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At least 37 records · Page 2

Microstrip patch antenna for simultaneous temperature sensing and superstrate characterization

This paper investigates a microstrip patch antenna for measuring the thickness and dielectric constant of the medium above the antenna (i.e. the superstrate) as well as the temperature. The intended application is simultaneous sensing of ash accumulation and temperature inside a boiler, with the aim of enhancing safety, improving efficiency, and reducing downtime associated with maintenance. A patch antenna, consisting of a dielectric substrate, a radiation patch, and a ground plane, functions as an electromagnetic resonator with specific fundamental frequencies. A dielectric medium placed above the patch antenna changes its effective dielectric constant and thus its resonant frequencies. Meanwhile, temperature also influences the antenna frequencies because of the thermal expansion of the conductors (i.e. the radiation patch and ground plane), and the dielectric constant of dielectric materials due to their temperature dependency. Since a rectangular patch antenna has two fundamental frequencies, it enables determining these two parameters simultaneously. Once the temperature and superstrate thickness are determined, the dielectric constant of the superstrate and its temperature dependency can also be extracted. To demonstrate this capability, a dual-frequency patch antenna was designed, fabricated, and characterized with a superstrate of various thicknesses and at different temperatures. By fitting the antenna resonant frequencies as functions of the superstrate thickness and temperature, these two parameters were inversely determined from the measured antenna frequencies. Using ash from charcoal briquettes as a superstrate, the measurement uncertainties were determined to be ±0.58 °C and ±58.05 μ m for the temperature and the superstrate thickness respectively. The dielectric constant of the ash was found to be 2.64 at room temperature and its thermal coefficient of dielectric constant (TCD k ) was found to be 918 ppm °C –1 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Formulation and Evaluation of Matrix Type Transdermal Patch Containing Silver Nanoparticles

This research aimed to prepare the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-loaded antimicrobial wound dressing patch using ethyl cellulose as a matrix membrane and diethyl phthalate as a plasticizer. The polymer suspension was homogeneously mixed with plasticizer, and then added to the colloidal AgNPs suspension. This mixture was poured into Petri dish and subsequently dried in a hot air oven at 80 ± 2 °C for 10 h. The minimum inhibition concentration of the colloidal AgNPs suspension was 2.5 µg/ml. The AgNPs-loaded antimicrobial wound dressing patch was evaluated for physical properties by differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and in vitro study. The antimicrobial wound dressing patch did not exhibit any interaction between the matrix membrane and AgNPs. The AgNPs were evenly dispersed in the patch. The patch could control the release of silver at 102.98 ± 4.11% over 12 h. Although the AgNPs-loaded antimicrobial wound dressing patches can be easily prepared by the simple method, in future studies antimicrobial wound dressing patch will be developed by employing different types of film forming agents.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Patch-level chamber-based CH4 and CO2 flux measurements in freshwater and salt marshes of coastal Louisiana

This dataset contains chamber-based carbon dioxide and methane flux measurements from ecohydrological patches in two coastal wetlands in Louisiana (within the footprint of AmeriFlux sites US-LA2 and US-LA3). Measurements span four patches, two per wetland. At the freshwater marsh (US-LA2), patches were dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia or co-dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia and Typha latifolia. At the salt marsh site (US-LA3), patches were dominated by Spartina alterniflora or Juncus roemerianus. Flux measurements included (i) wetland surface-level measurements encompassing the entire soil-water-vegetation column and (ii) soil-water surface chamber measurements that excluded emergent vegetation. At US-LA3, open-water pools were common and were also measured as a patch type. With this data we aimed to assess differences in gas flux pathways within ecohydrological patches across different wetland types. Files can be read in any program or code typical of processing .csv file types. "PatchChambers_LA2LA3.csv" covers flux data from patch level chambers which includes bulk CO2/CH4 flux encompassing water, soil, and vegetation within each chamber. "Water_Soil_SurfaceChamber_LA2LA3.csv" has CO2/CH4 flux data from chambers measuring only the water-soil surface without the effects of vegetation. Metadata can be found in the similarly named files for each data sheet ("xxxx_md.csv").

