Proposal for Graphene-Boron Nitride Heterobilayer-Based Tunnel FET

We investigate the gate-controlled direct band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) current in a graphene-boron nitride (G-BN) heterobilayer channel-based tunnel field effect transistor. We first study the imaginary band structure of hexagonal and Bernal-stacked heterobilayers by density functional theory, which is then used to evaluate the gate-controlled current under the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation. It is shown that the direct BTBT is probable for a certain interlayer spacing of the G-BN which depends on the stacking orders.

Group testing based spectrum hole search using a simple sub-nyquist sampling scheme

In this paper, we consider the problem of finding a spectrum hole of a specified bandwidth in a given wide band of interest. We propose a new, simple and easily implementable sub-Nyquist sampling scheme for signal acquisition and a spectrum hole search algorithm that exploits sparsity in the primary spectral occupancy in the frequency domain by testing a group of adjacent subbands in a single test. The sampling scheme deliberately introduces aliasing during signal acquisition, resulting in a signal that is the sum of signals from adjacent sub-bands. Energy-based hypothesis tests are used to provide an occupancy decision over the group of subbands, and this forms the basis of the proposed algorithm to find contiguous spectrum holes. We extend this framework to a multi-stage sensing algorithm that can be employed in a variety of spectrum sensing scenarios, including non-contiguous spectrum hole search. Further, we provide the analytical means to optimize the hypothesis tests with respect to the detection thresholds, number of samples and group size to minimize the detection delay under a given error rate constraint. Depending on the sparsity and SNR, the proposed algorithms can lead to significantly lower detection delays compared to a conventional bin-by-bin energy detection scheme; the latter is in fact a special case of the group test when the group size is set to 1. We validate our analytical results via Monte Carlo simulations.

Small-scale mechanical testing of materials

Small-scale mechanical testing of materials has gained prominence in the last decade or so due to the continuous miniaturization of components and devices in everyday application. This review describes the various micro-fabrication processes associated with the preparation of miniaturized specimens, geometries of test specimens and the small scale testing techniques used to determine the mechanical behaviour of materials at the length scales of a few hundred micro-meters and below. This is followed by illustrative examples in a selected class of materials. The choice of the case studies is based on the relevance of the materials used in today's world: evaluation of mechanical properties of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), applied for enhanced high temperature protection of advanced gas turbine engine components, is essential since its failure by fracture leads to the collapse of the engine system. Si-based substrates, though brittle, are indispensible for MEMS/NEMS applications. Biological specimens, whose response to mechanical loads is important to ascertain their role in diseases and to mimic their structure for attaining high fracture toughness and impact resistance. An insight into the mechanisms behind the observed size effects in metallic systems can be exploited to achieve excellent strength at the nano-scale. A future outlook of where all this is heading is also presented.

In situ approach for testing the enantiopurity of chiral amines and amino alcohols by H-1 NMR

An in situ approach involving a simple mix and shake method for testing the enantiopurity of primary, secondary and tertiary chiral amines and their derivatives, chiral amino alcohols, by H-1-NMR spectroscopy is developed. The protocol involves the in situ formation of chiral ammonium borate salt from a mixture of C-2 symmetric chiral BINOL, trialkoxyborane and chiral amines. The proposed concept was demonstrated convincingly on a large number of chiral and pro-chiral amines and amino alcohols, and also aids the precise measurement of enantiomeric excess. The protocol can be completed in a couple of minutes directly in the NMR sample tube, without the need for any physical separation.

Nonequilibrium noise in electrophoresis: The microion wind

A colloid supported against gravitational settling by means of an imposed electric field behaves, on average, as if it is at equilibrium in a confining potential T. M. Squires, J. Fluid Mech. 443, 403 (2001)]. We show, however, that the effective Langevin equation for the colloid contains a nonequilibrium noise source, proportional to the field, arising from the thermal motion of dissolved ions. The position fluctuations of the colloid show strong, experimentally testable signatures of nonequilibrium behavior, including a highly anisotropic, frequency-dependent ``effective temperature'' obtained from the fluctuation-dissipation ratio.

