Terminal Configuration Research Articles

Thermal management of counter terminal lithium-ion battery using Bio-based PCM

Research interest in applying Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for thermal management has been evident across various applications. In several studies, researchers have also suggested the use of PCMs for thermal management in lithium-ion batteries. The current study focuses on thermal management of lithium-ion batteries with terminal configurations positioned in a counter layout, comparing scenarios with and without the implementation of Bio-based PCM. Analysis has been conducted at various discharge rates (1C, 5C, and 10C) using the MSMD model in ANSYS Fluent software for transient analysis. Thermal performance has been numerically evaluated by analyzing temperature, voltage, and PCM’s liquid fraction. The results show that counter terminal lithium-ion batteries exhibit more uniform heat distribution compared to those with terminals in parallel configuration. At a 1C discharge rate, the maximum temperature peaks at 326.15 K, demonstrating a notable 6.23 % reduction with PCM integration. Similarly, at 5C and 10C discharge rates, the maximum temperatures peaks at 346.54 K and 372.99 K, respectively, witness reductions of 10.16 % and 12.44 % due to PCM utilization. Furthermore, the application of PCM facilitates a uniform drop in voltage during discharge, enhancing overall battery performance and longevity.

Influenza B Virus Receptor Specificity: Closing the Gap between Binding and Tropism.

Influenza A and influenza B viruses (FLUAV and FLUBV, respectively) cause significant respiratory disease, hospitalization, and mortality each year. Despite causing at least 25% of the annual disease burden, FLUBV is historically understudied. Unlike FLUAVs, which possess pandemic potential due to their many subtypes and broad host range, FLUBVs are thought to be restricted to only humans and are limited to two lineages. The hemagglutinins (HA) of both influenza types bind glycans terminating in α2,6- or α2,3-sialic acids. For FLUAV, the tropism of human- and avian-origin viruses is well-defined and determined by the terminal sialic acid configuration the HA can accommodate, with avian-origin viruses binding α2,3-linked sialic acids and human-origin viruses binding α2,6-linked sialic acids. In contrast, less is known about FLUBV receptor binding and its impact on host tropism. This review discusses the current literature on FLUBV receptor specificity, HA glycosylation, and their roles in virus tropism, evolution, and infection. While the focus is on findings in the past dozen years, it should be noted that the most current approaches for measuring virus-glycan interactions have not yet been applied to FLUBV and knowledge gaps remain.

MXenes with ordered triatomic-layer borate polyanion terminations.

Surface terminations profoundly influence the intrinsic properties of MXenes, but existing terminations are limited to monoatomic layers or simple groups, showing disordered arrangements and inferior stability. Here we present the synthesis of MXenes with triatomic-layer borate polyanion terminations (OBO terminations) through a flux-assisted eutectic molten etching approach. During the synthesis, Lewis acidic salts act as the etching agent to obtain the MXene backbone, while borax generates BO2- species, which cap the MXene surface with an O-B-O configuration. In contrast to conventional chlorine/oxygen-terminated Nb2C with localized charge transport, OBO-terminated Nb2C features band transport described by the Drude model, exhibiting a 15-fold increase in electrical conductivity and a 10-fold improvement in charge mobility at the d.c. limit. This transition is attributed to surface ordering that effectively mitigates charge carrier backscattering and trapping. Additionally, OBO terminations provide Ti3C2 MXene with substantially enriched Li+-hosting sites and thereby a large charge-storage capacity of 420 mAh g-1. Our findings illustrate the potential of intricate termination configurations in MXenes and their applications for (opto)electronics and energy storage.

Physical reservoir application of random network of gold nanoparticles fabricated by multi-step immersion in gold colloidal solution

We fabricated a random network of gold nanoparticles (RN-GNPs) over 12 NiCr/Au electrodes by using a multi-step immersion method, where a sample was immersed in a gold colloid solution three times. Nonlinear current–voltage characteristics due to the Coulomb blockade were observed at 77 K. For demonstration of physical reservoir applications, input–output characteristics of the RN-GNPs were also measured in a one-input, nine-output terminal configuration. Distorted output voltage waveforms were obtained for a sinusoidal voltage input of 100 Hz. The higher-order harmonic components were confirmed in the frequency spectra of the outputs. The waveform reconstruction task and short-term storage capacity estimation were performed by an echo state network model with ridge regression and linear regression, respectively.

