A high-speed optical star network using TDMA and all-optical demultiplexing techniques

The authors demonstrate the use of time-division multiplexing (TDM) to realize a high capacity optical star network. The fundamental element of the demonstration network is a 10 ps, wavelength tunable, low jitter, pulse source. Electrical data is encoded onto three optical pulse trains, and the resultant low duty cycle optical data channels are multiplexed together using 25 ps fiber delay lines. This gives an overall network capacity of 40 Gb/s. A nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) is used to carry out the demultiplexing at the station receiver. The channel to be switched out can be selected by adjusting the phase of the electrical signal used to generate the control pulses for the NOLM. By using external injection into a gain-switched distributed feedback (DFB) laser we are able to obtain very low jitter control pulses of 4-ps duration (RMS jitter <1 ps) after compression of the highly chirped gain switched pulses in a normal dispersive fiber. This enables us to achieve excellent eye openings for the three demultiplexed channels. The difficulty in obtaining complete switching of the signal pulses is presented. This is shown to be due to the deformation of the control pulse in the NOLM (caused by the soliton effect compression). The use of optical time-division multiplexing (OTDM) with all-optical switching devices is shown to be an excellent method to allow us to exploit as efficiently as possible the available fiber bandwidth, and to achieve very high bit-rate optical networks

Performance evaluation of MPEG-4 video streaming over UMTS networks using an integrated tool environment

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third-generation mobile communications system that supports wireless wideband multimedia applications. This paper investigates the video quality attained in streaming MPEG-4 video over UMTS networks using an integrated tool environment, which comprises an MPEG-4 encoder/decoder, a network simulator and video quality evaluation tools. The benefit of such an integrated tool environment is that it allows the evaluation of real video sources compressed using an MPEG-4 encoder. Simulation results show that UMTS Radio Link Control (RLC) outperforms the unacknowledged mode. The latter mode provides timely delivery but no error recovery. The acknowledged mode can deliver excellent perceived video quality for RLC block error rates up to 30% utilizing a playback buffer at the streaming client. Based on the analysis of the performance results, a self-adaptive RLC acknowledged mode protocol is proposed

Design overview of high pressure dense phase CO2 pipeline transport in flow mode

In open literature, there is little information available with regards to the engineering and technological issues for material corrosion, in relation to high pressure supercritical CO2 pipeline transport from single point sources, such as the power industry. A typical CO2 pipeline is designed to operate at high pressure in the dense phase. However, it is evident that although there is considerable experience of testing materials in lower pressure gaseous CO2 in the oil and gas industry, there is little understanding of the behaviour of pipeline materials when in contact with impure CO2 captured either from power plants or the oil and gas industry. In this particular project development, a dynamic dense phase CO2 corrosion rig has been built (conditions: ∼85 bar, 40 °C and up to 5 l/min flow rate) in flow mode, to understand the effect of impurities (SO2, O2, H2, NO2 & CO) present in captured CO2 on the pipeline transport materials. This unique facility in the UK was developed via the MATTRANS project funded by the E.ON-EPSRC strategic partnership (EP/G061955/1). The test rig includes different metallic materials (X grade steel: X60, X70 and X100) to assess the corrosion of pipelines, and different geometry components (tubes, plates, charpy and tensile coupons), to assess ageing and decompression behavior of polymeric seals (Neoprene, fluorocarbon, ethylene and Buna N) under water-saturated dense phase CO2 with different impurity concentrations (0.05 mol % SO2; 4 mol % O2; 2 mol % H2; 0.05 mol % NO2; 1 mol % CO). The dynamic data generated from this dense phase CO2 corrosion rig will give vital information with regards to pipeline suitability and lifetimes, when operating with dense CO2