Search Results (270)

Surface-mounted devices (SMDs) are essential components that enable the miniaturization and enhanced performance in electronic products, significantly impacting both circuit performance and reliability. In this study, we propose a non-destructive evaluation method for cracks in SMD capacitors using the artificial intelligence of impedance spectra. To achieve this, cracks were induced in 132 specimens through incremental displacement using a shear module of a bond tester. At each crack level, frequency-domain spectra were acquired for 14 parameters using an impedance analyzer. Meaningful changes in parameter patterns corresponding to each crack stage were observed, confirming impedance spectroscopy as an effective tool for crack assessment. Through data augmentation, we generated 87,800 datasets representing various crack stages, which were used to train AI models that output crack stages from input impedance spectra. Based on this dataset, six AI models, ConvNeXt, LSTM, Transformer, Logistic Regression, SVM, and Random Forest, were developed to classify crack severity into nine stages. Model-wise, the Random Forest classifier consistently outperformed the other approaches. When trained with single parameters, it achieved its best performance using the dissipation factor, reaching 98.5% accuracy. Furthermore, when the dissipation factor was combined with any of the remaining impedance parameters, the Random Forest model achieved perfect diagnostic performance (100%) across all combinations, highlighting both its robustness and its suitability for multi-parameter learning. These results provide practical guidance for selecting effective parameters and model architectures for impedance spectrum-based crack diagnostics. Full article

Impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) is one of the most effective techniques in preventing steel corrosion in concrete structures. Based on the exceptional electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), a novel structural system employing ICCP is proposed in this paper, in which CFRP strips are used as both concrete stirrups and as an auxiliary anode for cathodic protection. To further verify the dual functions of CFRP strips for this new system, the electrochemical and mechanical behaviors of the CFRP strip anode are investigated experimentally in this study through the anodic polarization test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test, uniaxial tensile test, and interfacial acidification test. The effects of concrete type and anode current density on the properties of CFRP strip anodes are identified. The results show that the CFRP strip anode possesses satisfactory electrical conductivity and relatively low output resistance, and the ultimate strength of the CFRP strip after polarization is reduced as the current density increases due to the gradual degradation of the CFRP anode. The mechanical properties of CFRP strips in Engineered Cementitious Cement (ECC) concrete and geopolymer concrete outperform those of ordinary concrete, and the degradation rate of CFRP strips subjected to anodic polarization in ECC concrete is lower than that of geopolymer concrete. The cathodic protection mechanism of CFRP strips as an anode is further revealed via numerical analysis. In addition, the prediction model of the service life is constructed for the proposed novel concrete structural system. The predicted service life of the system decreases as the reinforcement ratio increases, and it increases as the stirrup ratio increases. The predicted service life of the ICCP system in ECC concrete is significantly longer than that in geopolymer concrete and ordinary concrete. Full article

Effective diagnosis of distribution network faults is crucial to ensuring the reliability of power systems. However, the bidirectional power flow caused by the integration of new energy limits the effectiveness of traditional detection methods. Although data-driven approaches are not restricted by power flow direction, their performance is heavily dependent on the quantity and quality of training samples. In addition, factors such as measurement noise, variable fault impedance, and volatile photovoltaic output complicate fault information. To address this, we present a new fault diagnosis model named the dynamic, adaptive, and coupled dual-field-encoding graph neural network (DACDFE-GNN), which introduces a dynamic aggregation module to assign different weights to reduce noise interference and fully integrates information from observable nodes. On this basis, the coupled dual-field-encoding module is proposed, which encodes topological information and physical–electrical domain information as part of the initial features, thereby capturing fault features and learning the law of feature propagation. The experimental results for the IEEE 34- and IEEE 123-node feeder systems indicate that the proposed model surpasses recent fault diagnosis methods in detection performance, particularly regarding its low training sample rate. Full article

