lactate concentrations (5.2 ± 1.7, 7.6 ± 1.7 and 4.5 ± 1.3 mmol l(-1) in FS, SS and CP). Large-amplitude, rapid sinusoidal fluctuation in work rate yields little fluctuation in ventilation despite reaching 120% of the incremental test peak work rate. This high-intensity exercise strategy might be suitable for programmes of rehabilitative exercise training in COPD.

  15. Performance trends of rehabilitated AC pavements

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-10-01

    The General Pavement Study (GPS) 6 experiment, "AC Overlay of AC Pavements," involves pavement test sections where an asphalt concrete (AC) overlay was placed on an existing AC pavement. This TechBrief summarizes the results of a study of the GPS-6 e...

  16. An MRI-Compatible High Frequency AC Resistive Heating System for Homeothermic Maintenance in Small Animals

    PubMed Central

    Gomes, Ana L.; Kinchesh, Paul; Kersemans, Veerle; Allen, Philip D.; Smart, Sean C.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose To develop an MRI-compatible resistive heater, using high frequency alternating current (AC), for temperature maintenance of anaesthetised animals. Materials and Methods An MRI-compatible resistive electrical heater was formed from narrow gauge wire connected to a high frequency (10–100 kHz) AC power source. Multiple gradient echo images covering a range of echo times, and pulse-acquire spectra were acquired with the wire heater powered using high frequency AC or DC power sources and without any current flowing in order to assess the sensitivity of the MRI acquisitions to the presence of current flow through the heater wire. The efficacy of temperature maintenance using the AC heater was assessed by measuring rectal temperature immediately following induction of general anaesthesia for a period of 30 minutes in three different mice. Results Images and spectra acquired in the presence and absence of 50–100 kHz AC through the wire heater were indistinguishable, whereas DC power created field shifts and lineshape distortions. Temperature lost during induction of anaesthesia was recovered within approximately 20 minutes and a stable temperature was reached as the mouse’s temperature approached the set target. Conclusion The AC-powered wire heater maintains adequate heat input to the animal to maintain body temperature, and does not compromise image quality. PMID:27806062

  17. 9 CFR 307.7 - Safety requirements for electrical stimulating (EST) equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... requirements for electrical stimulating (EST) equipment. (a) General. Electrical stimulating (EST) equipment is... of facilitating blood removal. These provisions do not apply to electrical equipment used to stun and... generate pulsed DC or AC voltage for stimulation and is separate from the equipment used to apply the...

  18. 9 CFR 307.7 - Safety requirements for electrical stimulating (EST) equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... requirements for electrical stimulating (EST) equipment. (a) General. Electrical stimulating (EST) equipment is... of facilitating blood removal. These provisions do not apply to electrical equipment used to stun and... generate pulsed DC or AC voltage for stimulation and is separate from the equipment used to apply the...

  19. Stimulated neutrino transformation with sinusoidal density profiles

    DOE PAGES

    Kneller, J. P.; McLaughlin, G. C.; Patton, K. M.

    2013-03-28

    Large amplitude oscillations between the states of a quantum system can be stimulated by sinusoidal external potentials with frequencies that are similar to the energy level splitting of the states or a fraction thereof. Situations where the applied frequency is equal to an integer fraction of the energy level splittings are known as parametric resonances. We investigate this effect for neutrinos both analytically and numerically for the case of arbitrary numbers of neutrino flavors. We look for environments where the effect may be observed and find that supernovae are the one realistic possibility due to the necessity of both largemore » densities and large amplitude fluctuations. In conclusion, the comparison of numerical and analytical results of neutrino propagation through a model supernova reveals that it is possible to predict the locations and strengths of the stimulated transitions that occur.« less

  20. Estimating BrAC from transdermal alcohol concentration data using the BrAC estimator software program.

    PubMed

    Luczak, Susan E; Rosen, I Gary

    2014-08-01

    Transdermal alcohol sensor (TAS) devices have the potential to allow researchers and clinicians to unobtrusively collect naturalistic drinking data for weeks at a time, but the transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) data these devices produce do not consistently correspond with breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) data. We present and test the BrAC Estimator software, a program designed to produce individualized estimates of BrAC from TAC data by fitting mathematical models to a specific person wearing a specific TAS device. Two TAS devices were worn simultaneously by 1 participant for 18 days. The trial began with a laboratory alcohol session to calibrate the model and was followed by a field trial with 10 drinking episodes. Model parameter estimates and fit indices were compared across drinking episodes to examine the calibration phase of the software. Software-generated estimates of peak BrAC, time of peak BrAC, and area under the BrAC curve were compared with breath analyzer data to examine the estimation phase of the software. In this single-subject design with breath analyzer peak BrAC scores ranging from 0.013 to 0.057, the software created consistent models for the 2 TAS devices, despite differences in raw TAC data, and was able to compensate for the attenuation of peak BrAC and latency of the time of peak BrAC that are typically observed in TAC data. This software program represents an important initial step for making it possible for non mathematician researchers and clinicians to obtain estimates of BrAC from TAC data in naturalistic drinking environments. Future research with more participants and greater variation in alcohol consumption levels and patterns, as well as examination of gain scheduling calibration procedures and nonlinear models of diffusion, will help to determine how precise these software models can become. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  1. Fluid mixing in droplet-based microfluidics with T junction and convergent-divergent sinusoidal microchannels.

    PubMed

    Yang, Li; Li, Shanshan; Liu, Jixiao; Cheng, Jingmeng

    2018-02-01

    To explore and utilize the advantages of droplet-based microfluidics, hydrodynamics, and mixing process within droplets traveling though the T junction channel and convergent-divergent sinusoidal microchannels are studied by numerical simulations and experiments, respectively. In the T junction channel, the mixing efficiency is significantly influenced by the twirling effect, which controls the initial distributions of the mixture during the droplet formation stage. Therefore, the internal recirculating flow can create a convection mechanism, thus improving mixing. The twirling effect is noticeably influenced by the velocity of the continuous phase; in the sinusoidal channel, the Dean vortices and droplet deformation are induced by centrifugal force and alternative velocity gradient, thus enhancing the mixing efficiency. The best mixing occurred when the droplet size is comparable with the channel width. Finally, we propose a unique optimized structure, which includes a T junction inlet joined to a sinusoidal channel. In this structure, the mixing of fluids in the droplets follows two routes: One is the twirling effect and symmetric recirculation flow in the straight channel. The other is the asymmetric recirculation and droplet deformation in the winding and variable cross-section. Among the three structures, the optimized structure has the best mixing efficiency at the shortest mixing time (0.25 ms). The combination of the twirling effect, variable cross-section effect, and Dean vortices greatly intensifies the chaotic flow. This study provides the insight of the mixing process and may benefit the design and operations of droplet-based microfluidics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. A Flow Adhesion Assay to Study Leucocyte Recruitment to Human Hepatic Sinusoidal Endothelium Under Conditions of Shear Stress

    PubMed Central

    Shetty, Shishir; Weston, Christopher J.; Adams, David H.; Lalor, Patricia F.

    2014-01-01

    Leucocyte infiltration into human liver tissue is a common process in all adult inflammatory liver diseases. Chronic infiltration can drive the development of fibrosis and progression to cirrhosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that mediate leucocyte recruitment to the liver could identify important therapeutic targets for liver disease. The key interaction during leucocyte recruitment is that of inflammatory cells with endothelium under conditions of shear stress. Recruitment to the liver occurs within the low shear channels of the hepatic sinusoids which are lined by hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSEC). The conditions within the hepatic sinusoids can be recapitulated by perfusing leucocytes through channels lined by human HSEC monolayers at specific flow rates. In these conditions leucocytes undergo a brief tethering step followed by activation and firm adhesion, followed by a crawling step and subsequent transmigration across the endothelial layer. Using phase contrast microscopy, each step of this 'adhesion cascade' can be visualized and recorded followed by offline analysis. Endothelial cells or leucocytes can be pretreated with inhibitors to determine the role of specific molecules during this process. PMID:24686418

  3. Vibrato in Singing Voice: The Link between Source-Filter and Sinusoidal Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arroabarren, Ixone; Carlosena, Alfonso

    2004-12-01

    The application of inverse filtering techniques for high-quality singing voice analysis/synthesis is discussed. In the context of source-filter models, inverse filtering provides a noninvasive method to extract the voice source, and thus to study voice quality. Although this approach is widely used in speech synthesis, this is not the case in singing voice. Several studies have proved that inverse filtering techniques fail in the case of singing voice, the reasons being unclear. In order to shed light on this problem, we will consider here an additional feature of singing voice, not present in speech: the vibrato. Vibrato has been traditionally studied by sinusoidal modeling. As an alternative, we will introduce here a novel noninteractive source filter model that incorporates the mechanisms of vibrato generation. This model will also allow the comparison of the results produced by inverse filtering techniques and by sinusoidal modeling, as they apply to singing voice and not to speech. In this way, the limitations of these conventional techniques, described in previous literature, will be explained. Both synthetic signals and singer recordings are used to validate and compare the techniques presented in the paper.

  4. Study of the internal morphology of cation-exchange membranes by means of electroosmotic permeability relaxations.

    PubMed

    Barragán, V M; Izquierdo-Gil, M A; Godino, M P; Villaluenga, J P G

    2009-10-01

    The effect of an ac sinusoidal perturbation of known amplitude and frequency superimposed to the usual dc applied electric voltage difference on the electroosmotic flow through three cation-exchange membranes with different morphology has been studied. A dispersion of the electroosmotic permeability on the frequency of the applied ac signal has been found for the three membranes investigated, observing that the electroosmotic permeability reaches maximum values for some characteristic values of the frequency. These characteristic frequency values, which are related to relaxation processes in heterogeneous media, depend on the membrane system and permit to obtain information about the different structures of the membrane system. Thus, the study of the electroosmotic permeability relaxation can be used as a method to study the internal morphology of a cation-exchange membrane in a given electrolyte medium.

  5. AC/RC Force Integration

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-05-01

    ib qeocie. Thki document may not be rdeaed for open publicado. untit hu been deared by die appropriate military seavice or a veunent agency. AC /RC...A N/A N/A 11. TITLE (Include Security Classification) AC /RC Force Structure Integraticn 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Russell A. Eggers 13a. TYPE OF REPORT... AC ) and Reserve Components (RC) Force Integration is critical in today’s Total Army. The Army of soldiers, Active and Reserve, exists to play a key

  6. Using WRF-Urban to Assess Summertime Air Conditioning Electric Loads and Their Impacts on Urban Weather in Beijing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xiaoyu; Chen, Fei; Shen, Shuanghe; Miao, Shiguang; Barlage, Michael; Guo, Wenli; Mahalov, Alex

    2018-03-01

    The air conditioning (AC) electric loads and their impacts on local weather over Beijing during a 5 day heat wave event in 2010 are investigated by using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, in which the Noah land surface model with multiparameterization options (Noah-MP) is coupled to the multilayer Building Effect Parameterization and Building Energy Model (BEP+BEM). Compared to the legacy Noah scheme coupled to BEP+BEM, this modeling system shows a better performance, decreasing the root-mean-square error of 2 m air temperature to 1.9°C for urban stations. The simulated AC electric loads in suburban and rural districts are significantly improved by introducing the urban class-dependent building cooled fraction. Analysis reveals that the observed AC electric loads in each district are characterized by a common double peak at 3 p.m. and at 9 p.m. local standard time, and the incorporation of more realistic AC working schedules helps reproduce the evening peak. Waste heat from AC systems has a smaller effect ( 1°C) on the afternoon 2 m air temperature than the evening one (1.5 2.4°C) if AC systems work for 24 h and vent sensible waste heat into air. Influences of AC systems can only reach up to 400 m above the ground for the evening air temperature and humidity due to a shallower urban boundary layer than daytime. Spatially varying maps of AC working schedules and the ratio of sensible to latent waste heat release are critical for correctly simulating the cooling electric loads and capturing the thermal stratification of urban boundary layer.

  7. The electrical and dielectric properties of the Au/Ti/HfO2/n-GaAs structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karabulut, Abdulkerim; Türüt, Abdulmecit; Karataş, Şükrü

    2018-04-01

    In this work, temperature dependent electrical and dielectric properties of the Au/Ti/HfO2/n-GaAs structures were investigated using capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) measurements in the temperature range of 60-320 K by steps of 20 K at 1 MHz. The dielectric constant (ε‧), dielectric loss (ε″), dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) and ac electrical conductivities (σac) have been calculated as a function of temperature. These values of the ε‧, ε″, tanδ and σac have been found to be 2.272, 5.981, 2.631 and 3.32 × 10-6 (Ω-1cm-1) at 80 K, respectively, 1.779, 2.315, 1.301 and 1.28 × 10-6 (Ω-1cm-1), respectively at 320 K. These decrease of the dielectric parameters (ε‧, ε″, tanδ and σac) have been observed at high temperatures. The experimental results show that electrical and dielectric properties are strongly temperature and bias voltage dependent.

  8. Absorption and Attenuation Coefficients Using the WET Labs ac-s in the Mid-Atlantic Bight: Field Measurements and Data Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ohi, Nobuaki; Makinen, Carla P.; Mitchell, Richard; Moisan, Tiffany A.

    2008-01-01

    Ocean color algorithms are based on the parameterization of apparent optical properties as a function of inherent optical properties. WET Labs underwater absorption and attenuation meters (ac-9 and ac-s) measure both the spectral beam attenuation [c (lambda)] and absorption coefficient [a (lambda)]. The ac-s reports in a continuous range of 390-750 nm with a band pass of 4 nm, totaling approximately 83 distinct wavelengths, while the ac-9 reports at 9 wavelengths. We performed the ac-s field measurements at nine stations in the Mid-Atlantic Bight from water calibrations to data analysis. Onboard the ship, the ac-s was calibrated daily using Milli Q-water. Corrections for the in situ temperature and salinity effects on optical properties of water were applied. Corrections for incomplete recovery of the scattered light in the ac-s absorption tube were performed. The fine scale of spectral and vertical distributions of c (lambda) and a (lambda) were described from the ac-s. The significant relationships between a (674) and that of spectrophotometric analysis and chlorophyll a concentration of discrete water samples were observed.

  9. Effects of pulsed and sinusoid electromagnetic fields on human chondrocytes cultivated in a collagen matrix.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Rohlfing, Bernhard; Silny, Jiri; Woodruff, Seth; Gavenis, Karsten

    2008-08-01

    Although several effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on articular cartilage have been reported in recent studies, the use of EMFs to treat osteoarthritis remains a matter of debate. In an in vitro study, human chondrocytes harvested from osteoarthritic knee joints were released from their surrounding matrix and transferred in defined concentration into a 3D matrix (type-I collagen gel). The cultivation, performed under standard conditions, lasted up to 14 days. During this time, treatment groups were continuously exposed to either sinusoid or pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs). The PEMFs revealed the following characteristics: maximum magnetic flux density of 2 mT, frequency of the bursts of 16.7 Hz with each burst consisting of 20 pulses. Similarly, the sinusoid EMFs also induced a maximum flux density of 2 mT with a frequency of 50 Hz. Control groups consisting of equal number of samples were not exposed to EMF. Immunohistological examinations of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples revealed positive staining for type-II collagen and proteoglycans in the immediate pericellular region with no differences between the two different treatment groups and the control groups. With increasing cultivation time, both type-II collagen and aggrecan gene expression declined, but no significant differences in gene expression were found between the treatment and control groups. In conclusion, using our in vitro setting, we were unable to detect any effects of pulsed and sinusoidal magnetic fields on human adult osteoarthritic chondrocytes.

  10. Solution pH change in non-uniform alternating current electric fields at frequencies above the electrode charging frequency

    PubMed Central

    An, Ran; Massa, Katherine

    2014-01-01

    AC Faradaic reactions have been reported as a mechanism inducing non-ideal phenomena such as flow reversal and cell deformation in electrokinetic microfluidic systems. Prior published work described experiments in parallel electrode arrays below the electrode charging frequency (fc), the frequency for electrical double layer charging at the electrode. However, 2D spatially non-uniform AC electric fields are required for applications such as in plane AC electroosmosis, AC electrothermal pumps, and dielectrophoresis. Many microscale experimental applications utilize AC frequencies around or above fc. In this work, a pH sensitive fluorescein sodium salt dye was used to detect [H+] as an indicator of Faradaic reactions in aqueous solutions within non-uniform AC electric fields. Comparison experiments with (a) parallel (2D uniform fields) electrodes and (b) organic media were employed to deduce the electrode charging mechanism at 5 kHz (1.5fc). Time dependency analysis illustrated that Faradaic reactions exist above the theoretically predicted electrode charging frequency. Spatial analysis showed [H+] varied spatially due to electric field non-uniformities and local pH changed at length scales greater than 50 μm away from the electrode surface. Thus, non-uniform AC fields yielded spatially varied pH gradients as a direct consequence of ion path length differences while uniform fields did not yield pH gradients; the latter is consistent with prior published data. Frequency dependence was examined from 5 kHz to 12 kHz at 5.5 Vpp potential, and voltage dependency was explored from 3.5 to 7.5 Vpp at 5 kHz. Results suggest that Faradaic reactions can still proceed within electrochemical systems in the absence of well-established electrical double layers. This work also illustrates that in microfluidic systems, spatial medium variations must be considered as a function of experiment time, initial medium conditions, electric signal potential, frequency, and spatial

  11. Experimental and CFD modeling of fluid mixing in sinusoidal microchannels with different phase shift between side walls

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khosravi Parsa, Mohsen; Hormozi, Faramarz

    2014-06-01

    In the present work, a passive model of a micromixer with sinusoidal side walls, a convergent-divergent cross section and a T-shape entrance was experimentally fabricated and modeled. The main aim of this modeling was to conduct a study on the Dean and separation vortices created inside the sinusoidal microchannels with a convergent-divergent cross section. To fabricate the microchannels, CO2 laser micromachining was utilized and the fluid mixing pattern is observed using a digital microscope imaging system. Also, computational fluid dynamics was applied with the finite element method to solve Navier-Stokes equations and the diffusion-convection mode in inlet Reynolds numbers of 0.2-75. Numerically obtained results were in reasonable agreement with experimental data. According to the previous studies, phase shift and wavelength of side walls are important parameters in designing sinusoidal microchannels. An increase of phase shift between side walls of microchannels leads the cross section being convergent-divergent. Results also show that at an inlet Reynolds number of <20 the molecular diffusion is the dominant mixing factor and the mixing index extent is nearly identical in all designs. For higher inlet Reynolds numbers (>20), secondary flow is the main factor of mixing. Noticeably, mixing index drastically depends on phase shift (ϕ) and wavelength of side walls (λ) such that the best mixing can be observed in ϕ = 3π/4 and at a wavelength to amplitude ratio of 3.3. Likewise, the maximum pressure drop is reported at ϕ = π. Therefore, the sinusoidal microchannel with phase shifts between π/2 and 3π/4 is the best microchannel for biological and chemical analysis, for which a mixing index value higher than 90% and a pressure drop less than 12 kPa is reported.

  12. The seizure, not electricity, is essential in convulsive therapy: the flurothyl experience.

    PubMed

    Fink, Max

    2014-06-01

    For more than 50 years, research in convulsive therapy has been focused on the impact of electricity and seizures on memory and not on brain chemistry or neurophysiology. Brief pulse and ultra-brief pulse currents replaced sinusoidal currents. Electrode placements were varied, energy dosing was altered, and electricity was replaced by magnetic currents. The published experiences and archival records of seizures induced by camphor, pentylenetetrazol, and flurothyl are reviewed and compared with the changes induced by electricity. The clinical efficacy of chemically induced seizures is equal to that of electrical inductions. Seizure durations are longer, and impairment of cognition and memory is less. Electroconvulsive therapy replaced chemical treatments for ease of use, not for greater efficacy or safety. The brain seizure, not the method of induction, is the essential element in the efficacy of convulsive therapy. Seizure induction with chemicals avoids the direct effects of electricity on brain functions with lesser effects on cognition. Reexamination of chemical inductions of seizures as replacements for electricity is encouraged.

