Ultra-broadband microwave absorber and high-performance pressure sensor based on aramid nanofiber,polypyrrole and nickel porous aerogel

Electronic devices have become ubiquitous in our daily lives,leading to a surge in the use of microwave absorbers and wearable sensor devices across various sectors.A prime example of this trend is the aramid nanofibers/polypyrrole/nickel(APN)aerogels,which serve dual roles as both microwave absorbers and pressure sensors.In this work,we focused on the preparation of aramid nanofibers/polypyrrole(AP15)aerogels,where the mass ratio of aramid nanofibers to pyrrole was 1:5.We employed the oxidative polymerization method for the preparation process.Following this,nickel was thermally evaporated onto the surface of the AP15 aerogels,resulting in the creation of an ultralight(9.35 mg·cm^(-3)).This aerogel exhibited a porous structure.The introduction of nickel into the aerogel aimed to enhance magnetic loss and adjust impedance matching,thereby improving electromagnetic wave absorption performance.The minimum reflection loss value achieved was-48.7 dB,and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth spanned 8.42 GHz with a thickness of 2.9 mm.These impressive metrics can be attributed to the three-dimensional network porous structure of the aerogel and perfect impedance matching.Moreover,the use of aramid nanofibers and a three-dimensional hole structure endowed the APN aerogels with good insulation,flame-retardant properties,and compression resilience.Even under a compression strain of 50%,the aerogel maintained its resilience over 500 cycles.The incorporation of polypyrrole and nickel particles further enhanced the conductivity of the aerogel.Consequently,the final APN aerogel sensor demonstrated high sensitivity(10.78 kPa-1)and thermal stability.In conclusion,the APN aerogels hold significant promise as ultra-broadband microwave absorbers and pressure sensors.

Flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on interdigital electrodes with porous microneedle arrays for physiological signal monitoring

Flexible pressure sensors have many potential applications in the monitoring of physiological signals because of their good biocompatibil-ity and wearability.However,their relatively low sensitivity,linearity,and stability have hindered their large-scale commercial application.Herein,aflexible capacitive pressure sensor based on an interdigital electrode structure with two porous microneedle arrays(MNAs)is pro-posed.The porous substrate that constitutes the MNA is a mixed product of polydimethylsiloxane and NaHCO3.Due to its porous and interdigital structure,the maximum sensitivity(0.07 kPa-1)of a porous MNA-based pressure sensor was found to be seven times higher than that of an imporous MNA pressure sensor,and it was much greater than that of aflat pressure sensor without a porous MNA structure.Finite-element analysis showed that the interdigital MNA structure can greatly increase the strain and improve the sensitivity of the sen-sor.In addition,the porous MNA-based pressure sensor was found to have good stability over 1500 loading cycles as a result of its bilayer parylene-enhanced conductive electrode structure.Most importantly,it was found that the sensor could accurately monitor the motion of afinger,wrist joint,arm,face,abdomen,eye,and Adam’s apple.Furthermore,preliminary semantic recognition was achieved by monitoring the movement of the Adam’s apple.Finally,multiple pressure sensors were integrated into a 33 array to detect a spatial pressure distribu-×tion.Compared to the sensors reported in previous works,the interdigital electrode structure presented in this work improves sensitivity and stability by modifying the electrode layer rather than the dielectric layer.

Air pressure law of a reservoir constructed in karst sinkholes

Karst sinkholes with natural negative landform provide favorable conditions for the pumped storage reservoir construction for less excavation work.However,the construction of the reservoir would plug the natural karst channels for water and air,which would cause remarkable air pressure in karst channels when the groundwater level fluctuates.A large laboratory simulation test was carried out to study the air pressure variation of a reservoir built on the karst sinkhole.The air pressure in the karst channel and inside the model was monitored during the groundwater rising and falling process.Result showed that the variation of air pressure in the karst channel and the surrounding rock exhibited a high degree of similarity.The air pressure increased rapidly at the initial stage of water level rising,followed by a slight decrease,then the air pressure increased sharply when the water level approached the top of the karst cave.The initial peak of air pressure and the final peak of air pressure were defined,and both air pressure peaks were linearly increasing with the water level rising rate.The negative air pressure was also analyzed during the drainage process,which was linearly correlated with the water level falling rate.The causes of air pressure variation in karst channels of a pumped storage reservoir built on the karst sinkhole were discussed.The initial rapid increase,then slight decrease and final sudden increase of air pressure were controlled by the combined effects of air compression in karst channel and air seepage into the surrounding rock.For the drainage process,the instant negative air pressure and gradual recovering of air pressure were controlled by the combined effects of negative air pressure induced by water level falling and air supply from surrounding rock.This work could provide valuable reference for the reservoir construction in karst area.

