Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reference Currents Reconfiguration of a Five-Phase Flux Switching Machine To Improve the Operation under Short-Circuit Phase Faults

In this paper, a new topology of a five-phase flux switching machine is presented. Its behaviour (torque quality, copper losses, homopolar current) under a single short-circuit phase fault, a two and three consecutive and non-consecutive phases short-circuited, is simulated on a FE model and validated experimentally. Then, a new method was developed to improve its performances in faulty mode, by reconfiguring healthy currents.
HM NAVAL BASES: MESOTHELIOMA AND TIME SINCE FIRST EMPLOYMENT

Abstract A model for mesothelioma mortality, proposed by PETO et al., (1982), described the death rate as proportional to the 3.2th power of time since first exposure to asbestos. The model has been fitted to the mortality experience of workers in HM Naval Bases in England. The best estimate of the power parameter, 3.14, is very close but the constant of proportionality is very much lower than that for the North American insulation workers analysed by PETO et al. The model fitted the data adequately with no significant differences between the three dockyards, Devonport, Chatham and Portsmouth.
Particulate organic carbon dynamics in the Gulf of Lion shelf (NW Mediterranean) using a coupled hydrodynamic–biogeochemical model

Abstract. The Gulf of Lion shelf (GoL, NW Mediterranean) is one of the most productive areas in the Mediterranean Sea. A 3D coupled hydrodynamic–biogeochemical model is used to study the mechanisms that drive the particulate organic carbon (POC) dynamics over the shelf. A set of observations, including temporal series from a coastal station, remote sensing of surface chlorophyll a, and a glider deployment, is used to validate the distribution of physical and biogeochemical variables from the model. The model reproduces the time and spatial evolution of temperature, chlorophyll a, and nitrate concentrations well and shows a clear annual cycle of gross primary production and respiration. We estimate an annual net primary production of ∼ 200 × 104 t C yr−1 at the scale of the shelf. The primary production is marked by a coast-slope increase with maximal values in the eastern region. Our results show that the primary production is favoured by the inputs of nutrients imported from offshore waters, representing 3 and 15 times the inputs of the Rhône in terms of nitrate and phosphate. In addition, the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition highlights the role of solar radiation anomalies and continental winds that favour upwellings, and inputs of the Rhône River, in annual changes in the net primary production. Annual POC deposition (27 × 104 t C yr−1) represents 13 % of the net primary production. The delivery of terrestrial POC favours the deposition in front of the Rhône mouth, and the mean cyclonic circulation increases the deposition between 30 and 50 m depth from the Rhône prodelta to the west. Mechanisms responsible for POC export (24 × 104 t C yr−1) to the open sea are discussed. The export off the shelf in the western part, from the Cap de Creus to the Lacaze-Duthiers canyon, represents 37 % of the total POC export. Maximum values are obtained during shelf dense water cascading events and marine winds. Considering surface waters only, the POC is mainly exported in the eastern part of the shelf through shelf waters and Rhône inputs, which spread to the Northern Current during favourable continental wind conditions. The GoL shelf appears as an autotrophic ecosystem with a positive net ecosystem production and as a source of POC for the adjacent NW Mediterranean basin. The undergoing and future increase in temperature and stratification induced by climate change could impact the trophic status of the GoL shelf and the carbon export towards the deep basin. It is crucial to develop models to predict and assess these future evolutions.
BDTC - Uma Biblioteca Digital de Trabalhos Científicos com Serviços Integrados

This paper presents BDTC, a digital library for scientific work. BDTC is composed of a set of services that try to attend some user needs. This paper focuses on the BDTC architecture, showing specifically the following services: self-archiving of documents, metadata extraction from PDF files and the use of indexes that provide support to similarity search.
A Novel Small-Size Coupled-Line Wilkinson Power Divider for Dual-Band Applications

A novel coupled-line circuit configuration is proposed to design small-size dual-band Wilkinson power dividers. This proposed power divider consists of three sections of coupled lines and two isolation resistors. The analytical design theory is given and the electrical parameters analysis is provided. Six numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the flexible dual-band applications. To avoid a negative isolation resistor, a practical power divider operating at 1GHz and 2.2GHz with two positive-value resistors is designed. The calculated and full-wave simulated results verify our proposed idea. Keywords: Coupled-line, dual-band, power divider.
Application of merged current switch logic for a built-in logic block observer operating at 1 Gbit/s and 1.2 V supply

The authors show that merged current switch logic is an excellent candidate for enabling low supply voltages and maintaining an operating speed in the GHz range. The demonstration circuit fabricated in a 0.8 /spl mu/m BiCMOS process operates at supply voltages as low as 1.2 V with a bit rate of 1 Gbit/s. The dynamic power consumption is 461 /spl mu/W/gate.
Performance and efficiency of planar rectennas for short‐range wireless power transfer at 2.45 GHz

