Average Power Research Articles

VIV array for wind energy harvesting

Harvesting energy from flow using vortex-induced vibration (VIV) piezoelectric transducers has gained significant attention in recent decades due to their advantages, such as simple structure, blade-less layout, and low maintenance costs. However, most existing studies have focused on designing and analyzing a single piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH), without investigating the fluid-structure interaction and coupling of multiple PEH arrays. Here, we conducted an experimental study using a 2 × 2 PEH array to investigate its dynamic response under different wind speeds and spacings. Results show that the output voltage of the PEH array increases as the vertical spacing decreases, and the maximum average output voltage of 20.6 V per PEH is obtained when the minimum vertical spacing, maximum horizontal spacing, and resonance wind speed conditions are met. Compared to a single PEH, the 2 × 2 array arrangement increases the average output voltage by up to 168%. Additionally, the average output power under the resistance of 1 MΩ increases by 629% to 4.3×10−4 W per PEH, and the maximum output power increases by 792% to 5.3×10−4. Experiments indicate that the vortex shedding coupling can induce higher vibration in a well-defined array, which paves a new way for developing bladeless wind farms.

On further refinements of the Jensen inequality and applications

We aim to extend some recent refinements of the Jensen inequality. First, we establish even more precise estimates for the Jensen inequality. Then, we derive an improvement of the Jensen inequality with regard to ‐convexity. As an application, our main results are applied in deriving refinements of power mean inequalities and the Hölder inequality. Finally, we obtain more accurate estimates for ‐divergences, important in the information theory.

An experimental investigation and multiphysics simulation of thermoelectric temperature controller for AWG chips

The refractive index of silicon-based waveguide materials is highly sensitive to temperature and stress, and the effective refractive index of the waveguide varies with temperature changes. Thus, it is critical to reduce the temperature dependence of Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) devices and to precisely control the center wavelength of AWGs. In this study, the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) was designed and fabricated to control the temperature of the thermal AWG chip, which did not require any material replacement or reprocessing of the AWG chip. Different magnitudes and polarities of voltage are applied to the TEC to regulate its operational state (heating or cooling). A multiphysics simulation model of a thermal AWG device is established and validated through transient and steady-state experiments. This study investigated the influence of different conditions (input voltage, environmental temperature) on the temperature and maximum stress of the AWG chip. A conformal TEC was designed and its performance was compared with that of the square TEC. The energy consumption of the conformal TEC was also tested and analyzed. The results show that in a 25 °C ambient environment, the TEC can control the temperature of the AWG chip in the range of 1.5–78.3 °C, significantly expanding the current operational temperature range of 65.0–85.0 °C when using Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heaters. Under the same conditions, when using the conformal TEC as the temperature control device, the temperature gradient on the AWG chip is reduced by 1.37 °C during cooling and 2.80 °C during heating. The maximum stress value in the core layer is always lower, with a maximum reduction of 3.61 MPa. TEC can set the ideal operating temperature of the AWG chip according to the actual operating environment of the product, which reduces the energy consumption of TEC. A comparison is made between the average power consumption of the conformal TEC and the PTC heater under two operating conditions: a 25 °C constant-temperature environment and a natural environment. The average power consumption can be reduced by up to 97.87 % and 93.02 %, respectively. This study holds significant guidance for solving the temperature dependence problem of AWG devices and the application of thermoelectric coolers in the field of optical communication.

Reconstructing phylogenetic trees from genome-wide somatic mutations in clonal samples.

