Electronic system

Electronic systems-The power control/measurement

Electronic Systems offers high-quality systems, essential for the safe and efficient managementof the entire production process in the rubber and plastic industry.

Electronic Systems has become a world leader in the area of production cycle measurement, control and automation.

Electronic SYSTEMS has a large range of measurement systems with different type of sensors like I.R. Beta and X-rays, Laser, Air pressure etc. according to the various application and full Customers satisfaction.

C-Swan

ε-SINT is a reflection gauge engineered for thickness measurement.

The gauge bases its functioning on capacitive technology, it found its mayor application in bubble or double bubble plants, installed in a way to measure directly on the bubble.

MAIN FEATURES

Suitable for thickness measure on the bubble in blown film installations

Gauge both versions contact or contactless

Tracking arm to follow the bubble swing

Category: Sensors.

Controls & Iguard

The set of measurements is automatically organized and represented by diagrams and numbers. All graphic processing has be created to be immediately analyzed thanks to specific symbols and colours. Moreover, specific buttons on the touch screen allow fast browsing through data areas. Authorized users are always able to intervene and set a customised configuration, change scale and unit of measurement, display details with cursor, zooms and tracking systems.

MAIN FEATURES

Universal configuration for all Electronic Systems control and measuring systems

User interface developed in Windows® environment

Great data management capacity

Easy coordination of data management areas

Easy and fast consultation with symbols and colours

Category: Cabinets.

Tags: Adhesive tapes, Biax extrusion, Blown film, Cast film, Coating & laminating, Composites, Extrusion coating, Nonwovens, Paper, PVC calendering, Rubber, Sheets & foils.

Essair™ Duplex

ESSAIR™ DUPLEX is a measurement technology, patented by Electronic Systems, ideal for direct thickness measurement without contact.

MAIN FEATURES

It does not make use of any type of radioactive sources.

Direct thickness measurement expressed in micron or mm.

No contact with the material.

Automatic calibration system.

Category: Sensors.

Tags: Composites, PVC calendering, Rubber, Sheets & foils.

Essair™ Reflex

ESSAIR™ REFLEX is a measurement technology, patented by Electronic Systems, ideal for direct thickness measurement without contact.

MAIN FEATURES

It does not make use of any type of radioactive sources

Direct thickness measurement expressed in micron or mm

No contact with the material

Automatic calibration system

Category: Sensors.

Tags: Coating & laminating, Composites, Paper, PVC calendering, Sheets & foils.

Hiscan

HISCAN can easily be integrated with existing structure without any major modification.

HISCAN automatic scanner can be equipped with the following measurement sensors included in the range of Electronic Systems products:

• ISOSINT K

• ISOSINT H

• PREXISION

• DIGILAYER

MAIN FEATURES

Light supporting structure with stainless steel beams

Protection covers easy to remove during the mechanical maintenance

Sensor sliding system with high mechanical and long lasting stability

Easy to assemble: adjustable inclination

Category: Scanners.

Tags: Adhesive tapes, Biax extrusion, Blown film, Cast film, Coating & laminating, Composites, Extrusion coating, Nonwovens, Paper, PVC calendering, Rubber, Sheets & foils.

HISCAN  is an automatic scanning “O” frame unit to measure in transmission mode.

HISCAN is an automatic scanner with a smaller footprint and optimal mechanical configuration. For this reason it was specifically developed for a large range of industrial applications and production lines. The HIGHSCAN “O” frame is composed of two solid IPE beams, fastened to the stainless steel terminals. The solid sliding carriage device, which can house up to two sensors, is driven by linear guides with limited support elements and sliding sleeves. The scanning speed is adjustable and the sensor is positioned to ensure high accuracy.

I.R. / Digilayer RFX

The IR measurement sensor of the DIGILAYER series measure on line and without contact the thickness of the barrier layers present inside multi-layer films.

MAIN FEATURES

Ideal for the measurement of clear stretch film.

Designed for installation in industrial environments

also characterized by the presence of dust, fumes, etc.

Category: Sensors.

Tag: Cast film.

Infrared radiations are the measurement method employed to determine the thickness of the materials like PP, PE, LDPE, etc.

The module of measurement, composed by an emitter and a receiver, is installed on a standard I-bean scanner. The sensor management and the profiles display on the operator console of the measurement system is completely integrated with that of the total measurement. The sensor can be personalised depending on specific needs required by the application:

Edges detector of the film

Automatic correction of the profile of total thickness.

I.R. / Digilayer TRX

The IR measurement sensor of the DIGILAYER series measure on line and without contact the thickness of the barrier layers present inside multi-layer films

MAIN FEATURES

Ideal for the simultaneous measurement of more barrier layers in laminated and/or multi-layer materials.

Designed for installation in industrial environments where there may be dust, fumes, etc.

Category: Sensors.

Tags: Biax extrusion, Blown film, Cast film, Sheets & foils.

Infrared radiations are the measurement method employed to determine the thickness of the materials usually used as a barrier, for example EVOH and PA. The module of measurement, composed by an emitter and a receiver, is installed on a standard scanner for the measurement in transmission mode, individually or matching other devices, for example ß or X sensors, in order to make a transversal reading of a barrier layer simultaneous to the one of total weight/thickness. The sensor management and the profiles display on the operator console of the measurement system is completely integrated with that of the total measurement. The sensor can be personalised depending on specific needs required by the application:

• Edges detector of encapsulated films (beginning of barrier layer)

• Automatic correction of the profile of total thickness (detected by X or ß ray sensors, depending on the specific weight of each layer), in case of no uniform

DIGILAYER sensor can be assembled on board of any scanning device that works for transmission between the ones included in the range of Electronic Systems products:

• SLIM DUPLEX

• HISCAN

• TWIN™ SCANNING

Isosint K/H

IISOSINT K and H are the most popular and effective method for the control of materials made of sheets or foils.

MAIN FEATURES

High protection container, solid and compact, for any type of industrial application, even in dangerous environments.

High accuracy standards,reliable and simple to use.

Equipped with microprocessor: measurement treatment and conversion and support during data transmission through Profibus.

Category: Sensors.

Tags: Adhesive tapes, Biax extrusion, Blown film, Cast film, Coating & laminating, Composites, Extrusion coating, Nonwovens, Paper, PVC calendering, Rubber, Sheets & foils.

ISOSINT series measurement sensors comply fully with all the requirements and regulations for both operators and environmental safety.   Therefore, with the comprehensive knowledge and experience of Electronic Systems in planning and using devices which contain radioactive sources, it is totally safe. The structure of the container, the quality of nuclides, the radiation shielding and geometry, limited by oblurators, and all other details have been carefully assessed to ensure the highest level of operational safety.