The performance and efficiency of three planar rectennas, designed on three different PCB materials, have been evaluated at 2.45 GHz. A maximum RF‐to‐dc conversion circuit efficiency of 55% was achieved. An output dc voltage of 1 V was measured over a distance of 1 m from a rectenna having 7 dB antenna gain. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 31: 86–91, 2001.
Sizing off-shore transhipment systems: a case study in maritime dry-bulk transportation

This article aims at properly sizing a transhipment system for supplying coal to an electric power plant in the neighbourhood of a river port. The electric power plant under study is expected to satisfy 8% of Italian electricity needs. Raw materials are supplied from all over the world and transported by sea to the plant: since vessels cannot navigate the river (due to river depth), an off-shore transhipment system has been sized through simulation. Service level and costs have been analysed under 16 different scenarios, obtained by varying the number of barges, barge capacity and capacity and cranes rate of the floating transfer station. Thanks to simulation the cost analysis taking into account both expected effects on revenues and investments allowed to preliminary select four best scenarios, whose robustness has been tested by analysing their performance when traffic, weather conditions and vessel scheduling change.
Building Trust in Smartphone Environment -Focused on the Undergraduate Students in Busan-

Recently, the number of smartphone user is increasing fast, and many companies provide various mobile applications. However, not all applications remain at the smartphones, they could be deleted easily if users don`t trust them. Therefore in this study, we try to develop the model of building trust to use the smartphone applications and examines the influences of ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment on user satisfaction and trust. For this study the 221 sets of data collected, who use the smartphones, were tested against the model using PLS 2.0. The results of this study are as follows. First, perceived ease of use had an effect on usefulness and enjoyment. Second, usefulness and enjoyment had an effect on user satisfaction and trust. We can derive the factors which affect building trust in smartphone applications through this study, and provide a guideline to mobile application vendors and providers.
Characterization of the static and dynamic behaviour of M(O)EMS by optical techniques: status and trends

Optical techniques which were developed for ex situ characterization of static displacements, motions, vibrations and internal strain of micromechanical devices and M(O)EMS are critically reviewed. Their performances and limitations are analysed and improvements which were proposed recently and which are still needed are discussed. It is shown that many optical techniques are available for 1D, 2D or 3D out-of-plane measurements with a lateral resolution in the (sub)micron range, a vertical resolution in the (sub)nanometer range and a frequency range up to a few MHz or more. In contrast, only very few techniques are suitable for in-plane, on wafer or in vacuum measurements.
Solid state photomultiplier: noise parameters of photodetectors with internal discrete amplification

We have designed and developed a new family of photodetectors with Internal Discrete Amplification (IDA) mechanism They operate as solid state photomultiplier devices at room temperature and may be used in numerous applications where high bandwidth of the detector is necessary in combination with maximum sensitivity and low excess noise. The photodetectors can operate in linear detection mode with gain-bandwidth product up to 5 times 1014 as well as in photon counting mode with count rates up to 108 counts/sec. The key performance characteristics exceed those of Photomultiplier Tube (PMT) and Avalanche Photodiode (APD) devices. The detectors have gain > 105, excess noise factor as low as 1.03, photoresponse rise/fall time < 300 ps, and timing resolution (jitter) < 200 ps. The combination of low excess noise at high gain and wide bandwidth, as well as scalability to large active areas, presents the main advantages of this technology over conventional photodetector solutions. Ultra low excess noise is one of the main features of the internal Discrete Amplification Detector (DAD), and in this paper its nature has been investigated more comprehensively. We investigated the behavior of the noise-factor and afterpulsing, and conclude that both have the same physical nature. Optical cross-talk between channels is shown to be responsible for the afterpulsing phenomenon, and, in turn, is the main source of excess noise. Thus, the noise characteristics of an DAD device and its timing resolution may be significantly improved as they are limited not by the discrete amplifier channel properties itself, but by the cross-talk, which strongly depends on the device design.
Optimal control of a grid-connected PV system for maximum power point tracking and unity power factor

The paper discusses a model-based method to predict the maximum power point (MPP) of a PV array using the measured data of radiation and temperature. The proposed method can be embedded in a synchronous rotating reference frame (SRRF) current regulator. This ensures good performance voltage control and unity power factor current supply to the grid. A simulation study of the proposed control scheme has been carried out, and the results are presented in the paper.
Thermal Energy Harvesting from Wildlife

