Projektet beskriver ett tillvägagångssätt för att alstra energi genom solceller och piezoelektronik. Ett kretskortsbaserat system designades som utnyttjade superkondensatorer som lagringsenhet. Planen var att integrera systemet i en sko. Genom denna teknik kan man då substituera eller minimera batteriladdningen för smarta enheter eller mindre anordningar. Det önskvärda resultatet med projektet var att se om det gick att koppla detta system till en mikrokontroller som kunde drivas på låg spänning. Rapporten fick ett positivt resultat med en konstant utspänning på 1.8 volt som kunde driva en mikrokontroller. Dock tog det lång tid för superkondensatorerna att laddas upp på grund av den impedans som fanns i systemet. Aktiviteter som utnyttjar detta system kommer att påverka uppladdningens resultat. Detta gör kretsen optimal för aktiviteter som involverar rörelse och sol, såsom hiking. / The past couple of decades gave rise to smartphones, smart watches, and smart homes. Now researchers are looking for ways to make smart clothing. One use case of smart clothing is smart shoes which can give some very useful sensed information especially in the sports industry and healthcare. Such sensed data include temperature, distance and calories, fall detection and many more. This application scenario can be designed to be battery free if we make use of the human motion and solar power. Many research papers exist which present how to exploit swing and shock excitations from the shoes to harvest energy. In this project this energy combined with solar energy will be used to power a low driven MCU. I design a pcb which include solar panels and piezoelectric modules to store the energy in supercapacitors. The goal is to integrate this pcb in a shoe, meaning that it has to have a small size and low power. The results of the project showed that a constant voltage at 1.8 volt could be achieved however recharge time is a factor to take into consideration. The system showed positive results for activities including movements and sun such as hiking.

PCBs are recalcitrant compounds of no known natural origin that persist in the environment despite their ban by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1979 due to negative health effects. Transport of PCBs from elastic sealants into concrete, brick, and granite structures has resulted in the need for a technology capable of removing these PCBs from the materials. This research investigated the use of a nonmetal treatment system (NMTS) and an activated metal treatment system (AMTS) for the remediation and degradation of PCBs from concrete, brick, and granite affixed with PCB-laden caulking. The adsorption of PCBs onto the components of concrete and the feasibility of ethanol washing were also investigated. NMTS is a sorbent paste containing ethanol, acetic acid, and fillers that was developed at the University of Central Florida Environmental Chemistry Laboratory for the in situ remediation of PCBs. Combining NMTS with magnesium results in an activated treatment system used for reductive dechlorination of PCBs. NMTS was applied to laboratory-prepared concrete as well as field samples by direct contact as well as by a novel sock-type delivery. The remediation of PCBs from field samples using NMTS and AMTS resulted in a 33-98% reduction for concrete, a 65-70% reduction for brick, and an 89% reduction in PCB concentration for granite. The limit of NMTS for absorption of Aroclor 1254 was found to be roughly 22,000 mg Aroclor 1254 per kg of treatment system or greater. The activated treatment system resulted in a 94% or greater degradation of PCBs after seven days with the majority of degradation occurring in the first 24 hours. The adsorption of PCBs to individual concrete components (hydrated cement, sand, crushed limestone, and crushed granite) was found to follow the Freundlich isotherm model with greater adsorption to crushed limestone and crushed granite compared to hydrated cement and iv sand. Ethanol washing was shown to decrease the concentration of laboratory-prepared concrete by 68% and the concentration of PCBs in the ethanol wash were reduced by 77% via degradation with an activated magnesium system.

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are a ubiquitous element of virtually every electronic system manufactured world-wide. It is not a stretch of the imagination to say that if it’s electronic, there is a PCB in it. PCBs are necessary tools for electronics work, and tools need to have instructions. For better or worse, PCB knowledge is a deep and wide ocean. There is much to cover for even a surface level understanding, and there are deep areas rich in technical expertise. Navigating the ocean of knowledge is treacherous; common knowledge of yore can be downright dubious now. PCB manufacturing and electronics as a whole have seen incredible developments in the past few decades, and knowledge once true may be outdated. At the same time there is a downpour of new techniques to use and challenges to face. The storm of information deepens the sea and can make it seem impossible to get anywhere without getting utterly lost. There are islands of knowledge out there hiding in books and papers and websites, but no guide to get anywhere. This thesis aims to guide the reader through the sea of information and provides a map that charts the shallows of beginner knowledge, into the deep depths of advanced design, of how and where to learn more. This thesis serves as an aiding means through the exciting and vast world of PCB design and layout.

