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Abstract This thesis studies the level of performance achievable using today's standard IC processes in the integrated RF subcircuits of the modern GSM base station. The thesis concentrates on those circuit functions, i.e. I/Q modulators, variable gain amplifiers and frequency synthesizers, most relevant for integration in the base station environment as pinpointed by studying the receiver/transmitter architectures available today. Several RF integrated circuits have been designed, fabricated and their level of performance measured. All main circuits were fabricated in a standard double-metal double-poly 1.2 and 0.8 μm BiCMOS process. Key circuit structures and their measured properties are: 90° phase shifter with ±1° phase error with VCC = 4.5…5.5 V and T = -10…+85 °C, I/Q modulator suitable for operation at output frequencies from 100 MHz to 1 GHz and baseband frequencies from 60 to 500 kHz (2.0 mm × 2.0 mm, 100 mA, 5.0 V) with LO suppression of 38 dBc and image rejection of 41 dBc, temperature compensated DC to 1.5 GHz variable gain amplifier (1.15 mm × 2.00 mm, 100 mA, 5.0 V) with a linear 50 dB gain adjustment range, maximum gain of 18.5 dB and gain variation of 1 dB up to 700 MHz over the whole operating conditions range of VCC = 4.5…5.5 V and T = -10…+85 °C, a complete bipolar semicustom synthesizer (90…122 mA, 5.0 V) and two complete full-custom BiCMOS synthesizer chips including all building blocks of a PLL-based synthesizer except for the voltage controlled oscillator and the loop filter. The synthesizers include circuit structures such as ∼2 GHz multi-modulus divider and low-noise programmable phase detector/charge pump (18.7 pA/√Hz at Iout = 500 μA) and have an exemplar phase noise performance of -110 dBc/Hz at 200 kHz offset. One of the main problems of the integer-N PLL based synthesizer when used in a multichannel telecommunications system is the level of spurious signals at the output, when the synthesizer is optimised for fast frequency switching. Therefore, a method using only two current pulses to make the frequency step response of the loop faster, thus allowing a narrower loop bandwidth to be used for additional spur suppression, is proposed. The operation of the proposed speed-up method is analysed mathematically and verified by measurements of an existing RF-IC synthesizer operating at 800 MHz. Measurements show that simple current pulses can be used to speed up the channel switching of a practical RF synthesizer having a frequency step time in the tens of μs range. In the example, a 7.65 MHz frequency step was made seven times faster using the proposed method.

While the robots gradually become a part of our daily lives, they already play vital roles in many critical operations. Some of these critical tasks include surgeries, battlefield operations, and tasks that take place in hazardous environments or distant locations such as space missions. In most of these tasks, remotely controlled robots are used instead of autonomous robots. This special area of robotics is called teleoperation. Teleoperation systems must be reliable when used in critical tasks; hence, all of the subsystems must be dependable even under a subsystem or communication line failure. These systems are categorized as unilateral or bilateral teleoperation. A special type of bilateral teleoperation is described as force-reflecting teleoperation, which is further investigated as limited- and unlimited-workspace teleoperation. Teleoperation systems configured in this study are tested both in numerical simulations and experiments. A new method, Virtual Rapid Robot Prototyping, is introduced to create system models rapidly and accurately. This method is then extended to configure experimental setups with actual master systems working with system models of the slave robots accompanied with virtual reality screens as well as the actual slaves. Fault-tolerant design and modeling of the master and slave systems are also addressed at different levels to prevent subsystem failure. Teleoperation controllers are designed to compensate for instabilities due to communication time delays. Modifications to the existing controllers are proposed to configure a controller that is reliable in communication line failures. Position/force controllers are also introduced for master and/or slave robots. Later, controller architecture changes are discussed in order to make these controllers dependable even in systems experiencing communication problems. The customary and proposed controllers for teleoperation systems are tested in numerical simulations on single- and multi-DOF teleoperation systems. Experimental studies are then conducted on seven different systems that included limited- and unlimited-workspace teleoperation to verify and improve simulation studies. Experiments of the proposed controllers were successful relative to the customary controllers. Overall, by employing the fault-tolerance features and the proposed controllers, a more reliable teleoperation system is possible to design and configure which allows these systems to be used in a wider range of critical missions.

