Annular Ring Research Articles

Dual-Band Circularly Polarized Annular Ring Patch Antenna for GPS-Aided GEO-Augmented Navigation Receivers

A compact, single- feed, dual band, circularly polarized annular ring patch antenna coupled to a cross slot is proposed in this letter for GPS-aided GEO-augmented navigation (GAGAN) receivers covering L band, centered at 1176.45 MHz (L5) and 1575.42 MHz (L1) frequencies. The antenna consists of two annular rings configured by two small strips, which is coupled to a cross slot in the ground plane for gain enhancement. Circular polarization in both the bands is produced by introducing perturbations in outer annular ring and two orthogonal strips in the center space of inner annular ring. The proposed CP antenna radiates LHCP in both the desired frequencies. Two shorting pins are introduced near the feed to improve impedance matching. The simulated and measured reflection coefficient, gain, circular polarization, and axial ratio are in accord with each other. The measured 10 dB bandwidth is 2.7% (1168–1200 MHz) for the L5 and 2.5% (1560–1600 MHz) for L1. The AR bandwidth below 3 dB for the designed antenna is 1.5% (1156–1174 MHz) for L5 and 1% (1556–1572 MHz) for L1.

Computational rheometry of yielding and viscoplastic flow in vane-and-cup rheometer fixtures

A planar two-dimensional computational analysis is presented to qualify traditional and fractal vane-in-cup geometries for accurate rheometry of simple viscoplastic fluids with and without slip. Numerical simulations based on an adaptive augmented Lagrangian scheme are used to study the two-dimensional flow field of yield-stress fluids within and around vane tools with N=3 to 24 arms for a wide range of Bingham numbers, B (i.e. the ratio of the yield stress over the characteristic viscous stress). This allows for accurate calculations of the velocity and stress fields around vanes with various geometries, as well as direct comparison to experimental observations of the output torque measured by a rheometer, revealing sources of variation and error. We describe the impact of the vane structure on the fluid velocity field, from few-arm cruciform vanes (N≤6) that significantly perturb the flow away from ideal azimuthal kinematics, to many-arm fractal vanes (N≥12) in which the internal structural features are successfully “cloaked” by a yield surface. This results in the shearing of an almost-circular ring of viscoplastic fluid that is indistinguishable from the annular ring of fluid deformed around a slip-free rotating cylindrical bob and leads to more accurate rheometric measurements of the material flow curve. Moreover, in direct comparison with data from previous literature, we show that slip conditions on the vane surface do not impact the velocity field or measured overall torque T, whereas slip conditions on the smooth outer wall have significant impact on data, even when using a vane geometry. Finally, we describe the impact of vane topography and Bingham number, B, on the measured torque and rheometric accuracy of vane-in-cup geometries for “simple” (inelastic) yield-stress fluids described by either the Bingham plastic or Herschel–Bulkley constitutive model.

Axial ratio tuned disk‐shapedS‐bandtriple notch circularly polarized slot antenna

Microstrip-line fed annular ring circularly polarized antenna is proposed in this work. The antenna is fabricated on a disk-shaped FR-4 substrate with annular ring slots etched in the ground. The overall space requirement of the antenna is 25 × 25 × 1.6 mm3. The antenna is modeled for triple notch wide band circular polarization operation in the frequency range from 2–4 GHz. A wide impedance band operation is be obtained by the introduction of slots and stubs. An impedance band- width of 1.8 GHz is accomplished with three notches at 2.4, 2.8, and 3.3 GHz.

Generation of multi-channel perfect vortex beams with the controllable ring radius and the topological charge based on an all-dielectric transmission metasurface.

The perfect vortex (PV) beam, characterized by carrying orbital angular momentum and a radial electric intensity distribution independent of the topological charge, has important applications in optical communication, particle manipulation, and quantum optics. Conventional methods of generating PV beams require a series of bulky optical elements that are tightly collimated with each other, adding to the complexity of optical systems. Here, making the amplitude of transmitted co-polarized and cross-polarized components to be constant, all-dielectric transmission metasurfaces with superimposed phase profiles integrating spiral phase plate, axicon and Fourier lens are constructed based on the phase-only modulation method. Using mathematical derivation and numerical simulation, multi-channel PV beams with controllable annular ring radius and topological charge are realized for the first time under circularly polarized light incidence combining the propagation phase and geometric phase. Meanwhile, perfect vector vortex beams are produced by superposition of PV beams under the incidence of left-handed circularly polarized and right-handed circularly polarized lights, respectively. This work provides a new perspective on generating tailored PV beams, increasing design flexibility and facilitating the construction of compact, integrated, and versatile nanophotonics platforms.

