Thesis (PhD (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa and Australia are now the two remaining countries bidding for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the biggest and most sensitive project ever undertaken in radio astronomy. The South African SKA is demonstrating its technology capabilities through the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT or MeerKAT). The development of KAT is taking place in stages to optimise design and minimise risks at each stage. An array of seven 12 m antennas will be complete by the end of 2009, called KAT-7. The following phase will see the construction of MeerKAT, which will lead to eighty arrayed dishes. Lightning and RFI studies for KAT-7 are the focus of this dissertation. Due to the extent and complexity of the South African demonstrator project, these studies have largely been conducted on a single structure. Parameters for the dish antenna and pedestal design changed throughout their development. To be effective, the doctoral research had to track these changes appropriately. A Method of Moments frequency domain computational electromagnetic code, FEKO, is used throughout the study. The consequences of direct and indirect lightning strikes are examined for the KAT-7 structure. Important FEKO model verification is achieved through measurement of physical scale models in an anechoic chamber. The microwave simulation code, CST, gives direct comparison of FEKO results by using a finite volume time domain method of calculation. Using frequency domain analysis on these models, the lightning down conductor design over the dish antenna bearings is optimised with cost-effectiveness as one driving parameter. RFI coupling levels for different designs are compared to each other to identify areas requiring RFI mitigation. Analysis of resonances enables evaluation of the mitigation at frequencies sensitive to radio astronomy. A Sommerfeld integral ground plane is used together with the computational model to investigate the use of the concrete foundation steel reinforcing as part of the lightning earthing electrode system. Different interconnections of the steel reinforcing elements are critically evaluated. The KAT-7 design incorporated clear lightning protection and RFI mitigation policies derived from recommendations contained within this dissertation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika en Australie is nou die oorblywende twee lande wat bie vir die Vierkante Kilometer Reeks (SKA), die grootste en mees sensitiewe projek nog ooit in radio astronomie onderneem. Die Suid Afrikaanse SKA demonstreer sy tegnologiese bekwaamheid met die Karoo Reeks Teleskoop (KAT of MeerKAT). Die ontwikkeling van KAT vind plaas in fases om die ontwerp te optimaliseer en risikos te minimaliseer met elke fase. ’n Reeks van sewe 12 m antennas, genaamd KAT-7, sal teen die einde van 2009 klaar wees. Die volgende fase behels die konstruksie van MeerKAT, wat sal lei tot ’n tagtig-skottel reeks. Die fokus van hierdie proefskrif hanteer weerlig en radiofrekwensie steurings (RFS) vir KAT-7. As gevolg van die omvang en kompleksiteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse demonstreerder projek, is die studies hoofsaaklik op een struktuur gedoen. Parameters vir die antenna-skottel en -voetstuk ontwerp het met hul ontwikkeling deurgaans verander. Om effektief te wees, moes die doktorale navorsing hierdie veranderinge toepaslik volg. ’n Metode-van-Momente frekwensiedomein rekenaar elektromagnetiese kode, FEKO, is deurgaans met die studie gebruik. Die gevolge van direkte en indirekte weerligslae vir die KAT-7 struktuur is ondersoek. Belangrike FEKO model bevestiging is bereik met metings van skaalmodelle in ’n anego¨ıse kamer. Die mikrogolf-simulasie kode, CST, gee ’n direkte vergelyking met die FEKO resultate deur ’n eindige-volume-tyd-domein metode van berekening te gebruik. Met behulp van frekwensiedomein analise van hierdie modelle, is die weerligafleierontwerp oor die antenna-skottel laers ge-optimaliseer, met koste-effektiwiteit as een van die drywingsparameters. RFS koppelingsvlakke vir onderskeie ontwerpe is teen mekaar opgeweeg om areas te identifiseer wat RFS tempering benodig. Analise van resonansies stel die evaluering van die tempering in staat teen frekwensies wat sensitief is vir radio astronomie. ’n Sommerfeld integrale grondvlak word saam met die rekenaarmodel gebruik om die insluiting van die beton se staalversterking as deel van die aardingselektrodestelsel te ondersoek. Verskillende bindmetodes van die onderlinge staalversterkingselemente word krities ge¨evalueer. Die KAT-7 ontwerp inkorporeer duidelike weerligbeveiligings- en RFS temperingstrategie ¨e, komende van aanbevelings in hierdie proefskrif omskryf