Phylogenetic trees are a powerful means to display the evolutionary history of species, pathogens and, more recently, individual cells of the human body. Whole-genome sequencing of laser capture microdissections or expanded stem cells has allowed the discovery of somatic mutations in clones, which can be used as natural barcodes to reconstruct the developmental history of individual cells. Here we describe Sequoia, our pipeline to reconstruct lineage trees from clones of normal cells. Candidate somatic mutations are called against the human reference genome and filtered to exclude germline mutations and artifactual variants. These filtered somatic mutations form the basis for phylogeny reconstruction using a maximum parsimony framework. Lastly, we use a maximum likelihood framework to explicitly map mutations to branches in the phylogenetic tree. The resulting phylogenies can then serve as a basis for many subsequent analyses, including investigating embryonic development, tissue dynamics in health and disease, and mutational signatures. Sequoia can be readily applied to any clonal somatic mutation dataset, including single-cell DNA sequencing datasets, using the commands and scripts provided. Moreover, Sequoia is highly flexible and can be easily customized. Typically, the runtime of the core script ranges from minutes to an hour for datasets with a moderate number (50,000-150,000) of variants. Competent bioinformatic skills, including in-depth knowledge of the R programming language, are required. A high-performance computing cluster (one that is capable of running mutation-calling algorithms and other aspects of the analysis at scale) is also required, especially if handling large datasets.

Over 3.8 W, 3.4 µm picosecond mid-infrared parametric conversion based on a simplified one-to-many scheme

In this paper, we demonstrate a simplified one-to-many scheme for efficient mid-infrared (MIR) parametric conversion. Such a scheme is based on a continuous wave (CW) single longitudinal mode master oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) fiber system as the signal source and a picosecond pulsed MOPA fiber system, exhibiting multiple longitudinal modes, as the pump source. The signal and pump beams are combined and co-coupled into a piece of 50-mm long 5% MgO-doped PPLN crystal for the parametric conversion. As high as ∼3.82 W average power at a central idler wavelength of ∼3.4 µm is achieved when the launched pump and signal powers are ∼41.73 and ∼11.45 W, respectively. Above some threshold value, the delivered idler power shows a roll-over effect against the signal power and saturation-like effect against the pump power. Consequently, the highest conversion efficiency is observed at such a threshold pump power. To the best of our knowledge, our result represents the highest average power produced from any single-pass parametric conversion source with >3 µm idler wavelength feeding with a CW signal. Moreover, our proposed scheme can simplify the design of parametric conversion system significantly and meanwhile make the system more robust in applications. This is attributed to two main aspects. Firstly, the scheme’s one-to-many feature can reduce wavelength sensitivity remarkably in the realization of quasi-phase-matching. Secondly, for moderate power requirement it does not always require a high peak power synchronized pulsed signal source; a CW one can be an alternative, thereby making the system free from complex time synchronization and the related time jitter.

ZnO Decorated Graphene-Based NFC Tag for Personal NO2 Exposure Monitoring during a Workday.

This paper presents the integration of a sensing layer over interdigitated electrodes and an electronic circuit on the same flexible printed circuit board. This integration provides an effective technique to use this design as a wearable gas measuring system in a target application, exhibiting high performance, low power consumption, and being lightweight for on-site monitoring. The wearable system proves the concept of using an NFC tag combined with a chemoresistive gas sensor as a cumulative gas sensor, having the possibility of holding the data for a working day, and completely capturing the exposure of a person to NO2 concentrations. Three different types of sensors were tested, depositing the sensing layers on gold electrodes over Kapton substrate: bare graphene, graphene decorated with 5 wt.% zinc oxide nanoflowers, or nanopillars. The deposited layers were characterized using FESEM, EDX, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy to determine their crystalline structure, morphological and chemical compositions. The gas sensing performance of the sensors was analyzed against NO2 (dry and humid conditions) and other interfering species (dry conditions) to check their sensitivity and selectivity. The resultant-built wearable NFC tag system accumulates the data in a non-volatile memory every minute and has an average low power consumption of 24.9 µW in dynamic operation. Also, it can be easily attached to a work vest.

Improved energy efficiency using adaptive ant colony distributed intelligent based clustering in wireless sensor networks

