A simple planar monopole UWB slot antenna with dual independently and reconfigurable band‐notched characteristics

An extremely simple and compact planar monopole ultrawideband (UWB) slot antenna with dual band‐notched characteristics is proposed. The antenna is composed of a circular radiation patch, a microstrip‐fed line, and a partial ground. By etching an arc‐shaped slot on the radiation patch and a C‐like slot on the feed line, dual notched frequency bands at 3.3–3.7 GHz for WiMAX and 5.15–5.825 GHz for WLAN are achieved. And, the two notched bands can be adjusted independently by varying the length of the slots. Moreover, the band‐notched characteristics can be reconfigurable by shorting the corresponding slots. So, the antenna is capable of operating in one of multiple modes which makes it an excellent candidate for UWB applications. Meanwhile, experimental results indicate that the antenna has an available impendence bandwidth from 2.9 to 11 GHz which covers the UWB frequency band, and nearly omnidirectional patterns, stable gains, small group delay in operating band except rejected bands. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 24:706–712, 2014.     

Dynamic deviation reduction‐based concurrent dual‐band digital predistortion

This article introduces the concurrent dual‐band digital predistortion (DPD) architecture with only one upconvertion unit, which is suitable for the linearization of wideband power amplifiers (PAs) excited by concurrent dual‐band signals. By extending the conventional dynamic deviation reduction (DDR) model to the concurrent dual‐band mode, we propose two DDR‐based concurrent dual‐band models, the dual‐band DDR (DB‐DDR) model and the simplified dual‐band DDR (SDB‐DDR) model. The performance of these two models is experimentally assessed with two types of wideband PAs (a GaN Class F PA and a GaN Doherty PA) driven by the concurrent dual‐band signal, and compared with the prior two‐dimensional digital predistortion (2D‐DPD) model and the two‐dimensional modified memory polynomial (2D‐MMP) model. The results prove the good DPD performance and low computational complexity of the proposed models. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 24:401–411, 2014.     

A novel triple notch‐bands ultra wide‐band band‐pass filters using parallel multi‐mode resonators and CSRRs

This article discusses a technique based on combination of multimode resonators (MMR) and complementary split ring resonators (CSRR) to design multi notch‐bands ultra wide‐band (UWB) band‐pass filters (BPF). The proposed structure consists of two parallel multimode resonators, resulting in a dual notch‐band UWB BPF, integrated with a single cell of CSRR to realize the third notch‐band. The mechanism of realizing the notch‐bands is mathematically presented and a triple notch‐bands UWB BPF is designed, simulated and fabricated. The overall size of the proposed filter is reported to be around 36 × 7.7 mm² where a size reduction of around 35% is demonstrated in comparison to the conventional filter. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 24:375–381, 2014.     

A comprehensive approach to evaluating watershed models for predicting river flow regimes critical to downstream ecosystem services

Selection of strategies that help reduce riverine inputs requires numerical models that accurately quantify hydrologic processes. While numerous models exist, information on how to evaluate and select the most robust models is limited. Toward this end, we developed a comprehensive approach that helps evaluate watershed models in their ability to simulate flow regimes critical to downstream ecosystem services. We demonstrated the method using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), the Hydrological Simulation Program–FORTRAN (HSPF) model, and Distributed Large Basin Runoff Model (DLBRM) applied to the Maumee River Basin (USA). The approach helped in identifying that each model simulated flows within acceptable ranges. However, each was limited in its ability to simulate flows triggered by extreme weather events, owing to algorithms not being optimized for such events and mismatched physiographic watershed conditions. Ultimately, we found HSPF to best predict river flow, whereas SWAT offered the most flexibility for evaluating agricultural management practices.     

Studies on graft copolymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine onto guar gum

Graft copolymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine (4‐VP) onto guar gum (GOH) using potassium monopersulfate (PMS)/thioacetamide (TAA) as a redox pair was studied in an aqueous medium under inert atmosphere. The concentration of potassium monopersulfate and thioacetamide should be 1.0 × 10^?2 and 5.0 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3, respectively, for highest grafting ratio and efficiency. Efficient grafting was observed at 19.25 × 10^?2 and 4.87 × 10^?2 mol dm^?3 concentration of 4‐vinylpyridine and sulfuric acid, respectively. The optimum temperature for grafting is 30°C. As the time period of reaction is increased, the grafting ratio increases, whereas efficiency decreases. The plausible mechanism of grafting has been suggested. A sample of guar gum and guar‐ g‐4‐vinylpyridine were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis with the objective of studying the effect of grafting 4‐vinylpyridine on the thermal stability of guar gum. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2380–2385, 2002     

在铂催化剂上-氧化碳氧化反应的多定态特性

对铂催化剂上一氧化碳氧化反应的多定态特性进行了实验研究,借助于奇异理论和突变理论,对实验结果进行了分析,找出了系统可能存在的定态数目,并预测出在定态数目不同的操作参数区域内,描述系统状态变量与操作参数的分岔图型式,最后,尝试利用系统的多定态特性识别反应的动力学模型,取得了满意的效果.     

