Technical assistance for law-enforcement communications: Case study report

Methods developed to improve police communications systems are described. Use of queueing analysis shows several ways of improving time of response to inquiries made from the field for license plate checks and for information on current wants and warrants, through a state multiple switcher network. Design criteria for more efficient centralized switching equipment are developed. A message load problem experienced in a dispatch center is analyzed, showing that communications could be improved by adding communications channels, not by adding people

Integrated motor drives: state of the art and future trends

With increased need for high power density, high efficiency and high temperature capabilities in Aerospace and Automotive applications, Integrated Motor Drives (IMD) offers a potential solution. However, close physical integration of the converter and the machine may also lead to an increase in components temperature. This requires careful mechanical, structural and thermal analysis; and design of the IMD system. This paper reviews existing IMD technologies and their thermal effects on the IMD system. The effects of the power electronics (PE) position on the IMD system and its respective thermal management concepts are also investigated. The challenges faced in designing and manufacturing of an IMD along with the mechanical and structural impacts of close physical integration is also discussed and potential solutions are provided. Potential converter topologies for an IMD like the Matrix converter, 2-level Bridge, 3-level NPC and Multiphase full bridge converters are also reviewed. Wide band gap devices like SiC and GaN and their packaging in power modules for IMDs are also discussed. Power modules components and packaging technologies are also presented

Thermo-Mechanical Characterization Of Au-In Transient Liquid Phase Bonding Die-Attach

Semiconductor die-attach techniques are critically important in the implementation of high-temperature wide-bandgap power devices. In this paper, thermal and mechanical characteristics of Au-In transient liquid phase (TLP) die-attach are examined for SiC devices. Samples with SiC diodes TLP-bonded to copper-metalized silicon nitride substrates are made using several different values for such fabrication properties as gold and indium thickness, Au/In ratio, and bonding pressure. The samples are then characterized for die-attach voiding, shear strength, and thermal impedance. It is found that the Au-In TLP-bonded samples offer a high average shear strength of 22.0 kgf and a low average thermal impedance of 0.35 K/W from the device junction through the substrate. It is also discovered that some of the fabrication properties have a greater influence on the bond characteristics than others. Overall, TLP bonding remains promising for high-temperature power electronic die-attach. © 2011-2012 IEEE

Reliability Characterization Of Au-In Transient Liquid Phase Bonding Through Electrical Resistivity Measurement

Transient liquid phase (TLP) die-attach bonding is an attractive technique for high-temperature semiconductor device packaging. In this paper, the material reliability of gold-indium (Au-In) TLP bonding is investigated utilizing electrical resistivity measurement as an indicator of material diffusion. Samples were fabricated featuring a TLP reaction, representative of TLP die-attach, by depositing TLP materials on glass substrates with various Au-In compositions, but with identical barrier layers, and were then used for reliability investigation. The samples were annealed at 200 °C and then stressed with thermal cycling. Samples containing high indium content in the TLP bond are shown to have poor reliability due to material diffusion through barrier layers, whereas the samples containing sufficient gold content proved reliable through electrical resistivity measurement, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, focused ion beam, and scanning electron microscope characterization

Beyond 1.0 W cm⁻² Performance without Platinum: The Beginning of a New Era in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

This work reports a high power, stable, completely Pt-free anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) comprised of highly active catalysts – Pd-CeO2/C at the anode and PdCu/C alloy at the cathode for the hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions, respectively. The resulting AEMFC shows outstanding performance, reaching a peak power density of 1 W cm−2, twice the value of the best performance for Pt-free cells reported in the literature to date. The AEMFC also shows a low voltage degradation rate when operated continuously for more than 100 h at a constant 0.5 A cm−2, with a voltage degradation rate of only 2.5 mV h-1, which is excellent when compared to nearly all of the AEMFCs reported in the literature to date. This combination of high performance and high stability in the absence of Pt-based catalysts represents a significant landmark in the progress of the AEMFC technology