Optimization algorithms have come a long way in the last several decades, with the goal of reducing energy consumption and minimizing interference with primary users during data transmission over shorter distances. The adaptive ant colony distributed intelligent based clustering algorithm (AACDIC) is a key component of the cognitive radio (CR) system because of its superior performance in spectrum sensing among a group of multi-users in terms of reduced sensing errors, power conservation, and faster convergence times. This study presents the AACDIC method, which improves energy efficiency by determining the ideal cluster count using connectedness and distributed cluster-based sensing. In this study, we take into account the reality of a system with an unpredictable number of both primary users and secondary users. As a result, the proposed AACDIC method outperforms pre-existing optimization algorithms by increasing the rate at which solutions converge via the utilisation of multi-user clustered communication. Experiments show that compared to other algorithms, the AACDIC method significantly reduces node power usage by 9.646 percent. The average power of Secondary Users nodes is reduced by 24.23 percent compared to earlier versions. The AACDIC algorithm is particularly strong at reducing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio to levels as low as 2 dB, which significantly increases the likelihood of detection. When comparing AACDIC to other primary detection optimization strategies, it is clear that it has the lowest false positive rate. The proposed AACDIC algorithm optimizes network capacity performance, as shown by the results of simulations, due to its ability to solve multimodal optimization challenges. Our analysis reveals that variations in SNR significantly affect the probability of successful detection, shedding light on the intricate interplay between signal strength, noise levels, and the overall reliability of sensor data. This insight contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the proposed scheme's performance in realistic deployment scenarios, where environmental conditions may vary dynamically. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in mitigating the identified drawback and highlight the importance of SNR considerations in optimizing detection reliability in energy-constrained WSNs.

Development of Dual Intake Port Technology in ORC-Based Power Unit Driven by Solar-Assisted Reservoir

The ORC-based micro-cogeneration systems exploiting a solar source to generate electricity and domestic hot water (DHW) simultaneously are a promising solution to reduce CO2 emissions in the residential sector. In recent years, a huge amount of attention was focused on the development of a technological solution allowing improved performance of solar ORC-based systems frequently working under off-design conditions due to the intermittence of the solar source availability and to the variability in domestic hot water demand. The optimization efforts are focused on the improvement of component technology and plant architecture. The expander is retained as the key component of such micro-cogeneration units. Generally, volumetric machines are adopted thanks to their better capability to deal with severe off-design conditions. Among the volumetric expanders, scroll machines are one of the best candidates thanks to their reliability and to their flexibility in managing two-phase working fluid. Their good efficiency adds further interest to place them among the best candidate machines to be considered. Nevertheless, similarly to other volumetric expanders, an additional research effort is needed toward efficiency improvement. The fixed built-in volume ratio, in fact, could produce an unsteady under- or over-expansion during vane filling and emptying, mainly when the operating conditions depart from the designed ones. To overcome this phenomenon, a dual intake port (DIP) technology was also introduced for the scroll expander. Such technology allows widening the angular extension of the intake phase, thus adapting the ratio between the intake and exhaust volume (so called built-in volume ratio) to the operating condition. Moreover, DIP technology allows increasing the permeability of the machine, ensuring a resulting higher mass flow rate for a given pressure difference at the expander side. On the other hand, for a given mass flow rate, the expander intake pressure diminishes with a positive benefit on scroll efficiency. DIP benefits were already proven experimentally and theoretically in previous works by the authors for Sliding Rotary Vane Expanders (SVRE). In the present paper, the impact of the DIP technology was assessed in a solar-assisted ORC-based micro-cogeneration system operating with scroll expanders and being characterized by reduced power (hundreds of W). It was found that the DIP Scroll allows elaboration of a 32% higher mass flow rate for a given pressure difference between intake and expander sides for the application at hand. This leads to an average power increase of 10% and to an improvement of up to 5% of the expander mechanical efficiency. Such results are particularly interesting for micro-cogeneration ORC-based units that are solar-assisted. Indeed, the high variability of hot source and DHW demand makes the operation of the DIP expander at a wide range of operating conditions. The experimental activity conducted confirms the suitability of the DIP expander to exploit as much as possible the thermal power available from a hot source even when at variable temperatures during operation.

