[pt] Essa dissertação explora o problema roteamento de linhas de transmissão (LT) através da solução do caminho mais curto em um grafo sem ciclos de melhoria, considerando custos quadráticos para arcos adjacentes. Esse problema é conhecido como o Problema do Caminho Mínimo Quadrático Adjacente (CMQA). Esse trabalho apresenta uma descrição teórica do CMQA, propõe uma extensão do algoritmo Dijkstra (aqDijkstra) para solução de CMQA em tempo polinomial e discute como o algoritimo pode ser utilizado em metodologias de roteamento de LT. Em seguida, apresentamos uma melhoria estendendo o algoritmo A estrela para sua forma adjacente quadrática (aqA estrela), incluindo uma etapa de busca reversa para estimação de custos de chegada. Foram feitos experimentos computacionais contemplando a variação de custos quadráticos, geração de instâncias aleatórias, testes de estresse e comparação com abordagens já utilizadas na literatura. Os resultados sugerem que: (i) aqA estrela teve o melhor desempenho, atingindo tempos de busca 40 vezes mais rápidos que aqDijkstra e 50 vezes mais rápido que a abordagem mais rápida apresentada pela literatura; (ii) a eficiência dos algoritmos não foi afetada pela variação dos custos quadráticos; (iii) os algoritmos propostos aqA estrela e aqDijkstra também foram mais eficientes nas instancias aleatórias, reafirmando a superioridade dos mesmos. Duas aplicações são apresentadas, uma de objetivo ilustrativo e outra para um caso real. O algoritimo aqA estrela foi usado para solução de um CMQA em um grafo de quase um bilhão de arcos quadraticos, resultado em uma rota proposta com custos adicionais três vezes menor. / [en] This dissertation explores the problem of transmission line (TL) routing through finding the shortest path on an undirected graph with no improving cycles, considering quadratic costs for adjacent arcs. This problem is known as the Adjacent Quadratic Shortest Path Problem (AQSPP). This work provides the theoretical background for the AQSPP, proposes an extension of Dijkstra s algorithm (aqDijkstra) for solving AQSPP in polynomial-time and discusses how AQSPP can be included in routing methodologies. Furthermore, it is presented an improvement to the algorithm: the adjacent quadratic A star (aq A star) with a backward search for cost-togo estimation, to speed up search. For computational experiments, aqDijkstra and aqA star are benchmarked with other algorithms from the technical literature. The search behavior of the algorithms is also studied within different tests, including: quadratic cost variation, randomly generated graph instances and increasingly larger instances. The numerical results suggests that: (i) aqA star outperformed all the other algorithms, being 40 times faster than aqDijsktra and 50 times faster than the fastest benchmark algorithm; (ii) the studied algorithms do not lose efficiency as quadratic costs increase; (iii) aqA star and aqDijkstra were faster benchmark algorithms under random graph instances, indicating their robustness. Two applications are provided, one for illustrative purposes, and another to study performance on a real application. The aqA star algorithm solved an AQSSP on a graph with almost a billion quadratic arcs and provided a route with three times lower additional costs.

Yes / This paper presents a novel on-chip antenna using standard CMOS-technology based on metasurface implemented on two-layers polyimide substrates with a thickness of 500 μm. The aluminium ground-plane with thickness of 3 μm is sandwiched between the two-layers. Concentric dielectric-rings are etched in the ground-plane under the radiation patches implemented on the top-layer. The radiation patches comprise concentric metal-rings that are arranged in a 3 × 3 matrix. The antennas are excited by coupling electromagnetic energy through the gaps of the concentric dielectric-rings in the ground-plane using a microstrip feedline created on the bottom polyimide-layer. The open-ended feedline is split in three-branches that are aligned under the radiation elements to couple the maximum energy. In this structure, the concentric metal-rings essentially act as series left-handed capacitances CL that extend the effective aperture area of the antenna without affecting its dimensions, and the concentric dielectric rings etched in the ground-plane act as shunt left-handed inductors LL, which suppress the surface-waves and reduce the substrates losses that leads to improved bandwidth and radiation properties. The overall structure behaves like a metasurface that is shown to exhibit a very large bandwidth of 0.350–0.385 THz with an average radiation gain and efficiency of 8.15dBi and 65.71%, respectively. It has dimensions of 6 × 6 × 1 mm3 that makes it suitable for on-chip implementation. / This work is partially supported by RTI2018-095499-B-C31, Funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Gobierno de España (MCIU/AEI/FEDER,UE), and innovation programme under grant agreement H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016 SECRET-722424 and the fnancial support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant EP/E022936/1. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, March 2020

