Improved analysis of the intermodulation performance of ferroelectric thin-film and bulk-based varactors

In this paper, Fourier cosine series are proposed for representing the hard nonlinear dependence of the permittivity and conductance of a ferroelectric material on the DC bias voltage. Using these Fourier series representations closed-form expressions are obtained for the amplitudes of the fundamental and third-order intermodulation products generated when a exposing ferroelectric-based varactor to a DC bias voltage plus an equal-amplitude two-sinusoids signal. The results clearly show the strong and complicated dependence of the third-order intermodulation performance on the DC bias voltage, the temperature and the amplitude of the sinusoid. The results obtained suggest that the DC bias voltage and/or the temperature play an important role in deciding the nonlinear performance of the ferroelectric-based varactors.     

Comment on ‘Discussion on Barkhausen and Nyquist stability criteria’

This comment is related to the recently published article entitled “On ‘Discussion on Barkhausen and Nyquist stability criteria’, Analog Integrated circuits and signal processing, Vol. 70, pp. 443–449, 2012. In this article the authors considered one of the possible four alternatives of the Wien-bridge oscillator that was previously considered in the article entitled “Discussion on Barkhausen and Nyquist stability criteria”, Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, Vol. 62, pp. 327–332, 2010, which depicts the failure of Barkhausen criterion concerning the determination of the condition of oscillation startup of sinusoidal oscillation. In the above mentioned articles the operational amplifier used is assumed ideal. In this comment it will be shown that the Wien-bridge oscillator circuit used in the above mentioned articles can behave as a sinusoidal oscillator only at relatively high frequencies when the operational amplifier can be considered non-ideal. At relatively low frequencies; when the operational amplifier can be considered ideal, the same circuit behaves as a relaxation oscillator with a square wave output rather than a sinusoidal output.     

New two CFOA-based sinusoidal RC oscillators with buffered outlet

Using a unified representation for a class of buffered-outlet two current-feedback operational amplifier (CFOAs)-based sinusoidal oscillators, new circuits of this type can be systematically discovered. A catalogue of four circuit structures, each structure realizing nine oscillator circuits, is presented. Moreover, using the RC:CR transformation, additional nine oscillator circuits can be obtained from each structure. While each circuit requires five passive elements, some of the circuits enjoy one or more of the following attractive features: use of grounded capacitors, feasibility of absorbing the parasitic components of the CFOAs and orthogonal tuning of the frequency and the startup condition of oscillation.     

Preliminary Results of IS Plasma Focus as a Breeder of Short-Lived Radioisotopes 12C(d,n)13N

Modified IS (Iranian Sun) plasma focus (10 kJ,15 kV, 94 ??F, 0.1 Hz) has been used to produce the short-lived radioisotope ¹³N (half-life of 9.97 min) through ¹²C(d,n)¹³N nuclear reaction. The filling gas was 1.5?C3 torr of hydrogen (60%) deuterium (40%) mixture. The target was solid nuclear grade graphite with 5 mm thick, 9 cm width and 13 in length. The activations of the exogenous target on average of 20 shots (only one-third acceptable) through 10?C13 kV produced the 511 keV gamma rays. Another peak found at the 570 keV gamma of which both was measured by a NaI portable gamma spectrometer calibrated by a ¹³⁷Cs 0.25 ??Ci sealed reference source with its single line at 661.65 keV and ²²Na 0.1 ??Ci at 511 keV. To measure the gamma rays, the graphite target converts to three different phases; solid graphite, powder graphite, and powder graphite in water solution. The later phase approximately has a doubled activity with respect to the solid graphite target up to 0.5 ??Ci of 511 keV and 1.1 ??Ci of 570 keV gamma lines were produced. This increment in activity was perhaps due to structural transformation of graphite powder to nano-particles characteristic in liquid water.     

Magnetic field analysis of a 9–6 without permanent magnet brushless DC motor by using 3-D finite element method

This paper presents characteristic analysis of without permanent magnet brushless DC (WPMBLDC) motor by using three-dimensional (3-D) finite element method (FEM). The paper describes the complex magnetic structure and principle of the presented WPMBLDC motor in detail. The magnetic field distribution of the presented motor is numerically computed by 3-D FEM. The primary characteristics of the motor including magnetic flux density, flux linkage and inductance profile are obtained. A prototype WPMBLDC machine has also been built and tested; additionally, the accuracy of 3-D FE analysis is verified by comparing the calculated results with the experimental measured values.     