  13. The Optimization Design of An AC-Electroosmotic Micro mixer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yangyang; Suh, Yongkweon; Kang, Sangmo

    2007-11-01

    We propose the optimization design of an AC-electroosmotic micro-mixer, which is composed of a channel and a series of pairs of electrodes attached on the bottom wall in zigzag patterns. The AC electric field is applied to the electrodes so that a fluid flow takes place around the electrodes across the channel, thus contributing to the mixing of the fluid within the channel. We have performed numerical simulations by using a commercial code (CFX 10) to optimize the shape and pattern of the electrodes via the concept of mixing index. It is found that the best combination of two kinds of electrodes, which leads to good mixing performance, is not simply harmonic one. When the length ratio of the two kinds of electrodes closes to 2:1, we can get the best mixing effect. Furthermore, we will visualize the flow pattern and measure the velocity field with a PTV technique to validate the numerical simulations. In addition, the mixing pattern will be visualized via the experiment.

  14. The investigation of an electric arc in the long cylindrical channel of the powerful high-voltage AC plasma torch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rutberg, Ph G.; Popov, S. D.; Surov, A. V.; Serba, E. O.; Nakonechny, Gh V.; Spodobin, V. A.; Pavlov, A. V.; Surov, A. V.

    2012-12-01

    The comparison of conductivity obtained in experiments with calculated values is made in this paper. Powerful stationary plasma torches with prolonged period of continuous work are popular for modern plasmachemical applications. The maximum electrode lifetime with the minimum erosion can be reached while working on rather low currents. Meanwhile it is required to provide voltage arc drop for the high power achievement. Electric field strength in the arc column of the high-voltage plasma torch, using air as a plasma-forming gas, does not exceed 15 V/cm. It is possible to obtain the high voltage drop in the long arc stabilized in the channel by the intensive gas flow under given conditions. Models of high voltage plasma torches with rod electrodes with power up to 50 kW have been developed and investigated. The plasma torch arcs are burning in cylindrical channels. Present investigations are directed at studying the possibility of developing long arc plasma torches with higher power. The advantage of AC power supplies usage is the possibility of the loss minimization due to the reactive power compensation. The theoretical maximum of voltage arc drop for power supplies with inductive current limitations is about 50 % of the no-load voltage for a single-phase circuit and about 30 % for the three-phase circuit. Burning of intensively blown arcs in the long cylindrical channel using the AC power supply with 10 kV no-load voltage is experimentally investigated in the work. Voltage drops close to the maximum possible had been reached in the examined arcs in single-phase and three-phase modes. Operating parameters for single-phase mode were: current -30 A, voltage drop -5 kV, air flow rate 35 g/s; for three-phase mode: current (40-85) A, voltage drop (2.5-3.2) kV, air flow rate (60-100) g/s. Arc length in the installations exceeded 2 m.

  15. Investigation on discharge characteristics of a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge reactor driven by AC and ns power sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qian, WANG; Feng, LIU; Chuanrun, MIAO; Bing, YAN; Zhi, FANG

    2018-03-01

    A coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor with double layer dielectric barriers has been developed for exhaust gas treatment and excited either by AC power or nanosecond (ns) pulse to generate atmospheric pressure plasma. The comparative study on the discharge characteristics of the discharge uniformity, power deposition, energy efficiency, and operation temperature between AC and ns pulsed coaxial DBD is carried out in terms of optical and electrical characteristics and operation temperature for optimizing the coaxial DBD reactor performance. The voltages across the air gap and dielectric layer and the conduction and displacement currents are extracted from the applied voltages and measured currents of AC and ns pulsed coaxial DBDs for the calculation of the power depositions and energy efficiencies through an equivalent electrical model. The discharge uniformity and operating temperature of the coaxial DBD reactor are monitored and analyzed by optical images and infrared camera. A heat conduction model is used to calculate the temperature of the internal quartz tube. It is found that the ns pulsed coaxial DBD has a much higher instantaneous power deposition in plasma, a lower total power consumption, and a higher energy efficiency compared with that excited by AC power and is more homogeneous and stable. The temperature of the outside wall of the AC and ns pulse excited coaxial DBD reaches 158 °C and 64.3 °C after 900 s operation, respectively. The experimental results on the comparison of the discharge characteristics of coaxial DBDs excited by different powers are significant for understanding of the mechanism of DBDs, reducing energy loss, and optimizing the performance of coaxial DBD in industrial applications.

  16. Proposal for conversion of end use equipment and service from AC to DC for enhanced benefits from photovoltaics and fuel cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wicks, F.

    1998-07-01

    The need to produce electricity either more fuel efficiently or without need for consuming fuel is well recognized. Fuel cells are typically suggested for higher efficiency and photovoltaics can produce electricity directly from the sun. However, both of these devices produce direct current which is not compatible with the existing ac power system. The typical options of installing AC to DC inverters and the dedication of this DC generation to DC loads and storage are costly and inefficient. Thus, the author suggests it would be better in terms of energy conservation and public policy to convert end use service tomore » DC for direct compatibility with this DC generation, as a first step toward conversion to a new and better type of electric power system that can be described as a solid state power electronics based multiple voltage DC power system.« less

  17. Sinusoidal echo-planar imaging with parallel acquisition technique for reduced acoustic noise in auditory fMRI.

    PubMed

    Zapp, Jascha; Schmitter, Sebastian; Schad, Lothar R

    2012-09-01

    To extend the parameter restrictions of a silent echo-planar imaging (sEPI) sequence using sinusoidal readout (RO) gradients, in particular with increased spatial resolution. The sound pressure level (SPL) of the most feasible configurations is compared to conventional EPI having trapezoidal RO gradients. We enhanced the sEPI sequence by integrating a parallel acquisition technique (PAT) on a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The SPL was measured for matrix sizes of 64 × 64 and 128 × 128 pixels, without and with PAT (R = 2). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was examined for both sinusoidal and trapezoidal RO gradients. Compared to EPI PAT, the SPL could be reduced by up to 11.1 dB and 5.1 dB for matrix sizes of 64 × 64 and 128 × 128 pixels, respectively. The SNR of sinusoidal RO gradients is lower by a factor of 0.96 on average compared to trapezoidal RO gradients. The sEPI PAT sequence allows for 1) increased resolution, 2) expanded RO frequency range toward lower frequencies, which is in general beneficial for SPL, or 3) shortened TE, TR, and RO train length. At the same time, it generates lower SPL compared to conventional EPI for a wide range of RO frequencies while having the same imaging parameters. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. The ACS statistical analyzer

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-03-01

    This document provides guidance for using the ACS Statistical Analyzer. It is an Excel-based template for users of estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) to assess the precision of individual estimates and to compare pairs of estimates fo...

  19. Electric-field control of a hydrogenic donor's spin in a semiconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de, Amrit; Pryor, Craig E.; Flatté, Michael E.

    2009-03-01

    The orbital wave function of an electron bound to a single donor in a semiconductor can be modulated by an applied AC electric field, which affects the electron spin dynamics via the spin-orbit interaction. Numerical calculations of the spin dynamics of a single hydrogenic donor (Si) using a real-space multi-band k.p formalism show that in addition to breaking the high symmetry of the hydrogenic donor state, the g-tensor has a strong nonlinear dependence on the applied fields. By explicitly integrating the time dependent Schr"odinger equation it is seen that Rabi oscillations can be obtained for electric fields modulated at sub-harmonics of the Larmor frequency. The Rabi frequencies obtained from sub-harmonic modulation depend on the magnitudes of the AC and DC components of the electric field. For a purely AC field, the highest Rabi frequency is obtained when E is driven at the 2nd sub-harmonic of the Larmor frequency. Apart from suggesting ways to measure g-tensor anisotropies and nonlinearities, these results also suggest the possibility of direct frequency domain measurements of Rabi frequencies.

  20. Ac-loss measurement of a DyBCO-Roebel assembled coated conductor cable (RACC)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuller, S.; Goldacker, W.; Kling, A.; Krempasky, L.; Schmidt, C.

    2007-10-01

    Low ac-loss HTS cables for transport currents well above 1 kA are required for application in transformers and generators and are taken into consideration for future generations of fusion reactor coils. Coated conductors (CC) are suitable candidates for high field application at an operation temperature around 50-77 K, which is a crucial precondition for economical cooling costs. We prepared a short length of a Roebel bar cable made of industrial DyBCO coated conductor (Theva Company, Germany). Meander shaped tapes of 4 mm width with a twist pitch of 122 mm were cut from 10 mm wide CC tapes using a specially designed tool. Eleven of these strands were assembled to a cable. The electrical and mechanical connection of the tapes was achieved using a silver powder filled conductive epoxy resin. Ac-losses of a short sample in an external ac field were measured as a function of frequency and field amplitude in transverse and parallel field orientations. In addition, the coupling current time constant of the sample was directly measured.

  1. Electrical stimulation of gut motility guided by an in silico model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barth, Bradley B.; Henriquez, Craig S.; Grill, Warren M.; Shen, Xiling

    2017-12-01

    Objective. Neuromodulation of the central and peripheral nervous systems is becoming increasingly important for treating a diverse set of diseases—ranging from Parkinson’s Disease and epilepsy to chronic pain. However, neuromodulation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has achieved relatively limited success in treating functional GI disorders, which affect a significant population, because the effects of stimulation on the enteric nervous system (ENS) and gut motility are not well understood. Here we develop an integrated neuromechanical model of the ENS and assess neurostimulation strategies for enhancing gut motility, validated by in vivo experiments. Approach. The computational model included a network of enteric neurons, smooth muscle fibers, and interstitial cells of Cajal, which regulated propulsion of a virtual pellet in a model of gut motility. Main results. Simulated extracellular stimulation of ENS-mediated motility revealed that sinusoidal current at 0.5 Hz was more effective at increasing intrinsic peristalsis and reducing colon transit time than conventional higher frequency rectangular current pulses, as commonly used for neuromodulation therapy. Further analysis of the model revealed that the 0.5 Hz sinusoidal currents were more effective at modulating the pacemaker frequency of interstitial cells of Cajal. To test the predictions of the model, we conducted in vivo electrical stimulation of the distal colon while measuring bead propulsion in awake rats. Experimental results confirmed that 0.5 Hz sinusoidal currents were more effective than higher frequency pulses at enhancing gut motility. Significance. This work demonstrates an in silico GI neuromuscular model to enable GI neuromodulation parameter optimization and suggests that low frequency sinusoidal currents may improve the efficacy of GI pacing.

  2. Iodine-frequency-stabilized laser diode and displacement-measuring interferometer based on sinusoidal phase modulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duong, Quang Anh; Vu, Thanh Tung; Higuchi, Masato; Wei, Dong; Aketagawa, Masato

    2018-06-01

    We propose a sinusoidal phase modulation method to achieve both the frequency stabilization of an external-cavity laser diode (ECLD) to an 127I2 saturated absorption transition near 633 nm and displacement measurement using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. First, the frequency of the ECLD is stabilized to the b 21 hyperfine component of the P(33) 6-3 transition of 127I2 by combining sinusoidal phase modulation by an electro-optic modulator and frequency modulation spectroscopy by chopping the pump beam using an acousto-optic modulator. Even though a small modulation index of m  =  3.768 rad is utilized, a relative frequency stability of 10‑11 order is obtained over a sampling time of 400 s. Secondly, the frequency-stabilized ECLD is applied as a light source to a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. From the two consecutive modulation harmonics (second and third orders) involved in the interferometer signal, the displacement of the moving mirror is determined for four optical path differences (L 0  =  100, 200, 500, and 1000 mm). The measured modulation indexes for the four optical path differences coincide with the designated value (3.768 rad) within 0.5%. Compared with the sinusoidal frequency modulation Michelson interferometer (Vu et al 2016 Meas. Sci. Technol. 27 105201) which was demonstrated by some of the same authors of this paper, the phase modulation Mach–Zhender interferometer could fix the modulation index to a constant value for the four optical path differences. In this report, we discuss the measurement principle, experimental system, and results.

  3. Electrical, dielectric properties and study of AC electrical conduction mechanism of Li0.9□0.1NiV0.5P0.5O4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahal, A.; Borchani, S. Megdiche; Guidara, K.; Megdiche, M.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we report the measurements of impedance spectroscopy for a new olivine-type lithium deficiency Li0.9□0.1NiV0.5P0.5O4 compound. It was synthesized by the conventional solid-state technique. All the X-ray diffraction peaks of the compound are indexed, and it is found that the sample is well crystallized in orthorhombic olivine structure belonging to the space group Pnma. Conductivity and dielectric analyses of the sample are carried out at different temperatures and frequencies using the complex impedance spectroscopy technique. The electrical conductivity of Li0.9□0.1NiV0.5P0.5O4 is higher than that of parent compound LiNiV0.5P0.5O4. Temperature dependence of the DC conductivity and modulus was found to obey the Arrhenius law. The obtained values of activation energy are different which confirms that transport in the title compound is not due to a simple hopping mechanism. To determine the conduction mechanism, the AC conductivity and its frequency exponent have been analysed in this work by a theoretical model based on quantum mechanical tunnelling: the non-overlapping small polaron tunnelling model.

  4. Electric and hybrid vehicles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jacovides, L.J.; Cornell, E.P.; Kirk, R.

    1981-01-01

    A study of the energy utilization of gasoline and battery-electric powered special purpose vehicles is discussed along with the impact of electric cars on national energy consumption, the development of electric vehicles in Japan, the applicability of safety standards to electric and hybrid-vehicles, and crashworthiness tests on two electric vehicles. Aspects of energy storage are explored, taking into account a review of battery systems for electrically powered vehicles, the dynamic characterization of lead-acid batteries for vehicle applications, nickel-zinc storage batteries as energy sources for electric vehicles, and a high energy tubular battery for a 1800 kg payload electric delivery van.more » Subjects considered in connection with drive systems include the drive system of the DOE near-term electric vehicle, a high performance AC electric drive system, an electromechanical transmission for hybrid vehicle power trains, and a hybrid vehicle for fuel economy. Questions of vehicle development are examined, giving attention to the Electrovair electric car, special purpose urban cars, the system design of the electric test vehicle, a project for city center transport, and a digital computer program for simulating electric vehicle performance.« less

  5. Enhanced ν-optical time domain reflectometry using gigahertz sinusoidally gated InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xuping; Shi, Yuanlei; Shan, Yuanyuan; Sun, Zhenhong; Qiao, Weiyan; Zhang, Yixin

    2016-09-01

    Optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) is one of the most successful diagnostic tools for nondestructive attenuation measurement of a fiber link. To achieve better sensitivity, spatial resolution, and avoid dead-zone in conversional OTDR, a single-photon detector has been introduced to form the photon-counting OTDR (ν-OTDR). We have proposed a ν-OTDR system using a gigahertz sinusoidally gated InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche detector (SPAD). Benefiting from the superior performance of a sinusoidal gated SPAD on dark count probability, gating frequency, and gate duration, our ν-OTDR system has achieved a dynamic range (DR) of 33.4 dB with 1 μs probe pulse width after an equivalent measurement time of 51 s. This obtainable DR corresponds to a sensing length over 150 km. Our system has also obtained a spatial resolution of 5 cm at the end of a 5-km standard single-mode fiber. By employing a sinusoidal gating technique, we have improved the ν-OTDR spatial resolution and significantly reduced the measurement time.

  6. Three-Phase AC Optimal Power Flow Based Distribution Locational Marginal Price: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Rui; Zhang, Yingchen

    2017-05-17

    Designing market mechanisms for electricity distribution systems has been a hot topic due to the increased presence of smart loads and distributed energy resources (DERs) in distribution systems. The distribution locational marginal pricing (DLMP) methodology is one of the real-time pricing methods to enable such market mechanisms and provide economic incentives to active market participants. Determining the DLMP is challenging due to high power losses, the voltage volatility, and the phase imbalance in distribution systems. Existing DC Optimal Power Flow (OPF) approaches are unable to model power losses and the reactive power, while single-phase AC OPF methods cannot capture themore » phase imbalance. To address these challenges, in this paper, a three-phase AC OPF based approach is developed to define and calculate DLMP accurately. The DLMP is modeled as the marginal cost to serve an incremental unit of demand at a specific phase at a certain bus, and is calculated using the Lagrange multipliers in the three-phase AC OPF formulation. Extensive case studies have been conducted to understand the impact of system losses and the phase imbalance on DLMPs as well as the potential benefits of flexible resources.« less

  7. Analytical approaches to optimizing system "Semiconductor converter-electric drive complex"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kormilicin, N. V.; Zhuravlev, A. M.; Khayatov, E. S.

    2018-03-01

    In the electric drives of the machine-building industry, the problem of optimizing the drive in terms of mass-size indicators is acute. The article offers analytical methods that ensure the minimization of the mass of a multiphase semiconductor converter. In multiphase electric drives, the form of the phase current at which the best possible use of the "semiconductor converter-electric drive complex" for active materials is different from the sinusoidal form. It is shown that under certain restrictions on the phase current form, it is possible to obtain an analytical solution. In particular, if one assumes the shape of the phase current to be rectangular, the optimal shape of the control actions will depend on the width of the interpolar gap. In the general case, the proposed algorithm can be used to solve the problem under consideration by numerical methods.

  8. Hepatic sinusoid is not well-stirred: estimation of the degree of axial mixing by analysis of lobular concentration gradients formed during uptake of thyroxine by the perfused rat liver

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Weisiger, R.A.; Mendel, C.M.; Cavalieri, R.R.

    1986-03-01

    Two general models have been proposed for predicting the effects of metabolism, protein binding, and plasma flow on the removal of drugs by the liver. These models differ in the degree of plasma mixing assumed to exist within each hepatic sinusoid. The venous equilibrium model treats the sinusoid as a single well-stirred compartment, whereas the sinusoidal model effectively breaks up the sinusoid into a large number of sequentially perfused compartments which do not exchange their contents except through plasma flow. As a consequence, the sinusoidal model, but not the venous equilibrium model, predicts that the concentration of highly extracted drugsmore » will decline as the plasma flows through the hepatic lobule. To determine which of these alternative models best describes the hepatic uptake process, we looked for evidence that concentration gradients are formed during the uptake of (/sup 125/I)thyroxine by the perfused rat liver. Autoradiography of tissue slices after perfusion of the portal vein at physiologic flow rates with protein-free buffer containing (/sup 125/I)thyroxine demonstrated a rapid exponential fall in grain density with distance from the portal venule, declining by half for each 8% of the mean length of the sinusoid. Reversing the direction of perfusate flow reversed the direction of the autoradiographic gradients, indicating that they primarily reflect differences in the concentration of thyroxine within the hepatic sinusoids rather than differences in the uptake capacity of portal and central hepatocytes. Analysis of the data using models in which each sinusoid was represented by different numbers of sequentially perfused compartments (1-20) indicated that at least eight compartments were necessary to account for the magnitude of the gradients seen.« less

  9. In situ emulsification using a non-uniform alternating electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Suhwan; Saveliev, Alexei V.

    2014-08-01

    We report an electric field based method for in situ emulsification of water droplets immersed in a continuous oil phase. High density water-in-oil emulsions are generated using non-uniform ac electric fields applied between needle and plate electrodes. An initial water droplet is entrained in the area of high electric field near the needle electrode where it is dispersed under the influence of high electric stresses. Breakup mechanisms responsible for a gradual dispersion of the water droplets are investigated. Identified mechanisms involve drop elongation to a cylindrical shape followed by a capillary breakup, ac electrospraying from individual water droplets, and formation and breakup of bead-like structures comprised by the water droplets interconnected by thin water bridges. Water droplets with diameters close to 1 μm and a narrow size distribution are formed at long processing times. The generated emulsion has a well-defined boundary and is confined near the needle electrode in a shape resembling a pendant drop.

