[pt] À medida que os sistemas de comunicações móveis e de rádiodeterminação que utilizam satélites não geo-estacionários de órbitas baixas e médias ganham importância no cenário mundial de comunicações, torna-se cada vez mais necessário o conhecimento do ambiente de rádio- propagação, seu comportamento e a inter-relação entre os seus diversos aspectos e parâmetros. Em função de características dos dispositivos de comunicações utilizados em tais sistemas, como transmissores de baixa potência e antenas de baixo ou médio ganho, esses sistemas operam com margens de desvanecimento relativamente baixas. A literatura descreve uma técnica de simulação para estimação de margens de desvanecimento em diversos tipos de ambiente baseada em fotografias obtidas com a utilização de câmaras providas de lentes grande-angulares. Na presente dissertação, apresenta-se uma variante da metodologia original, onde se propõe a substituição da base de dados original por mapas digitais da topografia, combinada com bases de dados de edificações e de um modelo para a vegetação. Apresenta-se, ainda, a estrutura da simulação computacional utilizada para processar e analisar tais arquivos, os dados de entrada da simulação e um módulo que representa a dinâmica orbital, utilizado para prever as posições dos satélites. Finalmente, apresentam-se e analisam-se os resultados obtidos com a presente simulação. Analisa-se, também, a influência da variação dos diversos fatores que compõem os dados de entrada da simulação nos resultados obtidos. / [en] As land-mobile satellite systems and radio-determination systems get more importance in the global telecommunications scenario, it becomes even more necessary to understand the radio-propagation environment: its behavior and the inter-relationship between its several aspects and physical parameters. Due to the communications devices characteristics used in these systems, such as low-power transmitters and low/medium gain antennas, such systems operate with relatively low fade margins. The technical literature describes a simulation technique to estimate fade margins in various types of environments, based on the processing of photographs acquired by digital cameras utilizing fisheye lenses. In this dissertation, an alternate methodology is presented. It is proposed that the original database of photographs be substituted by digital elevation models combined with building databases and a vegetation model. The computer simulation structure used to process and analyzes these databases, the input simulation data, and an orbital dynamics model used to update the satellite positions are also described. Finally, the obtained simulation results are presented and analyzed. It also discusses the influence of several factors which characterize different urban regions and non geostationary orbit satellite networks in the obtained results.

La modélisation numérique de la propagation des ondes sismiques fait partie des études principales sur le calcul du mouvement sismique basées sur de différents schèmes numériques. La prise en compte du comportement nonlinéaire du sol est consideré désormais très important afin de pouvoir calculer la réponse du milieu cohéremment aux observations sous les sollications sismiques très fortes. En plus, le paramètre de pression interstitielle, qui pourrait emmener le sol aux phénomènes de liquéfaction, devient très important pour les sols saturés. Dans cette étude, dans un premier temps, la propagation des ondes sismiques est modelisée sur une composante (1C) dans les milieux linéaires et nonlinéaires en utilisant la méthode numérique des éléments spéctraux. Les rhéologies viscoélastique et nonlinéaire sont implementées par le méthode de technique des variables de mémoire et le modèle élastoplastique d’Iwan, respectivement. Ensuite, le modèle 1D - trois composantes (3C) est développé et une comparaison préalable sur l’effet de la considération des approches 1C et 3C est faite. L’effet de pression interstitielle est implementé dans le code 1D-3C et le site américain Wildlife Refuge Liquefaction Array (WRLA), qui a été frappé par le séisme de Superstition Hills en 1987 est étudié. Le changement de la réponse du sol sous les différents hypothèses de rhéologie du sol et de mouvement d’entrée est étudié. Le mouvement calculé est noté d’être amplifié pour les basses fréquences et atténué pour les hautes fréquences en raison de l’excès de pression interstitielle dans les sols liquéfiables. Par ailleurs, le sol