Decision problems in operation and planning of power systems often rely on large-scale models and data sets. Lack of historical power flow data due to regulatory restrictions often limits researchers to study the system with aggregated network models. Aggregated data from the electricity market operators (Nordpool in the Nordics) and the Transmission System Operator (TSO) (from ENTSO-E) are openly available, and can be used to study the power flow and exchanges between different regions but do not directly provide information about intra-region flows. This project builds upon the Nordic 490 system, a previously built model of the Nordic power system. The main objective of this work is to improve the existing open source power flow model of the Nordic power system, in order to become in turn available for the multi-energy modelling and simulation software Spine. The N490 model generates a model of the Nordic power system consisting of various nodes/buses which represent substations at different voltage levels. Then, it distributes the aggregated production, consumption and power exchange data from Nordpool to the various buses. In this project, different possible improvements are evaluated for the model, aiming at estimating a set of network parameters that minimize the errors between the calculated inter-region flows and the ones from the open data repositories. The different improvements which are evaluated are the following. Firstly, the load distribution is modified and reassigned to match the regional electricity consumption. The generators and wind farms are then reallocated to different bus based on their bidding region and proximity to the bus. The databases are improved and the power balance relation modified. Transmission line parameters are then investigated, first to standard recommended values and then by solving an optimisation problem formulated to extract the parameters from the market data. Finally, the model is also tested with wind and solar generation modelled as a generator rather than as a negative load. / Beslutsproblem gällande drift och planering av kraftsystemet baseras ofta på storskaliga modeller och datamängder. Bristen på historiska data gällande effektflöden beror på säkerhetsrestriktioner vilket begränsar forskare till att enbart studera aggregerade nätverksmodeller. Det finns tillgängliga aggregerade data från den nordiska elmarknadsplatsen Nordpool och organisationen ENTSO-E som kan användas för att studera effektflöden mellan olika regioner, dock finns det inte direkta data för flöden inom regionerna. Det här projektet bygger på det nordiska 490-systemet, en tidigare byggd modell av det nordiska kraftsystemet. Huvudsyftet med detta arbete är att förbättra den existerande effektflödesmodellen av det nordiska kraftsystemet, för att i sin tur bli tillgänglig för multienergimodelleringar och simuleringsprogramvaran Spine. N490-modellen genererar en modell för det nordiska kraftsystemet som innehåller olika noder som presenterar ställverk med olika spänningsnivåer och modellen ger också aggregerade data för produktion, konsumtion och effektutbyte mellan de olika noderna från Nordpool. I detta projekt utvärderades olika möjliga förbättringar för modellen som syftar till att uppskatta nätverkets parametrar som kan minimera felen mellan beräkningar av flöde inom regionen och data från öppna datalagringskällor. Följande förbättringar gjordes: Först har lastens fördelning modifierats och ändrats för att matcha den regionala elkonsumtionen. Generatorer och vindkraftsparker allokerades till olika noder baserad på elhandelsområden och närhet till noderna. Databasen förbättrades för att erhålla en bättre effektbalans per område. Kraftledningarnas parametrar ändrades först till rekommenderade standardvärden, vilka sedan förbättrades genom att formulera ett optimeringsproblem för att extrahera parametrarna från markandsdata. Slutligen testades modellen genom att presentera vind- och sol-produktion som generatorer istället för som negativ förbrukning.