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The modeling of piezoceramic patch interactions with shells, plates and beams

General models describing the interactions between a pair of piezoceramic patches and elastic substructures consisting of a cylindrical shell, plate and beam are presented. In each case, the manner in which the patch loads enter both the strong and weak forms of the time-dependent structural equations of motion is described. Through force and moment balancing, these loads are then determined in terms of material properties of the patch and substructure (thickness, elastic properties, Poisson ratios), the geometry of the patch placement, and the voltages into the patches. In the case of the shell, the coupling between banding and inplane deformations, which is due to the curvature, is retained. These models are sufficiently general to allow for potentially different patch voltages which implies that they can be suitably employed when using piezoceramic patches for controlling system dynamics when both extensional and bending vibrations are present.

Banks, H. T.↗

Structures in Ionospheric Number Density and Velocity Associated with Polar Cap Ionization Patches

Spectral characteristics of polar cap F region irregularities on large density gradients associated with polar ionization patches are studied using in situ measurements made by the Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) spacecraft. The 18 patches studied in this paper were identified by the algorithm introduced by Coley and Heelis, and they were encountered during midnight-noon passes of the spacecraft. Density and velocity spectra associated with these antisunward convecting patches are analyzed in detail. Observations indicate the presence of structure on most patches regardless of the distance between the patch and the cusp where they are believed to develop. Existence of structure on both leading and trailing edges is established when such edges exist. Results, which show no large dependence of Delta N/N power on the sign of the edge gradient del N, do not allow the identification of leading and trailing edges of the patch. The Delta N/N is an increasing function of gradient del N regardless of the sign of the gradient. The correlation between Delta N/N and Delta V is generally poor, but for a given intensity in Delta V, Delta N/N maximizes in regions of large gradients in N. There is evidence for the presence of unstructured patches that seem to co-exist with unstructured horizontal velocities. Slightly smaller spectral indices for trailing edges support the presence of the E X B drift instability. Although this instability is found to be operating in some cases, results suggest that stirring may be a significant contributor to kilometer-size structures in the polar cap.

Kivanc, O.↗

Analysis of Stub Loaded Microstrip Patch Antennas

A microstrip patch antenna fed by a coaxial probe and reactively loaded by a open circuited microstrip line has been used previously to produce circular polarization[ l] and also as a building block for a series fed microstrip patch array [2]. Rectangular and circular patch antennas loaded with a microstrip stub were previously analyzed using the generalized Thevenin theorem [2,3]. In the Thevenin theorem approach, the mutual coupling between the patch current and the surface current on the stub was not taken into account. Also, the Thevenin theorem approach neglects continuity of current at the patch-stub junction. The approach in this present paper includes the coupling between the patch and stub currents as well as continuity at the patch-stub junction.

Bailey, M. C.↗

Temporal Characteristics and Energy Deposition of Pulsating Auroral Patches

We present a careful statistical analysis of pulsating aurora (PA) using all-sky green line (557.7 nm) images obtained at 3.3 Hz. Six well-defined individual PA patches are identified and extracted using a contouring technique. Quantitative parameters such as the patch duration (on-time and off-time), peak intensity, and integrated intensity are determined for each patch and each pulsation. The resulting characteristics serve as strict observational constraints that any of the many competing theories attempting to explain PA must predict. The purpose of this paper is to determine the characteristics of PA patches in order to provide better observational constraints on the suggested mechanisms. All aspects of the temporal behavior of the individual patches appear to be erratic. Historically, PA has been defined very loosely and we argue that the use of the term pulsating is inappropriate since our findings and other published results are not regularly periodic and thus a more appropriate term may be fluctuating aurora. Further, we find that the observational constraints do not fit well with the flow cyclotron maser theory, which in particular is suggested to create PA patches. There is no clear candidate of the suggested mechanisms and drivers to explain the observational constraints set by the PA patches in a satisfactory manner.

