Experimental determination of optimum coil pitch for a planar mesh-type micromagnetic sensor

To overcome the directional properties of a planar meander-type sensor, a new planar micromagetic sensor having mesh-type configuration is reported in this paper. Analytical models are usually used for the characterization of the planar-type sensors. Sensors having mesh-type configuration have been fabricated for the derivation of the optimum coil pitch

Characterization and comparative evaluation of novel planar electromagnetic sensors

The characterization of three types of novel planar electromagnetic sensors: 1) meander; 2) mesh; and 3) interdigital configuration, has been studied and their comparative performance has been evaluated based on their areas of applications. All of them are suitable for inspection and evaluation of system properties without destroying them. The experiments on fabricated sensors have been conducted and the results are presented here. The target application is to use a mixture of different types of sensors to detect plasti

A low-cost sensing system for quality monitoring of dairy products

The dairy industry is in need of a cost-effective, highly reliable, very accurate, and fast measurement system to monitor the quality of dairy products. This paper describes the design and fabrication works undertaken to develop such a system. The techniques used center around planar electromagnetic sensors operating with radio frequency excitation. Computer-aided computation, being fast, facilitates on-line monitoring of the quality. The sensor technology proposed has the ability to perform volumetric penetrative measurements to measure properties throughout the bulk of the product

Fabrication of a repulsive-type magnetic bearing using a novel arrangement of permanent magnets for vertical-rotor suspension

A repulsive-type magnetic bearing system has been fabricated in which the rotor of a vertical-shaft-type motor is levitated due to the repulsive force between two sets of permanent magnets. A novel arrangement of permanent magnets has been reported here, which has made the suspension of the rotor possible. The system is planned to be applied for pumping milks and other related products in the New Zealand dairy industry

Geochemistry of Kauai shield-stage lavas: Implications for the chemical evolution of the Hawaiian plume

We measured He, Sr, Nd, Pb, and Os isotope ratios and major and trace element concentrations in stratigraphically and paleomagnetically controlled shield-stage lavas from Kauai, Hawaii. The range of 3He/4He ratios (17–28 RA) from Kauai is similar to that reported from Loihi and thus challenges the prevailing notion that high 3He/4He ratios are restricted to the preshield stage of Hawaiian magmatism. 3He/4He ratios vary erratically with stratigraphic position, and chronostratigraphic control from paleomagnetic data indicates very rapid changes in the 3He/4He ratios (up to 8 RA in ~102 years). These variations in helium isotopic ratios are correlated with variations in radiogenic isotope ratios, suggesting rapid changes in melt composition supplying the magma reservoir. A three-component mixing model, previously proposed for Hawaiian shield lavas, does not adequately explain the isotopic data in Kauai shield lavas. The addition of a depleted-mantle (DM) component with the isotopic characteristics similar to posterosional basalts explains the isotopic variability in Kauai shield lavas. The DM component is most apparent in lavas from the Kauai shield and is present in varying proportion in other Hawaiian shield volcanoes. Shield lavas from Kauai sample a high 3He/4He end-member (Loihi component), but while lavas from western Kauai have a larger contribution from the Kea component (high 206Pb/204Pb, anomalously low 207Pb/204Pb relative to 206Pb/204Pb), lavas from eastern Kauai have a larger proportion of an enriched (Koolau) component. The systematic isotopic differences between eastern and western Kauai reflect a gradual migration of the locus of volcanism from west to east, or alternatively east and west Kauai are two distinct shield volcanoes. In the latter case, the two shield volcanoes have maintained distinct magma supply sources and plumbing systems. Our new geochemical data from Kauai are consistent with the existence of a single high 3He/4He reservoir in the Hawaiian plume and suggest that the proportion of the different mantle components in the plume have changed significantly in the past 5 Myr. The long-term evolution of the Hawaiian plume and the temporal variability recorded in Kauai lavas require more complex geochemical heterogeneities than suggested by radially zoned plume models. These complexities may arise from heterogeneities in the thermal boundary layer and through variable entrainment of ambient mantle by the upwelling plume

Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Graphene Quantum Dots: A Computational Study

Due to the advantage of tunability via size, shape, doping and relatively low level of loss and high extent of spatial confinement, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are emerging as an effective way to control light by molecular engineering. The collective excitation in GQDs shows both high energy plasmon frequency along with frequencies in the terahertz (THz) region making these systems powerful materials for photonic technologies. Here, we report a systematic study of the linear and nonlinear optical properties of large varieties of GQDs (400 systems) in size and topology utilizing the strengths of both semiempirical and first-principles methods. Our detailed study shows how the spectral shift and trends in the optical nonlinearity of GQDs depends on their structure, size and shape. Among the circular, triangular, stripe, and random shaped GQDs, we find that GQDs with inequivalent sublattice atoms always possess lower HOMO-LUMO gap, broadband absorption and high nonlinear optical coefficients. Also, we find that for majority of the GQDs with interesting linear and nonlinear optical properties have zigzag edges, although reverse is not always true. We strongly believe that our findings can act as guidelines to design GQDs in optical parametric oscillators, higher harmonic generators and optical modulators.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, 4 table

Numerical Modeling of a Stenosed Artery Using Mathematical Model of Variable Shape

The intention of the present work is to carry out a systematic analysis of flow behavior in a two-dimensional tube (modeled as artery) with a locally variable shaped constrictions. The simulated artery, containing a viscous incompressible fluid representing the flowing blood, is treated to be complaint as well as rigid tube. The shape of the stenosis in the arterial lumen is chosen to be symmetric as well as asymmetric about the middle cross section perpendicular to the axis of the tube in order to improve resemblance to the in-vivo situation. The constricted tube is transformed into a straight tube and the resulting governing equations are solved by a numerical method with Reynolds number and ‘n’, a number giving the shape of the constriction as parameters. The influences of these parameters on the haemodynamic factors like wall shear stress, pressure and velocity have been analyzed. The present findings demonstrate that the flow resistance decreases as the shape of a smooth stenosis changes and maximum resistance is attained in case of a symmetric stenosis. But the length of separation increases in case of asymmetric constrictions and the oscillation in the shear layer appears earlier in case of asymmetric constriction than that in the case of symmetric constriction. Maximum resistance is attained in case of rigid stenosed tube rather than the flexible one

Anisotropic random resistor networks: a model for piezoresistive response of thick-film resistors

A number of evidences suggests that thick-film resistors are close to a metal-insulator transition and that tunneling processes between metallic grains are the main source of resistance. We consider as a minimal model for description of transport properties in thick-film resistors a percolative resistor network, with conducting elements governed by tunneling. For both oriented and randomly oriented networks, we show that the piezoresistive response to an applied strain is model dependent when the system is far away from the percolation thresold, while in the critical region it acquires universal properties. In particular close to the metal-insulator transition, the piezoresistive anisotropy show a power law behavior. Within this region, there exists a simple and universal relation between the conductance and the piezoresistive anisotropy, which could be experimentally tested by common cantilever bar measurements of thick-film resistors.Comment: 7 pages, 2 eps figure

Effects of Suction and Blowing on Flow Separation in a Symmetric Sudden Expanded Channel

A numerical simulation has been carried out to study the laminar flow in a symmetric sudden expanded channel subjected to a uniform blowing/suction speed placed at the lower and upper porous step walls. The governing equations for viscous flow have been solved using finite-difference techniques in pressure-velocity formulation. The results obtained here have been compared with the available experimental and numerical results of similar problems. It is noted that the recirculating region formed near the step walls diminishes in its length for increasing values of blowing speed applied at the porous step walls. For a suitable blowing speed, the recirculation zone disappears completely. The critical Reynolds number for the flow bifurcation (i.e. flow asymmetry) is obtained and it increases with the increase of the blowing speed. The critical Reynolds number for symmetry breaking of the flow decreases with the increasing values of suction speeds. The primary and the secondary recirculating regions formed near the channel walls are controlled using blowing