Losses in self-oscillating ballasts for electrode-type compact fluorescent lamps

Commercially available integrated compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use self-resonant ballasts on grounds of simplicity and cost. To understand how to improve ballast efficiency, it is necessary to quantify the losses. The losses occurring in these ballasts have been directly measured using a precision mini-calorimeter. In addition, a Pspice model has been used to simulate the performance of an 18 W integrated CFL. The lamp has been represented by a behavioural model and Jiles-Atherton equations were used to model the current transformer core. The total loss is in close agreement with measurements from the mini-calorimeter, confirming the accuracy of the model. The total loss was then disaggregated into component losses by simulation, showing that the output inductor is the primary source of loss, followed by the inverter switches. © 2011 The Institution of Engineering and Technology.

A vertically aligned carbon nanotube/fiber based electrode for economic hydrogen production by water electrolysis

Electrolysis is the most mature form of hydrogen production. Unfortunately, water electrolysis has not yet achieved the efficiency and the cost levels required for any practical application. In order to enhance the current density, modification of the electrolyte and the electrode morphology are the most popular approaches. Recently there have been numerous reports on how to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production by water splitting [1-3]. On the electrode side, the use of non-platinum high efficiency electrode materials for water splitting will provide a promising future for the hydrogen economy. An ideal electrode for water electrolysis should have good permeability to water and gas. It should also offer good electrical properties with a long life. A porous graphite plate, when coated with titania, for example, is known to provide a simple and economical electrode for water electrolysis [4]. © 2010 IEEE.

Optimization of nanotube electrode geometry in a liquid crystal media from wavefront aberrations

This paper presents experimental optimization of number and geometry of nanotube electrodes in a liquid crystal media from wavefront aberrations for realizing nanophotonic devices. The refractive-index gradient profiles from different nanotube geometries-arrays of one, three, four, and five-were studied along with wavefront aberrations using Zernike polynomials. The optimizations help the device to make application in the areas of voltage reconfigurable microlens arrays, high-resolution displays, wavefront sensors, holograms, and phase modulators. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

Fabrication of carbon nanotubes on inter-digitated metal electrode for switchable nanophotonic devices

This paper reports the modeling and characterization of interdigitated rows of carbon nanotube electrodes used to address a liquid crystal media. Finite Element Method modeling of the nanotube arrays was performed to analyze the static electric Fields produced to Find suitable electrode geometry. A device was fabricated based on the simulation results and electro optics characteristics of the device are presented. This Finding has applications in the development of micron and submicron pixels, precise beem steering and nanotube based active back planes.

Microfabrication of electrode patterns for high-frequency ultrasound transducer arrays.

High-frequency ultrasound is needed for medical imaging with high spatial resolution. A key issue in the development of ultrasound imaging arrays to operate at high frequencies (≥30 MHz) is the need for photolithographic patterning of array electrodes. To achieve this directly on 1-3 piezocomposite, the material requires not only planar, parallel, and smooth surfaces, but also an epoxy composite filler that is resistant to chemicals, heat, and vacuum. This paper reports, first, on the surface finishing of 1-3 piezocomposite materials by lapping and polishing. Excellent surface flatness has been obtained, with an average surface roughness of materials as low as 3 nm and step heights between ceramic/polymer of ∼80 nm. Subsequently, high-frequency array elements were patterned directly on top of these surfaces using a photolithography process. A 30-MHz linear array electrode pattern with 50-μm element pitch has been patterned on the lapped and polished surface of a high-frequency 1-3 piezocomposite. Excellent electrode edge definition and electrical contact to the composite were obtained. The composite has been lapped to a final thickness of ∼55 μm. Good adhesion of electrodes on the piezocomposite has been achieved and electrical impedance measurements have demonstrated their basic functionality. The array was then packaged, and acoustic pulse-echo measurements were performed. These results demonstrate that direct patterning of electrodes by photolithography on 1-3 piezocomposite is feasible for fabrication of high-frequency ultrasound arrays. Furthermore, this method is more conducive to mass production than other reported array fabrication techniques.

Graphene-passivated nickel as an oxidation-resistant electrode for spintronics.

We report on graphene-passivated ferromagnetic electrodes (GPFE) for spin devices. GPFE are shown to act as spin-polarized oxidation-resistant electrodes. The direct coating of nickel with few layer graphene through a readily scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process allows the preservation of an unoxidized nickel surface upon air exposure. Fabrication and measurement of complete reference tunneling spin valve structures demonstrate that the GPFE is maintained as a spin polarizer and also that the presence of the graphene coating leads to a specific sign reversal of the magneto-resistance. Hence, this work highlights a novel oxidation-resistant spin source which further unlocks low cost wet chemistry processes for spintronics devices.

Transparent nanostructured electrode by centrifuge coating

We employ a new solution-based coating process, centrifuge coating, to fabricate nanostructured conductive layers over large areas. This coating procedure allows fast quenching of the metastable dispersed state of nanomaterials, which minimizes material wastes by mitigate the effects of particle re-aggregation. Using this method, we fabricate SWNT coatings on different substrates such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane), and an acrylic elastomer. The effects of the choice of solvents on the morphology and subsequent performance of the coating network are studied. © 2012 IEEE.

Enzyme-free glucose biosensor based on low density CNT forest grown directly on a Si/SiO2 substrate

A highly sensitive nonenzymatic amperometric glucose sensor was fabricated by using Ni nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed within and on the top of a vertically aligned CNT forest (CNT/Ni nanocomposite sensor), which was directly grown on a Si/SiO2 substrate. The surface morphology and elemental analysis were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to evaluate the catalytic activities of CNT/Ni electrode. The CNT/Ni nanocomposite sensor exhibited a great enhancement of anodic peak current after adding 5 mM glucose in alkaline solution. The sensor can also be applied to the quantification of glucose content with a linear range covering from 5 μM to 7 mM, a high sensitivity of 1433 μA mM-1 cm-2, and a low detection limit of 2 μM. The CNT/Ni nanocomposite sensor exhibits good reproducibility and long-term stability, moreover, it was also relatively insensitive to commonly interfering species, such as uric acid, ascorbic acid, acetaminophen, sucrose and d-fructose. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

2-Scale topography dry electrode for biopotential measurements.

The design and fabrication of a novel 2-scale topography dry electrode using macro and micro needles is presented. The macro needles enable biopotential measurements on hairy skin, the function of the micro needles is to decrease the electrode impedance even further by penetrating the outer skin layer. Also, a fast and reliable impedance characterization protocol is described. Based on this impedance measurement protocol, a comparison study is made between our dry electrode, 3 other commercial dry electrodes and a standard wet gel electrode. Promising results are already obtained with our electrodes which do not have skin piercing micro needles. For the proposed electrodes, three different conductive coatings (Ag/AgCl/Au) are compared. AgCl is found to be slightly better than Ag as coating material, while our Au coated electrodes have the highest impedance.

Free space communications with beam steering a two-electrode tapered laser diode using liquid-crystal slm

A free space optical wireless communication system with 3 degree angular coverage and 1.25 GHz modulation bandwidth is reported, in which relatively narrow laser beam of a simultaneous high power, high modulation speed and ultra high modulation efficiency directly modulated two-electrode tapered laser diode is steered using a nematic phase-only Liquid-Crystal On Silicon Spatial Light Modulator (LCOS SLM) by displaying reconfigurable 256 phase level gratings. © 1983-2012 IEEE.