An over-the-distance wireless battery charger based on RF energy harvesting

An RF powered receiver silicon IC (integrated circuit) for RF energy harvesting is presented as wireless battery charger. This includes an RF-to-DC energy converter specifically designed with a sensitivity of -18.8 dBm and an energy conversion efficiency of ∼45% at 900 MHz with a transmitting power of 0.5 W in free space. Experimental results concerned with remotely battery charging using a complete prototype working in realistic scenarios will be shown.

Linear Quadratic Regulator: A Simple Thrust Vector Control System for Rockets

The paper focuses on developing, tuning, and testing a controller for a two-stage finless rocket during its boost phase that is based on the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) optimal control method. This is accomplished by deriving and adopting a simplified rigid body rocket model that represents accurately its physical properties and the corresponding aerodynamic forces acting on the rocket system during the flight phase. The launcher is commanded through the control input thrust gimbal angle δ to the desired altitude using the implemented LQR-based controller. Emphasis is given to the Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system, and to the minimization of the drift caused by wind gust disturbance p…

Engineering in-plane mechanics of electrospun polyurethane scaffolds for cardiovascular tissue applications

Effective cardiovascular tissue surrogates require high control of scaffold structural and mechanical features to match native tissue properties, which are dependent on tissue-specific mechanics, function heterogenicity, and morphology. Bridging scaffold processing variables with native tissue properties is recognized as a priority for advancing biomechanical performance of biomedical materials and, when translated to the clinical practice, their efficacy. Accordingly, this study selected electrospinning on a rotating cylindrical target as an apparatus of broad application and mapped the relationship between key processing variables and scaffold mechanics and structure. This information was…

An efficient wireless power transfer prototype for electrical vehicles

Based on the inductive power transfer (IPT), the contactless approach allows safe and comfortable operations of battery charging for Electric Vehicles (EVs). In this paper, a contactless system particularly suitable for E-bike battery charging is proposed. A practical realization of the system has been carried out, aiming at the system evaluation in terms of working and efficiency. Through a phase shift modulation, a power regulation has been implemented. The target power level is 100 W.

Ev charging station at university campus

This paper faces the technical and economic challenges related to the design of a green recharge area for electric vehicles at the Campus of Palermo, Italy, with the aim of reduce both costs and pollution connected to the charging process. Based on the behaviour of the student population, the electrical load is identified and two possible solutions are evaluated to manage the peak load: an orientation of the panels increasing the power at defined time and the use of a storage system. The main strength and weakness points of two systems are investigated by taking into account the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), which reaches 75.3 €/MWh for the orientation of panel and 103 €/MWh for stor…

A Novel Linear-Non-Linear Digital Control for DC/DC Converter with Fast Transient Response

In this paper, a digitally controlled multimodule DC-DC converter with fast transient response, based on a linear-nonlinear control is presented. The proposed digital control improves the stability of the system, cuts off the effects of limit-cycle and reduces the recovery time, by making the "effective" bandwidth of the system independent of the bandwidth of the linear control loop and limits, at the same time, output voltage variations. The digital control is AVP-compatible and halves the recovery time. Preliminary hardware tests on a single phase step-down converter are reported. The experimental results match simulation ones, obtained by modelling system with Matlab/Aldec mixed environm…

Optimal matching between optical rectennas and harvester circuits

This paper deals with optimal coupling issues between rectennas and harvesting circuits. An optical rectenna consists of a nanoantenna usually coupled with an ultra-high speed rectifier. These devices aim to receive and convert solar and thermal radiation in a DC voltage, while a harvester circuit provides the energy to be stored. The rectenna impedance is influenced both by its structure and by the rectifying diode, the harvester circuit impedance has to be matched to optimize the power transfer. The purpose of this contribution is to discuss the best impedance conditions by taking into account the constraints that are due to the individual devices the conversion system consist of. Finally…

A 3.3 V Output Voltage Optical Plasmonic Solar Energy Harvester

In this paper, for the first time, the design of a solar energy-harvester (EH) based on plasmonic optical nanorectennas and without the step-up converter is presented. The novel optical harvester with a 49497∗14286 nanoarray of about 21,21 mm2 presents an output voltage value of 3.3 V and an output current of 10 mA.

High-Mobility, Wet-Transferred Graphene Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition

We report high room-temperature mobility in single layer graphene grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) after wet transfer on SiO$_2$ and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) encapsulation. By removing contaminations trapped at the interfaces between single-crystal graphene and hBN, we achieve mobilities up to$\sim70000cm^2 V^{-1} s^{-1}$ at room temperature and$\sim120000cm^2 V^{-1} s^{-1}$ at 9K. These are over twice those of previous wet transferred graphene and comparable to samples prepared by dry transfer. We also investigate the combined approach of thermal annealing and encapsulation in polycrystalline graphene, achieving room temperature mobilities$\sim30000 cm^2 V^{-1} s^{-1}$. These …

Design and simulation of a fast DC recharging station for EV

In this paper a detailed description of the design and simulation of a DC ultra-fast recharging station for Electric Vehicles is carried out. The system consist of a single AC/DC grid connected inverter, a DC-Bus and two DC/DC converter to recharge the batteries of the EVs. The system also has the vehicleto- grid (V2G) capability. The design of the components of the system and the control schemes are explained and a simulation of the system, performed in Matlab/Simulink environment is presented.

Photoelectric valuation of highly efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Nowadays, a growing demand for free and clean energy requires the study and the development of new low-cost solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. Among them, Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) based on ruthenium complexes as sensitizers are assuming a great importance. The DSSCs under study are composed placing in succession a transparent conductive glass on which is screen-printed a mesoporous TiO2 thin film sensitized by a ruthenium based dye (N719) , an electrolytic solution containing a redox couple (I-/I3-) and another conductive glass covered by a thin transparent catalyst platinum film. In this work, we have measured the main photoelectrochemical parameters of the above mentioned DSSCs at d…

A novel digital control for DC/DC converters to improve steady-state performances

This paper describes an innovative digital PWM control implementation for low voltage, high current DC-DC converters. The proposed technique, based on the use of a low resolution DAC, improves steady-state performances, minimizing limit cycle effects. The novel technique is tested on a FPGA-based single phase buck converter operating at 250 kHz. A detailed description of the proposed architecture is given and test results, simulation and experimental ones, are shown

Design of a High-Efficiency Ka-Band TWT Power Amplifier for Radar Applications

The design of a high-efficiency Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) based on a non-conventional folded waveguide slow-wave structure (FW-SWS) operating over 34-36 GHz for naval and ground Ka-band radars is presented. The ridge vane-loaded FW structure allows a good compromise between high interaction impedance and wide bandwidth along with a low weight required for aircraft radar applications and a simple planar manufacturing process structure. Small signal simulations are performed with a custom interaction impedance evaluation program. The CST suite 2021 3D electromagnetic simulation code is used for the prediction of the dispersion diagram. Starting from a sensitivity analysis of the folded wavegu…

A Battery-Free Smart Sensor Powered with RF Energy

The development of Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure and applications is stimulating advanced and innovative ideas and solutions, some of which are pushing the limits of state-of-the-art technology. The increasing demand for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that must be capable of collecting and sharing data wirelessly while often positioned in places hard to reach and service, motivates engineers to look for innovative energy harvesting and wireless power transfer solutions to implement battery-free sensor nodes. Due to the pervasiveness of RF (Radio Frequency) energy, RF harvesting that can reach out-of-sight places could be a key technology to wirelessly power IoT sensor devices, whic…

Trade-off Performance of Optical Nanoantennas for Solar Energy Harvesting Applications

In this paper, the optimum behaviour of optical nanoantennas, in terms of impedance, directivity, available power, and field enhancement, at a resonance frequency of about 350 THz, will be shown. Optimum configurations are obtained by varying nanoantennas geometry in order to maximize the available power, enhancing the electric field in gap proximity and so the absorptivity. Moreover, the simulation results for aluminum nanoantennas on a three-layers substrate, will be reported, and a trade-off performance comparison among different antennas will be discussed. This study can guide both the engineering and the fabrication of plasmonic nanoantennas.