A numerical method based on Polonsky-Keer's conjugate gradient iterative scheme for solving axisymmetric contact of layered half-space

Axisymmetric contact analysis of layered half-space is of considerable interest in many tribological applications including protective hard coating, metal-matrix composites, etc. Polonsky-Keer's iterative scheme based on conjugate gradient method (CGM) is powerful for a general three-dimensional contact problem using rectangular meshes, but would inevitably lead to excessive computational burden and inaccurate boundary discretization for axisymmetric contact. In this paper, Polonsky-Keer's CG-based iterative scheme is adapted for axisymmetric indentation of a layered elastic half-space by taking advantage of annular ring discretization, where the elementary solutions for the surface deflection and subsurface stresses can be determined with assistance of the Hankel transforms. The present method can not only effectively circumvent the discretization error, but is also versatile and flexible to solve the contact between the layered materials and an arbitrary axisymmetric indenter. Parametric studies are provided to validate the present solutions, and the comparisons of the average relative errors for different types of elements are conducted to demonstrate the excellent convergence and accuracy of the proposed numerical scheme.

Triple Band-stop Performance Realization Through a Single Substrate Layer Frequency Selective Surface

A single-substrate-layer Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) is designed with a 1.6 mm thick FR4 substrate for triple band-stop frequency filtering applications, that are for Bluetooth, WLAN, WiMAX, and X-band. The proposed FSS unit cell consists of two polygon loops on the front side and a square loop with four annular rings attached to its corners on the backside. The offered design covers three frequency bands: 2.3-4 GHz, 5-6 GHz, and 8-12 GHz. There are three resonances at 3.3, 5.6, and 9.9 GHz. The equivalent circuit model of the proposed structure and the formulas of the LC parameters were presented. A prototype of this structure was manufactured in size of 26 × 26 cm2 and experimentally verified in the antenna and microwave laboratory. The software used for design and simulation is HFSS from Ansys, which uses the finite element method. A comparison with similar structures was performed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed structure. The advantages of the proposed filter include adequate bandwidth, simple structure, as well as small size. In addition, it is unaffected by variant angles of incidence for TE polarization and TM polarization. Furthermore, due to its symmetrical design, it shows a polarization-independent feature. Experimental results for both polarizations verify the merits of the proposed approach, as shown before in the simulation results as well.

Winkler model for predicting the dynamic response of caisson foundations

AbstractThe paper presents a Winkler‐based numerical model for the analysis of the dynamic response of caisson foundations. The model allows the evaluation of the impedance functions and of the foundation input motion (FIM), which can be used in the framework of the substructure approach to compute inertial soil‐foundation superstructure interaction analyses. In addition, kinematic stress resultants due to seismic shear waves propagating into the soil can be estimated. The caisson is modelled as a Timoshenko beam and the soil‐caisson interaction forces are derived from the analyses of the plane‐strain vibration problem of an annular rigid ring embedded into the soil. The problem solution is obtained in the frequency domain exploiting the finite element approach and generic soil stratigraphies can be considered in the applications. The model, which is characterised by a very low computational effort, is validated by performing a parametric investigation, comparing results with those obtained from more rigorous BEM‐FEM models of the soil‐caissons systems. Finally, some applications to real caisson foundations of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are shown to demonstrate the model accuracy in capturing the seismic response of the foundations obtained from more rigorous models.

A Novel Testing Method to Quantify Mechanical Properties of the Intact Annulus Fibrosus Ring From Rat-Tail Intervertebral Discs.

