An Evaluation of Cots-Based Radar for Very Small Drone Sense and Avoid Application

The use of very small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly common these days but its applications are limited to the pilot line-of-sight view. To extend its use beyond the pilot view, UAVs need to be equipped sense and avoid (SAA) system to avoid potential collisions. However, the development of SAA for very small drones is still in the infancy stage mainly due to the high cost of design and development for reliable range sensors. Recent developments of very small size and lightweight commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based radar systems may become a crucial element in very small drone applications. These types of radars are primarily developed for industrial sensing but can be adapted for applications such SAA. Thus, this paper contributes to the survey of a miniature and lightweight radar sensor to assist the SAA development. The focus of this paper is to analyse the eligibility of a COTS-based radar in detecting very small drones. For this purpose, we used a frequency-modulated continuous radar (FMCW) developed by Infineon Technologies.  Field test results show the real-time capability of the radar sensor to detect the very small drones within ± 0.5 meters in static and dynamic conditions. &nbsp

Simulation of multi-band MIMO FMCW radar performance in detecting maritime vessels

The objective of this paper is to investigate the range detection performance of co-located multi-band multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar using various MIMO configurations, in detecting a slow radar cross sections (RCS) fluctuating vessel via a numerical simulation. The simulated MIMO FMCW radar is emitting multiple triangular FMCW waveforms with each baseband sweeps at different frequency range. At the MIMO radar receiver's ends, a proposed spectrum averaging scheme is applied to combine the receiving signals before implementing conventional ranging algorithms. A 3 MHz interval band is introduced between sub-bands and its effect had been observed. Performance of the proposed system was evaluated in terms of probability of range error against signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). From the simulation, it was observed that 3×3 MIMO performed 1 to 2 dB better compared to other topologies at 20% probability of range error

Controllability analysis on delta temperature minimum to obtain operable and flexible heat exchanger network

The requirement to synthesis heat exchanger network (HEN) is to select design target, whichis temperature minimum difference (ΔTmin). The purpose of ΔTmin is to optimize betweencapital cost and energy recovery. Currently, research on 8Tmin effects on HEN is commonlyassociated with the design outcomes such as energy recovery and cost. There are severalresearch studies on the effect of 8Tmin towards HEN design. An optimal ΔTmin for heatexchanger network is set between 5oC to 50oC, (Kemp, 2011). Jensen and Skogestad (2008)explained about specified 8Tmin effect on the wrong decision in the design of HEN.Abdullahi (2012) has studied the effect on ΔTmin contribution for individual process streamin the heat exchanger system. Basically, HEN synthesis method using 8Tmin focus more ondesign prospective. Not so many studies on the 8Tmin effect to the controllability part.Based on a new trade-off plot proposed by Abu Bakar et al (2014), lower ΔTmin has betterdesign criteria (higher energy recovery), however, higher in total cost and lowercontrollability criteria (higher flexibility and lower sensitivity). On the other hand, higher8Tmin has lower design criteria, however, lower in total cost and higher in controllabilitycriteria

Integrated process design and control methodology for heat exchanger network

This paper explains about methodology framework development for integrated process design and control (IPDC) of heat exchanger network (HEN). In most of the IPDC HEN problems, the feasible solutions to the problems may lie in a relatively small portion of the search space due to the large number of variables and constraints involved. The ability to solve such problems depends on the effectiveness of the method of solution in identifying and locating the feasible solutions. Hence, one approach to solve this IPDC HEN problem is to apply a decomposition method. The method starts with defining the IPDC HEN problems and formulated as a mathematical programming. The IPDC HEN problem is decomposed into four hierarchical sequential stages: (i) target selection, (ii) HEN design analysis, (iii) controllability analysis, and (iv) optimal selection and verification. This method simultaneously combines the solution for both process design and process control problem by selecting a manipulated variable that represent both process design and process control which is minimum allowable temperature difference, ΔTmin. The decision on selection ΔTmin are guided by a new propose Trade-off plot that combine process design criteria and steady state process control criteria. A simple case study are used to demonstrate the methodology framework. The result shows that HEN with large ΔTmin is more flexible and easy to operate

A small vessel detection using a co-located multi-frequency FMCW MIMO radar

Small vessels detection is a known issue due to its low radar cross section (RCS). An existing shore-based vessel tracking radar is for long-distance commercial vessels detection. Meanwhile, a vessel-mounted radar system known for its reliability has a limitation due to its single radar coverage. The paper presented a co-located frequency modulated continuous waveform (FMCW) maritime radar for small vessel detection utilising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration. The radar behaviour is numerically simulated for detecting a Swerling 1 target which resembles small maritime’s vessels. The simulated MIMO configuration comprised two transmitting and receiving nodes. The proposal is to utilize a multi-frequency FMCW MIMO configuration in a maritime environment by applying the spectrum averaging (SA) to fuse MIMO received signals for range and velocity estimation. The analysis was summarised and displayed in terms of estimation error performance, probability of error and average error. The simulation outcomes an improvement of 2.2 dB for a static target, and 0.1 dB for a moving target, in resulting the 20% probability of range error with the MIMO setup. A moving vessel's effect was observed to degrade the range error estimation performance between 0.6 to 2.7 dB. Meanwhile, the proposed method was proven to improve the 20% probability of velocity error by 1.75 dB. The impact of multi-frequency MIMO was also observed to produce better average error performance