Humberset, B. K.↗

Spectral Analysis of Integrated Pressures on Patches with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

This paper describes the spectral analysis of integrated pressures on patches of the scale model of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B crew vehicle with the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) measurements, which were collected in the ascent transient aerodynamics tests with the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11-by-11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in September 2019 at NASA Ames Research Center. Recent research has demonstrated that uPSP can be an essential tool for the assessment of the unsteady, aerodynamic phenomena. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. In this paper, 108 patches are defined with x station values and azimuth angles of the scale model. For each patch, the polygons are determined from the surface cells of the grid of the model, clipped with the edges of the patch, and each of the polygons is divided into triangles. The inputs of the pressure integration algorithm are the time series of pressure coefficients on the vertices of the grid of the model, generated by the uPSP data processing program from the videos taken with 4 Phantom high-speed cameras during the wind tunnel tests. The integrated pressure of the patch is determined as the ratio of the sum of the forces on the triangles over the sum of the areas of the triangles. For each of the test cases, the Cross Power Spectral Density (CPSD) and Magnitude-Squared Coherence (msCohere) are computed for frequencies over 1/3 octave bands from the time series of the integrated pressures on the patches. The spectral analysis outputs of different cases of the wind tunnel tests are analyzed and the coherence of patches is investigated over frequencies, x station values, azimuth angles, Mach numbers and SLS vehicle attitudes. The pressure integration and spectral analysis described in this paper were executed on the NASA Pleiades supercomputer. Funding for this research was provided by the NASA Aeroscience Evaluation and Test Capabilities (AETC) Project.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

Recommendations for Distributed Energy Resource Patching

While computer systems, software applications, and operational technology (OT)/Industrial Control System (ICS) devices are regularly updated through automated and manual processes, there are several unique challenges associated with distributed energy resource (DER) patching. Millions of DER devices from dozens of vendors have been deployed in home, corporate, and utility network environments that may or may not be internet-connected. These devices make up a growing portion of the electric power critical infrastructure system and are expected to operate for decades. During that operational period, it is anticipated that critical and noncritical firmware patches will be regularly created to improve DER functional capabilities or repair security deficiencies in the equipment. The SunSpec/Sandia DER Cybersecurity Workgroup created a Patching Subgroup to investigate appropriate recommendations for the DER patching, holding fortnightly meetings for more than nine months. The group focused on DER equipment, but the observations and recommendations contained in this report also apply to DERMS tools and other OT equipment used in the end-to-end DER communication environment. The group found there were many standards and guides that discuss firmware lifecycles, patch and asset management, and code-signing implementations, but did not singularly cover the needs of the DER industry. This report collates best practices from these standards organizations and establishes a set of best practices that may be used as a basis for future national or international patching guides or standards.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Dual engagement of the nucleosomal acidic patches is essential for deposition of histone H2A.Z by SWR1C

The yeast SWR1C chromatin remodeling enzyme catalyzes the ATP-dependent exchange of nucleosomal histone H2A for the histone variant H2A.Z, a key variant involved in a multitude of nuclear functions. How the 14-subunit SWR1C engages the nucleosomal substrate remains largely unknown. Studies on the ISWI, CHD1, and SWI/SNF families of chromatin remodeling enzymes have demonstrated key roles for the nucleosomal acidic patch for remodeling activity, however a role for this nucleosomal epitope in nucleosome editing by SWR1C has not been tested. Here, we employ a variety of biochemical assays to demonstrate an essential role for the acidic patch in the H2A.Z exchange reaction. Utilizing asymmetrically assembled nucleosomes, we demonstrate that the acidic patches on each face of the nucleosome are required for SWR1C-mediated dimer exchange, suggesting SWR1C engages the nucleosome in a ‘pincer-like’ conformation, engaging both patches simultaneously. Loss of a single acidic patch results in loss of high affinity nucleosome binding and nucleosomal stimulation of ATPase activity. We identify a conserved arginine-rich motif within the Swc5 subunit that binds the acidic patch and is key for dimer exchange activity. In addition, our cryoEM structure of a Swc5–nucleosome complex suggests that promoter proximal, histone H2B ubiquitylation may regulate H2A.Z deposition. Together these findings provide new insights into how SWR1C engages its nucleosomal substrate to promote efficient H2A.Z deposition.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Arbitrarily shaped dual-stacked patch antennas: A hybrid FEM simulation

A dual-stacked patch antenna is analyzed using a hybrid finite element - boundary integral (FE-BI) method. The metallic patches of the antenna are modeled as perfectly electric conducting (PEC) plates stacked on top of two different dielectric layers. The antenna patches may be of any shape and the lower patch is fed by a coaxial cable from underneath the ground plane or by an aperture coupled microstrip line. The ability of the hybrid FEM technique for the stacked patch antenna characterization will be stressed, and the EM coupling mechanism is also discussed with the aid of the computed near field patterns around the patches.