  10. Frequency-dependent electrodeformation of giant phospholipid vesicles in AC electric field

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    A model of vesicle electrodeformation is described which obtains a parametrized vesicle shape by minimizing the sum of the membrane bending energy and the energy due to the electric field. Both the vesicle membrane and the aqueous media inside and outside the vesicle are treated as leaky dielectrics, and the vesicle itself is modeled as a nearly spherical shape enclosed within a thin membrane. It is demonstrated (a) that the model achieves a good quantitative agreement with the experimentally determined prolate-to-oblate transition frequencies in the kilohertz range and (b) that the model can explain a phase diagram of shapes of giant phospholipid vesicles with respect to two parameters: the frequency of the applied alternating current electric field and the ratio of the electrical conductivities of the aqueous media inside and outside the vesicle, explored in a recent paper (S. Aranda et al., Biophys J 95:L19–L21, 2008). A possible use of the frequency-dependent shape transitions of phospholipid vesicles in conductometry of microliter samples is discussed. PMID:21886342

  11. Slow-onset and fast-onset symptom presentations in acute coronary syndrome (ACS): new perspectives on prehospital delay in patients with ACS.

    PubMed

    O'Donnell, Sharon; McKee, Gabrielle; Mooney, Mary; O'Brien, Frances; Moser, Debra K

    2014-04-01

    Patient decision delay is the main reason why many patients fail to receive timely medical intervention for symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study examines the validity of slow-onset and fast-onset ACS presentations and their influence on ACS prehospital delay times. A fast-onset ACS presentation is characterized by sudden, continuous, and severe chest pain, and slow-onset ACS pertains to all other ACS presentations. Baseline data pertaining to medical profiles, prehospital delay times, and ACS symptoms were recorded for all ACS patients who participated in a large multisite randomized control trial (RCT) in Dublin, Ireland. Patients were interviewed 2-4 days after their ACS event, and data were gathered using the ACS Response to Symptom Index. Only baseline data from the RCT, N = 893 patients, were analyzed. A total of 65% (n = 577) of patients experienced slow-onset ACS presentation, whereas 35% (n = 316) experienced fast-onset ACS. Patients who experienced slow-onset ACS were significantly more likely to have longer prehospital delays than patients with fast-onset ACS (3.5 h vs. 2.0 h, respectively, t = -5.63, df 890, p < 0.001). A multivariate analysis of delay revealed that, in the presence of other known delay factors, the only independent predictors of delay were slow-onset and fast-onset ACS (β = -.096, p < 0.002) and other factors associated with patient behavior. Slow-onset ACS and fast-onset ACS presentations are associated with distinct behavioral patterns that significantly influence prehospital time frames. As such, slow-onset ACS and fast-onset ACS are legitimate ACS presentation phenomena that should be seriously considered when examining the factors associated with prehospital delay. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Segmented AC-coupled readout from continuous collection electrodes in semiconductor sensors

    DOEpatents

    Sadrozinski, Hartmut F. W.; Seiden, Abraham; Cartiglia, Nicolo

    2017-04-04

    Position sensitive radiation detection is provided using a continuous electrode in a semiconductor radiation detector, as opposed to the conventional use of a segmented electrode. Time constants relating to AC coupling between the continuous electrode and segmented contacts to the electrode are selected to provide position resolution from the resulting configurations. The resulting detectors advantageously have a more uniform electric field than conventional detectors having segmented electrodes, and are expected to have much lower cost of production and of integration with readout electronics.

  13. Sinusoidal voltage protocols for rapid characterisation of ion channel kinetics.

    PubMed

    Beattie, Kylie A; Hill, Adam P; Bardenet, Rémi; Cui, Yi; Vandenberg, Jamie I; Gavaghan, David J; de Boer, Teun P; Mirams, Gary R

    2018-03-24

    Ion current kinetics are commonly represented by current-voltage relationships, time constant-voltage relationships and subsequently mathematical models fitted to these. These experiments take substantial time, which means they are rarely performed in the same cell. Rather than traditional square-wave voltage clamps, we fitted a model to the current evoked by a novel sum-of-sinusoids voltage clamp that was only 8 s long. Short protocols that can be performed multiple times within a single cell will offer many new opportunities to measure how ion current kinetics are affected by changing conditions. The new model predicts the current under traditional square-wave protocols well, with better predictions of underlying currents than literature models. The current under a novel physiologically relevant series of action potential clamps is predicted extremely well. The short sinusoidal protocols allow a model to be fully fitted to individual cells, allowing us to examine cell-cell variability in current kinetics for the first time. Understanding the roles of ion currents is crucial to predict the action of pharmaceuticals and mutations in different scenarios, and thereby to guide clinical interventions in the heart, brain and other electrophysiological systems. Our ability to predict how ion currents contribute to cellular electrophysiology is in turn critically dependent on our characterisation of ion channel kinetics - the voltage-dependent rates of transition between open, closed and inactivated channel states. We present a new method for rapidly exploring and characterising ion channel kinetics, applying it to the hERG potassium channel as an example, with the aim of generating a quantitatively predictive representation of the ion current. We fitted a mathematical model to currents evoked by a novel 8 second sinusoidal voltage clamp in CHO cells overexpressing hERG1a. The model was then used to predict over 5 minutes of recordings in the same cell in response to

  14. Successful treatment of severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome despite multiple organ failure with defibrotide after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a case report.

    PubMed

    Behre, Gerhard; Theurich, Sebastian; Christopeit, Maximilian; Weber, Thomas

    2009-03-10

    We report a case of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, a typical and life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, successfully treated with defibrotide despite massive multiple organ failure. A 64-year-old Caucasian woman underwent allogeneic peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation from her human leukocyte antigen-identical sister against aggressive lymphoplasmocytoid immunocytoma. Seven days later, the patient developed severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome according to the modified Seattle criteria. We initiated treatment with defibrotide. Despite early treatment, multiple organ failure with kidney failure requiring dialysis and ventilator-dependent lung failure aggravated the clinical course. Furthermore, central nervous dysfunction occurred as well as transfusion refractory thrombocytopenia. As highlighted in our report, defibrotide is the most promising drug in the treatment of the formerly, almost lethal, severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome to date. This is demonstrated very clearly in our patient. She improved completely, even after renal, cerebral and respiratory failure.

  15. Transient AC voltage related phenomena for HVDC schemes connected to weak AC systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pilotto, L.A.S.; Szechtman, M.; Hammad, A.E.

    1992-07-01

    In this paper a didactic explanation of voltage stability associated phenomena at HVDC terminals is presented. Conditions leading to ac voltage collapse problems are identified. A mechanism that excites control-induced voltage oscillations is shown. The voltage stability factor is used for obtaining the maximum power limits of ac/dc systems operating with different control strategies. Correlation to Pd {times} Id curves is given. Solutions for eliminating the risks of voltage collapse and for avoiding control-induced oscillations are discussed. The results are supported by detailed digital simulations of a weak ac/dc system using EMTP.

  16. Development of software to improve AC power quality on large spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kraft, L. Alan

    1991-01-01

    To insure the reliability of a 20 kHz, alternating current (AC) power system on spacecraft, it is essential to analyze its behavior under many adverse operating conditions. Some of these conditions include overloads, short circuits, switching surges, and harmonic distortions. Harmonic distortions can become a serious problem. It can cause malfunctions in equipment that the power system is supplying, and, during distortions such as voltage resonance, it can cause equipment and insulation failures due to the extreme peak voltages. To address the harmonic distortion issue, work was begun under the 1990 NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Software, originally developed by EPRI, called HARMFLO, a power flow program capable of analyzing harmonic conditions on three phase, balanced, 60 Hz AC power systems, was modified to analyze single phase, 20 kHz, AC power systems. Since almost all of the equipment used on spacecraft power systems is electrically different from equipment used on terrestrial power systems, it was also necessary to develop mathematical models for the equipment to be used on the spacecraft. The modelling was also started under the same fellowship work period. Details of the modifications and models completed during the 1990 NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program can be found in a project report. As a continuation of the work to develop a complete package necessary for the full analysis of spacecraft AC power system behavior, deployment work has continued through NASA Grant NAG3-1254. This report details the work covered by the above mentioned grant.

  17. Cost Performance Estimating Relationships for Hybrid Electric Vehicle Components

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-07-31

    Permanent magnet motors are more likely to be used as generators, while AC induction motors are more efficiently used as motors. Inverters/controllers can...than permanent magnet motors . Switched Reluctance motors are also used on hybrid electric vehicles, but are not used as widely as either AC...induction or permanent magnet motors , and are not analyzed here. Methodology The motor estimates are based on power, with kilowatts being the unit of

  18. Minimum entropy deconvolution optimized sinusoidal synthesis and its application to vibration based fault detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Gang; Zhao, Qing

    2017-03-01

    In this paper, a minimum entropy deconvolution based sinusoidal synthesis (MEDSS) filter is proposed to improve the fault detection performance of the regular sinusoidal synthesis (SS) method. The SS filter is an efficient linear predictor that exploits the frequency properties during model construction. The phase information of the harmonic components is not used in the regular SS filter. However, the phase relationships are important in differentiating noise from characteristic impulsive fault signatures. Therefore, in this work, the minimum entropy deconvolution (MED) technique is used to optimize the SS filter during the model construction process. A time-weighted-error Kalman filter is used to estimate the MEDSS model parameters adaptively. Three simulation examples and a practical application case study are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The regular SS method and the autoregressive MED (ARMED) method are also implemented for comparison. The MEDSS model has demonstrated superior performance compared to the regular SS method and it also shows comparable or better performance with much less computational intensity than the ARMED method.

  19. Physics-Based Modeling of Electric Operation, Heat Transfer, and Scrap Melting in an AC Electric Arc Furnace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Opitz, Florian; Treffinger, Peter

    2016-04-01

    Electric arc furnaces (EAF) are complex industrial plants whose actual behavior depends upon numerous factors. Due to its energy intensive operation, the EAF process has always been subject to optimization efforts. For these reasons, several models have been proposed in literature to analyze and predict different modes of operation. Most of these models focused on the processes inside the vessel itself. The present paper introduces a dynamic, physics-based model of a complete EAF plant which consists of the four subsystems vessel, electric system, electrode regulation, and off-gas system. Furthermore the solid phase is not treated to be homogenous but a simple spatial discretization is employed. Hence it is possible to simulate the energy input by electric arcs and fossil fuel burners depending on the state of the melting progress. The model is implemented in object-oriented, equation-based language Modelica. The simulation results are compared to literature data.

  20. Single channel double-duct liquid metal electrical generator using a magnetohydrodynamic device

    DOEpatents

    Haaland, C.M.; Deeds, W.E.

    1999-07-13

    A single channel double-duct liquid metal electrical generator using a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) device. The single channel device provides useful output AC electric energy. The generator includes a two-cylinder linear-piston engine which drives liquid metal in a single channel looped around one side of the MHD device to form a double-duct contra-flowing liquid metal MHD generator. A flow conduit network and drive mechanism are provided for moving liquid metal with an oscillating flow through a static magnetic field to produce useful AC electric energy at practical voltages and currents. Variable stroke is obtained by controlling the quantity of liquid metal in the channel. High efficiency is obtained over a wide range of frequency and power output. 5 figs.

  1. Single channel double-duct liquid metal electrical generator using a magnetohydrodynamic device

    DOEpatents

    Haaland, Carsten M.; Deeds, W. Edward

    1999-01-01

    A single channel double-duct liquid metal electrical generator using a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) device. The single channel device provides useful output AC electric energy. The generator includes a two-cylinder linear-piston engine which drives liquid metal in a single channel looped around one side of the MHD device to form a double-duct contra-flowing liquid metal MHD generator. A flow conduit network and drive mechanism are provided for moving liquid metal with an oscillating flow through a static magnetic field to produce useful AC electric energy at practical voltages and currents. Variable stroke is obtained by controlling the quantity of liquid metal in the channel. High efficiency is obtained over a wide range of frequency and power output.

  2. Resonant fiber optic gyro based on a sinusoidal wave modulation and square wave demodulation technique.

    PubMed

    Wang, Linglan; Yan, Yuchao; Ma, Huilian; Jin, Zhonghe

    2016-04-20

    New developments are made in the resonant fiber optic gyro (RFOG), which is an optical sensor for the measurement of rotation rate. The digital signal processing system based on the phase modulation technique is capable of detecting the weak frequency difference induced by the Sagnac effect and suppressing the reciprocal noise in the circuit, which determines the detection sensitivity of the RFOG. A new technique based on the sinusoidal wave modulation and square wave demodulation is implemented, and the demodulation curve of the system is simulated and measured. Compared with the past technique using sinusoidal modulation and demodulation, it increases the slope of the demodulation curve by a factor of 1.56, improves the spectrum efficiency of the modulated signal, and reduces the occupancy of the field-programmable gate array resource. On the basis of this new phase modulation technique, the loop is successfully locked and achieves a short-term bias stability of 1.08°/h, which is improved by a factor of 1.47.

  3. Successful treatment of severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome despite multiple organ failure with defibrotide after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a case report

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Introduction We report a case of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, a typical and life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, successfully treated with defibrotide despite massive multiple organ failure. Case presentation A 64-year-old Caucasian woman underwent allogeneic peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation from her human leukocyte antigen-identical sister against aggressive lymphoplasmocytoid immunocytoma. Seven days later, the patient developed severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome according to the modified Seattle criteria. We initiated treatment with defibrotide. Despite early treatment, multiple organ failure with kidney failure requiring dialysis and ventilator-dependent lung failure aggravated the clinical course. Furthermore, central nervous dysfunction occurred as well as transfusion refractory thrombocytopenia. Conclusion As highlighted in our report, defibrotide is the most promising drug in the treatment of the formerly, almost lethal, severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome to date. This is demonstrated very clearly in our patient. She improved completely, even after renal, cerebral and respiratory failure. PMID:19830097

  4. 21 CFR 886.4440 - AC-powered magnet.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered magnet. 886.4440 Section 886.4440 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4440 AC-powered magnet. (a) Identification. An AC-powered magnet is an AC-powered device that generates a magnetic field intended to find and remove...

  5. Scintillations associated with bottomside sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Basu, S.; Basu, S.; Valladares, C. E.; Dasgupta, A.; Whitney, H. E.

    1986-01-01

    Multisatellite scintillation observations and spaced receiver drift measurements are presented for a category of equatorial F region plasma irregularities characterized by nearly sinusoidal waveforms in the ion number density. The observations were made at Huancayo, Peru, and the measurements at Ancon, Peru, associated with irregularities observed by the Atmospheric-Explorer-E satellite on a few nights in December 1979. Utilizing ray paths to various geostationary satellites, it was found that the irregularities grow and decay almost simultaneously in long-lived patches extending at least 1000 km in the east-west direction.

  6. Electrical conductivity of activated carbon-metal oxide nanocomposites under compression: a comparison study.

    PubMed

    Barroso-Bogeat, A; Alexandre-Franco, M; Fernández-González, C; Macías-García, A; Gómez-Serrano, V

    2014-12-07

    From a granular commercial activated carbon (AC) and six metal oxide (Al2O3, Fe2O3, SnO2, TiO2, WO3 and ZnO) precursors, two series of AC-metal oxide nanocomposites were prepared by wet impregnation, oven-drying at 120 °C, and subsequent heat treatment at 200 or 850 °C in an inert atmosphere. Here, the electrical conductivity of the resulting products was studied under moderate compression. The influence of the applied pressure, sample volume, mechanical work, and density of the hybrid materials was thoroughly investigated. The DC electrical conductivity of the compressed samples was measured at room temperature by the four-probe method. Compaction assays suggest that the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites are largely determined by the carbon matrix. Both the decrease in volume and the increase in density were relatively small and only significant at pressures lower than 100 kPa for AC and most nanocomposites. In contrast, the bulk electrical conductivity of the hybrid materials was strongly influenced by the intrinsic conductivity, mean crystallite size, content and chemical nature of the supported phases, which ultimately depend on the metal oxide precursor and heat treatment temperature. The supported nanoparticles may be considered to act as electrical switches either hindering or favouring the effective electron transport between the AC cores of neighbouring composite particles in contact under compression. Conductivity values as a rule were lower for the nanocomposites than for the raw AC, all of them falling in the range of semiconductor materials. With the increase in heat treatment temperature, the trend is toward the improvement of conductivity due to the increase in the crystallite size and, in some cases, to the formation of metals in the elemental state and even metal carbides. The patterns of variation of the electrical conductivity with pressure and mechanical work were slightly similar, thus suggesting the predominance of the pressure

  7. Devil's staircase and the absence of chaos in the dc- and ac-driven overdamped Frenkel-Kontorova model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolović, I.; Mali, P.; Odavić, J.; Radošević, S.; Medvedeva, S. Yu.; Botha, A. E.; Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Tekić, J.

    2017-08-01

    The devil's staircase structure arising from the complete mode locking of an entirely nonchaotic system, the overdamped dc+ac driven Frenkel-Kontorova model with deformable substrate potential, was observed. Even though no chaos was found, a hierarchical ordering of the Shapiro steps was made possible through the use of a previously introduced continued fraction formula. The absence of chaos, deduced here from Lyapunov exponent analyses, can be attributed to the overdamped character and the Middleton no-passing rule. A comparative analysis of a one-dimensional stack of Josephson junctions confirmed the disappearance of chaos with increasing dissipation. Other common dynamic features were also identified through this comparison. A detailed analysis of the amplitude dependence of the Shapiro steps revealed that only for the case of a purely sinusoidal substrate potential did the relative sizes of the steps follow a Farey sequence. For nonsinusoidal (deformed) potentials, the symmetry of the Stern-Brocot tree, depicting all members of particular Farey sequence, was seen to be increasingly broken, with certain steps being more prominent and their relative sizes not following the Farey rule.

  8. Effect of the type of metal on the electrical conductivity and thermal properties of metal complexes: The relation between ionic radius of metal complexes and electrical conductivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morgan, Sh. M.; El-Ghamaz, N. A.; Diab, M. A.

    2018-05-01

    Co(II) complexes (1-4) and Ni(II) complexes (5-8) were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and thermal analysis data. Thermal decomposition of all complexes was discussed using thermogravimetric analysis. The dielectric properties and alternating current conductivity were investigated in the frequency range 0.1-100 kHz and temperature range 300-660 K. The thermal activation energies of electrical conductivity (ΔE1 and ΔE2) values for complexes were calculated and discussed. The values of ΔE1 and ΔE2 for complexes (1-8) were found to decrease with increasing the frequency. Ac electrical conductivity (σac) values increases with increasing temperatures and the values of σac for Co(II) complexes are greater than Ni(II) complexes. Co(II) complexes showed a higher conductivity than other Ni(II) complexes due to the higher crystallinity as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.

  9. AC Glow Discharge Plasma in N2O

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yousif, F. B.; Martinez, H.; Robledo-Martinez, A.