This thesis describes the development of an autonomous recovery system for stratospheric balloons, focusing on the novel pressurised balloon prototype BALMAN of CNES. Stratospheric balloons, reaching altitudes of up to 40 km, are utilised for scientific experiments, with recovery of payloads being a critical aspect. While traditional recovery methods involve separating the balloon envelope and deploying a parachute, BALMAN's parachute will be deployed in free fall. The proposed autonomous system comprises decision-making and electronics components. The decision-making segment employs microcontrollers and environmental sensors to recognise the balloon's descent, triggering the release decision. The electronics section, responsible for providing energy to a pyro cutter, is designed with electrical switches and capacitors. Thermal simulations guide the placement of heaters, maintaining system temperature within operational limits. The final prototype, tested for functionality on-ground, exhibits a measured energy release of 24 mJ, double the requirement for pyro cutter activation. However, environmental and flight testing remain pending. The system's potential applications extend beyond BALMAN, offering a standardised autonomous recovery solution for various balloons. This innovation promises enhanced landing accuracy, obviates the need for telecommunication in recovery, and facilitates payload descent deceleration. Future endeavors involve comprehensive testing and potential integration into BALMAN missions, showcasing the system's adaptability and operational simplicity across diverse stratospheric endeavors.

The advent of smarter vehicles coupled with declining costs for solid-state light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors unlocks the potential of cheaper devices that experience less mechanical wear while providing smaller form factors. The early state of the market makes evaluating the limited supply of available sensors interesting. This thesis investigated the possibility of creating a wireless distance measurement system, at relatively low cost, using a commercially available solid-state LiDAR sensor. A complete prototype was designed using a LeddarTech VU8 sensor. The system was fully integrated with a power supply PCB and a 3D printed enclosure. Distance data could be wirelessly transferred via Bluetooth using a Raspberry Pi 4 B. A graphical user interface (GUI) was developed to display distance data and to interact with the system in real-time. The system intends to provide a foundation for future work.

[pt] O aumento do consumo de eletroeletrônicos e o desenvolvimento da tecnologia, proporcionou o surgimento de uma gama de produtos com diferentes funcionalidades, cada vez mais complexos e menores. As placas de circuito impresso (PCIs) são consideradas a parte principal dos dispositivos eletrônicos, sendo o cobre o seu componente elementar. O desenho e espessura das trilhas do circuito são determinantes para caracterizar a passagem de corrente elétrica nos equipamentos eletroeletrônicos e seu funcionamento está diretamente ligado a qualidade da confecção das trilhas do circuito. Este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar o processo de lixiviação do cobre, mediante a reação do ácido clorídrico, cloreto de cobre II e fluxo de ar. Além de investigar as condições experimentais ótimas do processo, que tem como principal característica a possibilidade de regeneração e reutilização da solução. Modelos para avaliar o efeito da concentração de ácido e fluxo de ar na corrosão das placas de circuito impresso foram desenvolvidos através da aplicação do planejamento experimental (pelo método clássico e por algoritmo genéticos em modelos polinomiais) e redes neurais artificiais. Visando encontrar as melhores condições experimentais para o sistema proposto, além de investigar a melhor técnica de predição do mesmo. Os resultados obtidos pelas previsões foram comparados com os resultados experimentais reais. As modelagens foram comparadas pela análise dos coeficientes de correlação (R2) e índices de erro (SSE, MSE e RMSE). Constatando-se que o modelo polinomial foi o mais adequado para prever a resposta. Através da investigação da superfície de resposta e curvas de contorno, foram identificadas as condições otimizadas para o processo. Das quais as concentrações ótimas de ácido clorídrico, cloreto de cobre II e fluxo de ar foram 1 mol.L-1, 0.3 mol.L-1 e 0.5 L/ min, respectivamente. / [en] The increased consumption of consumer electronics and the development of technology has led to the emergence of a range of products with different features, increasingly complex and smaller. Printed circuit boards (PCIs) are considered the main part of electronic devices, with copper being their elementary component. The design and thickness of the circuit tracks are crucial to characterize the passage of electric current in electronic equipment and its operation is directly linked to the quality of the circuit tracks. This work aims to study the copper leaching process through the reaction of hydrochloric acid, copper chloride II and airflow. In addition to investigating the optimal experimental conditions of the process, which has as its main feature the possibility of regeneration and reuse of the solution. Models to evaluate the effect of acid concentration and airflow on PCB corrosion were developed by applying experimental design (by the classical method and by the genetic algorithm in polynomial models) and artificial neural networks. Aiming to find the best experimental conditions for the proposed system, besides investigating the best prediction technique. The results obtained by the predictions were compared with the actual experimental results. The modeling was compared by analysis of correlation coefficients (R2) and error indices (SSE, MSE, and RMSE). Noting that the polynomial model was the most appropriate to predict the response. Through investigation of the response surface and contour curves, the optimized conditions for the process were identified. Of which the optimal concentrations of hydrochloric acid, copper chloride II and airflow were 1 mol.L-1, 0.3 mol.L-1 and 0.5 L / min, respectively.