Optimal configuration of acquisition terminals in regional distribution grids considering dynamic observability

Optimizing the configuration of acquisition terminals can maximize the observability and state estimation accuracy of the distribution grid achieving comprehensive perception of the distribution grid. However, the existing optimization configuration methods typically target a single topology structure. For regional distribution grids with dynamic topology changes, it cannot meet the observability requirements of all their topologies. In this regard, this paper proposes an optimal configuration scheme for regional distribution grid acquisition terminals considering dynamic observability. Firstly, the regional distribution grid considering the change of contact switch is modeled. Based on the observation redundancy and state estimation accuracy, the dynamic observability index of regional distribution grid is proposed. Then, a multi-objective optimal configuration model of acquisition terminal is constructed with the objective function of maximizing dynamic observability and minimizing configuration cost. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated with the simulation model.

Role of ultrathin Ti3C2Tx MXene layer for developing solution-processed high-performance low voltage metal oxide transistors

Metal oxide transistors have garnered substantial attention for their potential in low-power electronics, yet challenges remain in achieving both high performance and low operating voltages through solution-based fabrication methods. Optimizing interfacial engineering at the dielectric/semiconductor interface is of utmost importance in the fabrication of high-performance thin film transistors (TFTs). In the present article, a bilayer Ti3C2Tx-MXene/SnO2–semiconductor (Tx stands for surface termination) configuration is used to fabricate a high-performance n-type thin film transistor by using an ion-conducting Li-Al2O3 gate dielectric on a p+-Si substrate, where electrical charges are formed and modulated at the Li-Al2O3/SnO2 interface, and Ti3C2Tx-MXene nanosheets serve as the primary electrical charge channel due to their long lateral size and high mobility. A comparative characterization of two distinct TFTs is conducted, one featuring Ti3C2Tx MXene and SnO2 semiconductor layer and the other with SnO2 only. Notably, the TFT with the Ti3C2Tx MXene layer has shown a significant boost in the carrier mobility (10.6 cm2/V s), leading to remarkable improvements in the on/off ratio (1.3 × 105) and subthreshold swing (194 mV/decade), whereas the SnO2 TFT without the Ti3C2Tx MXene layer shows a mobility of 1.17 cm2/V s with 8.1 × 102 on/off ratio and 387 mV/decade subthreshold swing. This investigation provides a possible way toward the development of high-performance, low-voltage TFT fabrication with the MXene/semiconductor combination.

Topological nano-switches in higher-order topological insulators

We consider multi-terminal transport through a flake of rectangular shape of a two-dimensional topological insulator in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field. This system has been shown to be a second-order topological insulator, thus exhibiting corner states at its boundaries. The position of the corner states and their decay length can be controlled by the direction of the magnetic field. In the leads we assume that the magnetic field is absent and therefore we have helical one-dimensional propagating states characteristic of the spin-Hall effect. Using a low-energy effective Hamiltonian we show analytically that, in a two-terminal setup, transport can be turned on and off by a rotation of the in-plane magnetic field. Similarly, in a three terminal configuration, the in-plane magnetic field can be used to turn on and off the transmission between neighbouring contacts, thus realising a directional switch. Analytical calculations are supplemented by a numerical finite-difference method. For small values of the Fermi energy and field strength, the analytical results agree exceptionally well with the numerics. The effect of disorder is also addressed in the numerical approach. We find that the switching functionality is remarkably robust to the presence of strong disorder stemming from the topological nature of the states contributing to the electron transport.

