Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:58:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MariaGOR_DISSERT.pdf: 1839301 bytes, checksum: 7f08c7ee57fc0bc1f8282eb165223c37 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-12 / Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte / The main goal of the present work is related to the dynamics of the steady state, incompressible, laminar flow with heat transfer, of an electrically conducting and Newtonian fluid inside a flat parallel-plate channel under the action of an external and uniform magnetic field. For solution of the governing equations, written in the parabolic boundary layer and stream-function formulation, it was employed the hybrid, numericalanalytical, approach known as Generalized Integral Transform Technique (GITT). The flow is sustained by a pressure gradient and the magnetic field is applied in the direction normal to the flow and is assumed that normal magnetic field is kept uniform, remaining larger than any other fields generated in other directions. In order to evaluate the influence of the applied magnetic field on both entrance regions, thermal and hydrodynamic, for this forced convection problem, as well as for validating purposes of the adopted solution methodology, two kinds of channel entry conditions for the velocity field were used: an uniform and an non-MHD parabolic profile. On the other hand, for the thermal problem only an uniform temperature profile at the channel inlet was employed as boundary condition. Along the channel wall, plates are maintained at constant temperature, either equal to or different from each other. Results for the velocity and temperature fields as well as for the main related potentials are produced and compared, for validation purposes, to results reported on literature as function of the main dimensionless governing parameters as Reynolds and Hartman numbers, for typical situations. Finally, in order to illustrate the consistency of the integral transform method, convergence analyses are also effectuated and presented / O prop?sito do estudo desenvolvido nesse trabalho est? relacionado com a din?mica do escoamento incompress?vel, laminar, em regime permanente, com transfer?ncia de calor, de um fluido newtoniano condutor el?trico, no interior de um canal de placas planas paralelas, submetido a um campo magn?tico externo uniforme. Para a solu??o das equa??es de governo, modeladas atrav?s da formula??o parab?lica de camada limite em fun??o corrente, foi empregado o m?todo h?brido, num?rico-anal?tico, conhecido como T?cnica da Transformada Integral Generalizada (GITT). O escoamento analisado ? sustentando por um gradiente de press?o e assume-se que o campo magn?tico externo, aplicado na dire??o normal ao escoamento, permanece uniforme, muito maior do que quaisquer outros campos gerados em outras dire??es, n?o sendo, dessa forma, influenciado por nenhum efeito magn?tico interno. Para avaliar a influ?ncia do campo magn?tico sobre o desenvolvimento t?rmico e hidrodin?mico desse problema de convec??o for?ada, e tamb?m para fins de valida??o da metodologia de solu??o adotada, foram empregados dois tipos de condi??es de contorno para o campo de velocidade na entrada no canal: perfil uniforme e perfil parab?lico do escoamento sem campo magn?tico completamente desenvolvido. Para o problema t?rmico, por outro lado, empregou-se apenas o perfil uniforme de temperatura na entrada do canal e considerou-se que as placas se mant?m ? temperatura constante, iguais ou diferentes uma da outra. Resultados para os campos de velocidade, temperatura e potenciais correlatos s?o produzidos e comparados aos da literatura em fun??o dos principais par?metros de governo, a saber, n?mero de Reynolds, n?mero de Hartmann e par?metro el?trico, para algumas situa??es t?picas. Com o objetivo de ilustrar a consist?ncia da t?cnica da transformada integral generalizada, an?lises de converg?ncia s?o tamb?m efetuadas e apresentadas

Because cells are machines, their structure determines their function (health). But their structure also determines cells’ mechanical properties. So if we can understand how cells’ mechanical properties are influenced by specific structures, then we can observe what’s happening inside of cells via mechanical measurements. The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has become a standard tool for investigating the mechanical properties of cells. In many experiments, an AFM is used to ‘poke’ adherent cells with nanonewton forces, and the resulting deformation observed via, e.g. Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy. Results of such experiments are often interpreted in terms of continuum mechanical models which characterize the cell as a linear viscoelastic solid. This “top-down” approach of poking an intact cell —complete with cytoskeleton, organelles etc.— can be problematic when trying to measure the mechanical properties and response of a single cell component. Moreover, how are we to know the sensitivity of the cell’s mechanical properties to partial modification of a single component (e.g. reducing the degree of cross- linking in the actin cortex)? In contrast, the approach taken here —studying the deformation and relaxation of lipid bilayer vesicles— might be called a “bottom-up” approach to cell mechanics. Using Coarse- Grained Molecular Dynamics simulations, we study the deformation and relaxation of bilayer vesicles, when poked with constant force. The relaxation time, equilibrium area expansion, and surface tension of the vesicle membrane are studied over a range of applied forces. Interestingly, the relaxation time exhibits a strong force-dependence. Force-compression curves for our simulated vesicle show a strong similarity to recent experiments where giant unilamellar vesicles were compressed in a manner nearly identical to that of our simulations.