    2006-12-04

    This paper considers the optical and electrical characterization of AC glow discharge plasma in the abnormal glow mode used for optical emission spectroscopy. The total discharge current and applied voltage are measured using conventional techniques. The electrical characteristics of the planer-cathode glow discharge confirmed that the plasma is operating at abnormal discharge mode characterized by the increases in the operating voltage as the current was raised under given pressure. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to determine the main emission lines of the glow discharge plasma of N2O at pressures between 0.5 and 4.0 Torr. It shows that the discharge emissionmore » range is mainly within 300-400 nm. The emission lines correspond to NO, O2, and O{sub 2}{sup +} are the dominant lines in the glow discharge plasma in the present study. Intensity of the emission lines show linear increase with the discharge current up to 0.4 A followed by saturation at higher currents. No emission lines were observed in this work corresponding to atomic oxygen or nitrogen.« less

  10. Fractional Modeling of the AC Large-Signal Frequency Response in Magnetoresistive Current Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Arias, Sergio Iván Ravello; Muñoz, Diego Ramírez; Moreno, Jaime Sánchez; Cardoso, Susana; Ferreira, Ricardo; de Freitas, Paulo Jorge Peixeiro

    2013-01-01

    Fractional calculus is considered when derivatives and integrals of non-integer order are applied over a specific function. In the electrical and electronic domain, the transfer function dependence of a fractional filter not only by the filter order n, but additionally, of the fractional order α is an example of a great number of systems where its input-output behavior could be more exactly modeled by a fractional behavior. Following this aim, the present work shows the experimental ac large-signal frequency response of a family of electrical current sensors based in different spintronic conduction mechanisms. Using an ac characterization set-up the sensor transimpedance function Zt(if) is obtained considering it as the relationship between sensor output voltage and input sensing current, Zt(jf)=Vo,sensor(jf)/Isensor(jf). The study has been extended to various magnetoresistance sensors based in different technologies like anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), giant magnetoresistance (GMR), spin-valve (GMR-SV) and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). The resulting modeling shows two predominant behaviors, the low-pass and the inverse low-pass with fractional index different from the classical integer response. The TMR technology with internal magnetization offers the best dynamic and sensitivity properties opening the way to develop actual industrial applications. PMID:24351648

  11. AC electroosmosis in microchannels packed with a porous medium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Yuejun; Yang, Chun; Huang, Xiaoyang

    2004-08-01

    This paper presents a theoretical study on ac-driven electroosmotic flow in both open-end and closed-end microchannels packed with uniform charged spherical microparticles. The time-periodic oscillating electroosmotic flow in an open-end capillary in response to the application of an alternating (ac) electric field is obtained using the Green function approach. The analysis is based on the Carman-Kozeny theory. The backpressure associated with the counter-flow in a closed-end capillary is obtained by analytically solving the modified Brinkman momentum equation. It is demonstrated that in a microchannel with its two ends connected to reservoirs and subject to ambient pressure, the oscillating Darcy velocity profile depends on both the pore size and the excitation frequency; such effects are coupled through an important aspect ratio of the tubule radius to the Stokes penetration depth. For a fixed pore size, the magnitude of the ac electroosmotic flow decreases with increasing frequency. With increasing pore size, however, the magnitude of the maximum velocity shows two different trends with respect to the excitation frequency: it gets higher in the low frequency domain, and gets lower in the high frequency domain. In a microchannel with closed ends, for a fixed excitation frequency, use of smaller packing particles can generate higher backpressure. For a fixed pore size, the backpressure magnitude shows two different trends changing with the excitation frequency. When the excitation frequency is lower than the system characteristic frequency, the backpressure decreases with increasing excitation frequency. When the excitation frequency is higher than the system characteristic frequency, the backpressure increases with increasing excitation frequency.

  12. Modulation of spike coding by subthreshold extracellular electric fields and neuronal morphology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Xile; Li, Bingjie; Lu, Meili; Yi, Guosheng; Wang, Jiang

    2015-07-01

    We use a two-compartment model, which includes soma and dendrite, to explore how extracellular subthreshold sinusoidal electric fields (EFs) influence the spike coding of an active neuron. By changing the intensity and the frequency of subthreshold EFs, we find that subthreshold EFs indeed affect neuronal coding remarkably within several stimulus frequency windows where the field effects on spike timing are stronger than that on spiking rate. The field effects are maximized at several harmonics of the intrinsic spiking frequency of an active neuron. Our findings implicate the potential resonance mechanism underlying subthreshold field effects. We also discuss how neuronal morphologic properties constrain subthreshold EF effects on spike timing. The morphologic properties are represented by two parameters, gc and p, where gc is the internal conductance between soma and dendrite and geometric factor p characterizes the proportion of area occupied by soma. We find that the contribution to field effects from the variation of p is stronger than that from gc, which suggests that neuronal geometric features play a crucial role in subthreshold field effects. Theoretically, these insights into how subthreshold sinusoidal EFs modulate ongoing neuron behaviors could contribute to uncovering the relevant mechanism of subthreshold sinusoidal EFs effects on neuronal coding. Furthermore, they are useful in rationally designing noninvasive brain stimulation strategies and developing electromagnetic stimulus techniques.

  13. A new approach for AC loss reduction in HTS transformer using auxiliary windings, case study: 25 kA HTS current injection transformer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heydari, Hossein; Faghihi, Faramarz; Aligholizadeh, Reza

    2008-01-01

    AC loss is one of the important parameters in HTS (high temperature superconducting) AC devices. Among the HTS AC power devices, the transformer is an essential part in the electrical power system. The AC losses in an HTS tape depend on the magnetic field. One of the techniques usually adopted to mitigate the unwanted magnetic field is using a system of coils that produce a magnetic field opposite to the incident one, reducing the total magnetic field. In this paper adding two auxiliary windings to the HTS transformer to produce this opposite magnetic field is proposed. The proper use of these auxiliary windings could reduce the leakage flux and, therefore, the AC loss. A mathematical model is used to describe the behaviour of a transformer operating with auxiliary windings, based on the theory of electromagnetic coupled circuits. The influence of the auxiliary windings on the leakage field is studied by the finite element method (FEM) and the AC loss of an HTS transformer was calculated. Also, the simulation results show that employing auxiliary windings will improve the HTS transformer efficiency.

  14. Basic Guidelines to Introduce Electric Circuit Simulation Software in a General Physics Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moya, A. A.

    2018-01-01

    The introduction of electric circuit simulation software for undergraduate students in a general physics course is proposed in order to contribute to the constructive learning of electric circuit theory. This work focuses on the lab exercises based on dc, transient and ac analysis in electric circuits found in introductory physics courses, and…

  15. An automatically-shifted two-speed transaxle system for an electric vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gordon, H. S.; Hassman, G. V.

    1980-01-01

    An automatic shifting scheme for a two speed transaxle for use with an electric vehicle propulsion system is described. The transaxle system was to be installed in an instrumented laboratory propulsion system of an ac electric vehicle drive train. The transaxle which had been fabricated is also described.

  16. Orbital component extraction by time-variant sinusoidal modeling.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinnesael, Matthias; Zivanovic, Miroslav; De Vleeschouwer, David; Claeys, Philippe; Schoukens, Johan

    2016-04-01

    Accurately deciphering periodic variations in paleoclimate proxy signals is essential for cyclostratigraphy. Classical spectral analysis often relies on methods based on the (Fast) Fourier Transformation. This technique has no unique solution separating variations in amplitude and frequency. This characteristic makes it difficult to correctly interpret a proxy's power spectrum or to accurately evaluate simultaneous changes in amplitude and frequency in evolutionary analyses. Here, we circumvent this drawback by using a polynomial approach to estimate instantaneous amplitude and frequency in orbital components. This approach has been proven useful to characterize audio signals (music and speech), which are non-stationary in nature (Zivanovic and Schoukens, 2010, 2012). Paleoclimate proxy signals and audio signals have in nature similar dynamics; the only difference is the frequency relationship between the different components. A harmonic frequency relationship exists in audio signals, whereas this relation is non-harmonic in paleoclimate signals. However, the latter difference is irrelevant for the problem at hand. Using a sliding window approach, the model captures time variations of an orbital component by modulating a stationary sinusoid centered at its mean frequency, with a single polynomial. Hence, the parameters that determine the model are the mean frequency of the orbital component and the polynomial coefficients. The first parameter depends on geologic interpretation, whereas the latter are estimated by means of linear least-squares. As an output, the model provides the orbital component waveform, either in the depth or time domain. Furthermore, it allows for a unique decomposition of the signal into its instantaneous amplitude and frequency. Frequency modulation patterns can be used to reconstruct changes in accumulation rate, whereas amplitude modulation can be used to reconstruct e.g. eccentricity-modulated precession. The time-variant sinusoidal model

  17. The reliability of nonlinear least-squares algorithm for data analysis of neural response activity during sinusoidal rotational stimulation in semicircular canal neurons.

    PubMed

    Ren, Pengyu; Li, Bowen; Dong, Shiyao; Chen, Lin; Zhang, Yuelin

    2018-01-01

    Although many mathematical methods were used to analyze the neural activity under sinusoidal stimulation within linear response range in vestibular system, the reliabilities of these methods are still not reported, especially in nonlinear response range. Here we chose nonlinear least-squares algorithm (NLSA) with sinusoidal model to analyze the neural response of semicircular canal neurons (SCNs) during sinusoidal rotational stimulation (SRS) over a nonlinear response range. Our aim was to acquire a reliable mathematical method for data analysis under SRS in vestibular system. Our data indicated that the reliability of this method in an entire SCNs population was quite satisfactory. However, the reliability was strongly negatively depended on the neural discharge regularity. In addition, stimulation parameters were the vital impact factors influencing the reliability. The frequency had a significant negative effect but the amplitude had a conspicuous positive effect on the reliability. Thus, NLSA with sinusoidal model resulted a reliable mathematical tool for data analysis of neural response activity under SRS in vestibular system and more suitable for those under the stimulation with low frequency but high amplitude, suggesting that this method can be used in nonlinear response range. This method broke out of the restriction of neural activity analysis under nonlinear response range and provided a solid foundation for future study in nonlinear response range in vestibular system.

  18. The reliability of nonlinear least-squares algorithm for data analysis of neural response activity during sinusoidal rotational stimulation in semicircular canal neurons

    PubMed Central

    Li, Bowen; Dong, Shiyao; Chen, Lin; Zhang, Yuelin

    2018-01-01

    Although many mathematical methods were used to analyze the neural activity under sinusoidal stimulation within linear response range in vestibular system, the reliabilities of these methods are still not reported, especially in nonlinear response range. Here we chose nonlinear least-squares algorithm (NLSA) with sinusoidal model to analyze the neural response of semicircular canal neurons (SCNs) during sinusoidal rotational stimulation (SRS) over a nonlinear response range. Our aim was to acquire a reliable mathematical method for data analysis under SRS in vestibular system. Our data indicated that the reliability of this method in an entire SCNs population was quite satisfactory. However, the reliability was strongly negatively depended on the neural discharge regularity. In addition, stimulation parameters were the vital impact factors influencing the reliability. The frequency had a significant negative effect but the amplitude had a conspicuous positive effect on the reliability. Thus, NLSA with sinusoidal model resulted a reliable mathematical tool for data analysis of neural response activity under SRS in vestibular system and more suitable for those under the stimulation with low frequency but high amplitude, suggesting that this method can be used in nonlinear response range. This method broke out of the restriction of neural activity analysis under nonlinear response range and provided a solid foundation for future study in nonlinear response range in vestibular system. PMID:29304173

  19. The AC 2000.2 Catalogue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Urban, S. E.; Corbin, T. E.; Wycoff, G. L.; Makarov, V. V.; Høg, E.; Fabricius, C.

    2001-12-01

    For over 100 years, the international project known as the Astrographic Catalogue -- which involved 20 observatories tasked to photograph the sky -- has held an unfulfilled promised of yielding a wealth of astrometric information. This promise was not realized due to the inadequate reductions of the project's plates. However, in 1997 the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) completed the reductions of the 22,660 plates. That catalogue, named the AC 2000, contained positions and magnitudes for 4.6 million stars down to about v magnitude 12.5. Due to the early epochs of the data -- averaging 1907 -- and the positional accuracies -- between 150 and 400 milliarcseconds -- the data are extremely valuable in computing proper motions. In 1997, these positions were used to form the proper motions of the ACT Reference Catalogue. In 1999, USNO and Copenhagen University Observatory (CUO) partnered to create the Tycho-2 Catalogue. The CUO group re-analyzed the data from the Tycho experiment on the Hipparcos satellite. The USNO group re-analyzed over 140 positional catalogs which were combined with the expanded Tycho positions from the CUO group to compute the Tycho-2 proper motions. The largest contributor to these proper motions was the re-analyzed Astrographic Catalogue; the latest version being known as the AC 2000.2 Catalogue. There are two major differences between the AC 2000 and the AC 2000.2. First, the reference catalog used in AC 2000.2 was an expanded version of the Astrographic Catalogue Reference Stars that was rigorously derived on the Hipparcos Celestial Reference Frame. The second is that AC 2000.2 contains photometry from Tycho-2, where available. A description of the AC 2000.2 Catalogue, the reduction techniques used, how it compares with the 1997 version, and information on obtaining the data will be presented.

  20. 76 FR 28333 - Electric Engineering, Architectural Services, Design Policies and Construction Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-17

    ... CFR Parts 1724 and 1726 RIN 0572-AC20 Electric Engineering, Architectural Services, Design Policies... standard forms of contracts promulgated by RUS for construction, procurement, engineering services and... XVII of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows: PART 1724--ELECTRIC ENGINEERING...

  1. Initial NIST AC QHR Measurements

    PubMed Central

    Cage, M. E.; Shields, S. H.; Jeffery, A.

    2004-01-01

    We demonstrate that dc quantized Hall resistance (dc QHR) guideline properties and dc and ac QHR values can be measured without changing sample probe lead connections at the QHR device, and report ac QHR values that converge to the dc QHR value when using four-terminal-pair ac QHR measurements. This was accomplished during one cooldown using single-series and quadruple-series connections outside the sample probe. The QHR was measured from 0 Hz to 5500 Hz in 1:1 ratio at 20 µA to ±1 part in 107 uncertainties with a poor-quality QHR device. A good device would allow an order of magnitude smaller uncertainties over this frequency range. We exchanged positions of the QHR device and reference resistor in the bridge and remeasured the resistance ratios to remove dominant ac bridge effects. PMID:27366620

  2. Steady-state sinusoidal behavior of elastomeric dampers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madhavan, Vijay; Wereley, Norman M.; Sieg, Thierry

    1999-06-01

    This paper presents an experimental and analytical investigation of an elastomeric damping material and assesses its potential application to stability augmentation of hingeless and bearingless helicopter rotors. Double lap shear specimens were tested on a servo-hydraulic testing machine. Single frequency sinusoidal tests were conducted over a strain amplitude range of 0 - 30% at three frequencies (lag/rev, 1/rev and a lower harmonic of the rotor). The frequencies were chosen such that the effect of the damper in mitigating instability phenomena, like ground and air resonance, could be analyzed. The effects of frequency, amplitude, pre-load and material self-heating were studied. A three-element mechanisms-based damper model was developed that accurately captures the energy dissipation and hysteresis behavior of the damper. The model incorporates a linear stiffness, viscous damping and a non-linear slip element that are placed in parallel to each other. The parameters of the model were identified using an LMS technique. The model was validated by reconstructing measured hysteresis cycles using these parameters.

  3. Improved model of activation energy absorption for different electrical breakdowns in semi-crystalline insulating polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sima, Wenxia; Jiang, Xiongwei; Peng, Qingjun; Sun, Potao

    2018-05-01

    Electrical breakdown is an important physical phenomenon in electrical equipment and electronic devices. Many related models and theories of electrical breakdown have been proposed. However, a widely recognized understanding on the following phenomenon is still lacking: impulse breakdown strength which varies with waveform parameters, decrease in the breakdown strength of AC voltage with increasing frequency, and higher impulse breakdown strength than that of AC. In this work, an improved model of activation energy absorption for different electrical breakdowns in semi-crystalline insulating polymers is proposed based on the Harmonic oscillator model. Simulation and experimental results show that, the energy of trapped charges obtained from AC stress is higher than that of impulse voltage, and the absorbed activation energy increases with the increase in the electric field frequency. Meanwhile, the frequency-dependent relative dielectric constant ε r and dielectric loss tanδ also affect the absorption of activation energy. The absorbed activation energy and modified trap level synergistically determine the breakdown strength. The mechanism analysis of breakdown strength under various voltage waveforms is consistent with the experimental results. Therefore, the proposed model of activation energy absorption in the present work may provide a new possible method for analyzing and explaining the breakdown phenomenon in semi-crystalline insulating polymers.

  4. Propagation of Disturbances in AC Electricity Grids.

    PubMed

    Tamrakar, Samyak; Conrath, Michael; Kettemann, Stefan

    2018-04-24

    The energy transition towards high shares of renewable energy will affect the stability of electricity grids in many ways. Here, we aim to study its impact on propagation of disturbances by solving nonlinear swing equations describing coupled rotating masses of synchronous generators and motors on different grid topologies. We consider a tree, a square grid and as a real grid topology, the german transmission grid. We identify ranges of parameters with different transient dynamics: the disturbance decays exponentially in time, superimposed by oscillations with the fast decay rate of a single node, or with a smaller decay rate without oscillations. Most remarkably, as the grid inertia is lowered, nodes may become correlated, slowing down the propagation from ballistic to diffusive motion, decaying with a power law in time. Applying linear response theory we show that tree grids have a spectral gap leading to exponential relaxation as protected by topology and independent on grid size. Meshed grids are found to have a spectral gap which decreases with increasing grid size, leading to slow power law relaxation and collective diffusive propagation of disturbances. We conclude by discussing consequences if no measures are undertaken to preserve the grid inertia in the energy transition.

  5. On shock driven jetting of liquid from non-sinusoidal surfaces into a vacuum

    DOE PAGES

    Cherne, F. J.; Hammerberg, J. E.; Andrews, M. J.; ...

    2015-11-09

    Other work employed Richtmyer-Meshkov theory to describe the development of spikes and bubblesfrom shocked sinusoidal surfaces. Here, we discuss the effects of machining different two-dimensional shaped grooves in copper and examine the resulting flow of the material after being shocked into liquid on release. For these simulations, a high performance molecular dynamics code, SPaSM, was used with machined grooves of kh 0 = 1 and kh 0 = 1/8, where 2h 0 is the peak-to-valley height of the perturbation with wavelength λ, and k = 2π/λ. The surface morphologies studied include a Chevron, a Fly-Cut, a Square-Wave, and a Gaussian.more » Furthermore, we describe extensions to an existing ejecta source model that better captures the mass ejected from these surfaces. We also investigate the same profiles at length scales of order 1 cm for an idealized fluid equation of state using the FLASH continuum hydrodynamics code. Our findings indicate that the resulting mass can be scaled by the missing area of a sinusoidal curve with an effective wavelength, λeff , that has the same missing area. Finally, our extended ejecta mass formula works well for all the shapes considered and captures the corresponding time evolution and total mass.« less

  6. The Relationship between Fenestrations, Sieve Plates and Rafts in Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells

    PubMed Central

    McNerney, Gregory P.; Owen, Dylan M.; Zencak, Dusan; Zykova, Svetlana N.; Crane, Harry; Huser, Thomas; Quinn, Ronald J.; Smedsrød, Bård; Le Couteur, David G.; Cogger, Victoria C.

    2012-01-01

    Fenestrations are transcellular pores in endothelial cells that facilitate transfer of substrates between blood and the extravascular compartment. In order to understand the regulation and formation of fenestrations, the relationship between membrane rafts and fenestrations was investigated in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells where fenestrations are grouped into sieve plates. Three dimensional structured illumination microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, internal reflectance fluorescence microscopy and two-photon fluorescence microscopy were used to study liver sinusoidal endothelial cells isolated from mice. There was an inverse distribution between sieve plates and membrane rafts visualized by structured illumination microscopy and the fluorescent raft stain, Bodipy FL C5 ganglioside GM1. 7-ketocholesterol and/or cytochalasin D increased both fenestrations and lipid-disordered membrane, while Triton X-100 decreased both fenestrations and lipid-disordered membrane. The effects of cytochalasin D on fenestrations were abrogated by co-administration of Triton X-100, suggesting that actin disruption increases fenestrations by its effects on membrane rafts. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) depleted lipid-ordered membrane and increased fenestrations. The results are consistent with a sieve-raft interaction, where fenestrations form in non-raft lipid-disordered regions of endothelial cells once the membrane-stabilizing effects of actin cytoskeleton and membrane rafts are diminished. PMID:23029409

  7. Formation of Fenestrae in Murine Liver Sinusoids Depends on Plasmalemma Vesicle-Associated Protein and Is Required for Lipoprotein Passage

    PubMed Central

    Herrnberger, Leonie; Hennig, Robert; Kremer, Werner; Hellerbrand, Claus; Goepferich, Achim; Kalbitzer, Hans Robert; Tamm, Ernst R.

