Linear Transceiver Design for an Amplify-and-Forward Relay Based on the MBER Criterion

A design methodology based on the Minimum Bit Error Ratio (MBER) framework is proposed for a non-regenerative Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) relay-aided system to determine various linear parameters. We consider both the Relay-Destination (RD) as well as the Source-Relay-Destination (SRD) link design based on this MBER framework, including the pre-coder, the Amplify-and-Forward (AF) matrix and the equalizer matrix of our system. It has been shown in the previous literature that MBER based communication systems are capable of reducing the Bit-Error-Ratio (BER) compared to their Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE) based counterparts. We design a novel relay-aided system using various signal constellations, ranging from QPSK to the general M-QAM and M-PSK constellations. Finally, we propose its sub-optimal versions for reducing the computational complexity imposed. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme indeed achieves a significant BER reduction over the existing LMMSE scheme.

Application of Qualitative Imaging Methods to Electrical Performance-Aware Package Board Design

Package-board co-design plays a crucial role in determining the performance of high-speed systems. Although there exist several commercial solutions for electromagnetic analysis and verification, lack of Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools for SI aware design and synthesis lead to longer design cycles and non-optimal package-board interconnect geometries. In this work, the functional similarities between package-board design and radio-frequency (RF) imaging are explored. Consequently, qualitative methods common to the imaging community, like Tikhonov Regularization (TR) and Landweber method are applied to solve multi-objective, multi-variable package design problems. In addition, a new hierarchical iterative piecewise linear algorithm is developed as a wrapper over LBP for an efficient solution in the design space.

Optimal control of grinding mill circuit using model predictive static programming: A new nonlinear MPC paradigm

The recently developed reference-command tracking version of model predictive static programming (MPSP) is successfully applied to a single-stage closed grinding mill circuit. MPSP is an innovative optimal control technique that combines the philosophies of model predictive control (MPC) and approximate dynamic programming. The performance of the proposed MPSP control technique, which can be viewed as a `new paradigm' under the nonlinear MPC philosophy, is compared to the performance of a standard nonlinear MPC technique applied to the same plant for the same conditions. Results show that the MPSP control technique is more than capable of tracking the desired set-point in the presence of model-plant mismatch, disturbances and measurement noise. The performance of MPSP and nonlinear MPC compare very well, with definite advantages offered by MPSP. The computational speed of MPSP is increased through a sequence of innovations such as the conversion of the dynamic optimization problem to a low-dimensional static optimization problem, the recursive computation of sensitivity matrices and using a closed form expression to update the control. To alleviate the burden on the optimization procedure in standard MPC, the control horizon is normally restricted. However, in the MPSP technique the control horizon is extended to the prediction horizon with a minor increase in the computational time. Furthermore, the MPSP technique generally takes only a couple of iterations to converge, even when input constraints are applied. Therefore, MPSP can be regarded as a potential candidate for online applications of the nonlinear MPC philosophy to real-world industrial process plants. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational design of model Re/Ru bearing Ni-base superalloys

It is well established that Re and Ru additions to Ni-base superalloys result in improved creep performance and phase stability. However, the role of Re and Ru and their synergetic effects are not well understood, and the first step in understanding these effects is to design alloys with controlled microstructural parameters. A computational approach was undertaken in the present work for designing model alloys with varying levels of Re and Ru. Thermodynamic and first principles calculations were employed complimentarily to design a set of alloys with varying Re and Ru levels, but which were constrained by constant microstructural parameters, i.e., phase fractions and lattice misfit across the alloys. Three ternary/quaternary alloys of type Ni-Al-xRe-yRu were thus designed. These compositions were subsequently cast, homogenized and aged. Experimental results suggest that while the measured volume fraction matches the predicted value in the Ru containing alloy, volume fraction is significantly higher than the designed value in the Re containing alloys. This is possibly due to errors in the thermodynamic database used to predict phase fraction and composition. These errors are also reflected in the mismatch between predicted and measured values of misfit.

Timing Recovery Algorithms and Architectures for 2-D Magnetic Recording Systems

We investigate the problem of timing recovery for 2-D magnetic recording (TDMR) channels. We develop a timing error model for TDMR channel considering the phase and frequency offsets with noise. We propose a 2-D data-aided phase-locked loop (PLL) architecture for tracking variations in the position and movement of the read head in the down-track and cross-track directions and analyze the convergence of the algorithm under non-separable timing errors. We further develop a 2-D interpolation-based timing recovery scheme that works in conjunction with the 2-D PLL. We quantify the efficiency of our proposed algorithms by simulations over a 2-D magnetic recording channel with timing errors.