<p>The thesis intends to explain in full detail the developed techniques and approaches for the modeling, design, and sensitivity analysis of nano-plasmoic structures. However, some examples are included for audiences of general microwave background. Although the thesis is mainly focused on simulation-based techniques, analytical and convex optimization approaches are also demonstrated. The thesis is organized into two parts. Part 1 includes Chapters 2-4, which cover the simulation-based modeling and sensitivity analysis approaches and their applications. Part 2 includes Chapters 5 and 6, which cover the analytical optimization approaches.</p> / <p>We propose novel techniques for modeling, adjoint sensitivity analysis, and optimization of photonic and nano-plasmonic devices. The scope of our work is generalized to cover microwave, terahertz and optical regimes. It contains original approaches developed for different categories of materials including dispersive and plasmonic materials. Artificial materials (metamaterials) are also investigated and modeled. The modeling technique exploits the time-domain transmission line modeling (TD-TLM) technique. Generalized adjoint variable method (AVM) techniques are developed for sensitivity analysis of the modeled devices. Although TLM-based, they can be generalized to other time-domain modeling techniques like finite difference time-domain method (FDTD) and time-domain finite element method (FEM).</p> <p>We propose to extend the application of TLM-based AVM to photonic devices. We develop memory efficient approaches that overcome the limitation of excessive memory requirement in TLM-based AVM. A memory reduction of 90% can be achieved without loss of accuracy and at a more efficient calculation procedure. The developed technique is applied to slot waveguide Bragg gratings and a challenging dielectric resonator antenna problem.</p> <p>We also introduce a novel sensitivity analysis approach for materials with dispersive constitutive parameters. To our knowledge, this is the first wide-band AVM approach that takes into consideration the dependence of material properties on the frequency. The approach can be utilized for design optimization of innovative nano-plasmonic structures. The design of engineered metamaterial is systematic and efficient. Beside working with engineered new designs, dispersive AVM can be utilized in bio-imaging applications. The sensitivity of the objective function with respect to dispersive material properties enables the exploitation of parameter and gradient based optimization for imaging in the terahertz and optical regimes. Material resonance interaction can be easily investigated by the provided sensitivity information.</p> <p>In addition to the developed techniques for simulation-based optimization, several analytical optimization algorithms are proposed to foster the parameter extraction and design optimization in terahertz and optical regimes. In terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, we have developed an efficient parameter based approach that utilizes the pre-known information about the material. The algorithm allows for the estimation of the optical properties of sample materials of unknown thicknesses. The approach has been developed based on physical analytical dispersive models. It has been applied with the Debye, Lorentz, Cole-Cole, and Drude model.</p> <p>Furthermore, we propose various algorithms for design optimization of coupled resonators. The proposed algorithms are utilized to transform a highly non-linear optimization problem into a linear one. They exploit an approximate transfer function of the coupled resonators that avoids negligible multiple reflections among them. The algorithms are successful for the optimization of very large-scale coupled microcavities (150 coupled ring resonators).</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This project investigates developing and implementing innovative indoornavigation systems by leveraging repurposed Wi-Fi infrastructure anddedicated RFM69HCW transceivers. Aimed at enhancing indoor positioningaccuracy, the study explores the viability of using Received Signal StrengthIndicator (RSSI) and dedicated device localization techniques to overcomethe limitations of existing Global Positioning System (GPS) technology inindoor environments. Through the design and testing of a printed circuit board(PCB) prototype that connects Raspberry Pi Pico (RPP) to RFM69HCWmodules and the development of custom drivers for the RP2040 processor,this research addresses the challenges of indoor navigation, such as signalvariability and environmental interference. The project also emphasizes theimportance of sustainable technology development by repurposing electronicwaste for innovative applications. Findings from the study reveal the potentialof these methodologies to improve indoor positioning accuracy despitechallenges related to hardware compatibility and the dynamic nature of indoorspaces. This research contributes to indoor navigation by demonstrating thefeasibility of using repurposed and dedicated hardware solutions, offeringinsights into future directions for enhancing indoor navigation systems, andhighlighting the role of sustainability in technological innovation.

Numerické metody inverzní Laplaceovy transformace (NILT) se staly důležitou částí numerické sady nástrojů praktikujících a výzkumných pracovníků v mnoha vědeckých a inženýrských oborech, zejména v aplikované elektrotechnice. Techniky NILT zejména pomáhají při získávání výsledků simulací v časové oblasti v různých aplikacích. Příkladem jsou řešení obyčejných diferenciálních rovnic, které se objevují např. při analýze obvodů se soustředěnými parametry, nebo řešení parciálních diferenciálních rovnic objevujících se v systémech s rozprostřenými parametry, např. při zkoumání problematiky integrity signálů. Obecně platí, že většina dostupných 1D NILT metod je velmi specifická, tj. funguje dobře na několika typech funkcí a tudíž na omezeném počtu aplikací; Cílem této práce je podrobně se věnovat těmto numerickým metodám, vývoji univerzálních metod NILT a jejich rozšíření na multidimenzionální NILT, které mohou pokrývat širokou oblast aplikací a mohly by poskytnout praktický mechanism pro efektivnější způsob analýzy a simulace v časové oblasti. Myšlenky výzkumu jsou prezentovány v rámci diskusí nad širokou škálou případových studií a aplikací; Například metody NILT se používají při řešení přenosových vedení, včetně vícevodičových, a dokonce i při řešení slabě nelinárních obvodů při použití NILT více proměnných. Pomocí metody NILT mohou být s výhodou uvažovány parametry prvků závislé na kmitočtu a prvky necelistvých řádů v jejich příslušných modelech mohou být zahrnuty velmi přesným a jednoduchým způsobem.

