A 1V,156.7μW,65.9dB Rail-to-Rail Operational Amplifier by Means of Negative Resistance Load and Replica-Amplifier Gain Enhancement

A low-voltage, low-power, and high-gain rail-to-rail operational amplifier （OpAmp） is presented. The replica-amplifier gain enhancement technique is applied to improve the DC gain of the amplifier, which does not degrade the output swing and is very suitable for low-voltage applications. In a 0. 18/μm standard CMOS process,a 1V OpAmp with rail-to-rail output is designed. For a load capacitance of 5 pF,simulation by HSPICE shows that this OpAmp achieves an effective open-loop DC gain of 65. 9dB,gain bandwidth of 70.28 MHz,and phase margin of 50 with a quiescent power dissipation of 156.7μW.

Calibration of LRFD Format for Steel Jacket OffshorePlatform in China Offshore Area(2): Load, Resistance and Load Combination Factors

Adopting the load and resistance factor design format, the design method for steel jaeket platform structures is developed. Firstly, the limit state equations and design format for steel jacket platform structures are introduced. Then, the ratio of live load effect to dead load effect is estimated. The target reliabilities for design of offshore structures in China offshore area are calibrated by past practice in API RP2A-WSD code. The load and resistance factors are optimized by minimizing the difference within the target reliability and the resulting reliability over the range of load effect ratios. Considering the concurrence of different loads, load combination factors are obtained through an optimization process, and the relation between the load combination factor and load correlation coefficient is established. Finally, the design formulae for steel jacket structures in China offshore area are recommended.

Reliability-Based Load and Resistance Factors Design for Offshore Jacket Platforms in the Bohai Bay:Calibration on Design Factors

For the fulfillment of the probability-based structural design for the offshore jacket platforms in the Bohai Bay, the design factors of loads, resistance and load combinations are much necessary to be calibrated according to the proposed target reliability index. Firstly, the limit states function for the offshore jacket platforms is introduced. Then, four approaches to calibrate the factors of load and resistance are presented and compared. Afterwards, the methods to calibrate the load combination factors are developed. Finally, the factors of load, resistance and load combination for the offshore jacket platforms in the Bohai Bay are calibrated and the corresponding design formulae are recommended. The results are proved to be rational in practice, and also illustrate that the proposed target reliability index for offshore jacket platforms in the Bohai Bay is also appropriate.

Determination of conditions for stable operation of induction motor resistance load using load flow and fuzzy techniques

Discusses the significance of induction motor constant resistance (IM R) load on the lower part of the PV curve of a power system and determines the conditions for stable operation of IM R load using fuzzy techniques and load flow.

Experimental Study on the Performance of ORC System Based on Ultra-Low Temperature Heat Sources

This paper discussed the experimental results of the performance of an organic Rankine cycle(ORC)system with an ultra-low temperature heat source.The low boiling point working medium R134a was adopted in the system.The simulated heat source temperature(SHST)in this work was set from 39.51°C to 48.60°C by the simulated heat source module.The influence of load percentage of simulated heat source(LPSHS)between 50%and 70%,the rotary valve opening(RVO)between 20%and 100%,the resistive load between 36Ωand 180Ωor the no-load of the generator,as well as the autumn and winter ambient temperature on the system performance were studied.The results showed that the stability of the system was promoted when the generator had a resistive load.The power generation(PG)and generator speed(GS)of the system in autumn were better than in winter,but the expander pressure ratio(EPR)was lower than in winter.Keep RVO unchanged,the SHST,the mass flow rate(MFR)of the working medium,GS,and the PG of the system increased with the increasing of LPSHS for different generator resistance load values.When the RVO was 60%,LPSHS was 70%,the SHST was 44.15°C and the resistive load was 72Ω,the highest PG reached 15.11 W.Finally,a simulation formula was obtained for LPSHS,resistance load,and PG,and its correlation coefficient was between 0.9818 and 0.9901.The formula can accurately predict the PG.The experimental results showed that the standard deviation between the experimental and simulated values was below 0.0792,and the relative error was within±5%.