In cancer research, studies on cells are often done in 2D, grown on plates which are not realistic. Therefore, a specialized system is being designed to build 3D cell structures. This system requires a fitting amplifier that is of low cost and changeable gain. The aim of this project was to design, simulate and build a custom amplifier circuit card, PCB, to be used in creating such an amplifier. At the end of the project the custom amplifier PCB should be connected with components such as power supply and should be able to take the place of the current one. The amplifier circuit was designed, and the simulations were tested, a finished design was created. Due to shortage of electronic components, the main IC component could not be acquired and hence a finished circuit could not be built. / Inom cancerforskning görs studier ofta på celler i 2D strukturer, plattor och detta är inte realistiskt. Därför utvecklas det ett nytt sätt att bygga cellstrukturer i 3D. Detta system kräver en anpassad förstärkare av låg kostnad och anpassningsbar förstärkning. Syftet med detta projekt var att bygga ett förstärkarkretskort. Inom metoden gjordes simulering, tester och utveckling av en krets samt bygge av ett förstärkarkretskort. Detta kort skulle kopplas till andra komponenter som nätaggregat och moderkort för att ersätta den nuvarande förstärkare. Simulering och design av krets gjordes men ett färdigt kort kunde inte testas på grund av leveransproblem av elektriska komponenter.

Sensors have been an integral part of our life since a long time. Traditionally, the transmit information to a data collection center through a physical wire. However, with the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication protocol, more research is being done into the field of wireless sensor networks (WSN). BLE was introduced to target low power applications. The CC2650 Launchpad designed by Texas Instruments (TI) can lead to a bulky final product. The aim was to design hardware for the CC2650 micro-controller with the aim of making it more compact for use in WSNs. A top-down approach was used wherein the available product is studied to identify the redundant and reverse engineer it to design a new product. A 2 layer printed circuit board (PCB) was designed which resulted in a 64 percent decrease in size compared to the Launchpad. Also, experiments were performed to test the proof of concept.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of advancements in artificial intelligence, especially in language models. These models have become essential in aiding and providing information for various tasks. This study explores five proprietary and open-source large language models (LLMs) and examines their reliability and accuracy in selecting parts and constructing connections of ten circuit design tasks from our benchmark. During our investigations, we assessed that the default textual outputs from these LLMs could lead to ambiguous responses that are either too general or open to multiple interpretations. To enhance clarity, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based pipeline that translates responses from LLMs into netlists, eliminating the need for further training or fine-tuning. Our study aims to highlight the reliability and accuracy of the default responses, develop a solution that provides a more explicit netlist description, and compare default and netlist outputs.