Dynamic planning of edge sensing terminals in distribution network supporting distributed resources observable and controllable

With the advancement of low-carbon distribution networks, the heightened stochasticity introduced by a multitude of renewable energy sources in the power grid has significantly augmented the regulatory challenges faced by the power grid. Dispatching distributed resources emerges as an effective solution to this issue. However, these resources often lack observability and controllability, hindering their participation in power regulation services. To establish a reliable interaction between distributed resources and power grids, the deployment of numerous edge sensing terminals becomes essential, albeit incurring high costs. In light of this, our paper proposes a dynamic network planning method for edge sensing terminals based on node differentiation and resource observability criteria, aiming to facilitate real-time and dependable observation of distributed resources. Initially, the node weight, a metric to gauge the disparity among nodes, is computed, considering communication quality deviation, resource development synergy, and the distribution of distributed resources. Subsequently, an optimal configuration method is introduced, accounting for the terminal’s reliability under faults. Lastly, a method for dynamic terminal networking planning is presented, gradually reducing the depth of unobservable resources. An enhanced genetic algorithm is employed to address this challenge. This method was validated using an IEEE 33 node system and a 91 node actual system, demonstrating significant effectiveness in reducing terminal configuration costs.

Ligand-free 99mTc-polyurea dendrimer complexes: nanoradiotheranostics targeting ovarian cancer.

A folic acid-targeted polyurea (PURE) dendrimer was easily radiolabelled with Technetium-99m (99mTc-PUREG4-FA2) avoiding the use of additional ligands and bioconjugation chemistry. This straightforward strategy is enabled in PURE dendrimers due to their favourable surface terminal groups configuration, showing coordination capabilities and turning these biodendrimers into attractive platforms for nanoradiotheranostics.

Optimal Impulsive Rendezvous for Approaching Geostationary Earth Orbit Targets with Terminal Configuration Constraints

This paper explores multi-impulse trajectory design for approaching Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) targets, emphasizing the attainment of a 2:1 elliptical relative orbit for close inspection. The intricate optimization challenge includes dynamic and terminal constraints, as well as total mission duration limitations. Critical variables like transfer duration, impulse count, timing, and entry point are optimized using genetic algorithms to minimize velocity increment requirements. These optimal values are influenced by uncertain terminal states constrained by the 2:1 circling orbit. To address these complexities, the paper leverages a linear state transition matrix from relative orbital dynamics to formulate a multi-impulse optimization model. Additionally, a differential correction-based iterative approach mitigates nonlinear dynamics’ impact on terminal rendezvous errors. Through theoretical analysis and simulations, the study elucidates variations in optimization criteria, particularly in GEO missions with multiple impulses, and identifies optimal entry points for different impulse counts. The proposed models and methodologies offer theoretical insights for future GEO orbit approaching missions and potential applications in various space maneuver tasks.

Investigation on buried interfacial charge carrier dynamics of the MAPbI3/NiO interface by mismatch strain and termination

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted significant attention due to their low cost, simple fabrication process, and rapid improvement in photovoltaic performance. NiO is often considered as a potential hole transport layer (HTL) in these PSCs owing to its wide band gap and deep valence band level. However, uncertainties remain regarding the interfacial charge carrier dynamics at the perovskite/HTL interface induced by the interfacial mismatch strain and terminal configuration. Herein, typical MAPbI3/NiO interfacial terminal configurations (MAI-Ni, MAI-O, PbI-Ni, PbI-O) with strain-configured interfaces were explored by first-principle and device simulation. The results indicate that the binding energy decreases, the carrier transport efficiency increases, and the valence band offset (VBO) decreases as the interfacial atomic configuration of the perovskite surface changes from MAI to PbI. Meanwhile, the compressive strain applied on the perovskite surface also increases the interfacial VBO. The J-V curves and energy band of the PSCs show that the device performance tends to enhance first and then decrease as the positive VBO of the MAPbI3/NiO interface increases. Thus, the strain and termination configuration could modulate the device's photovoltaic performance, which is dependent on the energy band bending caused by the strain and termination configuration. This work provides a valuable understanding of the MAPbI3/NiO interface and contributes new strategies to interface optimization for further improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency of PSCs.