The sensor can be personalised depending on specific needs required by the application:

•Edges detector

•Modification of the Gap through material passage and measurement Spot

• Temperature probes for air compensation

ISOSINT K and H sensor can be assembled on board of any scanning device that works for transmission between the ones included in the range of Electronic Systems products:

• SLIM DUPLEX

• HISCAN

• TWIN™ SCANNING

• TWIN™ BIAX

Laser Swan RFX

SWAN LASER is a reflection gauge engineered for direct thickness measurement.

The gauge uses a combined technology lASER-InDucTIVE with a patented auto calibration method.

MAIN FEATURES

Automatic reference roll tracking system

Extremely durable and mechanically stable sensor shift system

Probe suitable to be pressurized to keep the LASER optics cleaned

in heavy industrial environment

Protection against accidental contact with the material being measured

Simple and compact structure with high shock resistance

Suitable for measuring wide product in an extremely wide thickness range.

SWAN LASER is installed on scanners equipped with reference roll for measurement in reflection mode, where the same roll represents the zero reference to determine the measurement values. Is used for flexible materials guaranteeing a good adherence to the reference roll. Depending of the application, a security system to detect lumps and/or extra thickness (lump-detector), external to the measurement system could be used.

Reflex

REFLEX is an automatic scanning unit with “O frame” mechanical structure to measure in reflection mode.

A reference-roll, on which the material is leaning, is part of the structure.

MAIN FEATURES

Easy and compact structure with high resistance to mechanical vibrating stress.

Protection covers easy to remove during the

mechanical maintenance.

Sensor sliding system with high mechanical and long lasting stability.

Rectified and balanced measurement roll, equipped with low friction bearings.

Easy to assemble: adjustable inclination.

REFLEX is a scanner designed to stand extreme working conditions; thanks to the easy and compact stainless steel structure it is reliable and efficient. During the scanning phase, the sensor is driven by linear guides with relative supporting elements and sliding sleeves.

The scanning speed is adjustable and the sensor is positioned with high accuracy.

Category: Scanners.

Tags: Coating & laminating, Composites, Paper, PVC calendering, Rubber, Sheets & foils.

REFLEX can be easily integrated on existing

structures without any substantial modification.

Moreover in case of particular requirements

(for example, low material tensions or minimum winding angle) the reference roll can be motorized or synchronized with the production line speed.

REFLEX automatic scanner can be equipped with the following measurement sensors included in the range of Electronic Systems products:

• ESSAIR™ REFLEX.

Power Electronic machines

Electrical Machines and Power Electronics

The Electrical and Electronic Power Engineering Group is actively engaged in research into power electronic systems, novel electrical machines, and drives. There is a blend of interests and skills amongst the academic and research staff, providing a rare multidisciplinary strength to the Group; including expertise in very high voltage and current, novel magnetic design and power systems. The aim of the research is to make significant contributions to the understanding and development of power electronics, machines and derived systems.

Centre for Advanced Electronically Controlled Machines and Drives

Recent work in the field of electrical machines has lead to the development of a new type of electric motor that is energy efficient, electronically controlled and of a low cost to manufacture, with the intention to make OEM manufacturers aware of an alternative to the world’s reliance on inefficient single phase induction motors. These energy efficient motors are based on new patented designs and are essentially permanent magnet based brushless DC motors with very low electronic component count. The new designs have been developed for low torque ripple and quiet operation. The new motors are attracting growing commercial interest worldwide.

Traditionally Dr. Lefley has developed electric motors for electric and hybrid vehicles. However, recently has also developed new bespoke motor/generator technologies for aerospace applications where high power densities at very high speeds are essential. Such machines are designed for directly coupled gas-turbine applications, where a combined high speed starter coupled with a generator capability is required. This is a new field and is of considerable interest not only in aerospace but in military applications as well. Further work on energy efficient motors for industrial fan and pump applications is also on-going and is currently being spun-out through Synchropulse Ltd (see below). Dr. Lefley has developed in conjunction with colleagues from the Electrical and Electronic Power Engineering Group a complete fuel cell based electric vehicle drive system using a Nexa fuel cell, ultra-capacitors for energy storage, and an energy efficient permanent magnet brushless DC motor.

Power Electronics and Pulsed Power

Dr. Lefley has had considerable experience in development of power electronic based systems including recently, the application of pulsed power both at very high currents and high voltages.

The work on ultra-rapid battery recharging stemmed from fundamental work on how a rechargeable battery may accept charge at a high rate without causing deleterious effects to the battery such as overheating, gassing, active material shedding, etc. The purpose of this research was to investigate and develop new ways of rapidly recharging batteries by taking into account the electrochemistry and physical effects of rapid  recharging on the battery. The Group has had considerable success in developing a new ultra-fast charging technique using pulsed power electronics to enable lead-acid batteries to be rapidly charged without overcharging, excessive gassing, or overheating. A real-time electronic charge management system prevents overcharging by controlling the rate at which the charge pulses are injected. This system substantially reduces gassing until a level of almost 90% state of charge is reached. A 24 kW charger has been developed to rapidly recharge large battery installations of between 24 to 72 volts at 800 Ahr capacities in under an hour.

The very high current power electronics (up to 2,500 amps) is applicable to all large scale energy storage media, and interested parties are encouraged to contact Dr. Lefley. Much of the ultra-rapid battery recharging work is currently seeing commercial interest. The work on electrostatic precipitation was an application of modern high frequency switched mode power electronics to replace the traditional low frequency transformer/rectifier set, but also to improve the dust collection efficiency in the precipitator by applying a controllable pulsed waveform from the new power supply. This system was implemented in a pilot project at Didcot B power station in Oxfordshire, UK.

Recent Publications:

• Optimal Design of a Novel Single Phase PM BLDC Motor Using Genetic Algorithm, Lefley P, Ahmed S, EPE-PEMC 2012, Novi-Sad, September 2012.

• Cogging Torque Minimization in the Double Stator Cup Rotor Machine, Diryak E, Lefley P, 4th Symposium on Applied Electromagnetics SAEM'12, 3rd to 6th June 2012, Sopron Hungary.

• High Voltage, High Frequency Transformer Design, Lefley P, Devine P. Transformers Analysis Design and Measurement, CRC Press, Monograph Ch 21, ISBN 9781466508248.

• Synthesis and Analysis of a High-performance Low-cost Permanent Magnet Brushless DC Motor, Lefley P,  International journal for Computation and Mathematics in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (COMPEL).

• Fault Detection of a Series Compensated Line during the Damping Process of Inter-area Mode of Oscillation, Lami F, Lefley P. IET DPSP 2012 - Protecting the Smart Grid. The 11th International Conference on Developments in Power System Protection. 23-26 April 2012.

