A compact square-shaped left-handed passive metamaterial with optimized quintuple resonance frequencies for satellite applications

The research aims to develop a more sophisticated novel left-handed and compact square-shaped metamaterial (SM) inspired multi-frequency bands like C-, X- and Ku-band applications. Even though the performance of existing satellite application devices are adequate, significant changes in technology over the past decades require advanced and more accurate techniques or devices. Hence, we approach the problem with a broader perspective by integrating a metamaterial structure in satellite application devices. As a general rule, the unconventional material known as metamaterial has extraordinary electromagnetic properties which are impracticable in commercially available materials. It represents an important study topic because this type of peculiar material is generally used in many field applications which encouraged us to experiment with the stated frequency bands by introducing a novel SM design. The novel SM design structure involved a 1.6 mm Epoxy Resin Fibre (FR-4) substrate material. This compact metamaterial design contains nine square rings with an altered small square ring joined in it. The numerical simulation of the SM design for satellite frequencies was performed using the Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio. The scattering parameters of the suggested SM design were determined by utilising Finite Integration Technique (FIT) in CST software. Several parametric studies that were analysed in this study include various design structure, types of substrate materials and SM array arrangement. Based on the adapted simulated frequency range (4 to 18 GHz), the unit cell SM exhibited five resonance frequencies at 5.49 and 7.33 GHz (in C-Band), 9.05 and 11.38 GHz (in X-Band) and 13.48 GHz (in Ku-Band). The measured resonance frequencies of the unit cell were 5.62 and 7.39 GHz (in C-Band), 9.15 and 11.32 GHz (in X-Band) and 13.51 GHz (in Ku-Band). The resonance frequencies obtained from both methods were similar. According to all three resonance frequencies, the SM design manifested a left-handed characteristic. Hence, on this basis, the proposed SM design with unique characteristics is deemed suitable for C-, X- and Ku-bands applications.     

Mass transpiration on Newtonian flow over a porous stretching/shrinking sheet with slip

The motivation behind this article is to research the Newtonian liquid flow porous stretching/shrinking sheet utilizing a Brinkman model. The leading system of non-linear partial differential equations relating the article is mapped to standard ordinary differential equations via similarity transformations. Exact result is obtained for velocity. The effects of the Brinkman number or viscosity ratio, slip parameter, Darcy number, suction/injection (mass transpiration) parameter and the mass suction parameter on the velocity dispersion are introduced graphically and talked about. The outcomes have conceivable innovative applications in extrusion process and such other unified zones and in the fluid based frameworks including stretchable materials. Examination of fluid flow past a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet embedded in a non-Darcy permeable medium has been performed for a wide scope of various parameters. Exact solution has been obtained.     

Stability analysis of unsteady MHD stagnation point flow and heat transfer over a shrinking sheet in the presence of viscous dissipation

The unsteady MHD stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a shrinking sheet was carried out. This study also was conducted in the existence of suction and viscous dissipation. In order to convert the governing partial differential equations to an ordinary differential equation, an appropriate similarity transformation was applied in this study. Then, the resulting equations are worked out by Bvp4c solver in Matlab. The impacts of the parameters involved in this study towards skin friction, Nusselt number, velocity and temperature profile are showed graphically and thoroughly discussed. Remarkably, there were dual solutions present in this study which made us continue deeper in performing the stability analysis. As expected, our study proves that the solution is stable only in the first one while not in the second solution.     

The liquid deposition fraction of sprays impinging vertical walls and flowing films

The impingement of coarse sprays with a mean diameter in the order of millimeters on vertical walls with and without an additionally supplied wall film was studied at conditions well below the Leidenfrost limit. The fraction of the sprayed liquid deposited on the wall was determined experimentally and theoretically for various impingement angles with the help of a flat fan spray directed against the wall. The deposition fraction shows a distinct minimum in the range of intermediate impingement angles. This fact cannot be described by single-droplet-based deposition-splash criteria when considering the droplet’s impact momentum alone. The investigation demonstrates that the measurement results can be explained by including the collision of splashed droplets with incoming ones. In principle, the entrainment of the primary spray’s fine fraction in the gas flow field may also be of relevance. For the coarse and relatively sparse sprays investigated, the importance of the collisions in determining the overall balance of deposited and splashed liquid was estimated by event statistics derived from Monte Carlo simulations. The main outcome of wall interaction for the coarse spray is splashing. The splashed droplets form a secondary spray. When the impingement angle is steep, the splashed liquid is redirected towards the wall as a result of the collision between the incoming primary spray and splashed droplets.     