Comparative analysis of heating characteristics of convective-radiant systems using various terminal air source heat pumps

The escalating demand for efficient heating solutions in hot summer and cold winter area has directed substantial attention towards convective-radiant combined systems. These systems offer enhanced comfort while conserving energy. In the context of office buildings, it becomes imperative to consider structural attributes. Under identical operational strategies, disparities in energy consumption and thermal comfort arise from variations in water supply temperature and terminal configurations. Here, we have established a dedicated laboratory to examine convective-radiant heating systems utilizing air source heat pumps. The primary objective is to analyze the impact of distinct heating terminal types and water supply temperatures on indoor thermal comfort, energy consumption, and energy efficiency. By analyzing the dynamics of indoor parameter, and interrelations among air temperature, average radiant temperature, operative temperature, and comfort levels, optimal strategies are determined. Empirical findings demonstrate that independently opening the Fan coil convection system (FC) leads to significant fluctuations in air temperature and creates an unstable heat environment. However, the Radiant floor system (RF) and Convective-radiant combined heating systems (FC + RF) exhibit superior stability in maintaining indoor air temperature. Compared among the three systems, while FC displays the lowest energy consumption upon activation, it compromises comfort levels. Remarkably, there is a strong relationship between operative temperature and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) for the three systems, with high correlation coefficients of 0.998, 0.999, and 0.997, respectively. Conversely, the association between air temperature and PMV proves weak, with correlation coefficients of only 0.415, 0.469, and 0.841. Consequently, it is advised to prioritize operative temperature as the benchmark for winter air temperature control. For sustained adherence to Level II comfort zone criteria during indoor occupancy, it is recommended to employ (FC + RF) or RF for winter heating. Notably, energy savings of 26.87 %, 30.07 %, and 32.86 % are respectively achieved for (FC + RF), FC, and RF configurations when utilizing a water supply temperature of 35℃ as opposed to 45℃. Hence, the adoption of low-temperature water heating during winter is strongly advocated.

Spillover effects from inland waterway transport development: Spatial assessment of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor

Inland waterways have the potential to enhance port-hinterland connectivity and foster sustainable freight transport. Their development as transport corridors is highly dependent on geography, yet spatial spillovers of port throughput are often overlooked. In Europe, the configuration of inland container terminals can lead to cross-border spillovers. This paper analyzes inland container throughput between 2007 and 2021 in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor to quantify its spatial dependence and economic spillover effects. The assessment involves 43 regions from Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Switzerland. A Spatial Durbin Model is developed accounting for economic conditions, fixed effects, and time trends. The results suggest that throughput exhibited spatial concentration patterns, which intensified after water levels dropped in 2018. Second, the spatial dependence is heterogeneous between transport performance in tonne-km vs. TEU-km. Third, technological resources and population density were positively associated with throughput, while the opposite was found for employment and motorways. Notably, the spillovers of technological resources and employment were considerably higher than the local impact. Based on these findings, the paper advises on spatially oriented policies to address low water levels, workforce decline, and the need for new business models.

Flexible yard space allocation plan for new type of automated container terminal equipped with unilateral-cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes

In this paper, new automated container terminals equipped with Unilateral-cantilever Rail-Mounted Gantry Cranes (URMGC) are considered as the research object. In the scenario, the automated guided vehicles can go deep among the container blocks arranged perpendicularly to the shoreline, which completely changes the yard’s operation mode and affects its operational efficiency. In addition, considering the shortage of storage space in the yard, a flexible space allocation strategy for these yards is studied, and a mixed integer quadratic programming model is established to minimize the horizontal transportation cost of containers. An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is designed to compensate for the increased complexity of the proposed model. To accelerate the solution speed, the quantity and priority rules are developed to generate reasonable initial solutions, and two velocity updating strategies are adopted to accelerate convergence. Numerical experiments are conducted to validate effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method, and comparisons with fixed space allocation strategy are presented. The results show that the strategy and solution adopted in this paper can reduce the driving distance of AGVs in such terminal configurations effectively and potentially increase the handling capacity of the yard.