Orientador: Celso de Almeida / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-11T21:24:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CarvajalMora_HenryRamiro_M.pdf: 10096746 bytes, checksum: 558790b8f1575c8f3b46fe6c7418920d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Neste trabalho, é avaliado o desempenho do enlace reverso de redes celulares que utilizam a técnica de múltiplo acesso por divisão de código com multiportadoras (MC-CDMA) em termos da probabilidade de erro de bit média (BER) e da eficiência espectral média. O sistema de comunicações analisado utiliza a técnica MC-CDMA, um arranjo linear de antenas na estação rádio base, entrelaçamento em frequência, combinação de máxima razão (MRC), modulação adaptativa, controle de potência e um prefixo cíclico grande o suficiente para eliminar os efeitos da interferência intersimbólica (ISI) e da interferência entre portadoras (ICI). O cenário estudado considera a presença de interferência de múltiplo acesso (MAI) e interferência de co-canal (CCI). A caracterização do canal considera a presença de ruído aditivo gaussiano branco (AWGN), perda de propagação exponencial e desvanecimento lento e seletivo em frequência que segue a distribuição de Rayleigh. Neste contexto, expressões analíticas exatas e fechadas para a BER média tanto para a modulação BPSK, quanto para a modulação M-QAM são obtidas. A exatidão das expressões é validada através de simulações de Monte Carlo. Ademais, uma expressão para a eficiência espectral celular média é determinada, a qual é uma função do fator de reuso de canais, do incremento da largura de banda devido ao prefixo cíclico, do carregamento do sistema, do fator de espalhamento, dos raios da célula e da modulação utilizada. Os resultados indicam que utilizar um fator de reuso de canais de 1 é a maneira mais eficiente de usar o espectro. No entanto, esse fator de reuso é crítico em relação às taxas de transmissão. Ademais, evidenciando que a técnica de múltiplo acesso por divisão de frequências ortogonais (OFDMA) é um caso particular da técnica MC-CDMA, os resultados mostram que a máxima eficiência espectral média obtida com a técnica OFDMA é menor do que aquela obtida com a técnica MC-CDMA / Abstract: In this work the performance of cellular networks uplink is evaluated using the multicarrier-code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) technique in terms of the mean bit error rate (BER) and the mean spectral efficiency. The analyzed communications system is supposed to employ the MC-CDMA technique, a linear antenna array in the base station, frequency interleaving, maximal ratio combining (MRC), adaptive modulation, control power and a cyclic prefix large enough to eliminate the effects of intersymbol interference (ISI) and intercarrier interference (ICI). The studied scenario assumes the presence of multiple access interference (MAI) and co-channel interference (CCI). The channel characterizations considers the presence of additive white gaussian noise (AWGN), exponential path-loss and slow and frequency selective Rayleigh fading. In this context, exact and closed analytical expressions for the mean BER for both BPSK modulation, as for M-QAM modulation are obtained. The accuracy of the expressions is validated through Monte Carlo simulations. Also, an expression for the mean cellular spectral efficiency is determined, which is a function of the channel reuse factor, the bandwidth increases due to the cyclic prefix, the system load, the spreading factor, the cell radius and the modulation employed. The results show that using an unitary channel reuse factor of 1 is the most efficient way to use the spectrum. However, this reuse factor is critical in relation to transmission rates. Moreover, considering that the orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique is a particular case of MC-CDMA, the results show that the maximum mean spectral efficiency achieved with the OFDMA technique is lower than that obtained with the MC-CDMA technique / Mestrado / Telecomunicações e Telemática / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

Orientador: Celso de Almeida / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T04:16:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MoyaOsorio_DianaPamela_M.pdf: 1282063 bytes, checksum: 0bd5600058b4051f103c6622f93e5cc4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Na próxima geração de redes celulares, a ICC (Interferência de Co-Canal ) constitui a causa principal para a degradação do desempenho, especialmente para os usuários na borda da célula, o que é um grande obstáculo para alcançar amplas áreas de cobertura e alta eficiência espectral. Neste trabalho, o desempenho do enlace reverso de uma rede celular em termos da eficiência espectral média e na presença de ICC é avaliado mediante uma simulação semi-analítica. Foram considerados dois cenários, canal AWGN(Additive White Gaussian Noise) e canal com desvanecimento plano do tipo Rayleigh, além de um modelo de propagação com perda de percurso exponencial. A avaliação é feita para fatores de reuso clássicos e modulações M-QAM (Multi-Level Quadrature