A Comparative Analysis of Packet Fragmentation with MPLS Unicast IP Routing and OSPF in an IP-based Network

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is acknowledged and widely used to overcome drawbacks in traditional Internet Protocol (IP) routing. This paper presents network performance on the effect of packet fragmentation over IP and MPLS networks. Performance analysis on Windows XP is evaluated which tested in an environment using GNS3 which emulates on real environment telecommunication network. Network performance observed on Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) with and without MPLS label implementation accompanied by combination of different data sizes and different Maximum Transfer Units (MTUs). Round-Trip-Time (RTT) is calculated on throughput and packet loss. Results present an analysis performance on different protocols, data sizes and produced MTUs. OSPF provides better RTT and throughput compared to MPLS with default MTU setting. Better RTT and calculated throughput performance is obtained by increasing the MTU for interface, IP and MPLS. RTT for MPLS is slightly higher due to the introduction of label to each packet send. Packet loss behavior is similar in both OSPF and MPLS which more visible when fragmentation happened. This study concludes that upon packet fragmentation, performances are degrade

Effect of Delta Temperature Minimum Contribution in Obtaining an Operable and Flexible Heat Exchanger Network

This paper presents the control structure decision making for heat exchanger networks (HENs) to obtain operable and flexible network. Delta temperature minimum (ΔTmin) contribution is considered in this study. Several studies have been done to determine the effect of ΔTmin-contribution on the annual cost. Usually, HENs designed without consider controllability analysis and control structure decision making. In control structure decision making analysis are done to already designed HEN. Design and controllability analysis for HEN are done seperately. Therefore, there are still lacks of studies on how the ΔTmin-contribution effects the controllability and control structure desion making. Optimal ΔTmin selection is important decision to make in the early stage to avoid inflexible and inoperable heat exchanger networks. The question that needs to be answerd here is how to determine the optimal value of ΔTmin that will have better operating conditions that satisfy process design (HEN), controllability and as well as economy. In this study, this problem will be formulated as a mathematical programming (optimizattion with constraints) and solved by decomposing it into four hierarchiacal stages: (i) target selection, (ii) HEN design analysis, (iii) controllability analysis, and (iv) optimal selection and verification. A case study plant was selected as a case study. Small value of ΔTmin was first implemented and will gradually be increased to see the effect on the operability and flexibility of a case study

Spectrum averaging in a MIMO FMCW maritime radar for a small fluctuating target range estimation

Detection of a small maritime target has been challenging in radar signal processing due to the object size near the water surface. This paper provides an alternative detection method for a small fluctuating target by deploying a frequency modulated continuous waveform (FMCW) in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration. The work proposed a MIMO FMCW radar with a frequency offset between transmitted sub-bands, and the spectrum averaging (SA) scheme to combine the multiple received signals. A MIMO with an equal number of transmit and receive nodes were employed, and transceivers were co-located. The frequency-offset introduced an interval band between MIMO sub-signals to avoid interference and overlapping. The work observed range error parameters of a small fluctuating target. The result reveals that applying the SA with and without an interval band produced a better performance against signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in terms of probability of range error and range error mean, through numerical simulations and experiments. However, MIMO caused an incremental computational complexity with the number of nodes based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorith

Design of frog virtual learning environment (Frog VLE) aesthetics model for Malaysia primary schools

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is used to enhanced teaching and learning in Malaysia government public schools since 2012. Frog VLE has been used as a teaching and learning cloud-based internet platform in government schools which means that can be accessed anywhere and anytime. Currently main criteria for evaluating Frog VLE elearning platform have focused on usability and acceptance. The sensory dimension of e-learning platforms is non-existent enough due to the rapid emerge the ideals of ‘hyper-functionalism’ nowadays. Therefore, in order to accommodate to future needs the focus on e-learning platforms need an aesthetic perspective instead of mainly addressing usability and function. So, there is need to produce the pleasurable design and aesthetic model of e-learning platform in order to increase the usage of the Frog VLE for teachers. This paper presented a research model for designing an aesthetic elearning platform for Frog VLE

An evaluation of cots-based radar for very small drone sense and avoid application

The use of very small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly common these days but its applications are limited to the pilot line-of-sight view. To extend its use beyond the pilot view, UAVs need to be equipped sense and avoid (SAA) system to avoid potential collisions. However, the development of SAA for very small drones is still in the infancy stage mainly due to the high cost of design and development for reliable range sensors. Recent developments of very small size and lightweight commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based radar systems may become a crucial element in very small drone applications. These types of radars are primarily developed for industrial sensing but can be adapted for applications such SAA. Thus, this paper contributes to the survey of a miniature and lightweight radar sensor to assist the SAA development. The focus of this paper is to analyse the eligibility of a COTS-based radar in detecting very small drones. For this purpose, we used a frequency-modulated continuous radar (FMCW) developed by Infineon Technologies. Field test results show the real-time capability of the radar sensor to detect the very small drones within ± 0.5 meters in static and dynamic conditions