Synthesis,characterization, and supercapacitor studies of manganese (IV) oxide nanowires

One-dimensional manganese (IV) oxide (MnO₂) (～20 nm in average diameter) were synthesized by cathodic electrodeposition and heat treatment. The mechanism of electrodeposition and nanowire formation were discussed. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). Nanowires with varying lengths and diameters were found in TEM and SEM images of the sample. The results of N₂ adsorption–desorption analysis indicated that the BET surface area of the MnO₂ nanowires was 157 m² g^?1 and the pore size distributions were 2.5 and 4.5 nm. The electrochemical performances of the prepared MnO₂ as an electrode material for supercapacitors were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements in a solution of 0.5 M Na₂SO₄. The higher specific capacitance of 318 F g^?1 and good capacity retention of 86% were achieved after 1000 charge–discharge cycles had been observed for the MnO₂ nanowires electrode.     

The Design and Preparation of a Simulator for the Water Coning Phenomenon Applying in Fractured Reservoirs

Abstract

The problem of water production is one of the major technical, environmental, and economical issues associated with oil and gas production. The main goal of this study is to prepare a reservoir numerical simulator with emphasis on water coning. The study mostly involves the numerical simulation of water coning and includes proposed correlations in the literature. The computer program included four distinct modules to calculate: critical or maximum allowable oil rate, water breakthrough time, well performance after water coning take palaces, and water coning simulation. Flow equations of water and oil were discretized and numerically solved for two-dimensional coordinates. The implicit scheme was used to calculate unknown pressures of any grid block. For calculation of water saturation, explicit scheme was used. Real field data of a well in southwest Iran was put into the program and critical rate, water breakthrough time, well performance after water coning, and water coning simulation of reservoir were determined. The authors found that the results of correlations are very far from the reality. On the other hand, numerical simulation shows good agreement with real production data. In addition, it was observed that the present production rate of this well would result in rapid water coning.     

Flavor Release from a Banana Soft Drink Complex Model System: Evaluation of the Efficiency of Different Adsorbents for Trapping the Released Volatiles During Storage

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the release of aroma compounds from a banana soft drink complex model system in comparison with their release from simple model systems, each contains individual food ingredients. The effect of different food ingredients (sweeteners and thickeners at different concentrations), used in formulation of the soft drinks, on flavor release from simple model systems containing banana flavor was evaluated separately. The optimum release of isoamyl acetate (the most potent odorant of banana aroma) was observed at a concentration of 10% of each investigated sweetener (sucrose, glucose, and corn syrup). Pectin and xanthane showed the highest release at a concentration of 2.5 and 0.8% w/w, respectively. The level of each ingredient that showed the optimum release of isoamyl acetate was selected and used in formulation of a banana soft drink complex model system. The released volatiles were trapped by tenax and activated carbon. The gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis revealed a gradual decrease (p < 0.05) in the volatile compounds release from the complex banana soft drink model system during storage for 90 days. However, the total content of the volatiles adsorbed by activated carbon trap was higher than that trapped by tenax. The percentage of isoamyl acetate to total volatiles (isoamyl acetate/total volatiles %) was calculated for each sample during storage. A distinct linear correlation was found between the calculated values and storage time (r = 0.97 and 0.92 for volatiles trapped by tenax and activated carbon, respectively). Sample stored for 60 days showed the highest value. These findings confirmed the results of aroma sensory evaluation.     

Large-signal analysis of CMOS analogue functional elements using Fourier-series approximations

This paper discusses the large signal performance of CMOS analogue-functional elements. Fourier-series approximations are obtained for the transfer functions of the basic building blocks such as the linear CMOS transconductance element and the CMOS full-wave rectifier. Using these Fourier-series approximations, simple closed-form analytical expressions are obtained for the amplitudes of the harmonics at the output of a basic building block excited by a sinusoidal input signal. The analysis shows that, while the performance of the basic building blocks is near ideal at relatively small input amplitudes, performance degradation increases as the input amplitudes increase. On the other hand, since these expressions ignore the distortion mechanisms resulting from body effect and channel-length modulation, they cannot reliably predict the performance at small input signal levels. It appears, therefore, that body-effect and channel-length modulation must be taken into consideration for small-signal analysis.