Rectangular Excitation Research Articles

Photothermal defect imaging in hybrid fiber metal laminates using the virtual wave concept

This study presents photothermal imaging results of subsurface material defects within fiber metal laminates utilizing the virtual wave concept. Therefore, we theoretically analyze the propagation of the virtual wave signal in a hybrid composite laminate via the method of images. For provoking local material damage, the hybrid composite sample is subjected to a defined impact loading. The results obtained from photothermal defect imaging, utilizing rectangular laser pulse excitation, are compared with results obtained from 3D x-ray computed tomography. To sum up, we demonstrate a fast, non-invasive, and easily interpretable reconstruction of defects within macroscopic hybrid composite laminates based on the virtual wave concept.

Control of excitation selectivity in pulse EPR on spin-correlated radical pairs with shaped pulses.

Spin-correlated radical pairs generated by photoinduced electron transfer are characterised by a distinctive spin polarisation and a unique behaviour in pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Under non-selective excitation, an out-of-phase echo signal modulated by the dipolar and exchange coupling interactions characterising the radical pair is observed and allows extraction of geometric information in the two-pulse out-of-phase electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) experiment. The investigation of the role of spin-correlated radical pairs in a variety of biological processes and in the fundamental mechanisms underlying device function in optoelectronics, as well as their potential use in quantum information science, relies on the ability to precisely address and manipulate the spins using microwave pulses. Here, we explore the use of shaped pulses for controlled narrowband selective and broadband non-selective excitation of spin-correlated radical pairs in two model donor-bridge-acceptor triads, characterised by different spectral widths, at X- and Q-band frequencies. We demonstrate selective excitation with close to rectangular excitation profiles using BURP (band-selective, uniform response, pure-phase) pulses and complete non-selective excitation of both spins of the radical pair using frequency-swept chirp pulses. The use of frequency-swept pulses in out-of-phase ESEEM experiments enables increased modulation depths and, combined with echo transient detection and Fourier transformation, correlation of the dipolar frequencies with the EPR spectrum and therefore the potential to extract additional information on the donor-acceptor pair geometry.

Research on optimization technology of excitation coil in downhole annular flow electromagnetic measurement system

External interference and non-uniform velocity distribution influence the downhole annular flow electromagnetic measurement, reducing detection accuracy. Optimizing the structure of the excitation coil can effectively enhance the uniformity of magnetic field distribution, constituting an essential approach for improving measurement accuracy. Aiming at the excitation coil optimization technology of annular flow electromagnetic measurement system, the study first analyzes and obtains the magnetic field model of the excitation coil based on the principle of annular flow electromagnetic measurement, combined with the theory of vector weight function and puts forward the optimization theory of annular excitation coil. Secondly, the simulation models of rectangular and saddle exciting coils are established using finite element software to analyze the magnetic field distribution of annular flow under different coil and core sizes. The optimal structural parameters of the exciting coils in the annular flow electromagnetic measurement system are determined through evaluation indexes for the magnetic field. Finally, an experimental platform was established for optimizing the electromagnetic measurement of annular flow, and this platform was used to conduct comparative experiments. The experimental results show that the maximum reduction of the optimized system is 3.192%, 1.289%, and 1.813% for the single verification relative value error, single-point verification relative value error, and repeatability compared with the rectangular excitation coil annular flow electromagnetic measurement system. In the flow measurement interval of 25–100 m3 h−1, the single-point verification of the optimized system has a maximum relative display value error of 0.378%, and the measurement accuracy reaches 1.0 level and meets the consistency of the transmission of quantity and value. The research findings hold significant guidance for enhancing the measurement accuracy of the downhole annular flow electromagnetic measurement system.

Detection of Surface and Back-Surface Defects on Metal Plate via Rectangular Wave Eddy Current Testing Using Magnetoresistive Sensor

Eddy current testing (ECT) at different frequencies can identify surface and back-surface defects caused by the skin effect. Traditional ECT uses a pickup coil to measure the magnetic-field signal caused by eddy current. However, according to Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction, the voltage signal detected at low frequencies is weak; thus, the signal is susceptible to interference from noise. By contrast, magnetoresistive (MR) sensors have high sensitivity at low frequencies. Therefore, we developed a rectangular wave eddy current testing system using an MR sensor. The system uses rectangular wave excitation, which can generate both low- and high-frequency signals, and the MR sensor detects the magnetic-field components. A 12-mm-thick aluminum plate with an artificial circular defect 10 mm in diameter and 4 mm in height was used as a specimen. The measurement results indicated that the developed system can accurately and quickly distinguish between surface and back-surface defects.