Adhesion and electronic properties of 4H-SiC/α-Al2O3 interfaces with different terminations calculated via first-principles methods

To comprehensively reveal the microscopic properties of the 4H-SiC/α-Al2O3 interface, not only the properties of 4H-SiC and α-Al2O3 surfaces, but also the interface separation work, interface energies, band offsets, charge transfer, interfacial bonding, and partial density of states for different types of 4H-SiC/α-Al2O3 interfaces were studied using the first-principles method. Considering the two distinct crystal faces of 4H-SiC (Si-terminated and C-terminated surfaces) and the three distinct terminal configurations on the α-Al2O3 side (single Al (Al1-terminated), double Al (Al2-terminated), and O-terminated surface), we built six different types SiC/Al2O3 interfaces (Si-Al1, Si-Al2, Si-O, C-Al1, C-Al2, and C-O interfaces). The results of the interface separation work for the O-terminated interfaces (Si-O and C-O interfaces) revealed that the O-terminated interfaces were significantly greater compared to Al1- and Al2-terminated interfaces, indicating the pronounced dominance of O-terminated interfaces in terms of bonding strength across the six interfacial structures. Moreover, the charge transfer, interfacial bonding, and electronic properties for the interfaces showed that the O-terminated interfaces had larger charge transfer and more interfacial bonds. Additionally, the larger charge transfer at the O-terminated (especially Si-O interface) interfaces caused the larger conduction band offsets (CBOs), which could effectively prevent leakage current and improve the reliability of SiC/Al2O3 devices.

Full Electromagnetic Integration of Impedance-Balanced EMI Filters for Single-Phase Power Converters

Utilizing passive electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters is the most widely used approach to restrain the conducted emissions from power converters. However, the introduction of these filters will significantly raise the weight and size of the systems. Using the emerging flexible multi-layer foil (FMLF) technique, this paper investigates a complete electromagnetically integrated design concept of single-phase EMI filters based on EE-type cores, which can be applicable to engineering application scenarios with different EMI noise attenuation requirements. Two types of integrated structures are constructed with different well-designed FMLF-windings and terminal configurations. One is a common-mode (CM) choke with controllable leakage inductances, which is able to realize the integration design of CM inductor, CM capacitors and differential-mode (DM) inductors. The other is an EMI choke with integrating the CM and DM inductances & capacitances, which achieves electromagnetic integration of all the CM and DM filtering components. Compared to the existing UU-type core based integration methods, the proposed methods can ameliorate the noise suppression performance while reducing filter's weight and volume. Theoretical analyses for modeling and design of the EMI chokes is presented. Then prototypes of different FMLFs based EMI filters have been built for a 500W 100kHz SiC-MOSFET inverter, experiments demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed structures.

Optimization of Efficient Perovskite-Si Hybrid Tandem Solar Cells

Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells have attracted much attention to photovoltaic community because of their high efficiency via easy fabrication methods and availability of precursor material abundant in nature. The properties of both perovskite and silicon meet ideal solar cell standards such as high light absorption potential, long carrier diffusion length and fast charge separation process. Semi-transparent solar cell with widely tunable band gap of perovskite material is compatible with silicon solar cell for tandem structures. A perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell four terminal configuration optimization was performed through numerical simulation. The optimized four terminal perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell performances was investigated by varying the thickness of top and bottom solar cell absorber layers, defect density of the absorber layer, and temperature. Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell showed better photovoltaic performance under constant illumination condition. A high performance mechanically attached four terminal (4-T) perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell has total power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 34.88% by optimized parameters through simulation. It has shown 37% efficiency with matched current of 23.71mA/cm2. These numerical simulation results are provided the parameter values for further experimental assignment.