Compression Sensibility of Magnetic-concentrated Fly Ash Mortar under Uniaxial Loading

The electrical conductivity, compression sensibility, workability and cost are factors that affect the application of conductive smart materials in civil structures. Consequently, the resistance and compression sensibility of magnetic-concentrated fly ash （MCFA） mortar were investigated using two electrode method, and the difference of compression sensibility between MCFA mortar and carbon fiber reinforced cement （CFRC） under uniaxial loading was studied. Factors affecting the compression sensibility of MCFA mortar, such as MCFA content, loading rate and stress cycles, were analyzed. Results show that fly ash with high content of Fe3O4 can be used to prepare conductive mortar since Fe3O4 is a kind of nonstoichiometric oxide and usually acts as semiconductor. MCFA mortar exhibits the same electrical conductivity to that of CFRC when the content of MCFA is more than 40% by weight of sample. The compression sensibility of mortar is improved with the increase of MCFA content and loading rate. The compression sensibility of MCFA mortar is reversible with the circling of loading. Results show that the application of MCFA in concrete not only provides excellent performances of electrical-functionality and workability, but also reduces the cost of conductive concrete.

Analytical analysis of pullout resistance of the hydraulic expansion rockbolts on a frictionally coupled model

This paper proposes an empirical formula to estimate the shear strength of hydraulic expansion rockbolts.The field experimental results were obtained from eleven pullout tests to evaluate the results computed by the proposed formula.It was found that shear resistance of hydraulic expansion rockbolts significantly depends on the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of rock,with high correlation coefficients of 0.7651 and0.8587,respectively.The developed formula enables estimation of the maximum pullout load in an analytical process without pullout tests in the field.Conversely,due to the poor interlocking at the initial pullout load,the measured displacements were higher than the estimated ones.To reduce the interlocking effects between bolt and rock,we recommend preloading of 29.4 kN.Preload allows reducing the distance between the measured and estimated displacement and making two load-displacement curves practically identical with marginal differences of 1.1 to 1.5 mm at the maximum pullout load.

Design and Development of an Intelligent Energy Management System for a Smart Grid to Enhance the Power Quality

MigroGrid(MG)has emerged to resolve the growing demand for energy.But because of its inconsistent output,it can result in various power quality(PQ)issues.PQ is a problem that is becoming more and more important for the reliability of power systems that use renewable energy sources.Similarly,the employment of nonlinear loads will introduce harmonics into the system and,as a result,cause distortions in the current and voltage waveforms as well as low power quality issues in the supply system.Thus,this research focuses on power quality enhancement in the MG using hybrid shunt filters.However,the performance of the filter mainly depends upon the design,and stability of the controller.The efficiency of the proposed filter is enhanced by incorporating an enhanced adaptive fuzzy neural network(AFNN)controller.The performance of the proposed topology is examined in a MATLAB/Simulink environment,and experimental findings are provided to validate the effectiveness of this approach.Further,the results of the proposed controller are compared with Adaptive Fuzzy Back-Stepping(AFBS)and Adaptive Fuzzy Sliding(AFS)to prove its superiority over power quality improvement in MG.From the analysis,it can be observed that the proposed system reduces the total harmonic distortion by about 1.8%,which is less than the acceptable limit standard.

Optimization of Out-of-Plane Vibration Energy Harvesters Employing Electret

This paper investigated the dependence of out-of-plane electret-based vibration energy harvesters’output power,frequency bandwidth,and resonance frequency on surface charge density and load resistance.As the external acceleration amplitude and electret size were held constant,the following results are predicted by the numerical investigation：（1）An optimum value exists in the surface charge density to maximize the output power.As the surface charge density is increasing,electrostatic forces are enhanced,which emphasizes that the soft spring effect widens the frequency bandwidth and lowers the resonance frequency.（2）Different surface charge densities correspond to different optimum initial air gaps,resonance frequency,and optimum load resistance.（3）With the attenuation of the surface potential,the output power,frequency drift,and frequency bandwidth decreased.（4）An optimum value exists in the load resistance to maximize the output power.As the load resistance is decreasing,electrostatic force is enhanced,which lowers the resonance frequency.（5）A maximum frequency bandwidth exists with further load resistance increasing,and the initial air gap is smaller,the greater the frequency bandwidth.

External Magnetic Field Effect on Bifacial Silicon Solar Cell’s Electrical Parameters

The aim of this work is to present a theoretical study of external magnetic field effect on a bifacial silicon solar cell’s electrical parameters (peak power, fill factor and load resistance) using the J-V and P-V characteristics. After the resolution of the magneto transport equation and continuity equation of excess minority carriers in the base of the bifacial silicon solar cell under multispectral illumination, the photo-current density and the photovoltage are determined and the J-V and P-V curves are plotted. Using simultaneously the J-V and P-V curves, we determine, according to magnetic field intensity, the peak photocurrent density, the peak photovoltage, the peak electric power, the fill factor and the load resistance at the peak power point. The numerical data show that the solar cell’s peak power decreases with magnetic field intensity while the fill factor and the load resistance increase.