• Rechargeable batteries – Part 4: Battery graveyard,  Energize April 2012  Lefley P, Soge A, Starkey J

• Rechargeable batteries – Part 3: Lithium-ion batteries, Energize April 2012  Lefley P, Soge A, Starkey J

• Rechargeable Batteries Part 2: Nickel based batteries,  Energize March 2012  Lefley P, Soge A, Starkey J

• Rechargeable Batteries – The Evolution and Beyond, Energize Jan/Feb 2012  Lefley P, Soge A, Starkey J

• A New Design of Low Cost Energy Efficient Single Phase Brushless DC Motor, Lefley P, Ahmed S, Journal of Electrical Research Review, ISSN 0033-2097, 2/2012.

• Static Characteristics of a Novel Low Cost Brushless DC Permanent Magnet Motor, Lefley P, Journal of Electrical Research Review, ISSN 0033-2097, R88 NR 1a/2012.

• A Novel Three-Phase Buck-Boost Power Quality Converter, Lefley P, Starkey J, Seventh Mako/CIGRE Conference October 2 – 4, 2011.

• Synthesis and Analysis of a High Performance Low-Cost Permanent Magnet Brushless DC Motor L. Petkovska, P. Lefley, G. Cvetkovski  XV International Symposium on Electromagnetic Fields in Mechatronics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering – ISEF'2011 Funchal, Madeira September 2011.

• Optimisation of the Design Parameters of an Asymmetric Brushless DC Motor for Cogging Torque Minimisation, Lefley P, Petkovska L, Cvetkovski G, European Power Electronics Conference EPE 2011, Birmingham, September 2011.

• From Dynamic Modelling to Experimentation of an Induction Motor Powered by a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator by Passivity based Control,  Electrical Machines and Drives, InTech, Monograph Ch 7, ISBN 978-953-307-548-8. 

• Design and Control of the Brushless Doubly Fed Twin Induction Generator (BDFTIG) - Part 2, Bensadeq A, Lefley P, IEEE 14th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference 6th to 8th September 2010, (EPE-PEMC 2010), Ohrid.

• Finite Element Analysis of a Novel Single Phase Permanent Magnet Brushless DC Motor, Lefley P, Ahmed S, IEEE 14th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference 6th to 8th September 2010, (EPE-PEMC 2010), Ohrid.

• Study of the Impact of Asymmetrical Stator Pole Arc on the Cogging Torque for Single Phase Permanent Magnet BLDC Motor, Ahmed S, Lefley P, IEEE International Conference on Electric Power and Energy Conversion Systems 10th to 12th November 2009, (EPECS09), Al Sharjah.

• Design and Control of the Brushless Doubly Fed Twin Induction Generator (BDFTIG), Bensadeq A, Lefley P, IEEE 11th Spanish Portuguese Conference on Electrical Engineering 1st to 4th July 2009, (11CHLIE), Zaragoza.

• Development of a Single Phase PM BLDC Motor from a Novel Generic Model, Ahmed S, Lefley P, IEEE 11th Spanish Portuguese Conference on Electrical Engineering 1st to 4th July 2009, (11CHLIE), Zaragoza.

• Energy Efficiency Advantages of a Brushless DC Motor for a Variable Speed Compressor. Lefley P , Currington I, International Rotating Equipment Conference, Dusseldorf, 27th to 29th October 2008.

Industrial Electrical and Power Engineering

The Group is proud to be accommodated in a large laboratory suite (comprising of three dedicated laboratories) that has recently seen a £1M refurbishment. There are a wide range of laboratory resources and specialist equipment including; a 400 kV test facility, a 3000 amp pulsed power generator, a large battery charge/discharge unit designed for fork-lift truck and submarine batteries, a large scale wind turbine simulator, a 40 kW solar panel installation, a range of electrical machine test facilities up to 100 kW, including a high speed turbo-generator, magnetic and electrostatic modelling and CAD facilities. In support of the battery recharging work, the Group has access to our in-house electron-microscopy suite.

High Powered and Ultra-fast Battery Recharging

The purpose of this research is to investigate and develop new ways of rapidly recharging batteries by taking into account the electrochemistry and physical effects of rapid recharging on the battery. The Group has had considerable success in developing a new ultra-fast charging technique using pulsed power electronics to enable batteries to be rapidly charged without overcharging, excessive gassing, or overheating. A real-time electronic charge management system prevents overcharging by controlling the rate at which the charge pulses are injected. This system substantially reduces gassing of an aqueous electrolyte battery until a level of almost 90% state of charge is reached. A 24 kW charger (See picture) has been developed to rapidly recharge large battery installations of between 24 to 72 volts at 800 Ahr capacities in under an hour. This work has been a useful foundation for on-going research into the ultra-rapid recharging of lithium batteries used in various transport applications.

Electrostatic Precipitation

The Electrical Power Group has a long history in electrostatic precipitation, primarily for cleaning up flue gas emissions from power stations. This research work includes the improvement in the design of the precipitator and the high voltage electrodes for greater dust collection efficiency by using electrostatic field modelling. The other area of research where the Department has made a significant impact in this industry is in the creation of a new high voltage, high power, power supply.

The conventional 50/60 Hz transformer/rectifier power supply design became the standard issue due to a lack of topological progress since their initial introduction by Frederick Cottrell in the early 1900s. However, this kind of unit has severe drawbacks as far as operation is concerned, including, but not limited to:

Low quality input currents and low power factor

Sluggish operating characteristics

Low power supply efficiency

Large size, weight and civil engineering costs associated with the oil insulated transformer.

The research work within the Group ultimately provided a step change in technology for the industry, by implementing a modern switched mode power supply topology to achieve a major improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of electrostatic precipitators. The research prototype overcame design difficulties encountered with combining high frequency, high voltage and high power in a single power supply. It also served as a research tool to identify the usefulness of applying a variable waveform – including the addition of microsecond high voltage pulses – to the electrostatic precipitator for improved dust collection efficiency. In order to fulfil this technological achievement, a very special high voltage power transformer needed to be designed; one that could withstand very high voltages (up to 100 kV), operate at high frequencies (20 kHz) and at high power (up to 70kVA), had low leakage reactance for fast response times, was capable of withstanding short circuits, and was greater than 90% efficient.

The high frequency approach has numerous advantages over the traditional mains frequency rectification equipment in that, with a switching period of 100 microseconds compared with 8 or 10 milliseconds the output waveform approaches pure DC and the recovery time following a flashover is considerably reduced. This enables the precipitator to operate at a much higher (average) voltage and hence performance, since the dust collection efficiency of any precipitator is proportional to the square of the operating voltage. In addition, electrical safety is increased because when the precipitators arc and spark the arc is extinguished much more rapidly than with the conventional 50/60 Hz transformer/rectifier unit.