A strategic roadmap for interdisciplinary modeling in ecology: The result of reading ‘Defining an ecological equation of state: Response to Riera et al. 2023′ (Newman et al., 2023)

An interesting dialogue is developed between Newman et al. (2023) and Riera et al. (2023), in which proposals related to the development of equations of state in ecosystem ecology are discussed in depth. This debate is more important than it first appears, since the persistent gap between theoretical and empirical ecology is due, in part, to the absence of a comprehensive paradigm in this field. As it is exemplified in the first section of this article, a sequence of models derived from a reliable equation of state would help to bridge the aforementioned gap. Although this manuscript is analytically monolithic, five main thematic strands can be identified: (i) Examination of the objections of Newman et al. (2023), juxtaposing them with key concepts from ecology, information theory, physics and the MaxEnt algorithm. (ii) Validation of the criteria in (i) through theoretical and data-based examples. (iii) Interdisciplinary linkages between (i) and (ii). (iv) Epistemological generalizations from the previous strands to obtain a strategic roadmap for interdisciplinary modeling in ecology. (v) Conclusions referred to the general meaning of points (i) and (ii). On a general level, our objective is that this manuscript will go beyond a simple academic debate, being useful for colleagues interested in interdisciplinary modeling.

High-power 100 W Kerr-lens mode-locked ring-cavity femtosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator.

High-power femtosecond pulses delivered at a high-repetition rate will aid machining throughput and improve signal-to-noise ratios for sensitive measurements. Here we demonstrate a Kerr-lens mode-locked femtosecond Yb:YAG ring-cavity thin-disk oscillator with a multi-pass scheme for the laser beam. With four passes through the thin disk, 175-fs pulses were delivered from the oscillator at an average power of 71.5 W and a repetition rate of 65.3 MHz. The corresponding intra-cavity peak power of 110 MW is ample for intra-cavity nonlinear conversion into more exotic wavelength ranges. With six passes, the average output power reached 101.3 W. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average output power of any mode-locked ring laser. These results confirm the viability of using multi-pass configuration on a thin-disk ring oscillator for high-throughput femtosecond applications.

Microbiome features associated with performance measures in athletic and non-athletic individuals: A case-control study.

The influence of human gut microbiota on health and disease is now commonly appreciated. Therefore, it is not surprising that microbiome research has found interest in the sports community, hoping to improve health and optimize performance. Comparative studies found new species or pathways that were more enriched in elites than sedentary controls. In addition, sport-specific and performance-level-specific microbiome features have been identified. However, the results remain inconclusive and indicate the need for further assessment. In this case-control study, we tested two athletic populations (i.e. strength athletes, endurance athletes) and a non-athletic, but physically active, control group across two acute exercise bouts, separated by a 2-week period, that measured explosive and high intensity fitness level (repeated 30-s all-out Wingate test (WT)) and cardiorespiratory fitness level (Bruce Treadmill Test). While we did not identify any group differences in alpha and beta diversity or significant differential abundance of microbiome components at baseline, one-third of the species identified were unique to each group. Longitudinal sample (pre- and post-exercise) analysis revealed an abundance of Alistipes communis in the strength group during the WT and 88 species with notable between-group differences during the Bruce Test. SparCC recognized Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium adolescentis, short-chain fatty acid producers with probiotic properties, species strongly associated with VO2max. Ultimately, we identified several taxa with different baseline abundances and longitudinal changes when comparing individuals based on their VO2max, average power, and maximal power parameters. Our results confirmed that the health status of individuals are consistent with assumptions about microbiome health. Furthermore, our findings indicate that microbiome features are associated with better performance previously identified in elite athletes.

Vertical dynamic measurements of a railway transition zone: a case study in Sweden

AbstractThis study presents a measuring framework for railway transition zones using a case study on the Swedish line between Boden and Murjek. The final goal is to better understand the vertical dynamics of transition zones using hammer tests, falling weight measurements, and axle box acceleration (ABA) measurements. Frequency response functions (FRFs) from hammer tests indicate two track resonances, for which the FRF magnitudes on the plain track are at least 30% lower than those at the abutment. The falling weight measurements indicate that the track on the bridge has a much higher deflection than the track on the embankment. Two features from ABA signals, the dominant spatial frequency and the scale average wavelet power, show variation along the transition zone. These variations indicate differences in track conditions per location. Finally, the ABA features in the range of 1.05–2.86 m−1 are found to be related to the track resonance in the range of 30–60 Hz. The findings in this paper provide additional support for physically interpreting train-borne measurements for monitoring transition zones.