The annulus fibrosus is the ring-like exterior of the intervertebral disc, which is composed of concentrically organized layers of collagen fiber bundles. The mechanical properties of the annulus have been studied extensively; however, tests are typically performed on extracted fragments or multilayered samples of the annulus and not on the annulus as a whole. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to develop a novel testing technique to measure the mechanical properties of the intact, isolated annulus; and (2) to perform a preliminary analysis of the rate-dependency of these mechanical properties. Twenty-nine whole annulus ring samples were dissected from 11 skeletally mature Sprague Dawley rat tails and underwent a tensile failure test at either 2%/s (n = 16) or 20%/s (n = 13). Force and displacement were sampled at 100 Hz and were subsequently normalized to stress and strain. Various mechanical properties were derived from the stress-strain curves and statistically compared between the rates. All mechanical variables, with the exception of initial failure stress, were found to be unaffected by rate. Interestingly, initial failure stress was higher for samples tested at the slower rate compared to the higher rate which is atypical for viscoelastic tissues. Although in general rate did not appear to impact the annulus ring response to tensile loading, this novel, intact annular ring testing technique provides an alternative way to quantify mechanical properties of the annulus.

Pilot impact on turbulent premixed methane/air and hydrogen-enriched methane/air flames in a laboratory-scale gas turbine model combustor

The impact of pilot flame operation on the combustion of pure methane and hydrogen-enriched methane (H2/CH4: 50/50 in vol%) fuels was investigated in a gas turbine model combustor under atmospheric conditions. The burner assembly was designed to mimic the geometry of an industrial burner, the Siemens DLE Burner, in which a concentric annular ring equipped with pilot flame burners is implemented in the dome of the combustor. Two pilot burner configurations have been investigated: a non-premixed and a partially premixed pilot arrangement. The performance of the pilot burners was evaluated for varying Reynolds number (Re) and H2 enrichment. High-speed OH∗ chemiluminescence imaging, as well as simultaneous planar laser-induced fluorescence measurements of the OH radicals and formaldehyde (CH2O) were used for evaluating the dynamics and structures of the flames for different conditions. Furthermore, emission measurements were carried out to determine the influence of hydrogen dilution on the NOx and CO emission levels. The main findings are (a) the effect of the pilot flame is sensitive to the Reynolds number of the main flame and the type of the pilot flame, (b) the stability range becomes narrower with increasing hydrogen ratio, due to the tendency to flashback, (c) non-premixed pilot flames lower the NOx and increase the CO emissions, albeit rather small differences in the emissions have been detected, and (d) the NOx and CO emissions become significantly lower with increasing hydrogen ratio.

Superresolution trends in the ALMA Taurus survey: structured inner discs and compact discs

ABSTRACT The 1.33-mm survey of protoplanetary discs in the Taurus molecular cloud found annular gaps and rings to be common in extended sources (≳ 55au), when their 1D visibility distributions were fit parametrically. We first demonstrate the advantages and limitations of non-parametric visibility fits for data at the survey’s 0.12-arcsec resolution. Then we use the non-parametric model in Frankenstein (frank) to identify new substructure in three compact and seven extended sources. Among the new features, we identify three trends: a higher occurrence rate of substructure in the survey’s compact discs than previously seen, underresolved (potentially azimuthally asymmetric) substructure in the innermost disc of extended sources, and a ‘shoulder’ on the trailing edge of a ring in discs with strong depletion at small radii. Noting the shoulder morphology is present in multiple discs observed at higher resolution, we postulate it is tracing a common physical mechanism. We further demonstrate how a superresolution frank brightness profile is useful in motivating an accurate parametric model, using the highly structured source DL Tau in which frank finds two new rings. Finally, we show that sparse (u, v) plane sampling may be masking the presence of substructure in several additional compact survey sources.

