Soft-Defined Heterogeneous Vehicular Network: Architecture and Challenges

Heterogeneous Vehicular NETworks (HetVNETs) can meet various quality-of-service (QoS) requirements for intelligent transport system (ITS) services by integrating different access networks coherently. However, the current network architecture for HetVNET cannot efficiently deal with the increasing demands of rapidly changing network landscape. Thanks to the centralization and flexibility of the cloud radio access network (Cloud-RAN), soft-defined networking (SDN) can conveniently be applied to support the dynamic nature of future HetVNET functions and various applications while reducing the operating costs. In this paper, we first propose the multi-layer Cloud RAN architecture for implementing the new network, where the multi-domain resources can be exploited as needed for vehicle users. Then, the high-level design of soft-defined HetVNET is presented in detail. Finally, we briefly discuss key challenges and solutions for this new network, corroborating its feasibility in the emerging fifth-generation (5G) era

Tuning magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons with topological line defects: From antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic

Zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons are antiferromagnetic in cross-edge coupling and unsuitable for spintronics applications. Two new strategies of tuning antiferromagnetism (AFM) to ferromagnetism (FM) in graphene nanoribbons are introduced through topological line defects composed of pentagonal and octagonal rings, and their ability to induce magnetic transition is probed by using density functional theory. The resulting exchange energy is found to be large enough for ferromagnetism to be observed at room temperature. Both strategies are experimentally feasible, and the results suggest that defect engineering may provide a novel path to manipulate the magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons

Offset quantum-well method for tunable distributed Bragg reflector lasers and electro-absorption modulated distributed feedback lasers

A two-section offset quantum-well structure tunable laser with a tuning range of 7 nm was fabricated using offset quantum-well method. The distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) was realized just by selectively wet etching the multiquantum-well (MQW) layer above the quaternary lower waveguide. A threshold current of 32 mA and an output power of 9 mW at 100 mA were achieved. Furthermore, with this offset structure method, a distributed feedback (DFB) laser was integrated with an electro-absorption modulator (EAM), which was capable of producing 20 dB of optical extinction

Parameter estimation for condition monitoring of PMSM stator winding and rotor permanent magnets

Winding resistance and rotor flux linkage are important to controller design and condition monitoring of a surface-mounted permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) system. In this paper, an online method for simultaneously estimating the winding resistance and rotor flux linkage of a PMSM is proposed, which is suitable for application under constant load torque. It is based on a proposed full-rank reference/variable model. Under constant load torque, a short pulse of id 0 is transiently injected into the d-axis current, and two sets of machine rotor speeds, currents, and voltages corresponding to id = 0 and id 0 are then measured for estimation. Since the torque is kept almost constant during the transient injection, owing to the moment of system inertia and negligible reluctance torque, the variation of rotor flux linkage due to injected id 0 can be taken into account by using the equation of constant torque without measuring the load torque and is then associated with the two sets of machine equations for simultaneously estimating the winding resistance and rotor flux linkage. Furthermore, the proposed method does not need the values of the $dq$-axis inductances, while the influence from the nonideal voltage measurement, which will cause an ill-conditioned problem in the estimation, has been taken into account and solved by error analysis. This method is finally verified on two prototype PMSMs and shows good performance. © 1982-2012 IEEE

Improved high-frequency carrier voltage measurement for position estimation of switched-flux permanent magnet machines

The conventional 12/10 stator/rotor poles switched-flux permanent magnet (SFPM) machine is usually based on all poles wound topology, each phase comprising four winding coils in series connection. However, alternate coils of the same phase have different machine saliency characteristics. Moreover, in order to measure the high-frequency (HF) carrier voltage, the mid-tapered winding wires can be utilized. Consequently, the machine saliencies can be measured separately from two parts of winding coil connections. This paper investigates the influences of machine saliencies on the sensorless rotor position estimations based on different sequence of winding coil connections, in which the primary saliency may contain some additional harmonics referring to the secondary saliency that will degrade the overall sensorless control operations. Furthermore, a simple compensation method is proposed to reduce the influence of multiple saliencies to achieve more accurate sensorless rotor position estimation. By comparing with rotor positon estimations without the proposed compensation and HF carrier current based method, the effectiveness of improved sensorless rotor position estimation has been demonstrated experimentally, as well as the application to dual 3-phase SFPM machines

A hybrid single-mode laser based on slotted silicon waveguides

An InGaAsP-Si hybrid single-mode laser based on etched slots in silicon waveguides was demonstrated operating at 1543 nm. The InGaAsP gain structure was bonded onto a patterned silicon-on-insulator wafer by selective area metal bonding method. The mode-selection mechanism based on a slotted silicon waveguide was applied, in which the parameters were designed using the simulation tool cavity modeling framework. The III-V lasers employed buried ridge stripe structure. The whole fabrication process only needs standard photolithography and inductively coupled plasma etching technology, which reduces cost for ease in technology transfer. At room temperature, a single mode of 1543-nm wavelength at a threshold current of 21 mA with a maximum output power of 1.9 mW in continuous-wave regime was obtained. The side mode suppression ratio was larger than 35 dB. The simplicity and flexibility of the fabrication process and a low cost make the slotted hybrid laser a promising light source