Chromatographic authentication of botanical origin: Herbaceous pollen profiling with HPLC, HPTLC and GC-MS analysis.

This study describes a robust chromatographic authentication methodology for herbaceous pollen, employing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin liquid chromatography (HPTLC) protocols. The comprehensive profiling of organic compounds not only distinguishes between different botanical sources but also establishes a reliable framework for quality control and assessment of herbaceous pollen authenticity. Traces of quercetin were detectable using HPTLC in Chaenomeles japonica, and the composition of the mobile phase led to distinct phenolic acid tracks in the extracts of free phenolic compounds. In Lonicera nummulariifolia, prominent chlorogenic acid signal and traces of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid were identified, along with the presence of vanillic, trans-ferulic, p-coumaric and p-hydroxybenzoic and sinapic as phenolic acid standards. The HPLC chromatogram identified six peaks representing bioactive phenolic compounds such as gallic acid measuring 5.89 ± 0.56 mg g-1, hydroxybenzoic acid 2.39 ± 0.78 mg g-1 and caffeic acid 2.83 ± 0.11 mg g-1. The combined use of GC-MS, HPTLC and HPLC techniques provides a powerful and reliable means of authenticating the botanical origin of herbaceous pollen, offering valuable insights for quality control and ensuring the accuracy of botanical source identification.

Sub-50 fs pulses generation from an all-fiber monolithic gain-managed nonlinear amplifier with CFBG-based pre-compressor

We demonstrate an all-fiber monolithic laser source from a gain-managed nonlinear (GMN) fiber amplifier with a CFBG-based pre-compressor that generates high-contrast pulses with a repetition rate of 80 MHz, average power of 1.6 W, and pulse duration of sub-50 fs. The compressed pulse quality can be optimized by tuning the parameters of the seed pulses injected into the GMN amplifier by controlling the pump power of the fiber pre-amplifier. This compact and cost-effective laser system is a simplified design of the GMN amplification-based femtosecond fiber laser systems. With alignment-free characteristics in the amplifiers and clean compressed pulses, it is easy to assemble and use in applications such as multi-photon microscopy.

SESAM mode-locked Yb:GdScO3 laser.

We report on the investigation of continuous-wave (CW) and SEmiconductor Saturable Absorber Mirror (SESAM) mode-locked operation of a Yb:GdScO3 laser. Using a single-transverse-mode, fiber-coupled InGaAs laser diode at 976 nm as a pump source, the Yb:GdScO3 laser delivers 343 mW output power at 1062 nm in the CW regime, which corresponds to a slope efficiency of 52%. Continuous tuning is possible across a wavelength range of 84 nm (1027-1111 nm). Using a commercial SESAM to initiate mode-locking and stabilize soliton-type pulse shaping, the Yb:GdScO3 laser produces pulses as short as 42 fs at 1065.9 nm, with an average output power of 40 mW at 66.89 MHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of passively mode-locking with Yb:GdScO3 crystal.

Wind-Speed-Adaptive Resonant Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Offshore Wind Energy Collection.

This paper proposes a wind-speed-adaptive resonant piezoelectric energy harvester for offshore wind energy collection (A-PEH). The device incorporates a coil spring structure, which sets the maximum threshold of the output rotational frequency, allowing the A-PEH to maintain a stable output rotational frequency over a broader range of wind speeds. When the maximum output excitation frequency of the A-PEH falls within the sub-resonant range of the piezoelectric beam, the device becomes wind-speed-adaptive, enabling it to operate in a sub-resonant state over a wider range of wind speeds. Offshore winds exhibit an annual average speed exceeding 5.5 m/s with significant variability. Drawing from the characteristics of offshore winds, a prototype of the A-PEH was fabricated. The experimental findings reveal that in wind speed environments, the device has a startup wind speed of 4 m/s, and operates in a sub-resonant state when the wind speed exceeds 6 m/s. At this point, the A-PEH achieves a maximum open-circuit voltage of 40 V and an average power of 0.64 mW. The wind-speed-adaptive capability of the A-PEH enhances its ability to harness offshore wind energy, showcasing its potential applications in offshore wind environments.