Amplitude Modulation). Considera-se também uma estratégia de controle de potência e modulação adaptativa baseada na SIR (Signal-to-Noise Interference) e a BER (Bit Error Rate). Adicionalmente, é analisada a utilização de arranjo de antenas para diminuição dos efeitos da interferência e técnicas de diversidade para mitigação dos efeitos do desvanecimento / Abstract: In the next generation of wireless cellular networks, the CCI (Co-Channel Interference) constitutes the primary cause of performance degradation, specially for cell edge users, which is a big obstacle to attain wide area coverage and high spectral efficiency. In this work, the performance of the uplink of cellular networks in terms of the mean spectral efficiency is evaluated through a semi-analytical simulation, by considering the presence of CCI. It was considered two sceneries, an AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise) channel and a Rayleigh flat fading channel, as well as an exponential pathloss propagation model. The evaluation is done for classical reuse factors and M-QAM (Multi-Level Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) modulations. It is also considered a power control strategy and adaptive modulation based on the SIR (Signal-to-Noise Interference) and BER (Bit Error Rate). Besides, it is analyzed the utilization of an antenna array to reduce the interference effects and diversity techniques to mitigate fading effects / Mestrado / Telecomunicações e Telemática / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

High voltage (EHV and UHV) transmission facilitates transfer of large amount of power over long distances. However, due to the inherent geometry, the line and substation hardware of EHV and UHV class generate high electric fields, which results in local ionisation of air called corona discharges. Apart from producing audible noise in the form of frying or hissing sound, corona produces significant electromagnetic interferences in the radio range. The limit for this corona generated Radio Interference (RI) has been stipulated by international standards, which are strictly to be followed. In line and substation hardware, corona control rings are generally employed to limit or avoid corona. Standard dimensions of corona rings are not available for EHV and UHV class. In most of the cases, their design is based on either a trial and error method or based on empirical extrapolation. Only in certain specific cases, the dimensioning of the rings is carried out using electric field calculations. In any of these approaches, the unavoidable surface abrasions, which can lead to corona, are not considered. There are also efforts to account for nominal surface irregularity by using a surface roughness factor, which is highly heuristic. In order to address this practically relevant problem, the present work was taken up. The intended exercise requires accurate field computation and a suitable criterion for checking corona onset. For the first part, the Surface Charge Simulation Method is adopted with newly proposed sub-modelling technique. The surface of the toroid is discretised into curvilinear patches with linear approximation for the surface charge density. Owing to its high accuracy, Galerkin’s method of moments formulation is employed. The problem of singularity encountered in the numerical approach is handled using a method based on Duffy’s transformation. The developed codes have also been validated with standard geometries. After a survey of relevant literature the ‘Critical Avalanche Criteria’ is chosen for its simplicity and applicability to the problem. Through a detailed simulation, the effect of avalanche space charge in reducing the corona onset voltage is found to be around 1.5% and hence it is not considered further. For utilities not interested in a detailed calculation procedure for dimensioning of corona rings, design curves are developed for circular corona rings of both 400 kV and 765 kV class with surface roughness factor in the range 0.8 – 1. In the second part of the work, a methodology for dimensioning is developed wherein the inevitable surface abrasion in the form of minute protrusions can be accounted. It is first shown that even though considerable field intensification occurs at the protrusions, such localised modification need not lead to corona. It is shown that by varying the minor radius of the corona ring, it is possible to get a design where the prescribed surface abrasion does not lead to corona onset. In summary, the present work has successfully developed a reliable methodology for the design of corona rings with prescribed surface abrasions. It involved development of an efficient field computation technique for handling minute surface protrusions and use of appropriate criteria for assessing corona inception. It has also provided design curves for EHV and UHV class corona rings with surface roughness factor specified in the range 0.8 – 1.0.