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Global Design Optimization of Microwave Circuits Using Response Feature Inverse Surrogates
PublicationModern microwave design has become heavily reliant on full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools, which are necessary for accurate evaluation of microwave components. Consequently, it is also indispensable for their development, especially the adjustment of geometry parameters, oriented towards performance improvement. However, EM-driven optimization procedures incur considerable computational expenses, which may become impractical...
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Cavitation based cleaner technologies for biodiesel production and processing of hydrocarbon streams: A perspective on key fundamentals, missing process data and economic feasibility – A review
PublicationThe present review emphasizes the role of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and acoustic cavitation in clean and green technologies for selected fuels (of hydrocarbon origins such as gasoline, naphtha, diesel, heavy oil, and crude oil) processing applications including biodiesel production. Herein, the role of cavitation reactors, their geometrical parameters, physicochemical properties of liquid media, liquid oxidants, catalyst loading,...
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Comprehensive Enhancement of Prepolymer-Based Flexible Polyurethane Foams’ Performance by Introduction of Cost-Effective Waste-Based Ground Tire Rubber Particles
PublicationMaterial innovations in polyurethane (PU) foams should ideally combine performance enhancement, environmental impact limitation, and cost reduction. These goals can be achieved by applying recycled or waste-based materials without broader industrial applications, implicating their low price. Herein, from 5 to 20 parts by weight of ground tire rubber (GTR) particles originated from the recycling of postconsumer car tires were incorporated...
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Wastewater treatment by means of advanced oxidation processes based on cavitation – A review
PublicationHydrodynamic and acoustic cavitation combined with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), including, among others, the Fenton process, is a promising alternative to the technologies of wastewater treatment technologies in use today. The present review discusses processes based on cavitation combined with AOPs and evaluates their effectiveness in oxidation of organic contaminants. Complete degradation of, among others, p-nitrotoluene,...
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Multi-objective design optimization of antenna structures using sequential domain patching with automated patch size deter-mination
PublicationIn this paper, a simple yet efficient and reliable technique for fully automated multi-objective design optimization of antenna structures using sequential domain patching (SDP) is discussed. The optimization procedure according to SDP is a two-step process: (i) obtaining the initial set of Pareto-optimal designs representing the best possible trade-offs between considered conflicting objectives, and (ii) Pareto set refinement...
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Treatment Wetland effluent quality improvement by usage sorbents of various origin
PublicationTWs are finding as low-cost and also effective system to treat domestic wastewater. The aim of this study is to find suitable adsorbing material for application in an additional treatment unit where treatment wetlands do not provide sufficient PO4 3- reduction level. Material M1 is a fine-grained by-product of thermal treatment of carbonate-siliceous rock (opoka) with high content of calcium carbonate CaCO3 in temperature 700°C....
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The Concept of Construction of Hybrid Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment in Roztocze National Park
PublicationRoztocze National Park (RNP) is one of 23 national parks in Poland. It was created in 1974 both to protect the natural and cultural heritage as well as to share the park area for science, education and tourism. In caring for the environment, the park removed asbestos coverage, performs thermo-modernization using renewable energy sources by the installation of solar panels and photovoltaic cells on the roofs of buildings, and pellet...
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New Technologies Adoption and Diffusion Patterns in Developing Countries. An Empirical Study for the Period 2000-2011
PublicationIn recent years, enormous changes are noted worldwide when broad adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). These unique technologies – often perceived as economic development incentives – have a great ability to spread at high pace and low cost in world countries, bringing to people opportunities to contribute to economic development and growth. New Technologies play a special role in developing countries, where...
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Latest Achievements in Concrete Structures Three-Dimensional Printing
PublicationWe can hear about three-dimensional printed concrete structures for several years, up to date solutions in this technology allow entire printing settlements of tiny concrete houses. Due to technical limitations, these houses are still small and not very durable, but undoubtedly, this technology is developing. Home printed in three-dimensional technology can be an alternative to modular container buildings implemented in areas affected...
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Fast Multi-Objective Aerodynamic Optimization Using Sequential Domain Patching and Multifidelity Models
PublicationExploration of design tradeoffs for aerodynamic surfaces requires solving of multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems. The major bottleneck here is the time-consuming evaluations of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model used to capture the nonlinear physics involved in designing aerodynamic surfaces. This, in conjunction with a large number of simulations necessary to yield a set of designs representing the best possible...