Ergomagnetosphere, ejection disc, magnetopause in M87 – I. Global flow of mass, angular momentum, energy, and current

ABSTRACT We interpret the 1.3 mm VLBI observations made by the Event Horizon Telescope of the black hole in M87. It is proposed that, instead of being a torus of accreting gas, the observed annular ring is a rotating, magnetically dominated ergomagnetosphere that can transmit electromagnetic angular momentum and energy outward to the disc through a combination of large scale magnetic torque and small scale instabilities. It is further proposed that energy may be extracted by magnetic flux threading the ergosphere through the efficient emission of long wavelength electromagnetic disturbances on to negative energy orbits, after the invariant B2 − E2 approaches zero on small scales. In this way, the spinning black hole and its ergosphere not only power the jets but also the ejection disc so as to drive away most of the gas supplied near the Bondi radius. This outflow takes the form of an MHD wind, extending over many decades of radius, with a unidirectional magnetic field, that is collimated by the infalling gas across a magnetopause. This wind, in turn, collimates the relativistic jets and the emission observed from the jet sheath may be associated with a return current. A model for the global flow of mass, angular momentum, energy, and current, on scales from the horizon to the Bondi radius, is outlined and discussed.

Model Analysis and Experimental Investigation of Soft Pneumatic Manipulator for Fruit Grasping.

With the superior ductility and flexibility brought by compliant bodies, soft manipulators provide a nondestructive manner to grasp delicate objects, which has been developing gradually as a rising focus of soft robots. However, the unexpected phenomenon caused by environmental effects, leading to high internal nonlinearity and unpredictable deformation, makes it challenging to design, model, and control soft manipulators. In this paper, we designed a soft pneumatically actuated manipulator consisting of four soft actuators, as well as a flange, and investigated the influence of structural parameters on the output characteristics of the manipulator through finite element analysis (FEA). To enhance the bending deformation of the soft actuator, annular rings were employed on the soft actuator. A mathematical model for the bending deformation of air cavities was established to explore the relationship between the driving pressure and the bending angle based on the Yeoh strain energy function. Moreover, an end-output force model was established to depict the variation of the force output with the bending angle of the soft actuator, which was then experimentally validated by adopting the manufactured manipulator. The soft actuator studied in this paper can bend from 0° to 110° under an applied pressure of 0–60 kPa, and the maximum grasping load of the soft manipulator is 5.8 N. Finally, practical tests were conducted to assess the adaptability of the soft manipulator when grasping delicate fruits, such as apples, pears, tomatoes, and mangoes, demonstrating its broad application prospects in nondestructive fruit harvesting.

Dual-band omnidirectional coupled-fed monopolar filtering antenna

A dual-band omnidirectional coupled-fed monopolar filtering antenna is designed in this paper. The proposed filtering antenna consists of three stacked circular substrates. A via-loaded annular ring and an annular ring are fabricated on the top of bottom and middle substrates respectively. Four adjustable resonant modes are introduced by this way, which are combined in pairs to generate two independently controllable operating bands. Meanwhile, each resonant mode can produce corresponding omnidirectional radiation, making the proposed filtering antenna have omnidirectional radiation function. There are four adjustable radiation nulls (RNs) located at the both sides of two passbands realized by the coupled-fed via-loaded annular ring and the circular patch printed on the uppermost substrate. Hence, high skirt selectivity can be obtained. The proposed dual-band filtering antenna is simulated, fabricated and measured. The simulation and measurement are in excellent agreements. It is proved that the proposed filtering antenna realizes a stable omnidirectional radiation pattern in the azimuth plane with the cross-polarization level of lower than 20 dB. Additionally, the measured results display that the 10-dB impedance bandwidths are 6.3 % (2.47–2.63 GHz) and 6 % (5.38–5.71 GHz), respectively. The maximum realized gains are 2.6 and 5.2 dBi for two working bands with the out-of-band suppression of more than 15 dB.

Composite radial filter for removal of agrochemicals from agricultural runoff

Abstract A composite radial filter was designed, fabricated and developed for the removal of agrochemicals particularly N, P, K and bacteriological contaminant in runoff water from rice field for recharging aquifer. Zeolite (Z), activated charcoal (C), coarse sand (CS) and gravel (G) filter materials were placed in annular concentric rings of composite radial filter in different combination of thickness in the ratio of 1:2:4:4, 1:3:4:4, 1:2:2:4, 1:3:2:4 and 0:2:1:2 for five treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) respectively. Sodium hypochlorite solution (5%) injected at the rate of 0.1 ml per unit discharge (lps) through chlorination unit at the outlet of the radial filter decreased bacteriological contamination to <10 MPN per 100 ml from 1,100 MPN per 100 ml of filtered water. The performance of composite radial filter was evaluated by analyzing filtered water samples for four inflow/outflow rates viz. 0.42, 0.82, 1.24 and 1.66 lps. The T5 treatment consisting of filter materials C, CS and G with thickness of 20, 10 and 20 cm respectively was found to be the best compared to the other four treatments. The filter materials were washed with fresh water after 5 hours of filtration and reused.