Studies on an improved indigenous pressure wave generator and its testing with a pulse tube cooler

Earlier version of an indigenously developed Pressure Wave Generator (PWG) could not develop the necessary pressure ratio to satisfactorily operate a pulse tube cooler, largely due to high blow by losses in the piston cylinder seal gap and due to a few design deficiencies. Effect of different parameters like seal gap, piston diameter, piston stroke, moving mass and the piston back volume on the performance is studied analytically. Modifications were done to the PWG based on analysis and the performance is experimentally measured. A significant improvement in PWG performance is seen as a result of the modifications. The improved PWG is tested with the same pulse tube cooler but with different inertance tube configurations. A no load temperature of 130 K is achieved with an inertance tube configuration designed using Sage software. The delivered PV power is estimated to be 28.4 W which can produce a refrigeration of about 1 W at 80 K.

Bayesian Accelerated Life Testing under Competing Weibull Causes of Failure

Consider a J-component series system which is put on Accelerated Life Test (ALT) involving K stress variables. First, a general formulation of ALT is provided for log-location-scale family of distributions. A general stress translation function of location parameter of the component log-lifetime distribution is proposed which can accommodate standard ones like Arrhenius, power-rule, log-linear model, etc., as special cases. Later, the component lives are assumed to be independent Weibull random variables with a common shape parameter. A full Bayesian methodology is then developed by letting only the scale parameters of the Weibull component lives depend on the stress variables through the general stress translation function. Priors on all the parameters, namely the stress coefficients and the Weibull shape parameter, are assumed to be log-concave and independent of each other. This assumption is to facilitate Gibbs sampling from the joint posterior. The samples thus generated from the joint posterior is then used to obtain the Bayesian point and interval estimates of the system reliability at usage condition.

Time-Optimal Convergence to a Rectilinear Path in the Presence of Wind

This paper considers the problem of determining the time-optimal path of a fixed-wing Miniature Air Vehicle (MAV), in the presence of wind. The MAV, which is subject to a bounded turn rate, is required to eventually converge to a straight line starting from a known initial position and orientation. Earlier work in the literature uses Pontryagin's Minimum Principle (PMP) to solve this problem only for the no-wind case. In contrast, the present work uses a geometric approach to solve the problem completely in the presence of wind. In addition, it also shows how PMP can be used to partially solve the problem. Using a 6-DOF model of a MAV the generated optimal path is tracked by an autopilot consisting of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers. The simulation results show the path generation and tracking for cases with steady and time-varying wind. Some issues on real-time path planning are also addressed.

Bayesian Accelerated Life Testing under Competing Weibull Causes of Failure

Consider a J-component series system which is put on Accelerated Life Test (ALT) involving K stress variables. First, a general formulation of ALT is provided for log-location-scale family of distributions. A general stress translation function of location parameter of the component log-lifetime distribution is proposed which can accommodate standard ones like Arrhenius, power-rule, log-linear model, etc., as special cases. Later, the component lives are assumed to be independent Weibull random variables with a common shape parameter. A full Bayesian methodology is then developed by letting only the scale parameters of the Weibull component lives depend on the stress variables through the general stress translation function. Priors on all the parameters, namely the stress coefficients and the Weibull shape parameter, are assumed to be log-concave and independent of each other. This assumption is to facilitate Gibbs sampling from the joint posterior. The samples thus generated from the joint posterior is then used to obtain the Bayesian point and interval estimates of the system reliability at usage condition.

Stability of a circular tunnel in presence of pseudostatic seismic body forces

The stability of a long circular tunnel in a cohesive frictional soil medium has been determined in the presence of horizontal pseudo-static seismic body forces. The tunnel is supported by means of lining and anchorage system which is assumed to exert uniform internal compressive normal pressure on its periphery. The upper bound finite element limit analysis has been performed to compute the magnitude of the internal compressive pressure required to support the tunnel. The results have been presented in terms of normalized compressive normal stress, defined in terms of sigma(i)/c; where sigma(i) is the magnitude of the compressive normal pressure on the periphery of the tunnel and c refers to soil cohesion. The variation of sigma(i)/c with horizontal earthquake acceleration coefficient (alpha(h)) has been established for different combinations of H/D, gamma D/c and phi where (i) H and D refers to tunnel cover and diameter, respectively, and (ii) gamma and phi correspond to unit weight and internal friction angle of soil mass, respectively. Nodal velocity patterns have also been plotted for assessing the zones of significant plastic deformation. The analysis clearly reveals that an increase in the magnitude of the earthquake acceleration leads to a significant increment in the magnitude of internal compressive pressure. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shock tunnel experiments on control of shock induced large separation bubble using boundary layer bleed