Summit Diplomacy: US-Soviet Mountaineering Exchanges, 1974–1989

Mountaineers played an unlikely role in facilitating diplomatic relations and cultural exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. From 1974 to 1989, American and Soviet climbers engaged in a series of mountaineering exchanges in the US and USSR. Scholars have examined how sport, particularly the Olympic Games, was utilized as a means of soft power during this era. However, mountaineering provides a unique and different opportunity for exploring cultural exchange and subversive trade. During these exchanges, climbers from both sides of the Iron Curtain became entangled in a network of bartering and person-to-person diplomacy, bringing Soviets and Americans together to conquer both stereotypes and summits. The success of the exchange programmes exposed American climbers to new forms of alpine knowledge and equipment and fostered new friendships and climbing partnerships. Amidst the various cultural exchange initiatives throughout the Cold War, mountaineers effectively transformed mountain ranges into arenas of diplomacy and exchange. Thus, mountaineering offered an avenue for people to relate to one another through recreation and nature, bringing alpine encounters into the dismantling of Cold War animosity.

Low-Wind-Speed Galloping Wind Energy Harvester Based on a W-Shaped Bluff Body

Galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvesting systems are being used to supply renewable electricity for low-power wireless sensor network nodes. In this paper, a W-shaped bluff body is proposed as the core component of a piezoelectric wind energy harvester. Experiments and simulations have shown that the W-shaped bluff body can improve harvesting efficiency at low wind speeds. For the W-shaped structure, the finite element simulation results indicate that the structure can help improve the aerodynamic performance to obtain high aerodynamic force. The experimental results demonstrate that compared with the traditional bluff bodies, the piezoelectric wind energy harvester with the W-shaped bluff body (WEHW) can generate higher output voltages and has a lower cut-in speed. When the length L is 30 mm and the rear groove angle β is 30°, the W-shaped structure can induce the best harvesting performance. When an external load resistance of 820 KΩ is connected and the wind speed is 5 m/s, the WEHW generates an average output power of 0.28 mW.

Efficient nonlinear pulse compression to 20 fs based on an all-solid-state periodic self-focusing system

Ultrafast lasers with high average power and excellent spatial characteristics have been sought after in the ultrafast optics field. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a simple Gaussian beam optics model to realize the configuration of periodic self-focusing systems for generating intense ultrashort pulse with high spatial quality. An efficient 17-fold nonlinear pulse compression is implemented by a two-stage solid-thin-plates periodic self-focusing system based on this model, delivering 20 fs (full-width-at-half-maximum, FWHM) pulses with a pulse energy of 155 µJ at a repetition rate of 200 kHz. The waveguide-like self-consistent stationary spatial mode propagation achieved in the system enables the high efficiency of 94 %, good beam quality and spectral homogeneity across the beam profile. The solid-thin-plates in three different materials are used in the first stage, which manifests the model can be widely applied in many kinds of nonlinear medium. In the second stage, a simple and compact double-pass architecture is demonstrated, indirectly proving the accuracy of model. The beam propagations under non-stationary modes are also investigated and a more precise quasi-stable oscillatory region is suggested based on the Gaussian beam optics model. These results underline that the Gaussian beam optics model is a practical solution for identifying the self-consistent stationary mode of the periodic self-focusing system and show the potential of the periodic self-focusing system for efficient few-cycle pulses generation which is demand by many applications.

A Watt-Level Pulsed Er:Lu2O3 Laser Based on a TiB2 Saturable Absorber.

TiB2 nanoparticles with a bandgap of 0 eV were prepared, and the corresponding nonlinear optical response at 2.85 μm was investigated. Employing a TiB2 as a saturable absorber, a 2.85 μm pulsed Er:Lu2O3 crystal laser with an average output power of 1.2 W was achieved under a maximum pump power of 9.51 W. Laser pulses with durations of ~203 ns were delivered at a repetition rate of 154 kHz, which corresponds to a pulse energy of ~7.8 µJ and a peak power of 39.3 W. As far as we know, the result represents the highest average output power from all Q-switched Er:Lu2O3 crystal lasers.