Gong, Jian↗

Intelligent Patching of Conceptual Geometry for CFD Analysis

The iPatch computer code for intelligently patching surface grids was developed to convert conceptual geometry to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) geometry (see figure). It automatically uses bicubic B-splines to extrapolate (if necessary) each surface in a conceptual geometry so that all the independently defined geometric components (such as wing and fuselage) can be intersected to form a watertight CFD geometry. The software also computes the intersection curves of surface patches at any resolution (up to 10.4 accuracy) specified by the user, and it writes the B-spline surface patches, and the corresponding boundary points, for the watertight CFD geometry in the format that can be directly used by the grid generation tool VGRID. iPatch requires that input geometry be in PLOT3D format where each component surface is defined by a rectangular grid {(x(i,j), y(i,j), z(i,j)):1less than or equal to i less than or equal to m, 1 less than or equal to j less than or equal to n} that represents a smooth B-spline surface. All surfaces in the PLOT3D file conceptually represent a watertight geometry of components of an aircraft on the half-space y greater than or equal to 0. Overlapping surfaces are not allowed, but could be fixed by a utility code "fixp3d". The fixp3d utility code first finds the two grid lines on the two surface grids that are closest to each other in Hausdorff distance (a metric to measure the discrepancies of two sets); then uses one of the grid lines as the transition line, extending grid lines on one grid to the other grid to form a merged grid. Any two connecting surfaces shall have a "visually" common boundary curve, or can be described by an intersection relationship defined in a geometry specification file. The intersection of two surfaces can be at a conceptual level. However, the intersection is directional (along either i or j index direction), and each intersecting grid line (or its spine extrapolation) on the first surface should intersect the second surface. No two intersection relationships will result in a common intersection point of three surfaces. The output files of iPatch are IGES, d3m, and mapbc files that define the CFD geometry in VGRID format. The IGES file gives the NURBS definition of the outer mold line in the geometry. The d3m file defines how the outer mold line is broken into surface patches whose boundary curves are defined by points. The mapbc file specifies what the boundary condition is on each patch and the corresponding NURBS surface definition of each non-planar patch in the IGES file.

Li, Wu↗

Suspended-Patch Antenna With Inverted, EM-Coupled Feed

An improved suspended-patch antenna has been designed to operate at a frequency of about 23 GHz with linear polarization and to be one of four identical antennas in a rectangular array. The antenna includes a parasitic patch on top of a suspended dielectric superstrate, an active patch on top of a suspended dielectric substrate, a microstrip on the bottom of the dielectric substrate, and a ground plane. The microstrip, the ground plane, the airgap between them, and the dielectric substrate together constitute a transmission line that has an impedance of 50 Ohm and is electromagnetically (EM) coupled to the active patch. The parasitic patch is, in turn, excited by the active patch. The microstrip feed is characterized as inverted because the microstrip is on the bottom of the substrate, whereas microstrips are usually placed on the tops of dielectric substrates

Simons, Rainee N.↗

Reporting Recommended Patch Density from Vehicle Panel Vibration Convergence Studies using both DAF and TBL Fits of the Spatial Correlation Function

Using the patch method to represent the continuous spatial correlation function of a phased pressure field over a structural surface is an approximation. The approximation approaches the continuous function as patches become smaller. Plotting comparisons of the approximation vs the continuous function may provide insight revealing: (1) For what patch size/density should the approximation be very good? (2) What the approximation looks like when it begins to break down? (3) What the approximation looks like when the patch size is grossly too large. Following these observations with a convergence study using one FEM may allow us to see the importance of patch density. We may develop insights that help us to predict sufficient patch density to provide adequate convergence for the intended purpose frequency range of interest

Smith, Andrew M.↗

A Patch Density Recommendation based on Convergence Studies for Vehicle Panel Vibration Response resulting from Excitation by a Diffuse Acoustic Field

