Double MOS Loaded Circular Microstrip Antenna with Airgap for Mobile Communication

A novel model of a wide frequency range double MOS loaded circular microstrip patch antenna with airgap between ground plane and substrate is proposed. In this structure two metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices are loaded on the patch to enhance the operating frequency range of antenna. To investigate the antenna, different parameters such as resonance frequency, input impedance, frequency agility, VSWR, radiation pattern etc. are calculated and simulated. The resonant frequency of proposed 10 mm radius patch is upward shifted from 5.2 to 6.8 GHz using 1 mm airgap and by loading MOS, antenna can be tuned down to 1.27 GHz operating frequency, which leads to compactness and tunability of antenna. Proposed antenna can be tuned between 1.27 and 6.8 GHz frequency of operation which makes the antenna highly suitable for wide frequency range of mobile communication. The proposed double MOS loaded antenna possessed 82.94 % frequency agility. The antenna is worth for GPS, WLAN, UMTS, and WiMAX operations.     

Low power ring oscillator for IoT applications

In order to scale with the demand of higher data rates and improved spectral efficiency in next generation wireless communication systems, a large-scale multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology called massive MIMO has been proposed. In massive MIMO, appropriate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values can be achieved by the addition of base station (BS) antennas in place of increasing transmit power. Pilot-based channel estimation is widely used in conventional MIMO systems, where pilot signal sequences are sent from the user terminals (UTs) to the BS to estimate the channel. In massive MIMO-based cellular networks, channel estimation in a given cell will be impaired by the pilot signal sequences transmitted by users in other cells—rendering the addition of antennas or transmit power ineffective. This effect is called pilot contamination. Therefore, pilot-based channel estimation limits the performance of massive MIMO. Semi-blind and blind methods are alternatives to pilot-based channel estimation that perform channel estimation with short pilot signal sequences and without pilot signal sequences, respectively. Blind channel estimation is one of the promising solutions to the pilot contamination problem in massive MIMO. This paper compares, using MATLAB simulations of a cluster-based COST 2100 channel model, the performance of pilot-based, semi-blind, blind, and adaptive-blind channel estimation methods. The pilot contamination effect on different channel estimation methods and how channel estimation methods can be used to overcome pilot contamination are shown. Finally, an adaptive independent component analysis (ICA)-based channel estimation method, which outperforms conventional ICA in terms of computational complexity, is proposed.     

Aroma improving in microvinification processes by the use of a recombinant wine yeast strain expressing the Aspergillus nidulans xlnA gene.

A recombinant wine yeast strain has been constructed expressing the gene coding for beta-(1,4)-endoxylanase from Aspergillus nidulans under the control of the yeast actin gene promoter. The resulting recombinant strain is able to secrete active xylanase enzyme into the culture medium. Wines obtained by microvinification with the control and the recombinant wine yeast strain did not differ in their physicochemical characteristics although an increase in fruity aroma was organoleptically detected in the wine produced by the recombinant yeast. Also, an increase in the concentration of some esters, higher alcohols and terpenes was observed in the case of the recombinant strain.     

Influence of the addition of thermoplastic preformed particles on the properties of an epoxy/anhydride network

An anhydride/epoxy system is modified by the introduction of thermoplastic microparticles (ORGASOL®). The influence of the presence of polyamide (PA) particles is evaluated on the reactivity of the epoxy/anhydride system below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic. Networks containing various amounts of polyamide are prepared using a cure schedule in order to keep the PA particles below their melting point. Both thermomechanical and mechanical behaviours (glass transition temperature, elastic, plastic and fracture properties) are studied and discussed as a function of the polyamide nature, the particle content and the adhesion between the particles and the matrix.     

CeN3O9.6H2O对镁空气电池负极性能的影响

通过动电位极化法和电化学阻抗谱法,研究了在8%NaCl电解液中,六水合硝酸铈(CeN_3O_9·6H_2O)对AZ31负极抗腐蚀性能的影响。结果表明:电解液中加入Ce N_3O_9·6H_2O,在AZ31镁合金表面形成Ce(OH)_3保护膜,提高镁合金的耐腐蚀性。随着CeN_3O_9·6H_2O浓度的增大,Ce(OH)_3保护膜逐渐致密,AZ镁合金的腐蚀速率降低。当Ce N_3O_9·6H_2O浓度达到1.0 g/L时,镁合金的腐蚀速率最低,其缓蚀率为70.4%。然而当加入的Ce N_3O_9·6H_2O浓度大于1.0 g/L时,由于Ce(OH)3保护膜被溶解而导致镁合金的腐蚀速率增大。由浸泡50 h AZ合金的SEM图发现CeN_3O_9·6H_2O的添加在镁合金表面形成Ce(OH)_3保护膜,抑制阳极反应。从等效电路图得到Mg~(2+)电荷转移阻力增大了69.5?,改善了镁合金的耐腐蚀性能。通过放电测试得到加入CeN_3O_9·6H_2O提高电池的放电性能,放电时间延长40 min。     