Performance Characteristics of an Irreversible Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell

A model of an irreversible proton exchange membrane （PEM） fuel cell working at steady-state was established, in which overpotenfials, internal currents, and crossover losses were taken into account. The expressions of some key parameters of the fuel cell were derived from the point of electrochemistry and thermodynamics. Based on the irreversible model of the PEM fuel ceil, the influence of multi-irreversibilities on fuel cell performance were characterized and compared systematically. The general performance characteristic curves were generated. Moreover, when the electrical circuit was dosed with a load in it, the relations between the load resistance and power output density and efficiency were analyzed. The results provide a theoretical basis for both the operation and optimal design of real PEM fuel cells.

An Experimental Study on A Trapezoidal Pendulum Wave Energy Converter in Regular Waves

Experimental studies were conducted on a trapezoidal pendulum wave energy converter in regular waves. To obtain the incident wave height, the analytical method （AM） was used to separate the incident and reflected waves propagating in a wave flume by analysing wave records measured at two locations. The response amplitude operator （RAO）, primary conversion efficiency and the total conversion efficiency of the wave energy converter were studied; furthermore, the power take-off damping coefficients corresponding to the load resistances in the experiment were also obtained. The findings demonstrate that the natural period for a pendulum wave energy converter is relatively large. A lower load resistance gives rise to a larger damping coefficient. The model shows relatively higher wave energy conversion efficiency in the range of 1.0-1.2 s for the incident wave period. The maximum primary conversion efficiency achieved was 55.5%, and the maximum overall conversion efficiency was 39.4%.

Investigation on Plasma Jet Flow Phenomena During DC Air Arc Motion in Bridge-Type Contacts

Arc plasma jet flow in the air was investigated under a bridge-type contacts in a DC 270 V resistive circuit. We characterized the arc plasma jet flow appearance at different currents by using high-speed photography, and two polished contacts were used to search for the relationship between roughness and plasma jet flow. Then, to make the nature of arc plasma jet flow phenomena clear, a simplified model based on magnetohydrodynamic （MHD） theory was established and calculated. The simulated DC arc plasma was presented with the temperature distribution and the current density distribution. Furthermore, the calculated arc flow velocity field showed that the circular vortex was an embodiment of the arc plasma jet flow progress. The combined action of volume force and contact surface was the main reason of the arc jet flow.

Bridge pier failure probabilities under combined hazard effects of scour, truck and earthquake. Part Ⅰ: occurrence probabilities

In many regions of the world, a bridge will experience multiple extreme hazards during its expected service life. The current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials （AASHTO） load and resistance factor design （LRFD） specifications are formulated based on failure probabilities, which are fully calibrated for dead load and nonextreme live loads. Design against earthquake loads is established separately. Design against scour effect is also formulated separately by using the concept of capacity reduction （or increased scour depth）. Furthermore, scour effect cannot be linked directly to an LRFD limit state equation, because the latter is formulated using force-based analysis. This paper （in two parts） presents a probability-based procedure to estimate the combined hazard effects on bridges due to truck, earthquake and scour, by treating the effect of scour as an equivalent load effect so that it can be included in reliability-based bridge failure calculations. In Part I of this series, the general principle of treating the scour depth as an equivalent load effect is presented. The individual and combined partial failure probabilities due to truck, earthquake and scour effects are described. To explain the method of including non-force-based natural hazards effects, two types of common scour failures are considered. In Part 11, the corresponding bridge failure probability, the occurrence of scour as well as simultaneously having both truck load and equivalent scour load are quantitatively discussed.

Bridge pier failure probabilities under combined hazard effects of scour, truck and earthquake. Part Ⅱ: failure probabilities

In many regions of the world, a bridge will experience multiple extreme hazards during its expected service life. The current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials （AASHTO） load and resistance factor design （LRFD） specifications are formulated based on failure probabilities, which are fully calibrated for dead load and non-extreme live loads. Design against earthquake load effect is established separately. Design against scour effect is also formulated separately by using the concept of capacity reduction （or increased scour depth）. Furthermore, scour effect cannot be linked directly to an LRFD limit state equation because the latter is formulated using force-based analysis. This paper （in two parts） presents a probability-based procedure to estimate the combined hazard effects on bridges due to truck, earthquake and scour, by treating the effect of scour as an equivalent load effect so that it can be included in reliability-based failure calculations. In Part I of this series, the general principle for treating the scour depth as an equivalent load effect is presented. In Part II, the corresponding bridge failure probability, the occurrence of scour as well as simultaneously having both truck load and equivalent scour load effect are quantitatively discussed. The key formulae of the conditional partial failure probabilities and the necessary conditions are established. In order to illustrate the methodology, an example of dead, truck, earthquake and scour effects on a simple bridge pile foundation is represented.