    2014-01-01

    Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) are characterized by the presence of fenestrations that are not bridged by a diaphragm. The molecular mechanisms that control the formation of the fenestrations are largely unclear. Here we report that mice, which are deficient in plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP), develop a distinct phenotype that is caused by the lack of sinusoidal fenestrations. Fenestrations with a diaphragm were not observed in mouse LSEC at three weeks of age, but were present during embryonic life starting from embryonic day 12.5. PLVAP was expressed in LSEC of wild-type mice, but not in that of Plvap-deficient littermates. Plvap-/- LSEC showed a pronounced and highly significant reduction in the number of fenestrations, a finding, which was seen both by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The lack of fenestrations was associated with an impaired passage of macromolecules such as FITC-dextran and quantum dot nanoparticles from the sinusoidal lumen into Disse's space. Plvap-deficient mice suffered from a pronounced hyperlipoproteinemia as evidenced by milky plasma and the presence of lipid granules that occluded kidney and liver capillaries. By NMR spectroscopy of plasma, the nature of hyperlipoproteinemia was identified as massive accumulation of chylomicron remnants. Plasma levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL) were also significantly increased as were those of cholesterol and triglycerides. In contrast, plasma levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL), albumin and total protein were reduced. At around three weeks of life, Plvap-deficient livers developed extensive multivesicular steatosis, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis. PLVAP is critically required for the formation of fenestrations in LSEC. Lack of fenestrations caused by PLVAP deficiency substantially impairs the passage of chylomicron remnants between liver sinusoids and hepatocytes, and finally leads to liver damage. PMID:25541982

  8. Integration of regenerative shock absorber into vehicle electric system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chongxiao; Li, Peng; Xing, Shaoxu; Kim, Junyoung; Yu, Liangyao; Zuo, Lei

    2014-03-01

    Regenerative/Energy harvesting shock absorbers have a great potential to increase fuel efficiency and provide suspension damping simultaneously. In recent years there's intensive work on this topic, but most researches focus on electricity extraction from vibration and harvesting efficiency improvement. The integration of electricity generated from regenerative shock absorbers into vehicle electric system, which is very important to realize the fuel efficiency benefit, has not been investigated. This paper is to study and demonstrate the integration of regenerative shock absorber with vehicle alternator, battery and in-vehicle electrical load together. In the presented system, the shock absorber is excited by a shaker and it converts kinetic energy into electricity. The harvested electricity flows into a DC/DC converter which realizes two functions: controlling the shock absorber's damping and regulating the output voltage. The damping is tuned by controlling shock absorber's output current, which is also the input current of DC/DC converter. By adjusting the duty cycles of switches in the converter, its input impedance together with input current can be adjusted according to dynamic damping requirements. An automotive lead-acid battery is charged by the DC/DC converter's output. To simulate the working condition of combustion engine, an AC motor is used to drive a truck alternator, which also charges the battery. Power resistors are used as battery's electrical load to simulate in-vehicle electrical devices. Experimental results show that the proposed integration strategy can effectively utilize the harvested electricity and power consumption of the AC motor is decreased accordingly. This proves the combustion engine's load reduction and fuel efficiency improvement.

  9. Using composite sinusoidal patterns in structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) for enhanced detection of defects in food

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) provides a new means for enhanced detection of defects in horticultural products. Implementing the technique relies on retrieving amplitude images by illuminating the object with sinusoidal patterns of single spatial frequencies, which, however, are...

  10. AC motor controller with 180 degree conductive switches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oximberg, Carol A. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    An ac motor controller is operated by a modified time-switching scheme where the switches of the inverter are on for electrical-phase-and-rotation intervals of 180.degree. as opposed to the conventional 120.degree.. The motor is provided with three-phase drive windings, a power inverter for power supplied from a dc power source consisting of six switches, and a motor controller which controls the current controlled switches in voltage-fed mode. During full power, each switch is gated continuously for three successive intervals of 60.degree. and modulated for only one of said intervals. Thus, during each 60.degree. interval, the two switches with like signs are on continuously and the switch with the opposite sign is modulated.

  11. Electrical voltages and resistances measured to inspect metallic cased wells and pipelines

    DOEpatents

    Vail, III, William Banning; Momii, Steven Thomas

    2001-01-01

    A cased well in the earth is electrically energized with A.C. current. Voltages are measured from three voltage measurement electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing while the casing is electrically energized. In a measurement mode, A.C. current is conducted from a first current carrying electrode within the cased well to a remote second current carrying electrode located on the surface of the earth. In a calibration mode, current is passed from the first current carrying electrode to a third current carrying electrode located vertically at a different position within the cased well, where the three voltage measurement electrodes are located vertically in between the first and third current carrying electrodes. Voltages along the casing and resistances along the casing are measured to determine wall thickness and the location of any casing collars present so as to electrically inspect the casing. Similar methods are employed to energize a pipeline to measure the wall thickness of the pipeline and the location of pipe joints to electrically inspect the pipeline.

  12. Electrical voltages and resistances measured to inspect metallic cased wells and pipelines

    DOEpatents

    Vail III, William Banning; Momii, Steven Thomas

    2003-06-10

    A cased well in the earth is electrically energized with A.C. current. Voltages are measured from three voltage measurement electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing while the casing is electrically energized. In a measurement mode, A.C. current is conducted from a first current carrying electrode within the cased well to a remote second current carrying electrode located on the surface of the earth. In a calibration mode, current is passed from the first current carrying electrode to a third current carrying electrode located vertically at a different position within the cased well, where the three voltage measurement electrodes are located vertically in between the first and third current carrying electrodes. Voltages along the casing and resistances along the casing are measured to determine wall thickness and the location of any casing collars present so as to electrically inspect the casing. Similar methods are employed to energize a pipeline to measure the wall thickness of the pipeline and the location of pipe joints to electrically inspect the pipeline.

  13. Dielectric and ac ionic conductivity investigation of Li2SrP2O7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajili, O.; Louati, B.; Guidara, K.

    2018-07-01

    The pyrophosphate Li2SrP2O7 compound has been synthesized by the classic ceramic method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman and electrical impedance spectroscopy. Detailed electrical properties of the compound were analyzed as a function of frequency (209 Hz-1 MHz) and temperature (519-628) K. Impedance analysis exhibits the grain and grain boundary contribution to the electrical response of the sample. The temperature dependence of these contribution obey the Arrhenius law with activation energies (1.03 ± 0.05) and (1.25 ± 0.05) eV, respectively. The ac conductivity for grain contribution was interpreted using the universal Jonscher's power law. The temperature dependence of frequency exponent s was investigated to understand the conduction mechanism. The correlated barrier hopping model was found to be the best model describing the conduction mechanism.

  14. Dielectric and ac ionic conductivity investigation of Li2SrP2O7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajili, O.; Louati, B.; Guidara, K.

    2018-02-01

    The pyrophosphate Li2SrP2O7 compound has been synthesized by the classic ceramic method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman and electrical impedance spectroscopy. Detailed electrical properties of the compound were analyzed as a function of frequency (209 Hz-1 MHz) and temperature (519-628) K. Impedance analysis exhibits the grain and grain boundary contribution to the electrical response of the sample. The temperature dependence of these contribution obey the Arrhenius law with activation energies (1.03 ± 0.05) and (1.25 ± 0.05) eV, respectively. The ac conductivity for grain contribution was interpreted using the universal Jonscher's power law. The temperature dependence of frequency exponent s was investigated to understand the conduction mechanism. The correlated barrier hopping model was found to be the best model describing the conduction mechanism.

  15. Hydrodynamic liver gene transfer mechanism involves transient sinusoidal blood stasis and massive hepatocyte endocytic vesicles.

    PubMed

    Crespo, A; Peydró, A; Dasí, F; Benet, M; Calvete, J J; Revert, F; Aliño, S F

    2005-06-01

    The present study contributes to clarify the mechanism underlying the high efficacy of hepatocyte gene transfer mediated by hydrodynamic injection. Gene transfer experiments were performed employing the hAAT gene, and the efficacy and differential identification in mouse plasma of human transgene versus mouse gene was assessed by ELISA and proteomic procedures, respectively. By applying different experimental strategies such as cumulative dose-response efficacy, hemodynamic changes reflected by venous pressures, intravital microscopy, and morphological changes established by transmission electron microscopy, we found that: (a) cumulative multiple doses of transgene by hydrodynamic injection are efficient and well tolerated, resulting in therapeutic plasma levels of hAAT; (b) hydrodynamic injection mediates a transient inversion of intrahepatic blood flow, with circulatory stasis for a few minutes mainly in pericentral vein sinusoids; (c) transmission electron microscopy shows hydrodynamic injection to promote massive megafluid endocytic vesicles among hepatocytes around the central vein but not in hepatocytes around the periportal vein. We suggest that the mechanism of hydrodynamic liver gene transfer involves transient inversion of intrahepatic flow, sinusoidal blood stasis, and massive fluid endocytic vesicles in pericentral vein hepatocytes.

  16. Analysis of a piezoelectric power harvester with adjustable frequency by precise electric field method.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yujue; Lian, Ziyang; Yao, Mingge; Wang, Ji; Hu, Hongping

    2013-10-01

    A power harvester with adjustable frequency, which consists of a hinged-hinged piezoelectric bimorph and a concentrated mass, is studied by the precise electric field method (PEFM), taking into account a distribution of the electric field over the thickness. Usually, using the equivalent electric field method (EEFM), the electric field is approximated as a constant value in the piezoelectric layer. Charge on the upper electrode (UEC) of the bimorph is often assumed as output charge. However, different output charge can be obtained by integrating on electric displacement over the electrode with different thickness coordinates. Therefore, an average charge (AC) on thickness is often assumed as the output value. This method is denoted EEFM AC. The flexural vibration of the bimorph is calculated by the three methods and their results are compared. Numerical results illustrate that EEFM UEC overestimates resonant frequency, output power, and efficiency. EEFM AC can accurately calculate the output power and efficiency, but underestimates resonant frequency. The performance of the harvester, which depends on concentrated mass weight, position, and circuit load, is analyzed using PEFM. The resonant frequency can be modulated 924 Hz by moving the concentrated mass along the bimorph. This feature suggests that the natural frequency of the harvester can be adjusted conveniently to adapt to frequency fluctuation of the ambient vibration.

  17. New Composites LnBDC@AC and CB[6]@AC: From Design toward Selective Adsorption of Methylene Blue or Methyl Orange

    PubMed Central

    Santos, Guilherme de C.; Barros, Amanda L.; de Oliveira, Carlos A. F.; da Luz, Leonis L.; da Silva, Fausthon F.; Demets, Grégoire J.-F.; Alves Júnior, Severino

    2017-01-01

    New porous composites LnBDC@AC (AC = Activated carbon, Ln = Eu and Gd and BDC = 1,4-benzenedicaboxylate) and CB[6]@AC (CB[6] = Cucurbit[6]uril) were obtained using hydrothermal route. The LnBDC and CB[B] are located inside the pore of the carbon materials as was observed in SEM-EDS, XRPD and FT-IR analysis. Porosimetry analysis showed values typically between AC and LnBDC material, with pore size and surface area, respectively, 29,56 Å and 353.98 m2g-1 for LnBDC@AC and 35,53 Å and 353.98 m2g-1 for CB[6]@AC. Both materials showed good absorptive capacity of metil orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) with selectivity as a function of pH. For acid pH, both materials present selectivity by MB and alkaline pH for MO, with notable performance for CB[6]@AC. Additionally, europium luminescence was used as structural probe to investigate the coordination environment of Eu3+ ions in the EuBDC@AC composite after adsorption experiment. PMID:28107440

  18. Control Structures for VSC-based FACTS Devices under Normal and Faulted AC-systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babaei, Saman

    This thesis is concerned with improving the Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices performance under the normal and fault AC-system conditions by proposing new control structures and also converter topologies. The combination of the increasing electricity demand and restrictions in expanding the power system infrastructures has urged the utility owners to deploy the utility-scaled power electronics in the power system. Basically, FACTS is referred to the application of the power electronics in the power systems. Voltage Source Converter (VSC) is the preferred building block of the FACTS devices and many other utility-scale power electronics applications. Despite of advances in the semiconductor technology and ultra-fast microprocessor based controllers, there are still many issues to address and room to improve[25]. An attempt is made in this thesis to address these important issues of the VSC-based FACTS devices and provide solutions to improve them.

  19. AC and DC conductivity due to hopping mechanism in double ion doped ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rizwana, Mahboob, Syed; Sarah, P.

    2018-04-01

    Sr1-2xNaxNdxBi4Ti4O15 (x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4) system is prepared by sol gel method involving Pechini process of modified polymeric precursor method. Phase identification is done using X-ray diffraction. Conduction in prepared materials involves different mechanisms and is explained through detailed AC and DC conductivity studies. AC conductivity studies carried out on the samples at different frequencies and different temperatures gives more information about electrical transport. Exponents used in two term power relation helps us to understand the different hopping mechanism involved at low as well as high frequencies. Activation energies calculated from the Arrhenius plots are used to calculate activation energies at different temperatures and frequencies. Hopping frequency calculated from the measured data explains hopping of charge carriers at different temperatures. DC conductivity studies help us to know the role of oxygen vacancies in conduction.

  20. 21 CFR 886.1850 - AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope. 886.1850... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 886.1850 AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope. (a) Identification. An AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope is an AC-powered device that is a...

  1. The effect of surface grain reversal on the AC losses of sintered Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Martina; Roth, Stefan; Gebert, Annett; Schultz, Ludwig; Gutfleisch, Oliver

    2015-02-01

    Sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets are exposed to AC magnetic fields in many applications, e.g. in permanent magnet electric motors. We have measured the AC losses of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets in a closed circuit arrangement using AC fields with root mean square-values up to 80 mT (peak amplitude 113 mT) over the frequency range 50 to 1000 Hz. Two magnet grades with different dysprosium content were investigated. Around the remanence point the low grade material (1.7 wt% Dy) showed significant hysteresis losses; whereas the losses in the high grade material (8.9 wt% Dy) were dominated by classical eddy currents. Kerr microscopy images revealed that the hysteresis losses measured for the low grade magnet can be mainly ascribed to grains at the sample surface with multiple domains. This was further confirmed when the high grade material was subsequently exposed to DC and AC magnetic fields. Here a larger number of surface grains with multiple domains are also present once the step in the demagnetization curve attributed to the surface grain reversal is reached and a rise in the measured hysteresis losses is evident. If in the low grade material the operating point is slightly offset from the remanence point, such that zero field is not bypassed, its AC losses can also be fairly well described with classical eddy current theory.

  2. Estimating Transmissivity from the Water Level Fluctuations of a Sinusoidally Forced Well

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mehnert, E.; Valocchi, A.J.; Heidari, M.; Kapoor, S.G.; Kumar, P.

    1999-01-01

    The water levels in wells are known to fluctuate in response to earth tides and changes in atmospheric pressure. These water level fluctuations can be analyzed to estimate transmissivity (T). A new method to estimate transmissivity, which assumes that the atmospheric pressure varies in a sinusoidal fashion, is presented. Data analysis for this simplified method involves using a set of type curves and estimating the ratio of the amplitudes of the well response over the atmospheric pressure. Type curves for this new method were generated based on a model for ground water flow between the well and aquifer developed by Cooper et al. (1965). Data analysis with this method confirmed these published results: (1) the amplitude ratio is a function of transmissivity, the well radius, and the frequency of the sinusoidal oscillation; and (2) the amplitude ratio is a weak function of storativity. Compared to other methods, the developed method involves simpler, more intuitive data analysis and allows shorter data sets to be analyzed. The effect of noise on estimating the amplitude ratio was evaluated and found to be more significant at lower T. For aquifers with low T, noise was shown to mask the water level fluctuations induced by atmospheric pressure changes. In addition, reducing the length of the data series did not affect the estimate of T, but the variance of the estimate was higher for the shorter series of noisy data.

  3. Effect of proton-conduction in electrolyte on electric efficiency of multi-stage solid oxide fuel cells

    PubMed Central

    Matsuzaki, Yoshio; Tachikawa, Yuya; Somekawa, Takaaki; Hatae, Toru; Matsumoto, Hiroshige; Taniguchi, Shunsuke; Sasaki, Kazunari

    2015-01-01

    Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising electrochemical devices that enable the highest fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiencies under high operating temperatures. The concept of multi-stage electrochemical oxidation using SOFCs has been proposed and studied over the past several decades for further improving the electrical efficiency. However, the improvement is limited by fuel dilution downstream of the fuel flow. Therefore, evolved technologies are required to achieve considerably higher electrical efficiencies. Here we present an innovative concept for a critically-high fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency of up to 85% based on the lower heating value (LHV), in which a high-temperature multi-stage electrochemical oxidation is combined with a proton-conducting solid electrolyte. Switching a solid electrolyte material from a conventional oxide-ion conducting material to a proton-conducting material under the high-temperature multi-stage electrochemical oxidation mechanism has proven to be highly advantageous for the electrical efficiency. The DC efficiency of 85% (LHV) corresponds to a net AC efficiency of approximately 76% (LHV), where the net AC efficiency refers to the transmission-end AC efficiency. This evolved concept will yield a considerably higher efficiency with a much smaller generation capacity than the state-of-the-art several tens-of-MW-class most advanced combined cycle (MACC). PMID:26218470

  4. Effect of proton-conduction in electrolyte on electric efficiency of multi-stage solid oxide fuel cells.

    PubMed

    Matsuzaki, Yoshio; Tachikawa, Yuya; Somekawa, Takaaki; Hatae, Toru; Matsumoto, Hiroshige; Taniguchi, Shunsuke; Sasaki, Kazunari

    2015-07-28

    Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising electrochemical devices that enable the highest fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiencies under high operating temperatures. The concept of multi-stage electrochemical oxidation using SOFCs has been proposed and studied over the past several decades for further improving the electrical efficiency. However, the improvement is limited by fuel dilution downstream of the fuel flow. Therefore, evolved technologies are required to achieve considerably higher electrical efficiencies. Here we present an innovative concept for a critically-high fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency of up to 85% based on the lower heating value (LHV), in which a high-temperature multi-stage electrochemical oxidation is combined with a proton-conducting solid electrolyte. Switching a solid electrolyte material from a conventional oxide-ion conducting material to a proton-conducting material under the high-temperature multi-stage electrochemical oxidation mechanism has proven to be highly advantageous for the electrical efficiency. The DC efficiency of 85% (LHV) corresponds to a net AC efficiency of approximately 76% (LHV), where the net AC efficiency refers to the transmission-end AC efficiency. This evolved concept will yield a considerably higher efficiency with a much smaller generation capacity than the state-of-the-art several tens-of-MW-class most advanced combined cycle (MACC).

  5. Extravasated platelet aggregation in liver zone 3 may correlate with the progression of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome following living donor liver transplantation: A case report

    PubMed Central

    NAKANUMA, SHINICHI; MIYASHITA, TOMOHARU; HAYASHI, HIRONORI; TAJIMA, HIDEHIRO; TAKAMURA, HIROYUKI; TSUKADA, TOMOYA; OKAMOTO, KOICHI; SAKAI, SEISHO; MAKINO, ISAMU; KINOSHITA, JUN; NAKAMURA, KEISHI; OYAMA, KATSUNOBU; INOKUCHI, MASAFUMI; NAKAGAWARA, HISATOSHI; NINOMIYA, ITASU; KITAGAWA, HIROHISA; FUSHIDA, SACHIO; FUJIMURA, TAKASHI; OHTA, TETSUO

    2015-01-01

    Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), previously known as veno-occlusive disease, is relatively rare subsequent to liver transplantation (LT). SOS refractory to medical therapy, however, can result in centrilobular fibrosis, portal hypertension and liver failure. Although sinusoidal endothelial cell damage around central venules (zone 3) occurs early in the development of SOS, the detailed mechanism of SOS development and its association with thrombocytopenia are not yet completely understood. The present report describes a patient who experienced SOS with unexplained thrombocytopenia following living donor LT. The progression of SOS resulted in graft dysfunction and the patient succumbed. The presence of platelets in the liver allograft was assayed immunohistochemically using antibody to the platelet marker cluster of differentiation 42b (platelet glycoprotein Ib). Platelet aggregates were found attached to hepatocytes along the sinusoid and within the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, particularly in zone 3. By contrast, no staining was observed in zone 1. These findings suggested that extravasated platelet aggregation in the space of Disse and the phagocytosis of platelets by hepatocytes were initiated by sinusoidal endothelial cell damage due to the toxicity of the immunosuppressant tacrolimus or a corticosteroid pulse, and that platelet activation and degranulation may be at least partially involved in the mechanism responsible for SOS. PMID:25780397

  6. New propulsion components for electric vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Secunde, R. R.

    1982-01-01

    Improved component technology is described. This includes electronically commutated permanent magnet motors of both drum and disk configurations, an unconventional brush commutated motor, ac induction motors, various controllers, transmissions and complete systems. One or more of these approaches to electric vehicle propulsion may eventually displace presently used controllers and brush commutated dc motors.