Le développement rapide de l’industrie des systèmes sans fil suscite une demande urgente pour des communications à haut débit, notamment en environnement « indoor ». Toutefois, les protocoles traditionnels de communications sont incapables de supporter de très hauts débits et, surtout, il n'y a pas de ressources spectrales disponibles à basse fréquence. Comme une alternative, la bande des 60GHz est préconisée parce qu’elle permet un débit de plus de 5Gbit/s, grâce à son large spectre (57GHz à 64 GHz). Toutefois, en pratique, l’environnement « indoor » est complexe et, dans les situations d’absence de visibilité directe, la couverture radio est difficile à assurer à cause des fortes atténuations. Afin de remédier à ce problème, l’utilisation de répéteurs est possible. Dans cette thèse, l’intérêt est porté sur les répéteurs passifs, plus simples à installer et compatibles avec une réalisation faible coût. Le cas critique de la couverture radio d’un couloir en T est choisi comme fil conducteur, tout au long de cette étude. Les solutions préconisées visent aussi la compacité, ce qui justifie l’utilisation de réflecteurs plans. A partir de la théorie des réseaux d’antennes, une structure périodique générique pour le répéteur est proposée. Elle implique deux cellules réfléchissantes élémentaires (espacées de /2), produisant des ondes en opposition de phase. Plusieurs topologies et technologies sont ensuite envisagées et étudiées pour la mise en oeuvre. La première utilise des antennes à résonateur diélectrique (DRA). Deux topologies différentes sont étudiées et comparées, le DRA à encoche et le DRA couplé à une ligne déphaseuse en circuit ouvert. Différentes stratégies de modélisation sont également étudiées en utilisant une cellule unique, un couple de 2 cellules avec phases opposées ou un petit réseau. Pour chaque topologie, un réseau canonique de 6×6 éléments est simulé. La deuxième technologie étudiée utilise des guides d’ondes rectangulaires chargés par un matériau diélectrique et courtcircuités. Des analyses paramétriques sont effectuées et un 6 ×6 réseau est conçu et optimisé pour valider la faisabilité de la solution. Finalement, une structure en guide à plaques métalliques parallèles est analysée. Dérivant de la solution précédente, elle permet une fabrication plus simple. Pour cette dernière solution, une analyse plus complète est menée incluant des considérations sur la bande passante, les performances en incidence oblique et la direction de rayonnement maximal. Enfin, un réseau à base de cet élément rainuré est fabriquée présentant une taille de 200 mm×200 mm. Des mesures expérimentales à 60GHz sont réalisées pour tester les performances du réseau. La preuve de concept est ainsi donnée et les résultats expérimentaux sont analysés. / The fast development of information and consumer electronics industries creates a pressing demand for high-speed indoor communications. Traditional communication protocols are unable to support such high transmission rate, and there are no radio bands available at lower frequency. As an alternative, 60GHz communications have sparked great attention, since it enables a maximum data transmission rate more than 5Gbit/s based on its wide unlicensed bandwidth. However, practical indoor environment is usually complicated (e.g. walls, corridors, stairs, etc.), thus the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) areas cannot be covered due to the significant attenuation. Considering the requirements for signal recovery in the NLOS environment, a planar passive repeater with endfire radiation and high directivity, low profile and low cost is investigated and designed in this thesis. Based on array theory, a periodic structure for the foreseen printed repeater is derived out. It involves two reflector elements (in the spacing of 2) to provide 0° and 180°reflection phases respectively. In order to construct a proper reflector element, four topologies are proposed and analyzed. In the first part of the study, DRA (Dielectric Resonator Antenna) technology is the main focus. Two different topologies are investigated and compared, including notched DRA and DRA coupled to phase-shift stub. Different modeling strategies are also studied using either a single cell, a couple of cells with opposite phases or a small array. For each topology, a preliminary 6×6 array is simulated. Optimization at the array level is emphasized through the whole thesis. In the second part, investigations are taken on a rectangular dielectric filled waveguide element. Parametric analyses are carried out and possible fabrication technologies are discussed. Once again, a preliminary 6×6 array is designed and optimized to validate the feasibility of such a structure. In the third part, a parallel-plate groove structure is analyzed. It evolves from the rectangular waveguide, and enjoys more simplification. Further work is taken to explore the arrays’ bandwidth, oblique incidence performance and maximum radiation direction. Detailed theoretical analysis based on the simulation results are demonstrated in the end. Finally, an array based on the groove elements is fabricated in the size of 200mm×200mm. Practical measurements for 60GHz communications in NLOS environment are designed to test the array’s performance. Analyses on the experiment results are given.

