Search

In this paper we describe an experimental investigation into the significance of different facial parts in the task of age estimation. For this purpose we use an automatic age estimation algorithm capable of producing an estimate of the age of a subject based on his/her face image. We perform automatic age estimation experiments using different facial parts of varying resolution so that the significance of facial parts in this application can be assessed. According to the results obtained, the internal part of the face and in particular the area around the eyes proved to be the most significant for the task of automatic age estimation.

Summary form only given. This paper aims at an integrative and innovative approach to curriculum methods of teaching engineering methodology courses. The course is problem driven where industrial case studies are the basis for the introduction of problems, key concepts, and solution methodologies. The objective of developing this educational environment is to bring the complexity of real world decision making to the classroom and to simulate the dynamics and uncertainties of organisational decision making in a classroom setting.

A new type of Marchand balun is presented in this paper, which has the property of complex impedance transformation. To allow the Marchand balun to transform between arbitrary complex impedances, three reactances should be added to the circuit. A detailed analysis of the circuit gives the governing equations. To verify the theory, a design and electromagnetic simulation of a lumped element Marchand balun is made in a SiGe BiCMOS technology. The lumped element impementation is favorable because capacitors are placed where the additional reactances should be added. Thus it is possible to absorb a positive reactance by reducing a capacitor. At the design frequency of 10.5 GHz it matches 50Ω to 50 - j66Ω. It has an insertion loss of 5.1 dB, an input reflection of −20.8 dB, as well as phase and magnitude imbalance better than 0.2° and 0.12 dB, respectively.

There is a timely and growing demand for high capacity optical data transport solutions to provide connectivity inside data centres and between data centres located at different geographical locations. The requirements for reach are in the order of 2 km for intra-datacentre and up to 100 km for inter-datacentre connectivity. Moreover, the requirements for such connectivity solutions include also low cost, high data rate and desirable features such as energy efficiency and reduced interfacing cost. In this paper we review several approaches for intra and inter datacentre that use advanced modulation formats and multiplexing techniques to cope with the requirement of high capacity as well as techniques for reach extension.

In this paper, a method for identifying uncertain parameters in a rotordynamic system composed of a flexible rotating shaft, rigid discs and two radial active magnetic bearings is presented. Shaft and disc dynamics are mathematically described using a Finite Element (FE) model while magnetic bearing forces are represented by linear springs with negative stiffness. Bearing negative stiffness produces an unstable rotordynamic system, demanding implementation of feedback control to stabilize the rotordynamic system. Thus, to identify the system parameters, closed-loop system identification techniques are required., The main focus of the paper relies on how to effectively identify uncertain parameters, such as stiffness and damping force coefficients of bearings and seals in rotordynamic systems. Dynamic condensation method, i.e. pseudo-modal reduction, is used to obtain a reduced order model for model-based control design and fast identification., The paper elucidates how nodal parametric uncertainties, which are easily represented in the full FE coordinate system, can be represented in the new coordinate system of the reduced model. The uncertainty is described as a single column vector of the system matrix A of the full FE model while it is represented as several elements spread over multiple rows and columns of the system matrix of the reduced model. The parametric uncertainty, for both the full and reduced FE model, is represented using Linear Fractional Transformation (LFT). In this way the LFT matrices represent the mapping of the uncertainties in and out of the full and reduced FE system matrices. Scaling the LFT matrices easily leads to the amplitudes of the uncertainty parameters., Youla Parametrization method is applied to transform the identification problem into an open-loop stable problem, which can be solved using standard optimization methods., An example shows how to decouple and identify an uncertainty in the linear bearing stiffness of a reduced FE rotordynamic system.

This paper describes modeling, fabrication and high power optical characterization of thin gold films embedded in silicon dioxide. The propagation vector of surface plasmon polaritons has been calculated by the effective index method for the wavelength range of 750-1700 nm and film thickness of 15, 30 and 45 nm. The fabrication process of such plasmonic waveguides with width in the range of 1-100 μm and their quality inspection are described. The results of optical characterization of plasmonic waveguides using a high power laser with the peak power wavelength 1064 nm show significant deviation from the linear propagation regime of surface plasmon polaritons at the average input power of 100 mW and above. Possible reasons for this deviation are heating of the waveguides and subsequent changes in the coupling and propagation losses.

In this paper, we present flicker noise measurements of two X-band direct conversion mixers implemented in a SiGe:C BiCMOS technology. Both mixers use a ring structure with either Schottky diodes or diode-connected HBTs for double balanced operation. The mixers are packaged in a metal casing on an Arlon 25N substrate to shield the sensitive noise measurement. Conversion loss measurements of both mixers is performed both for on-wafer and packaged versions. The experimental results shows that the Schottky diode mixer exhibits a 1/f noise corner frequency of 250 kHz, while the diode connected HBT circuit demonstrates a 1/f noise corner frequency around 10 kHz.

Experiences from a new course in mechatronics at Technical University of Denmark are conveyed in this paper. The course is supposed to teach students enrolled in the bachelor degree in electrical engineering some fundamental knowledge about mechanics and to teach students enrolled in the bachelor degree in mechanical engineering fundamentals about electronics. Furthermore the course uses project work as a method to keep the students actively participating and in part have them teach each other the subjects. The general course plan is presented and the reasoning behind the course structure is discussed in the paper, together with a brief look at the student's reactions in form of data from the course evaluation.

This paper presents a method that in real-time determines remedial actions, which restore stable operation with respect to aperiodic small signal rotor angle stability (ASSRAS) when insecure or unstable operation has been detected. An ASSRAS assessment method is used to monitor the stability boundary for each generator in real-time. The ASSRAS boundary represents the condition when a generator reaches the maximum steady state active power injection. The proposed control method exploits analytically derived expressions for the ASSRAS boundary and other characteristic curves in the injection impedance plane to determine an active power redispatch among selected generators to restore stable and secure operation. Since the method is purely based on analytically derived expression, the computation of the remedial actions is fast and well suited for real-time operation. The method was tested on the IEEE 14-bus and the Nordic32 test systems where results show that the method can efficiently determine the required active power redispatch to avoid an imminent instability.

As research and development of renewable and clean energy based systems is advancing rapidly, the nonlinear source emulator (NSE) is becoming very essential for testing of maximum power point trackers or downstream converters. Renewable and clean energy sources play important roles in both terrestrial and nonterrestrial applications. However, most existing NSEs have only been concerned with simulating energy sources in terrestrial applications, which may not be fast enough for testing of nonterrestrial applications. In this paper, a high-bandwidth NSE is developed that is able to simulate the behaviors of a typical nonlinear source under different critical conditions that can happen during their operations. The proposed 200-W NSE, which consists of a fourth-order output filter buck converter and a novel nonlinear small-signal reference generator, can quickly react not only to an instantaneous change in the input source but also to a load step between nominal and open circuit. Moreover, all of these operation modes have a very fast settling time of only 10 $\mu$ s, which is hundreds of times faster than that of existing works. This attribute allows for higher speed and a more efficient maximum power point tracking algorithm. The proposed NSE, therefore, offers a superior dynamic performance among devices of the same kind.