Optical Plasmonic Nanoantenna-MWCNT diode Energy Harvester for Solar Powered Wireless Sensors

This paper presents the design of an optical energy-harvester (EH) to power wireless IoT sensors. For the first time, the simulation results of the complete nanorectenna-electronic system are reported, consisting of an N*M Ag-Ti arrow bowtie nanoantenna - MWCNT-I-M diode array, a low-pass filter, and a DC-DC converter. An output voltage value of 3.3 V and an output current of 10 mA were obtained with a 49498*14286 optical array with an area of about 63, 64 mm2. The proposed optical EH paves the way for the replacement of batteries with solar energy, overcoming the limit of photovoltaic applications in wireless IoT sensors.

An innovative PWM loop control for VRMs

IRDA-based Heart Frequency Monitoring for Mobile Healthcare Applications

Architecture of a digital PFM controller for IC implementation

This paper presents a digital controller architecture oriented to IC implementation. The classical digital pulse width modulator (D-PWM), using digital analog converter (DAC), is replaced with a Sigma-Delta (/spl Sigma//spl Delta/) modulator based on pulse frequency modulator (PFM) technique. Results of an investigation from a prototype for DC-DC converter, in terms of simulated and experimental performances, are reported, together with harmonic frequency investigation. The control function design is implemented on a field programmable gate array (FPGA). As a consequence of good agreement between simulated and experimental results, the proposed architecture realizes a digital control loop w…

HEMT for low-noise microwaves: CAD-oriented performance evaluation

This paper shows how a graphic processing of low-noise HEMT's small signal parameters, allows evaluating and comparing the actual performance obtainable in front-end applications. HEMT's tradeoff charts which solve tradeoffs among the basic low-noise amplifier performance are reported. Figures of merit for microwave low-noise HEMT which represent a fast way of evaluating HEMT in actual working conditions and of selecting the proper transistor, are defined. As an example, the tradeoff charts and the figures of merit of two HEMT's (Fujitsu FHR02FH, Sony 2SK677) and a pseudomorphic-HEMT (Celeritek CFB001-03) are reported and compared with the data sheets. © 1995, IEEE. All rights reserved.

Speed detection of battery-free nodes based on RF Wireless Power Transfer

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are rapidly increasing in terms of relevance and pervasiveness thanks to their notable real-time monitoring performance across several fields, including industrial, domestic, military, biomedical, commercial, environmental, and other sectors. A highly attractive implementation of WSNs is asset tracking with accurate data regarding the location and transportation conditions of goods, equipment, and the like. One highly promising application of WSNs along these lines is the remote speed monitoring of goods, ideally with battery-free sensor nodes that do not require any maintenance. This, however, represents a major challenge…

Fabrication and Characterization of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Among the next-generation solar cells, a predominant role is played by Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) based on ruthenium complexes as sensitizers. They take advantage of a photoelectrochemical system to transform solar radiation into electric energy. In fact, DSSCs represent a cost-effective alternative to traditional silicon-based photovoltaic devices and they do not require expensive and sophisticated apparatus for their fabrication. In this work, we have produced and tested ruthenium DSSCs. In particular, we have measured the main parameters of these cells, such as the electrical and power performances and the efficiency levels, at different irradiance levels and at different incident…

Nanostructured Ni–Co alloy electrodes for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline electrolyzer

Abstract Ni–Co alloy nanostructured electrodes with high surface area were investigated both as a cathode and anode for an alkaline electrolyzer. Electrodes were obtained by template electrosynthesis at room temperature. The electrolyte composition was tuned in order to obtain different NiCo alloys. The chemical and morphological features of nanostructured electrodes were evaluated by EDS, XRD and SEM analyses. Results show that electrodes with different composition of Ni and Co, made of nanowires well anchored to the substrate, were obtained. For both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, electrochemical and electrocatalytic tests, performed in 30% w/w KOH aqueous solution, were carried…

Synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials applied to energy devices

Nanostructured protective for historical-artistic stone materials: evaluation of effectiveness and persistence by non invasive techniques

A novel linear-non-linear digital control for DC/DC converters

In this paper, a digitally controlled multi-module DC-DC converter with fast transient response, based on a linear-non-linear control is presented. The proposed digital control improves the stability of the system, cuts off the effects of limit-cycle and reduces the recovery time, by making the "effective" bandwidth of the system independent of the bandwidth of the linear control loop and limits, at the same time, output voltage variations. The novel digital control is AVP-compatible and halves the recovery time. Preliminary hardware tests on a single phase step-down converter are reported. The experimental results match simulation ones, obtained by modelling system with Matlab/Aldec mixed …

NANOWIRES AND THIN FILMS OF CIS/CIGS OBTAINED BY ELECTRODEPOSITION AS ABSORBER FOR SOLAR CELLS

Microwave gas sensor based on graphene aerogel for breath analysis

Exhaled breath can be used for early detection and diagnosis of diseases, monitoring metabolic activity, and precision medicine. In this work, we design and simulate a microwave sensor in which thin graphene aerogels are integrated into rectangular microwave waveguides. Graphene aerogels are ideal sensing platforms for gases and volatile compounds as they combine extremely high surface-to-volume ratio and good electrical conductivity at RF and microwave frequencies. The latter is modified by exposure to different gases, and -when integrated into a waveguide- these changes result in significant shifts in transmission and reflection scattering parameters. We model the aerogel as a graphene gr…

Random quasi-phase matching in congruent lithium tantalate waveguides by proton exchange

A report is presented on broadband second-harmonic generation in the range between 930 and 970 nm using random quasi-phase matching in a planar waveguide fabricated by soft proton exchange in congruent lithium tantalate. Bulk and waveguide measurements are compared, outlining the averaging role of guided-wave modes and their interactions with respect to spectral acceptance and near-field profile.

Advanced Monitoring Systems Based on Battery-Less Asset Tracking Modules Energized through RF Wireless Power Transfer

Asset tracking involving accurate location and transportation data is highly suited to wireless sensor networks (WSNs) featuring battery-less nodes that can be deployed in virtually any environment and require little or no maintenance. In response to the growing demand for advanced battery-less sensor tag solutions, this article presents a system for identifying and monitoring the speeds of assets in a WSN with battery-less tags that receive all their operating energy through radio frequency (RF) wireless power transfer (WPT) architecture, and a unique measurement approach to generate time-domain speed readouts. The assessment includes performance characteristics and key features of a syste…

Strategies and Techniques for Powering Wireless Sensor Nodes through Energy Harvesting and Wireless Power Transfer

The continuous development of internet of things (IoT) infrastructure and applications is paving the way for advanced and innovative ideas and solutions, some of which are pushing the limits of state-of-the-art technology. The increasing demand for Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) able to collect and transmit data through wireless communication channels, while often positioned in locations that are difficult to access, is driving research into innovative solutions involving energy harvesting (EH) and wireless power transfer (WPT) to eventually allow battery-free sensor nodes. Due to the pervasiveness of radio frequency (RF) energy, RF EH and WPT are key technologies with the potential to power …

Advanced Techniques for Powering Wireless Sensor Nodes through Energy Harvesting and Wireless Power Transfer

This paper presents three different techniques for efficiently powering an energy-autonomous wireless sensor (EAWS) through both energy harvesting (EH) and RF wireless power transfer (WPT). The aim of the paper is to provide effective strategies and techniques to reduce, as far as possible, the cost of wiring of the automotive production process due to the continuous and constant increase in the use of sensors. The techniques employ a highly integrated state-of-the-art, ultra-low power 2.5 mu W system-on-chip (SoC) system, designed for multi-source RF wireless energy harvesting and power transfer and are designed with the goal of minimizing and, where possible, eliminating the costly mainte…

Design of a double-gap Hughes-type coupled-cavity for a Ka-band Extended Interaction Klystron

In this paper, the design of a Ka-band Extended-Interaction Klystron (EIK) working at 2$\pi$ mode. The interaction structure is a three-gap Hughes-type coupled-cavity. Based on the results obtained with the 3D model developed by using CST, “cold electrical parameters” have been calculated, necessary to measure the interaction with the electron beam. The structure stability and the synchronization with the electron beam are analyzed The large-signal analysis is performed by 1D software AJDISK. Under the beam voltage and current of 19.55 kV and 0.95 A, respectively, an RF output power value of 3.86 kW and a bandwidth gain value of 37. 06 dB have been obtained

Nanostructured materials for solar cells: electrochemical fabrication and characterization

An Energy-Autonomous Wireless Sensor with Simultaneous Energy Harvesting and Ambient Light Sensing

Wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) are generally powered by batteries, which results in a substantial limitation to the places where the nodes can be installed, to the maximum number of deployable devices, and to the node lifetime. To meet the demand for Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications that require a large number of maintenance-free, low cost, wireless sensor nodes, this paper proposes a wireless sensor platform with a single photovoltaic transducer that performs the dual role of harvesting energy and sensing ambient light. This dual use allows even smaller and cheaper nodes that do not require any form of supporting external power, with a reduced component count. The device implements off-…

Fabrication and electro-optical characterization of Ruthenium-based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

In this paper, we measure the main photoelectrical parameters of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) based on ruthenium complexes at different irradiance levels, incident wavelengths, temperatures and hours of light soaking

Template electrosynthesis of nanostructures for water electrolysis

MALTE INNOVATIVE PER LA COPERTURA DELLE CRESTE MURARIE IN AMBITO ARCHEOLOGICO

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the opportunities offered by nanotechnologies to the production of innovative mortars with enhanced performances for the reconfiguration of walls ridges in the archaeological field. In particular, an already existing additive, based on silica nano-particles in aqueous solution, was tested mixing it in varying percentages to a hydraulic lime mortar and pozzolana. The following tests were carried out on different samples: resistance to bending and compression, adhesion to the surface, water absorption coefficient through capillarity, accelerated ageing test using salt mist. In the final stage, some comparative considerations among the different …

New approach for harmonic mitigation in single-phase five-level CHBMI with fundamental frequency switching

The main objective of this paper is to study and analyse the voltage output waveform of a multilevel inverter, to suggest a new approach for harmonic mitigation improving the converter performance. These last type of converters represent a new technology in the field of DC/AC electrical energy conversion, presenting advantages respect to the traditional converters. In fact, the multilevel power converters present a low harmonic content and a high voltage level. The paper considers a five-level single-phase cascaded H-bridge inverter and fundamental frequency modulation techniques. The voltage waveform analysis has allowed to identify a working area of the converter where there are lowest va…

Study and evaluation of nano-structured cellulose fibers as additive for restoration of historical mortars and plasters

Abstract UPM bio-fibrils are nano-structured cellulose fibers (nano-fibrils) produced by UPM Kymmene-Corporation, a Finnish company. This paper reports a preliminary study about nano-fibrils to determine their possible use for restoration of historical mortars and plasters. The aim of this study is to investigate the behavior of some mixtures added with nano-fibrils in their properties for conservative purposes. These mixtures reproduce the composition of historical mortars and plasters, made of natural hydraulic lime (NHL 3.5) and river sand. After 28 days of hardening, the properties of specimens with nano-fibrils were compared with untreated one to understand how nano-fibrils interact wi…

A Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Antennas System for Small-Satellite Applications

Circularly polarized (CP) antennas are used in space applications for telemetry tracking and command (TT&amp

Digital power conversion system based on a sigma-delta modulator linear model

This paper presents a new linear model for the sigma-delta (/spl Sigma//spl Delta/) modulator, based on modeling the nonlinear quantizer with a linear factor, and its input-to-output transfer function is given. The use of a 1-bit sigma-delta modulator in DC/DC power converter systems permits to implement a complete digital control. Results of an investigation from a prototype for a DC-DC converter are here reported. Using of a field programmable gate array allows implementing a simple variable control function. The modulator output produces a variable-frequency variable duty-ratio signal to control the switching power transistors.

A hybrid storage system for wireless sensor nodes powered with energy harvesting

With the recent development of Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), research and industry have been increasingly focusing on the opportumty of collecting the energy arising from the environment. The Energy Harvesting provides the possibility to supply devices which are placed out of reach or in hazardous spots, e.g. the Wireless Sensor Nodes. Among the different parts belonging to an Energy Harvesting system, the power management network represents a challenging topic. In this paper a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) usable for a WSN powered with Energy Harvesting, based on a battery-capacitor integration, is presented. The experimental results concerning the asse…

Characterization of Ruthenium-based Dye-Sensitized solar cells

In this paper, we measure the main photoelectrical parameters of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) based on ruthenium complexes at different irradiance levels, incident wavelengths, temperatures and hours of light soaking.

Current-Sensing Technique for Current-Mode Controlled Voltage Regulator Modules

This paper introduces an innovative current-sense technique for voltage regulator modules (VRMs). The proposed method is applied to a multiphase buck converter although the converter topology does not affect the accuracy or effectiveness of the proposed technique. A RC network is parallel connected with the buck converter low-side MOSFET and the voltage signal across the sense capacitor reconstructs the inductor current waveform. The RC technique benefits from all the advantages of the most popular current-sensing technique, the inductor DC resistance current-sense method, cutting off its main disadvantage. The sense network design is oriented to obtain high immunity to noise and a great dy…

A fuel cell-based hybrid power supply for portable electronics devices

A fuel cell - supercapacitor hybrid power supply for portable applications is designed. To ensure system level simulation, each component is accurately modeled and simulation results are reported. A Digital Still Camera is selected as specific load device, although the choice of a specific application does not influence the proposed control technique performances but only dictates the power supply specifications. The fuel cell and the power management system are modeled in PSIM. © 2008 IEEE.

A mid-IR Plasmonic Graphene Nanorectenna-based Energy Harvester to Power IoT Sensors

In this paper, the design of a graphene arrow- bowtie nanoantenna mid-IR energy-harvester to power IOT wireless sensor is presented. For the first time, a sensitivity analysis of the mid-IR nanoantenna resonant frequencies in terms of different graphene number of sheets and chemical potential (μCP) without substrate and on a two-layer substrate composed of SiO2 and Si, is carried out. The obtained simulation results by 3D CST 2020 are useful to design an efficient infrared nanorectenna, composed of the nanoantenna and a rectifying MIM diode inside the gap. The analysis of the complete energy-harvester (EH), composed of an NxM nanorectenna array, a low-pass filter, and a DC-DC converter, is …

Experimental Investigation on the Performances of Innovative PV Vertical Structures

The sustainable development of our planet is considerably related to a relevant reduction of CO2 global emissions, with building consumption contributing more than 40%. In this scenario, new technological conceptions, such as building-integrated photovoltaic technology, emerged in order to satisfy the requirements of sustainability imposed by the European Union. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a technical and economical comparison of the performances of different vertical-mounted innovative photovoltaic systems, potentially integrated on a building instead of on traditional windows or glass walls. The proposed investigation was carried out by means of experimental tests on thr…

A circularly polarized wideband high gain patch antenna for wireless power transfer

This article deals with a microstrip patch antenna working at 868 MHz, suitable for the radio frequency wireless power transfer and energy harvesting applications. The proposed monolithic antenna is compact, lightweight and it is printed on a thick substrate in order to maximize the total gain in the broadside direction. The antenna radiates at 868 MHz with a fractional impedance bandwidth of 5% and it shows a gain of 4.14 dB.

MALTE INNOVATIVE IN AMBITO ARCHEOLOGICO

The aim of this study is the formulation of a special mortar with improved adhesion, elasticity, workability, water resistance compared to traditional mortars. This has been achieved thanks to the addition of nanostructured products able to influence the reaction of water with the hydraulic binder, in order to reduce the drying shrinkage and the subsequent micro-cracks, increasing the elasticity of the material and favoring the anchoring to the surface application. The study focused on laboratory testing of innovative mortars, based on a mixture of hydraulic lime, pozzolana and a nanostructured additive based on silica nanoparticles in aqueous solution. The physical and mechanical character…

Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers as Non-Classical Light Source for Microwave Quantum Illumination

Abstract Detection of low-reflectivity objects can be enriched via the so-called quantum illumination procedure. In order that this quantum procedure outperforms classical detection protocols, entangled states of microwave radiation are initially required. In this paper, we discuss the role of Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (JTWPAs), based on circuit-QED components, as suitable sources of a two-mode squeezed vacuum state, a special signal-idler entangled state. The obtained wide bandwidth makes the JTWPA an ideal candidate for generating quantum radiation in quantum metrology and information processing applications.

