Natural rubber compounds reinforced with two different carbon blacks (N134 and N330) at various concentrations were characterized using very broadband dielectric spectroscopy from around 0.1 Hz to 0.3 THz using four different impedance and network analysis technologies. Percolation behavior was observed when the testing electrical frequency was below a certain range, which can be linked to the presence of percolated carbon black networks. When above a critical frequency level, the real part of AC conductivity or the permittivity tended to have a simple exponential relationship with the volume fraction of carbon black rather than a percolation-like behavior with the carbon black volume fraction and was no longer sensitive to carbon black networks. The AC conductivity derived via complex impedance was also strongly influenced by the choice of calculation model when the material was around or below the percolation threshold.

Ceramic/polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites show a wide range of applications and have attracted extensive interest in the scientific community due to their outstanding dielectric and mechanical characteristics. However, the interface connection between the ceramic and PEEK is a vital issue that must be addressed to improve their physical and electrical properties. In this work, the polyethersulfone resin (PES) was selected as interface modifier between barium strontium titanate (Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3, BST) and PEEK. Cold-pressing sintering was used to create BST/PEEK materials with superior dielectric frequency stability and dielectric tunability. The effects of PES content on the morphology and dielectric characteristics of PES modified BST/PEEK materials were investigated. The results showed PES could improve the dispersion of BST particles in polymer. The dielectric constant, dielectric tunability, and breakdown strength increased first, then reduced as PES content increased. The composite had the most homogeneous microstructure and the best dielectric properties when the PES content was 7.5vol%. The frequency dispersion factor F(x) was much smaller than that of other ceramic/polymer composites reported. In addition, the dielectric tunability of the composites could reach a relatively high level (34.18%) while the dielectric constant was as low as 14. The dielectric tunable efficiency (TuE) was proposed to evaluate the property of low dielectric constant and high dielectric tunability under DC bias. The TuE of PES modified BST/PEEK composites show the highest value comparing with reported dielectric tunable composites. This research laid the path for the development of a novel ceramic/polymer composite with good interface bonding and high dielectric tunability.

One of most important things now is to create smart street and smart lighting system to save enormous electrical energy. Especially Iraq is suffering shortage of electrical energy generation up to 45%. Because of this, Iraq needs to save a lot of electrical energy in the entire country so as to meet the electrical demand and reduce the large amount of CO2 emission. However, this work presents a very unique and economic control lighting system (CLS) for main streets and sidewalks, which can control the lighting system to give sufficient illumination to the drivers and the pedestrians simultaneously. And at the same time, the CLS system can reduce a lot of electrical energy consumption and the CO2 emissions together. However, by using these smart systems with the exciting illumination source in the streets, the CLS can minimize the electrical energy consumed for the lighting at the main roads and the footpath by about 60% and can use the surplus energies to fill the shortage of electricity in the country. Also, this system will increase the lifetime of the lighting system which means further decrease in cost. Finally, this work presents new type of illumination source, high-intensity discharge (HID), which can reduce the electrical consumption much more by up to 90%, when using the CLS with HID.

The magneto-optical and dielectric behaviour of M-type hexaferrites as permanent magnets in the THz band are essential for potential applications like microwave absorbers and antennas, while are rarely reported recent years. In this work, single-phase SrFe12-xNbxO19 hexaferrite ceramics were prepared by conventional solid state sintering method. Temperature-dependent of dielectric parameters were investigated here to search the relationship between dielectric response and magnetic phase transition. The saturated magnetization increases by nearly 12% while the coercive field decreases by 30% in the x = 0.03 composition compared to that of the x = 0.00 sample. Besides, Nb substitution improves the magneto-optical behaviour in the THz band by comparing the Faraday rotation parameter from 0.75 (x = 0.00) to 1.30 (x = 0.03). The changes in the magnetic properties are explained by a composition-driven increase of the net magnetic moment and enhanced ferromagnetic exchange coupling. The substitution of donor dopant Nb on the Fe site is a feasible way to obtain multifunctional M-type hexaferrites, as preferred candidates for permanent magnets, sensors and other electronic devices.

Classification of data finds applications in various engineering and scientific problems. When real-time operation is desired, hardware solutions tend to be more amenable as compared to algorithmic/heuristic solutions. This paper presents a novel current-mode dual-threshold neuron designed and implemented at 32nm CMOS technology node. Subsequently, a current-mode double-threshold classifier is presented which is capable of classifying input patterns of non-linearly separable problems. Thereafter, application of the current-mode dual-threshold neuron in the realization of the XOR function using only a single neural unit is discussed. The proposed neuron as well as both the applications discussed are capable of operating from sub-1V power supplies. Computer simulations using HSPICE yield promising results with the values of delay and power consumption estimated to be lower than existing circuits.