The purpose of this thesis is to present solutions to overcome several key difficulties that limit the application of numerical modelling in communication cable design and analysis. In particular, specific limiting factors are that simulations are time consuming, and the process of comparison requires skill and is poorly defined and understood. When much of the process of design consists of optimisation of performance within a well defined domain, the use of artificial intelligence techniques may reduce or remove the need for human interaction in the design process. The automation of human processes allows round-the-clock operation at a faster throughput. Achieving a speedup would permit greater exploration of the possible designs, improving understanding of the domain. This thesis presents work that relates to three facets of the efficiency of numerical modelling: minimizing simulation execution time, controlling optimization processes and quantifying comparisons of results. These topics are of interest because simulation times for most problems of interest run into tens of hours. The design process for most systems being modelled may be considered an optimisation process in so far as the design is improved based upon a comparison of the test results with a specification. Development of software to automate this process permits the improvements to continue outside working hours, and produces decisions unaffected by the psychological state of a human operator. Improved performance of simulation tools would facilitate exploration of more variations on a design, which would improve understanding of the problem domain, promoting a virtuous circle of design. The minimization of execution time was achieved through the development of a Parallel TLM Solver which did not use specialized hardware or a dedicated network. Its design was novel because it was intended to operate on a network of heterogeneous machines in a manner which was fault tolerant, and included a means to reduce vulnerability of simulated data without encryption. Optimisation processes were controlled by genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimisation which were novel applications in communication cable design. The work extended the range of cable parameters, reducing conductor diameters for twisted pair cables, and reducing optical coverage of screens for a given shielding effectiveness. Work on the comparison of results introduced ―Colour maps‖ as a way of displaying three scalar variables over a two-dimensional surface, and comparisons were quantified by extending 1D Feature Selective Validation (FSV) to two dimensions, using an ellipse shaped filter, in such a way that it could be extended to higher dimensions. In so doing, some problems with FSV were detected, and suggestions for overcoming these presented: such as the special case of zero valued DC signals. A re-description of Feature Selective Validation, using Jacobians and tensors is proposed, in order to facilitate its implementation in higher dimensional spaces.

This thesis presents novel radio frequency microelectromechanical (RF MEMS) circuits based on the three-dimensional (3-D) micromachined coplanar transmission lines whose geometry is re-configured by integrated microelectromechanical actuators. Two types of novel RF MEMS devices are proposed. The first is a concept of MEMS capacitors tuneable in multiple discrete and well-defined steps, implemented by in-plane moving of the ground side-walls of a 3-D micromachined coplanar waveguide transmission line. The MEMS actuators are completely embedded in the ground layer of the transmission line, and fabricated using a single-mask silicon-on-insulator (SOI) RF MEMS fabrication process. The resulting device achieves low insertion loss, a very high quality factor, high reliability, high linearity and high self actuation robustness. The second type introduces two novel concepts of area efficient, ultra-wideband, MEMS-reconfigurable coupled line directional couplers, whose coupling is tuned by mechanically changing the geometry of 3-D micromachined coupled transmission lines, utilizing integrated MEMS electrostatic actuators. The coupling is achieved by tuning both the ground and the signal line coupling, obtaining a large tuneable coupling ratio while maintaining an excellent impedance match, along with high isolation and a very high directivity over a very large bandwidth. This thesis also presents for the first time on RF nonlinearity analysis of complex multi-device RF MEMS circuits. Closed-form analytical formulas for the IIP3 of MEMS multi-device circuit concepts are derived. A nonlinearity analysis, based on these formulas and on  measured device parameters, is performed for different circuit concepts and compared to the simulation results of multi-device  conlinear electromechanical circuit models. The degradation of the overall circuit nonlinearity with increasing number of device stages is investigated. Design rules are presented so that the mechanical parameters and thus the IIP3 of the individual device stages can be optimized to achieve a highest overall IIP3 for the whole circuit.The thesis further investigates un-patterned ferromagnetic NiFe/AlN multilayer composites used as advanced magnetic core materials for on-chip inductances. The approach used is to increase the thickness of the ferromagnetic material without increasing its conductivity, by using multilayer NiFe and AlN sandwich structure. This suppresses the induced currents very effectively and at the same time increases the ferromagnetic resonance, which is by a factor of 7.1 higher than for homogeneous NiFe layers of same thickness. The so far highest permeability values above 1 GHz for on-chip integrated un-patterned NiFe layers were achieved. / <p>QC 20140328</p>

