H∞Fuzzy State‐Feedback Control Plus State‐Derivative‐Feedback Control Synthesis for Photovoltaic Systems

This paper addresses the problem of designing an H_∞fuzzy state‐ feedback (SF) plus state‐derivative‐feedback (SDF) control system for photovoltaic (PV) systems based on a linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. The TS fuzzy controller is designed on the basis of the Takagi‐Sugeno (TS) fuzzy model. The sufficient condition is found such that the system with the fuzzy controller is asymptotically stable and an H_∞performance is satisfied. First, a dc/dc buck converter is considered to regulate the power output by controlling state and state‐derivative variables of PV systems. The dynamic model of PV systems is approximated by the TS fuzzy model in the form of nonlinear systems. Then, based on a well‐known Lyapunov functional approach, the synthetic is formulated of an H_∞fuzzy SF plus SDF control law, which guarantees the L₂‐gain from an exogenous input to the regulated output to be less than or equal to some prescribed value. Finally, to show effectiveness, the simulation of the PV systems with the proposed control is assessed by the computer programme. The proposed control method shows good performance for power output and high stability for the PV system.     

Synthesis of ‘ready-to-adsorb’ polymeric nanoshells for magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles via atom transfer radical polymerization

Polymer-magnetite nanoparticle complexes that respond to both magnetic fields and to temperature have been demonstrated. Novel alkyl halide-functional bis(diethylphosphonate) esters were prepared and utilized as initiators for polymerizing N-isopropylacrylamide by controlled atom transfer radical polymerization. The phosphonate esters were removed after polymerization to afford poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with a bis(phosphonic acid) moiety precisely placed at one terminus. The bis(phosphonic acid) endgroups were adsorbed onto magnetite nanoparticles to yield nanoscale complexes that were stable against any polymer desorption and that were colloidally-stable in physiological media. Thus, the bis(phosphonate) endgroup provides a robust anchoring moiety onto the magnetite. Hydrodynamic sizes of the complexes were predicted with a density distribution model and using the measured sizes of the magnetite cores. Good agreement between the measured and predicted hydrodynamic sizes suggested that the complexes were primarily discrete, non-agglomerated nanoparticles. The complexes exhibited thermosensitive aggregation behavior near the lower critical solution temperature of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) component.     

Ethanol sensing properties of CuO nanowires prepared by an oxidation reaction

The ethanol sensing properties of CuO nanowires prepared by oxidation reaction of copper plate have been examined. The characterization of CuO nanowires by FE-SEM, EDS, and TEM revealed diameters of 100–400 nm and a monoclinic structure with a growth direction along 〈1 1 0〉 direction. The ethanol sensing characteristics of CuO nanowires were studied at ethanol concentrations of 100–1000 ppm and working temperatures of 200–280 °C. An increase of resistance was observed under an ethanol vapor atmosphere due to the p-type semi-conducting property of CuO. It was found that the sensitivity, the response and the recovery time depended on the working temperatures and also ethanol concentration. The sensor exhibited the optimum sensitivity of 1.5 to ethanol vapor concentration of 1000 ppm at the working temperature of 240 °C with a response and recovery time of 110 and 120 s, respectively.     

Synthesis of MoO3 nanobelts by medium energy nitrogen ion implantation

Ion implantation has been revealed as a potential technique to modify the surface of materials. In this work, MoO₃ nanobelts were synthesized on MoO₃ whisker surfaces by means of ion implantation with 60 keV nitrogen ions at a dose of 1 × 10¹⁶ atom/cm² and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The result showed that the nanostructures of MoO₃ occurred over the whisker surfaces and had belt-like shapes. The size of the synthesized MoO₃ nanobelts mostly ranged from 20 to 60 nm in width and 300 to 800 nm in length. The nanobelts were found to have an orthorhombic crystal structure with growth preferential in the [001] direction. The growth process of the nanobelts based on the common vapor-solid mechanism is discussed.     

Effect of the alkali metal (Li,Na, K) substitution on the geometric,electronic and optical properties of the smallest diamondoid: First principles calculations

In this study we employed the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method combined with the CIS/6-311++G(d,p) calculation to investigate the effects of the type and the number of alkali metal atoms(Li, Na, K) on the geometric, electronic, and optical properties of alkali metals substituted into adamantanes. Substituting alkali metal(Li, Na, K)atoms caused significant changes in the electronic and optical properties of adamantane. The Ad-1Li, Ad-1Na,and Ad-1K structures showed a dramatically decreased energy gap and ionization potential, while adding more alkali metal atoms slightly decreased these properties. Substituting more alkali metals led to a shift in the maximum absorption wavelength from the visible to the infrared region, depending on the type of alkali metal atom substituted. The magnitude of shift occurred in the following order: Li b Na b K. These characteristics suggest the possibility of tunable electronic structures of this material for optoelectronic device applications.     

Growth Kinetic and Characterization of RF-Sputtered ZnO:Al Nanostructures

ZnO:Al nanostructures with 1% by mole of Al were prepared by radio frequency sputtering on copper and quartz substrates. The ZnO:Al nanostructures obtained exhibited needle- or tree-like structures with the diameter ranging from 30 to 100 nm. It was suggested that these ZnO:Al nanostructures could be single-crystalline hexagonal structures growing along the     direction with branching along the 〈0001〉 direction. From Hall measurement, ZnO:Al nanostructures had a resistivity in the order of 10⁻²Ω·cm, a carrier concentration of 10²⁰ cm⁻³, and a Hall mobility of 3 cm²·(V·s)⁻¹. From X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman results, ZnO:Al nanostructures had     direction perpendicular to the surface, whereas ZnO nanobelts had the c -axis perpendicular to the surface. In addition, the growth mechanism of the wire and belt-like nanostructure could be explained by kinetics of anisotropic growth via a vapor–solid mechanism. This information would be useful for further applications of ZnO:Al nanostructures.