devient plus nonlinéaire sous le chargement triaxial dans l’approche 3C et plus dilatant dû à la nonlinéarite élevée. En dépit de la similitude entre les accélérations et les vitesses en surface des approches 1C et 3C, une importante différence dans le déplacement en surface entre les deux approches est notée. Les analyses sont répétées pour deux sites japonais Kushiro Port et Onahama Port, qui ont été influencés par le séisme de Kushiro-Oki en 1993 et le séisme de la côte Pacifique de Tohoku en 2011, respectivement. Il a été montré que les changements apportés par la nonlinéarite ne sont pas identiques dans toute la gamme de fréquence concernée et l’influence du comportement des sols non-cohésives sur la propagation des ondes sismiques dépend fortement des propriétés du modèle et des conditions de chargement. Dernièrement, le code SEM est avancé en 2D en considerant les mêmes modèles implementés en 1D-3C pour la nonlinéarite du sol et les effets de pression interstitielle. Le code SEM 2D est mis en application dans un modèle de bassin sédimentaire dont la géometrie est assymmétrique et le profile du sol est composé des couches possédant différentes propriétés nonlinéaires. Le modèle est étudié par les analyses totale et effective pour les propagation des ondes P-SV et SH. La differentiation du mouvement calculé en surface est très importante sous les chargements avec les signaux d’entrée synthétique et réel. L’analyse effective résulte en plus de déformations dans les couches superficielles par rapport à l’analyse totale.De plus, la durée de propagation des ondes augmente à l’intérieur du bassin et les reflections aux frontières de bassin-rocher entraînent plus de nonlinéarite dans les coins du bassin. Cette thèse révèle la possibilité de la modélisation du comportement nonlinéaire du sol en prenant en compte l’effet de pression interstitielle dans les études de la propagation des ondes sismiques en couplant les modèles différents avec la méthode des éléments spéctreaux. Ces analyses contribuent à l’identification et la compréhension des phénomènes majeures qui se déroulent dans les couches superficielles en respectant les conditions locales et les mouvements d’entrées, ce quirend ce travail très important pour les études spécifiques de sites / Numerical modeling of seismic wave propagation has been a major topic on ground motion studies using a number of different numerical integration schemes. The consideration of soil nonlinearity holds an important place in order to achieve simulations consistent with real observations for strong seismic shaking. Additionally, in the presence of strong ground motion in saturated soils, pore pressure becomes an important parameter to take into account for related phenomena such as flow liquefaction and cyclic mobility. In this study, first, one component (1C) - seismic wave propagation is modeled in linear and nonlinear media in 1D based on the spectral element numerical method. Viscoelastic and nonlinear soil rheologies are implemented by use of the memory variables technique and Iwan’s elastoplastic model, respectively. Then, the same study is extended to a 1D - three component (3C) model and a preliminary comparison on the effect of using 1C and 3C approaches is made. Then, the influence of excess pore pressure development is included in the 1D-3C model and the developped numerical model is applied to realistic case on the site of Wildlife Refuge Liquefaction Array (USA) which is affected by the 1987 Superstition Hills event. The ground motion modification for different assumptions of the soil rheology in the media and different input motions is studied. The calculated motion is found to be amplified on low frequency and damped in high frequency range due to excess pore pressure development. Furthermore, the soil is found to be more nonlinear under triaxial loading in 3C approach and more dilative due to higher nonlinearity. Despite the similitude in surface acceleration and velocity results, significant differences in surface displacement results of 1C and 3C approaches are remarked. Similar analyses are performed on two Japanese sites Kushiro Port and Onahama Port, which are influenced by the 1993 Kushiro-Oki and the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquakes, respectively. It has been shown that the nonlinearity-related changes are not homogeneous all over the concerned frequency band and the influence of cohesionless soil behavior on wave propagation is highly dependent