Rotating uniform eddy current probe using four rectangular excitation coils with ferrite cores for cracks detection in conductive materials

In this study, we introduce a new rotating uniform eddy current (RUEC) probe designed to identify artificial cracks in conductive materials. The RUEC probe comprises four rectangular coils, divided into two sets of diagonally positioned coils. By providing two alternating current sources with a 90° phase difference to the two sets of coils, a RUEC distribution with uniform amplitude in all directions can be produced on the surface of the test specimen. Furthermore, ferrite cores are integrated into the four coils to enhance the crack detection ability. To confirm that the RUEC probe model produces RUECs with uniform amplitude in all directions on the test specimen surface, we conducted finite element method (FEM) simulations. We then conducted experiments with the RUEC probe to identify artificial cracks of varying sizes on the test specimen. The experimental results demonstrate that the RUEC distribution on the test specimen surface enabled successful detection of cracks in all directions with the probe.

The influence of excitation coil size on the eddy electric field and on overcoming slurry noise in electromagnetic flowmeter

When the electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) measures the slurry flow, the sensor signal of EMF will be disturbed by the intense slurry noise. How to use the eddy electric field more effectively to overcome the slurry noise is a problem worthy of further investigation. In this paper, the influence of the size change of the excitation coil in the conventional sensor of EMF on the overcoming of slurry noise by the eddy electric field was researched. Firstly, the strength of the eddy electric field in different sizes of rectangles was discussed by using the rectangular excitation coil model. The result of the analysis was that the eddy electric field intensity increases with the increase in coil size. Finally, the effect of the size change of the excitation coil on the slurry flow signal was researched. The experimental results show that the effect of overcoming slurry noise becomes better as the size of the excitation coil increases.

Capacitive Linear Displacement Sensors With High Accuracy and Long Range Absolute Positioning Capability Based on a Splicing Technique

Considerable progress has been made in the development of absolute capacitive linear displacement sensors based on time grating that are capable of providing highly accurate absolute position measurements in conjunction with easy fabrication using standard printed circuit board (PCB) technology. The working range of currently available sensor designs has, however, been rather limited. The present work addresses this issue by greatly expanding the measurement range via a technique for splicing multiple identical stationary rulers with individual measurement lengths of 600 mm. Here, absolute positioning is realized in a manner similar to that of Vernier calipers using stationary segments composed of periodic rectangular excitation electrodes with orthogonal excitation signals and a moving component composed of sinusoidal-shaped induction electrodes. The sensor wiring is greatly simplified by transferring the induction signals output by the moving ruler to the stationary rulers via special transmitting and receiving electrodes. Splicing errors are eliminated by applying two sets of induction electrodes, including a front sensing unit (FSU) and a rear sensing unit (RSU) along the measurement direction on the moving ruler. The performance of the proposed design is evaluated experimentally using a two-segment prototype sensor fabricated by PCB technology. The results demonstrate that interference between the FSU and RSU generates a first harmonic error. This is then addressed by increasing the distance between the FSU and RSU, and enhancing the shielding layer between the two units. This yields a measurement accuracy of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm 3.5~\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> over the full 988 mm measurement range of the sensor.

Signal enhancement of rectangular wave eddy current testing via compensation using digital-to-analog converter

Rectangular wave eddy current testing (RECT), which is performed using a rectangular wave excitation current, can simultaneously obtain multiple datasets. However, the high-frequency harmonic signal detected by the detection coil interferes with the low-frequency signal based on Faraday’s law of induction. The method proposed in this study is a type of electronic bridge, wherein a compensation method is implemented to enhance the low-frequency signal of the RECT using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The compensation wave generated by the DAC is determined such that the output signal becomes zero when the probe does not detect any flaws. A 12 mm thick aluminum plate with flat-bottom drill holes on the backside is used as the specimen. The holes have a diameter of 3 mm and depths of 2, 4, and 6 mm, respectively. The results demonstrate that the flaw signal cannot be detected without compensation. However, the flaw signal can be successfully detected around these holes with compensation.