Soil nutrient monitoring is essential to achieving UN development goals and meeting the projected 70% increase in agricultural production from 2009 values by 2050. This study presents a novel, low-cost impedimetric device for the direct and simultaneous measurement of soil ion bioavailability (Na⁺, K⁺), temperature, and humidity. Designed for Arduino integration, the device offers scalable, cost-effective deployment. Different AI algorithms were trained to interpret signals (Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, XBoost), enabling real-time monitoring. Best performance was achieved for XBoost. Calibration was first performed using solutions of known NaCl and KCl concentrations to establish impedance patterns, and benchmarking against fitted Cole model outputs demonstrated high predictive accuracy (R² = 0.99 for both Na⁺ and K⁺). The system operated across a 1–100 kHz impedance range with environmental resolution of ±0.5 °C, ±3% RH, and ±1 hPa, acquiring data every 10 min during in vivo trials. This affordable, AI-enhanced platform has the potential to empower smallholder farmers by reducing reliance on costly laboratory analyses, enabling precise fertiliser application, and integrating seamlessly into smart farming platforms for sustainable yield improvement. Full article

This work proposes a design technique to facilitate the design and optimization of a highperformance power amplifier (PA) in an automated manner. The proposed optimizationoriented strategy consists of the implementation of four deep neural networks (DNNs), sequentially. Firstly, a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM)-based DNN is trained based on the X-parameters for which the hyperparameters are optimized through the multi-objective ant lion optimizer (MOALO) algorithm. This step is significant since it conforms to the hidden-layer construction of DNNs that will be trained in the following steps. Afterward, a generative adversarial network (GAN) is employed for forecasting the load–pull contours on the Smith chart, such as gate and drain impedances that are employed for the topology construction of the PA. In the third phase, the classification the BiLSTM-based DNN is trained for the employed high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), leading to the selection of the optimal configuration of the PA. Finally, a regression BiLSTMbased DNN is executed, leading to optimizing the PA in terms of power gain, efficiency, and output power by predicting the optimal design parameters. The proposed method is fully automated and leads to generating a valid PA configuration for the determined transistor model with much more precision in comparison with long short-term memory (LSTM)-based networks. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, it is employed for designing and optimizing a PA operating from 1.8 GHz up to 2.2 GHz at 40 dBm output power. Full article

Produced water treatment (PWT) is a critical process in offshore oil and gas production, ensuring compliance with stringent environmental discharge regulations and minimizing environmental impact. This process is characterized by inherent nonlinearities, coupled system dynamics, and the presence of significant disturbances that can impede operational efficiency and separation performance. Effective control strategies are essential to maintain stable operation and high separation efficiency under dynamic and uncertain conditions. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of advanced control methods applied to a pilot-scaled PWT facility designed to replicate offshore conditions. Four control solutions are assessed, i.e., (i) baseline approach using PID controllers; (ii) Multi-Input–Multi-Output (MIMO) $H_{\infty }$ control; (iii) MIMO Model Predictive Control (MPC); and (iv) MIMO Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC). The motivation lies in their differing capabilities for disturbance rejection, tracking accuracy, robustness, and computational feasibility. Real-world operational data were used to assess each strategy in regulating critical process variables, the interface water level in the three-phase gravity separator, and the pressure drop ratio (PDR) in the hydrocyclone, both closely linked to de-oiling efficiency. The results highlight the distinct advantages and limitations of each method. In general, the baseline PID solution offers simplicity but limited adaptability, while advanced strategies such as MIMO $H_{\infty }$, MPC, and MRAC solutions demonstrate enhanced reference-tracking and de-oiling performances subject to diverse operating conditions and disturbances, though different control solutions still exhibit different dynamic characteristics. The findings provide systematic insights into selecting optimal control architectures for offshore PWT systems, supporting improved operational performance and reduced environmental footprint. Full article