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Comparison of High Performance Liquid Chromatography Methods with Different Detectors for Determination of Steroid Hormones in Aqueous Matrices
PublicationThis paper presents the development and comparison of procedures for the qualitative and quantitative determination of five estrogenic compounds (17-a-ethynylestradiol, estrone, estradiol, estriol, and progesterone) in drinking water and wastewater samples. Five extraction columns and two disks were tested for their efficiency. The C18 columns were superior on the basis of cost for solid phase extraction of drinking water or sewage....
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High temperature oxidation behavior of SUS430 SOFC interconnects with Mn-Co spinel coating in air
PublicationIn this study, SUS430 alloy is evaluated for its high temperature corrosion properties as a possible material for interconnects of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Samples are coated with Mn-Co by commercial physical vapor deposition (PVD) process and oxidized in air for 1250 h at 800 °C. A dense cubic Mn-Co-Fe spinel layer is formed on the surface, showing great effect on corrosion reduction compared with the samples without coating....
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Mechatronics design, modelling and controlling of the Stewart-Gough platform
PublicationThis paper presents a mechatronics design of a low cost Stewart-Gough platform (SGP) with rotary actuators. The designed SGP is supposed to be applied in a ball & plate control system. The synthesis of the ball & plate control system is also within the subject of the paper. A mechatronics design process of the SGP was conducted with computer-aided design (CAD) software. Unique analytical solutions of an inverse kinematics problem...
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Optimal shape design of multi-element trawl-doors using local surrogate models
PublicationTrawl-doors have a large influence on the fuel consumption of fishing vessels. Design and optimiza-tion of trawl-doors using computational models are a key factor in minimizing the fuel consump-tion. This paper presents an optimization algorithm for the shape design of trawl-door shapes using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models. Accurate CFD models are computationally expensive. Therefore, the direct use of traditional optimization...
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Optoelectronic device for hematocrit measurements
PublicationAn optoelectronic system for measurements of hematocrit level (HCT) in the whole human blood is presented. Proposed system integrates a dedicated optoelectronic sensor, a microcontroller and a small LCD display in a low cost, battery-powered, handheld device. Chosen method for determining blood hematocrit level is based on optical properties of whole blood in visible and NIR wavelength range. Measurements with the use of proposed...
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A commercial of the shelf components for a unmanned air vehicle photogrammetry
PublicationA photogrammetry from a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be understood as a new measurement tool. Is introduces a low-cost alternatives for a traditional aerial photogrammetry. A commercial off-the-shelf products (COTS), that are commercially available for a costumers, are the standard manufactures products, not custom. COTS products are available in the commercial market and can be bought and used under government contract. That...
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Electronic noses: Powerful tools in meat quality assessment
PublicationMain factors that are considered by consumers when choosing meat products are colour and aroma, of which the latter is a more reliable indicator of quality. However, a simple sensory evaluation of hedonistic qualities is often not sufficient to determine whether protein is past its shelf life, and consumption of spoiled meat can lead to serious health hazards. Some volatile compounds can be used as spoilage indicators, and so a...
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Overall color parameter as a parameter determining the level of oxidation of olive oil
PublicationEdible fats are an important part of a human daily diet. They have a significant effect on the proper functioning of the human body. During frying, the oil is chemically modified and the fats consumed should have the highest oxidation stability. The subject of the study were samples of olive oil bought at local markets in Gdansk. Samples were heated at 20 °C, 60 °C, 100 °C, 140 °C and 180 °C. The aim of the study was to determine...
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Metamaterial-Based Sub-Microwave Electromagnetic Field Energy Harvesting System
PublicationThis paper presents the comprehensive analysis of the sub-microwave, radio frequency band resonant metastructures’ electromagnetic properties with a particular emphasis on the possibility of their application in energy harvesting systems. Selected structures based on representative topologies of metamaterials have been implemented in the simulation environment. The models have been analyzed and their substitute average electromagnetic...
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Ionic liquids in extraction techniques: Determination of pesticides in food and environmental samples
PublicationThe intensive use of pesticides in agricultural practices has promoted the appearance of environmentaland public health problems. Due to that, scientists face challenges with developing simple, fast, sensitive,selective, and low-cost methods dedicated to determining pesticide residues in food and environmentalsamples. Following thefifth principle of Green Analytical Chemistry, chemists are searching for greeneralternatives for...