  7. Experimentally determined transport and magnetization ac losses of small cable models constructed from YBCO coated conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šouc, J.; Vojenčiak, M.; Gömöry, F.

    2010-04-01

    Several short cable models were constructed from YBCO coated conductor (YBCO CC) to study their basic dc and ac electrical properties. They were prepared using superconducting tapes helically wound on fiberglass former of different diameter (5, 8 and 10 mm) with different twist pitch (from 1.7 up to 2.4 cm). The number of parallel-connected tapes ranged from 1 up to 6. The standard length of the models was 11 cm. In one case a 35 cm long model has been manufactured in order to perform a bending test. We observed that the critical currents of the models were proportional to the number of tapes used for their construction. Transport and magnetization ac loss were measured at 36 and 72 Hz.

  8. Dephasing effects on ac-driven triple quantum dot systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maldonado, I.; Villavicencio, J.; Contreras-Pulido, L. D.; Cota, E.; Maytorena, J. A.

    2018-05-01

    We analyze the effect of environmental dephasing on the electrical current in an ac-driven triple quantum dot system in a symmetric Λ configuration. The current is explored by solving the time evolution equation of the density matrix as a function of the frequency and amplitude of the driving field. Two characteristic spectra are observed depending on the field amplitude. At the resonance condition, when the frequency matches the interdot energy difference, one spectrum shows a distinctive Fano-type peak, while the other, occurring at larger values of the field amplitude, exhibits a strong current suppression due to dynamic localization. In the former case we observe that the current maximum is reduced due to dephasing, while in the latter it is shown that dephasing partially alleviates the localization. In both cases, away from resonance, we observe current oscillations which are dephasing-enhanced for a wide range of frequencies. These effects are also discussed using Floquet theory, and analytical expressions for the electrical current are obtained within the rotating wave approximation.

  9. Stress decay in an orthotropic half-plane under self-equilibrating sinusoidal loading

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fichter, W. B.

    1984-01-01

    An elastic orthotropic half-plane subjected to sinusoidal normal loading along an entire straight edge is analyzed. Stresses are calculated for material property combinations which are representative of some unidirectional fiber reinforced composites and of (+ or - 45) (subs) laminates made from the same unidirectional materials. Plots of the stresses as functions of the distance from the loaded boundary show that they can differ greatly from their counterparts in the isotropic half-plane under the same loading. How the results impact the question of the applicability of St. Venant's principle to orthotropic materials is briefly discussed.

  10. The FXR agonist PX20606 ameliorates portal hypertension by targeting vascular remodelling and sinusoidal dysfunction.

    PubMed

    Schwabl, Philipp; Hambruch, Eva; Seeland, Berit A; Hayden, Hubert; Wagner, Michael; Garnys, Lukas; Strobel, Bastian; Schubert, Tim-Lukas; Riedl, Florian; Mitteregger, Dieter; Burnet, Michael; Starlinger, Patrick; Oberhuber, Georg; Deuschle, Ulrich; Rohr-Udilova, Nataliya; Podesser, Bruno K; Peck-Radosavljevic, Markus; Reiberger, Thomas; Kremoser, Claus; Trauner, Michael

    2017-04-01

    Steroidal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists demonstrated potent anti-fibrotic activities and lowered portal hypertension in experimental models. The impact of the novel non-steroidal and selective FXR agonist PX20606 on portal hypertension and fibrosis was explored in this study. In experimental models of non-cirrhotic (partial portal vein ligation, PPVL, 7days) and cirrhotic (carbon tetrachloride, CCl 4 , 14weeks) portal hypertension, PX20606 (PX,10mg/kg) or the steroidal FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA,10mg/kg) were gavaged. We then measured portal pressure, intrahepatic vascular resistance, liver fibrosis and bacterial translocation. PX decreased portal pressure in non-cirrhotic PPVL (12.6±1.7 vs. 10.4±1.1mmHg; p=0.020) and cirrhotic CCl 4 (15.2±0.5 vs. 11.8±0.4mmHg; p=0.001) rats. In PPVL animals, we observed less bacterial translocation (-36%; p=0.041), a decrease in lipopolysaccharide binding protein (-30%; p=0.024) and splanchnic tumour necrosis factor α levels (-39%; p=0.044) after PX treatment. In CCl 4 rats, PX decreased fibrotic Sirius Red area (-43%; p=0.005), hepatic hydroxyproline (-66%; p<0.001), and expression of profibrogenic proteins (Col1a1, α smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor β). CCl 4 -PX rats had significantly lower transaminase levels and reduced hepatic macrophage infiltration. Moreover, PX induced sinusoidal vasodilation (upregulation of cystathionase, dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH)1, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), GTP-cyclohydrolase1) and reduced intrahepatic vasoconstriction (downregulation of endothelin-1, p-Moesin). In cirrhosis, PX improved endothelial dysfunction (decreased von-Willebrand factor) and normalized overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor and angiopoietins. While short-term 3-day PX treatment reduced portal pressure (-14%; p=0.041) by restoring endothelial function, 14week PX therapy additionally inhibited sinusoidal remodelling and decreased

  11. A novel microcontroller-based digital instrument for measurement of electrical quantities under non-sinusoidal condition

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anaya, O.; Moreno, G.E.L.; Madrigal, M.M.

    1999-11-01

    In the last years, several definitions of power have been proposed for more accurate measurement of electrical quantities in presence of harmonics pollution on power lines. Nevertheless, only few instruments have been constructed considering these definitions. This paper describes a new microcontroller-based digital instrument, which include definitions based on Harley Transform. The algorithms are fully processed using Fast Hartley Transform (FHT) and 16 bit-microcontroller platform. The constructed prototype was compared with commercial harmonics analyzer instrument.

  12. Impedance Spectroscopy and AC Conductivity Studies of Bulk 3-Amino-7-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-hydrochloride

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Shabaan, M. M.

    2018-02-01

    Impedance spectroscopy and alternating-current (AC) conductivity (σ AC) studies of bulk 3-amino-7-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-hydrochloride (neutral red, NR) have been carried out over the temperature (T) range from 303 K to 383 K and frequency (f) range from 0.5 kHz to 5 MHz. Dielectric data were analyzed using the complex impedance (Z *) and complex electric modulus (M *) for bulk NR at various temperatures. The impedance loss peaks were found to shift towards high frequencies, indicating an increase in the relaxation time (τ 0) and loss in the material, with increasing temperature. For each temperature, a single depressed semicircle was observed at high frequencies, originating from the bulk transport, and a spike in the low-frequency region, resulting from the electrode effect. Fitting of these curves yielded an equivalent circuit containing a parallel combination of a resistance R and constant-phase element (CPE) Q. The carrier transport in bulk NR is governed by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) mechanism, some parameters of which, such as the maximum barrier height (W M), charge density (N), and hopping distance (r), were determined as functions of both temperature and frequency. The frequency dependence of σ AC at different temperatures indicated that the conduction in bulk NR is a thermally activated process. The σ AC value at different frequencies increased linearly with temperature.

  13. Effect of electrical energy on the efficacy of biofilm treatment using the bioelectric effect

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Young Wook; Subramanian, Sowmya; Gerasopoulos, Konstantinos; Ben-Yoav, Hadar; Wu, Hsuan-Chen; Quan, David; Carter, Karen; Meyer, Mariana T; Bentley, William E; Ghodssi, Reza

    2015-01-01

    Background/Objectives: The use of electric fields in combination with small doses of antibiotics for enhanced treatment of biofilms is termed the ‘bioelectric effect’ (BE). Different mechanisms of action for the AC and DC fields have been reported in the literature over the last two decades. In this work, we conduct the first study on the correlation between the electrical energy and the treatment efficacy of the bioelectric effect on Escherichia coli K-12 W3110 biofilms. Methods: A thorough study was performed through the application of alternating (AC), direct (DC) and superimposed (SP) potentials of different amplitudes on mature E. coli biofilms. The electric fields were applied in combination with the antibiotic gentamicin (10 μg/ml) over a course of 24 h, after the biofilms had matured for 24 h. The biofilms were analysed using the crystal violet assay, the colony-forming unit method and fluorescence microscopy. Results: Results show that there is no statistical difference in treatment efficacy between the DC-, AC- and SP-based BE treatment of equivalent energies (analysis of variance (ANOVA) P>0.05) for voltages <1 V. We also demonstrate that the efficacy of the BE treatment as measured by the crystal violet staining method and colony-forming unit assay is proportional to the electrical energy applied (ANOVA P<0.05). We further verify that the treatment efficacy varies linearly with the energy of the BE treatment (r2 =0.984). Our results thus suggest that the energy of the electrical signal is the primary factor in determining the efficacy of the BE treatment, at potentials less than the media electrolysis voltage. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the energy of the electrical signal, and not the type of electrical signal (AC or DC or SP), is the key to determine the efficacy of the BE treatment. We anticipate that this observation will pave the way for further understanding of the mechanism of action of the BE treatment method and may

  14. Development of a New Conditionally Immortalized Human Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Meiyan; Koibuchi, Akira; Ide, Hideyuki; Morio, Hanae; Shibuya, Minaka; Kamiichi, Atsuko; Tsubota, Akihito; Anzai, Naohiko; Akita, Hidetaka; Chiba, Kan; Furihata, Tomomi

    2018-01-01

    Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), which are specialized endothelial cells that line liver sinusoids, have been reported to participate in a variety of liver functions, such as blood macromolecule clearance and factor VIII production. In addition, LSECs play crucial roles in liver regeneration following acute liver injury, as well as the development and progression of liver diseases or drug-induced hepatotoxicity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their roles remain mostly unknown. Therefore, in order to contribute to the clarification of those mechanisms, herein we report on the development of a new immortalized human LSEC (HLSEC) line. To produce this cell line, two immortalized genes were introduced into the primary HLSECs, which eventually resulted in the establishment of the HLSEC/conditionally immortalized, clone-J (HLSEC/ciJ). Consistent with the two-immortalized gene expression, HLSEC/ciJ showed excellent proliferation activity. Additionally, the results of gene expression analyses showed that several LSEC (as well as pan-endothelial) marker mRNAs and proteins were clearly expressed in HLSEC/ciJ. Furthermore, we found that adherence junction proteins were localized at the cell border in the HLSEC/ciJ monolayer, and that the cells exhibited a tube-like structure formation property. Taken together, the results obtained thus far indicate that we have successfully immortalized HLSECs, resulting in creation of HLSEC/ciJ, a cell line that possesses infinite proliferation ability while retaining possession of at least some HLSEC features. We believe that the HLSEC/ciJ have the potential to provide a valuable and unlimited alternative source of HLSECs for use in liver/LSEC physiology/pathophysiology, pharmacology, and toxicology studies.

  15. Dai-kenchu-to attenuates rat sinusoidal obstruction syndrome by inhibiting the accumulation of neutrophils in the liver.

    PubMed

    Narita, Masato; Hatano, Etsuro; Tamaki, Nobuyuki; Yamanaka, Kenya; Yanagida, Atsuko; Nagata, Hiromitsu; Asechi, Hiroyuki; Takada, Yasutsugu; Ikai, Iwao; Uemoto, Shinji

    2009-06-01

    Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is drug-induced liver injury that occurs in patients who receive hematopoietic cell transplantation and oxaliplatin-contained chemotherapy. The aim of study was to investigate the pharmacological treatment of SOS using a traditional Japanese medicine, Dai-kenchu-to (DKT). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with monocrotaline (MCT) to induce SOS. The rats were divided into three groups: control, MCT and MCT+DKT groups. In the MCT+DKT group, DKT was gavaged at 12 h after MCT treatment and given every 12 h until the end of the protocol. The rats of MCT group were treated with water instead of DKT. At 48 h after MCT treatment, blood and liver samples were collected. In the MCT+DKT group, the macroscopic and histological findings revealed liver congestion, sinusoidal alteration and the destruction of sinusoidal lining, which were comparable with those of the MCT group. However, the area of hepatic necrosis and serum AST levels significantly decreased in the MCT+DKT group compared with those of the MCT group. Treatment with DKT resulted in the reduction of neutrophil accumulation, myeloperoxidase activity and the expression of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA in the liver compared with those of the MCT group. Treatment with processed ginger, one of the ingredients in DKT, resulted in similar effects to those shown by DKT. Dai-kenchu-to attenuates MCT-induced liver injury by preventing neutrophil-induced liver injury through blockage of upregulation of CINC and ICAM-1 mRNA level.

  16. 78 FR 39345 - ACS Wireless, Inc.; Notice of Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-01

    ... on July 31, 1995 under the name MACTEL INC. Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (``ACS Group...-owned subsidiary of ACS Group, held through ACS Group's wholly-owned subsidiary Alaska Communications... presently an investment company as defined in section 3(a) of the Act. 2. On June 4, 2012, ACS Group, ACS...

  17. General purpose computer programs for numerically analyzing linear ac electrical and electronic circuits for steady-state conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Egebrecht, R. A.; Thorbjornsen, A. R.

    1967-01-01

    Digital computer programs determine steady-state performance characteristics of active and passive linear circuits. The ac analysis program solves the basic circuit parameters. The compiler program solves these circuit parameters and in addition provides a more versatile program by allowing the user to perform mathematical and logical operations.

  18. Pre- and post-alpha motoneuronal control of the soleus H-reflex during sinusoidal hip movements in human spinal cord injury

    PubMed Central

    Knikou, Maria; Chaudhuri, Debjani; Kay, Elizabeth; Schmit, Brian D.

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this study was to establish the contribution of hip-mediated sensory feedback to spinal interneuronal circuits during dynamic conditions in people with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, we investigated the effects of synergistic and antagonistic group I afferents on the soleus H-reflex during imposed sinusoidal hip movements. The soleus H-reflex was conditioned by stimulating the common peroneal nerve (CPN) at short (2, 3, and 4 ms) and long (80, 100, and 120 ms) conditioning test (C-T) intervals to assess the reciprocal and pre-synaptic inhibition of the soleus H-reflex, respectively. The soleus H-reflex was also conditioned by medial gastrocnemius (MG) nerve stimulation at C-T intervals ranging from 4 to 7 ms to assess changes in autogenic Ib inhibition during hip movement. Sinusoidal hip movements were imposed to the right hip joint at 0.2 Hz by the Biodex system while subjects were supine. The effects of sinusoidal hip movement on five leg muscles along with hip, knee, and ankle joint torques were also established during sensorimotor conditioning of the reflex. Phase-dependent modulation of antagonistic and synergistic muscle afferents was present during hip movement, with the reciprocal, pre-synaptic, and Ib inhibition to be significantly reduced during hip extension and reinforced during hip flexion. Reflexive muscle and joint torque responses – induced by the hip movement – were entrained to specific phases of hip movement. This study provides evidence that hip-mediated input acts as a controlling signal of pre- and post-alpha motoneuronal control of the soleus H-reflex. The expression of these spinal interneuronal circuits during imposed sinusoidal hip movements is discussed with respect to motor recovery in humans after SCI. PMID:16782072

  19. Using composite sinusoidal patterns in structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) for enhanced detection of defects in food

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This study presented a first exploration of using composite sinusoidal patterns that integrated two and three spatial frequencies of interest, in structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) for enhanced detection of defects in food (e.g., bruises in apples). Three methods based on Fourier tra...

  20. Electric-Field-Directed Parallel Alignment Architecting 3D Lithium-Ion Pathways within Solid Composite Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xueqing; Peng, Sha; Gao, Shuyu; Cao, Yuancheng; You, Qingliang; Zhou, Liyong; Jin, Yongcheng; Liu, Zhihong; Liu, Jiyan

    2018-05-09

    It is of great significance to seek high-performance solid electrolytes via a facile chemistry and simple process for meeting the requirements of solid batteries. Previous reports revealed that ion conducting pathways within ceramic-polymer composite electrolytes mainly occur at ceramic particles and the ceramic-polymer interface. Herein, one facile strategy toward ceramic particles' alignment and assembly induced by an external alternating-current (AC) electric field is presented. It was manifested by an in situ optical microscope that Li 1.3 Al 0.3 Ti 1.7 (PO 4 ) 3 particles and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (LATP@PEGDA@PDMS) assembled into three-dimensional connected networks on applying an external AC electric field. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the ceramic LATP particles aligned into a necklacelike assembly. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed that the ionic conductivity of this necklacelike alignment was significantly enhanced compared to that of the random one. It was demonstrated that this facile strategy of applying an AC electric field can be a very effective approach for architecting three-dimensional lithium-ion conductive networks within solid composite electrolyte.

  1. Multiple piezo-patch energy harvesters integrated to a thin plate with AC-DC conversion: analytical modeling and numerical validation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aghakhani, Amirreza; Basdogan, Ipek; Erturk, Alper

    2016-04-01

    Plate-like components are widely used in numerous automotive, marine, and aerospace applications where they can be employed as host structures for vibration based energy harvesting. Piezoelectric patch harvesters can be easily attached to these structures to convert the vibrational energy to the electrical energy. Power output investigations of these harvesters require accurate models for energy harvesting performance evaluation and optimization. Equivalent circuit modeling of the cantilever-based vibration energy harvesters for estimation of electrical response has been proposed in recent years. However, equivalent circuit formulation and analytical modeling of multiple piezo-patch energy harvesters integrated to thin plates including nonlinear circuits has not been studied. In this study, equivalent circuit model of multiple parallel piezoelectric patch harvesters together with a resistive load is built in electronic circuit simulation software SPICE and voltage frequency response functions (FRFs) are validated using the analytical distributedparameter model. Analytical formulation of the piezoelectric patches in parallel configuration for the DC voltage output is derived while the patches are connected to a standard AC-DC circuit. The analytic model is based on the equivalent load impedance approach for piezoelectric capacitance and AC-DC circuit elements. The analytic results are validated numerically via SPICE simulations. Finally, DC power outputs of the harvesters are computed and compared with the peak power amplitudes in the AC output case.

  2. Conversion of Radio-Frequency Pulses to Continuous-Wave Sinusoids by Fast Switching and Narrowband Filtering

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    Switching and Narrowband Filtering by Gregory J Mazzaro, Andrew J Sherbondy, Kenneth I Ranney, and Kelly D Sherbondy...Switching and Narrowband Filtering by Gregory J Mazzaro, Andrew J Sherbondy, Kenneth I Ranney, and Kelly D Sherbondy Sensors and Electron Devices...08/2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Conversion of Radio-Frequency Pulses to Continuous-Wave Sinusoids by Fast Switching and Narrowband Filtering 5a

  3. A phase match based frequency estimation method for sinusoidal signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Yan-Lin; Tu, Ya-Qing; Chen, Lin-Jun; Shen, Ting-Ao

    2015-04-01

    Accurate frequency estimation affects the ranging precision of linear frequency modulated continuous wave (LFMCW) radars significantly. To improve the ranging precision of LFMCW radars, a phase match based frequency estimation method is proposed. To obtain frequency estimation, linear prediction property, autocorrelation, and cross correlation of sinusoidal signals are utilized. The analysis of computational complex shows that the computational load of the proposed method is smaller than those of two-stage autocorrelation (TSA) and maximum likelihood. Simulations and field experiments are performed to validate the proposed method, and the results demonstrate the proposed method has better performance in terms of frequency estimation precision than methods of Pisarenko harmonic decomposition, modified covariance, and TSA, which contribute to improving the precision of LFMCW radars effectively.

  4. Pixel-based CTE Correction of ACS/WFC: Modifications To The ACS Calibration Pipeline (CALACS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Linda J.; Anderson, J.; Armstrong, A.; Avila, R.; Bedin, L.; Chiaberge, M.; Davis, M.; Ferguson, B.; Fruchter, A.; Golimowski, D.; Grogin, N.; Hack, W.; Lim, P. L.; Lucas, R.; Maybhate, A.; McMaster, M.; Ogaz, S.; Suchkov, A.; Ubeda, L.