Rising fuel costs and concerns about air pollution have significantly increased interest in electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are equipped with rechargeable batteries that can be fully recharged by connecting to an external electrical source. However, the wider adoption of EVs is hindered by the need for an on-board charger system that is both lightweight and efficient. EVs utilize two main charging methods: on-board chargers (OBC) for regular charging and off-board (fast) chargers for quick refills of battery pack. Most EVs currently use 400V battery packs paired with 6.6kW or 11kW OBCs, while larger vehicles with over 100 kWh battery packs employ 16.5kW or 19.2kW OBCs, constrained by household voltage and current limits. Some manufacturers are transitioning to 800V battery packs to lower costs and enhance fast charging capabilities, necessitating the development of 800V OBCs with high efficiency and power density. For household use, EVs can charge via OBC in a grid-to-vehicle transfer and can supply energy back to the home or grid (vehicle-to-grid) for emergency use or to support smart grid functionalities, requiring bidirectional OBCs. Advanced power semiconductor devices have been instrumental in advancing power conversion technology. The introduction of power semiconductor devices based on wide bandgap (WBG) materials marks a revolutionary shift, offering potential improvements over silicon-based devices. These WBG devices are capable of achieving higher efficiency, and higher power density in power conversion at higher operation frequency. Elevating the switching frequency diminishes the voltage-second across the transformer, facilitating the utilization of printed-circuit-board (PCB) technology for the windings as opposed to Litz wire implementations. Compared to traditional Litz wire-based transformers, the manufacturing process is significantly streamlined, and the management of parasitic is considerably more straightforward. Furthermore, the integration of resonant inductors with PCB-based transformer results in a reduction in the overall number of magnetic components and improved power density. This dissertation focuses on the DC/DC conversion stage of a bi-directional battery charger. It aims to achieve high power density and high efficiency using a PCB-based integrated transformer, enhancing manufacturing processes. The dissertation details the specific accomplishments in this area: Firstly, a two-stage on-board charger structure for 800 V battery EVs is proposed. The first stage is a four-phase bridgeless totem pole AC/DC converter working at critical conduction mode (CRM) so that soft switching can be achieved for all the fast switches. The second stage is single phase CLLC (1PCLLC) converter which is attractive due to its less component counts of devices and driver circuits. A novel matrix integrated transformer with controllable built-in leakage inductance for bi-directional 1PCLLC converter was proposed. Integrating three UI-core-based (1UI-based) elemental transformers with non-perfectly interleaved winding structures into one 3UI-based integrated transformer can reduce the core loss significantly with a smaller footprint compared with three EI-core-based integrated transformers. The proposed integrated magnetics can be scalable for higher voltage and higher power converters by assembling more 1UI-based elemental transformers. A SiC-based 1PCLLC converter prototype operating at 250-kHz switching frequency for 11-kW OBC applications was built with the proposed integrated transformer, and it can achieve a power density of 250 W/in3 with maximum efficiency of 98.4%. Secondly, the challenge of increased common mode (CM) noise after adopting PCB-based windings in the design was discussed. The inter-winding capacitors between the primary and secondary windings act as a conduction path for high dv/dt CM noise, which can lead to electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues. To address this, a winding cancellation method for an integrated matrix transformer in a 1PCLLC converter was proposed and validated. This approach was tested in an 11-kW 1PCLLC converter. The EMI measurement results align with the analysis, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method, which achieved a reduction in CM noise by 17dB. Furthermore, the 1PCLLC converter, incorporating the proposed planar matrix integrated transformer and winding cancellation technique, attained a power density of 420 W/in³ and a peak efficiency of 98.5%. Thirdly, to enhance efficiency further, the 1PCLLC converter is substituted with the proposed three-phase CLLC (3PCLLC) resonant converter equipped with three-phase rectifiers. The 3PCLLC converter becomes more promising for high power applications as its lower RMS current stress and automatic current sharing capabilities. It can achieve soft switching under all conditions. In addition, due to the symmetrical resonant tank, it is more suitable for bi-directional operation. Variable DC-link voltage is adopted so that the DC/DC stage can always work at its optimized point, providing best efficiency for the entire battery voltage. An improved core structure for the three-phase integrated transformer was proposed to reduce the core loss and simplify the magnetic components by integrating three primary resonant inductors, three secondary resonant inductors and three transformers into one magnetic component. A systematic method of converter design which includes the design of integrated transformer, converter loss