A Novel Bandwidth Enhancement Technique for Cascode Amplifier

In this paper, a new technique is presented to increase the bandwidth for a single stage amplifier. Usually, -3 dB bandwidth of single stage amplifier is in few MHz. High output impedance and subsequent capacitive loading decrease the bandwidth of amplifier. The presented technique uses a load which itself acts as bandwidth enhancer. This high speed amplifier is designed on 180 nm CMOS technology, operates at 2.5 V power supply. This amplifier is succeeded by an output buffer to achieve a better linearity, high output swing and required output impedance for matching.

RF performance of a 418-MHz radio telemeter packaged for human vaginal placement

The electrical and communication performance of a 0.8-mu W UHF temperature telemeter designed for human vaginal placement is discussed; a solenoidal loop antenna was used, occupying a volume of 0.1 cm(3). In situ, measured power absorption was between 19-25 dB, resulting in an effective operating range of 10 m. Capacitive loading lowered the antenna's resonant frequency by 1.4% and there was a significant polarization change in the radiated output.

Compact Uniplanar Antenna for Multiband Applications

A dual band RFID applications in 800 900 MHz and 2400 MHz band is presented. The Asymmetric Coplanar Strip (ACS) fed antenna consists of inverted L shaped monopole with a capacitive loading to provide necessary impedance matching and current distribution. The antenna has wide bandwidth from 790 MHz tol050 MHz and from 2350 MHz to 2640 MHz coving the RFID UHF and Microwave frequencies. The uniplanar antenna having overall dimensions of 48 mm x 14 mm is printed on one side of a substrate of dielectric constant 4.4 and height 1.6 mm.

Structure and capacitive properties of porous nanocrystalline VN produced by NH3 reduction of V2O5

Vanadium nitride (VN) is currently one of the most promising materials for electrodes of supercapacitors. The structure and electrochemical properties of VN synthesized by temperature-programmed NH₃ reduction of V₂O₅ are analyzed in this paper. Vanadium nitride produced via this route has distinctive structural characteristics. VN mimics the shape of the initial V₂O₅ precursor indicating a pronounced direct attachment of nitride grains. The particles have domains of grains with a preferential orientation (texture). The large volume of pores in VN is represented by the range of 15−110 nm. VN demonstrates capacitive properties in three different types of aqueous electrolytes, 1 M KOH, 1 M H₂SO₄, and 3 M NaCl. The material has an acceptable rate capability in all electrolytes, showing about 80% of its maximal capacitance at a current load of 1 A/g in galvanostatic charging/discharging experiments. The capacitance of 186 F/g is observed in 1 M KOH electrolyte at 1 A/g. The previously reported negative effect of material loading on the capacitance is significantly suppressed. The observed electrochemical characteristics related to the application of this material in supercapacitors can be correlated with the crystalline structure of the nitride and the composition of its surface layer.

Response and damage evaluation of reinforced concrete frames subjected to blast loading

Bomb attacks carried out by terrorists, targeting high occupancy buildings, have become increasingly common in recent times. Large numbers of casualties and property damage result from overpressure of the blast followed by failing of structural elements. Understanding the blast response of multi-storey buildings and evaluating their remaining life have therefore become important. Response and damage analysis of single structural components, such as columns or slabs, to explosive loads have been examined in the literature, but the studies on blast response and damage analysis of structural frames in multi-storey buildings is limited and this is necessary for assessing the vulnerability of them. This paper investigates the blast response and damage evaluation of reinforced concrete (RC) frames, designed for normal gravity loads, in order to evaluate their remaining life. Numerical modelling and analysis were carried out using the explicit finite element software, LS DYNA. The modelling and analysis takes into consideration reinforcement details together and material performance under higher strain rates. Damage indices for columns are calculated based on their residual and original capacities. Numerical results generated in the can be used to identify relationships between the blast load parameters and the column damage. Damage index curve will provide a simple means for assessing the damage to a typical multi-storey building RC frame under an external bomb circumstance.

Damage propagation in reinforced concrete frames under external blast loading

Iconic and significant buildings are the common target of bombings by terrorists causing large numbers of casualties and extensive property damage. Recent incidents were external bomb attacks on multi-storey buildings with reinforced concrete frames. Under a blast load circumstance, crucial damage initiates at low level storeys in a building and may then lead to a progressive collapse of whole or part of the structure. It is therefore important to identify the critical initial influence regions along the height, width and depth of the building exposed to blast effects and the structure response in order to assess the vulnerability of the structure to disproportionate and progressive collapse. This paper discusses the blast response and the propagation of its effects on a two dimensional reinforced concrete (RC) frame, designed to withstand normal gravity loads. The explicit finite element code, LS DYNA is used for the analysis. A complete RC portal frame seven storeys by six bays is modelled with reinforcement details and appropriate materials to simulate strain rate effects. Explosion loads derived from standard manuals are applied as idealized triangular pressures on the column faces of the numerical models. The analysis reports the influence of blast propagation as displacements and material yielding of the structural elements in the RC frame. The effected regions are identified and classified according to the load cases. This information can be used to determine the vulnerability of multi-storey RC buildings to various external explosion scenarios and designing buildings to resist blast loads.

Fall of a transfemoral amputee fitted with osseointegrated fixation : loading impact on residuum

This study presented the characteristics of the loading impact on the residuum of a transfemoral amputee fitted with an osseointegrated fixation during a fall for the first time. The maximum force (1,145 N = 132 % of the body weight and moments (153 N.m) were applied on the long and medio-lateral axes, respectively, approximately 0.85 s after heel contact of the prosthesis.

Loading applied on prosthetic knee of transfemoral amputee: comparison of inverse dynamics and direct measurements

Inverse dynamics is the most comprehensive method that gives access to the net joint forces and moments during walking. However it is based on assumptions (i.e., rigid segments linked by ideal joints) and it is known to be sensitive to the input data (e.g., kinematic derivatives, positions of joint centres and centre of pressure, inertial parameters). Alternatively, transducers can be used to measure directly the load applied on the residuum of transfemoral amputees. So, the purpose of this study was to compare the forces and moments applied on a prosthetic knee measured directly with the ones calculated by three inverse dynamics computations - corresponding to 3 and 2 segments, and « ground reaction vector technique » - during the gait of one patient. The maximum RMSEs between the estimated and directly measured forces (i.e., 56 N) and moment (i.e., 5 N.m) were relatively small. However the dynamic outcomes of the prosthetic components (i.e., absorption of the foot, friction and limit stop of the knee) were only partially assessed with inverse dynamic methods.