Optical Plasmonic Yagi-Uda Nano-Antennas Array for Energy Harvesting Applications

Optical nanoantennas have been of great interest recently due to their ability to support a highly efficient, localized surface plasmon resonance and produce significantly enhanced and highly confined electromagnetic fields. The Yagi-Uda nanoantenna, an optical analogue of the well-established radiofrequency Yagi-Uda antenna, stands out by its efficient unidirectional light emission and enhancement. In this paper, the design of an optical plasmonic Yagi-Uda nanoantenna for energy harvesting application is proposed. The enhancement of the directivity is reached by means of an organization in array. The simulation results, carried out by 3D code CST Studio, show that the proposed nanoantenna …

ART AND TECHNIQUE: ARTISTIC REPRODUCTION OF THE ANCIENT BRONZE IL GUERRIERO DA PETRALIA SOTTANA

The reproduction of artistic objects is useful for museological, teaching, and commercial purposes. In some cases, the reproduction is carried out to replace the originals located in outdoor environments and to prevent the deterioration due to weathering or pollution. This article describes the different phases that led to the reproduction of the Il Guerriero da Petralia Sottana. The observation of stylistic characteristics and the physical-chemical investigation were carried out in order to obtain information about the composition of the alloy and the technological properties of the artifact by using Optical Microscopy and X- ray Fluorescence. The reproduction in wax was performed by using…

Modeling and simulation of a digital control design approach for power supply systems

Electronic designers need to model and simulate system features as close as possible to its effective behaviour. Moreover, today, electronics systems are often composed of mixed analog and digital components. The increasing complexity has led to the use of different simulation softwares, each one specific for a particular level of abstraction: mathematical, circuital, behavioural, etc. In order to simulate the entire system these softwares should work together: co-simulation is necessary for digitally controlled power electronics systems. In this paper, the modeling of a digitally controlled switching power supply system using MATLAB/Simulink, ALDEC Active-HDL and Powersys PSIM is presented…

Electrochemical and chemical synthesis of CIS/Zn(S,O,OH) for thin film solar cells

In this work, we are reporting results on the electrodeposition of the CuInSe2 thin films on molybdenum thin foil substrates. We have used an aqueous non-buffered electrolyte and a careful choice of deposition parameters to ensure a good quality and composition of the deposited films. In addition, CdS was replaced in the buffer layer with a wider bandgap Zn(S,O,OH) film obtained by chemical bath deposition. The deposited films were annealed in inert atmosphere at different temperatures. The influence of annealing temperature on the properties of the films is briefly discussed. Films were also characterized by photoelectrochemical and I-V measurements. Structural characterization was carried…

Measurement-based load modelling for power supply system design

Load modelling is essential to simulate system features as closely as possible to the effective behaviour. In spite of model complexity, the need for accuracy often leads to a component-based approach, i.e. the analysis of load internal subsystems. It is a common belief that measurement-based load models lead to low accuracy. This paper presents a new, high-accuracy measurement-based load modelling approach to define a power consumption profile load model for power systems design. The load modeling technique is described by an application. Simulation and experimental results are compared. The efficiency and portability of the proposed modelling approach is discussed. ©2008 IEEE.

Wireless battery charging for electric bicycles

The contactless solution is increasingly spreading as method of battery charging for Electric Vehicles (EVs). The standard technology of contactless EV battery charging is based on the Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) between two coupled coils, one connected to the electrical grid and the other one connected to the rechargeable battery. The IPT provides benefits in terms of safety and comfort, due to the absence of a plug-in operation. In this paper, an overview on the IPT applied to the battery charging of electric bicycles is provided, with some general considerations on the technical implications. Moreover, a prototype of contactless battery charging for E-bikes is proposed and described.

Linear-non-linear digital control technique for dc-dc converters with fast transient response

Novel Computational Method for Harmonic Mitigation for Three-phase Five-level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter

The efficiency of the system is a very important parameter for high power electrical drives applications,. Moreover, in the system the efficiency of the power converter play a fundamental role and for this reason, the soft switching modulation techniques represent the best choice. This paper presents a novel computational method for harmonic mitigation on the output voltage of a five-level, three-phase Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter without solving non-linear equations. Through this simple approach the Working Areas have been identified in which the harmonics reference have minimum amplitude possible. Moreover, polynomial equations to evaluate the control angels have been found. In this way, th…

A New Model for Sigma-Delta Modulator Oriented to Digitally Controlled DC/DC Converter

Recent research activities have shown the feasibility and advantages of using digital controller ICs specifically developed for high-frequency switching converters, highlighting a challenging future trend in Switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) applications. Up to a few years ago, the application of digital control for SMPS was impractical due to the high cost and low performance of DSP and microcontroller systems, even if the advantages that digital controllers offer were well known, such as immunity to analog component variations and ability to implement sophisticated control schemes and system diagnostics. Digital controller ICs potentially offer other advantages from the integrated desig…

Wideband THz time domain spectroscopy based on optical rectification and electro-optic sampling

We present an analytical model describing the full electromagnetic propagation in a THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system, from the THz pulses via Optical Rectification to the detection via Electro Optic-Sampling. While several investigations deal singularly with the many elements that constitute a THz-TDS, in our work we pay particular attention to the modelling of the time-frequency behaviour of all the stages which compose the experimental set-up. Therefore, our model considers the following main aspects: (i) pump beam focusing into the generation crystal; (ii) phase-matching inside both the generation and detection crystals; (iii) chromatic dispersion and absorption inside the c…

Dedicated anlog-to-digital converter for digital VRM

A versatile ultrasound system for in vitro experiments

Objective One of the most difficult tasks to achieve with the available instrumentations used to study the interaction between ultrasound (US) and cellular model systems is to design an experiment, where only the effects of one physical parameter at a time is evaluated, while all the others are kept constant. The set-ups are usually custom-made, often by means of clinical instrument intended for a different therapeutic purpose. Furthermore, the results are not strictly comparable with others obtained with techniques considered standard in molecular and cellular biology at this time, because there is the need to use non-standard devices to contain biological samples. Sterility, as well as te…

Self-Powered Measurement System for Remote Monitoring of Human Metabolism

Continuous and minimally invasive measurements of metabolism are the key to the understanding and proper treatment of various pathologies. In this context, this paper deals with an innovative concept of a wireless measurement system that monitors glucose concentration and is simultaneously powered by self-measurement. The measurement system directly generates a radio transmission at a frequency proportional to the measured glucose concentration, acting de facto as a glucose concentration to time converter. In that way, a remote base station can indirectly detect glucose concentration by measuring the frequency of received radio signals. The outcome is a wireless measurement system, which us…

Thrust Vector Controller Comparison for a Finless Rocket

The paper focuses on comparing applicability, tuning, and performance of different controllers implemented and tested on a finless rocket during its boost phase. The objective was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each controller, such that the most appropriate one would then be developed and implemented in real-time in the finless rocket. The compared controllers were Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR), Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG), and Proportional Integral Derivative (PID). To control the attitude of the rocket, emphasis is given to the Thrust Vector Control (TVC) component (sub-system) through the gimballing of the rocket engine. The launcher is commanded through the cont…

THIN ZNS FILMS OBTAINED BY ELECTRODEPOSITION AS BUFFER FOR SOLAR CELLS

A steady-state and dynamic fuel cell model for power electronics design

Dependence of Terahertz Emission and Detection in Photoconductive Antennas on Laser Parameters

In this study, we employ a standard Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) setup based on two photoconductive antennas (PCAs) for THz radiation generation and detection. The characterization of the emission and detection performance as a function of the input pulse wavelength and bandwidth is performed.

Optical-Microwave Sensor for Real-Time Measurement of Water Contamination in Oil Derivatives  

This paper presents a novel microwave sensor using optical activation for measuring in real-time the water contamination in crude oil or its derivatives. The sensor is constructed from an end-coupled microstrip resonator that is interconnected to two pairs of identical fractal structures based on Moore curves. Electromagnetic (EM) interaction between the fractal curves is mitigated using a T-shaped microstrip-stub to enhance the performance of the sensor. The gap in one pair of fractal curves is loaded with light dependent resistors (LDR) and the other pair with microwave chip capacitors. The chip capacitors were used to increase the EM coupling between the fractal gaps to realize a high Q-…

Optimum Design and Performance of an Electron Gun for a Ka-Band TWT

This paper deals with optimum design and development of a thermionic electron gun to meet specified beam requirements within defined electric and geometric constraints for a Ka -band traveling wave tube (TWT) for space applications. The electron gun design is based on the Pierce method and carried out according to the iterative process indicated by Vaughan. The design of a periodic permanent magnet (PPM) beam focusing system for the stability of the beam is also required. A sensitivity analysis, by varying electric parameters and geometric parameters, is presented and taken into account as a fundamental role to the aim of optimizing the design of the Pierce gun. A cathode current value of 5…

Intrinsically Self-powered, Battery-free, and Sensor-free Ambient Light Control System

This paper deals with an energy-autonomous wireless sensing system with an indirect measurement of the light energy for ambient lighting sensing. The system can perform power measurements without battery or external power sources and generates time-domain data. The advantage of the proposed solution consists of greater energy efficiency, a reduced number of components, higher miniaturization, and a reduction in implementation costs. The device is implemented using off-the-shelf components on a printed circuit board (PCB) with the size of 2 x 2 cm(2) and the thickness of 0.45 cm, it can harvest and detect sunlight ambient light as low as 200 lux.