Magnetic property measurement and analysis of high-frequency soft magnetic materials under non-sinusoidal excitation considering temperature effect

Electrical equipment operates under various temperatures and non-sinusoidal excitation, which makes magnetic properties of soft magnetic materials quite different from those under room temperature and sinusoidal excitation. Magnetic properties and loss characteristics of the ferrite (N87) and nanocrystalline alloy (FT-3KL) are measured and analyzed in the range of 25 °C to 125 °C from 5 kHz to 20 kHz under both square and rectangular excitation with different duty ratios. The temperature dependence of these materials under different conditions is systematically compared with normalization method. The comprehensive performance of core materials is discussed in combination with the experimental phenomena and results.

Measurement and analysis of vibration characteristics of nanocrystalline magnetic core under symmetrical/asymmetrical waveforms

PurposeBecause the nanocrystalline core is widely used in power electronic equipment, and the excitation waveform of its working mode is complex, the vibration at medium and high frequencies cannot be ignored. Therefore, this study aims to study the vibration mechanism of nanocrystalline strip and the vibration characteristics of nanocrystalline magnetic ring under different excitation waveforms.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the electromagnetic vibration mechanism between nanocrystalline strips is analyzed by finite element analysis, and the force of the magnetic ring with and without air gap is compared and analyzed. Then, the vibration of nanocrystalline magnetic ring under different excitation waveforms such as sine wave, triangular wave, symmetric rectangular wave and asymmetric rectangular wave is analyzed by experimental method. The acceleration time domain waveform measured by the experiment is analyzed by fast Fourier transform, and the vibration is analyzed according to the spectrum.FindingsBecause of the increase of magnetic flux leakage, the volume force density and the Maxwell force on the surface of the nanocrystalline magnetic ring will increase after the air gap is opened, resulting in the intensification of vibration. Under symmetric/asymmetric rectangular wave excitation, the vibration acceleration varies with the duty cycle. Due to the influence of harmonic excitation, the relationship between the main frequency of vibration and the excitation frequency is not two times, and its multiple decreases with the increase of excitation frequency.Originality/valueThe research and analysis of this paper can promote the application of new magnetic materials in electrical equipment in small and medium-sized and medium- to high-frequency fields.

Non-equilibrium processes in a semiconductor laser based on AlAs/(Al,Ga)As/GaAs microcavity under electric pulses excitation

Stimulated radiation with a high circular polarization degree in chiral semiconductor microcavities was studied in a wide temperature range. The kinetics of the spectra emission rearrangement in injection laser nanostructures during the action of a rectangular electric excitation pulse is studied in detail.

Combined Fluorescence Fluctuation and Spectrofluorometric Measurements Reveal a Red-Shifted, Near-IR Emissive Photo-Isomerized Form of Cyanine 5.

Cyanine fluorophores are extensively used in fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging. Upon continuous excitation, especially at excitation conditions used in single-molecule and super-resolution experiments, photo-isomerized states of cyanines easily reach population probabilities of around 50%. Still, effects of photo-isomerization are largely ignored in such experiments. Here, we studied the photo-isomerization of the pentamethine cyanine 5 (Cy5) by two similar, yet complementary means to follow fluorophore blinking dynamics: fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and transient-state (TRAST) excitation-modulation spectroscopy. Additionally, we combined TRAST and spectrofluorimetry (spectral-TRAST), whereby the emission spectra of Cy5 were recorded upon different rectangular pulse-train excitations. We also developed a framework for analyzing transitions between multiple emissive states in FCS and TRAST experiments, how the brightness of the different states is weighted, and what initial conditions that apply. Our FCS, TRAST, and spectral-TRAST experiments showed significant differences in dark-state relaxation amplitudes for different spectral detection ranges, which we attribute to an additional red-shifted, emissive photo-isomerized state of Cy5, not previously considered in FCS and single-molecule experiments. The photo-isomerization kinetics of this state indicate that it is formed under moderate excitation conditions, and its population and emission may thus deserve also more general consideration in fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy experiments.