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Microporous N-Doped Carbon Obtained from Salt Melt Pyrolysis of Chitosan toward Supercapacitor and Oxygen Reduction Catalysts
PublicationThe direct carbonization of low-cost and abundant chitosan biopolymer in the presencesalt eutectics leads to highly microporous, N-doped nanostructures. The microporous structureeasily manufactured using eutectic mixture (ZnCl2 -KCl) and chitosan. Potassium ions here can act as an intercalating agent, leading to the formation of lamellar carbon sheets, whereas zinc chloride generates significant porosity. Here, we present an efficient...
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A bisection‐based heuristic for rapid EM‐driven multiobjective design of compact impedance transformers
PublicationDesign of microwave structures is a multiobjective task where several conflicting requirements have to be considered at the same time. For contemporary circuits characterized by complex geometries, multiobjective optimization cannot be performed using standard population‐based algorithms due to high cost of electromagnetic (EM) evaluations. In this work, we propose a deterministic approach for fast EM‐driven multiobjective design...
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Medium-Voltage Drives: Challenges and existing technology
PublicationThe article presents an overview of state-of-art solutions, advances, and design and research trends in medium-voltage (MV) drive technologies - and also discusses the challenges and requirements associated with the use of such drives. The choice and deployment of MV drives in industries are associated with numerous requirements related to the front-end converter (grid side) and inverter (machine side). The focus is on solutions...
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Application of gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of amphetamine-type stimulants in blood and urine
PublicationAmphetamine, methamphetamine, phentermine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (MDEA) are the most popular amphetamine-type stimulants. The use of these substances is a serious societal problem worldwide. In this study, a method based on gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) with simple and rapid liquid-liquid extraction (LLE)...
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Reduction of CO2 Emissions from Offshore Combined Cycle Diesel Engine-Steam Turbine Power Plant Powered by Alternative Fuels
PublicationDiverse forms of environmental pollution arise with the introduction of materials or energy that exert adverse effects on human health, climate patterns, ecosystems, and beyond. Rigorous emission regulations for gases resulting from fuel combustion are being enforced by the European Union and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), directed at maritime sectors to mitigate emissions of SOx, NOx, and CO2. The IMO envisions...
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Organic Supercritical Thermodynamic Cycles with Isothermal Turbine
PublicationOrganic Rankine cycles (ORC) are quite popular, but the overall efficiencies of these plants are rather very low. Numerous studies have been conducted in many scientific centers and research centers to improve the efficiency of such cycles. The research concerns both the modification of the cycle and the increase in the parameters of the medium at the inlet to the turbine. However, the efficiency of even these modified cycles rarely...
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Dissociative electron attachment to the radiosensitizing chemotherapeutic agent hydroxyurea
PublicationDissociative electron attachment to hydroxyurea was studied in the gas phase for electron energies ranging from zero to 9 eV in order to probe its radiosensitizing capabilities. The experiments were carried out using a hemispherical electron monochromator coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Diversified fragmentation of hydroxyurea was observed upon low energy electron attachment and here we highlight the major dissociation...
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Adsorption onto zeolites: molecular perspective
Publication2D minerals are among key elements of advanced systems, but the need for understanding their interactions/reactions with materials and systems in which they are involved necessitates tracking their molecular and atomic monitoring. Zeolitic structures are microporous materials formed in the nature through volcanic activities or synthesis. Because of their outstanding physicochemical properties like cation exchange capacity and excellent...
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A Multi Rig Screening Test for Thin Ceramic Coatings in Bio - Tribological Applications
PublicationA method is presented for the comparative testing of wear resistance of ceramic coatings made from materials potentially feasible in tribo - medical applications, mainly orthopaedic implants made from ceramics coated metals for low cost, long life and low wear particle emission into the body. The method was devised as the main tool for use in research and is comprised of flat on flat and ball on flat surface (sliding) tests. Seven...
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Reduced-cost surrogate modeling of input characteristics and design optimization of dual-band antennas using response features
PublicationIn this article, a procedure for low-cost surrogate modeling of input characteristics of dual-band antennas has been discussed. The number of training data required for construction of an accurate model has been reduced by representing the antenna reflection response to the level of suitably defined feature points. The points are allocated to capture the critical features of the reflection characteristic, such as the frequencies...