In this paper we present the measurement of temperature differences between the ambient air and the body temperature of a sheep (Heidschnucke) and its applicability for thermoelectric energy harvesting from livestock, demonstrated via the test of a specially tailored TEG system in a real-life experiment. In three measurement campaigns average temperature differences were found between 2.5 K and 3.5 K. Analytical models and FEM simulations were carried out to determine the actual thermal resistance of the sheep's fur from comparisons with the temperature measurements. With these data a thermoelectric (TEG) generator was built in a thermally optimized housing with adapted heats sink. The whole TEG system was mounted to a collar, including a data logger for recording temperature and TEG voltage. First measurements at the neck of a sheep were accomplished, with a calculated maximal average power output of 173 μW at the TEG. Taking the necessity of a low-voltage step-up converter into account, an electric output power of 54 μW is available which comes close to the power consumption of a low-power VHF tracking system.
Cavity model of circularly polarised cross-aperture-coupled microstrip antenna

A cavity model is used to analyse an aperture-fed nearly square circularly polarised patch antenna. The form of the aperture is that of a symmetric cross-slot that couples the excitation between a single microstrip feed line and the patch antenna. Using equivalent magnetic current sources at the slots, the modal electric and magnetic fields under the patch are obtained, and hence analytical expressions for the patch admittances at the aperture are derived and used to obtain an equivalent circuit of the circular polarised antenna. Good agreement is obtained between the circuit modelling and practical results.
A Multisection Snake Like Manipulator with Rear Actuators: SnakeHelper

In the paper, a multisection snake-like manipulator named SnakeHelper is described. For rescue task, the manipulator is designed with cable driven and rear actuators. First, the mechanism design is presented. The manipulator consists of rear actuators, links, joints and cables. Then, some considerations on mechanism design of the device are given. The moment of the motor is calculated. The rotatory angle of each joint is also given against design parameters. At last, the kinematics analysis of the manipulator by D-H method is given.
Capability study and challenges to sub-2x nm node contact hole patterning

As the scaling down of design rule for high density memory device continues, the contact hole size shrinkage becomes one of the major challenges to patterning. Many shrinkage approaches have been introduced after litho. process, such as chemical shrink, PR reflow, RIE shrink, etc. However, CD uniformity control for these shrink processes is critical, and minimum pitch size is still dominated by the resolution limitation of lithography tools. In this paper, we adopt SADP (self-aligned double patterning) process combined with additional non-critical mask step to form 32nm hp elliptical single row dense and isolated contact holes. The CD uniformity is well controlled by SADP process, and chip size reduction is achievable by this high-density single row layout compared with interlace contact hole design. We also compared this new approach with chemical shrink process, and both the CD uniformity and resolution limit are improved. With optimized step-by-step etch process, we have successfully demonstrated the contact hole patterns on full-structure substrate. For the future application toward sub-2x nm node, this approach is also expectable with mature SADP process.
Practical solution to attitude control within wide envelope

Purpose – This paper aims to present a fast, economical and practical attitude control design approach for flight vehicles operating within wide envelopes. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a linear disturbance observer, an enhanced proportional-derivative (PD) control scheme is proposed. Utilizing the data from the onboard gyro, the observer can treat the entire response of the system, with the exception of the control term, as a disturbance, and use the estimation of the disturbance to cancel out this response and thereby to effectively simplify the control channel. Using the stability margin tester, the explicit graphical tuning rules are given in a consistent way for the longitudinal dynamics based on the induction method. Mathematical simulations are performed for a highly maneuverable flight vehicle to test the proposed method, which are compared with the traditional PD and H8 control algorithms. Findings – The proposed strategy for attitude control can be reformulated as a static-dynamic contr.
SETTING A CITY STRATEGY FOR LOW CARBON EMISSIONS: THE ROLE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

One of the European policy objectives, as envisaged by the EC Transport White Paper, is to reduce Europe’s dependence on imported oil and to cut greenhouse gas emission from transport by 20% by 2030 and by 70% until 2050 (with respect to 2008 levels). For achieving this goal, the role of integrated energy and urban mobility systems are explored as part of a city’s strategy towards sustainability (2011–2020). For developing future scenarios, we used best practice foresight analysis methods, where the desirable future relates to European policy goals. In this research, we adapt the extended metabolism model of a city developed by Newman (1999) and the material and energy flow accounting by Sheerin (2002) to assess the future role of electric vehicles, renewable energy (RE) use for mobility needs and energy efficiency increases for house holds living in the city of Aveiro, a medium-sized city of 78,450 inhabitants in Portugal. The social costs of carbon related to alternative vehicle technologies (electric vehicles) are assessed, along with the integration of RE. Several energy sources were considered: hydric, wind, solar (thermic and photovoltaic) and solid waste (incineration and biogas). A Life-Cycle Assessment analysis was performed for this estimation, where a share of 56% of RE was assumed to be achieved until 2020. It was found that each battery electric vehicle and the use of RE has an external cost associated with climate change of 0.032 €/1000 pkm in 2011 and 0.012 €/1000 pkm in 2020. For the city of Aveiro, this represents an external cost of 7094 € in terms of CO 2 related emissions in 2020. If all conventional fuelled vehicles were replaced by electric bicycles, an energy reduction of 98.1% and an emission reduction of 3893 kg CO 2eq per year (avoided CO 2eq external costs of 5.96M€) could be achieved.
Miniaturised multiband two-element coaxial continuous transverse stub antenna for satellite C-band applications