Orientador: Sérgio Kurokawa / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta uma proposta de representação de sistemas de aterramento elétrico diretamente no domínio do tempo, tendo como vantagem os benefícios da modelagem realizada no domínio da frequência, com os resultados fornecidos diretamente no domínio do tempo, sem passar por transformadas inversas (Laplace ou Fourier). Os modelos no domínio do tempo são facilmente inseridos nos softwares convencionais de análise transitória, onde as tensões e correntes são melhor compreendidas. A maior contribuição deste trabalho está no desenvolvimento de uma técnica capaz de representar o aterramento com elementos discretos e positivos de circuitos (resistores-R, capacitores-C e indutores-L). Assim, o circuito equivalente representativo do aterramento será sempre um circuito possível de ser implementado fisicamente. Nesta proposta o aterramento é inicialmente modelado no domínio da frequência, sua impedância harmônica é obtida e representada por meio de elementos discretos de circuitos (RLC) associados em série e/ou paralelo. Aterramentos constituídos por um eletrodo horizontal ou uma haste vertical foram representados por meio de aproximação usando o método dos mínimos quadrados (vector fitting), que permite obter a função racional equivalente à admitância do aterramento, a partir da qual são extraídos os ramos de circuitos e consequentemente o circuito equivalente. Apesar de ser possível representar uma infinidade de aterramentos, dependendo do comprimento e diâmetro do eletrodo/ha... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor

L’intégration 3D est la solution technologique la plus prometteuse pour suivre le niveau d’intégration dictée par la loi de Moore (cf. more than Moore, versus more Moore). Elle entraine des travaux de recherche importants depuis une douzaine d’années. Elle permet de superposer différents circuits et composants dans un seul boitier. Son principal avantage est de permettre une association de technologies hétérogènes et très spécialisées pour la constitution d’un système complet, tout en préservant un très haut niveau de performance grâce à des connexions très courtes entre ces différents circuits. L’objectif de ce travail est de fournir des modélisations cohérentes de via traversant, ou/et de contacts dans le substrat, avec plusieurs degrés de finesse/précision, pour permettre au concepteur de haut niveau de gérer et surtout d’optimiser le partitionnement entre les différentes strates. Cette modélisation passe par le développement de plusieurs vues à différents niveaux d’abstraction: du modèle physique au modèle « haut niveau ». Elle devait permettre de répondre à différentes questions rencontrées dans le processus de conception :- le modèle physique de via basé sur une simulation électromagnétique 2D ou 3D (solveur « éléments finis ») est utilisé pour optimiser l’architecture du via (matériaux, dimensions etc.) Il permet de déterminer les performances électriques des via, notamment en haute fréquence. Les simulations électromagnétiques permettent également de quantifier le couplage entre via adjacents. - le modèle compact analytique de via et de leur couplage, basé sur une description de type ligne de transmission ou noyaux de Green, est utilisé pour les simulations au niveau bloc, ainsi que des simulations de type Spice. Les modèles analytiques sont souvent validés par rapport à des mesures et/ou des modèles physiques. / The 3D integration is the most promising technological solution to track the level of integration dictated by Moore's Law (see more than Moore, Moore versus more). It leads to important research for a dozen years. It can superimpose different circuits and components in one box. Its main advantage is to allow a combination of heterogeneous and highly specialized technologies for the establishment of a complete system, while maintaining a high level of performance with very short connections between the different circuits. The objective of this work is to provide consistent modeling via crossing, and / or contacts in the substrate, with various degrees of finesse / precision to allow the high-level designer to manage and especially to optimize the partitioning between the different strata. This modelization involves the development of multiple views at different levels of abstraction: the physical model to "high level" model. This would allow to address various issues faced in the design process: - The physical model using an electromagnetic simulation based on 2D or 3D ( finite element solver ) is used to optimize the via (materials, dimensions etc..) It determines the electrical performance of the via, including high frequency. Electromagnetic simulations also quantify the coupling between adjacent via. - The analytical compact of via their coupling model, based on a description of transmission line or Green cores is used for the simulations at the block level and Spice type simulations. Analytical models are often validated against measurements and / or physical models.