Effects of heat exchanger design on the performance of a solid state hydrogen storage device

Heat exchanger design plays a significant role in the performance of solid state hydrogen storage device. In the present study, a cylindrical hydrogen storage device with an embedded annular heat exchanger tube with radial circular copper fins, is considered. A 3-D mathematical model of the storage device is developed to investigate the sorption performance of metal hydride (MH). A prototype of the device is fabricated for 1 kg of MH alloy, LaNi5, and tested at constant supply pressure of hydrogen, validating the simulation results. Absorption characteristics of storage device have been examined by varying different operating parameters such as hydrogen supply pressure and cooling fluid temperature and velocity. Absorption process is completed in 18 min when these parameters are 15 bar, 298 K and 1 m/s respectively. A study of geometric parameters of copper fins (such as perforation, number and thickness of fin) has been carried out to investigate their effects on absorption process. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graphene oxide as an optimal candidate material for methane storage

Methane, the primary constituent of natural gas, binds too weakly to nanostructured carbons to meet the targets set for on-board vehicular storage to be viable. We show, using density functional theory calculations, that replacing graphene by graphene oxide increases the adsorption energy of methane by 50%. This enhancement is sufficient to achieve the optimal binding strength. In order to gain insight into the sources of this increased binding, that could also be used to formulate design principles for novel storage materials, we consider a sequence of model systems that progressively take us from graphene to graphene oxide. A careful analysis of the various contributions to the weak binding between the methane molecule and the graphene oxide shows that the enhancement has important contributions from London dispersion interactions as well as electrostatic interactions such as Debye interactions, aided by geometric curvature induced primarily by the presence of epoxy groups. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Direct Measurement of Three-Dimensional Forces in Atomic Force Microscopy

Direct measurement of three-dimensional (3-D) forces between an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe and the sample benefits diverse applications of AFM, including force spectroscopy, nanometrology, and manipulation. This paper presents the design and evaluation of a measurement system, wherein the deflection of the AFM probe is obtained at two points to enable direct measurement of all the three components of 3-D tip-sample forces in real time. The optimal locations for measurement of deflection on the probe are derived for a conventional AFM probe. Further, a new optimal geometry is proposed for the probe that enables measurement of 3-D forces with identical sensitivity and nearly identical resolution along all three axes. Subsequently, the designed measurement system and the optimized AFM probe are both fabricated and evaluated. The evaluation demonstrates accurate measurement of tip-sample forces with minimal cross-sensitivities. Finally, the real-time measurement system is employed as part of a feedback control system to regulate the normal component of the interaction force, and to perform force-controlled scribing of a groove on the surface of polymethyl methacrylate.

An Unbiased Risk Estimator for Multiplicative Noise - Application to 1-D Signal Denoising

The effect of multiplicative noise on a signal when compared with that of additive noise is very large. In this paper, we address the problem of suppressing multiplicative noise in one-dimensional signals. To deal with signals that are corrupted with multiplicative noise, we propose a denoising algorithm based on minimization of an unbiased estimator (MURE) of meansquare error (MSE). We derive an expression for an unbiased estimate of the MSE. The proposed denoising is carried out in wavelet domain (soft thresholding) by considering time-domain MURE. The parameters of thresholding function are obtained by minimizing the unbiased estimator MURE. We show that the parameters for optimal MURE are very close to the optimal parameters considering the oracle MSE. Experiments show that the SNR improvement for the proposed denoising algorithm is competitive with a state-of-the-art method.

Part II: Design of Well Doping Profile for Improved Breakdown and Mixed-Signal Performance of STI-Type DePMOS Device

Shallow-trench isolation drain extended pMOS (STI-DePMOS) devices show a distinct two-stage breakdown. The impact of p-well and deep-n-well doping profile on breakdown characteristics is investigated based on TCAD simulations. Design guidelines for p-well and deep-n-well doping profile are developed to shift the onset of the first-stage breakdown to a higher drain voltage and to avoid vertical punch-through leading to early breakdown. An optimal ratio between the OFF-state breakdown voltage and the ON-state resistance could be obtained. Furthermore, the impact of p-well/deep-n-well doping profile on the figure of merits of analog and digital performance is studied. This paper aids in the design of STI drain extended MOSFET devices for widest safe operating area and optimal mixed-signal performance in advanced system-on-chip input-output process technologies.

Physical constraints, fundamental limits, and optimal locus of operating points for an inverted pendulum based actuated dynamic walker

The inverted pendulum is a popular model for describing bipedal dynamic walking. The operating point of the walker can be specified by the combination of initial mid-stance velocity (v(0)) and step angle (phi(m)) chosen for a given walk. In this paper, using basic mechanics, a framework of physical constraints that limit the choice of operating points is proposed. The constraint lines thus obtained delimit the allowable region of operation of the walker in the v(0)-phi(m) plane. A given average forward velocity v(x,) (avg) can be achieved by several combinations of v(0) and phi(m). Only one of these combinations results in the minimum mechanical power consumption and can be considered the optimum operating point for the given v(x, avg). This paper proposes a method for obtaining this optimal operating point based on tangency of the power and velocity contours. Putting together all such operating points for various v(x, avg,) a family of optimum operating points, called the optimal locus, is obtained. For the energy loss and internal energy models chosen, the optimal locus obtained has a largely constant step angle with increasing speed but tapers off at non-dimensional speeds close to unity.