Post-Ortho-K Corneal Epithelium Changes in Myopic Eyes.

The study is aimed at evaluating corneal epithelial thickness changes associated with overnight orthokeratology (ortho-K). In this retrospective study, epithelial thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months ortho-K nightly lens wear. Compared with pre-orthokeratology measurements, central (2 mm) corneal epithelium thickness was significantly reduced at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months with ortho-K (P < 0.05). Paracentral (2 mm~5 mm annular ring) epithelial thickness was also significantly reduced at superior temporal, inferior temporal, temporal, and inferior locations after ortho-K (P < 0.05), while midperipheral (5 mm~6 mm annular ring) epithelial thickness was greater post- than pre-ortho-K at superior, superior temporal, inferior temporal, inferior, and inferior nasal locations (P < 0.05). In other zones, superior, superior nasal, nasal, and inferior nasal in paracentral annular ring and temporal and superior nasal in midperipheral ring, epithelial thickness underwent no significant change. Ortho-K lens wear caused the central corneal epitheliums to thin. The temporal half zones become thinner in paracentral zones and thicker in midperipheral zones.

Quantitative susceptibility mapping of both ring and non-ring white matter lesions in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

BackgroundRecent evidence suggests that the presence of magnetic susceptibility changes in MS lesions correlates with patients' expanded disability status scale (EDSS). PurposeThis study evaluated the presence of ring lesions (RLs) and non-RLs, as well as changes in lesion susceptibility and lesion volume over a two-year time period in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and compared these measures to the EDSS. Study typeLongitudinal cohort. Materials and methodsA total of forty-three (43) patients with RRMS were recruited for this study. All subjects underwent 3 T MRI at baseline and forty-one (41) subjects had follow-up scans over a two-year period. The protocol included T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), pre- and post-contrast 2D T1-weighted gradient echo imaging and susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) sequences. All data were acquired prior to gadolinium-based contrast agent injection except for SWI and post-contrast T1-weighted data. Mean and peak susceptibilities of lesions were measured using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). For the RLs, inner−/outer-diameters from SWI data and absolute intensity from the FLAIR data were measured. The susceptibility and volumes of RLs and non-RLs were correlated with EDSS. ResultsThe number of RLs correlated positively with EDSS (p-value = 0.04), but the RL volumes did not show a correlation with EDSS. Measurements of the annular ring and regions with high susceptibility remained constant over time (p = 0.2). For non-ring QSM-positive (QSM+) lesions, the average susceptibility was significantly correlated to EDSS (p < 0.01.) This was also the case for lesion volume, as well as the product of volume and susceptibility when compared to EDSS (p < 0.01 for both). ConclusionsThe susceptibility distribution and lesion volumes for the RLs remained almost constant over time, suggesting that the changes in pathophysiology of the RLs is a gradual process. On the other hand, the presence of more than one RL along with both volume and susceptibility of non-RL QSM+ lesions were significantly associated with increased disability as measured by EDSS. These findings may strengthen the role of QSM in assessing MS patients radiologically.

Octagonal Shaped Annular Ring Pattern Reconfigurable Antenna Designs for Cognitive Radio Application

An Octagonal shaped Annular Ring pattern reconfigurable antenna is proposed for cognitive radio applications which gives Omni-directional and directional pattern at 1.3 GHz. The antenna has the frequency switching capability at 1.5 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 4.8 GHz and 6.8 GHz with the use of a single PIN diode. Further, the antenna is modified by inserting a slotted square shape in an octagonal ring. With the use of two diodes, the proposed antenna shows the pattern diversity at 3.2 GHz and 4.6 GHz with the gain of 6.23 dBi. Also, the antenna shows the frequency switching for 1.5 GHz, 3.1 GHz, 4 GHz, 4.3 GHz, 4.8 GHz and 6.8 GHz with the different states of the PIN diode. The proposed antennas can be used for RFID, S and C band applications.

