A compact LTCC branch-line coupler UsingModified-T equivalent-circuit modelfor transmission line

In this letter, a compact branch-line coupler is proposed by making good use of the three-dimensional layout capability of the low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate. This branch-line coupler is accomplished by using lumped-inductors and lumped-capacitors to realize the modified-T equivalent-circuit model for the transmission line so that the circuit size may drastically be reduced. Specifically, a very compact LTCC branch-line coupler with a size of 0.079/spl lambda//spl times/0.0717/spl lambda/ is implemented and carefully examined, where /spl lambda/ is the wavelength of the multilayer structure at the operating frequency f/sub 0/.     

Accelerated wear testing with a microfabricated surface to evaluate the lubrication ability of biomolecules on polyethylene

Wear of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and wear‐particle‐induced osteolysis and bone resorption are the major factors causing the failure of total joint replacements. It is feasible to improve the lubrication and reduce the wear of artificial joints. We need further understanding of the lubrication mechanism of the synovial fluid. The objective of this study is to evaluate the lubricating ability of three major components in the synovial fluid: albumin, globulin, and phospholipids. An accelerated wear testing procedure in which UHMWPE is rubbed against a microfabricated surface with controlled asperities has been developed to evaluate the lubrication behavior. An analysis of the wear particle dimensions and wear amount of the tests has provided insights for comparing their lubrication performance. It is concluded that the presence of biomolecules at the articulating interface may reduce friction. A higher concentration of a biological lubricant leads to a decrease in the wear particle width. In addition, in combination with the wear results and mechanical analysis, the roles of individual biomolecules contributing to friction and wear at the articulating interface are discussed. These results can help us to identify the role of the biomolecules in the boundary lubrication of artificial joints, and further development of lubricating additives for artificial joints may be feasible. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Water bamboo husk reinforced poly(lactic acid) green composites

The water bamboo husk is one of major agricultural wastes in Taiwan. In this study, the powder obtained from the water bamboo husk was added to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) to form novel reinforced biodegradable composites. Morphologies, mechanical properties, and heat resistance of these water bamboo powder reinforced composites were investigated. The results indicate that the char yields were increased as plant powder was incorporated to PLA. In addition, the mechanical properties were also enhanced due to the addition of powders. The increments of storage moduli of PLA were about 50–200%. Moreover, the increments of loss moduli of PLA were about 70–200%. On the other hand, the T_g of PLA was slightly decreased by the addition of powder, and this may improve the brittle characteristics of PLA. Furthermore, this type of reinforced PLA would be more environmental friendly than the artificial additive‐reinforced one. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Intelligent control of doubly‐fed induction generator systems using PIDNNs

An intelligent control for a stand‐alone doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG) system using a proportional‐integral‐derivative neural network (PIDNN) is proposed in this study. This system can be applied as a stand‐alone power supply system or as the emergency power system when the electricity grid fails for all sub‐synchronous, synchronous, and super‐synchronous conditions. The rotor side converter is controlled using field‐oriented control to produce 3‐phase stator voltages with constant magnitude and frequency at different rotor speeds. Moreover, the grid side converter, which is also controlled using field‐oriented control, is primarily implemented to maintain the magnitude of the DC‐link voltage. Furthermore, the intelligent PIDNN controller is proposed for both the rotor and grid side converters to improve the transient and steady‐state responses of the DFIG system for different operating conditions. Both the network structure and online learning algorithm are introduced in detail. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed control scheme is verified through experimentation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

A pneumatic micropump incorporated with a normally closed valve capable of generating a high pumping rate and a high back pressure

This study reports on a new pneumatic micropump integrated with a normally closed valve that is capable of generating a high pumping rate and a high back pressure. The micropump consists of a sample flow microchannel, three underlying pneumatic air chambers, resilient polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane structures and a normally closed valve. The normally closed valve of the micropump is a PDMS-based floating block structure located inside the sample flow microchannel, which is activated by hydraulic pressure created by the peristaltic motion of the PDMS membranes. The valve is used to effectively increase pumping rates and back pressures since it is utilized to prevent backflow. Experimental results indicate that a pumping rate as high as 900 μL/min at a driving frequency of 90 Hz and at an applied pressure of 20 psi (1.378 × 10⁵ Nt/m²) can be obtained. The back pressure on the micropump can be as high as 85 cm-H₂O (8,610.5 Nt/m²) at the same operation conditions. The micropump is fabricated by soft lithography processes and can be easily integrated with other microfluidic devices. To demonstrate its capability to prevent cross contamination during chemical analysis applications, two micropumps and a V-shape channel are integrated to perform a titration of two chemical solutions, specifically sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and benzoic acid (C₆H₅COOH). Experimental data show that mixing with a pH value ranging from 2.8 to 12.3 can be successfully titrated. The development of this micropump can be a promising approach for further biomedical and chemical analysis applications.     

