Power Flow Modelling of Dynamic Systems - Introduction to Modern Teaching Tools

As tools for dynamic system modelling both conventional methods such as transfer function or state space representation and modern power flow based methods are available. The latter methods do not depend on energy domain, are able to preserve physical system structures, visualize power conversion or coupling or split, identify power losses or storage, run on conventional software and emphasize the relevance of energy as basic principle of known physical domains. Nevertheless common control structures as well as analysis and design tools may still be applied. Furthermore the generalization of power flow methods as pseudo-power flow provides with a universal tool for any dynamic modelling. The phenomenon of power flow constitutes an up to date education methodology. Thus the paper summarizes fundamentals of selected power flow oriented modelling methods, presents a Bond Graph block library for teaching power oriented modelling as compact menu-driven freeware, introduces selected examples and discusses special features.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, 4 table

Device modelling for bendable piezoelectric FET-based touch sensing system

Flexible electronics is rapidly evolving towards devices and circuits to enable numerous new applications. The high-performance, in terms of response speed, uniformity and reliability, remains a sticking point. The potential solutions for high-performance related challenges bring us back to the timetested silicon based electronics. However, the changes in the response of silicon based devices due to bending related stresses is a concern, especially because there are no suitable models to predict this behavior. This also makes the circuit design a difficult task. This paper reports advances in this direction, through our research on bendable Piezoelectric Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (POSFET) based touch sensors. The analytical model of POSFET, complimented with Verilog-A model, is presented to describe the device behavior under normal force in planar and stressed conditions. Further, dynamic readout circuit compensation of POSFET devices have been analyzed and compared with similar arrangement to reduce the piezoresistive effect under tensile and compressive stresses. This approach introduces a first step towards the systematic modeling of stress induced changes in device response. This systematic study will help realize high-performance bendable microsystems with integrated sensors and readout circuitry on ultra-thin chips (UTCs) needed in various applications, in particular, the electronic skin (e-skin)

Aerodynamic behavior of the bridge of a capacitive RF MEMS switch

This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.The present paper proposes a coupled 3D multi-physics model and presents the results of its transient simulation, for a RF MEMS capacitive switch of bridge-type. The fluid structure interaction (FSI) simulation sustains time-varying viscous damping and modified time response of the bridge deflection compared to the actuation modulation above closing of the switch. Complex 3D geometries of the bridge were rarely taken into account in viscous damping assessment much less in the simulation of the full flow around the bridge of the switch. The final goal of the paper is to obtain the dependency of an equivalent damping coefficient with respect to time, to be used in subsequent reduced order models for the switch, that include the aerodynamic behaviour of the switch

Testing microelectronic biofluidic systems

According to the 2005 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the integration of emerging nondigital CMOS technologies will require radically different test methods, posing a major challenge for designers and test engineers. One such technology is microelectronic fluidic (MEF) arrays, which have rapidly gained importance in many biological, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. The advantages of these systems, such as operation speed, use of very small amounts of liquid, on-board droplet detection, signal conditioning, and vast digital signal processing, make them very promising. However, testable design of these devices in a mass-production environment is still in its infancy, hampering their low-cost introduction to the market. This article describes analog and digital MEF design and testing method

Simulation of Electric Vehicles Combining Structural and Functional Approaches

In this paper the construction of a model that represents the behavior of an Electric Vehicle is described. Both the mechanical and the electric traction systems are represented using Multi-Bond Graph structural approach suited to model large scale physical systems. Then the model of the controllers, represented with a functional approach, is included giving rise to an integrated model which exploits the advantages of both approaches. Simulation and experimental results are aimed to illustrate the electromechanical interaction and to validate the proposal.Fil: Silva, Luis Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ingeniería. Grupo de Electronica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Magallán, Guillermo Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ingeniería. Grupo de Electronica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: de la Barrera, Pablo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ingeniería. Grupo de Electronica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: de Angelo, Cristian Hernan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ingeniería. Grupo de Electronica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ingeniería. Grupo de Electronica Aplicada; Argentin

Determining DfT Hardware by VHDL-AMS Fault Simulation for Biological Micro-Electronic Fluidic Arrays

The interest of microelectronic fluidic arrays for biomedical applications, like DNA determination, is rapidly increasing. In order to evaluate these systems in terms of required Design-for-Test structures, fault simulations in both fluidic and electronic domains are necessary. VHDL-AMS can be used successfully in this case. This paper shows a highly testable architecture of a DNA Bio-Sensing array, its basic sensing concept, fluidic modeling and sensitivity analysis. The overall VHDL-AMS fault simulation of the system is shown