19.4%‐efficient large‐area fully screen‐printed silicon solar cells

We demonstrate industrially feasible large‐area solar cells with passivated homogeneous emitter and rear achieving energy conversion efficiencies of up to 19.4% on 125 × 125 mm² p‐type 2–3 Ω cm boron‐doped Czochralski silicon wafers. Front and rear metal contacts are fabricated by screen‐printing of silver and aluminum paste and firing in a conventional belt furnace. We implement two different dielectric rear surface passivation stacks: (i) a thermally grown silicon dioxide/silicon nitride stack and (ii) an atomic‐layer‐deposited aluminum oxide/silicon nitride stack. The dielectrics at the rear result in a decreased surface recombination velocity of S_rear = 70 cm/s and 80 cm/s, and an increased internal IR reflectance of up to 91% corresponding to an improved J_sc of up to 38.9 mA/cm² and V_oc of up to 664 mV. We observe an increase in cell efficiency of 0.8% absolute for the cells compared to 18.6% efficient reference solar cells featuring a full‐area aluminum back surface field. To our knowledge, the energy conversion efficiency of 19.4% is the best value reported so far for large area screen‐printed solar cells. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

3D ultrasound reconstruction algorithms from analog and digital data

Freehand 3D ultrasound is increasingly being introduced in the clinic for diagnostics and image-assisted interventions. Various algorithms exist for combining 2D images of regular ultrasound probes to 3D volumes, being either voxel-, pixel- or function-based. Previously, the most commonly used input to 3D ultrasound reconstruction has been digitized analog video. However, recent scanners that offer access to digital image frames exist, either as processed or unprocessed data. To our knowledge, no comparison has been performed to determine which data source gives the best reconstruction quality. In the present study we compared both reconstruction algorithms and data sources using novel comparison methods for detecting potential differences in image quality of the reconstructed volumes. The ultrasound scanner used in this study was the Sonix RP from Ultrasonix Medical Corp (Richmond, Canada), a scanner that allow third party access to unprocessed and processed digital data. The ultrasound probe used was the L14-5/38 linear probe. The assessment is based on a number of image criteria: detectability of wire targets, spatial resolution, detectability of small barely visible structures, subjective tissue image quality, and volume geometry. In addition we have also performed the more “traditional” comparison of reconstructed volumes by removing a percentage of the input data. By using these evaluation methods and data from the specific scanner, the results showed that the processed video performed better than the digital scan-line data, digital video being better than analog video. Furthermore, the results showed that the choice of video source was more important than the choice of tested reconstruction algorithms.     

Defence firms facing liberalization: innovation and export in an agent-based model of the defence industry

The paper presents an agent-based simulation model of the European defence industry. The model resembles some of the key characteristics of the defence sector, and studies how firms in this market will respond to the challenges and opportunities provided by a higher degree of openness and liberalization in the future. The simulation analysis points out that European defence firms will progressively become more efficient, less dependent on public procurement and innovation policy support, and more prone to knowledge sharing and inter-firm collaborations. This firm-level dynamics will in the long-run lead to an increase in the industry’s export propensity and a less concentrated export market.     

An adaptive moving mesh approach for hyperbolic conservation laws on time-dependent domains

The general idea of moving mesh approaches is to improve the approximation quality and the numerical performance by redistributing a fixed number of discretization points. This is called rrefinement. The classical approaches are applied to partial differential equations on fixed domains. An extension to time-dependent (expanding) domains is presented. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On discrete Fourier transform,ambiguity, and Hamming-autocorrelation of pseudorandom sequences

We estimate discrete Fourier transform, ambiguity, and Hamming-auto-correlation of \(m\) -ary sequences in terms of their (periodic) correlation measure of order 4. Roughly speaking, we show that every pseudorandom sequence, that is, any sequence with small correlation measure up to a sufficiently large order, cannot have a large discrete Fourier transform, ambiguity, or Hamming-autocorrelation. Conversely, there are sequences, for example the two-prime generator, with large correlation measure of order 4 but small discrete Fourier transform, ambiguity, autocorrelation, and Hamming-autocorrelation.     

K-Theory of Surfaces at the Prime 2

We prove that for smooth surfaces over real closed fields, and a class of smooth projective surfaces over a real number field, the map between mod 2 algebraic and étale K-theory is an isomorphism in sufficiently large degrees. For a class of smooth projective surfaces over a real closed field, including rational surfaces, complete intersections and K3-surfaces over the real numbers, we explicate the abutment of the mod 2 motivic cohomology to algebraic K-theory spectral sequence.     

On the Loss of Injectant and Apparent Dispersivity in Single-Well Push-Pull Tests Influenced by Natural Drift

In a previous article, a semi-analytical stream-line based model was developed for single-well push-pull tests in stratified reservoirs subject to natural drift. Based on that model, this article gives the theoretical maximum injection phase duration giving conservative injectant production, in a single-layer reservoir with natural drift. In addition, an analytical expression for the single-layer apparent dispersivity due to natural drift is given. Finally, it is shown how the large-scale apparent dispersivities observed in experimental data from a stratified aquifer may be predicted by constructing a production profile using the estimated single-layer apparent dispersivities.