Flexible polydimethylsiloxane pressure sensor with micro-pyramid structures and embedded silver nanowires:A novel application in urinary flow measurement

Flexible pressure sensors are lightweight and highly sensitive,making them suitable for use in small portable devices to achieve precise measurements of tiny forces.This article introduces a low-cost and easy-fabrication strategy for piezoresistiveflexible pressure sensors.By embedding silver nanowires into a polydimethylsiloxane layer with micro-pyramids on its surface,aflexible pressure sensor is created that can detect low pressure(17.3 Pa)with fast response ms)and high sensitivity(69.6 mA(<20 kPa-1).Furthermore,the pressure sensor exhibits a sensitive and stable response to a small amount of waterflowing on its surface.On this basis,theflexible pressure sensor is innovatively combined with a micro-rotor to fabricate a novel urinaryflow-rate meter(uroflowmeter),and results from a simulated human urination experiment show that the uroflowmeter accurately captured all the essential shape characteristics that were present in the pump-simulated urination curves.Looking ahead,this research provides a new reference for usingflexible pressure sensors in urinaryflow-rate monitoring.

Blade-Coated Porous 3D Carbon Composite Electrodes Coupled with Multiscale Interfaces for Highly Sensitive All-Paper Pressure Sensors

Flexible and wearable pressure sensors hold immense promise for health monitoring,covering disease detection and postoperative rehabilitation.Developing pressure sensors with high sensitivity,wide detection range,and cost-effectiveness is paramount.By leveraging paper for its sustainability,biocompatibility,and inherent porous structure,herein,a solution-processed all-paper resistive pressure sensor is designed with outstanding performance.A ternary composite paste,comprising a compressible 3D carbon skeleton,conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate),and cohesive carbon nanotubes,is blade-coated on paper and naturally dried to form the porous composite electrode with hierachical micro-and nano-structured surface.Combined with screen-printed Cu electrodes in submillimeter finger widths on rough paper,this creates a multiscale hierarchical contact interface between electrodes,significantly enhancing sensitivity(1014 kPa-1)and expanding the detection range(up to 300 kPa)of as-resulted all-paper pressure sensor with low detection limit and power consumption.Its versatility ranges from subtle wrist pulses,robust finger taps,to large-area spatial force detection,highlighting its intricate submillimetermicrometer-nanometer hierarchical interface and nanometer porosity in the composite electrode.Ultimately,this all-paper resistive pressure sensor,with its superior sensing capabilities,large-scale fabrication potential,and cost-effectiveness,paves the way for next-generation wearable electronics,ushering in an era of advanced,sustainable technological solutions.

Nanocellulose-Assisted Construction of Multifunctional MXene-Based Aerogels with Engineering Biomimetic Texture for Pressure Sensor and Compressible Electrode

Multifunctional architecture with intriguing structural design is highly desired for realizing the promising performances in wearable sensors and flexible energy storage devices.Cellulose nanofiber(CNF)is employed for assisting in building conductive,hyperelastic,and ultralight Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene hybrid aerogels with oriented tracheid-like texture.The biomimetic hybrid aerogels are constructed by a facile bidirectional freezing strategy with CNF,carbon nanotube(CNT),and MXene based on synergistic electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding.Entangled CNF and CNT“mortars”bonded with MXene“bricks”of the tracheid structure produce good interfacial binding,and superior mechanical strength(up to 80%compressibility and extraordinary fatigue resistance of 1000 cycles at 50%strain).Benefiting from the biomimetic texture,CNF/CNT/MXene aerogel shows ultralow density of 7.48 mg cm^(-3)and excellent electrical conductivity(~2400 S m^(-1)).Used as pressure sensors,such aerogels exhibit appealing sensitivity performance with the linear sensitivity up to 817.3 kPa^(-1),which affords their application in monitoring body surface information and detecting human motion.Furthermore,the aerogels can also act as electrode materials of compressive solid-state supercapacitors that reveal satisfactory electrochemical performance(849.2 mF cm^(-2)at 0.8 mA cm^(-2))and superior long cycle compression performance(88%after 10,000 cycles at a compressive strain of 30%).