This paper addresses the challenges encountered by grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems, including the stochastic behavior of the system, harmonic distortion, and variations in grid impedance. To this end, an in-depth technical and pedagogical analysis of three linear multivariable current control strategies is performed: proportional-integral (PI), proportional-resonant (PR), and deadbeat (DB). The study contributes to theoretical formulations, detailed system modeling, and controller tuning procedures, promoting a comprehensive understanding of their structures and performance. The strategies are investigated and compared in both the rotating ($dq$) and stationary ($\alpha \beta$) reference frames, offering a broad perspective on system behavior under various operating conditions. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of the PR controller is presented, highlighting its potential to regulate both positive- and negative-sequence components. This enables the development of more effective and robust tuning methodologies for steady-state and dynamic scenarios. The evaluation is conducted under three main conditions: steady-state operation, transient response to input power variations, and robustness analysis in the presence of grid parameter changes. The study examines the impact of each controller on the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the injected current, as well as on system stability margins and dynamic performance. Practical aspects that are often overlooked are also addressed, such as the modeling of the inverter and photovoltaic generator, the implementation of space vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM), and the influence of the output LC filter capacitor. The control structures under analysis are validated through numerical simulations performed in MatLab^® software (R2021b) using dedicated computational routines, enabling the identification of strategies that enhance performance and ensure compliance of grid-connected photovoltaic systems. Full article

A review of the recent research work on high-power and high-speed (HPHS) Ge-on-Si photodiode design is presented, using Silicon Photonics (SiPh) technology, suitable for Radio-over-Fiber base station schemes. The Photodiode (PD) principle of operation, its structure for high RF photogenerated power, and the achieved PD wide bandwidth are presented. Then, the PD equivalent circuit models are introduced to obtain the PD S-parameters and operating bandwidth, such that efficient power coupling to mmWave loads is realized. Then, the PD theoretical transit-time and RC-time bandwidths are presented, and the PD photocurrent behavior against input optical power, and the optical signal manipulation techniques to improve the PD performance are also presented. After that, the impedance matching techniques between the PD output impedance and antenna input impedance are presented. Finally, recent photonic mmWave antenna designs are introduced. Full article

Cumulative mistuning effects in electric vehicle wireless charging systems, arising from component tolerances, coil misalignments, and aging-induced drifts, can significantly degrade system performance. To mitigate this issue, this work establishes an analysis model for mistuned series–series-compensated wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. Through equivalent simplification of mistuned parameters, we systematically examine the effects of compensation capacitances and coil inductances on input impedance, output power, and efficiency in SS-compensated topologies across wide load ranges and different coupling coefficients. Results reveal that transmitter-side parameter deviations exert more pronounced impacts on input impedance and power gain than receiver-side variations. Remarkably, under receiver-side inductance mistuning of −20%, a significant 32° shift in the input impedance angle was observed. Experimental validation on a 500 W prototype confirms ≤5% maximum deviation between calculated and measured values for efficiency, input impedance angle, and power gain. Full article

A broadband, efficient monolithic microwave integrated circuit power amplifier (MMIC PA) in OMMIC’s 0.1 μm GaN-on-Si technology for 5G millimeter-wave communication is presented. This study concentrates on the output matching design, which has an important influence on the PA’s performance. A compact one-order synthesized transformer network (STN) is adopted to match the 50 Ω load to the extracted large-signal output model of the transistor. A dual-objective strategy is developed for parameter optimization, incorporating the impedance transformation trajectory inside the predefined optimal impedance domain (OID) that satisfies the required specifications, with approximation to selected optimal load impedances. By introducing a custom adjustment factor β into the error function, coupled with an automated iterative tuning process based on S-parameter simulations, desired broadband matching results can be rapidly achieved. The proposed two-stage PA occupies a small chip area of only 1.23 mm² and demonstrates good frequency consistency over the 24–31 GHz band. Continuous-wave characterization shows a flat small-signal gain of 19.7 ± 0.5 dB; both the output power (P_out) and the power-added efficiency (PAE) at the 4 dB compression point remain smooth, ranging from 32.3 to 32.7 dBm and 35.5% to 37.8%, respectively. The peak PAE reaches up to nearly 40% at the center frequency. Full article