Moving into higher frequencies, in occurrence withmodern applications, poses the issue of higher attenuation ofelectromagnetic waves, which in turn demand more directiveantennas. This paper proposes a directive antenna designoperating at 30GHz based on leaky-wave technology. Themodel consists of two main components. Firstly, a corrugatedparallel plate waveguide serves the purpose of controlling thepropagation of electromagnetic waves, in particular the guidedwavelength. Secondly, an array of continuous transverse stubsare implemented in the parallel plate waveguide, which allowsfor radiation into free space and gives a directive beam due tothe array configuration. Dispersive properties of the waveguideare studied to select appropriate dimensions for the corrugationsand optimization of the transverse stub dimensions is performedby a unit cell parameter analysis. The proposed design producepencil beam radiation in the broadside direction with a gain of24:5 dBi and a 􀀀3dB relative bandwidth of 8:8% and anaperture efficiency of 79%. / Att gå upp i frekvens för att möta krav sattaav moderna tillämpningar för med sig problemet med högreattenuering av elektromagnetiska vågor. Detta sätter i sin turkrav på mer riktade antenner för att kompensera för förlusterna.I rapporten presenteras en riktad läckande-vågsantenn för30GHz. Modellen består av två huvudsakliga komponenter.Först en korrugerad parallellplåts-vågledare, vars syfte är attkontrollera hur vågen propagerar, särskilt med avseende påvåglängd. Sedan en serie med transversella öppningar som tillåterutstrålning, där seriens utformning ger upphov till en direktivstråle. Dimensioner bestäms genom dispersionsanalys av denkorrugerade vågledaren och optimering av den strålande enhetscellensker genom en parameterstudie. Den föreslagna modellenproducerar en riktad stråle med antennvinsten 24:5 dBi, relativabandbredden 8:8% och apertureffektiviteten 79%. / Kandidatexjobb i elektroteknik 2021, KTH, Stockholm

À ce jour, la scoliose idiopathique de l’adolescent (SIA) est la déformation rachidienne la plus commune parmi les enfants. Il est bien connu dans le domaine de recherche sur la SIA que les forces mécaniques, en particulier les forces biomécaniques internes dans le système musculosquelettique, pourraient jouer un rôle majeur dans l’initiation et le développement de la maladie. Cependant, les connaissances sur la transformation des forces et des stimulations mécaniques en activité biochimique sont peu abondantes. Cet axe de recherche est très prometteur et peut nous fournir de nouvelles idées dans le dépistage et le traitement de la SIA. Dans le cadre de cette étude, nous visons à caractériser la mécanotransduction chez les patients atteints de la SIA en employant des techniques novatrices aux niveaux in vivo et in vitro. Antérieurement dans notre laboratoire, nous avons démontré que les niveaux d’Ostéopontine (OPN) plasmatique chez l’humain corrèlent avec la progression et la sévérité de la maladie, et que ces changements sont observables avant le début de la scoliose. En plus, selon la littérature, l’OPN est une molécule sensible à la force mécanique, dont l’expression augmente en réponse dans de nombreux types de cellules chez plusieurs espèces. Toutefois, il n’existe aucune preuve que ce résultat soit valide in vivo chez l’humain. L’hétérogénéité physique et biochimique de la SIA pose un gros défi aux chercheurs. Souvent, il est très difficile de trouver des résultats ayant une grande applicabilité. Les études portant sur les facteurs biomécaniques ne font pas exception à cette tendance. En dépit de tout cela, nous croyons qu’une approche basée sur l’observation des contraintes de cisaillement présentes dans le système musculosquelettique pourrait aider à surmonter ces difficultés. Les contraintes de cisaillement physiologique sont générées par des courants de fluide en mouvement à l’intérieur des os. Aussi, elles sont omniprésentes et universelles chez l’humain, peu importe l’âge, le sexe, la condition physique, etc., ce qui veut dire que l’étudier pourrait fort bien avancer nos connaissances en formant une base fondamentale avec laquelle on pourra mieux comprendre les différences quant à la mécanotransduction chez les patients atteints de la SIA par rapport aux sujets sains. Pour ce projet, donc, nous proposons l’hypothèse que les sujets atteints de la SIA se différencient par leurs réponses respectives à la force mécanique au niveau cellulaire (en termes de l’expression génique) ainsi qu’au niveau in vivo (en termes du marqueur OPN et son récepteur, sCD44). Afin de vérifier la partie de notre hypothèse de recherche concernant