Dielectric response of conducting carbon‐black‐filled ethylene–octene copolymer microcellular foams

Dielectric response of conducting carbon‐black‐filled ethylene–octene copolymer microcellular foams has been investigated with variation of blowing agent and filler loading in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 5 MHz and temperature range from 30 to 100°C. With increase in blowing agent loading, the dielectric permittivity increases for both unfilled as well as carbon‐black‐filled microcellular foams. The experimental complex impedance plots were compared with model‐fitted plots obtained by taking an equivalent circuit of (CQR) (CR).The values of R_b (bulk resistance), R_gb (grain boundary resistance), bulk capacitance (C_b), and grain boundary capacitance (C_gb) at different temperatures were calculated and compared with experimental values. The relaxation time due to bulk effect (τ_b) has been calculated from relaxation frequency (f_r). The dc conductivity (σ_dc) decreases with rise in temperature indicating the existence of positive temperature coefficient of resistance in the material. The activation energy (E_a) calculated from the relaxation time due to bulk effect (τ_b) was found to be 0.446 eV, whereas it was 0.363 eV from the dc conductivity plot in the temperature range of 30–100°C. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3398–3410, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

CSRR Loaded Tunable L-Strip Fed Circular Microstrip Antenna

A tunable L-strip fed circular microstrip antenna on thick substrate with CSRR in the ground plane has been analysed and investigated. The antenna is analysed using cavity model and circuit theoretic approach for initial design and then simulated on IE3D simulation software. The antenna is made tunable with PIN diode which makes it to work in different configurations. Two diodes were used to implement a double annular slot, one annular slot and one split slot and CSRR in the ground plane. While other configurations of diodes provide bandwidth and radiation pattern diversity, CSRR provides size reduction of upto 13.31 % along with high gain directivity and radiation efficiency. A maximum gain of 8 dBi, directivity 8.3 dBi has been achieved in the respective band of operations. The antenna exhibits wideband along with multiband characteristic.     

An intermediate-layer lithography method for generating multiple microstructures made of different conducting polymers

An intermediate-layer lithography (ILL) method has been developed in this work to generate multiple microstructures of different conducting polymers on the same substrate. Previous and current efforts in developing conducting polymer microsystems mainly focus on generating a device of a single function. When multiple micropatterns of different conducting polymers are produced on the same substrate, many microsystems of multiple functions can be envisioned. However, existing techniques present significant technical challenges of degradation, low throughput, low resolution, depth of field, and/or residual layer in producing conducting polymer microstructures. To circumvent these challenges, the ILL method has been explored to generate multiple micropatterns of different conducting polymers in a parallel manner. In this method, conducting polymer materials and a non-conducting polymer intermediate layer are first coated on a substrate, and are then patterned through a mold insertion at a raised temperature. In this work, the ILL has been used to successfully pattern three types of commonly used conducting polymers on the same substrate under a single mold insertion, and simulation has been conducted to gain a good understanding of the molding process. Due to distinctive advantages of simplicity, low cost and high throughput, the ILL has promising applications in fabricating micropatterns for polymer-based microsystems.     

Vulcanization characteristics and mechanical properties of nitrile rubber filled with short leather fibres

Leather shavings have been used as filler in short fibre form for nitrile rubber reinforcement. Shavings neutralized with sodium bicarbonate and ammonia showed improved vulcanization characteristics and mechanical properties, whereas sodium hydroxide neutralized shavings exhibited poor properties. Swelling of the vulcanizates in water and 1% NaOH was found to increase with leather loading, whereas in MEK a reversed trend was observed. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the thermal stabilities of the vulcanizates fall between those of pure leather and gum nitrile rubber vulcanizate.     

Photosensitive poly(urethane acylsemicarbazide)s with azobenzene chromophores in the main chain

Poly(urethane acylsemicarbazide)s were synthesized with a two‐step process: (1) the in situ generation of diisocyanate through the thermal decomposition of an azobenzene‐containing precursor diazide and a reaction with ester/ether polyols to form an isocyanate‐terminated prepolymer and (2) chain extension in N,N‐dimethylacetamide with aliphatic or aromatic dihydrazides. Films cast from N,N‐dimethylacetamide solutions were characterized with attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the thermal properties were studied with thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of the hard‐segment content and chain extenders on the static and dynamic mechanical properties were investigated. The photoresponsive behavior of the polymers and the effects of variations in the chromophore concentration and chemical composition on the kinetics of photoisomerization were investigated with ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, which revealed that the rates were independent of the chromophore concentration. The photomechanical behavior, assessed with creep‐recovery measurements, proved that the systems underwent photochemical isomerization upon irradiation with ultraviolet light. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 444–454, 2004