Power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) creates a safe test environment to connect simulations with real hardware under test (HuT). Therefore, an interface algorithm (IA) must be chosen. The ideal transformer method (ITM) and the partial circuit duplication (PCD) are popular IAs, where a distinction is made between voltage- (V-) and current-type (C-) IAs. Depending on the sample time of the simulator and further delays, simulation accuracy is reduced and instability can occur due to negative feedback in the V-ITM and C-ITM control loops, which makes PHIL operation impossible. In the case of positive feedback, such as with the V-PCD and C-PCD, the delay causes destructive interference, which results in a phase shift and attenuation of the output signal. In this article, a novel damped Smith predictor (SP) for positive feedback PHIL IAs is presented, which significantly reduces destructive interference while allowing stable operation at low linking impedances at V-PCD and high linking impedances at C-PCD, thus reducing losses in the system. Experimental results show a reduction in phase shift by 21.17° and attenuation improvement of 24.3% for V-PCD at a sample time of 100 µs. The SP transfer functions are also derived and integrated into the listed negative feedback IAs, resulting in an increase in the gain margin (GM) from approximately one to three, which significantly enhances system stability. The proposed methods can improve stability and accuracy, which can be further improved by calculating the HuT impedance in real-time and dynamically adapting the SP model. Stable PHIL operation with SP is also possible with SP model errors or sudden HuT impedance changes, as long as deviations stay within the presented limits. Full article

This paper presents some of the most significant findings in the design of a hydraulic servomechanism for flight controls, which were primarily achieved by the first author during his activity in an aviation institute. These results are grouped into four main topics. The first one outlines a classical theory, from the 1950s–1970s, of the analysis of nonlinear automatic systems and namely the issue of absolute stability. The uninformed public may be misled by the adjective “absolute”. This is not a “maximalist” solution of stability but rather highlights in the system of equations a nonlinear function that describes, for the case of hydraulic servomechanisms, the flow-control dependence in the distributor spool. This function is odd, and it is therefore located in quadrants 1 and 3. The decision regarding stability is made within the so-called Lurie problem and is materialized by a matrix inequality, called the Lefschetz condition, which must be satisfied by the parameters of the electrohydraulic servomechanism and also by the components of the control feedback vector. Another approach starts from a classical theorem of V. M. Popov, extended in a stochastic framework by T. Morozan and I. Ursu, which ends with the description of the local and global spool valve flow-control characteristics that ensure stability in the large with respect to bounded perturbations for the mechano-hydraulic servomechanism. We add that a conjecture regarding the more pronounced flexibility of mathematical models in relation to mathematical instruments (theories) was used. Furthermore, the second topic concerns, the importance of the impedance characteristic of the mechano-hydraulic servomechanism in preventing flutter of the flight controls is emphasized. Impedance, also called dynamic stiffness, is defined as the ratio, in a dynamic regime, between the output exerted force (at the actuator rod of the servomechanism) and the displacement induced by this force under the assumption of a blocked input. It is demonstrated in the paper that there are two forms of the impedance function: one that favors the appearance of flutter and another that allows for flutter damping. It is interesting to note that these theoretical considerations were established in the institute’s reports some time before their introduction in the Aviation Regulation AvP.970. However, it was precisely the absence of the impedance criterion in the regulation at the appropriate time that ultimately led, by chance or not, to a disaster: the crash of a prototype due to tailplane flutter. A third topic shows how an important problem in the theory of automatic systems of the 1970s–1980s, namely the robust synthesis of the servomechanism, is formulated, applied and solved in the case of an electrohydraulic servomechanism. In general, the solution of a robust servomechanism problem consists of two distinct components: a servo-compensator, in fact an internal model of the exogenous dynamics, and a stabilizing compensator. These components are adapted in the case of an electrohydraulic servomechanism. In addition to the classical case mentioned above, a synthesis problem of an anti-windup (anti-saturation) compensator is formulated and solved. The fourth topic, and the last one presented in detail, is the synthesis of a fuzzy supervised neurocontrol (FSNC) for the position tracking of an electrohydraulic servomechanism, with experimental validation, in the laboratory, of this control law. The neurocontrol module is designed using a single-layered perceptron architecture. Neurocontrol is in principle optimal, but it is not free from saturation. To this end, in order to counteract saturation, a Mamdani-type fuzzy logic was developed, which takes control when neurocontrol has saturated. It returns to neurocontrol when it returns to normal, respectively, when saturation is eliminated. What distinguishes this FSNC law is its simplicity and efficiency and especially the fact that against quite a few opponents in the field, it still works very well on quite complicated physical systems. Finally, a brief section reviews some recent works by the authors, in which current approaches to hydraulic servomechanisms are presented: the backstepping control synthesis technique, input delay treated with Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, and critical stability treated with Lyapunov–Malkin theory. Full article