on model properties and loadingconditions. Lastly, the 2D SEM code is developped by taking into account soil nonlinearity and pore pressure effects similary to 1D-3C SEM code. The developped 2D SEM code is applied to a 2D sedimentary basin site where the basin geometry is asymmetrical and soil profile consists of layers with different nonlinearity properties. Total and effective stress analyses are performed on the 2D basin for P-SV and SH zave propagation models. The calculated surface motion is shown to differ significantly under synthetic and realistic input motion loading conditions and the resultant deformation in superficial layers is found to be very high in effective stress analysis compared to total stress analysis. Also, wave propagation takes longer time inside basin media and the reflections on bedrock-basin boundaries lead the soil in basin edges to higher nonlinearity. This study shows the possibility of modeling nonlinear soil behavior including pore pressure effects in seismic wave propagation studies by coupling different models with spectral element method. These analyses help identifying and understanding dominant phenomena occurring in superficial layers, depending on local conditions and input motions. This is of great importance for site-specific studies

The objective of this study was to provide an adequate model of the k-factor for scientific radio planning in South Africa for terrestrial propagation. An extensive literature survey played an essential role in the research and provided verification and confirmation for the novelty of the research on historical grounds. The approach of the research was initially structured around theoretical analysis of existing data, which resulted from the work of J. W. Nel. The search for analytical models was extended further to empirical studies of primary data obtained from the South African Weather Service. The methodology of the research was based on software technology, which provided new tools and opportunities to process data effectively and to visualise the results in an innovative manner by a means of digital terrain maps (DTMs) and spreadsheet graphics. MINITAB / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

Reliability and sensitive information protection are critical aspects of integrated circuits. A novel technique using near-field evanescent wave coupling from two subwavelength gratings (SWGs), with the input laser source delivered through an optical fiber is presented for tamper evidence of electronic components. The first grating of the pair of coupled subwavelength gratings (CSWGs) was milled directly on the output facet of the silica fiber using focused ion beam (FIB) etching. The second grating was patterned using e-beam lithography and etched into a glass substrate using reactive ion etching (RIE). The slightest intrusion attempt would separate the CSWGs and eliminate near-field coupling between the gratings. Tampering, therefore, would become evident. Computer simulations guided the design for optimal operation of the security solution. The physical dimensions of the SWGs, i.e. period and thickness, were optimized, for a 650 nm illuminating wavelength. The optimal dimensions resulted in a 560 nm grating period for the first grating etched in the silica optical fiber and 420 nm for the second grating etched in borosilicate glass. The incident light beam had a half-width at half-maximum (HWHM) of at least 7 µm to allow discernible higher transmission orders, and a HWHM of 28 µm for minimum noise. The minimum number of individual grating lines present on the optical fiber facet was identified as 15 lines. Grating rotation due to the cylindrical geometry of the fiber resulted in a rotation of the far-field pattern, corresponding to the rotation angle of moiré fringes. With the goal of later adding authentication to tamper evidence, the concept of CSWGs signature was also modeled by introducing random and planned variations in the glass grating. The fiber was placed on a stage supported by a nanomanipulator, which permitted three-dimensional displacement while maintaining the fiber tip normal to the surface of the glass substrate. A 650 nm diode laser was fixed to a translation mount that transmitted the light source through the optical fiber, and the output intensity was measured using a silicon photodiode. The evanescent wave coupling output results for the CSWGs were measured and compared to the simulation results.

No description available.

Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) as the name suggests, is the study of dynamic interaction of both fluid and structure motions. Fluid-structure interaction exists in almost all engineering and science fields. Moreover, the random loading caused by fluid motions in uncertain environment conditions present new challenges to the designers. The objective of the present research work is to develop efficient and robust finite element models to solve fluid structure interaction problems effectively. A key advantage of the displacement based FE M is the flexibility and easiness in modifying the existing efficient numerical solvers, and can also be extended easily to a number of problems. The research work carried out in this thesis can be divided into three parts. In the first part, development of displacement based Lagrangian FE models for acoustic fluids is presented. Here, the displacement fields of the 2-D and 3-DFEs are derived based on the consistently assumed constrained strain fields satisfying irrotationality and incompressibility constraints simultaneously. These elements’ behaviour, in terms of number of zero energy modes, non-zero spurious modes, and the integration order is studied. The inf-sup test is carried out on all the elements to examine the performance of each formulated element. Next, a new class of FEs based on Legendre polynomials is presented. The node point locations in this case are obtained by calculating the zero’s of equation(1- ξ2)L’n(ξ) =0,where,Ln is the Legendre polynomial of order n in one dimension. In the second part, the development of a spectral layer element for studying wave propagation in acoustic fluids is presented. Laplace transform based spectral finite element formulation is developed for studying acoustic wave propagation. The partial differential equations(PDE)are converted to ordinary differential equations(ODE) by taking Laplace transform. The Laplace damping parameter is introduced for easy handling of the numerical Laplace transform(NLT).This Laplace damping parameter removes the “wraparound”problem which is present in shortwave guides due to periodicity of the Fourier transform. Later, a technique is developed through which SFEM stiffness matrix can be added to the FEM dynamic stiffness matrix in the frequency domain. Finally, Uncertainty analysis is carried out to understand the effect of randomness in the design parameters on the system response variability. Here, standard uncertainty analysis procedure called Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is considered first and later Polynomial chaos expansion(PCE). In this analysis, the gravitational forces, bulk modulus of the fluid, and Young’s modulus of the structure are considered as random input variables in the study. The randomness in the system output is measured in terms of coefficient of variation for each random variable considered.

Le domaine des matériaux intelligents et des structures adaptatives constitue un domaine de recherche consacré à la conception de structures architecturées ayant la faculté de modifier leur comportement en réponse à un stimulus externe. Le travail proposé dans cette thèse porte sur l’analyse et la conception d’un système pour le contrôle vibroacoustique adaptatif. Il s’attache à la conception d’une interface active faite de transducteurs piézo-électriques disposés en réseau bidimensionnel. Chaque transducteur est shunté individuellement par un circuit électronique externe synthétisant une capacité négative. Cette stratégie de contrôle se base sur le couplage multipysique entre la plaque et les circuit électroniques mis en communication et permet de contrôler les ondes se propageant au sein de la structure. Le dispositif ainsi créé est qualifié de métacomposite. La performance du metacomposite a été évaluée par le biais de nombreux essais numériques et expérimentales. Du point de vue modélisation, l’analyse a été réalisée à l’aide du théorème de Bloch adapté aux systèmes piézo-élastiques à deux dimensions. Par la suite, une procédure d’optimisation a été utilisée dans le but de sélectionner les paramètres de shunt électrique les plus appropriés.Un prototype du guide d’ondes a été fabriqué et testé. Les résultats montrent clairement que ce dispositif permet de modifier les propriétés vibratoires de la structure porteuse, que ce soit en terme d’atténuation ou de trasmission. Enfin, un modèle éléments finis de la plaque a été utiliser afin d’évaluer la robustesse de la stratégie de contrôle proposée vis-à-vis d’une modification des paramètres du circuit, de la topologie del’interface active ou des propriétés de la plaque contrôlée. / Smart materials is an active research area devoted to the design of structured materials showingphysical properties that can be modified in response to an external stimulus.This study focuses on the analysis and design of adaptive system for vibroacoustic control. Theresearch investigates the design of a active interface made of piezoelectric transducers arranged ina two-dimensional lattice. Each transducer is individually shunted to an external electric circuitsynthesizing a negative capacitance effect. It allows to control waves propagating inside a structuretaking advantage of the multi-field coupling between the structural plate and the electrical circuitsshunting the piezoelectric patches.The performance of the metacomposite has been evaluated through numerous numerical andexperimental tests. The smart wave-guide has been analyzed by using the Bloch theorem appliedto two-dimensional piezo-elastic systems. Subsequently an optimization procedure has been usedwith the purpose to select the most appropriate set of circuit’s parameters.A prototype of the smart waveguide has been manufactured and tested. The results results clearlyshow the filtering and attenuating capabilities of this device.Finally a finite element model of the finite extent smart plate has been considered in order toasses the robustness of the proposed control strategy respect to a modification of the circuit’sparameters, the topology of the active interface and the properties of the controlled plate.A brief review conclude the work delineating which aspects of the design should be modified inorder to obtain a device suitable for industrial applications.