Classification of Corrosion Flaws on Front and/or Back Surfaces of Non-Magnetic Metal Plates Using a Rectangular Wave Eddy Current Testing System

If a rectangular wave excitation current is used for eddy current testing (ECT) instead of a sinusoidal wave, multifrequency testing can be performed directly because rectangular waves contain a fundamental wave as well as harmonic waves. Furthermore, considering the skin effect, it is possible to determine whether the specimen has a corrosion flaw on the front surface, back surface, or flaws on both surfaces. In this study, we first evaluate a method to classify these flaws on non-magnetic metal plates using rectangular wave ECT (RECT) systems with a linear amplifier. Here, we present an indicator in which each harmonic amplitude is divided by its fundamental amplitude. The results indicate that the amount of attenuation of the indicator in relation to the frequency depends on the type of flaw; therefore, we can classify the type of flaw using the indicator. Subsequently, we developed a RECT system with an inverter and conducted the same experiment. The results indicate that the tendency is the same as that when using the RECT system with a linear amplifier, which contributes to high efficiency, low cost, and weight reduction.

Design of Dual-Port Pattern-Reconfigurable MIMO Antenna With Four Operating States Using the TCM

Based on the theory of characteristic modes (TCM), this letter presents a novel pattern-reconfigurable dual-port multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) antenna with four operating states at the 2.4 GHz ISM band. The proposed antenna consists of the rectangular platform (RP), excitation units, and reconfigurable feeding network. Four elaborated characteristic modes (CMs) of the RP can be stimulated effectively by six groups of balanced inductive exciters. By using a reconfigurable feeding network controlled by four switches, two orthogonal CMs associated with the two ports are switched, and four possible operating states for the reconfigurable MIMO antenna are generated. In order to demonstrate the proposed TCM-based conceptual design, a prototype is fabricated and the measured results agree well with the simulated ones. Furthermore, the port isolations of the proposed MIMO antenna are higher than 36 dB.

Semi-analytical solutions of static and dynamic degenerate, nondegenerate and functionally graded electro-elastic multilayered plates

In this paper mathematical modelling and semi-analytical solutions are elaborated based on the extended Stroh-like formalism for 3-D static problems of electro-elastic mono and multilayered plates. For the dynamic analysis of such structures under various excitation types, a time trigonometric series was coupled with the Stroh-like formalism. The unknown coefficient vectors are solution of the resulted eigenvalue problems and the solution is obtained in the associated basis. Mechanical and electrical forces are applied on the top and/or bottom layer and may take arbitrary forms. A flexible matrix formulation is elaborated to easily account for arbitrary mechanical and electrical surface loads and excitations. The methodological approach focuses on various aspects including the electro-elastic effects, the degeneracy of elastic isotropic materials as well as the effect of the graded material’s factor. Analytical solutions are obtained for the static behavior of degenerate and non-degenerate Elastic FGM plates, where the eigenvalues and eigenvectors are explicitly given. Mainly, semi-analytical solutions are presented for the dynamic behavior of piezoelectric sandwich plates by coupling Stroh-like formalism and trigonometric series. The presented methodological approach is applied to the dynamical analysis of sandwich plates under various excitation forms, namely sinusoidal, rectangular and sawtooth excitation pulses. The obtained numerical results demonstrate the effect of the graded factor, degeneracy and the applied surface load as well as of the excitation on mechanical and electrical responses for various laminated plates.

Vibration and Noise Measurement of Medium-High Frequency Transformer Cores Under Non-Sinusoidal Excitation

Vibration and acoustic noise are essential in electrical equipment. Amorphous alloy is widely used in the medium- to high-frequency transformer due to its low loss, but its significant vibration and noise cannot be ignored, which will even reduce the reliability of the equipment. Ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel (≤0.2 mm) is expected to design medium- to high-frequency transformers due to its high magnetic permeability, high saturation magnetic flux density, and high stability. In this article, the loss characteristic, three-dimensional vibration acceleration, and noise level of three C-type core samples made of ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steels (GT-050, GT-100) and amorphous alloy CACC30 are measured and analyzed under sinusoidal and rectangular excitations. The mathematic analysis predicts that the vibration acceleration increases with duty cycle decrease under rectangular excitation, which is consistent with the experimental results. The ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel has lower vibration and noise under medium- to high-frequency excitation compared with amorphous alloy when the transformer is operated on the non-saturated state. The experimental results and analysis can promote the application of new high-efficiency magnetic materials in medium- to high-frequency electrical equipment.

System Matrix Based Reconstruction for Pulsed Sequences in Magnetic Particle Imaging.