Hydrogel films engineered in a mesoscopically ordered structure and responsive to ethanol vapors

Abstract Responsive hydrogels filling the interstitial spaces of photonic crystals can form mesoscopically structured materials, which exhibit reversible shifts in the Bragg diffracted light as a response of environmental changes. These materials can be used to generate chemical or biochemical sensors. The present work reports on the synthesis and characterization of ethanol responsive hydrogels that can be used in the design of novel breathalyzers. The dynamic mechanical behavior of the macroscopic hydrogels and their swelling features in the presence of different liquids or vapors have been investigated to orientate the choice of the best responsive material and curing process. The swelli…

Power management of a battery/supercapacitor system for E-mobility applications

Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (HESS) have been very popular in recent years in different applications, from electric vehicles (EVs) to smart grids and renewable energies, due to the growing need to accumulate electricity. The concept of hybridization arises from the requirement of both high energy and specific power. The battery/supercapacitor (SC) system offers great advantages in a DC bus, giving the opportunity to provide high amounts of power to the loads. In this paper, a system composed of two bidirectional DC-DC converters, one connected to a battery pack and one to a stack of supercapacitors, is presented for a DC bus in electrical mobility (E-Mobility) applications. The proposed co…

Design of a Planar Sensor Based on Split-Ring Resonator for Non-invasive Permittivity Measurement

The permi)ivity of a material is an important parameter to characterize the degree of polarization of a material and identify components and impurities. This paper presents a non-invasive measurement technique to characterize materials in terms of their permi)ivity based on a modified metamaterial unit-cell sensor. The sensor consists of a complementary split-ring resonator (C-SRR), but its fringe electric field is contained with a conductive shield to intensify the normal component of the electric field. It is shown that by tightly electromagnetically coupling opposite sides of the unit-cell sensor to the input/output microstrip feedlines, two distinct resonant modes are excited. Perturbat…

High-sensitivity narrow-band CSRR-based Microwave Sensor for Monitoring Glucose Level

In this paper, a high-sensitivity narrow-band microwave sensor based on a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) to detect glucose concentrations in an aqueous solution is presented. The sensor consists of three CSRR cells engraved on the bottom level of a 59 mm x 20 mm x 0.8 mm FR4 (εr=4.3) dielectric substrate with a sensing area of 36 x 20 mm2. The cells operate over the 2.3 - 2.4 GHz band and are powered by a 50 Ω microstrip waveguide at the bottom of the substrate. A sensitivity analysis, starting from an optimization of the thickness of the glass layer added to the cells to avoid short circuits between the sample solution and the CSRRs rings, is performed. The sensitivity analysis …

Measurement-based load modelling for power supply systems design

Ruthenium Oxide Nanotubes Via Template Electrosynthesis

Ruthenium oxide nanotubes were fabricated by a single-step galvanostatic deposition using porous anodic alumina membrane as template. For the electrodeposition process, we used a electrochemical cell specifically designed in order to employ only 0.5 ml of 0.02 M RuCl3•xH2O solution. The deposition from a very small volume was specifically addressed owing to the high cost of ruthenium compounds, which could be of some relevance from an applicative point of view. Several techniques were used to characterize the samples prior to and after thermal treatment, which was carried out at different temperatures in order to study the crystallization process of the deposit. Raman spectroscopy of as-dep…

Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy setup based on photoconductive antennas

Despite the technical difficulties in developing efficient and compact sources and detectors for Terahertz (THz) radiation, this region of the electromagnetic spectrum is attracting an ever-increasing interest, due to its peculiar and high-potential applications in several fields, such as wideband communications, medicine, biology, non-destructive testing, security and defense. Within such contexts, the most widespread approach aiming to deal with THz pulses is based on the THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system. In this work, we present our experimental results obtained by means of a THz-TDS set-up based on photoconductive antennas for both the generation and detection stage. It is …

Exploiting state information to support QoS in Software-Defined WSNs

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a promising paradigm initially proposed for the wired networks which has the potential to change the way in which networks are designed and managed. Recently, its use has been extended to wireless infrastructure-less networks such as ad-hoc and wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we take inspiration from our previous work where a scheme that extends the SDN paradigm to WSNs - called SDN-WISE - was proposed. Differently from OpenFlow, SDN-WISE is stateful; accordingly in this paper we investigate how state can be used to support different levels of QoS in WSNs. In fact, state can be used to represent the level of congestion of a node and rules can be…

Fuel cell modelling for power supply systems design

Today academic and industrial research is addressed on fuel cell based power supply to replace current lithium-ion and similar rechargeable battery systems. For system simulation, fuel cell models are developed. Even if power electronics designers demand for a blackbox model to limit the knowledge of physical and chemical parameters, high performance in terms of model accuracy and portability is absolutely necessary. A steady state and dynamic fuel cell model oriented to power supply systems design is proposed and, as an example, the implementation on PSIM software is presented. Simulation and experimental results are compared and the model portability is discussed. ©2008 IEEE.

A Self-powered Ambient Light Power Measurement Platform with Time-domain Readout

Internet of Things (IoT) provides more and more adequate infrastructures for many applications and advanced services. This scenario promotes the ability to satisfy the growing demand for innovative measuring systems, increasingly popular consisting of intelligent nodes, totally wireless, easy to install, and that requires the least possible maintenance. In this context, this paper aims to contribute to state of the art with an energy-autonomous and battery-free measurement platform designed to measure the ambient light power when its level exceeds the sensitivity threshold. The measurement platform utilizes a single transducer to scavenge energy and concurrently measure the ambient light in…

Optical Nanoantennas for Energy Harvesting

In the last decade, the increasing demand for renewable energy has been leading to the development of new devices, which overcome the disadvantages of the traditional photovoltaic conversion and exploit the thermal radiation created by the Sun, that is transferred in the form of electromagnetic waves into free space and finally absorbed by the surface of the Earth [1-2]. These new devices, called nanoantennas, have only recently been considered thanks to the development of electron beam lithography and similar techniques. Nanoantennas operate at nanometers wavelengths and their dimensions range from a few hundred nanometres to a few microns. They exhibit potential advantages in terms of pol…

Design of a 1 kW output power Folded Waveguide TWT operating in ka-band

A Ka-band Serpentine Folded Waveguide Travelling Wave Tube (TWT) has been designed. The imposed design parameters values in terms of high power, high load, wide bandwidth, low weight, along with a structure manufactured with planar technique or by means of a micro milling process, have been obtained. Small signal simulations have been carried out with an in-house software for interaction impedance evaluation. The commercial electromagnetic simulation code CST Suite has been used for dispersion diagram prediction. An optimization of the one-dimensional software, normally used for large-signal simulation in coupled cavity TWTs (“Computer Program for Analysis of Coupled-cavity Travelling-wave-…

PWM DC/DC converter based on an innovative current sensing technique

A novel digital control technique for DC/DC converters to improve steady-state performances

A 28.3 THz Plasmonic Graphene Arrow-bowtie Nanoantenna for Energy Harvesting

In this paper, the design of a 28.3 aor1 THz graphene arrow bowtie nanoantenna for IR energy harvesting applications astr is presented. A sensitivity analysis of the resonance frequency in terms of geometric parameters acty number of graphene sheets acny doping, and thickness of the substrate is reported. The simulations are carried out using the CST 2020 3D simulator.

Design of a Compact Dual Circular-Polarized Antenna for L-Band Satellite Applications

In this paper, we propose the design of a dual circular-polarized antenna for L-band applications (1.1-1.6 GHz). The designed antenna has been developed by considering crossed-dipoles on top of which a circular patch has been placed to properly act on the mutual coupling between the dipoles. The dual circular polarization is achieved by feeding dipoles in quadrature. Moreover, to increase the antenna gain and polarization purity at high elevation angles, a fence of passive monopoles has been added. The proposed antenna can profitably used as primary feed of a low-frequency parabolic reflector.