As part of the fundamental research work, methods of controlling the high voltage field in order to increase the dust collection efficiency were implemented. This included the injection of variable shaped voltage wave forms onto the high voltage field, not possible with a standard 50 Hz unit. Leicester’s prototype 70 kVA switched mode power supply was built, installed, and trialled at Didcot (A) power station in 1998. Since this pioneering research work at Leicester, switch mode power supply units are being installed all over the world today.

Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena

The “High Voltage Lab” encompasses a diversity of activity following the theme of Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena. We particularly welcome industrially-oriented research and consultancy.

Areas of work include:

1.Dielectric Spectroscopy:

Dielectric spectroscopy is a powerful technique, which we use:

as a diagnostic for electric ageing

to examine how electrical charge moves through dielectric systems

to characterise the dielectric properties of materials and insulating systems

We use a Solartron 1296A Dielectric Interface coupled to a frequency response analyser, and we have also developed high-voltage time domain techniques and ultra-sensitive bridge techniques for low-loss materials such as cross-linked polyethylene.

Measurements can be made:

over the frequency range 10-5 to 107 Hz

over the temperature range 0 to 250 deg. C (depending on the material)

over a range of humidities and voltages

at tan deltas as low as 10-5.

2.Nano-Dielectrics:

At Leicester we pioneered the first experimental work (reported in Nanotechnology) showing that insulation materials (e.g. polyethylene) filled with nanometric (e.g. 50nm diameter silica) particles have the potential to enhance dielectric properties properties significantly. 

The graph shows how space charge accumulated in epoxy filled with both "micro-particles" and nano-particles" led to increased fields under high voltage DC conditions.  The field, which may lead to enhanced ageing and breakdown, was much higher for conventional materials filled with micro-particles than those with nano-particles.

Advances in Understanding Electrical Breakdown in HV Insulation Systems:

We have led the way in understanding electrical degradation and breakdown of polymeric and composite insulators. For example, work, supported by the National Grid Company, has led to the development of novel physical models and computer simulations of electrical tree growth, an important electrical breakdown mechanism in polymeric insulation.

The high voltage laboratory activities include:

Experimental studies of electrical breakdown in a range of insulating materials and systems

The use of ultra-sensitive partial discharge (down to 10*10-15 C) and electroluminescence (single photon) techniques

Development of condition monitoring techniques for HV insulators

Forensic studies of insulator failure in cables, accessories, bushings, etc.

Theoretical understanding of electrical ageing leading to diagnosis and prognosis:

Leicester has played a prominent role in the development of quantitative physical models for electrical ageing. This can serve as a basis for the identification of ageing markers and the prediction of service life.

Models have been developed for

• Electrical treeing.  The model quantitatively reproduces observations of treeing and accurately predicts both bush and branch-type treeing.
• Ageing due to the accumulation of space charge at defects. The models predicts characteristic life from generic features such as local ageing susceptibility and energy concentration. The model yields damage structures and relates failure statistics to local variations.

Space Charge Measurement:

Under high field conditions, particularly under DC, charge may be accumulate inside an insulating material.  This can be detrimental as it increases and distorts the electric field, which may lead to premature ageing and failure.

The laboratory collaborated with Dr John Alison and Prof. Robert Hill at King's College London to develop a range of pusled-electro-acoustic measurement systems for measuring space charge distributions in films and slabs of solid insulation.

The apparatus has a resolution of around 1pC and 25 microns.  Fast measurements can be made with one of the systems, allowing, for example, the observation of the movement of charge with time. 

The graph shows charge moving in "packets" through a 0.15mm film cross-linked polyethylene under a field of 120kV/mm..

Use of electricity

Productive Use of Electricity

1.Overview:

Productive use (PU) of electricity is the basis for long-term sustainable economic development intended by rural electrification programs. The following article will focus on a working definition of the term ‘productive use of electricity’, explore the reasoning for the promotion of productive uses through governments or donor agencies and give an overview on potential interventions to support productive uses.

Defining Productive Use of Electricity

In the general discussion there have been several attempts to come up with a clear definition of the term ‘productive use’. While in some cases productive use is mainly defined through income generating activities that are directly positively affected by the use of electricity, others draw a much broader definition by including the use of electric energy for education and health or other welfare related activities.
A World Bank paper by Kamal Kapadia e.g. employs a broad definition of productive uses of energy as activities “that involve the utilization of energy – both electric, and non-electric energy in the forms of heat, or mechanical energy - for activities that enhance income and welfare. [In rural contexts] these activities are typically in the sectors of agriculture, rural enterprise, health and education.”
Jose Etcheverry takes a similar approach by classing as productive use projects in rural contexts those that “aim at enhancing income generation opportunities and productivity in rural areas to improve quality of life and increase local resilience and self-reliance”, with education and health mentioned among the key sectors for productive use of energy in rural contexts.
By contrast, Ron White's paper presented at a GEF-FAO Workshop on Productive Uses of Renewable Energy (2003: 33) suggests a more narrow definition of productive use of energy, taking into account only uses of energy that render outcomes that can be measured in monetary terms: “[activities that ] involve the application of energy to create goods and/or services either directly or indirectly for the production of income or value. The production of income or value is understood to be achieved by selling products or services at greater than their cost of production, resulting in an increase in the net income of the enterprise or the entrepreneur."

A similar definition is used in the Productive Use of Energy (PRODUSE) Manual that defines productive uses of electricity as "agricultural, commercial and industrial activities involving electricity services as a direct input to the production of goods or provision of services.

Why Support Productive Use of Electricity
In a 1995 review of the World Bank’s rural electrification projects in Asia, the Bank’s Operations Evaluation Department concluded that the “economic returns of rural electrification projects have been considerably lower than expected and a wide range of expected indirect and external benefits have not materialized". One reason for this fact is that most rural electrification initiatives in the past have mainly focused on household and community needs for lighting. However, if rural electrification is intended as part of a broader development approach, a much higher priority must be given to strategies for promoting productive uses of energy.
The GEF-FAO Workshop on Productive Uses of Renewable Energy in 2002 therefore recommended to broaden the focus of rural energy programmes: “Many rural renewable energy development projects have primarily focused on household lighting using solar home systems (SHS). While such systems provide important social benefits and also may facilitate home-based income generating activities, there are a wide variety of productive-use benefits that can only be captured through applications other than home lighting. These other applications have been neglected in historical development practice”.
A recent paper by ESMAP argues that the most efficient way to deliver effective and lasting impacts when designing a rural electrification scheme is to ensure that such programs have a direct impact on livelihoods and revenue generation, in addition to impacts on standards of living. Increasing revenue generation can be accomplished by improving productivity or reducing production costs in an existing production process. It can also result from the uptake of new lines of productive activities based on electricity use that increase local value-added, generate employment and ultimately enhance local demand.
The rationale behind promotion of productive uses in energy projects is therefore multi-layered.
Productive use can maximize the economic and social benefits of energy access. Energy projects with productive use components are more likely to lead to rural economic development than projects that simply focus on the provision of electricity, or other forms of energy.
Incorporating a ‘productive use’ focus into energy projects makes them more likely to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Rural electrification projects with a productive use component are more likely to achieve economic sustainability. This is for two distinct reasons:
Enterprises that generate profits through electricity use have a higher ability to pay for energy services than private households who use electricity for purely consumptive purposes.