Towards establishing practical multi-hazard bridge design limit states

In the U.S., the current Load and Resistance Factor Design （LRFD） Specifications for highway bridges is a reliability-based formulation that considers failure probabilities of bridge components due to the actions of typical dead load and frequent vehicular loads. Various extreme load effects, such as earthquake and vessel collision, are on the same reliability-based platform. Since these extreme loads are time variables, combining them with not considered frequent. non- extreme loads is a significant challenge. The number of design limit state equations based on these failure probabilities can be unrealistically large and unnecessary from the view point of practical applications. Based on the opinion of AASHTO State Bridge Engineers, many load combinations are insignificant in their states. This paper describes the formulation of a criterion to include only the necessary load combinations to establish the design limit states. This criterion is established by examining the total failure probabilities for all possible time-invariant and time varying load combinations and breaking them down into partial terms. Then, important load combinations can be readily determined quantitatively,

Failure mechanism and stability control of a large section of very soft roadway surrounding rock shear slip

The measured data and simulation test phenomenon of surrounding rock deformation and failure at the project site indicate that shear failure which firstly occurs in surrounding rock, block slip and second shear failure are the root cause of deformation and damage of supporting structure of the surrounding rock at a large scale. We derived limit load of surrounding rock shear slip failure and reasonable support resistance of given load by means of shear slip line field theory, discussed the main factors which influence the limit load of surrounding rock. Shear slip line field and limit load of circular tunnel surrounding rock were obtained by means of physical simulation test, which agreed well with the theoretical analysis results. Based on the theoretical analysis and physical simulation test, the cause deformation and failure at large scale of Xinshanghai No. 1 coal mine big section ingate was analyzed, and the shear failure resistance and block slip in surrounding rock were proposed as the core technical supporting ideas. Proper range of supporting resistance which came from calculation was suggested. The support scheme which is mainly composed of large grouting anchor, sprayed anchor net support technique and full-face grille concrete finally ended the dilemma of repeated failure and mending of ingate and created critical conditions for smooth production in the coal mine.

Estimation of load and resistance factors using the thirdmoment method based on the 3P-Iognormal distribution

Load and resistance factors are generally obtained using the first order reliability method(FORM)in which the design point should be determined and derivative-based iterations used.In this article,the thirdmoment reliability index,based on the three-parameter lognormal(3P-lognormal)distribution,is investigated.A simple method based on the third-moment method for estimating load and resistance factors is then proposed,and a simple formula for the target mean resistance is also presented to avoid iterative computations.Unlike the currently used method,the proposed method can be used to determine load and resistance factors,even when the probability density functions(PDFs)of the basic random variables are not available.Moreover,the proposed method does not require the iterative computation of derivatives or any design points.Thus,the method provides a more convenient and effective way to estimate load and resistance factors in practical engineering applications.Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed third moment method for determining load and resistance factors.

Optimization of Short-Pulse GPR Transmit Antenna

By analyzing the current distribution of Bow-Tie antenna used in short-pulse ground penetrating radar, the methods of antenna load and driving are presented in this paper to reduce strength of reflective wave both at antenna end and excitation point. The numerical simulation results show the strength of reflective wave is smaller than ?55 dB comparing with the driving wave when the methods are adopted. Key words short-pulse GPR - resistive loading - finite difference time domain method CLC number TN 820 Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (49984001)Biography: LI Tai-quan (1961-), male, Ph. D candidate, research direction: antenna model and design

Classification of Foot Pressure Images Using Machine Learning Algorithm

Arthritis is an acute systemic disease of a joint accompanied by pain.In developed countries,it mainly causes disability among people over 50 years of age.Rheumatoid Arthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs commonly among elders.The incidence of arthritis is higher in females than in males.There is no permanent diagnosis method for arthritis,but if it was identified in the early stages based on the foot pressure,it can be diagnosed before attaining the critical stage of Rheumatoid Arthritis.The analysis and study of arthritis patients were done using design thinking methodology.Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology that is used tofind a solution for the identification of the early stage of arthritis.This process consists offive stages follows Empathy,Define,Ideate,Prototype,and Testing.To define the problem statement,the Empathy was done with the arthritis patients to know the difficulties faced by them.This paper proposes a measurement technique of early measurement of arthritis using a non-invasive technique.It helps us to detect arthritis using a foot pressure pad that was designed with piezoresistive material and the feature classification was done using Weka.