A Battery-Free Wireless Smart Sensor platform with Bluetooth Low Energy Connectivity for Smart Agriculture

Smart agriculture systems, which integrate sensors and data analysis into agricultural production processes, are increasingly proving an effective solution for reducing food production waste, yield production increase, and product quality improvement. In this context, this paper deals with a wireless sensors platform for humidity, temperature, and light detection that has the peculiarity to be self-powered and battery-free. The main advantage of the proposed solution is the elimination of maintenance interventions due to battery replacement. Therefore, the availability of install-and-forget sensors allows an easy diffusion for a capillary detection of plant health and growth parameters thro…

Experimental Validation of a Novel Method for Harmonic Mitigation for a Three-Phase Five-Level Cascaded H-Bridges Inverter

In modern high-power electrical drives, the efficiency of the system is a crucial constraint. Moreover, the efficiency of power converters plays a fundamental role in modern applications requiring also a limited weight, such as the electric vehicles and novel more electric aircraft. The reduction of losses pushes for systems with a dc bus and a high number of dc/ac converters, widespread in the vehicle, not burdened by a too expensive data processing system. The purpose of this article is to concur to reduce losses by proposing an innovative selective harmonic mitigation method based on the identification of the working areas where the reference harmonics present lower amplitudes. In partic…

Nanostructured Ni-Co Alloy Electrodes Fabrication and Characterization for both Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Electrolyzer

Sun and wind as power sources are becoming more and more relevant owing to the progressive abandoning of the fossil fuels [1,2]. Additionally, worldwide public authorities are encouraging the use of renewable energies by promoting laws and guidelines [3,4]. In this scenario, a fundamental role can play hydrogen that besides being a valuable energy carrier, it can also act as a storage medium to balance the discontinuity affecting the renewable energy sources production [5]. As a consequence, cheap and abundant availability of hydrogen is crucial. Electrochemical water splitting is likely one of the most valuable technique to produce hydrogen because the process is environmentally friendly b…

An RF Wireless Power Transfer system to power battery-free devices for asset tracking

Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) infrastructures are becoming more and more available and diffused. One major outcome is the development of new services that help to make everyday life easier and better. One of those to which this paper reserves special attention is asset tracking which refers to the method of tracking physical assets. This service is very well based on IoT infrastructure and, due to the enormous number of objects to be traced, desperately needs the availability of inexpensive tags with sensing capabilities, that can be conveniently monitored from a long distance and require no maintenance. For this, engineers are called to face very challenging i…

Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Exploration (RIMFAX)

In questo articolo viene illustrato il principio di funzionamento del (RIMFAX) della missione NASA MARS 2020. A seguire, viene presentato il progetto di una antenna Vivaldi (UWB) in sostituzione della Bowtie

Optimal Design of an X-Band, Fully-Coaxial, Easily-Tunable Broadband Power Equalizer for a Microwave Power Module

A microwave power module (MPM), which is a hybrid combination of a solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) as a driver and a traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWT) as the final high power stage, is a high-power device largely used for radar applications. A gain equalizer is often required to flatten the TWT output power gain owing to its big gain fluctuations over the operating frequency range. In this paper, the design of an X-band, fully-coaxial, easily-tunable broadband power equalizer for an MPM is presented. The structure is composed of a coaxial waveguide as the main transmission line and a coaxial cavity loaded with absorbing material as a resonant unit. Sensitivity analyses of the attenuati…

Review of Infrared Nanoantennas for Energy Harvesting

The Sun is the greatest source of energy providing a continuous stream of power; its exploitation has stimulated several approaches and technologies to directly or indirectly achieve renewable energy. New devices, which exploit the thermal radiation created by the Sun, that is transferred in the form of electromagnetic waves into free space, and finally absorbed by the surface of the Earth, are under study. The aim of this contribution is to critically compare advantages and disadvantages of new types of suitable antennas operating at nanometers wavelengths, called nanoantennas, for infrared energy harvesting, focusing on the state of the art and its perspectives.

VALUTAZIONE DELL'EFFICACIA E DURABILITÀ DI PROTETTIVI NANOSTRUTTURATI APPLICATI SU CAMPIONI DI MARMO DI CARRARA

An integrated analytical approach can be useful to study the effectiveness of preservation treatment for Carrara marble surfaces, carried out for testing commercial products which are based on nano-structured silica oxides. Variation in hydrophobic properties, porosity distribution, and chemical composition of treated surfaces have been studied. With this aim, contact angle evaluation, NMR, XRF measurements have been used. Changes of above mentioned physical and chemical characteristics have been evaluated before and after aging in saline chamber of the treated and untreated samples. Moreover, the effectiveness of ultrasonic treatment in “safe” removal of the products from treated surfaces …

Electrochemical deposition of CZTS thin films on flexible substrate

Abstract In this work, we report some preliminary results concerning the fabrication of quaternary semiconductor Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films on a flexible substrate through the simultaneous electrodeposition of elements having different standard electrochemical potentials. CZTS thin films were obtained by potentiostatic deposition from aqueous baths at room temperature and under N2 atmosphere, varying bath composition. Chemical composition and structure of the electrodeposited films were evaluated by EDS, SEM, RAMAN and XRD. Preliminary results on the photoelectrochemical behaviour of the films will be also presented.

Ultrathin silicon nanowires for optical and electrical nitrogen dioxide detection

The ever-stronger attention paid to enhancing safety in the workplace has led to novel sensor development and improvement. Despite the technological progress, nanostructured sensors are not being commercially transferred due to expensive and non-microelectronic compatible materials and processing approaches. In this paper, the realization of a cost-effective sensor based on ultrathin silicon nanowires (Si NWs) for the detection of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is reported. A modification of the metal-assisted chemical etching method allows light-emitting silicon nanowires to be obtained through a fast, low-cost, and industrially compatible approach. NO2 is a well-known dangerous gas that, even wit…

PRODOTTI NANOSTRUTTURATI PER LA PROTEZIONE DI SUPERFICI LAPIDEE: VALUTAZIONE DELL’EFFICACIA MEDIANTE TECNICHE FISICHE NON INVASIVE

The use of nanoproducts in the Cultural Heritage (CH) field requires great sensitivity and responsibility and, above all, analytical research and studies evaluating effectively their potential use. In order to evaluate the capability of nanostructured protective in the CH field, limestone materials of historical-artistic interest were treated and then studied. The study focuses on the non-invasive evaluation of samples stone, of interest in the CH field, their surface has been tested with nanostructured products. In particular, samples of limestone of Favara (Sicily) have been studied, before and after artificial aging. The analytical methodology involved X-ray fluorescence measurements, in…

Electro-optical characterization of highly efficient Dye-Sensitized solar cells

Nowadays, a growing demand for free and clean energy requires the study and the development of new low-cost solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. Among them, Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) based on ruthenium complexes as sensitizers are assuming a great importance. The DSSCs under study are composed placing in succession a transparent conductive glass on which is screen-printed a mesoporous TiO2 thin film sensitized by a ruthenium based dye (N719), an electrolytic solution containing a redox couple (I-/I3-) and another conductive glass covered by a thin transparent catalyst platinum film. In this work, we have measured the main photoelectrochemical parameters of the above mentioned DSSCs at di…

Photovoltaic facade: Comparison of actual technologies

This article aims to establish the economic contribution of a photovoltaic system placed on a façade of a building, replacing traditional elements such as windows and glass-cement walls with active elements. The aim is to compare the behavior of next-generation systems, which favor architectonical integration, with traditional ones. Two novel systems have been taken into account: a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and blue and grey thin film silicon panels. Different generation systems have been tested and compared in terms of efficiency and fill factor.

Fluorescent Biosensors Based on Silicon Nanowires

Nanostructures are arising as novel biosensing platforms promising to surpass current performance in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and affordability of standard approaches. However, for several nanosensors, the material and synthesis used make the industrial transfer of such technologies complex. Silicon nanowires (NWs) are compatible with Si-based flat architecture fabrication and arise as a hopeful solution to couple their interesting physical properties and surface-to-volume ratio to an easy commercial transfer. Among all the transduction methods, fluorescent probes and sensors emerge as some of the most used approaches thanks to their easy data interpretation, measure affordability…

A High-Efficiency Optical Energy Harvester based on a Low-Impedance Plasmonic Nanoantenna

In this paper, for the first time, an investigation in terms of efficiency of an energy harvester based on a plasmonic nanorectenna array is proposed. The novel proposed mirrored-arrowhead nanoantenna presents a very low impedance value at the resonant frequency which reduces the mismatching between the antenna and rectifier circuit. Simulation results carried out by the CST 2020 Studio show a resistance value equal to 1.1 kohms at about 350 THz and a very wide bandwidth as the equivalent RF rhombic antenna. This study paves the way to nanoantennas for high-efficiency electromagnetic energy harvesting applications overcoming the photovoltaic technology.