A comparative phase 1 clinical trial to identify anti-infective mechanisms of vitamin D in people with HIV infection

Objectives:To determine if there is a biological mechanism that explains the association between HIV disease progression and increased mortality with low circulating vitamin D levels; specifically, to determine if restoring vitamin D levels induced T-cell functional changes important for antiviral immunity.Design:This was a pilot, open-label, three-arm prospective phase 1 study.Methods:We recruited 28 patients with low plasma vitamin D (<50nmol/l 25-hydroxyvitamin D3), comprising 17 HIV+ patients (11 on HAART, six treatment-naive) and 11 healthy controls, who received a single dose of 200000IU oral cholecalciferol. Advanced T-cell flow cytometry methods measured CD4(+) T-cell function associated with viral control in blood samples at baseline and 1-month after vitamin D supplementation.Results:One month of vitamin D supplementation restored plasma levels to sufficiency (>75nmol/l) in 27 of 28 patients, with no safety issues. The most striking change was in HIV+ HAART+ patients, where increased frequencies of antigen-specific T cells expressing macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 - an important anti-HIV blocking chemokine - were observed, with a concomitant increase in plasma MIP-1, both of which correlated significantly with vitamin D levels. In addition, plasma cathelicidin - a vitamin D response gene with broad antimicrobial activity - was enhanced.Conclusion:Vitamin D supplementation modulates disease-relevant T-cell functions in HIV-infected patients, and may represent a useful adjunct to HAART therapy. Copyright (C) 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Campaigning in Heterogeneous Social Networks: Optimal Control of SI Information Epidemics

We study the optimal control problem of maximizing the spread of an information epidemic on a social network. Information propagation is modeled as a susceptible-infected (SI) process, and the campaign budget is fixed. Direct recruitment and word-of-mouth incentives are the two strategies to accelerate information spreading (controls). We allow for multiple controls depending on the degree of the nodes/individuals. The solution optimally allocates the scarce resource over the campaign duration and the degree class groups. We study the impact of the degree distribution of the network on the controls and present results for Erdos-Renyi and scale-free networks. Results show that more resource is allocated to high-degree nodes in the case of scale-free networks, but medium-degree nodes in the case of Erdos-Renyi networks. We study the effects of various model parameters on the optimal strategy and quantify the improvement offered by the optimal strategy over the static and bang-bang control strategies. The effect of the time-varying spreading rate on the controls is explored as the interest level of the population in the subject of the campaign may change over time. We show the existence of a solution to the formulated optimal control problem, which has nonlinear isoperimetric constraints, using novel techniques that is general and can be used in other similar optimal control problems. This work may be of interest to political, social awareness, or crowdfunding campaigners and product marketing managers, and with some modifications may be used for mitigating biological epidemics.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR DIRECT SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE RECEIVER DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING

This paper establishes the design requirements for the development and testing of direct supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) solar receivers. Current design considerations are based on the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). Section I (BPVC) considers typical boilers/superheaters (i.e. fired pressure vessels) which work under a constant low heat flux. Section VIII (BPVC) considers pressure vessels with operating pressures above 15 psig 2 bar] (i.e. unfired pressure vessels). Section III, Division I - Subsection NH (BPVC) considers a more detailed stress calculation, compared to Section I and Section VIII, and requires a creep-fatigue analysis. The main drawback from using the BPVC exclusively is the large safety requirements developed for nuclear power applications. As a result, a new set of requirements is needed to perform detailed thermal-structural analyses of solar thermal receivers subjected to a spatially-varying, high-intensity heat flux. The last design requirements document of this kind was an interim Sandia report developed in 1979 (SAND79-8183), but it only addresses some of the technical challenges in early-stage steam and molten-salt solar receivers but not the use of sCO2 receivers. This paper presents a combination of the ASME BPVC and ASME B31.1 Code modified appropriately to achieve the reliability requirements in sCO(2) solar power systems. There are five main categories in this requirements document: Operation and Safety, Materials and Manufacturing, Instrumentation, Maintenance and Environmental, and General requirements. This paper also includes the modeling guidelines and input parameters required in computational fluid dynamics and structural analyses utilizing ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS Mechanical, and nCode Design Life. The main purpose of this document is to serve as a reference and guideline for design and testing requirements, as well as to address the technical challenges and provide initial parameters for the computational models that will be employed for the development of sCO(2) receivers.