Computationally Efficient Collision-Free Trajectory Planning of Satellite Swarms Under Unmodeled Orbital Perturbations

This paper studies the problem of collision-free trajectory planning for a satellite swarm reconfiguration under perturbations and modeling uncertainties in a low Earth orbit (LEO). Determining exact trajectory planning solutions is computationally heavy as they require solving a mixed-integer nonlinear program owing to i) nonlinear relative dynamic models of satellites, ii) fuel-optimal assignment of satellites on the final formation, and iii) nonconvex collision avoidance constraints. To address these, first, a suitable linear model for trajectory planning is identified by quantifying modeling accuracy associated with various models capturing LEO perturbations. The effects of any residual modeling errors in the path prediction are mitigated by shrinking-horizon model-predictive feedback control, which updates the control command based on the latest satellite measurements. Secondly, an optimal swarm configuration is efficiently computed by decoupling the target-assignment algorithm from the trajectory optimization problem. Based on the estimated fuel expenditure for each satellite–target pairing, the target-assignment algorithm selects a configuration with minimal fuel consumption. Lastly, to determine collision-free, fuel-optimal maneuvers, two novel trajectory planning approaches, namely, distributed and decentralized trajectory optimization, are presented. While the former iteratively searches for collision-free feasible paths to optimal terminal configuration, the latter computes a near-optimal configuration with collision-free paths.

Inter network roaming between independently managed satellite networks

With the recent wide-spread adoption of internet connectivity to consumers on airplanes, ships, and other mobile platforms offered by various service providers and via multiple satellite systems, there is a need to integrate these independently owned and managed systems with their individual coverage limitations into a combined broad footprint and coverage area with seamless roaming and handovers. This paper describes a method of configuration and service provisioning of satellite terminals on mobile platforms, that allows seamless roaming between networks, that uses advanced security necessary between independently managed satellite networks to effectively allow global coverage for mobility terminals. Partner Roaming Agreements can be created between networks where network operator define Service Plan Equivalence Mapping in visitor network based on terminals' home network service plans. Inter satellite network roaming can also be utilized to load share in case of overlapping coverages. Secure communication mechanisms between the various network management systems are described which are needed between partner networks to provide for encrypted and authenticated communication with the roaming terminals.

Triphasic CoFe2O4/ ZnFe2O4 / CuFe2O4 nanocomposite for water treatment applications

In the recent years, ferrites have been extending their application niche from the traditional field of soft magnetics to various other fields, including catalysis, gas sensors, energy, biomedicine, and water decontamination. Most of these applications are geared toward single-phase ferrites and their mixtures are rarely investigated. Here, we report on the first study of a triphasic spinel ferrite nanocomposite containing CoFe2O4, ZnFe2O4 and CuFe2O4 and synthesized using citrate auto-combustion. Detailed characterization of the composite in comparison with its three constitutive ferrites is provided. Interestingly, many of the physical properties of the triphasic nanocomposite are more conducive to adsorption of heavy metals than those of any of the three individual ferrites. These properties include experimental density, surface area and roughness, and microstrain, which were all highest in the nanocomposite. For example, the triphasic nanocomposite displayed a twice higher surface roughness and three times higher surface area than those of CuFe2O4. Further, due to heterogeneous structuring of grain boundaries, the band gap of the nanocomposite was at 2.21 eV lower than that of any individual ferrites comprising it (2.31 – 2.62 eV). Consequently, at 6 × 1010 S-1, the maximum of the optical conductivity versus photon energy dependence was higher and the dielectric constant was lower for the nanocomposite than for any of its constitutive ferrites. The suitability of the nanocomposite to act as an adsorbent of toxic heavy metals was tested on the lead ion. The adsorption of lead increased with pH due to the effects on terminal group configuration, dispersion stability and metal ion speciation. The sorption also increased with the contact time, reaching saturation at 89% of the removal efficiency after 50 min. Adsorption isotherm fitting demonstrated that the ions adsorbed as monolayers on the surface of the nanocomposite. The adsorption process also followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model, with chemisorption as the dominant form of surface binding. The study confirms the potential of the triphasic ferrite nanocomposite to serve as an adsorbent material, given the promising removal efficiencies exhibited under the ambient conditions. This opens the door to a wide range of applications, not restricted to wastewater treatments alone, but also extending to the fields of antimicrobials, dye removal, and photocatalysis.