Bioinspired flexible piezoresistive sensor for high-sensitivity detection of broad pressure range

The human skin has the ability to sense tactile touch and a great range of pressures.Therefore,in prosthetic or robotic systems,it is necessary to prepare pressure sensors with high sensitivity in a wide measurement range to provide human-like tactile sensation.Herein,we developed a flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor that is highly sensitive in a broad pressure range by using lotus leaf micropatterned polydimethylsiloxane and multilayer superposition.By superposing four layers of micropatterned constructive substrates,the multilayer piezoresistive pressure sensor achieves a broad pressure range of 312 kPa,a high sensitivity of 2.525 kPa^(−1),a low limit of detection(LOD)of<12 Pa,and a fast response time of 45 ms.Compared with the traditional flexible pressure sensor,the pressure range of this sensor can be increased by at least an order of magnitude.The flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor also shows high robustness:after testing for at least 1000 cycles,it shows no sign of fatigue.More importantly,these sensors can be potentially applied in various human motion detection scenarios,including tiny pulse monitoring,throat vibration detection,and large under-feet pressure sensing.The proposed fabrication strategy may guide the design of other kinds of multifunctional sensors to improve the detection performance.

MXene-based flexible pressure sensor with piezoresistive properties significantly enhanced by atomic layer infiltration

The flexible pressure sensor has been credited for leading performance including higher sensitivity,faster response/recovery,wider detection range and higher mechanical durability,thus driving the development of novel sensing materials enabled by new processing technologies.Using atomic layer infiltration,Pt nanocrystals with dimensions on the order of a few nanometers can be infiltrated into the compressible lamellar structure of Ti3C2Tx MXene,allowing a modulation of its interlayer spacing,electrical conductivity and piezoresistive property.The flexible piezoresistive sensor is further developed from the Pt-infiltrated MXene on a paper substrate.It is demonstrated that Pt infiltration leads to a significant enhancement of the pressure-sensing performance of the sensor,including increase of sensitivity from 0.08 kPa^(-1)to 0.5 kPa^(-1),extension of detection limit from 5 kPa to 9 kPa,decrease of response time from 200 ms to 20 ms,and reduction of recovery time from 230 ms to 50 ms.The mechanical durability of the flexible sensor is also improved,with the piezoresistive performance stable over 1000 cycles of flexure fatigue.The atomic layer infiltration process offers new possibilities for the structure modification of MXene for advanced sensor applications.

Self-healing Au/PVDF-HFP composite ionic gel for flexible underwater pressure sensor

Ionic gels can be potentially used in wearable devices owing to their high humidity resistance and non-volatility.However,the applicability of existing ionic gel pressure sensors is limited by their low sensitivity.Therefore,it is very import-ant to develop an ionic gel pressure sensor with high sensitivity and a wide pressure detection range without sacrificing mechan-ical stretchability and self-healing ability.Herein,we report an effective strategy for developing pressure sensors based on ion-ic gel composites consisting of high-molecular-weight polymers,ionic liquids,and Au nanoparticles.The resulting capacitive pressure sensors exhibit high pressure sensitivity,fast response,and excellent self-healing properties.The sensors composed of highly hydrophobic polymers and ionic liquids can be used to track underwater movements,demonstrating broad application prospects in human motion state monitoring and underwater mechanical operations.