Improving resolution and sensitivity will widen possible medical applications of magnetic particle imaging. Pulsed excitation promises such benefits, at the cost of more complex hardware solutions and restrictions on drive field amplitude and frequency. State-of-the-art systems utilize a sinusoidal excitation to drive superparamagnetic nanoparticles into the non-linear part of their magnetization curve, which creates a spectrum with a clear separation of direct feed-through and higher harmonics caused by the particles response. One challenge for rectangular excitation is the discrimination of particle and excitation signals, both broad-band. Another is the drive-field sequence itself, as particles that are not placed at the same spatial position, may react simultaneously and are not separable by their signal phase or shape. To overcome this potential loss of information in spatial encoding for high amplitudes, a superposition of shifting fields and drive-field rotations is proposed in this work. Upon close view, a system matrix approach is capable to maintain resolution, independent of the sequence, if the response to pulsed sequences still encodes information within the phase. Data from an Arbitrary Waveform Magnetic Particle Spectrometer with offsets in two spatial dimensions is measured and calibrated to guarantee device independence. Multiple sequence types and waveforms are compared, based on frequency space image reconstruction from emulated signals, that are derived from measured particle responses. A resolution of 1.0 mT (0.8 mm for a gradient of (-1.25,-1.25,2.5) Tm-1) in x- and y-direction was achieved and a superior sensitivity for pulsed sequences was detected on the basis of reference phantoms.

Rocking Response of the Rigid Block Under Rectangular Pulse Excitation: A Comparison between ODE and Optimization-Based Solvers

In this paper, the response of the rigid block under rectangular pulse excitation is investigated using two different modeling approaches and solvers. The first approach relies on the numerical integration of the differential equation of motion. The second approach is based on the formulation of the dynamic problem in terms of a special class of mathematical programming problem that is the linear complementarity problem. A validation study is carried out comparing the solutions given by the proposed formulation with the ones given by the numerical integration of the differential equation of motion obtained from ODE solvers available in MATLAB®. Potentialities and limitations of the mathematical programming formulation are discussed in terms of energy dissipation and restitution coefficient at impacts and in terms of solution times.

Pulse width research on half-sine excitation signal for bending vibrator

Abstract Acoustic well logging adopts bending vibrators to transform high-voltage electric signals into acoustic signals. Excited acoustic signals have been proven best when the pulse widths are $0.5/{f_0}$ (${f_0}$ refers to the resonance frequencies of the bending vibrator). However, acoustic logging uses transformers to improve the excitation power, and these transformers change the rectangular excitation signals into similar half-sine signals. We study the relationships between the pulse widths of the similar half-sine excitation signals and the characteristics of the excited acoustic signals. Finite element analyses are performed to investigate the displacements of the center node on the surface of the piezoelectric ceramics that are excited by the pulse signals of different widths. Then, we design a circuit to realise the rectangular and half-sine excitation signals. Subsequently, acoustic experiments are carried out in our sound-deadening water tank to certify the simulation results. Results indicate that the best pulse width is $0.75/{f_0}$.

On the Optimization of Spread Spectrum Chirps Into Arbitrary Position and Width Pulse Signals. Application to Ultrasonic Sensors and Systems

This work presents in detail a new method for the optimization of rectangular spread spectrum excitation signals for its use in simple and low-cost ultrasonic pulsers, but that could be extended to other applications based on spread spectrum signals. Starting from rectangular linear frequency modulated (RLFM) chirps, it uses the transfer function of the transmitted signal and received echoes from reference specimens to iterate through a recursive algorithm to obtain arbitrary position and width pulse (APWP) signals with the desired bandwidth, maximizing the energy and the flatness of the spectrum, and enhancing the resolution and dynamic range of conventional chirp excitation signals. This optimization procedure can be repeated for any transducer and material, so that it achieves the best performance in each experimental environment. Such characteristics are ideal for Time-of-Flight estimation, imaging, and applications in which spectral regularity is needed, such as the Split Spectrum Processing (SSP) algorithm, which is used as example to test the performance of the proposed excitation signals. It also allows to specify and change the bandwidth reducing the need to change the transducers. The method is tested with different transducers (2 and 5 MHz focused transducers) and complex composite materials (aluminum-carbon aviation composite and high porosity GFRP composite) in immersion setup for imaging applications using SSP algorithm.