Evaluation of an Optical Energy Harvester for SHM Application

Abstract In this paper a preliminary study on an array configuration of rectified optical nanoantennas for energy harvesting application is proposed. Currently, the major impediments for the use of the rectified optical nanoantenna known as rectenna are the relatively low conversion efficiency and low power transfer to the load, both of them caused mainly by the mismatch between the impedance of the rectifier (several kilo ohms) and that of the antenna (hundreds of ohm). For this reason, the design of the array represents a crucial point to obtain the maximum energy transfer from the rectenna to the load, represented as a typical DC/DC boost power converter, and modeled by an equivalent inp…

Measurements of Silicon Photomultipliers Responsivity in Continuous Wave

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy based on photoconductive antennas

In this work, we present our first experimental results obtained by means of a THz-TDS setup based on photoconductive antennas (PCAs). The main elements of the setup are: i) a mode-locked Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser (Mai-Tai SP - Spectra Physics), providing optical pulses at 800±20 nm with a duration < 50 fs and repetition rate of 84 MHz; ii) two photoconductive antennas, made in LT-GaAs (Low-Grown Temperature Gallium Arsenide), operating as THz emitter and detector; iii) an optical delay line.

A Battery-free Asset Monitoring System based on RF Wireless Power Transfer

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, asset monitoring represents an appealing implementation of Wireless Sensor Networks due to the enormous benefits associated with being able to monitor and record the exact position and transportation conditions of assets, personal objects, and the like. This kind of infrastructure enables the provision of increasingly advanced services, including the ability to measure the movement speed of a monitored asset using relatively inexpensive nodes with sensing capabilities and wireless transmission and reception. These nodes would ideally employ battery-free sensors that do not require any maintenance, but conventional power supply management systems cannot s…

Analysis and design of bi-directional DC-DC converters for ultracapacitors management in EVs

The on-board energy-storage system of an electric vehicle (EV) should be able to collect large amounts of energy and to deal with fast load variations. The use of hybrid power sources as storage devices is an attractive solution, aiming at maximizing both energy and power density. The battery/ultracapacitors (UCs) combination promises to provide significant benefits. An accurate design of bi-directional converters, capable of proplery managing the charge/discharge of the UCs from/to a voltage bus, is essential. In this paper, a bi-directional DC-DC converter connected to a bank of UCs is described and the simulation results are given as well. The designed converter is a buck-boost type, abl…

Solar Nanoantennas energy based characterization

Solar nanoantennas appear a very interesting solution to exploit solar radiation, as a matter of fact, their operating principle allows heat losses to be lessened compared to traditional photovoltaic cells and efficiency to be increased. Anyway, some technological issues are to be overcome. Literature often proposes a characterization by radiation efficiency typical of traditional antennas. Since the aim of solar nanoantennas is to harvest energy, in this paper the most promising devices are characterized by the upper bound of deliverable power density calculated in the whole operating wavelengths range.

Localization in Structured Environments with UWB Devices without Acceleration Measurements, and Velocity Estimation Using a Kalman–Bucy Filter

In this work, a novel scheme for velocity and position estimation in a UWB range-based localization system is proposed. The suggested estimation strategy allows to overcome two main problems typically encountered in the localization systems. The first one is that it can be suitable for use in environments where the GPS signal is not present or where it might fail. The second one is that no accelerometer measurements are needed for the localization task. Moreover, to deal with the velocity estimation problem, a suitable Kalman–Bucy filter is designed and it is compared, experimentally, with a particle filter by showing the features of the two algorithms in order to be used in a localization …

A FUELL CELL-BASED HYBRID POWER SUPPLY FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONICS DEVICES

An energy autonomous and battery-free measurement system for ambient light power with time domain readout

Abstract Internet of Things (IoT) provides more and more adequate infrastructures for many applications and advanced services. This context promotes the ability to satisfy the growing demand for innovative measuring systems, increasingly popular with intelligent nodes, totally wireless, easy to install that require the least possible maintenance. This paper aims to contribute to the state-of-the-art with an energy-autonomous and battery-free measurement platform designed to measure the ambient light power when its level exceeds the Limit of Detection (LoD) threshold. The proposed system consists of a single photovoltaic transducer to harvest energy and simultaneously detect ambient light. T…

A fuel cell-supercapacitor power supply for portable applications

Due to the increasing number and complexity of the available functions, modern handheld devices require higher and higher current slew rates. Customers' requirements lead to a growing interest in longer-lasting power, fast transient response power supply systems and minimization of system weight, volume and cost. Fuel cell based hybrid systems are designed to meet all requirements. In this paper, a fuel cell-supercapacitor hybrid power supply for portable applications is proposed. The power management subsystem is designed and simulation results are shown to test the efficiency of the control algorithm. ©2008 IEEE.

Detection of Signals in MC–CDMA Using a Novel Iterative Block Decision Feedback Equalizer

This paper presents a technique to mitigate multiple access interference (MAI) in multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) wireless communications systems. Although under normal circumstances the MC-CDMA system can achieve high spectral efficiency and resistance towards inter symbol interference (ISI) however when exposed to substantial nonlinear distortion the issue of MAI manifests. Such distortion results when the power amplifiers are driven into saturation or when the transmit signal experiences extreme adverse channel conditions. The proposed technique uses a modified iterative block decision feedback equalizer (IB-DFE) that uses a minimal mean square error (MMSE) receiver …

A novel method for harmonic mitigation for single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter

The efficiency of a system is a very important parameter for high power electrical drives applications. Moreover, the efficiency of power converters plays a fundamental role. Aim of this work, is to propose a novel selective harmonic mitigation method without solving non-linear equations. Through a very simple approach, the polynomial equations which drive the control angles have been detected for a single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter. The obtained polynomial equations can be easily implemented in a digital system to real-time operation. The paper also presents the simulation analysis and experimental validation.

Electrochemical deposition of CIGS on electropolished Mo

Investigation of Annealing Conditions on Electrochemically Deposited CZTS Film on Flexible Molybdenum Foil

In thiswork, the electrodeposition of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films on molybdenum thin foilwas reported. In order to guarantee co-deposition of elements with different standard electrochemical potential, an aqueous electrolyte added with ligand agents was used. I addition, deposition parameters were carefully chosen, in order to ensure good quality and suitable composition of the films. The deposited films were sulfurized in controlled atmosphere at 580?C, scrutinizing the influence of the annealing conditions on the features of the films. Structure, morphology and composition were investigated by XRD SEM, EDS and Raman spectroscopy. Results reveal the growth of good quality films, with a uniform mo…

Synthesis of yttrium aluminum garnet nanoparticles in confined environment II: Role of the thermal treatment on the composition and microstructural evolution

Abstract Nanoparticles of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG, Y 3 Al 5 O 12 ) have been obtained by thermal treatments, at several temperature in the range 400–950 °C, of the precursors synthetized via co-precipitation in water in oil microemulsion. The obtained nanoparticles have been characterized by means of X-ray Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Select Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). Results show the phase evolution occurring to obtain not aggregated nanoparticles of YAG phase. A possible growth mechanism of YAG nanoparticles is discussed on the basis of observed particle microstructure and morphology. The results i…

One-Step Electrodeposition of CZTS for Solar Cell Absorber Layer

CZTS thin films were obtained by one-step electrochemical deposition from aqueoussolution at room temperature. Films were deposited on two different substrates, ITOon PET, and electropolished Mo. Differently from previous studies focusing exclu‐sively on the formation of kesterite (Cu4ZnSnS4), here, the synthesis of a phase withthis exact composition was not considered as the unique objective. Really, startingfrom different baths, amorphous semiconducting layers containing copper–zinc–tin–sulphur with atomic fraction Cu0.592Zn0.124Sn0.063S0.221 and Cu0.415Zn0.061Sn0.349S0.175, werepotentiostatically deposited. Due to the amorphous nature, it was not possible to de‐tect if one or more phases…

Entanglement robustness via spatial deformation of identical particle wave functions

We address the problem of entanglement protection against surrounding noise by a procedure suitably exploiting spatial indistinguishability of identical subsystems. To this purpose, we take two initially separated and entangled identical qubits interacting with two independent noisy environments. Three typical models of environments are considered: amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel and depolarizing channel. After the interaction, we deform the wave functions of the two qubits to make them spatially overlap before performing spatially localized operations and classical communication (sLOCC) and eventually computing the entanglement of the resulting state. This way, we show tha…

Linear-non-linear digital control for dc/dc converters with fast transient response

A linear-non-linear digital control for multi-module DC/DC converters that improves system stability, solves the limit-cycle problem, reduces recovery time and limits over- and under-shoots in regulated output voltage, is presented. A simulation model in Matlab-Simulink/Active-HDL mixed environment is described. Preliminary hardware tests on a single-phase step-down converter are reported. Simulation and experimental results are shown.