Femtosecond Laser Ablation Assisted NFC Antenna Fabrication for Smart Contact Lenses

AbstractSmart contact lenses (SCLs) have drawn substantial interest for continuous health monitoring applications. Even though most of the reported works utilize near‐field communication (NFC) or inductive coupling for wireless powering and data transmission, developing a scalable and rapid fabrication technique for annular ring antennas confined in a small contact lens area is still an unsolved challenge. Here, femtosecond laser ablation is employed for the first time as a simple, single‐step, and highly precise fabrication technique for NFC antennas using conventional flexible printed circuit board materials. Antenna lines with depth and width of 9 and 35 μm are achieved, respectively. The antenna with a footprint of 19.5 mm2 is characterized in biological solution followed by aging, and bending tests, and a frequency deviation of less than %1 is recorded. A real‐life application is demonstrated by fabricating an SCL embedded with the antenna, an NFC chip, and an electrochemical sensor for wireless monitoring of glucose in artificial tear solution by a smartphone. The device could successfully quantify biologically relevant glucose concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1 mM with a limit‐of‐detection of 66 μM. In addition, device response to interfering molecules is less than ±1 nA, and the spike‐and‐recovery test is successfully demonstrated.

A Potential Role of Acute Choroidal Expansion in Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

PurposeNonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) has been associated with a thickened choroid at the optic nerve head (ONH). Here, we use computational modeling to better understand how choroidal expansion and choroidal geometry influence tissue deformation within the ONH relative to intraocular pressure (IOP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) effects.MethodsUsing a model of the posterior eye that included the sclera, peripapillary sclera, annular ring, pia mater, dura mater, neural tissues, Bruch's membrane, choroid, and lamina cribrosa, we examined how varying material properties of ocular tissues influenced ONH deformations under physiological and supra-physiological, or “pathological,” conditions. We considered choroidal expansion (c. 35 µL of expansion), elevated IOP (30 mm Hg), and elevated ICP (20 mm Hg), and calculated peak strains in the ONH relative to a baseline condition representing an individual in the upright position.ResultsSupra-physiological choroidal expansion had the largest impact on strains in the prelaminar neural tissue. In addition, compared to a tapered choroid, a “blunt” choroid insertion at the ONH resulted in higher strains. Elevated IOP and ICP caused the highest strains within the lamina cribrosa and retrolaminar neural tissue, respectively.ConclusionsAcute choroidal expansion caused large deformations of the ONH and these deformations were impacted by choroid geometry. These results are consistent with the concept that compartment syndrome due to the choroid geometry and/or expansion at the ONH contributes to NAION. Prolonged deformations due to supra-physiological loading may induce a mechanobiological response or ischemia, highlighting the potential impact of choroidal expansion on biomechanical strains in the ONH.

A compact SWB MIMO antenna with 45° clock-wise square patch inclusions for polarization diversity applications

AbstractIn this paper, a compact super wideband annular ring antenna using 45° clock-wise square patch inclusions for super high frequency and polarization diversity applications is proposed. The inclusions consist of a combination of squares and circles into one another in the inner area of a main annular ring radiator. The antenna uses a partial ground plane having a stair-type defected ground structure, is designed on an FR-4 substrate, and has a total size of 25 × 26 × 1.6 mm3 (0.17λ × 0.18λ). The design was fabricated and experimental results fairly agreed with simulations and resulted in an antenna with an operating frequency from 2.07 to 30 GHz; that is, a large fractional bandwidth of 174.2$\%$ with a bandwidth (BW) ratio of 14.5:1 and a high BW dimension ratio, BW per unit electrical length of 5693, and a measured peak gain of 8 dBi with an average gain of 5 dBi for the overall operating frequency. For the polarization diversity, a 4 × 4 multiple input-multiple output configuration is additionally presented, offering an effective isolation of ≥ 22.5 dB between ports and corroborated by measurements.