l’aspect in vivo, nous avons recruté une cohorte de patients âgés de 9-17 ans, y compris i) des cas pré-chirurgicaux (angle de Cobb > 45°), ii) des cas modérément atteints (angle de Cobb 10-44°), iii) des témoins, et iv) des enfants asymptomatiques à risque de développer la scoliose (selon nos dépistages biochimiques et fonctionnels) d’âge et sexe appariés. Une pression pulsatile et dynamique avec une amplitude variant de 0-4 psi à 0.006 Hz a été appliquée à un des bras de chacun de nos sujets pour une durée de 90 minutes. Au tout début et à chaque intervalle de 30 minutes après l’initiation de la pression, un échantillon de sang a été prélevé, pour pouvoir surveiller les niveaux d’OPN et de sCD44 circulants chez les sujets. Nous avons découvert que le changement des niveaux d’OPN plasmatique, mais pas des niveaux de sCD44, corrélaient avec la sévérité de la difformité rachidienne chez les sujets, ceux ayant une courbe plus prononcée démontrant une ampleur de réponse moins élevée. Pour vérifier la partie de notre hypothèse de recherche concernant la réponse mécanotransductive cellulaire, des ostéoblastes prélevées à 12 sujets ont été mis en culture pour utilisation avec notre appareil (le soi-disant « parallel plate flow chamber »), qui sert à fournir aux ostéoblastes le niveau de contraintes de cisaillement désiré, de manière contrôlée et prévisible. Les sujets étaient tous femelles, âgées de 11-17 ans ; les patients ayant déjà une scoliose possédaient une courbe diagnostiquée comme « double courbe majeure ». Une contrainte fluidique de cisaillement à 2 Pa, 0.5 Hz a été appliquée à chaque échantillon ostéoblastique pour une durée de 90 minutes. Les changements apportés à l’expression génique ont été mesurés et quantifiés par micropuce et qRT-PCR. En réponse à notre stimulation, nous avons trouvé qu’il n’y avait que quelques gènes étant soit différentiellement exprimés, soit inchangés statistiquement dans tous les groupes expérimentaux atteints, en exhibant simultanément la condition contraire chez les témoins. Ces résultats mettent en évidence la grande diversité de la réponse mécanotransductive chez les patients comparés aux contrôles, ainsi qu’entre les sous-groupes fonctionnels de la SIA. Globalement, cette œuvre pourrait contribuer au développement d’outils diagnostiques innovateurs pour identifier les enfants asymptomatiques à risque de développer une scoliose, et évaluer le risque de progression des patients en ayant une déjà. Aussi, dans les années à venir, les profils mécanotransductifs des patients pourraient s’avérer un facteur crucial à considérer cliniquement, particulièrement en concevant ou personnalisant des plans de traitements pour des personnes atteintes. / Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most commonly occurring musculoskeletal deformity among children today. It is generally well accepted in scoliosis research that mechanical forces, especially the internal biomechanical forces of the musculoskeletal system, could well have a major role in the induction and pathogenesis of the disease. However, the process by which mechanical loads or stimuli are converted into biochemical activity (mechanotransduction) has not been explored so deeply. This emerging facet of research in AIS holds much promise for new insights into the disease. Here, we aim to characterize mechanotransduction in scoliosis patients using some novel techniques at both the in vivo and in vitro levels. Previously in our lab, we demonstrated that the level of plasma osteopontin (OPN) and sCD44 in the human body is a strong indicator of disease progression and severity, and that these changes are observable before scoliosis onset. In the literature, OPN in vitro is known to be mechanosensitive, showing upregulation in response to mechanical stress in a variety of cell types across many species. However, to the best of the author’s knowledge, no literature exists as to whether this behaviour carries over in vivo in humans. A major difficulty in AIS research is the heterogeneity of the disease, both physically and biochemically. Because of this, many times it is difficult to find results with wide applicability to patients. Study of biomechanical factors in AIS is no exception. We believe, however, that study of fluid shear stress in the musculoskeletal system may be able to solve this problem for mechanotransduction-related issues in AIS. Native physiological fluid shear stresses in humans are experienced in the musculoskeletal system, caused by fluid movement over cells therein. These fluid shear stresses are omnipresent and universal in all humans, regardless of age, gender, fitness