The objective of the research presented in this thesis is to investigate alternative ways of information processing employing asynchronous, data driven, and analogue computation in massively parallel cellular processor arrays, with applications in machine vision and artificial intelligence. The use of cellular processor architectures, with only local neighbourhood connectivity, is considered in VLSI realisations of the trigger-wave propagation in binary image processing, and in Bayesian inference. Design issues, critical in terms of the computational precision and system performance, are extensively analysed, accounting for the non-ideal operation of MOS devices caused by the second order effects, noise and parameter mismatch. In particular, CMOS hardware solutions for two specific tasks: binary image skeletonization and sum-product algorithm for belief propagation in factor graphs, are considered, targeting efficient design in terms of the processing speed, power, area, and computational precision. The major contributions of this research are in the area of continuous-time and discrete-time CMOS circuit design, with applications in moderate precision analogue and asynchronous computation, accounting for parameter variability. Various analogue and digital circuit realisations, operating in the continuous-time and discrete-time domains, are analysed in theory and verified using combined Matlab-Hspice simulations, providing a versatile framework suitable for custom specific analyses, verification and optimisation of the designed systems. Novel solutions, exhibiting reduced impact of parameter variability on the circuit operation, are presented and applied in the designs of the arithmetic circuits for matrix-vector operations and in the data driven asynchronous processor arrays for binary image processing. Several mismatch optimisation techniques are demonstrated, based on the use of switched-current approach in the design of current-mode Gilbert multiplier circuit, novel biasing scheme in the design of tunable delay gates, and averaging technique applied to the analogue continuous-time circuits realisations of Bayesian networks. The most promising circuit solutions were implemented on the PPATC test chip, fabricated in a standard 90 nm CMOS process, and verified in experiments.

Generation of electricity from ocean waves has seen increasing research and commercial interest in recent years. The development of projects of several hundred megawatts rated capacity is now being considered. There is a clear need for improved understanding of the environmental impact of large-scale wave energy extraction, particularly in nearshore regions where sediment transport and cliff erosion may be affected. This thesis investigates the change in nearshore wave conditions and sediment transport due to energy extraction by long strings of wave energy devices. The influence of wave energy converter (WEC) arrays has been studied using transmission coefficients implemented within a spectral wave model. It is shown that the breaking wave height nearshore is larger (5%) if transmission is defined as frequency dependent. This is due to the energy dissipation processes associated with different wave frequencies. Linear wave theory is employed to determine frequency dependent transmission and reflection coefficients across a line of wave energy devices based onthe amplitude of scattered and radiated waves. This approach is compared with experimental measurements of the wave field in the vicinity of an array of five heaving floats. The transmitted wave amplitude is predicted with reasonable accuracy but additional numerical damping is required to predict the measured float response amplitude. This comparison indicates that linear analysis is an acceptable approach for predicting float response and wave field in the vicinity of the array for a certain range of conditions. Linear wave analysis is subsequently applied to investigate the variation of transmission coefficients with distance inshore of a long array of heaving WECs undergoing free response and with damping specified to optimise power extraction. A method is presented for identifying representative transmission and reflection coefficients such that change in wave energy is equal to energy extraction by the devices. These coefficients are employed to quantify the change in nearshore conditions due to deployment of a long line of wave devices at a site near the East Anglian coastline. Wave conditions are modelled at 12 points along the shoreline over a 140 year period and significant wave height reductions up to 30% were obtained. Importantly, changes in nearshorewave direction are also observed. Analysis using the sediment transport model SCAPE (Soft Cliff and Platform Erosion model) indicates that the introduction of the array reduces both the sediment transport rate and cliff recession rate by an average of 50%.