Shock-Boundary Layer Interaction (SBLI) often occurs in supersonic/hypersonic flow fields. Especially when accompanied by separation (termed strong interaction), the SBLI phenomena largely affect the performance of the systems where they occur, such as scramjet intakes, thus often demanding the control of the interaction. Experiments on the strong interaction between impinging shock wave and boundary layer on a flat plate at Mach 5.96 are carried out in IISc hypersonic shock tunnel HST-2. The experiments are performed at moderate flow total enthalpy of 1.3 MJ/kg and freestream Reynolds number of 4 million/m. The strong shock generated by a wedge (or shock generator) of large angle 30.96 degrees to the freestream is made to impinge on the flat plate at 95 mm (inviscid estimate) from the leading edge, due to which a large separation bubble of length (75 mm) comparable to the distance of shock impingement from the leading edge is generated. The experimental simulation of such large separation bubble with separation occurring close to the leading edge, and its control using boundary layer bleed (suction and tangential blowing) at the location of separation, are demonstrated within the short test time of the shock tunnel (similar to 600 mu s) from time resolved schlieren flow visualizations and surface pressure measurements. By means of suction - with mass flow rate one order less than the mass flow defect in boundary layer - a reduction in separation length by 13.33% was observed. By the injection of an array of (nearly) tangential jets in the direction of mainstream (from the bottom of the plate) at the location of separation - with momentum flow rate one order less than the boundary layer momentum flow defect - 20% reduction in separation length was observed, although the flow field was apparently unsteady. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Coordination of Reactive Power in Grid-Connected Wind Farms for Voltage Stability Enhancement

This paper studies the feasibility of utilizing the reactive power of grid-connected variable-speed wind generators to enhance the steady-state voltage stability margin of the system. Allowing wind generators to work at maximum reactive power limit may cause the system to operate near the steady-state stability limit, which is undesirable. This necessitates proper coordination of reactive power output of wind generators with other reactive power controllers in the grid. This paper presents a trust region framework for coordinating reactive output of wind generators-with other reactive sources for voltage stability enhancement. Case studies on 418-bus equivalent system of Indian southern grid indicates the effectiveness of proposed methodology in enhancing the steady-state voltage stability margin.

Random vibration testing with controlled samples

This paper proposes a novel experimental test procedure to estimate the reliability of structural dynamical systems under excitations specified via random process models. The samples of random excitations to be used in the test are modified by the addition of an artificial control force. An unbiased estimator for the reliability is derived based on measured ensemble of responses under these modified inputs based on the tenets of Girsanov transformation. The control force is selected so as to reduce the sampling variance of the estimator. The study observes that an acceptable choice for the control force can be made solely based on experimental techniques and the estimator for the reliability can be deduced without taking recourse to mathematical model for the structure under study. This permits the proposed procedure to be applied in the experimental study of time-variant reliability of complex structural systems that are difficult to model mathematically. Illustrative example consists of a multi-axes shake table study on bending-torsion coupled, geometrically non-linear, five-storey frame under uni/bi-axial, non-stationary, random base excitation. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Group Testing-Based Spectrum Hole Search for Cognitive Radios

This paper investigates the use of adaptive group testing to find a spectrum hole of a specified bandwidth in a given wideband of interest. We propose a group testing-based spectrum hole search algorithm that exploits sparsity in the primary spectral occupancy by testing a group of adjacent subbands in a single test. This is enabled by a simple and easily implementable sub-Nyquist sampling scheme for signal acquisition by the cognitive radios (CRs). The sampling scheme deliberately introduces aliasing during signal acquisition, resulting in a signal that is the sum of signals from adjacent subbands. Energy-based hypothesis tests are used to provide an occupancy decision over the group of subbands, and this forms the basis of the proposed algorithm to find contiguous spectrum holes of a specified bandwidth. We extend this framework to a multistage sensing algorithm that can be employed in a variety of spectrum sensing scenarios, including noncontiguous spectrum hole search. Furthermore, we provide the analytical means to optimize the group tests with respect to the detection thresholds, number of samples, group size, and number of stages to minimize the detection delay under a given error probability constraint. Our analysis allows one to identify the sparsity and SNR regimes where group testing can lead to significantly lower detection delays compared with a conventional bin-by-bin energy detection scheme; the latter is, in fact, a special case of the group test when the group size is set to 1 bin. We validate our analytical results via Monte Carlo simulations.