Solving nonlinear circuits with pulsed excitation by multirate partial differential equations

In this paper the concept of Multirate Partial Differential Equations (MPDEs) is applied to obtain an efficient solution for nonlinear low-frequency electrical circuits with pulsed excitation. The MPDEs are solved by a Galerkin approach and a conventional time discretization. Nonlinearities are efficiently accounted for by neglecting the high-frequency components (ripples) of the state variables and using only their envelope for the evaluation. It is shown that the impact of this approximation on the solution becomes increasingly negligible for rising frequency and leads to significant performance gains.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, approved for publication in IEEE Transactions on Magnetic

Efficient simulation of DC-DC switch-mode power converters by multirate partial differential equations

In this paper, Multirate Partial Differential Equations (MPDEs) are used for the efficient simulation of problems with 2-level pulsed excitations as they often occur in power electronics, e.g., DC-DC switch-mode converters. The differential equations describing the problem are reformulated as MPDEs which are solved by a Galerkin approach and time discretization. For the solution expansion two types of basis functions are proposed, namely classical Finite Element (FE) nodal functions and the recently introduced excitation-specific pulse width modulation (PWM) basis functions. The new method is applied to the example of a buck converter. Convergence, accuracy of the solution and computational efficiency of the method are numerically analyzed

Performance-based financing in low-income and middle-income countries: isn't it time for a rethink?

This paper questions the view that performance-based financing (PBF) in the health sector is an effective, efficient and equitable approach to improving the performance of health systems in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). PBF was conceived as an open approach adapted to specific country needs, having the potential to foster system-wide reforms. However, as with many strategies and tools, there is a gap between what was planned and what is actually implemented. This paper argues that PBF as it is currently implemented in many contexts does not satisfy the promises. First, since the start of PBF implementation in LMICs, concerns have been raised on the basis of empirical evidence from different settings and disciplines that indicated the risks, cost and perverse effects. However, PBF implementation was rushed despite insufficient evidence of its effectiveness. Second, there is a lack of domestic ownership of PBF. Considering the amounts of time and money it now absorbs, and the lack of evidence of effectiveness and efficiency, PBF can be characterised as a donor fad. Third, by presenting itself as a comprehensive approach that makes it possible to address all aspects of the health system in any context, PBF monopolises attention and focuses policy dialogue on the short-term results of PBF programmes while diverting attention and resources from broader processes of change and necessary reforms. Too little care is given to system-wide and long-term effects, so that PBF can actually damage health services and systems. This paper ends by proposing entry points for alternative approaches

How do we get there? Effects of cognitive aging on route memory

© 2017 The Author(s) Research into the effects of cognitive aging on route navigation usually focuses on differences in learning performance. In contrast, we investigated age-related differences in route knowledge after successful route learning. One young and two groups of older adults categorized using different cut-off scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), were trained until they could correctly recall short routes. During the test phase, they were asked to recall the sequence in which landmarks were encountered (Landmark Sequence Task), the sequence of turns (Direction Sequence Task), the direction of turn at each landmark (Landmark Direction Task), and to identify the learned routes from a map perspective (Perspective Taking Task). Comparing the young participant group with the older group that scored high on the MoCA, we found effects of typical aging in learning performance and in the Direction Sequence Task. Comparing the two older groups, we found effects of early signs of atypical aging in the Landmark Direction and the Perspective Taking Tasks. We found no differences between groups in the Landmark Sequence Task. Given that participants were able to recall routes after training, these results suggest that typical and early signs of atypical aging result in differential memory deficits for aspects of route knowledge

Virtual environments as memory training devices in navigational tasks for older adults.

Cognitive training approaches using virtual environments (VEs) might counter age-related visuospatial memory decline and associated difficulties in wayfinding. However, the effects of the visual design of a VE in route learning are not fully understood. Therefore, we created a custom-designed VE optimized for route learning, with adjusted levels of realism and highlighted landmark locations (MixedVE). Herein we tested participants' route recall performance in identifying direction of turn at the intersection with this MixedVE against two baseline alternatives (AbstractVE, RealisticVE). An older vs. a younger group solved the tasks in two stages (immediate vs. delayed recall by one week). Our results demonstrate that the MixedVE facilitates better recall accuracy than the other two VEs for both age groups. Importantly, this pattern persists a week later. Additionally, our older participants were mostly overconfident in their route recall performance, but the MixedVE moderated this potentially detrimental overconfidence. Before the experiment, participants clearly preferred the RealisticVE, whereas after the experiment, most of the younger, and many of the older participants, preferred the MixedVE. Taken together, our findings provide insights into the importance of tailoring visualization design in route learning with VEs. Furthermore, we demonstrate the great potential of the MixedVE and by extension, of similar VEs as memory training devices for route learning, especially for older participants

Route planning with transportation network maps: an eye-tracking study.

Planning routes using transportation network maps is a common task that has received little attention in the literature. Here, we present a novel eye-tracking paradigm to investigate psychological processes and mechanisms involved in such a route planning. In the experiment, participants were first presented with an origin and destination pair before we presented them with fictitious public transportation maps. Their task was to find the connecting route that required the minimum number of transfers. Based on participants' gaze behaviour, each trial was split into two phases: (1) the search for origin and destination phase, i.e., the initial phase of the trial until participants gazed at both origin and destination at least once and (2) the route planning and selection phase. Comparisons of other eye-tracking measures between these phases and the time to complete them, which depended on the complexity of the planning task, suggest that these two phases are indeed distinct and supported by different cognitive processes. For example, participants spent more time attending the centre of the map during the initial search phase, before directing their attention to connecting stations, where transitions between lines were possible. Our results provide novel insights into the psychological processes involved in route planning from maps. The findings are discussed in relation to the current theories of route planning

The role spatial working memory in understanding verbal descriptions: a window into the interaction between verbal and spatial processing

Most experiments on working memory have used rather simple task and materials (e.g. memory for list of words) that hardly reflect the complexity of everyday situations. Although studying simple task in this way is informative at early stages of theory development, we must ask wheter the models produced in this context can adequately account for performance in more complex and ecologically valid task such as text comprehension and remembering. In thi chapter we review experiments that have adopted Baddley's original model of working memory (Baddeley,1986; Baddeley & Logie,1999), investigating its role in the construction of mental models derived from verbal descriptions, with a focus on spatial working memory

Multirate Time-Domain Simulation of Field/Circuit Coupled Pulse-Width-Modulation Controlled Devices

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Influence of 2D and 3D Meshes in FE Computation of Eddy-Current Losses in Surface PMSMs

This paper investigates the influence of finite-element (FE) mesh when computing eddy currents in magnets of a permanent-magnet synchronous machine excited with pulsating currents (such as pulse-width modulation). 3D computations with globally and locally varying mesh densities are performed and results are compared with a reference (fine-mesh) case. It turns out that a global increase of mesh density has the most important impact on the result accuracy. The accuracy of 2D FE computations is also discussed for different stack lengths. It is shown that the use of a correction factor based on analytical approach can significantly increase accuracy for relatively short stack lengths.status: publishe