optimization was adopted to design an 11kW 3PCLLC resonant converter. A SiC-based 3PCLLC converter prototype operating at 250-kHz switching frequency for 11-kW OBC applications was built with the proposed integrated transformer, and it can achieve a power density of 330 W/in3 with peak efficiency of 98.7%. Fourthly, the power level of OBC continues to increase to make up the large capacitance battery pack inside the EVs to relief the concern of mileage range. To address this challenge of higher power, a scalable matrix integrated transformer for multi-phase CLLC converter was proposed. A universal method of integrating magnetizing inductance with built-in leakage inductance based on multiple perfectly coupled transformers (PCTs). The integration of built-in leakage inductance can be achieved by connecting several PCTs using a standardized core type for cost considerations or can be further integrated into a customized core with interleaved magnetomotive force polarities across transformer legs to achieve better flux distribution and smaller core loss. The proposed concept can be applied to single-input single-output, and multiple-inputs multiple-outputs integrated transformer applications. A 3x3 PCTs-based integrated transformer built with PCB windings was designed for a 3PCLLC resonant converter, which integrates three primary resonant inductors, three secondary resonant inductors, and three transformers into one magnetic core to simplify the complexity of the converter. The effectiveness of the proposed concept was demonstrated through a high-efficiency, high-power density 3PCLLC DC/DC converter for an 800V 16.5kW OBC. The designed converter can achieve a power density of 500 W/in3 and a peak efficiency of 98.8%. / Doctor of Philosophy / Rising fuel costs and concerns about air pollution have significantly increased interest in electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are equipped with rechargeable batteries that can be fully recharged by connecting to an external electrical source. However, the wider adoption of EVs is hindered by the need for an on-board charger system that is both lightweight and efficient. The dissertation presents advances in OBC technology to address these challenges, focusing on the development of efficient, high-power density OBCs suitable for various EV applications. EVs utilize two main charging methods: on-board chargers (OBC) for regular charging and off-board (fast) chargers for quick refills of battery pack. Most EVs currently use 400V battery packs paired with 6.6kW or 11kW OBCs, while larger vehicles with over 100 kWh battery packs employ 16.5kW or 19.2kW OBCs, constrained by household voltage and current limits. Some manufacturers are transitioning to 800V battery packs to lower costs and enhance fast charging capabilities, necessitating the development of 800V OBCs with high efficiency and power density. For household use, EVs can charge via OBC in a grid-to-vehicle transfer and can supply energy back to the home or grid (vehicle-to-grid) for emergency use or to support smart grid functionalities, requiring bidirectional OBCs. Advanced power semiconductor devices have been instrumental in advancing power conversion technology. The introduction of power semiconductor devices based on wide bandgap (WBG) materials marks a revolutionary shift, offering potential improvements over silicon-based devices. These WBG devices are capable of achieving higher efficiency, and higher power density in power conversion at higher operation frequency. Elevating the switching frequency diminishes the voltage-second across the transformer, facilitating the utilization of printed circuit board (PCB) technology for the windings as opposed to Litz wire implementations. Compared to traditional Litz wire-based transformers, the manufacturing process is significantly streamlined, and the management of parasitic is considerably more straightforward. Furthermore, the integration of resonant inductors with PCB-based transformer results in a reduction in the overall number of magnetic components and improved power density. Addressing cost concerns, a novel, cost-effective single-phase converter design was proposed, achieving high efficiency with integrated magnetics. Additionally, the research tackled the challenge of electromagnetic interference (EMI) through a winding cancellation technique, significantly reducing common-mode noise and further improving the converter's performance. The research introduces an improved core structure for a three-phase integrated transformer, significantly reducing core loss and simplifying the design by combining multiple components into a single unit. This approach facilitated the creation of a high-efficiency, SiC-based converter prototype, demonstrating remarkable power density and peak efficiency compared with state-of-the-art solutions. To accommodate the increasing power requirements of OBCs, a scalable, matrix integrated transformer design was developed for multi-phase converters, optimizing cost and performance. This design simplifies the converter architecture, enhancing efficiency and power density, and is adaptable to both single and multiple output applications. These advancements offer promising solutions to the challenges hindering the wider adoption of EVs. The dissertation underscores the potential of advanced power conversion technologies, including the application of WBG devices, integrated magnetics to streamline converter design and enhance both the efficiency and power density of battery chargers.