Steady mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical flat plate in a porous medium filled with water at 4°C: case of variable wall temperature

The problem of steady mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical impermeable flat plate in a porous medium saturated with water at 4°C (maximum density) when the temperature of the plate varies as x ^m and the velocity outside boundary layer varies as x ^{2 m} , where x measures the distance from the leading edge of the plate and m is a constant is studied. Both cases of the assisting and the opposing flows are considered. The plate is aligned parallel to a free stream velocity U _∞ oriented in the upward or downward direction, while the ambient temperature is T _∞ = T _m (temperature at maximum density). The mathematical models for this problem are formulated, analyzed and simplified, and further transformed into non-dimensional form using non-dimensional variables. Next, the system of governing partial differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using the similarity variables. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations is solved numerically using a finite-difference method known as the Keller-box scheme. Numerical results for the non-dimensional skin friction or shear stress, wall heat transfer, as well as the temperature profiles are obtained and discussed for different values of the mixed convection parameter λ and the power index m. All the numerical solutions are presented in the form of tables and figures. The results show that solutions are possible for large values of λ and m for the case of assisting flow. Dual solutions occurred for the case of opposing flow with limited admissible values of λ and m. In addition, separation of boundary layers occurred for opposing flow, and separation is delayed for the case of water at 4°C (maximum density) compared to water at normal temperature.     

On a finite strain viscoplastic theory based on a new internal dissipation inequality

This work is focused on the theoretical development and numerical implementation of a viscoplastic law. According to the second law of thermodynamics a dissipation inequality described in the rotated material coordinate system is developed. Based on this dissipation inequality and the principle of maximum dissipation a finite strain viscoplastic model described also in the rotated material coordinate system is formulated. The evolution equations are expressed in terms of the material time derivatives of the rotated elastic logarithmic strain, the accumulated plastic strain and the strain-like tensor conjugate to the rotated back stress. The mathematical structure of this theory is concise and similar to that of the infinitesimal viscoplastic theory. These characteristics make the numerical implementation of this theory easy. The stress integration algorithm and the algorithmic tangent moduli for the infinitesimal theory can be applied to the numerical implementation of the present finite strain theory with a little reformulation. The complicated algorithmic formulations for most of other finite plastic laws can be therefore circumvented. In order to check the effectivity of the present finite strain theory a set of numerical examples under strict deformation conditions are presented. These numerical examples prove the excellent performance of the present viscoplastic material law at describing the finite strain elastoplastic and viscoplastic problems.     

Preparation of highly oriented poly-diacetylene films with ion beam irradiation

Abstract

Substituting metallic or rare-earth atoms or removing O in the superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O₇ usually has a strong effect on the superconducting properties. We have made extensive XAFS studies on Co, Fe, Ni, Zn, Gd, and Pr substituted materials including some thin film samples. In nearly all cases, significant distortions are found. Although the lattice constant change is small (< 0.05 Å) the local distortions can be significant larger (～ 0.1 to 0.3 Å). The observed large local distortions of the lattice together with a change in the charge distribution at a site indicate that the interior of the unit cell is easily distorted. The correlation of a strong Tc suppression with large local distortions suggests that distortions of the nearby layers must play a significant role in models for superconductivity in high Tc materials.     

Acrylic-based asymmetric and variable coupling ratio Y-branch plastic optical fiber coupler

Acrylic-based asymmetric and variable couplers have been developed using a single structured Y-branch design with a high-index-contrast waveguide taper and a void structure for fiber attenuation using the lateral displacement of two fibers. Device fabrication is performed by producing the device structure on an acrylic block using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool. The fabricated device has an excess loss of 5.85 dB, while the coupling ratios are 56.86 and 43.14% when the device is operated as a 3 dB coupler. In the asymmetric coupler mode, the coupling ratio ranges from 44.84 to 8.01% for port 1 and 55.16 to 91.99% for port 2. The excess loss of this device varies from 5.42 to 7.64 dB. In the variable coupler mode, the coupling ratio ranges from 10.09 to 32.88% for port 1 and from 89.91 to 67.12% for port 2. The excess loss of the device varies from 5.85 to 8.49 dB.     

Unsteady three‐dimensional boundary layer flow due to a stretching surface in a micropolar fluid

In this paper, the unsteady three‐dimensional boundary layer flow due to a stretching surface in a viscous and incompressible micropolar fluid is considered. The partial differential equations governing the unsteady laminar boundary layer flow are solved numerically using an implicit finite‐difference scheme. The numerical solutions are obtained which are uniformly valid for all dimensionless time from initial unsteady‐state flow to final steady‐state flow in the whole spatial region. The equations for the initial unsteady‐state flow are also solved analytically. It is found that there is a smooth transition from the small‐time solution to the large‐time solution. The features of the flow for different values of the governing parameters are analyzed and discussed. The solutions of interest for the skin friction coefficient with various values of the stretching parameter c and material parameter K are presented. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on the fabrication and photovoltaic property of TiO2 mesoporous microspheres

Titanium dioxide mesoporous microspheres with high surface area was successfully prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal approach using polyethylene glycol (PEG, MW 200) as the soft template. Study shows that ∼15 nm TiO₂ nanoparticles was assembled into ∼1.1 μm mesoporous microspheres. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of TiO₂ microsphere is up to 137 m²/g. TiO₂ mesoporous microspheres were fabricated onto the surface of fluorine-doped tin oxide glass and used as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells, which exhibits an open circuit photovoltage of 0.80 V and an overall conversion efficiency of 6.6%. Owing to the enhanced dye loading and light-harvesting efficiency, a 26% improvement in the overall conversion efficiency was achieved when compared with the commercial Degussa P₂₅ nanoparticles.