Thermooxidative degradation of natural rubber/clay composite

The clay is treated with a reducing agent and an acid so as to obtain a clay containing various metal components with a variable‐valence state. Then, the clay is coprecipitated with natural rubber (NR) latex to prepare a vulcanized NR/clay composite. The degradation process of the NR/clay composite under hot air condition was studied dynamically by using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer attaching an in situ sample cell and was also investigated using the TGA method. The test result obtained from the infrared spectrometry indicated that under low decomposition temperature, the decomposition products of the test samples mainly are ethylene, low molecular olefinic hydrocarbon, and carbonyl compounds. As the decomposition temperature rises, the low molecular olefinic hydrocarbon content decreases, the olefine with longer chain is formed, and a lot of alkane decomposition products are formed at the same time. When the content of the metal components with a variable‐valence state in clay such as Cu, Mn, Co, and Fe increases, the oxidation products containing the carbonyl group, the olefinic hydrocarbon, and CO₂ in the decomposition product of the test sample also increase. The TGA result clearly shows a shoulder peak that appears by the side of the main peak on the DTG curve of NR/clay composite. With the increase in the content of metal components with variable‐valence state in clay, the initial degradation temperature of the test sample (T₀), the degradation peak temperature (T_p1), and the final degradation temperature (T_f1) in first‐stage reaction, as well as the degradation peak temperature (T_p2) and the last final degradation temperature (T_f) in second‐stage reaction of all the test samples more or less shift to the direction of low temperature; besides, the activation energy (E) of the reaction of the test samples more or less decreases. This means that the metal components with variable‐valence state promote the oxidative degradation of the clay–rubber masterbatch. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3809–3815, 2006     

Vinyl‐containing silicone resin as the crosslinking agent of heat‐curable silicone rubber

Heat‐curable silicone rubber (HCSR) was prepared by using vinyl‐containing silicone resin (VSR) as the crosslinking agent instead of polyvinylsilicone oil (C gum). Mechanical properties and crosslink density of the vulcanizates were measured. The results indicate that VSR is a good crosslinking agent for HCSR. The tensile strength, tearing strength, elongation at break, and hardness of the vulcanizate can reach 10.2 MPa, 29.1 kN/m, 720%, and 58 SHA, respectively. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 3123–3127, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10054     

Effect of thiophosphoryl compounds as accelerators and coupling agents on the vulcanization of NR‐XNBR blend

The effect of a number of thiophosphoryl compounds [viz., bis(isobutyl) thiophosphoryl di‐, tri‐, and tetrasulfides and bis(dicyclohexyl) thiophopsphoryl di‐, tri‐, and tetrasulfides] on natural rubber (NR)‐carboxylated nitrile rubber (XNBR) blend was studied. All these thiophosphoryl compounds are capable of forming interrubber links leading to covulcanized blends which exhibit a fair degree of synergism with respect to physical properties, the maximum being obtained at the 25% NR and 75% XNBR blend composition. This is an obvious claim that the blend under investigation is technologically compatible, having some degree of interrubber interaction which is enhanced in case of two‐stage vulcanization. The existence of interrubber interaction is judged by the swelling experiment. The blend morphology assessed by SEM micrographs corroborates the foregoing observations and accounts for the significant improvement in physical properties of the blend vulcanizates, particularly in two‐stage vulcanization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3286‐3299, 2002     

SVD‐Based Accurate Identification and Compensation of the Coupling Hysteresis and Creep Dynamics in Piezoelectric Actuators

In this paper, the coupling hysteresis and creep in piezoelectric actuators are identified and compensated for accurate tracking. First, we present the coupling hysteresis and creep model in smart actuators. Next, a complete identification strategy is designed according to the properties of the Preisach model. Then, an approach for parameter updating of the coupling model is provided. With the identified hysteresis and creep, the model‐based inversion compensation is designed. Finally, we apply the model identification and compensation to a piezoelectric stage to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. Significant reduction of the tracking error is achieved with the model‐based inversion feedforward compensator in which the relative errors at 10 Hz and 50 Hz are reduced to 1.85% and 4.53%, respectively. In addition, the model‐based feedforward is augmented with an integral feedback controller. With the composite controller, the relative errors at 10 Hz and 50 Hz are reduced to 0.42% and 3.04%, respectively.