Recursive algorithm based on fuzzy 2-partition entropy for 2-level image thresholding

The fuzzy c-partition entropy approach for threshold selection behaves well in segmenting images. But the size of search space increases very rapidly when the number of parameters needed to determine the membership function increases. The computation complexity of the fuzzy 2-partition entropy approach is bounded by O(L³). In this paper, a recursive scheme which decreases the computation complexity of the basic algorithm to O(L²) is proposed. The approach does not need the calculation of the membership function. The processing time of each image is reduced from more than 5 min to less than 20 s.     

Quality improvement of shunt active power filter with direct instantaneous power estimator based on Virtual Flux

This paper presents a new control strategy which is based on a switching table applied for Virtual Flux Direct Power Control (VF-DPC) of voltage source inverter based shunt active power filter (SAPF). This control method is applied to eliminate harmonic pollution and compensate the reactive power in the presence of nonlinear loads and unbalanced sources. Its main goal is to select switching states of the SAPF converter appropriately based on a look-up table established by hysteresis controllers acting on the instantaneous error between the commanded and VF-estimated values of active and reactive power. Our method aims to improve the electrical quantity behavior in steady and dynamic states while reducing the installing cost of the filter through eliminating the AC line voltage sensors. Facing to disturbances affecting the electrical network, a phase locked loop (PLL) has been integrated.The control strategy proposed for the active filter has been tested in the Matlab/Simulink environment.     

Impact of InP HEMT epilayer designs on side gating effects

The hole flow to the gate due to the impact ionization mechanism developping in the HEMT GaInAs channel is demonstrated to be reduced by a specific epilayer design: the insertion of a high bandgap hole barrier. However, this improvement leads to drain current transients strongly governed by the side gate bias.     

Fuzzy logic controller for three‐level shunt active filter compensating harmonics and reactive power

In this paper, the use of a three‐level inverter as a shunt active power filter is carried out, taking advantage of the benefits of multi‐level inverter, namely, the reduction both in the overall switching losses and in total harmonic distortion. The main focus of this article is to investigate the potentialities of the inverter employed as shunt active power filter on the compensation of the reactive power and the mitigation of harmonics drawn from a nonlinear load and unbalanced sources. The most previously reported three‐level inverter‐based shunt active power filters have been controlled and monitored through conventional controllers, which require a complicated mathematical model. In order to overcome this problem, an extended intelligent controller is proposed for a three‐level shunt active power filter. The aim of the proposed fuzzy logic control algorithm is to improve the behavior of voltage across the floating capacitors in steady/dynamic states and to minimize the switches commutations by taking into account the references of the harmonic currents injected in the network. The proposed control strategy has been simulated, and the obtained results prove that it is very successful. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lateral ordering of GaAs nanowhiskers on GaAs(111)As and GaAs (110) surfaces during molecular-beam epitaxy

Possibilities of obtaining laterally ordered arrays of GaAs nanowhiskers on GaAs (110) and GaAs(111)As surfaces during the molecular beam epitaxy are considered. As in the case of the GaAs(111)As substrate, nanowhiskers are formed in the hexagonal phase on the GaAs(110) surface, which is also confirmed by the patterns of the reflection high-energy electron diffraction (obtained during the growth of nanowhiskers) and by the photoluminescence spectra.     

Photo‐oxidation of polystyrene/clay nanocomposites under accelerated UV exposure: Effect on the structure and molecular weight

The present work investigates the effects of photo‐oxidation under accelerated UV conditions on the structure, the molecular weight and the morphology of polystyrene (PS)/organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) at various clay contents: 2.5, 5, and 7 wt %. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, viscosimetry and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the extent of degradation of nanocomposite samples in comparison with neat PS, up to 216 h of exposure. The study has shown that the formation rates of both carbonyl and hydroperoxide groups increase with exposure time, being much higher for PS/OMMT nanocomposites. Moreover, it is also observed that all samples exhibit a large increase in the scission index, however less pronounced for neat PS. These results clearly indicate the formation of low molecular weight products that could arise from chain scission. Further, the photo‐oxidation rate seems to be more affected by the presence of clay, which acts as a catalyst, rather than by the variation of clay contents. Finally, the degraded materials exhibit eroded surface. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Mechanical and thermal properties of compatibilized polypropylene reinforced by woven doum

In this work, the development and the mechanical characterization of a doum textile composite based on a polypropylene matrix were carried out. Mechanical and rheological tests were effectuated, to illustrate the effect of woven fibers on the mechanical and viscoelastic properties at 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45° directions. The woven fibers were treated and the matrix was melted to a coupling agent to assure compatibility between the fibers and the polymer. The composites with long fiber are generally used as film and the main properties is the tensile. In this study, our goal was to improve the tensile properties. Results have shown that tensile properties exhibited a significant increase when compared to the polypropylene. However, it was observed that the stress direction has no influence on the thermal properties of the composite. Also, this article evaluates models that predict the stiffness of the composites at different stress directions to be compared to the experiments. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4347–4356, 2013     

The role of surface diffusion of adatoms in the formation of nanowire crystals

A model of the formation of nanowire crystals on surfaces activated by droplets of the catalyst of growth is developed. In the model, the diffusion of adatoms from the surface of the substrate to the lateral surface of the crystals is taken into account. The exact solution of the diffusion problem for the flow of adatoms from the surface to the nanowire crystals is obtained, and the particular cases of the solution for the short and long diffusion lengths of adatoms, λ_s, are analyzed. A general expression for the length of the nanowire crystals, L, in relation to their radius R and to the conditions of growth is derived. The expression is applicable to a large variety of technologies of growth. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental dependences L(R) in the range of R = 20–250 nm for GaAs nanowire crystals grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on the GaAs (111) V Ga surface activated by Au. It is shown that, in some range of the parameters, the dependence L(R) follows the function 1/R ²ln(λ_s/R), which is radically different from the classical diffusion dependence 1/R.     

Thermal oxidation of tin layers and study of the effect of their annealings on their structural and electrical properties

The main objective of this article is the control of tin dioxide preparation process on glass substrate. Layers of pure tin with thicknesses of 500 and 1000 Å are first deposited. Their enrichment with oxygen is ensured by thermal annealing for 1 and 2 h in a continuous tube furnace with temperatures varying between 300 and 500 °C.The tin film formed by vacuum evaporation has tetragonal crystalline structure, and is composed of grains of various sizes separated by grain boundaries. After annealing in oxygen, the formed phases consist of a mixture of SnO and SnO₂ crystalline mixtures and sometimes amorphous tin oxide. The more the time or the temperature of annealing, the more the quantity of SnO₂ and SnO. For an annealing at 500 °C for 10 h the size of grains increases more than annealing for 2 h. This is confirmed by the study of their micrographs.The electrical resistivity of these layers, measured by the 4 point method, is correlated to the size of the oxide particles: the smaller the particle size, the lower the electrical resistivity.