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Pose-Invariant Face Detection by Replacing Deep Neurons with Capsules for Thermal Imagery in Telemedicine
PublicationAbstract— The aim of this work was to examine the potential of thermal imaging as a cost-effective tool for convenient, non- intrusive remote monitoring of elderly people in different possible head orientations, without imposing specific behavior on users, e.g. looking toward the camera. Illumination and pose invariant head tracking is important for many medical applications as it can provide information, e.g. about vital signs, sensory...
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Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Materials as Substrates for Fermentation Processes
PublicationLignocellulosic biomass is an abundant and renewable resource that potentially contains large amounts of energy. It is an interesting alternative for fossil fuels, allowing the production of biofuels and other organic compounds. In this paper, a review devoted to the processing of lignocellulosic materials as substrates for fermentation processes is presented. The review focuses on physical, chemical, physicochemical, enzymatic,...
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Modification of thermal and rheological characteristics of bitumen by waste PET/GTR blends
PublicationWaste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (wPET)/ground tire rubber (GTR) blends with variable compositions were applied as low-cost modifiers into bitumen and their performance has been evaluated via morphological, thermal and rheological analyses. Depending on the weight ratio of wPET/GTR, dispersion of single/composite domains of waste polymers in the bitumen has promoted the interaction between bitumen and blend components. Fourier...
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Arterial cannula shape optimization by means of the rotational firefly algorithm
PublicationThe article presents global optimization results of arterial cannula shapes by means of the newly modified firefly algorithm. The search for the optimal arterial cannula shape is necessary in order to minimize losses and prepare the flow that leaves the circulatory support system of a ventricle (i.e. blood pump) before it reaches the heart. A modification of the standard firefly algorithm, the so-called rotational firefly algorithm,...
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Progress in development of molecularly imprinted polymers as sorbents for sample preparation
PublicationSample preparation has been one of the most often investigated steps in analytical procedures.These investigations are focused on problems such as isolation of analytes from the sample matrix, matrix implification, analyte enrichment to the level above the detection limit of the instrumentation used, and the removal of interfering species to improve the final determination. Techniques based on solid (adsorption) and pseudo liquid...
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Photonic sensor to detect rapid changes in CRP levels
PublicationOne of the most important biomarkers used to determine inflammation is C-reactive protein (CRP). Its level, when it is within the range that does not define inflammation, informs about the risk of cardiovascular events. If the norm is exceeded and inflammation is detected in the body, CRP level can increase 1000 times within a few hours. The type of infection can also be determined based on the level of elevated CRP. All this makes...
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MobileNet family tailored for Raspberry Pi
PublicationWith the advances in systems-on-a-chip technologies, there is a growing demand to deploy intelligent vision systems on low-cost microcomputers. To address this challenge, much of the recent research has focused on reducing the model size and computational complexity of contemporary convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The state-of-the-art lightweight CNN is MobileNetV3. However, it was designed to achieve a good trade-off between...
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Framework for Structural Health Monitoring of Steel Bridges by Computer Vision
PublicationThe monitoring of a structural condition of steel bridges is an important issue. Good condition of infrastructure facilities ensures the safety and economic well-being of society. At the same time, due to the continuous development, rising wealth of the society and socio-economic integration of countries, the number of infrastructural objects is growing. Therefore, there is a need to introduce an easy-to-use and relatively low-cost...
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Development of nanoscale morphology and role of viscoelastic phase separation on the properties of epoxy/recycled polyurethane blends
PublicationA novel and cost-effective approach towards the modification of epoxy matrix has been developed using recycled polyurethane for the first time without sacrificing any of the intrinsic properties of the resin. Polyurethane, recycled from waste foam by glycolysis process (RPU), was found to be very effective in improving the properties of the thermosetting resin based on Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA). The effect of the...
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Application of Web-GIS for Dissemination and 3D Visualization of Large-Volume LiDAR Data
PublicationThe increasing number of digital data sources, which allow for semi-automatic collection and storage of information regarding various aspects of life has recently granted a considerable rise in popularity to the term “Big data”. As far as geospatial data is concerned, one of the major sources of Big data are Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) scanners, which produce high resolution three-dimensional data on a local scale. The...
