Analysis of S-band solid-state transmitters for the solar power satellite

The possibility of replacing the Reference System antenna in which thermionic devices are used for the dc-to-microwave conversion, with solid-state elements was explored. System, device, and antenna module tradeoff investigations strongly point toward the desirability of changing the transmitter concept to a distributed array of relatively low power elements, deriving their dc power directly from the solar cell array and whose microwave power outputs are combined in space. The approach eliminates the thermal, weight, and dc-voltage distribution problems of a system in which high power tubes are simply replaced with clusters of solid state amplifiers. The proposed approach retains the important advantages of a solid state system: greatly enhanced reliability and graceful degradation of the system

Business excellence journey in countries in transition

This paper describes the journey toward business excellence regarding the influence of the contemporary global environment, as well as the specifics of the environment in countries in transition (the environment in the Czech Republic is taken as a representative model). Closer focus is given on problems connected with productivity, effectivity, innovation, quality and certification, use of IT/IS and on problems with participation of employees. The abovementioned characteristics make up the goals of a change to a process-oriented company. In regard of business downturn in many companies in the post-communist environment, these goals are achievable by radical change using the ideas of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and the process-oriented model described at the end of this paper

Design and Construction of a Quick Return Device for Use as a Demonstration Tool

In order to further promote a deeper understanding of the design of mechanisms, we created a Quick Return Mechanism model that demonstrates how changing design parameters can alter the motion and time ratio of the device. Data from accelerometers on the mechanism were gathered and compared to the theoretical results from a mathematical model of the linkage. With this apparatus, a professor can easily demonstrate how a quick return mechanism functions on a theoretical and practical level to further students’ comprehension of the kinematics of the mechanism