Obtaining financing for rural energy infrastructure, including Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) and grid extension, may be easier if rural financing agencies see that productive investments materialize from their credits.

How to Support Productive Use of Electricity

There are several reasons why rural electrification alone does not trigger productive uses or small business development based on energy use. Conversely, specific preconditions and conducive factors can be identified that enhance uptake of productive use. Meaningful approaches for promoting economic development through energy use should seek to strengthen such conducive factors and to clear away hurdles for uptake of productive use of energy by small and micro businesses.

Fishbein summarizes the most important preconditions for productive applications of electric energy in developing countries:

• Knowledge and skill by small and micro-business, households and farmers on how to use new-found electrical and motive power for profitable enterprise.
• Technical and financial management capacity of small and micro-business, households and farmers.
• Availability of credit and micro-credit to finance productive tools and equipment.
• A policy and institutional environment conducive to business development, willingness to promote decentralized services, etc.
• Access to markets for additional or new products produced or services offered as a result of new electrical, heat or motive power
• Availability of a minimum of other complementary infrastructure services, such as transport, water supply and ICT services.

Where one or several of these factors are nonexistent, productive use of electricity may be hampered significantly. These requirements therefore provide useful entry points for the design of programmes to promote productive energy use; typical activities under such programmes may include:

• support for the dissemination of productive technologies,
• enhancing access to micro credit,
• facilitation of Business Development Services (BDS) and training,
• support the upgrading of infrastructure, or improved market access.

Previous experience has shown that good practice in promoting productive use of energy is to involve non-energy sector agencies or organizations to implement respective business development, financing and infrastructure services.

The Productive Use of Energy (PRODUSE) Platfo provides examples of energy access projects promoting productive uses in different countries, and the PRODUSE Manual provides energy practitioners with step-by-step guidance for designing and implementing PU promotion activities.

How to Assess the Impact of Productive Use of Electricity at the Level of Small and Microenterprises

Electrification practitioners often emphasise the role of PUE in increasing income generation for home businesses and enterprises. However, systematic evidence on the relationship between access to electricity and poverty alleviation is scarce, and rigorous evaluations of electrification interventions particularly in Africa are virtually non-available.

In order to start filling this gap between practitioners’ perception and the lack of robust evidence, GIZ and ESMAP developed a methodology for evaluating the impact of electrification on micro, small and medium enterprises and tested it in Benin, Ghana and Uganda. The results are presented in the PRODUSE Study.

Mechanical Energy

Overview:

Needs for mechanical energy are often overlooked when rural energy demands are addressed by international donor organisations; one reason might be the fact that the most common applications of mechanical energy such as water-supply, agriculture, agro-processing, natural resource extraction, small scale manufacturing and mobility are often falling into the scope of programmes of other sectors such as water, agriculture, business development or transport. The energy needs, however, are real and providing mechanical energy can have highly-significant effects on income generation and poverty reduction. Mechanical power is today obtained from motorised equipment such as steam, diesel and gas engines/turbines, electrical and hydraulic motors. In spite of these technological improvements, the 2.5 billion people without access to modern energy services still depend on unimproved versions of mechanical power equipment that inefficiently use human or animal power to meet their energy needs. However, in spite of these technical challenges, motive power has remained an important driver of livelihood activities in impoverished regions of the world.

Needs for Mechanical Energy

1.Water Supply

Having a clean and reliable source of drinking water is essential in improving the health of a community. In rural areas, water collection often makes up a large part of a woman’s day, so a nearby water source allows her to focus more on other activities, such as spending time with her children and taking care of her own health. Mechanical energy demands for water supply include pumping of drinking water, irrigation of field crops as well as livestock watering. Traditional and still widely utilized methods of water supply rely on manual lifting / carrying of water in containers.

2.Agriculture

The main energy needs for agricultural production occur during activities such as tillage/ploughing, harvesting, and seeding. Traditionally these activities are carried out with animal drawn tillers and hand hoes (tillage/ploughing), scythes, animal drawn mowers, and manual practices (harvesting), and hand planting (seeding).

3.Agro-processing

Post-harvest activity is arguably the main factor in helping farmers increase their income. Substantial time and resources are spent transporting crops to neighbouring mills if the services are not available in farmers’ own villages. Most processes can utilise energy derived from shaft power, with many alternatives for technologies powered by human, animal, water or a stationary engine. A huge demand for mechanical energy exists for milling and pressing, where typical manually-operated technologies in widespread use are hand grounds and flails. Cutting and shredding is conducted with the help of knives and saws, while winnowing bascets are used for winnowing and decorticating. Spinning with manual spins and sun drying or drying with hand-held fans are common in most developing countries.

4.Natural Resource Extraction

Small-scale mining is a labour intensive industry that often poses serious health hazards due to poor working conditions and lack of safety precautions. Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) may be the only livelihood opportunity for some people, or may be their source of income during the agricultural off-season. Small-scale forest harvesting has seen increased interest in recent years due to its relatively low environmental impacts. Most traditional methods of resource extraction involve hand tools, so there is significant room for some degree of mechanical power to increase efficiency and support related livelihoods. Traditional technologies for mineral resource extraction include shovels, chisels, hammers, and pick axes for drilling, crushing, and hole enlarging, while washing and grading is in most cases done by hand. The hand saw is the traditional technology for sawing in the context of timber extraction.

5.Small-scale Manufacturing

Many people in developing countries rely on generating income through small-scale manufacturing of products. Due to the diversity of existing manufacturing processes mechanical energy needs are highly contextual. Some important examples of mechanical energy needs in the small-scale manufacturing sector shall be highlighted. Metal work with hammers, wood working/carpentry with hand saws, hand-weaving in textile making businesses, mould and deckle for papermaking, and hand powered potters wheels for pottery are wide-spread all over the developing world. Other processes do not involve any physical technology, but therefore high quality products cannot be produced, e.g. in packaging (unsealed packaging) or briquetting/brick pressing sector.

