High performance thyratron driver with low jitter

We report the design and development of insulated gate bipolar junction transistor based high performance driver for operating thyratrons in grounded grid mode. With careful design, the driver meets the specification of trigger output pulse rise time less than 30 ns, jitter less than +/-1 ns, and time delay less than 160 ns. It produces a -600 V pulse of 500 ns duration (full width at half maximum) at repetition rate ranging from 1 Hz to 1.14 kHz. The developed module also facilitates heating and biasing units along with protection circuitry in one complete package.     

Policy-based Diffserv on Internet servers: the AIX approach

The Internet infrastructure must evolve from best-effort service to meet the needs of different customers and applications. With Internet traffic differentiation, service providers can support a range of offerings, such as loss or delay bounds and network bandwidth allocation, to meet different performance requirements. The differentiated services (Diffserv) architecture provides a scalable approach, in which network access (or edge) devices aggregate traffic flows onto provisioned pipes that traverse a streamlined network core. We have identified the key requirements for provisioning Diffserv functions on Internet servers. Based on these requirements, we have implemented, and deployed, a policy-based architecture on IBM's AIX operating system that provides Diffserv services to both QoS-aware and -unaware applications     

Comparative study of cognitive systems for ground vibration measurements

This paper deals with the application of a support vector machine (SVM) optimization technique to predict the blast-induced ground vibration. Peak particle velocity (PPV) is an important parameter to be kept under control to minimize the damage caused due to the ground vibration. A number of previous researchers have tried to use different empirical methods to predict PPV, but these empirical equations have their limitations due to its less versatile application and acceptability from field conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to apply these empirical equations to predict PPV because they are based on limited parameters which does not really reflect and connect with real influencing parameters. In this paper, SVM technique is used for the prediction of PPV by incorporating blast design and explosive parameters, and the suitability of one technique over other has been tested based on the results. To avoid the biasness in man-made choice of parameters of SVM, we have used the chaos optimization algorithm to find the optimal parameters which can help the model to enhance the learning efficiency and capability of prediction. Datasets have been obtained from one of the large opencast mine from southeastern coalfield limited, Chhattisgarh, India. One hundred and twenty-seven datasets were used to establish SVM architecture, and 10 datasets have been randomly chosen for validation of SVM model to see its prediction potential. The results obtained have been compared with different vibration predictors, multivariate regression analysis, artificial neural network and the superiority of application on SVM over previous methodology. The mean absolute percentage error using SVM is very low (0.001) as compared to other predictors indicate its better prediction capability.

     

A low-power up-conversion CMOS mixer for 22-29-GHz ultra-wideband applications

A double-balanced, low-power, and low-voltage dual-gate up-conversion mixer working at K-band is designed and fabricated in the UMC 130-nm logic CMOS process. The mixer achieves a 3-dB conversion-gain bandwidth of 1.8 GHz at the input IF port and a 3-dB conversion-gain bandwidth of 10 GHz at the output RF port. The mixer achieves an output referred 1-dB compression point as high as -5.8 dBm and an output referred third-order intercept point as high as 5.8 dBm, while consuming 8.0 mW from a 1.2-V supply. This study demonstrates that the implementation of low-power mixers operating in the 22-29-GHz band for ultra-wideband automotive radar applications is possible in low-cost and low-voltage logic CMOS technology.     

Note: Compact high voltage pulse transformer made using a capacitor bank assembled in the shape of primary

The experimental results of an air-core pulse transformer are presented, which is very compact (<10 Kg in weight) and is primed by a capacitor bank that is fabricated in such a way that the capacitor bank with its switch takes the shape of single-turn rectangular shaped primary of the transformer. A high voltage capacitor assembly (pulse-forming-line capacitor, PFL) of 5.1 nF is connected with the secondary of transformer. The transformer output voltage is 160 kV in its second peak appearing in less than 2 μS from the beginning of the capacitor discharge. The primary capacitor bank can be charged up to a maximum of 18 kV, with the voltage delivery of 360 kV in similar capacitive loads.     

Biotechnological potential of industrial wastes for economical citric acid bioproduction by Aspergillus niger through submerged fermentation

Submerged citric acid (CA) bioproduction was carried out by Aspergillus niger NRRL‐567 using various industrial wastes, such as brewery spent liquid (BSL), lactoserum and starch industry water sludge. CA bioproduction was carried out by varying the temperature (25–35 °C), pH (3–5), addition of inducers, incubation time and supplementation with different proportions of apple pomace ultrafiltration sludge (APS). The results indicated that under the best conditions with 3% (v/v) methanol, the optimal concentration of 11.34 g L^?1 CA was recorded using BSL at pH 3.5 and temperature 30 °C after 120‐h incubation period. Supplementation of methanol resulted in an increase of 56% CA production. Meanwhile, under similar conditions, higher concentration of 18.34 g L^?1 CA was reported with the supplementation of BSL with 40% (v/v) APS having suspended solids concentration of 30 g L^?1. The present study demonstrated the potential of BSL supplemented with APS as an alternative cheap substrate for CA fermentation.