The continuous transverse stub (CTS) technology incorporates the use of coaxial lines to produce effective microwave antenna structures that radiate an omnidirectional pattern with high efficiency and low return loss. In this paper a two-element coaxial CTS antenna array is designed to operate in the C-band with improved efficiency and gain. The proposed prototype of the C-band antenna, with design operating frequencies -5.18, 6.536 and 7.42 GHz, finds numerous applications in C-band satellite communications. During simulation, the efficiency at these frequencies had been observed to be 89.5, 87.6 and 95.9% and their corresponding gains were observed to be 7.54, 5.24 and 7.51 dB, respectively. The measured results of the C-band antenna prototype for the above stated frequencies were observed to be 5.185, 6.845 and 7.313 GHz, respectively. This antenna can be used in INSAT/super extended C-band, fixed-satellite services which include space to earth, earth to space as well as mobile satellite services. The radiation of the designed structure is omnidirectional in the horizon plane, with minimum return loss. These simple and low-cost coaxial CTS structures can be adopted in wireless communication systems.
Fluoroscopic x-ray imaging with amorphous silicon thin-film arrays

The dream of an all-solid state large area x-ray image sensor with digital readout and full dynamic performance will most probably find a first realization in 2D thin-film amorphous silicon arrays. In this paper we address in particular the evaluation of the limits of the signal/noise ratio in this concept. Using small prototype detectors measurements of MTF and noise power spectra have been made as a function of x-ray dose. The results are given in terms of the detective quantum efficiency as a function of dose and spatial frequency. We further present an analysis of the different noise sources and their dependence on the detector parameters, and we provide estimates on the maximum signals that may be achieved per unit dose. The intrinsic lag of the amorphous silicon photodiodes causes a second problem area with this type of x-ray detectors. Especially in radiography/fluoroscopy mixed applications, memory effects may not be negligible.
Optic Disk and Fovea Localization in Fundus Retinal Images

Medical image analysis and processing has great significance in the field of medicine and clinical study. The retinal fundus photograph is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of various eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. A computer-aided fundus image analysis could provide an immediate detection and characterization of retinal features prior to specialist inspection. Specifically, localization of Optic Disk and fovea center is a substantial problem in ophthalmic image processing research area. This paper presents a novel method using morphological techniques and Fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) to detect Optic Disk (OD) and fovea center respectively. Here, we take the input images as green channel of RGB fundus retinal images which are resized to reduce the processing time. Resized images are preprocessed to remove noise and nonuniform illumination and morphological operations are applied to obtain the brightest part i.e OD. Fovea can be localized using the combined effect of sliding window and Fuzzy C-means Clustering techniques. KeywordsMorphological operations, Fuzzy C-Means clustering (FCM), optic disk (OD), fovea, sliding window techniques
Prospects of Automation Agents in Agribusiness (Hop Industry) Decision Support Systems Related to Production, Marketing and Education

Difficulty for decision making in modern agribusiness has increased significantly, since it involves a large number of strongly interrelated factors that affect the satisfaction of the performance criteria describing product quality, production timing and cost. In addition, decision making has to take into account regulations and restrictions concerning the safety of the personnel, the environmental protection and the energy saving. Moreover, agriculture is becoming more commercialized, as farmers are competing with other farmers all over the world. To face these challenges modern agricultural practices must be adopted; however, they require appropriately educated and informed farmers (Abdon & Raab, 2004). So, the question is how to provide the required knowledge and information to farmers, even to those without a high education level. A powerful tool to circumvent these difficulties is the technological area of agroinformatics and concerns the use of Information Management and Decision Support Systems (IMDSS). They aim to monitoring all functions of an agricultural process and facilitating decision making by proposing scenarios towards satisfying specific performance criteria and restrictions. IMDSS may perform several operations: monitoring the agricultural process, action planning and proposal of scenarios, processing of measurement data to extract information regarding the production cost and the product quality, fault diagnosis and alarm management. Decision Support Systems (DSS) have been extensively used in industrial applications to support the human-supervisor decisions regarding assurance of efficient and safe processes operation (Lambert et al., 1999; Sanchez et al., 1996). The degree of automation in decision making is the major factor of differentiation between DSS. The DSS characterized by the lower degree of automation simply facilitate decision making by offering information to the operator; in an upper stage DSS incorporate decision-making units that simply propose actions without the jurisdiction of activation. DSS classified in the highest degree of