Objectives: The early detection of low bone mineral density (BMD) is essential for preventing osteoporosis and related complications. While dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) remains the gold standard for diagnosis, its cost and limited availability restrict its use in large-scale screening. This study investigated whether raw bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) data combined with explainable machine learning (ML) models could accurately classify osteopenia in women aged 40 to 55. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 138 women underwent same-day BIA and DXA assessments. Participants were categorized as osteopenic (T-score between −1.0 and −2.5; n = 33) or normal (T-score ≥ −1.0) based on DXA results. Overall, 24.1% of the sample were classified as osteopenic, and 32.85% were postmenopausal. Raw BIA outputs were used as input features, including impedance values, phase angles, and segmental tissue parameters. A sequential forward feature selection (SFFS) algorithm was employed to optimize input dimensionality. Four ML classifiers were trained using stratified five-fold cross-validation, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were applied to interpret feature contributions. Results: The neural network (NN) model achieved the highest classification accuracy (92.12%) using 34 selected features, including raw impedance measurements, derived body composition indices such as regional lean mass estimates and the edema index, as well as a limited number of categorical variables, including self-reported physical activity status. SHAP analysis identified muscle mass indices and fluid distribution metrics, features previously associated with bone health, as the most influential predictors in the current model. Other classifiers performed comparably but with lower precision or interpretability. Conclusions: ML models based on raw BIA data can classify osteopenia with high accuracy and clinical transparency. This approach provides a cost-effective and interpretable alternative for the early identification of individuals at risk for low BMD in resource-limited or primary care settings. Full article

DC link power supply systems that integrate power electronic converters are increasingly being adopted. In particular, emerging “source–load” systems, in which the DC link interfaces with converters, have attracted increasing research interest due to concerns about power quality and system stability. This paper addresses mid- and low-frequency oscillation issues in DC link voltage supplied induction motor drives (IMDs). It begins by constructing a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) state-space model of the induction motor. For the first time, the dq-axis control system is represented as an equivalent admittance model that forms two single-input single-output (SISO) loops. The PI controller and induction motor are integrated into the inverter’s input impedance model; Furthermore, the effectiveness and accuracy of the derived impedance model are experimentally validated under various operating conditions of the induction motor using a custom-built test platform. The experimental results offer a practical reference for system enhancement and stability evaluation. Full article

Manual geometric modeling of timber structures is time-intensive and error-prone, impeding efficient structural analysis. To overcome this limitation, this study develops an automated framework for the rapid generation of 3D geometric finite element (FE) models directly from LiDAR point clouds. The methodology first employs a region-growing algorithm for component segmentation. This is followed by the integration of geometric feature extraction techniques to robustly determine the position, orientation, boundaries, and dimensions of structural elements. The extracted geometric information is then output as an executable APDL (ANSYS Parametric Design Language) file for parametric geometric modeling, incorporating interfaces for customizing material and connection properties. The proposed framework accurately reconstructs geometries with high fidelity. It effectively addresses challenges arising from occlusions and incomplete point cloud data through boundary inference and contact relationship analysis. This approach demonstrates substantial promise for applications in both heritage conservation and modern timber engineering. Full article