A homogeneous atmospheric pressure air plasma in a 10 mm gap based on a three-electrode configuration

Generation of atmospheric pressure homogeneous air plasma in a large gap(>4 mm)is a challenge.In this study,an atmospheric pressure homogeneous air plasma generated in a gap up to 10 mm is reported,which is based on a three-electrode configuration,where a high-voltage(HV)electrode and a middle electrode form a surface dielectric barrier discharge(S-DBD),and together with the ground electrode form the main volume discharge.High-speed photographs confirm that the discharge in the main gap is homogeneous.The gas temperature of the plasma estimated from the N_(2)(C^(3)∏_(u)-B^(3)∏_(g))(Δv=-2)emission is about 320 K,which is close to room temperature.A detailed analysis shows that the discharge ignited between the HV electrode and the middle electrode is serving as an electron source,and the electrons deposited on the dielectric plate are due to the S-DBD along with the applied voltage generating a driving force,which results in a high concentration of seed electrons in the main gap and induces the homogeneous plasma.Further analysis shows that the electric field in the main gap is only about18.45 k V·cm^(-1),which is much lower than the typical breakdown electric field of 30 k V·cm^(-1)for atmospheric pressure air discharge.

Air target recognition method against ISRJ for radio frequency proximity sensors using chaotic stream encryption

The interrupted-sampling repeater jamming(ISRJ)can cause false targets to the radio-frequency proximity sensors(RFPSs),resulting in a serious decline in the target detection capability of the RFPS.This article proposes a recognition method for RFPSs to identify the false targets caused by ISRJ.The proposed method is realized by assigning a unique identity(ID)to each RFPS,and each ID is a periodically and chaotically encrypted in every pulse period.The processing technique of the received signal is divided into ranging and ID decryption.In the ranging part,a high-resolution range profile(HRRP)can be obtained by performing pulse compression with the binary chaotic sequences.To suppress the noise,the singular value decomposition(SVD)is applied in the preprocessing.Regarding ID decryption,targets and ISRJ can be recognized through the encryption and decryption processes,which are controlled by random keys.An adaptability analysis conducted in terms of the peak-to-side lobe ratio(PSLR)and bit error rate(BER)indicates that the proposed method performs well within a 70-k Hz Doppler shift.A simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method achieves extremely stable target and ISRJ recognition accuracies at different signal-to-noise ratios(SNRs)and jamming-to-signal ratios(JSRs).

A personalized electronic textile for ultrasensitive pressure sensing enabled by biocompatible MXene/ PEDOT:PSS composite

Flexible,breathable,and highly sensitive pressure sensors have increasingly become a focal point of interest due to their pivotal role in healthcare monitoring,advanced electronic skin applications,and disease diagnosis.However,traditional methods,involving elastomer film-based substrates or encapsulation techniques,often fall short due to mechanical mismatches,discomfort,lack of breathability,and limitations in sensing abilities.Consequently,there is a pressing need,yet it remains a significant challenge to create pressure sensors that are not only highly breathable,flexible,and comfortable but also sensitive,durable,and biocompatible.Herein,we present a biocompatible and breathable fabric-based pressure sensor,using nonwoven fabrics as both the sensing electrode(coated with MXene/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate[PEDOT:PSS])and the interdigitated electrode(printed with MXene pattern)via a scalable spray-coating and screen-coating technique.The resultant device exhibits commendable air permeability,biocompatibility,and pressure sensing performance,including a remarkable sensitivity(754.5 kPa^(−1)),rapid response/recovery time(180/110 ms),and robust cycling stability.Furthermore,the integration of PEDOT:PSS plays a crucial role in protecting the MXene nanosheets from oxidation,significantly enhancing the device's long-term durability.These outstanding features make this sensor highly suitable for applications in fullrange human activities detection and disease diagnosis.Our study underscores the promising future of flexible pressure sensors in the realm of intelligent wearable electronics,setting a new benchmark for the industry.