level, etc., which means that studying it could very well go a long way towards establishing a fundamental basis of understanding the differences as to mechanotransduction in scoliosis patients as opposed to normal cases. In this project, then, we advanced the hypothesis that AIS patients are distinguishable in the way they respond to mechanical force at both the cellular level (in terms of gene expression) as well as globally at the in vivo level (in terms of the scoliosis marker OPN and its receptor sCD44). To test the in vivo portion of our hypothesis, we recruited a cohort of patients between the ages of 9-17, each one of which fell into one of 4 subject groups: i) surgical cases (pre-surgery, Cobb angle > 45°), ii) moderately affected cases (Cobb angle 10-44°), iii) controls, or iv) asymptomatic children at risk of developing scoliosis matched for age and gender against healthy controls. A dynamic, pulsatile, compressive pressure of variable amplitude from 0-4 psi at 0.006 Hz was applied to the arm of each subject for a period of 90 minutes. Initially and at intervals of 30 minutes after the start of force application, blood samples were taken in order to monitor circulating plasma OPN and sCD44 levels in subjects. We found that the change of circulating OPN levels, but not sCD44 levels, measured in vivo in response to our mechanical stimulation was statistically significantly correlated to status of spinal deformity severity, with more severely affected subjects demonstrating lower magnitudes of ΔOPN. To test the cellular portion of our hypothesis, osteoblasts from severely affected AIS patients and unaffected controls were cultured for use with our parallel plate flow chamber (PPFC) apparatus setup, which permits application of fluid shear stress patterns to cells in a predictable, controllable manner. Subjects were all females who fell into the 11-17 years age range, with scoliotic patients presenting with double major curves. A dynamic, sinusoidal and oscillatory fluid shear stress pattern was applied to osteoblasts at 2 Pa, 0.5 Hz for 90 minutes. Overall gene expression changes across RNA samples as a result of our stimulation were measured using microarray and qRT-PCR approaches. In response, only a very small number of genes are either mutually differentially expressed or statistically unchanged across all functional scoliotic subgroups while having the opposite condition in the control group, indicating a great degree of difference in terms of mechanotransductive response as compared internally between AIS functional subgroups, as well as between control and AIS patients. Globally, this project’s work may contribute to the development of innovative diagnostic tools to identify asymptomatic children at risk of developing scoliosis, and to assess the risk of curve progression at an early stage in those already affected. Also, in years to come, the mechanotransductive profile of a patient could be another integral factor to weigh, clinically, when considering or designing treatment plans for affected persons.

A wearable body temperature sensor would allow for early detection of fever or infection, as well as frequent and accurate hassle-free recording. This thesis explores the design of a body-temperature-sensing device inkjet-printed on a flexible substrate. All structures were first modeled by first-principles, theoretical calculations, and then simulated in HFSS. A variety of planar square inductor geometries were studied before selecting an optimal design. The designs were fabricated using multiple techniques and compared to the simulation results. It was determined that inductance must be carefully measured and documented to ensure good functionality. The same is true for parallel-plate and interdigitated capacitors. While inductance remains relatively constant with temperature, the capacitance of the device with a temperature-sensitive dielectric layer will result in a shift in the resonant frequency as environmental or ambient temperature changes. This resonant frequency can be wirelessly detected, with no battery required for the sensing device, from which the temperature can be deduced. From this work, the optimized version of the design comprises of conductive silver in with a temperature-sensitive graphene oxide layer, intended for inkjet-printing on flexible polyimide substrates. Graphene oxide demonstrates a high dielectric permittivity with good sensing capabilities and high accuracy. This work pushes the state-of-the-art in applying these novel materials and techniques to enable flexible body temperature sensors for future biomedical applications.

