Optimum expansion planning of an unconventional generation systemoperating in parallel with a large scale network

A package for the long-term optimal expansion planning of a generation system with renewable energy sources operating in parallel with a large-scale network is presented. The algorithm utilizes meteorological data, load demand data, and estimated economical parameters and determines the candidate plans for the expansion period. A forward dynamic programming algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal plan. Results from the application of the method to a local grid are presented     

Precision of micromilled x-ray masks and exposures

 Micromechanical milling has been shown to be a rapid and direct method for the fabrication of structures with the geometry and size suitable for use as x-ray mask absorbers. While the micromilling process can not duplicate the size and resolution of absorber patterns created by high energy electron beam or optical lithography methods, micromilling can repeatedly create absorber line widths down to 10 micrometers, or less, with a one-sigma tolerance of 0.5 micrometers. A method for easily characterizing milling tool run out has been adapted so tool change out can be more routine. The milling process leaves some absorber burrs and the absorber is apparently tapered at the machined wall which introduce process biases, both of which add to exposure degradation. Nevertheless, based on work to date, it appears both of these effects can be reduced to acceptable limits. Received: 25 August 1997/Accepted: 3 September 1997     

An extraction method to determine interconnect parasitic parameters

Interconnect parasitic parameters in integrated circuits have significant impact on circuit speed. An accurate monitoring of these parameters can help to improve interconnect performance during process development, provide information for circuit design, or give useful reference for circuit failure analysis. Existing extraction methods either are destructive (such as SEM measurement) or can determine only partial parasitic parameters (such as large capacitor measurement). In this paper, we present a new method for extracting interconnect parasitic parameters, which can simultaneously determine the interlayer and intralayer capacitances, line resistance, and effective line width. The method is based on two test patterns of the same structure with different dimensions. The structure consumes less wafer area than existing methods. The method shows good agreement with SEM measurement of dielectric thickness in both nonglobal planarized and chemical-mechanical polished processes, and gives accurate prediction of the process spread of a ring oscillator speed over a wafer     

Advanced concepts in electric vehicle design

In 1994, the Eco-Vehicle Project was begun to develop an electric vehicle (EV) using a ground-up design approach that incorporates unique designs specific to an EV. The Eco-Vehicle will be a high-performance, but ultrasmall, battery-powered vehicle. New designs for the Eco-Vehicle include an in-wheel motor drive system, a hollow load floor which will house the batteries, and a new battery management system. The Eco-Vehicle may also utilize other advanced concepts suitable especially for EVs, including solar panels for battery charging and intelligent crash avoidance and guidance systems     

Backyard Range-the story of compact, directional low-impedance loopantennas (LILAs) for short-wave broadcast reception

The development of a horizontal version of the tuned, wide-strip low-impedance loop antenna (LILA) for use as a short-wave broadcast receiving antenna is recounted. The horizontal loop antenna (HLA) received the horizontal electric field component of the down-coming sky wave (actually, the projection of the vertical magnetic field component) relatively unattenuated, for elevation angles of arrival up to about 45°, while rejecting the predominantly vertically-polarized ground-wave electric field by 20 to 30 dB     

Today's style guide: trusted tool with added potential

Style guides, the primary tool of technical editors, are as important as ever; actually, their increased uses and benefits can redefine the activities of editors. Specifically, style guides can be used to train new employees, to generate buy-in of subject-matter experts, and to define the process flow of document and product generation. Additionally, because they have the potential to control many style decisions and to integrate a variety of skills, computer-driven styles and Web style guides reinforce these increased uses and benefits and suggest the emergence of even more. Thus technical editors' roles may be expanded to include additional training functions, new marketing dimensions, and innovative research in multimedia design and development     

Viscometric and transmitted light investigation of agarose and agarose-guar water systems

Summary Agarose water solutions of different concentrations and agarose-guar water solutions of 1% (w/w) total concentration and varied compositions were submitted to viscometric and turbidimetric measurements as function of the temperature. Phase diagrams for both systems are compared. For agarose solutions, phase separation occurs prior to gelation within a certain concentration range, and network formation seems to take place by the connectivity of the polymer-rich domains. For the mixed agarose-guar system, the homogeneous solutions gel directly.