Fluid-chemical modeling of the near-cathode sheath formation process in a high current broken in DC air circuit breaker

When the contacts of a medium-voltage DC air circuit breaker(DCCB) are separated, the energy distribution of the arc is determined by the formation process of the near-electrode sheath. Therefore, the voltage drop through the near-electrode sheath is an important means to build up the arc voltage, which directly determines the current-limiting performance of the DCCB. A numerical model to describe the near-electrode sheath formation process can provide insight into the physical mechanism of the arc formation, and thus provide a method for arc energy regulation. In this work, we establish a two-dimensional axisymmetric time-varying model of a medium-voltage DCCB arc when interrupted by high current based on a fluid-chemical model involving 16 kinds of species and 46 collision reactions. The transient distributions of electron number density, positive and negative ion number density, net space charge density, axial electric field, axial potential between electrodes, and near-cathode sheath are obtained from the numerical model. The computational results show that the electron density in the arc column increases, then decreases, and then stabilizes during the near-cathode sheath formation process, and the arc column's diameter gradually becomes wider. The 11.14 V–12.33 V drops along the17 μm space charge layer away from the cathode(65.5 k V/m–72.5 k V/m) when the current varies from 20 k A–80 k A.The homogeneous external magnetic field has little effect on the distribution of particles in the near-cathode sheath core,but the electron number density at the near-cathode sheath periphery can increase as the magnetic field increases and the homogeneous external magnetic field will lead to arc diffusion. The validity of the numerical model can be proven by comparison with the experiment.

A triboelectric nanogenerator based on a spiral rotating shaft for efficient marine energy harvesting of the hydrostatic pressure differential

Equipment used in underwater sensing and exploration typically relies on cables or batteries for energy supply,resulting in a limited and inconvenient energy supply and marine environmental pollution that hinder the sustainable development of distributed ocean sensing networks.Here,we design a deep-sea differential-pressure triboelectric nanogenerator(DP-TENG)based on a spiral shaft drive using modified polymer materials to harness the hydrostatic pressure gradient energy at varying ocean depths to power underwater equipment.The spiral shaft structure converts a single compression into multiple rotations of the TENG rotor,achieving efficient conversion of differential pressure energy.The multi-pair electrode design enables the DP-TENG to generate a peak current of 61.7μA,the instantaneous current density can reach 0.69μA cm^(-2),and the output performance can be improved by optimizing the spiral angle of the shaft.The DP-TENG can charge a 33μF capacitor to 17.5 V within five working cycles.It can also power a digital calculator and light up 116 commercial power light-emitting diodes,demonstrating excellent output capability.With its simple structure,low production cost,and small form factor,the DP-TENG can be seamlessly integrated with underwater vehicles.The results hold broad prospects for underwater blue energy harvesting and are expected to contribute to the development of self-powered equipment toward emerging“smart ocean”and blue economy applications.

Automatic measurement of air-pressure sensor based on two-pressure control instrument

To measure the performance of high precision air-pressure sensors in below normal pressure,an automatic measurement instrument has been designed and implemented.It can simulate environment of low pressure from 300hPa to 1 000hPa with high accuracy by proportional-integral-derivative(PID)control quickly,and it can also generate various relative humidity by two-pressure control.The results show that this instrument can reach controlled pressure quickly.And it works well with the minimum average pressure difference,and the fluctuation is±0.02hPa at 500hPa.And it can keep in a stable status for a long time.It works well in performance testing of pressure sensors.The structure of the system is simple,takes small investment,and can be operated conveniently.

Enhancing Patients Outcomes and Infection Control through Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Systems

Air pollution poses a critical threat to public health and environmental sustainability globally, and Nigeria is no exception. Despite significant economic growth and urban development, Nigeria faces substantial air quality challenges, particularly in urban centers. While outdoor air pollution has received considerable attention, the issue of indoor air quality remains underexplored yet equally critical. This study aims to develop a reliable, cost-effective, and user-friendly solution for continuous monitoring and reporting of indoor air quality, accessible from anywhere via a web interface. Addressing the urgent need for effective indoor air quality monitoring in urban hospitals, the research focuses on designing and implementing a smart indoor air quality monitoring system using Arduino technology. Employing an Arduino Uno, ESP8266 Wi-Fi module, and MQ135 gas sensor, the system collects real-time air quality data, transmits it to the ThingSpeak cloud platform, and visualizes it through a user-friendly web interface. This project offers a cost-effective, portable, and reliable solution for monitoring indoor air quality, aiming to mitigate health risks and promote a healthier living environment.