一种服务化的仿真模型

在仿真系统的全寿命周期中,仿真需求的修改总是不可避免的;提出了一种服务化的仿真模型建模方法,能够有效提高仿真系统的应变能力;首先制定可被计算机自动处理的模型描述规范,它描述了模型的语法、语义、行为以及装配等信息,即模型的元数据信息,然后设计服务化仿真模型的基本组织结构,接下来基于服务化仿真模型建立相应的系统逻辑框架,最后讨论服务化仿真模型集成构建柔性化仿真系统的原理,并给出一个基本的集成示例,实践表明仿真系统能够随着不断变化的仿真需求快速地更新和重构。     

A Multi‐Autonomous Underwater Vehicle System for Autonomous Tracking of Marine Life

This paper presents a multi‐autonomous underwater vehicle system capable of cooperatively and autonomously tracking and following marine targets (i.e., fish) tagged with an acoustic transmitter. The AUVs have been equipped with stereo‐hydrophones that receive signals broadcasted by the acoustic transmitter tags to enable real‐time calculation of bearing‐to‐tag and distance‐to‐tag measurements. These measurements are shared between AUVs via acoustic modem and fused within each AUV's particle filter for estimating the target's position. The AUVs use a leader/follower multi‐AUV control system to enable the AUVs to drive toward the estimated target state by following collision‐free paths. Once within the local area of the target, the AUVs circumnavigate the target state until it moves to another area. The system builds on previous work by incorporating a new SmartTag package that can be attached to an individual's dorsal fin. The SmartTag houses a full inertial measurement unit (INU), video logger, acoustic transmitter, and timed release mechanism. After real‐time AUV tracking experiments, the SmartTag is recovered. Logged IMU data are fused with logged AUV‐obtained acoustic tag measurements within a particle filter to improve state estimation accuracy. This improvement is validated through a series of multi‐AUV shark and boat tracking experiments conducted at Santa Catalina Island, California. When compared with previous work that did not use the SmartTag package, results demonstrated a decrease in mean position estimation error of 25–75%, tag orientation estimation errors dropped from 80° to 30° , the sensitivity of mean position error with respect to distance to the tag was less by a factor of 50, and the sensitivity of mean position error with respect to acoustic signal reception frequency to the tag was 25 times less. These statistics demonstrate a large improvement in the system's robustness when the SmartTag package is used.     

An Internet-based graphical programming tool for teaching power system harmonic measurement

Traditional methods to measure power system harmonics employ the power harmonic analyzer or a software package, such as Matlab or others, but they do have certain limitations in the graphical programming environment, applications for remote monitoring and control performance. This paper presents a virtual instrument (VI) that can carry out power system harmonic measurement based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) in remote surveillance capability via the Internet. The strategies and guidelines are also developed to enhance teaching and/or learning the basics of operating Internet-based systems. Critical issues pertaining to engineering education, such as design of course, expected learning outcomes, assessment of student performance, and course evaluation are discussed in detail.     

Microwave diversity imaging system ‐ principle,methodology and experimental results

Abstract

The basic principle, methodology and experimental results of the automated microwave diversity imaging system developed in the Electromagnetic Research Laboratory of National Taiwan University are presented. The microwave image formulation is based on Bojarski's identity. In practice, accessing the object backscattering information using the frequency, angular and polarization diversity techniques is conducted by the developed microwave measurement system with major parts including dual polarization antennas, network analyzer and a MicroVax III. It is shown that images of a scale model of the space shuttle reconstructed from the measured data can be identified visually. The implications for high‐resolution microwave imaging radar networks are also discussed.     

Commercial application scenario using patent analysis: Fermentative hydrogen production from biomass

The main purpose of this study is to use patent analysis to investigate scenarios for future commercial applications of dark fermentation or anaerobic fermentation using biomass or organic matter as feedstock materials. The first step in this study includes a patent search procedure and patent content interpretation, in which 29 technology patents were identified from the US patent database and divided into five groups in accordance with the scope of their technical applications. The following five scenarios of commercial applications of biomass fermentation for hydrogen production were established through a combination of group applications: screening and cultivation of hydrogen-producing bacteria, biomass waste sources, biomass energization application, value enhancement of waste or wastewater treatment systems, and the application of a multi-functional hydrogen production system integrated with other technologies.