Cell-free large-scale multi-user MIMO is a promising technology for the 5G-and-beyond mobile communication networks. Scalable signal processing is the key challenge in achieving the benefits of cell-free systems. This study examines a distributed approach for cell-free deployment with user-centric configuration and finite fronthaul capacity. Moreover, the impact of scaling the pilot length, the number of access points (APs), and the number of antennas per AP on the achievable average spectral efficiency are investigated. Using the dynamic cooperative clustering (DCC) technique and large-scale fading decoding process, we derive an approximation of the signal-tointerference-plus-noise ratio in the criteria of two local combining schemes: Local-Partial Regularized Zero Forcing (RZF) and Local Maximum Ratio (MR). The results indicate that distributed approaches in the cell-free system have the advantage of decreasing the fronthaul signaling and the computing complexity. The results also show that the Local-Partial RZF provides the highest average spectral efficiency among all the distributed combining schemes because the computational complexity of the Local-Partial RZF is independent of the UTs. Therefore, it does not grow as the number of user terminals (UTs) increases.

5G and forthcoming 6G communication systems require dielectric ceramics with low relative permittivity (εr) and near-zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) for the lower part of the microwave (MW) band and at sub-Terahertz. Mg2Al4Si5O18 (MAS) ceramics are promising candidates due to their low εr (~6) and high-quality factor (Q×f >40,000 GHz) but have a large f. In this study, 5.5wt% TiO2 (MAS-T5.5) was used to adjust τf of MAS to -2.8 ppm/℃ whilst retaining low εr (5.24) and good Q×f (33,400 GHz), properties consistent with those obtained by infrared reflectance. A demonstrator microstrip patch antenna with gain 4.92dBi and 76.3% efficiency was fabricated from MAS-T5.5.

The aim of this programme of studies is to research and develop electrical Rim Driven Fan (RDF) technology for high-speed aircraft propulsion and to provide knowledge to support Society’s efforts to combat climate change using zero-emission technologies. The objectives were to conduct research into the state-of-the-art of aircraft electrical propulsion, to estimate the performance of single and dual stage contra-rotating fans over a range of diameters, to provide a methodology to enable the aerodynamic design and detailed Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analyses of small contra-rotating fans and to create a conceptual design for an RDF device suitable to power an unmanned aircraft. In completing this work, literature reviews were carried out on electrically powered propulsion for aircraft, electrical motor technologies and rim drive technology for aircraft propulsion. Original research was undertaken in the form of aerodynamic analyses, using derived numerical and CFD techniques, to determine the optimum performance of single and dual stage (contrarotating) rim driven fans for high-speed electric aircraft applications. Original research was also undertaken in the form of electrical analyses using Motor-CAD finite element software to analyse the feasibility of novel rim-drive concepts such as slotless stator designs, aluminium windings and iron-less rotors with Halbach magnet arrays in an RDF context. The results of these studies have contributed new knowledge that has been peer-reviewed and internationally published. An original RDF design concept, suitable to power an unmanned aircraft, was devised and a UK patent application filed. The main findings of this work are that RDF technology offers a viable means of high-speed aircraft propulsion with a dual-stage contrarotating, air-cooled fan arrangement. That optimum RDF power density is achieved with slotless windings and iron-less rotors configured with Halbach magnet arrays which reduce their rotating mass. These findings have enabled a feasible novel RDF design to be created which is a significant contribution in the field of electrical aircraft propulsion. The results of this work also contribute the significant new knowledge that dual stage contra-rotating RDF configurations provide the potential for an increase in thrust per frontal area, and higher exhaust-air velocities, when compared with existing hub-driven fan technologies. This work has established a novel fan design technique, that can be used by technologists to analyse and design future electrical fan concepts, and offers a significant contribution towards Society’s efforts to combat climate change with zero-emission technologies. Opportunities for further areas of study in this field are in the analyses of large diameter high thrust versions of RDFs suitable for large manned aircraft and hovercraft applications.

ZrO2 based ceramics are widely used in biomedical applications due to its colour, biocompatibility, and excellent mechanical properties. However, low temperature degradation (LTD) introduces a potential risk for long-term reliability of these materials. The development of innovative non-destructive techniques, which can explore LTD in zirconia-derived compounds, is strongly required. Yttria stabilised zirconia, 3Y-TZP, is one of the well-developed ZrO2 based ceramics with the improved resistance to LTD for dental crown and implant applications. Here, 3Y-TZP ceramic powders were pressed and sintered to study the LTD phenomenon by phase transition behaviour. The LTD driven tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transition was confirmed by XRD. XPS analysis demonstrated the LTD induced the reduction of oxygen vacancies to support these findings. It is proved that after the degradation the 3Y-TZP ceramics show the decreased dielectric permittivity at terahertz frequencies due to the crystallographic phase transformation. Terahertz non-destructive probe is a promising method to investigate LTD in zirconia ceramics.

Millimeter wave technologies have widespread applications, for which dielectric permittivity is a fundamental parameter. The non-resonant free-space measurement techniques for dielectric permittivity using vector network analysis in the millimeter wave range are reviewed. An introductory look at the applications, significance, and properties of dielectric permittivity in the millimeter wave range is addressed first. The principal aspects of free-space millimeter wave measurement methods are then discussed, by assessing a variety of systems, theoretical models, extraction algorithms and calibration methods. In addition to conventional solid dielectric materials, the measurement of artificial metamaterials, liquid, and gaseous-phased samples are separately investigated. The pros of free-space material extraction methods are then compared with resonance and transmission line methods, and their future perspective is presented in the concluding part.