A bellow pressure fiber optic sensor for static ice pressure measurements

Static ice pressure affects safe operation of hydraulic structures. However, current detection methods are hindered by the following limitations： poor real-time performance and errors owing to the partial pressure of the surrounding wall on traditional electrical resistance strain bellow pressure sensors. We developed a fiber optic sensor with a special pressure bellow to monitor the static ice pressure on hydraulic structures and used the sensor to measure static pressure in laboratory ice growth and melting tests from -30℃ to 5℃. The sensor resolution is 0.02 kPa and its sensitivity is 2.74 × 10-4/kPa. The experiments suggest that the static ice pressure peaks twice during ice growth and melting. The first peak appears when the ice temperature drops to -15℃ owing to the liquid water to solid ice transition. The second peak appears at 0℃ owing to the thermal expansion of the ice during ice melting. The novel fiber optic sensor exhibits stable performance, high resolution, and high sensitivity and it can be used to monitor the static ice pressure during ice growth and melting.

Dynamic compensation and its application of shock wave pressure sensor

In order to correct the test error caused by the dynamic characteristics of pressure sensor and avoid the influence of the error of sensor＇s dynamic model on compensation results,a dynamic compensation method of the pressure sensor is presented,which is based on quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization（QPSO）algorithm and the mean square error（MSE）.By using this method,the inverse model of the sensor is built and optimized and then the coefficients of the optimal compensator are got.This method is verified by the dynamic calibration with shock tube and the dynamic characteristics of the sensor before and after compensation are analyzed in time domain and frequency domain.The results show that the working bandwidth of the sensor is extended effectively.This method can reduce dynamic measuring error and improve test accuracy in actual measurement experiments.

The Influence of Atmospheric Pressure on Air Content and Pore Structure of Air-entrained Concrete

To study the effect of atmospheric pressure on the properties of fresh and hardened airentrained concrete, three kinds of air entraining agents were used for preparing air-entrained concrete in the plateaus(Lhasa, 61 kPa) and the plains(Beijing, 101 kPa). Air content, slump, compressive strength and pore structure of the three air-entrained concretes were tested in these two places. It is found that the air content of concrete under low atmospheric pressure(LAP) is 4%-36% lower than that of concrete under normal atmospheric pressure(NAP), which explaines the decrease of slump for air-entrained concrete under LAP. Pore number of hardened concrete under LAP is reduced by 48%-69%. While, the proportion of big pores(pore diameter >1 200 μm) and air void spacing factor are increased by 1.5%-7.3% and 51%-92%, respectively. The deterioration of pore structure results in a 3%-9% reduction in the compressive strength of concrete. From the results we have obtained, it can be concluded that the increase of critical nucleation energy of air bubbles and the decrease of volumetric compressibility coefficient of air in the concrete are responsible for the variation of air content and pore structure of concrete under LAP.

Silver Nanowire Electrodes: Conductivity Improvement Without Post-treatment and Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensors

Transparent electrode based on silver nanowires(Ag NWs) emerges as an outstanding alternative of indium tin oxide film especially for flexible electronics. However, the conductivity of Ag NWs transparent electrode is still dramatically limited by the contact resistance between nanowires at high transmittance. Polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) layer adsorbed on the nanowire surface acts as an electrically insulating barrier at wire–wire junctions, and some devastating post-treatment methods are proposed to reduce or eliminate PVP layer, which usually limit the application of the substrates susceptible to heat or pressure and burden the fabrication with high-cost, time-consuming, or inefficient processes. In this work, a simple and rapid pre-treatment washing method was proposed to reduce the thickness of PVP layer from 13.19 to0.96 nm and improve the contact between wires. Ag NW electrodes with sheet resistances of 15.6 and 204 X sq-1have been achieved at transmittances of 90 and 97.5 %, respectively. This method avoided any post-treatments and popularized the application of high-performance Ag NW transparent electrode on more substrates. The improved Ag NWs were successfully employed in a capacitive pressure sensor with high transparency, sensitivity, and reproducibility.