Décrit comme l'un des algorithmes les plus prometteurs du 20ème siècle, le formalisme multipolaire appliqué à la méthode des éléments de frontière, permet de nos jours de traiter de larges problèmes encore inconcevables il y a quelques années. La motivation de ce travail de thèse est d'évaluer la capacité, ainsi que les avantages concernant les ressources numériques, de ce formalisme pour apporter une solution de référence aux problèmes de propagation sonore tri-dimensionnels en environnement urbain, dans l'objectif d'améliorer les algorithmes plus rapides déjà existants. Nous présentons la théorie nécessaire à l'obtention de l'équation intégrale de frontière pour la résolution de problèmes non bornés. Nous discutons également de l'équation intégrale de frontière conventionnelle et hyper-singulière pour traiter les artefacts numériques liés aux fréquences fictives, lorsque l'on résout des problèmes extérieurs. Nous présentons par la suite un bref aperçu historique et technique du formalisme multipolaire rapide et des outils mathématiques requis pour représenter la solution élémentaire de l'équation de Helmholtz. Nous décrivons les principales étapes, d'un point de vue numérique, du calcul multipolaire. Un problème de propagation sonore dans un quartier, composé de 5 bâtiments, nous a permis de mettre en évidence des problèmes d'instabilités dans le calcul par récursion des matrices de translations, se traduisant par des discontinuités sur le champs de pression de surface et une non convergence du solveur. Ceci nous a conduits à considérer le travail très récent de Gumerov et Duraiswamy en lien avec un processus récursif stable pour le calcul des coefficients des matrices de rotation. Cette version améliorée a ensuite été testée avec succès sur un cas de multi diffraction jusqu'à une taille dimensionnelle de problème de 207 longueur d'ondes. Nous effectuons finalement une comparaison entre un algorithme d'élément de frontière, Micado3D, un algorithme multipolaire et un algorithme basé sur le tir de rayons, Icare, pour le calcul de niveaux de pression moyennés dans une cour ouverte et fermée. L'algorithme multipolaire permet de valider les résultats obtenus par tir de rayons dans la cour ouverte jusqu'à 300 Hz (i.e. 100 longueur d'ondes), tandis que concernant la cour fermée, zone très sensible par l'absence de contribution directes ou réfléchies, des études complémentaires sur le préconditionnement de la matrice semblent requises afin de s'assurer de la pertinence des résultats obtenus à l'aide de solveurs itératifs / Described as one of the best ten algorithms of the 20th century, the fast multipole formalism applied to the boundary element method allows to handle large problems which were inconceivable only a few years ago. Thus, the motivation of the present work is to assess the ability, as well as the benefits in term of computational resources provided by the application of this formalism to the boundary element method, for solving sound propagation problems and providing reference solutions, in three dimensional dense urban environments, in the aim of assessing or improving fast engineering tools. We first introduce the mathematical background required for the derivation of the boundary integral equation, for solving sound propagation problems in unbounded domains. We discuss the conventional and hyper-singular boundary integral equation to overcome the numerical artifact of fictitious eigen-frequencies, when solving exterior problems. We then make a brief historical and technical overview of the fast multipole principle and introduce the mathematical tools required to expand the elementary solution of the Helmholtz equation and describe the main steps, from a numerical viewpoint, of fast multipole calculations. A sound propagation problem in a city block made of 5 buildings allows us to highlight instabilities in the recursive computation of translation matrices, resulting in discontinuities of the surface pressure and a no convergence of the iterative solver. This observation leads us to consider the very recent work of Gumerov & Duraiswamy, related to a ``stable'' recursive computation of rotation matrices coefficients in the RCR decomposition. This new improved algorithm has been subsequently assessed successfully on a multi scattering problem up to a dimensionless domain size equal to 207 wavelengths. We finally performed comparisons between a BEM algorithm, extit{Micado3D}, the FMBEM algorithm and a ray tracing algorithm, Icare, for the calculation of averaged pressure levels in an opened and closed court yards. The fast multipole algorithm allowed to validate the results computed with Icare in the opened court yard up to 300 Hz corresponding, (i.e. 100 wavelengths), while in the closed court yard, a very sensitive area without direct or reflective fields, further investigations related to the preconditioning seem required to ensure reliable solutions provided by iterative solver based algorithms