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Properties and determination of pesticides in fruits and vegetables
PublicationThe intensive development of agriculture means that more and more toxic organic and inorganic compounds are entering theenvironment. Because of their widespread use, stability, selective toxicity and bioaccumulation, pesticides are among the mosttoxic substances contaminating the environment. They are particularly dangerous in fruit and vegetables, by which people areexposed to them. It is therefore crucial to monitor pesticide...
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Studies on applicability of new solid-phase microextraction fibers for the selective extraction and determination of short - chain monocarboksylic acids
PublicationShort-chain monocarobxylic acids, sometimes referred to as volatile fatty acids (VFA), are a group of low molecular weight alkyl monocarboxylic acids that are widely distributed within the environment. These molecules contain any from 2 to 8 carbon atoms and originate from the anaerobic biodegradation of organic matter such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These compounds are commonly found in the effluents from animal farming,...
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Characterization of volatile compounds, structural, thermal and physico-mechanical properties of cross-linked polyethylene foams degraded thermo-mechanically at variable times
PublicationWaste cross-linked polyethylene foam (wXLPE) was thermo-mechanically degraded at variable time using internal batch mixer. The progress of wXLPE degradation has been investigated by using a simultaneous thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, swelling measurements, tensile tests and scanning electron microscopy. Volatile organic compounds generated during...
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Processing, mechanical and thermal behavior assessments of polycaprolactone/agricultural wastes biocomposites
PublicationIn this paper, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) was applied as potential lignocellulose biofiller in biocompos-ites based on polycaprolactone (PCL). The PCL/BSG biocomposites filled with varying content of biofillerswere prepared via low-temperature melt-compounding. These conditions allow limiting thermal degra-dation of used biofillers during processing. The influence of biofiller content (ranging from 25 to 200parts by weight on 100...
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Influence of the Tool Rotational Speed on Physical and Chemical Properties of Dissimilar Friction-Stir-Welded AA5083/AA6060 Joints
PublicationAluminum alloys have been successfully used in the railroad and automotive industries because of their potential to significantly reduce component weights, and their good mechanical and anti-corrosion properties. Problems with joining aluminum alloys are characterized by low weldability, which influences the need for studies focused on unconventional methods. The environmentally friendly and low-cost friction-stir-welding method...
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Application of dynamic headspace and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (DHS-GC-MS) for the determination of oxygenated volatile organic compounds in refinery effluents
PublicationThe paper presents a new procedure for the determination of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (O-VOCs) in postoxidative effluents from the production of petroleum asphalt using dynamic headspace coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode (DHSGC-MS). Among the GC capillary columns tested, a polar SLB-IL111 column with the ionic liquid stationary phase was found to be superior due...
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Local-Global Space Mapping for Rapid EM-Driven Design of Compact RF Structures
PublicationIn this work, we introduce a robust and efficient technique for rapid design of compact RF circuits. Our approach exploits two-level space mapping (SM) correction of an equivalent circuit model of the structure under design. The first SM layer (local correction) is utilized to ensure good matching between the equivalent circuit and the electromagnetic model at the component level. On the other hand, the global correction allows...
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Microgrid Energy Management System
PublicationIn the era of rapid development of "green energy” and storage devices, microgrids implemented in line with the concept of distributed generation can be an effective form of power management. There is a need for an efficient, optimal and reliable control of the combined infrastructure. The article presents a flexible, configurable microgrid's resources control system, which executes the task of meeting the electricity demand of...
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Maximum Power Point Technique (MPPT) for PV System Based on Improved Pert and Observe (P&O) Method with PI Controller
PublicationPhotovoltaic power generation system has key rule in electricity production. Although, it is clean renewable energy with unlimited resources but it has some drawbacks in efficiency. In order to maximize the efficiency, PV array must drive at maximum power point. For the reason so, several algorithms are used in PV system to track MPP and reduce the...
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N-doped mesoporous carbon nanosheets obtained by pyrolysis of a chitosan–melamine mixture for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media.
PublicationBy simple thermal decomposition of low-cost precursors (chitosan, melamine) in an inert atmosphere, nitrogen-doped porous carbonaceous materials were prepared. The samples pyrolyzed at 700 C are composed of mainly mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets and partially graphitized carbon. The nanosheets contain a disordered area due to the strain imposed by the presence of nitrogen and/or oxygen groups in their structure. Some...