    2012-01-01

    The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) was installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) nearly ten years ago. Over the last decade, continuous exposure to the harsh radiation environment has degraded the charge transfer efficiency (CTE) of the CCDs. The worsening CTE impacts the science that can be obtained by altering the photometric, astrometric and morphological characteristics of sources, particularly those farthest from the readout amplifiers. To ameliorate these effects, Anderson & Bedin (2010, PASP, 122, 1035) developed a pixel-based empirical approach to correcting ACS data by characterizing the CTE profiles of trails behind warm pixels in dark exposures. The success of this technique means that it is now possible to correct full-frame ACS/WFC images for CTE degradation in the standard data calibration and reduction pipeline CALACS. Over the past year, the ACS team at STScI has developed, refined and tested the new software. The details of this work are described in separate posters. The new code is more effective at low flux levels (< 50 electrons) than the original Anderson & Bedin code, and employs a more accurate time and temperature dependence for CTE. The new CALACS includes the automatic removal of low-level bias stripes (produced by the post-repair ACS electronics) and pixel-based CTE correction. In addition to the standard cosmic ray corrected, flat-fielded and drizzled data products (crj, flt and drz files) there are three new equivalent files (crc, flc and drc) which contain the CTE-corrected data products. The user community will be able to choose whether to use the standard or CTE-corrected products.

  5. Assay Methods for ACS Activity and ACS Phosphorylation by MAP Kinases In Vitro and In Vivo.

    PubMed

    Han, Xiaomin; Li, Guojing; Zhang, Shuqun

    2017-01-01

    Ethylene, a gaseous phytohormone, has profound effects on plant growth, development, and adaptation to the environment. Ethylene-regulated processes begin with the induction of ethylene biosynthesis. There are two key steps in ethylene biosynthesis. The first is the biosynthesis of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) from S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAM), a common precursor in many metabolic pathways, which is catalyzed by ACC synthase (ACS). The second is the oxidative cleavage of ACC to form ethylene under the action of ACC oxidase (ACO). ACC biosynthesis is the committing and generally the rate-limiting step in ethylene biosynthesis. As a result, characterizing the cellular ACS activity and understanding its regulation are important. In this chapter, we detail the methods used to measure, (1) the enzymatic activity of both recombinant and native ACS proteins, and (2) the phosphorylation of ACS protein by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in vivo and in vitro.

  6. A Smoothing Technique for the Multifractal Analysis of a Medium Voltage Feeders Electric Current

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Santis, Enrico; Sadeghian, Alireza; Rizzi, Antonello

    2017-12-01

    The current paper presents a data-driven detrending technique allowing to smooth complex sinusoidal trends from a real-world electric load time series before applying the Detrended Multifractal Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA). The algorithm we call Smoothed Sort and Cut Fourier Detrending (SSC-FD) is based on a suitable smoothing of high power periodicities operating directly in the Fourier spectrum through a polynomial fitting technique of the DFT. The main aim consists of disambiguating the characteristic slow varying periodicities, that can impair the MFDFA analysis, from the residual signal in order to study its correlation properties. The algorithm performances are evaluated on a simple benchmark test consisting of a persistent series where the Hurst exponent is known, with superimposed ten sinusoidal harmonics. Moreover, the behavior of the algorithm parameters is assessed computing the MFDFA on the well-known sunspot data, whose correlation characteristics are reported in literature. In both cases, the SSC-FD method eliminates the apparent crossover induced by the synthetic and natural periodicities. Results are compared with some existing detrending methods within the MFDFA paradigm. Finally, a study of the multifractal characteristics of the electric load time series detrendended by the SSC-FD algorithm is provided, showing a strong persistent behavior and an appreciable amplitude of the multifractal spectrum that allows to conclude that the series at hand has multifractal characteristics.

  7. 29 CFR 1926.97 - Electrical protective equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... glove. (2) Electrical requirements. (i) Equipment shall be capable of withstanding the ac proof-test voltage specified in Table E-1 or the dc proof-test voltage specified in Table E-2. (A) The proof test shall reliably indicate that the equipment can withstand the voltage involved. (B) The test voltage...

  8. An all digital phase locked loop for synchronization of a sinusoidal signal embedded in white Gaussian noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reddy, C. P.; Gupta, S. C.

    1973-01-01

    An all digital phase locked loop which tracks the phase of the incoming sinusoidal signal once per carrier cycle is proposed. The different elements and their functions and the phase lock operation are explained in detail. The nonlinear difference equations which govern the operation of the digital loop when the incoming signal is embedded in white Gaussian noise are derived, and a suitable model is specified. The performance of the digital loop is considered for the synchronization of a sinusoidal signal. For this, the noise term is suitably modelled which allows specification of the output probabilities for the two level quantizer in the loop at any given phase error. The loop filter considered increases the probability of proper phase correction. The phase error states in modulo two-pi forms a finite state Markov chain which enables the calculation of steady state probabilities, RMS phase error, transient response and mean time for cycle skipping.

  9. Realisation and advanced engineering of true optical rugate filters based on nanoporous anodic alumina by sinusoidal pulse anodisation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santos, Abel; Yoo, Jeong Ha; Rohatgi, Charu Vashisth; Kumeria, Tushar; Wang, Ye; Losic, Dusan

    2016-01-01

    This study is the first realisation of true optical rugate filters (RFs) based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) by sinusoidal waves. An innovative and rationally designed sinusoidal pulse anodisation (SPA) approach in galvanostatic mode is used with the aim of engineering the effective medium of NAA in a sinusoidal fashion. A precise control over the different anodisation parameters (i.e. anodisation period, anodisation amplitude, anodisation offset, number of pulses, anodisation temperature and pore widening time) makes it possible to engineer the characteristic reflection peaks and interferometric colours of NAA-RFs, which can be finely tuned across the UV-visible-NIR spectrum. The effect of the aforementioned anodisation parameters on the photonic properties of NAA-RFs (i.e. characteristic reflection peaks and interferometric colours) is systematically assessed in order to establish for the first time a comprehensive rationale towards NAA-RFs with fully controllable photonic properties. The experimental results are correlated with a theoretical model (Looyenga-Landau-Lifshitz - LLL), demonstrating that the effective medium of these photonic nanostructures can be precisely described by the effective medium approximation. NAA-RFs are also demonstrated as chemically selective photonic platforms combined with reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). The resulting optical sensing system is used to assess the reversible binding affinity between a model drug (i.e. indomethacin) and human serum albumin (HSA) in real-time. Our results demonstrate that this system can be used to determine the overall pharmacokinetic profile of drugs, which is a critical aspect to be considered for the implementation of efficient medical therapies.This study is the first realisation of true optical rugate filters (RFs) based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) by sinusoidal waves. An innovative and rationally designed sinusoidal pulse anodisation (SPA) approach in galvanostatic

  10. Ion peak narrowing by applying additional AC voltage (ripple voltage) to FAIMS extractor electrode.

    PubMed

    Pervukhin, Viktor V; Sheven, Dmitriy G

    2010-01-01

    The use of a non-uniform electric field in a high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) analyzer increases sensitivity but decreases resolution. The application of an additional AC voltage to the extractor electrode ("ripple" voltage, U(ripple)) can overcome this effect, which decreases the FAIMS peak width. In this approach, the diffusion ion loss remains minimal in the non-uniform electric field in the cylindrical part of the device, and all ion losses under U(ripple) occur in a short portion of their path. Application of the ripple voltage to the extractor electrode is twice as efficient as the applying of U(ripple) along the total length of the device. 2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of Dimension and Shape of Magnet on the Performance AC Generator with Translation Motion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Indriani, A.; Dimas, S.; Hendra

    2018-02-01

    The development of power plants using the renewable energy sources is very rapid. Renewable energy sources used solar energy, wind energy, ocean wave energy and other energy. All of these renewable energy sources require a processing device or a change of motion system to become electrical energy. One processing device is a generator which have work principle of converting motion (mechanical) energy into electrical energy with rotary shaft, blade and other motion components. Generator consists of several types of rotation motion and linear motion (translational). The generator have components such as rotor, stator and anchor. In the rotor and stator having magnet and winding coil as an electric generating part of the electric motion force. Working principle of AC generator with linear motion (translation) also apply the principle of Faraday that is using magnetic induction which change iron magnet to produce magnetic flux. Magnetic flux is captured by the stator to be converted into electrical energy. Linear motion generators consist of linear induction machine, wound synchronous machine field, and permanent magnet synchronous [1]. Performance of synchronous generator of translation motion is influenced by magnet type, magnetic shape, coil winding, magnetic and coil spacing and others. In this paper focus on the neodymium magnet with varying shapes, number of coil windings and gap of magnetic distances. This generator work by using pneumatic mechanism (PLTGL) for power plants system. Result testing of performance AC generator translation motion obtained that maximum voltage, current and power are 63 Volt for diameter winding coil 0.15 mm, number of winding coil 13000 and distance of magnet 20 mm. For effect shape of magnet, maximum voltage happen on rectangle magnet 30x20x5 mm with 4.64 Volt. Voltage and power on effect of diameter winding coil is 14.63 V and 17.82 W at the diameter winding coil 0.7 and number of winding coil is 1260 with the distance of magnet 25

  12. Gamma-irradiation produces active chlorine species (ACS) in physiological solutions: Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) scavenges ACS - A novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection

    PubMed Central

    Mishra, Om P.; Popov, Anatoliy V.; Pietrofesa, Ralph A.; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

    2017-01-01

    Background Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), the main lignan in whole grain flaxseed, is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger with known radioprotective properties. However, the exact mechanism of SDG radioprotection is not well understood. The current study identified a novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection by SDG in physiological solutions by scavenging active chlorine species (ACS) and reducing chlorinated nucleobases. Methods The ACS scavenging activity of SDG was determined using two highly specific fluoroprobes: hypochlorite-specific 3′-(p-aminophenyl) fluorescein (APF) and hydroxyl radical-sensitive 3′-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein (HPF). Dopamine, an SDG structural analog, was used for proton 1H NMR studies to trap primary ACS radicals. Taurine N-chlorination was determined to demonstrate radiation-induced generation of hypochlorite, a secondary ACS. DNA protection was assessed by determining the extent of DNA fragmentation and plasmid DNA relaxation following exposure to ClO− and radiation. Purine base chlorination by ClO− and γ-radiation was determined by using 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a fluorescent analog of 6-aminopurine. Results: Chloride anions (Cl−) consumed >90% of hydroxyl radicals in physiological solutions produced by γ-radiation resulting in ACS formation, which was detected by 1H NMR. Importantly, SDG scavenged hypochlorite- and γ-radiation-induced ACS. In addition, SDG blunted ACS-induced fragmentation of calf thymus DNA and plasmid DNA relaxation. SDG treatment before or after ACS exposure decreased the ClO− or γ-radiation-induced chlorination of 2-AP. Exposure to γ-radiation resulted in increased taurine chlorination, indicative of ClO− generation. NMR studies revealed formation of primary ACS radicals (chlorine atoms (Cl•) and dichloro radical anions (Cl2−•)), which were trapped by SDG and its structural analog dopamine. Conclusion We demonstrate that γ-radiation induces the generation of ACS in

  13. Gamma-irradiation produces active chlorine species (ACS) in physiological solutions: Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) scavenges ACS - A novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection.

    PubMed

    Mishra, Om P; Popov, Anatoliy V; Pietrofesa, Ralph A; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

    2016-09-01

    Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), the main lignan in whole grain flaxseed, is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger with known radioprotective properties. However, the exact mechanism of SDG radioprotection is not well understood. The current study identified a novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection by SDG in physiological solutions by scavenging active chlorine species (ACS) and reducing chlorinated nucleobases. The ACS scavenging activity of SDG was determined using two highly specific fluoroprobes: hypochlorite-specific 3'-(p-aminophenyl) fluorescein (APF) and hydroxyl radical-sensitive 3'-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein (HPF). Dopamine, an SDG structural analog, was used for proton (1)H NMR studies to trap primary ACS radicals. Taurine N-chlorination was determined to demonstrate radiation-induced generation of hypochlorite, a secondary ACS. DNA protection was assessed by determining the extent of DNA fragmentation and plasmid DNA relaxation following exposure to ClO(-) and radiation. Purine base chlorination by ClO(-) and γ-radiation was determined by using 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a fluorescent analog of 6-aminopurine. Chloride anions (Cl(-)) consumed >90% of hydroxyl radicals in physiological solutions produced by γ-radiation resulting in ACS formation, which was detected by (1)H NMR. Importantly, SDG scavenged hypochlorite- and γ-radiation-induced ACS. In addition, SDG blunted ACS-induced fragmentation of calf thymus DNA and plasmid DNA relaxation. SDG treatment before or after ACS exposure decreased the ClO(-) or γ-radiation-induced chlorination of 2-AP. Exposure to γ-radiation resulted in increased taurine chlorination, indicative of ClO(-) generation. NMR studies revealed formation of primary ACS radicals (chlorine atoms (Cl) and dichloro radical anions (Cl2¯)), which were trapped by SDG and its structural analog dopamine. We demonstrate that γ-radiation induces the generation of ACS in physiological solutions. SDG treatment scavenged

  14. Superconductor coil geometry and ac losses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pierce, T. V., Jr.; Zapata, R. N.

    1976-01-01

    An empirical relation is presented which allows simple computation of volume-averaged winding fields from central fields for coils of small rectangular cross sections. This relation suggests that, in certain applications, ac-loss minimization can be accomplished by use of low winding densities, provided that hysteresis losses are independent of winding density. The ac-loss measurements on coils wound of twisted multifilamentary composite superconductors show no significant dependence on ac losses on winding density, thus permitting the use of winding density as an independent design parameter in loss minimization.

  15. 78 FR 37760 - Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Locations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-24

    ... floating facilities engaged in OCS activities, however, equipment could be installed in hazardous locations... composition and the extent of equipment replacement. The myriad types of MODUs and facilities operating on the.... USCG-2012-0850] RIN 1625-AC00 Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Locations AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS...

  16. Electrical conductivity and modulus formulation in zinc modified bismuth boro-tellurite glasses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhankhar, Sunil; Kundu, R. S.; Dult, Meenakshi; Murugavel, S.; Punia, R.; Kishore, N.

    2016-09-01

    The ac conductivity of zinc modified tellurium based quaternary glasses having composition 60 TeO2-10 B2O3-(30 - x) Bi2O3-x ZnO; x = 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 has been investigated in the frequency range 10-1-105 Hz and in temperature range 483-593 K. Frequency and temperature dependent ac conductivity found to obey Jonscher power law modified by Almond-West. DC conductivity, crossover frequency and frequency exponent have been estimated from the fitting of the experimental data of conductivity with Jonscher power law modified by Almond-West. The ac conductivity and its frequency exponent have been analyzed by various theoretical models. In presently studied glasses ac conduction takes place via tunneling of overlapping large polaron tunneling. Activation energy is found to be increased with increase in zinc content and dc conduction takes place via variable range hopping proposed by Mott with some modification suggested by Punia et al. The value of the stretched exponent ( β) obtained by fitting of M^' ' }} reveals the presence of non-Debye type relaxation. Scaling spectra of ac conductivity and electric modulus collapse into a single master curve for all compositions and temperatures, reveals the presence of composition and temperature independent conduction and relaxation process in these glasses. Activation energy of conduction ( W) and electric modulus ( E R ) are nearly equal, indicating that polaron have to overcome the same energy barrier during conduction as well as relaxation processes.

  17. Phonological awareness and sinusoidal amplitude modulation in phonological dislexia.

    PubMed

    Peñaloza-López, Yolanda; Herrera-Rangel, Aline; Pérez-Ruiz, Santiago J; Poblano, Adrián

    2016-04-01

    Dyslexia is the difficulty of children in learning to read and write as results of neurological deficiencies. The objective was to test the Phonological awareness (PA) and Sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) threshold in children with Phonological dyslexia (PD). We performed a case-control, analytic, cross sectional study. We studied 14 children with PD and 14 control children from 7 to 11 years of age, by means of PA measurement and by SAM test. The mean age of dyslexic children was 8.39 years and in the control group was 8.15. Children with PD exhibited inadequate skills in PA, and SAM. We found significant correlations between PA and SAM at 4 Hertz frequency, and calculated regression equations that predicts between one-fourth and one-third of variance of measurements. Alterations in PA and SAM found can help to explain basis of deficient language processing exhibited by children with PD.

  18. Influence of direct and alternating current electric fields on efficiency promotion and leaching risk alleviation of chelator assisted phytoremediation.

    PubMed

    Luo, Jie; Cai, Limei; Qi, Shihua; Wu, Jian; Sophie Gu, Xiaowen

    2018-03-01

    Direct and alternating current electric fields with various voltages were used to improve the decontamination efficiency of chelator assisted phytoremediation for multi-metal polluted soil. The alleviation effect of electric field on leaching risk caused by chelator application during phytoremediation process was also evaluated. Biomass yield, pollutant uptake and metal leaching retardation under alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) electric fields were compared. The biomass yield of Eucalyptus globulus under AC fields with various voltages (2, 4 and 10 V) were 3.91, 4.16 and 3.67kg, respectively, significantly higher than the chelator treatment without electric field (2.71kg). Besides growth stimulation, AC fields increased the metal concentrations of plant tissues especially in aerial parts manifested by the raised translocation factor of different metals. Direct current electric fields with low and moderate voltages increased the biomass production of the species to 3.45 and 3.12kg, respectively, while high voltage on the contrary suppressed the growth of the plants (2.66kg). Under DC fields, metal concentrations elevated obviously with increasing voltages and the metal translocation factors were similar under all voltages. Metal extraction per plant achieved the maximum value under moderate voltage due to the greatest biomass production. DC field with high voltage (10V) decreased the volume of leachate from the chelator treatment without electric field from 1224 to 56mL, while the leachate gathered from AC field treatments raised from 512 to 670mL. DC field can retard the downward movement of metals caused by chelator application more effectively relative to AC field due to the constant water flow and electroosmosis direction. Alternating current field had more promotive effect on chelator assisted phytoremediation efficiency than DC field illustrated by more metal accumulation in the species. However, with the consideration of leaching risk, DC

  19. DC-biased AC-electroosmotic and AC-electrothermal flow mixing in microchannels.

    PubMed

    Ng, Wee Yang; Goh, Shireen; Lam, Yee Cheong; Yang, Chun; Rodríguez, Isabel

    2009-03-21

    This paper presents a novel approach of mixing two laminar flowing streams in microchannels. The mixer consists of a pair of electrodes disposed along a fluidic channel. By energizing the electrodes with a DC-biased (2.5 V) AC voltage (20 Vpp), an electrokinetic flow is induced with a flow profile perpendicular to that of the incoming laminar streams of liquids to be mixed. As a result, the flow lines of the incoming streams and the induced flow are forced to crossover and very efficient stirring and mixing at short mixing length can be achieved. The mixer can be operated from the AC-electroosmotic (ACEO) (sigma=1 mS/m, f=100 kHz) to the AC-electrothermal (ACET) (sigma=500 mS/m, f=500 kHz) flow regimes. The mixing efficiency in the ACEO regime was 92%, with a mixing length of 600 microm (Q=2 microL/min), an estimated mixing time of 69 ms and an induced ACEO flow velocity of approximately 725 microm/s. The mixing efficiency in the ACET regime was 65% for a mixing length of approximately 1200 microm. The mixer is efficient and suitable for mixing reagents in a fluid media from low to high conductivity as required in diverse microfluidic applications.

