THz Direct Detector and Heterodyne Receiver Arrays in Silicon Nanoscale Technologies

Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves - The main scope of this paper is to address various implementation aspects of THz detector arrays in the nanoscale silicon technologies...     

Energy Efficiency Trade-Off Between Duty-Cycling and Wake-Up Radio Techniques in IoT Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - For robust monitoring, control and proper energy management of renewable energy sources (RES), wireless sensing networks (WSNs) are proved to be a vital solution....     

Effect of complexation of oxidised corn starch with mineral elements on physicochemical properties

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of complexation of oxidised starch with mineral elements on its physicochemical properties. Corn starch was oxidised with sodium hypochlorite and, afterwards, modified with ions of potassium, magnesium and iron. Thus, native and modified starches were analysed for: contents of mineral elements, colour parameters (L*a*b*), water binding capacity and solubility in water at temperature of 60 and 80 °C. Thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinisation by DSC, molecular weight distribution by GPC, intrinsic viscosity and pasting properties by RVA were studied. The efficiency of incorporation of metal ions into oxidised corn starch was about 30%, 20% and 20% for potassium, magnesium and iron ions, respectively. The complexation with potassium ions caused the greatest changes in the molecular weight distribution and the intrinsic viscosity of starches and viscosity of starch pastes. Only modification of starch with iron ions affected the colour parameters of the starch. Incorporation of metal ions into starch resulted also in changes in its water binding capacity and solubility in water.     

Flux Jumps and H-T Diagram of Instability for MgB2

We present a study of magneto-thermal instabilities in polycrystalline MgB₂ superconductor, by magnetic hysteresis loop measurements and by investigations of magnetic flux dynamics with a miniature Hall probe. Temperature and magnetic field ranges where the flux jumps may be observed have been determined. On the basis of measurements of the magnetic flux dynamics, an average magnetic diffusivity describing the process of the flux jump is estimated. This parameter is compared with the thermal and magnetic diffusivities calculated on the basis of available data for thermal conductivity, heat capacity and resistivity. It is shown that the estimated value of the field of the first flux jump is influenced significantly by the field dependence of specific heat. In order to explain the observed phenomenon, the temperature reached by the sample during the flux jump at different magnetic fields is calculated.     

Simulation of Temperature Distribution in Stored Wheat without Aeration

A neural-deterministic simulation model applied for calculating distributions of temperatures and moisture content in a bed of wheat stored in a steel silo without aeration is presented in the article. The model consists of differential equations of heat and moisture transfer, initial and boundary conditions, and three artificial neural networks used during simulated ambient air conditions. Experiments and computer simulations were carried out in order to determine temperature fields in wheat grain stored in a steel silo for two months. The computer simulations were carried using MATLAB and FEMLAB software. The difference between measured and simulated temperature in grain near the silo wall at a height of 2.5 m from the bottom was less than 3.0°C. On the basis of the analysis performed it was concluded that the temperature distributions obtained with the model were consistent with the measured results obtained for grain stored in a steel silo without aeration.     

Inverse Analysis of Axisymmetrical Compression of HSLA Steel

The objective of the present work is to further explore the problem of selection of the flow stress function which will give the best agreement with experiments for a wide range of the Zener‐Hollomon parameter. Analysis of various flow stress functions was performed, with particular emphasis on the Zerilli‐Armstrong model. Inverse analysis was successfully applied to identify the flow stress model for microalloyed steels deformed in ferrite, two‐phase and austenite regions. Inverse method is applied to interpret the results of the axisymmetrical compression tests performed for HSLA steel samples on a Gleeble 3800 and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar. Sensitivity analysis is performed based on local and global methods. The objective of the sensitivity analysis in the present study is the evaluation to what extent the selected coefficients in the rheological model influence the result of simulations. In the considered tests this result is represented by two dependent variables, the load and the shape of the sample (barrelling). It is confirmed that the Zerilli‐Armstrong equations should be applied at very high strain rates. Physical meaning is an advantage of this model. Difficulties with identification are the main disadvantage.     

Influence of the tank shape on the electrostatic field generated by space charge

Contents The paper provides results of calculations of electric field for parallelepiped and ellipsoidal tanks. The calculations reported in the paper indicate that even at a relatively small volumetric density of charge (q=100 C/m³) the intensity of the electric field in the vapour/air mixture may exceed the critical value (3 MV/m), which may cause a spark discharge. They also show the maximum of the electric field intensity, the maximum potential and energy after the change in shape of the tank, while the volume of the stored liquid remains the same. The calculations of these quantities can be used as a basis for reduction or elimination of the electrostatic ignition hazard.