6.Lifting and Crossing

Manual lifting of goods can be very taxing physically, but is sometimes necessary. Examples include natural resource extraction (such as mining), or crossing rivers to bring goods to market centres. Vehicular access in rural areas is usually very limited, and farmers or enterprise owners may need to employ couriers to transport goods on their behalf, placing an additional burden on their own savings, whilst the work itself is both physically challenging and often dangerous. Manual labour is widespread for many activities related to lifting (climbing, lifting) and crossing (swimming, walking).

Vehicle Technology System

Future Power Systems

The FPS Group researches new combustion and energy conversion technologies, alternative fuels and hydrogen as means to create clean, efficient and sustainable power sources for propulsion and stationary use.



Current Research Activities
The Future Power Systems Group is currently working towards the first year on the  SERVE program - Flex-diesel Engines with Sustainable Bio- fuels for Clean and Efficient On- and Off-Road Vehicle Engines.

The project aims to provide technical solutions that will allow the diesel engine to operate with a diverse range of renewable fuels and it has two major objectives: 1) to identify the changes required by the engine system (including aftertreatment) to run on blends containing up to 30% of a variety of both generations bio-diesel fuels; 2) to develop novel 'Flex-diesel' technologies involving onboard pre- and after-treatment to maintain optimized engine performance and emissions with increasing percentages of fully sustainable bio-fuels and thermal management.


This project is funded by the UK Government and the Technology Strategy Board (formerly known as DTI - Department of Trade and Industry) in collaboration with Jaguar Cars. Total Funding £2.12 million.

Impact of DMF on Engine Performance and Emissions as a New Generation of Sustainable

Biofuel

This project is funded by EPSRC . Total Budget £0.520 million.
2,5-Dimethylfuran (DMF) is likely to become a promising sustainable biofuel with the advent of
novel and efficient methods recently developed in the US for making it from biomass, but there is
very limited knowledge about its impact on the environment. For the engine community, little is
known about its combustion and emission characteristics, especially about the speciation of nonregulated
emissions from its combustion in engines. This project aims to investigate the
outstanding issues of DMF as base fuel, by the studies through developing and validating the
spray, combustion, emissions and engine models and by conducting systematic experiments
using advanced methodologies including CFD, optical diagnostics and exhaust gas speciation
using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) alongside the on-line GCMS. It is
anticipated that this collaborative project will provide a platform for the 3 groups of researchers
listed above to work very closely to utilise the unique expertise at each side and contribute to the
team work on the basis of much increased communications and information exchange. The
know-how acquired in this project will be of direct benefit to the UK and Chinese motor industries
and academia. The project outcome will help to increase the market size of British and China's
biofuel industries and will thus have impact on the development of the UK and China economy by
increasing the opportunities for employment and profitability of agriculture and obviously will
contribute to the reduction of carbon footprint of fuels for transportation.

Partners for this project are:

• University of Birmingham 
• Jaguar and Land Rover 
• Green Fuels
• Innospec Inc 

Completed Projects:CHASE program - Controlled Homogeneous Auto-ignition Supercharged Engine.
This project is funded by the UK Government through the Foresight Vehicle Program in
collaboration with Jaguar Cars. Total Budget £2.359 million.
The project aims to develop a clean and efficient powertrain system centred on a supercharged
homogeneous charge compression ignition engine with on-board fuel reformer and thermal
management.
This project targets the extension of the range of operation of gasoline HCCI both at high and low
loads by combining: boosting, low temperature fuel reforming, combined exhaust after-treatment
and total thermal management.
Benefits:
The direct beneficiary will be the UK vehicle manufacturing companies by offering new
opportunities to achieve the future legal requirements on emissions (including CO2) and also
reducing the energy consumption.

Achieved objectives:
1.The project has demonstrated that the combination of HCCI (Homogeneous Charge
Compression Ignition) and Thermal Management can be used to increase he upper
operating range by using an intercooler and supercharging whereas the lower boundary
can be extended using the combined effect of heating and throttling. Furthermore an
HCCI control strategy has been proposed aiming to primarily to reduce emissions and in
particular NOx and secondary HC.

2.A mathematical model describing the CHASE Thermal Management system has been
developed and verified. Using this model one can operate and predict the behaviour of
the Thermal Management system enabling the extension of the operating envelope and
investigation of the various configurations in the HCCI operating region.

3. The system model can run in real time and can easily be implemented for a forward
predicting control strategy. In addition this model is used for predicting the boundary
conditions for further and detailed modelling investigations such as in CFD computations.

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition

Alternative fuels: biodiesel, ethanol, biogas, natural gas, hydrogen

Analysis of Emissions & Particulates

Modelling:

Future Engines & Fuels Lab:
The new Future Engines and Fuels Laboratory at the University of Birmingham’s Department of Mechanical Engineering was opened on 18 January 2007 by Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer), Professor Mike Cruise. Before the launch Dr Mike Richardson, Manager of Jaguar Research at Jaguar Land Rover presented a lecture on “Sustainable Mobility”.


The new laboratory was refurbished with funding from the University of over £800,000 and is supported by industrial partners Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford, Johnson Matthey and Shell. The facilities comprise 7 test beds, 2 single cylinder research engines, 1 Ford optical engine with laser diagnostics, 2 multi-cylinder Jaguar and Land Rover prototype engines, 1 Formula Student racing engine and 1 teaching engine, along with a unique fuel test cell equipped with 2 GC mass-spectrometers. One more Jaguar/Ford engine test bed is under construction and an additional  dedicated Biofuel engine test bed is being prepared.

Use of electronic machines

1.Military gov rolls out ‘electronic’ voting machine for constitution poll

Ratchathewi will be the first district in Thailand to use an electronic voting machine created by the government to prepare for a possible public referendum on Thailand’s latest draft constitution.
The Election Commission of Thailand said it is ready to install the prototype machines at two polling stations in Ratchathewi where they will serve about 1,600 voters, according to Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn.
The voting on the draft constitution could happen in January, and the organization will take the opportunity to test the machines for future elections. The plan is to roll them out nationwide for future, hypothetical elections.
With space for names to be handwritten and big analog buttons all in an army green package, these machines look like state of the art tech, were it 1972.

Somchai added the Election Commission is also looking to develop an election application for smartphones to facilitate citizens in finding their polling stations, state media reported.

2.Does too much technology make a car artificial?