  20. AC electrified jets in a flow-focusing device: Jet length scaling

    PubMed Central

    García-Sánchez, Pablo; Alzaga-Gimeno, Javier; Baret, Jean-Christophe

    2016-01-01

    We use a microfluidic flow-focusing device with integrated electrodes for controlling the production of water-in-oil drops. In a previous work, we reported that very long jets can be formed upon application of AC fields. We now study in detail the appearance of the long jets as a function of the electrical parameters, i.e., water conductivity, signal frequency, and voltage amplitude. For intermediate frequencies, we find a threshold voltage above which the jet length rapidly increases. Interestingly, this abrupt transition vanishes for high frequencies of the signal and the jet length grows smoothly with voltage. For frequencies below a threshold value, we previously reported a transition from a well-behaved uniform jet to highly unstable liquid structures in which axisymmetry is lost rather abruptly. These liquid filaments eventually break into droplets of different sizes. In this work, we characterize this transition with a diagram as a function of voltage and liquid conductivity. The electrical response of the long jets was studied via a distributed element circuit model. The model allows us to estimate the electric potential at the tip of the jet revealing that, for any combination of the electrical parameters, the breakup of the jet occurs at a critical value of this potential. We show that this voltage is around 550 V for our device geometry and choice of flow rates. PMID:27375826

  1. AC electrified jets in a flow-focusing device: Jet length scaling.

    PubMed

    Castro-Hernández, Elena; García-Sánchez, Pablo; Alzaga-Gimeno, Javier; Tan, Say Hwa; Baret, Jean-Christophe; Ramos, Antonio

    2016-07-01

    We use a microfluidic flow-focusing device with integrated electrodes for controlling the production of water-in-oil drops. In a previous work, we reported that very long jets can be formed upon application of AC fields. We now study in detail the appearance of the long jets as a function of the electrical parameters, i.e., water conductivity, signal frequency, and voltage amplitude. For intermediate frequencies, we find a threshold voltage above which the jet length rapidly increases. Interestingly, this abrupt transition vanishes for high frequencies of the signal and the jet length grows smoothly with voltage. For frequencies below a threshold value, we previously reported a transition from a well-behaved uniform jet to highly unstable liquid structures in which axisymmetry is lost rather abruptly. These liquid filaments eventually break into droplets of different sizes. In this work, we characterize this transition with a diagram as a function of voltage and liquid conductivity. The electrical response of the long jets was studied via a distributed element circuit model. The model allows us to estimate the electric potential at the tip of the jet revealing that, for any combination of the electrical parameters, the breakup of the jet occurs at a critical value of this potential. We show that this voltage is around 550 V for our device geometry and choice of flow rates.

  2. Motion of polymer cholesteric liquid crystal flakes in an electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosc, Tanya Zoriana

    Polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) flakes suspended in a host fluid can be manipulated with an electric field. Controlling a flake's orientation provides the opportunity to change and control the amount of selective reflection from the flake surface. Flake motion results from charge accumulation and an induced dipole moment established due to Maxwell-Wagner polarization. The type of flake behavior, whether random motion or uniform reorientation, depends upon the dielectric properties of the host fluid, which in turn dictate whether a DC or an AC electric field must be applied. PCLC flakes suspended in highly dielectric silicone oil host fluids tend to move randomly in the presence of a DC electric field, and no motion is seen in AC fields. Flakes suspended in a moderately conductive host fluid reorient 90° in the presence of an AC field within a specific frequency range. The flake shape and size are also important parameters that need to be controlled in order to produce uniform motion. Several methods for patterning flakes were investigated and identical square flakes were produced. Square PCLC flakes (80 mum sides) suspended in propylene carbonate reorient in 400 ms when a 40mVrms/mum field at 70 Hz is applied to the test device. Theoretical modeling supported experimental observations well, particularly in identifying the inverse quadratic dependence on the applied electric field and the electric field frequency dependence that is governed by the host fluid conductivity. Future goals and suggested experiments are provided, as well as an explanation and comparison of possible commercial applications for PCLC flakes. This research has resulted in one patent application and a series of invention disclosures that could place this research group and any industrial collaborators in a strong position to pursue commercial applications, particularly in the area of displays, and more specifically, electronic paper.

  3. Realisation and advanced engineering of true optical rugate filters based on nanoporous anodic alumina by sinusoidal pulse anodisation.

    PubMed

    Santos, Abel; Yoo, Jeong Ha; Rohatgi, Charu Vashisth; Kumeria, Tushar; Wang, Ye; Losic, Dusan

    2016-01-21

    This study is the first realisation of true optical rugate filters (RFs) based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) by sinusoidal waves. An innovative and rationally designed sinusoidal pulse anodisation (SPA) approach in galvanostatic mode is used with the aim of engineering the effective medium of NAA in a sinusoidal fashion. A precise control over the different anodisation parameters (i.e. anodisation period, anodisation amplitude, anodisation offset, number of pulses, anodisation temperature and pore widening time) makes it possible to engineer the characteristic reflection peaks and interferometric colours of NAA-RFs, which can be finely tuned across the UV-visible-NIR spectrum. The effect of the aforementioned anodisation parameters on the photonic properties of NAA-RFs (i.e. characteristic reflection peaks and interferometric colours) is systematically assessed in order to establish for the first time a comprehensive rationale towards NAA-RFs with fully controllable photonic properties. The experimental results are correlated with a theoretical model (Looyenga-Landau-Lifshitz - LLL), demonstrating that the effective medium of these photonic nanostructures can be precisely described by the effective medium approximation. NAA-RFs are also demonstrated as chemically selective photonic platforms combined with reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). The resulting optical sensing system is used to assess the reversible binding affinity between a model drug (i.e. indomethacin) and human serum albumin (HSA) in real-time. Our results demonstrate that this system can be used to determine the overall pharmacokinetic profile of drugs, which is a critical aspect to be considered for the implementation of efficient medical therapies.

  4. [Effect of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields on bone mineral density in growing rats].

    PubMed

    Gao, Yu-Hai; Zhou, Yan-Feng; Li, Shao-Feng; Li, Wen-Yuan; Xi, Hui-Rong; Yang, Fang-Fang; Chen, Ke-Ming

    2017-12-25

    To study effects of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields (SEMFs) on bone mineral density (BMD) in SD rats. Thirty SD rats weighted(110±10) and aged 1 month were randomly divided into control group and electromagnetic field group, 15 in each group. Normal control group of 50 Hz 0 mT density and sinusoidal electromagnetic field group of 50 Hz 1.8 mT were performed respectively with 1.5 h/d and weighted weight once a week, and observed food-intake. Rats were anesthesia by intraperitoneal injection and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were used to detect bone density of whole body, and detected bone density of femur and vertebral body. Osteocalcin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b were detected by ELSA; weighted liver, kidney and uterus to calculate purtenance index, then detected pathologic results by HE. Compared with control group, there was no significant change in weight every week, food-intake every day; no obvious change of bone density of whole body at 2 and 4 weeks, however bone density of whole body, bone density of excised femur and vertebra were increased at 6 weeks. Expression of OC was increased, and TRACP 5b expression was decreased. No change of HE has been observed in liver, kidney and uterus and organic index. 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields could improve bone formation to decrease relevant factors of bone absorbs, to improve peak bone density of young rats, in further provide a basis for clinical research electromagnetic fields preventing osteoporosis foundation.

  5. New propulsion components for electric vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Secunde, R. R.

    Improved component technology is described. This includes electronically commutated permanent magnet motors of both drum and disk configurations, an unconventional brush commutated motor, ac induction motors, various controllers, transmissions and complete systems. One or more of these approaches to electric vehicle propulsion may eventually displace presently used controllers and brush commutated dc motors. Previously announced in STAR as N83-25982

  6. New propulsion components for electric vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Secunde, R. R.

    1983-01-01

    Improved component technology is described. This includes electronically commutated permanent magnet motors of both drum and disk configurations, an unconventional brush commutated motor, ac induction motors, various controllers, transmissions and complete systems. One or more of these approaches to electric vehicle propulsion may eventually displace presently used controllers and brush commutated dc motors. Previously announced in STAR as N83-25982

  7. Spectroscopic Determination of the AC Voltammetric Response.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-06

    characterization of electrode processes. More recently, with the advent of linear sweep cyclic AC voltanmetry(12’ 13), it has been shown that AC methods...implemented with the same instrumentation ( 7 ) as previously used in MSRS and retains both the qualitative and quantitative utility of linear sweep ...voltammetric response (eg. peak width at balf-height, peak separation and cross-over potential in cyclic AC voltametry ) apply equally well to the SACRS

  8. THERMIONIC AC GENERATION

    DTIC Science & Technology

    is shown that the maximum ac efficiency is equal to approximately 70% of the corresponding dc value. An illustrative example, including a proposed design for a rather unconventional transformer, is appended. (Author)

  9. Self-oscillations in field emission nanowire mechanical resonators: a nanometric dc-ac conversion.

    PubMed

    Ayari, Anthony; Vincent, Pascal; Perisanu, Sorin; Choueib, May; Gouttenoire, Vincent; Bechelany, Mikhael; Cornu, David; Purcell, Stephen T

    2007-08-01

    We report the observation of self-oscillations in a bottom-up nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) during field emission driven by a constant applied voltage. An electromechanical model is explored that explains the phenomenon and that can be directly used to develop integrated devices. In this first study, we have already achieved approximately 50% dc/ac (direct to alternating current) conversion. Electrical self-oscillations in NEMS open up a new path for the development of high-speed, autonomous nanoresonators and signal generators and show that field emission (FE) is a powerful tool for building new nanocomponents.

  10. 78 FR 49318 - Availability of Draft Advisory Circular (AC) 90-106A and AC 20-167A

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration [Docket No FAA-2013-0485] Availability of Draft Advisory Circular (AC) 90-106A and AC 20- 167A AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration..., Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 385...

  11. Electrical control of a confined electron spin in a silicene quantum dot

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szafran, Bartłomiej; Mreńca-Kolasińska, Alina; Rzeszotarski, Bartłomiej; Żebrowski, Dariusz

    2018-04-01

    We study spin control for an electron confined in a flake of silicene. We find that the lowest-energy conduction-band levels are split by the diagonal intrinsic spin-orbit coupling into Kramers doublets with a definite projection of the spin on the orbital magnetic moment. We study the spin control by AC electric fields using the nondiagonal Rashba component of the spin-orbit interactions with the time-dependent atomistic tight-binding approach. The Rashba interactions in AC electric fields produce Rabi spin-flip times of the order of a nanosecond. These times can be reduced to tens of picoseconds provided that the vertical electric field is tuned to an avoided crossing opened by the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. We demonstrate that the speedup of the spin transitions is possible due to the intervalley coupling induced by the armchair edge of the flake. The study is confronted with the results for circular quantum dots decoupled from the edge with well defined angular momentum and valley index.

  12. Electrical Evaluation of RCA MWS5001D Random Access Memory, Volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klute, A.

    1979-01-01

    Electrical characterization and qualification tests were performed on the RCA MWS5001D, 1024 by 1-bit, CMOS, random access memory. Characterization tests were performed on five devices. The tests included functional tests, AC parametric worst case pattern selection test, determination of worst-case transition for setup and hold times and a series of schmoo plots. The qualification tests were performed on 32 devices and included a 2000 hour burn in with electrical tests performed at 0 hours and after 168, 1000, and 2000 hours of burn in. The tests performed included functional tests and AC and DC parametric tests. All of the tests in the characterization phase, with the exception of the worst-case transition test, were performed at ambient temperatures of 25, -55 and 125 C. The worst-case transition test was performed at 25 C. The preburn in electrical tests were performed at 25, -55, and 125 C. All burn in endpoint tests were performed at 25, -40, -55, 85, and 125 C.

  13. Differential Roles of AC2 and AC4 of Cassava Geminiviruses in Mediating Synergism and Suppression of Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing

    PubMed Central

    Vanitharani, Ramachandran; Chellappan, Padmanabhan; Pita, Justin S.; Fauquet, Claude M.

    2004-01-01

    Posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in plants is a natural defense mechanism against virus infection. In mixed infections, virus synergism is proposed to result from suppression of the host defense mechanism by the viruses. Synergistic severe mosaic disease caused by simultaneous infection with isolates of the Cameroon strain of African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV-[CM]) and East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCV) in cassava and tobacco is characterized by a dramatic increase in symptom severity and a severalfold increase in viral-DNA accumulation by both viruses compared to that in singly infected plants. Here, we report that synergism between ACMV-[CM] and EACMCV is a two-way process, as the presence of the DNA-A component of ACMV-[CM] or EACMCV in trans enhanced the accumulation of viral DNA of EACMCV and ACMV-[CM], respectively, in tobacco BY-2 protoplasts. Furthermore, transient expression of ACMV-[CM] AC4 driven by the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (p35S-AC4) enhanced EACMCV DNA accumulation by ∼8-fold in protoplasts, while p35S-AC2 of EACMCV enhanced ACMV-[CM] DNA accumulation, also by ∼8-fold. An Agrobacterium-based leaf infiltration assay determined that ACMV-[CM] AC4 and EACMCV AC2, the putative synergistic genes, were able to suppress PTGS induced by green fluorescent protein (GFP) and eliminated the short interfering RNAs associated with PTGS, with a correlated increase in GFP mRNA accumulation. In addition, we have identified AC4 of Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus and AC2 of Indian cassava mosaic virus as suppressors of PTGS, indicating that geminiviruses evolved differently in regard to interaction with the host. The specific and different roles played by these AC2 and AC4 proteins of cassava geminiviruses in regulating anti-PTGS activity and their relation to synergism are discussed. PMID:15308741

  14. 21 CFR 880.6320 - AC-powered medical examination light.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered medical examination light. 880.6320... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6320 AC-powered medical examination light. (a) Identification. An AC-powered medical examination light is an AC-powered device intended for medical purposes that is used to illuminate body...

  15. Impact of alternative electrical stunning parameters on the ability of broilers to recover consciousness and meat quality

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Broilers in the United States are typically electrically stunned using low voltage-high frequency (12-38V, =400Hz) DC or AC water bath stunners. In the European Union, however, broilers are required to be electrocuted using high voltage-low frequency (50-150V, 50-350Hz) AC. Low voltage stunned broil...

  16. ESBWR response to an extended station blackout/loss of all AC power

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Barrett, A. J.; Marquino, W.

    2012-07-01

    U.S. federal regulations require light water cooled nuclear power plants to cope with Station Blackouts for a predetermined amount of time based on design factors for the plant. U.S. regulations define Station Blackout (SBO) as a loss of the offsite electric power system concurrent with turbine trip and unavailability of the onsite emergency AC power system. According to U.S. regulations, typically the coping period for an SBO is 4 hours and can be as long as 16 hours for currently operating BWR plants. Being able to cope with an SBO and loss of all AC power is required by internationalmore » regulators as well. The U.S. licensing basis for the ESBWR is a coping period of 72 hours for an SBO based on U.S. NRC requirements for passive safety plants. In the event of an extended SBO (viz., greater than 72 hours), the ESBWR response shows that the design is able to cope with the event for at least 7 days without AC electrical power or operator action. ESBWR is a Generation III+ reactor design with an array of passive safety systems. The ESBWR primary success path for mitigation of an SBO event is the Isolation Condenser System (ICS). The ICS is a passive, closed loop, safety system that initiates automatically on a loss of power. Upon Station Blackout or loss of all AC power, the ICS begins removing decay heat from the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) by (i) condensing the steam into water in heat exchangers located in pools of water above the containment, and (ii) transferring the decay heat to the atmosphere. The condensed water is then returned by gravity to cool the reactor again. The ICS alone is capable of maintaining the ESBWR in a safe shutdown condition after an SBO for an extended period. The fuel remains covered throughout the SBO event. The ICS is able to remove decay heat from the RPV for at least 7 days and maintains the reactor in a safe shutdown condition. The water level in the RPV remains well above the top of active fuel for the duration of the SBO

  17. Study of advanced electric propulsion system concept using a flywheel for electric vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Younger, F. C.; Lackner, H.

    1979-01-01

    Advanced electric propulsion system concepts with flywheels for electric vehicles are evaluated and it is predicted that advanced systems can provide considerable performance improvement over existing electric propulsion systems with little or no cost penalty. Using components specifically designed for an integrated electric propulsion system avoids the compromises that frequently lead to a loss of efficiency and to inefficient utilization of space and weight. A propulsion system using a flywheel power energy storage device can provide excellent acceleration under adverse conditions of battery degradation due either to very low temperatures or high degrees of discharge. Both electrical and mechanical means of transfer of energy to and from the flywheel appear attractive; however, development work is required to establish the safe limits of speed and energy storage for advanced flywheel designs and to achieve the optimum efficiency of energy transfer. Brushless traction motor designs using either electronic commutation schemes or dc-to-ac inverters appear to provide a practical approach to a mass producible motor, with excellent efficiency and light weight. No comparisons were made with advanced system concepts which do not incorporate a flywheel.

  18. Unusual polarity-dependent patterns in a bent-core nematic liquid crystal under low-frequency ac field.

    PubMed

    Xiang, Ying; Zhou, Meng-jie; Xu, Ming-Ya; Salamon, Péter; Éber, Nándor; Buka, Ágnes

    2015-04-01

    Electric-field-induced patterns of diverse morphology have been observed over a wide frequency range in a recently synthesized bent-core nematic (BCN) liquid crystal. At low frequencies (up to ∼25 Hz), the BCN exhibited unusual polarity-dependent patterns. When the amplitude of the ac field was enhanced, these two time-asymmetrical patterns turned into time-symmetrical prewavylike stripes. At ac frequencies in the middle-frequency range (∼50-3000 Hz), zigzag patterns were detected whose obliqueness varied with the frequency. Finally, if the frequency was increased above 3 kHz, the zigzag pattern was replaced by another, prewavylike pattern, whose threshold voltage depended on the frequency; however, the wave vector did not. For a more complete characterization, material parameters such as elastic constants, dielectric permittivities, and the anisotropy of the diamagnetic susceptibility were also determined.

  19. Galalctic Tides & the Sinusoidal Potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartlett, David F.

    2011-05-01

    The sinusoidal potential is a nonNewtonian alternative to dark matter. Instead of φ = -GM/r we write φ = -(GM/r) cos kor, where ko= 2π/ λo and λo = Ro/20= 400 pc. Evidence for this choice for the "wavelength” λo has been given in one article and many previous meetings of the AAS & DDA. The solar system and nearby stars are trapped in a local groove of width Δr < 400 pc. The rapid alternation of attraction and repulsion within the groove gives very strong Galactic radial tides. The epicyclic period is only 7 Myr . The Keplerian period for comets in the middle of the Oort cloud is also 7 Myr. The 1:1 resonance between material in the groove and the cloud provides a new mechanism for filling the Oort cloud. The Oort cloud is emptied by the same strong radial tides. Evidence is found in the 499 comets with calculated 1/aoriginal in the latest Catalogue of Cometary Orbits (Marsden & Williams 2008). . I separate the comets into 12 classes on the basis of Quality (4 types) and semi-major axis aoriginal . For 10 of the 12 classes radial tides dominate Z-tides. The classic Oort cloud comets (1851-1996) have a particularly strong modulation with galactic longitude. This modulation is exactly in those directions where a radial tide would be important. The equally numerous recent Oort comets (1996-2008) show a different evidence for strong radial tides. The recent comets generally have much larger perihelion distances q than the classic ones. Here the evidence is that a radial tide is removing angular momentum from the orbit and thus bringing the perihelion closer to the earth and to observers.

  20. Challenges and solutions in medically managed ACS in the Asia-Pacific region: expert recommendations from the Asia-Pacific ACS Medical Management Working Group.

    PubMed

    Huo, Yong; Thompson, Peter; Buddhari, Wacin; Ge, Junbo; Harding, Scott; Ramanathan, Letchuman; Reyes, Eugenio; Santoso, Anwar; Tam, Li-Wah; Vijayaraghavan, Govindan; Yeh, Hung-I

    2015-03-15

    Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remain a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. International guidelines advocate invasive procedures in all but low-risk ACS patients; however, a high proportion of ACS patients in the APAC region receive solely medical management due to a combination of unique geographical, socioeconomic, and population-specific barriers. The APAC ACS Medical Management Working Group recently convened to discuss the ACS medical management landscape in the APAC region. Local and international ACS guidelines and the global and APAC clinical evidence-base for medical management of ACS were reviewed. Challenges in the provision of optimal care for these patients were identified and broadly categorized into issues related to (1) accessibility/systems of care, (2) risk stratification, (3) education, (4) optimization of pharmacotherapy, and (5) cost/affordability. While ACS guidelines clearly represent a valuable standard of care, the group concluded that these challenges can be best met by establishing cardiac networks and individual hospital models/clinical pathways taking into account local risk factors (including socioeconomic status), affordability and availability of pharmacotherapies/invasive facilities, and the nature of local healthcare systems. Potential solutions central to the optimization of ACS medical management in the APAC region are outlined with specific recommendations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.