Producing fluid structural interaction estimates of panel vibration from an applied pressure field excitation are quite dependent on the spatial correlation of the pressure field. There is a danger of either over estimating a low frequency response or under predicting broad band panel response in the more modally dense bands if the pressure field spatial correlation is not accounted for adequately. It is a useful practice to simulate the spatial correlation of the applied pressure field over a 2d surface using a matrix of small patch area regions on a finite element model (FEM). Use of a fitted function for the spatial correlation between patch centers can result in an error if the choice of patch density is not fine enough to represent the more continuous spatial correlation function throughout the intended frequency range of interest. Several patch density assumptions to approximate the fitted spatial correlation function are first evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative illustrations. The actual response of a typical vehicle panel system FEM is then examined in a convergence study where the patch density assumptions are varied over the same model. The convergence study results illustrate the impacts possible from a poor choice of patch density on the analytical response estimate. The fitted correlation function used in this study represents a diffuse acoustic field (DAF) excitation of the panel to produce vibration response.

Smith, Andrew↗

Spectral Analysis of Integrated Pressures on Patches with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

This paper describes the spectral analysis of integrated pressures on patches of the scale model of the Space Launch System Block 1 cargo vehicle with the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint measurements, which were collected in the ascent transient aerodynamics test with the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11-by-11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in September 2019 at NASA Ames Research Center. The patches are defined with x station values, indicating the position along length of the vehicle, and azimuth angles of the scale model. For each patch, the polygons are determined from the surface cells of the grid of the model, clipped with the edges of the patch, and each of the polygons is divided into triangles. The integrated pressure of the patch is determined as the ratio of the sum of the forces on the triangles over the sum of the areas of the triangles. For each run of the test, the cross power spectral density and magnitude squared coherence are computed from the time series of the integrated pressures on the patches. The results of pressure integration and spectral analysis are presented, and the data consistency of the test is demonstrated. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding for this research was provided by the NASA Aeroscience Evaluation and Test Capabilities Project.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

Spectral Analysis of Integrated Pressures on Patches with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

The technique of Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) is commonly used in the aerospace industry to measure surface pressures on the model of launch vehicles and airplanes in the wind tunnel test. Recent research has demonstrated that Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) can be an essential tool for the assessment of the unsteady, aerodynamic phenomena. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. This paper describes the spectral analysis of integrated pressures on patches of the scale model of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 cargo vehicle with the uPSP measurements, which were collected in the Ascent Transient Aerodynamics Test (ATAT) with the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11-by-11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in September 2019 at NASA Ames Research Center. The patches are defined with x station values, indicating the position along length of the SLS vehicle, and azimuth angles of the scale model. For each patch, the polygons are determined from the surface cells of the grid of the model, clipped with the edges of the patch, and each of the polygons is divided into triangles. The integrated pressure of the patch is determined as the ratio of the sum of the forces on the triangles over the sum of the areas of the triangles. For each run of the test, the Cross Power Spectral Density (CPSD) and magnitude squared coherence are computed from the time series of the integrated pressures on the patches. The pressure integration is coded in C++ and the spectral analysis is coded in MATLAB. The results were generated with the execution of the compiled C++ and MATLAB codes in parallel on the NASA Pleiades supercomputer. The results of pressure integration and spectral analysis are presented in this paper, and the data consistency of the test is also demonstrated. Funding for this research was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Project.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

F layer ionization patches in the polar cap

Ground-based optical and digital ionosonde measurements were conducted at Thule, Greenland to measure ionospheric structure and dynamics in the nighttime polar cap F layer. These observations showed the existence of large-scale (800-1000 km) plasma patches drifting in the antisunward direction during a moderately disturbed (Kp greater than or equal to 4) period. Simultaneous Dynamics Explorer (DE-B) low-altitude plasma instrument (LAPI) measurements show that these patches with peak densities of about 10 to the 6th el per cu cm are not locally produced by structured particle precipitation. The LAPI measurements show a uniform precipitation of polar rain electrons over the polar cap. The combined measurements provide a comprehensive description of patch structure and dynamics. They are produced near or equatorward of the dayside auroral zone and convect across the polar cap in the antisunward direction. Gradients within the large scale, drifting patches are subject to structuring by convective instabilities. UHF scintillation and spaced receiver measurements are used to map the resulting irregularity distribution within the patches.

Weber, E. J.↗