Two trends are interacting in the car world right now, and I'm fascinated by the questions being raised as a result. First, people are keeping their cars longer. At the same time, new cars are more like mobile computers than the purely mechanical machines most people are familiar with—Ars boss Ken Fisher told me once that cars would be the first properly successful wearable device, and I think he's being proved right. This often results in a degree of culture shock when people used to the old way of doing things get exposed to a new car, particularly if they didn't see anything wrong with the status quo.

Computers are in control of everything, modulating our control inputs and interpreting our intent. For example, between your foot and the pedals of a hybrid are complex software routines that decide how to juggle internal combustion engines and conventional brakes with electric motor-generator units when it comes to stopping and going. Cheap, rugged, and powerful electronics can let an engineer solve a suspension or engine problem with some code instead of mechanical fix. Is that a good thing, or is the solution an artificial one?

Americans are spending more time away from car showrooms than in the past. I'm one of them; my newest car is a 2005 Saab 9-2x Aero (one of the finest examples of badge engineering out there), which shares a garage—or would if I had one—with a 19-year old Mazda Miata. I doubt there's a single defining reason for this trend, more like an interplay between better reliability, less cheap credit, some degree of economic uncertainty, and probably a few other factors I haven't thought of.

Meanwhile, cars have been starting to change quite dramatically as a result of the technology boom. The transformation from analog to digital actually started quite a while ago. We made computers responsible for looking after the engine, the brakes, and the gearbox, then we leveraged those computers to assist drivers. Traction control. Stability control. Cruise control. All of these will be familiar to you even if you last drove a new car in the mid-2000s.

Then electronics took over the throttle and the steering, and now you can reprogram a car's mood with the scroll of a jog-wheel. Set a car to "Sport" mode and suddenly the gas pedal remaps; now you get 100 percent throttle when the pedal is only 50 percent through its travel. Tweak a control and now the steering firms up. It means that GM can build aggressive 650 horsepower Corvettes that are friendly enough not to kill the car's traditional audience of older people who like a gentle cruise. It's not just the feel of the ride, either; we can even augment a car's engine note with speakers that cancel out unpleasant harmonics.

The biggest change, at least from where I sit, is that cars can now see—and communicate with—the world around them. Cameras and ultrasonic and radar sensors will now relieve some of the driver's strain when it's time to park or cruise along a highway for hours at a time. These functions were first marketed as a convenience, options on flagship models. In the past, technology would trickle down from range-topping luxury cars into the vehicles we mortals bought. Now it's being mandated by governments that can't ignore the benefits of fewer traffic accidents or lower carbon emissions.


And if you're going to replace a car's mechanical systems with electronic ones, it stands to reason that you'd want to consolidate their control in a central location. And having one single brain controlling it all is preferable to filling a car with black boxes and pounds (or kilograms) of wires, each with just a single job to do. Cheap and rugged wireless modems have been the final touch.

3.Brain-Controlled Gadgets

Despite trying to convince ourselves that telekinesis is possible, any possible cases of the ability are strictly relegated to the realms of pseudo-science for now, with a serious lack of conclusive evidence in their favour. However, neuroscience is already enabling the use of the human mind for controlling objects in the physical world, using equipment often referred to as a brain-machine interface (BMI) or a brain-computer interface (BCI).
Direct interface between our brains and machines is now possible. However, emergent devices in this sphere often require “brain training” in order to function, and their successful use is dependent on our ability to summon quite specific brainwaves and frequencies at will. This technology is based mostly based on machine interpretation of signals naturally produced by our brains.
For example, a machine could interpret a brain signal as corresponding to our imagining a specific shape or image, through familiarity with reading our brain function over time. The machine may then duplicate an approximation of the image on a screen; theoretically it could also interpret qualities such as colour, movement and texture in order to represent them.
With this technology, video games will become far more immersive, creating the illusion of magic within the game as players tune, move, lift or manifest virtual objects and change the landscape, colours and lights of virtual surroundings while playing. This might occur according to specific intentions, or even matching general features of the moods of players.
The interpretation of our thoughts can of course be applied in more practical terms in our daily lives. We should not be surprised if before long we are living in “smart homes” where we can control our household devices and turn on and off screens, computers, heating, lights and doors simply by mentally willing it.
There are already some examples of cars that can be controlled via BMI. Scientists have applied similar technologies to control wheelchairs designed for the physically impaired, and the control of prosthetic limbs with our brain signals is also possible.
These technologies are still posing many challenges for their developers and users since they require a lot of training and patience in order to be able to send the right signals to the machines. However, scientists are very optimistic in relation to the effective control of robotic systems using BMI systems.
Some gadgets based on similar developments of neuroscience are indeed already on the market.
Some examples are Emotiv-Epoc, MUSE and Neurosky. All three claim to able to measure and track brain signals including emotions and levels of stress, concentration and relaxation in order to help us learn how to optimize the activity of our brains and produce specific brain signals which can be recognised by computers and other electronic devices.

Soon the strength of our brains, creativity and the bounds of our imaginations might be interpreted and reproduced by computer systems, and we may find ourselves recreating our thoughts via the direct medium of an interfaced electronic device. The implications for art, amongst many other areas, are extraordinary. In a literal sense this time, our imagination will be the only limit.

4.New machines to upgrade the way your vote is counted in Gaston

A nearly $300,000 investment will change the way ballots are counted in Gaston County, though not the way you vote.
The 55 vote scanners and tabulators recently purchased by the Gaston County Board of Elections will be used at each precinct when elections are held. The new machines are modern versions of their older counterparts and will operate faster and more efficiently thanks to more up-to-date software, said Elections Director Adam Ragan.
“The best example I can give is they’re kind of like Windows XP computers,” he said. “You get to the point where you can’t service those machines anymore. So the new machine is just an updated version — a ‘next-generation’ tabulator.”
In 2012, the county acquired four of the newer models, which it has used at early voting sites. When Ragan was hired several years ago, one of his priorities was to find money to upgrade the other 55 voting machines.
The county traded in the old models for a roughly $30,000 credit, leaving its total tab for the new purchases at $298,377.
The only interaction voters have with the tabulators comes from sliding their completed ballots into it. The machine counts the ovals that have been filled in on each sheet of paper and keeps a record of everything.
That technology, known as optical scan, has been in use in Gaston County since 2005.
“I’m a big fan of optical scan and paper ballots for the simple reason that we have a physical, paper ballot in front of us,” said Ragan. “If there’s an issue with the counts or something, I can run the ballots through the machine again. I have the paper ballots and know how many people voted.”
Some people view optical scan as an archaic technology, particularly if they’ve used electronic, touch-screen voting machines. Those have been employed recently in Guilford and Mecklenburg counties, among others in North Carolina.
Gaston County used such machines in 2003 and 2004, prior to Ragan’s arrival, he said. But issues arose with their calibration. Someone would occasionally press a button to vote for candidate A, only to get an on-screen confirmation that they’d just voted for candidate B.