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse portent sur l’étude et la conception de lentilles continues en guide d’ondes à plans parallèles (PPW) pour des applications multi-faisceaux. La conversion du front d'onde est assurée par une lentille formée d’une lame et d'une cavité transversale. Ce concept, proposant une approche mécanique simplifiée et possiblement purement métallique, est particulièrement attractif pour les futurs systèmes de communications par satellites (GEO/LEO) requérants des solutions à moindre coût tout en maintenant de hautes performances. La première partie de cette thèse présente la réalisation d’un outil d’analyse numérique basée sur l’optique géométrique (GO). Une prédiction rapide et précise des performances en rayonnement est obtenue. En combinant cet outil avec des processus d’optimisation, des performances en dépointage sur un large secteur angulaire sont ensuite démontrées, incluant une stabilité des diagrammes en rayonnement (ouverture à mi-puissance, niveaux de lobes secondaires et pertes en dépointage). Un prototype fonctionnant dans la bande Ka est réalisé, validant les performances précédemment obtenues. De hautes efficacités de rayonnement sont également mises en avant sur l’ensemble de la plage de fréquence. Enfin un second prototype plus compact basé sur de multiples lentilles est proposé et étudié, démontrant des performances similaires à la première solution fabriquée et mesurée. / The activities presented in this PhD focus on the study and development of continuous parallel plate waveguide (PPW) lenses for multiple beam applications. The wave front conversion is ensured by a PPW transversal ridge and cavity. The proposed concept, based on a simplified mechanical approach and possibly full-metal, is particularly suitable for future satellite communication systems (GO/LEO) requiring low-cost antennas while maintaining high performances. The first part of the thesis deals with the development of a numerical analysis tool based on geometrical optics (GO). A fast and accurate prediction of the radiation performance is provided.Combining the tool with optimization processes, large scanning performances have been demonstrated, including a stability of the radiation pattern performance (HPBW, SLL, scan loss). A prototype working at Ka band has been manufactured, validating the performances demonstrated previously. High radiation efficiencies are also proved over the entire frequency range. Finally, a second prototype targeting performances in compactness and based on multiple lenses is proposed and studied, showing similar performances as the first solution fabricated and measured.

The challenges of measuring speech signals in the presence of a strong background noise cannot be easily addressed with traditional acoustic technology. A recent solution to the problem considers combining acoustic sensor measurements with real-time, non-acoustic detection of an aspect of the speech production process. While significant advancements have been made in that area using low-power radar-based techniques, drawbacks inherent to the operation of such sensors are yet to be surmounted. Therefore, one imperative scientific objective is to devise new, non-invasive non-acoustic sensor topologies that offer improvements regarding sensitivity, robustness, and acoustic bandwidth. This project investigates a novel design that directly senses the glottal flow waveform by measuring variations in the electromagnetic properties of neck tissues during voiced segments of speech. The approach is to explore two distinct sensor configurations, namely the“six-element" and the“parallel-plate" resonator. The research focuses on the modeling aspect of the biological load and the resonator prototypes using multi-transmission line (MTL) and finite element (FE) simulation tools. Finally, bench tests performed with both prototypes on phantom loads as well as human subjects are presented.

The main objective of this work is to investigate the ionic conductivity of the drugs under certain conditions and also to compare the ionic conductivities of drugs determined by single surface sensors and parallel plate sensors. The ionic conductivity of various materials at their pre-melt and melt states are studied in order to further study a recently discovered phenomenon. Polar solids like Lidocaine, Ketoconazole, Procainamide and Nifedipine were examined in this study. Experimental studies show an increase in ionic conductivity in both pre-melt (20 -30 °C below melting temperature) and melt transition regions. Results of ionic conductivity of both parallel plate and single surface sensor at different frequencies are compared. At 1000 Hz, all the samples show an increase in ionic conductivity with both parallel plate and single surface sensor, but at 0.1 Hz frequency, no increase in ionic conductivity is observed with parallel plate sensor except for Nifedipine.

Electromagnetic pulse simulators are essential for testing the ability of electronic devices to withstand high intensity electromagnetic ends. This work presents the analysis of various parallel plate transmission lines used in electromagnetic pulse simulators. Numerical techniques are developed to obtain the characteristic impedance, field map, and cut-infrequencies for the higher order modes of these transmission lines as exact analytical methods are not available for the determination of these quantities. The field map and characteristic impedance are computed using both finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM). Cut-off frequencies of the higher order modes are computed using FEM. The analysis presented can handle very general transmission line geometries. This analysis is useful for the design of electromagnetic pulse simulators.