A new current-mode control for DC/DC converter

Current-sensing is used widely in smart power chips, especially in DC/DC converter for voltage regulator modules (VRM), implemented with interleaved synchronous rectifier buck converters. The interleaved technique main difficulty is due to its current-sharing control between the several modules. Besides, if the used control technique is current-mode type, it is necessary create a ramp signal proportional to current on the inductor. In this paper, a lossless current-sensing method, solving the major disadvantages of the current-mode control and implementing a current-sharing technique, is proposed. This innovative technique is tested in a two-module interleaved buck converter.

Simulation of a single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter with multicarrier SPWM B-Spline based modulation techniques

Multilevel Power Inverters are now often used to convert DC to AC voltage waveform. This kind of converter allows high power quality with low output harmonics and lower commutation losses with respect to the traditional ones in order to optimize this aspect. This paper presents a novel simulation analysis of the Multicarrier Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (MC SPWM) techniques B-Spline functions based to control the switches of five-level single-phase cascaded H-bridge inverter. In order to verify the performance of the converter, the harmonic content of the voltage due to modulation techniques has been taken into account. Results highlight the comparison between different B-Spline functi…

Design of a Battery/Ultracapacitor Energy Storage System for Electric Vehicle Applications

The battery/ultracapacitors (UCs) integration is able to provide notable advantages in the power management of an electric vehicle (EV), in terms of capability of both high energy storage and readiness to deal with fast load variations. In order to manage the charge (or discharge) of the UCs from (or towards) a DC voltage bus, a proper bi-directional converter is required. In this paper, a bi-directional DC-DC converter in connection with a stack of UCs is described and some power simulation results are provided. The proposed converter is a B2R (buck-boost regulator) type. The load is represented by a 40kW peak power, kept for a time window of 3s, as required by the Worldwide harmonized Lig…

Novel GaN Based Solid State Power Amplifiers, Results, Advances and Comparison with Vacuum Tubes Based Microwave Power Modules

Power amplifiers based on vacuum tubes or solid state are key items in a number of systems. Solid state technology is growing up for some applications and it may be complementary to the vacuum technology. This paperwork presents SSPA operational principles and performance. The GaN technology available in the market, the technology roadmap, a comparison with the vacuum tubes are introduced

Photonic controlled metasurface for intelligent antenna beam steering applications including 6G mobile communication systems

This paper presents a novel metasurface antenna whose radiation characteristics can be remotely controlled by optical means using PIN photodiodes. The proposed reconfigurable antenna is implemented using a single radiating element to minimize the size and complexity. The antenna is shown to exhibit a large impedance bandwidth and is capable of radiating energy in a specified direction. The proposed antenna consists of a standard rectangular patch on which is embedded an H-tree shaped fractal slot of order 3. The fractal slot is used to effectively reduce the physical size of the patch by 75 % and to enhance its impedance bandwidth. A metasurface layer is strategically placed above the patch…

A Novel Plasmonic Nanoantenna for High Efficiency Energy Harvesting Applications

In this paper, the results of a geometric investigation of plasmonic nanoantennas for energy harvesting applications in terms of field enhancement and available power are presented. Optimum performances are obtained by a particular arrow-shaped bowtie nanoantennas geometry. The novel nanoantenna geometry is here presented. The simulations of the novel nanoantennas made of aluminium, on a three-layers substrate, composed by silicon, silicon oxide, and aluminium, carried out with CST 2018 tool, are reported and compared with the classical bowtie nanoantennas ones. This study can guide both the engineering and the fabrication of plasmonic nanoantennas.

A fuell cell-supercapacitor hybrid power supply for portable applications

Micro Fuel Cell for Powering Portable Electronic Market

Template Electrodeposition of CIS and CIGS Nanowires for Application in Solar Cells

Fabrication and Photoelectrochemical Behavior of Ordered CIGS Nanowire Arrays for Application in Solar Cells

In this work, we report some preliminary results concerning the fabrication of quaternary copper, indium, gallium, and selenium CIGS nanowires that were grown inside the channels of an anodic alumina membrane by one-step potentiostatic deposition at different applied potentials and room temperature. A tunable nanowire composition was achieved through a manipulation of the applied potential and electrolyte composition. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that nanowires, whose chemical composition was determined by energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis, were amorphous. A composition of Cu0.203In0.153Ga0.131Se0.513, very close to the stoichiometric value, was obtained. These nanostructures wer…

Temperature Dependence of pHEMT-Based LNA Performance for VSAT Applications

From a complete characterization in terms of noise and scattering parameters carried out at room temperature in the 8-16 GHz frequency range, the noisy small-signal model of a pseudomorphic HEMT series has been extracted. The transistor scattering parameters have been subsequently measured at lower temperatures (down to -50 °C) by placing the device text fixture in a thermo-controlled chamber. An accurate noisy model has then been extracted by determining the circuit element values at the different temperatures. The trade-off performance of a pHemt-based LNA for VSAT receiver system applications has been investigated vs. frequency and temperature.

Non-Linear Digital Control for DC-DC Power Converter

High-performance V-band Folded Waveguide TWT for satellite communication systems

In this paper, the design of a V-band high-performance folded-waveguide Traveling Wave Tube amplifier for next-generation high data-rate satellite communication systems is presented. The folded waveguide shows a flat dispersion diagram and a high interaction impedance of about 5.95 Ω at the 49 GHz central frequency under a cathode voltage and a beam current of 20.6 kV and 300 mA, respectively. Good performance in terms of output gain with a maximal value of 45 dB at the lower frequency of 47 GHz is obtained. COSMIC 1D large-signal analysis results are in good agreement with the simulated 3D PIC results. The TWT reaching a 5 GHz bandwidth with an almost constant maximum output power of about…

Electrochemical deposition of different semiconductors for application in solar cells

Progress in THz Rectifier Technology: Research and Perspectives

Schottky diode (SD) has seen great improvements in the past few decades and, for many THz applications, it is the most useful device. However, the use and recycling of forms of energy such as solar energy and the infrared thermal radiation that the Earth continuously emits represent one of the most relevant and critical issues for this diode, which is unable to rectify signals above 5 THz. The goal is to develop highly efficient diodes capable of converting radiation from IR spectra to visible ones in direct current (DC). A set of performance criteria is investigated to select some of the most prominent materials required for developing innovative types of electrodes, but also a wide variet…

A LiDAR Prototype with Silicon Photomultiplier and MEMS Mirrors

In this paper, we present a low cost prototype of a Time-Of-Flight (TOF) LiDAR system, employing a SiPM as photo detector and MEMS mirrors in order to steer the nanosecond pulsed optical beam with a scanning angle of +/-6°. Preliminary TOF measurements have been performed both indoor and outdoor to test the limits of the system.

Performances of a three-phase five-level cascaded H-bridge inverter with phase shifted B-spline based modulation techniques

This paper presents a novel study of the performances of a five-level three-phase Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter with Phase Shifted B-Spline based modulation techniques. The study has been focused on the use of B-Spline functions as carrier signals in order to evaluate the performances of the converter in terms of harmonic content on the output voltage. In the first step of this analysis the THD% has been taken into account to compare the voltage waveforms. Interesting results have been found on the fundamental amplitude of the phase and line voltage. Moreover, harmonic spectra has been compared to evaluate the different harmonic distribution in the voltage waveforms. In this work th…

A Novel Energy Harvester for Powering Small UAVs: Performance Analysis, Model Validation and Flight Results

The proposed work aims at exploring and developing new strategies to extend mission parameters (measured as travel distance and mission duration (MD)) of a new class of unmanned vehicles, named Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). In this paper, a new analytical model, identifying all factors, which determine the MAV power consumption, is presented. Starting from the new model, the design of a nanoarray energy harvester, based on plasmonics nano-antenna technology is proposed. The preliminary study was based on a 22,066,058 22,066,058 &times