A couple of years ago, the General Assembly passed a law banning touch-screen voting machines, Ragan said. Counties that still have them will be allowed to use them until 2020, before they must have optical scan or some other accepted technology in place.

5.Schubert Presents Packaging Machine without Electrical Cabinet

An obvious sign of the elimination of traditional electronics for the packaging machine is the smaller head of the TLM machine frame. Since the servo modules of the machine without an electrical cabinet belong within a decentralised control architecture for TLM robots, they no longer require an electrical cabinet. The number of electronic parts has been greatly reduced, leaving only a few components. At the same time, the operation and maintenance of the machine are easier than ever. Customers can therefore take on their packaging tasks based on more user-friendly automation implemented through virtually uninterrupted operation with minimum personnel input.

The machine’s remaining components are equipped with a water cooling feature, which increases the life of the electrical equipment. Moreover, it reduces the system’s waste heat. With a heat exchanger, the customer can make use of the energy from the water cooling. Yet another plus in terms of energy is that Schubert uses drive systems with energy recovery – as with all TLM systems.

At the show, the machine’s functionality will be demonstrated through a pick & place process, whereby four-axle TLM F44 robots will take white and black bears from a white product belt and then place them on Transmoduls in a specific formation.

White bears on a white background – the vision system can detect the products in spite of the very low-contrast environment, thanks to Schubert’s new scanner. The Schubert 3D scanner brings spatial vision to life. The vision system uses the data from the scanner to calculate a height profile and therefore the three-dimensional shape of the products to be packaged. This eliminates the generation of ghosting images through dirt or product residues on the belt. In addition, the 3D-scanner can detect defects – for instance, if a brown sandwich biscuit with brown cream is missing its cover section. Defective products such as these will be removed from the packaging process. Thanks to the 3D scanner, image recognition is effective and more accurate. Customers from all business sectors will benefit from less waste, higher productivity and improved quality.

With uniform product density, the TLM vision system can even detect the weight of each product. This enables individual product formations to be made up within a defined weight range during a grouping process. Depending on the application, the manufacturer can therefore save up to three per cent in raw materials, since less over-production is required to meet the legal standard. Target vs actual comparisons are also possible for stacking height and stacking length in the case of upright box filling.

On screens at the stand, Schubert will also be providing in-depth information on other TLM systems, its thermoforming technology and its filling systems for liquid cosmetic products. Customer examples will clearly illustrate the use of these technologies.


At the FachPack show, Schubert will be exhibiting with its new trade fair concept for the first time. The stand architecture and exhibition graphics accentuate the brand’s innovative power with a striking diagonal line design. Whereas the new TLM machine without an electrical cabinet is being presented in a bright environment, the stand is otherwise decorated in muted grays, offering visitors a pleasant and high quality of stay.

6.Scientists use particle accelerator to visualize properties of nanoscale electronic materials

A technique devised by UCLA researchers could help scientists better understand a tiny—but potentially important—component of next-generation electronic devices.Scientists trying to improve the semiconductors that power our electronic devices have focused on a technology called spintronics as one especially promising area of research. Unlike conventional devices that use electrons' charge to create power, spintronic devices use electrons' spin. The technology is already used in computer hard drives and many other applications—and scientists believe it could eventually be used for quantum computers, a new generation of machines that use quantum mechanics to solve complex problems with extraordinary speed.
Emerging research has shown that one key to greatly improving performance in spintronics could be a class of materials called topological insulators. Unlike ordinary materials that are either insulators or conductors, topological insulators function as both simultaneously—on the inside, they are insulators but on their exteriors, they conduct electricity.But topological insulators have certain defects that have so far limited their use in practical applications, and because they are so tiny, scientists have so far been unable to fully understand how the defects impact their functionality.
The UCLA researchers have overcome that challenge with a new method to visualize topological insulators at the nanoscale. An article highlighting the research, which was which led by Louis Bouchard, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Dimitrios Koumoulis, a UCLA postdoctoral scholar, was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The new method is the first use of beta‑detected nuclear magnetic resonance to study the effects of these defects on the properties of topological insulators.
The technique involves aiming a highly focused stream of ions at the topological insulator. To generate that beam of ions, the researchers used a large particle accelerator called a cyclotron, which accelerates protons through a spiral path inside the machine and forces them to collide with a target made of the chemical element tantalum. This collision produces lithium-8 atoms, which are ionized and slowed down to a desired energy level before they are implanted in the topological insulators.
In beta‑detected nuclear magnetic resonance, ions (in this case, the ionized lithium-8 atoms) of various energies are implanted in the material of interest (the topological insulator) to generate signals from the material's layers of interest.
Bouchard said the method is particularly well suited for probing regions near the surfaces and interfaces of different materials.
In the UCLA research, the high sensitivity of the beta‑detected nuclear magnetic resonance technique and its ability to probe materials allowed the scientists to "see" the impacts of the defects in the topological insulators by viewing the electronic and magnetic properties beneath the surface of the material.

7.Banner Engineering Introduces Heavy-Duty Vantage Line Fiber Optics

Heavy-Duty Vantage Line Fiber Optics

Minneapolis, MN – Banner Engineering introduces new heavy-duty Vantage Line fiber optics to complement its industry-recognized fiber amplifier product family. Featuring a flexible 304 stainless steel tube, the polyethylene jacketed plastic fiber is protected from crushing or abrasion in harsh industrial environments.

To accommodate diverse applications, the heavy-duty Vantage Line plastic fibers are available in eight different models, four with opposed sensing mode and four with diffuse sensing mode, in one- and two-meter options. All heavy-duty fibers are compatible with Banner’s existing plastic fiber amplifiers, including the DF-G family.

“Our new heavy-duty vantage line of plastic fibers offer enhanced durability and stable performance at a cost effective price,” said Dennis Smith, Senior Technical Marketing Manager, Banner Engineering. “With these heavy-duty models, our customers can use plastic fibers in rugged environments where they previously used more expensive glass fibers.”

Banner’s DF-G fiber amplifiers deliver stable sensing performance with fast response rates. With a thermally stable and high performance electronic design, DF-G fiber amplifiers feature dual display, digital readouts and an improved fiber clamp. DF-G fiber amplifiers also offer complete user control, providing manipulation of all operating parameters, including switch point threshold, light operate or dark operate, various output timing functions, electronic gain level and sensor response speed.

With a wide range of fiber amplifiers, Banner can effectively serve a diverse range of industries and applications, including small part or wire break detection on electronics assembly machines, pill and caplet counting and high-speed detection for registration mark or product leading edge detection.