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Einfluß der Behälterform auf das elektrostatische Feld infolge einer Raumladung

Übersicht Der Beitrag behandelt elektrische Felder in Behältern von der Form eines Parallelepipeds und eines Ellipsoids. Die Berechnungen zeigen, daß selbst bei relativ kleinen Werten der Raumladung (100 C/m³) die elektrische Feldstärke im Dampf-Luftgemisch den kritischen Wert (3 ÖMV/m) überschreiten und einen Durchschlag verursachen kann. Außerdem werden die Maxima der elektrischen Feldstärke, des Potentials und der Energie in Abhängigkeit der Behälterform angegeben unter der Voraussetzung, daß das Volumen der enthaltenen Flüssigkeit konstant bleibt. Die Rechenergebnisse lassen sich als Basis für die Verminderung oder Elimination der Gefahr von Überschlägen verwenden.

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List of symbols A, B, C factors of the ellipsoidal tank - a, b, H length, width and height of the parallelepiped tank, respectively [m] - E electrical field strength [V/m] - h liquid height in the tank [m] - q volumetric charge density [C/m³] - R radius of the sphere [m] - V electric potential [V] - W _E electric field energy [J] - V volume of the tank - _r relative dielectric constant - _O absolute dielectric constant 8.854×10^–12 [As/Vm]     

Preparation and characterization of potassium, rubidium and ammonium tetrachlorouranate(III) trihydrates

The synthesis and characterization of a new series of hydrated uranium(III) complex chlorides of the general formula M¹UCl₄-3H₂O (M¹K, Rb or NH₄) are reported. The compounds crystallize in the monoclinic system. Unit cell parameters were determined from X-ray powder diffraction data. The magnetic susceptibilities of the complex chlorides were measured by the Faraday method in the 4.2–300 K range. The compounds exhibit Curie-Weiss paramagnetism in the 100–300 K range, with the derived effective magnetic moments ranging from 3.57μ_B to 3.71μ_B. Solid state electronic and IR spectra were recorded in the 4000–30 000 and 80–4000 cm⁻¹ ranges, respectively and discussed. Non-static high vacuum thermal dehydrations enabled us to obtain the anhydrous compounds KUCl₄, RbUCl₄ and UCl₃.     

Effect of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions on the sintering and spectroscopic properties of cr-doped yttrium aluminum garnet ceramics

In this work, we investigated the effects of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions and annealing temperature on the spectroscopic parameters of chromium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet ceramics (Cr:YAG). Samples were obtained with either a separate or a simultaneous addition of calcium and magnesium oxides. To achieve this, aqueous suspensions were prepared using Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, MgO, and CaO high-purity powders as raw materials. The obtained suspensions were freeze-granulated, pressed into pellets, debinded, and subjected to reactive sintering in vacuum at 1715°C for 6 h. Each material was annealed in air with temperatures between 1300 and 1700°C. Samples were also compared to Cr:YAG ceramics with the addition of silica as a sintering aid. All the materials obtained were then exposed to 445 nm excitation, and emission spectra in the visible and infrared wavelengths were recorded. The results showed that the emission spectra of Cr:YAG ceramics varied according to the annealing conditions: as-sintered samples exhibited strong emissions of around 680 nm and, after air annealing, of around 1400 nm. This phenomenon is attributed to the Cr³⁺→Cr⁴⁺ transition. Samples doped solely with MgO exhibited the highest emission intensity in the infrared region. Thus, Mg²⁺ ions provided the best conversion efficiency of chromium ions.     

Ethanol combustion over strontium- and cerium-doped LaCoO3 catalysts

Ce- or Sr-doped LaCoO₃ bulk perovskites were prepared by citric acid method as well as 10 wt.% of LaCoO₃ was deposited on alumina carrier stabilized with lanthanum. Properties of prepared materials were characterized by determination of surface area, acid-basic properties and XRD, XPS, TPDO₂, H₂-TPR measurements as well as catalytic activity and selectivity for ethanol combustion was tested. It was found that substitution of La in LaCoO₃ with either Sr or Ce has only small effect on its activity in ethanol combustion. Strontium inserted into LaCoO₃ structure increases basic character of the perovskite surface as well as selectivity to acetaldehyde (ACA). Substitution of La with cerium has no effect on the concentration of basic sites and does not affect the selectivity to ACA. Activity of LaCoO₃-based catalysts in ethanol combustion and their selectivity to ACA formation can be explained on the basis of the presence of both -oxygen species and sites with basic character on the material surface.

Acid-basic properties of supported LaCoO₃ are dominated by acidic character of the carrier. Results of XPS and H₂-TPR measurements of LaCoO₃ supported on La–Al₂O₃ suggest that perovskite remains in strong interaction with carrier and probably is partially decomposed. Deposition of perovskite on stabilized carrier significantly increases the rate of ethanol combustion.