Variable speed drive technology has advanced dramatically in the last 10 years with the advent of new power devices. In this study, a three phase induction motor drive using Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) at the inverter power stage is introduced to implement speed and position control for the revolving stage in the Frederic Wood Theatre This thesis presents a solution to control a 3-phase induction motor using the Texas Instruments (TI) Digital Signal Processor (DSP) TMS320F2407A. The use of this DSP yields enhanced operations, fewer system components, lower system cost and increased efficiency. The control algorithm is based on the constant volts-per-hertz principle because the exact speed control is not needed. Reflective object sensors which are mounted on concrete frame are used to detect accurate edge position of revolving stage. The sinusoidal voltage waveforms are generated by the DSP using the space vector modulation technique. In order to satisfy some operating conditions for safe and agreeable operation, a look-up table, which is used to give command voltage and speed signals in software, is applied to limit the maximum speed and acceleration of the revolving stage. Meanwhile, a boost voltage signal is added at the low frequency areas to make the motor produce maximum output torque when starting. A test prototype is then built to validate the performance. Several tests are implemented into the IGBT drive to explore the reason for unacceptable oscillations in IGBT’s gate control signals. Improvement methods in hardware layout are suggested for the final design. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Variable Horizon Model Predictive Control (VH-MPC) is a form of predictive control that includes the horizon length as a decision variable in the constrained optimisation problem solved at each iteration. It has been recently applied to completion problems, where the system state is to be steered to a closed set in finite time. The behaviour of the system once completion has occurred is not considered part of the control problem. This thesis is concerned with three aspects of robustness and optimality in VH-MPC completion problems. In particular, the thesis investigates robustness to well defined but unpredictable changes in system and controller parameters, robustness to bounded disturbances in the presence of certain input parameterisations to reduce computational complexity, and optimal robustness to bounded disturbances using tightened constraints. In the context of linear time invariant systems, new theoretical contributions and algorithms are developed. Firstly, changing dynamics, constraints and control objectives are addressed by introducing the notion of feasible contingencies. A novel algorithm is proposed that introduces extra prediction variables to ensure that anticipated new control objectives are always feasible, under changed system parameters. In addition, a modified constraint tightening formulation is introduced to provide robust completion in the presence of bounded disturbances. Different contingency scenarios are presented and numerical simulations demonstrate the formulation’s efficacy. Next, complexity reduction is considered, using a form of input parameterisation known as move blocking. After introducing a new notation for move blocking, algorithms are presented for designing a move-blocked VH-MPC controller. Constraints are tightened in a novel way for robustness, whilst ensuring that guarantees of recursive feasibility and finite-time completion are preserved. Simulations are used to illustrate the effect of an example blocking scheme on computation time, closed-loop cost, control inputs and state trajectories. Attention is now turned towards mitigating the effect of constraint tightening policies on a VH-MPC controller’s region of attraction. An optimisation problem is formulated to maximise the volume of an inner approximation to the region of attraction, parameterised in terms of the tightening policy. Alternative heuristic approaches are also proposed to deal with high state dimensions. Numerical examples show that the new technique produces substantially improved regions of attraction in comparison to other proposed approaches, and greatly reduces the maximum required prediction horizon length for a given application. Finally, a case study is presented to illustrate the application of the new theory developed in this thesis to a non-trivial example system. A simplified nonlinear surface excavation machine and material model is developed for this purpose. The model is stabilised with an inner-loop controller, following which a VH-MPC controller for autonomous trajectory generation is designed using a discretised, linearised model of the stabilised system. Realistic simulated trajectories are obtained from applying the controller to the stabilised system and incorporating the ideas developed in this thesis. These ideas improve the applicability and computational tractability of VH-MPC, for both traditional applications as well as those that go beyond the realm of vehicle manœuvring.

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La modélisation de la chaîne logistique "CL", proposée dans cette contribution, adopte une vision globale et tendancielle du fonctionnement de la chaîne. Vu la complexité et la grande diversité de la CL, la modélisation s'appuie sur une démarche modulaire et générique fondée sur le potentiel des Réseaux de Petri Continus à Vitesse variable (RdPCV) tout en introduisant des concepts issus de l approche systémique. Notre modèle permet d'intégrer à la fois l aspect physique, informationnel et décisionnel de la CL et s adapte à la grande diversité de sa configuration. De plus, il permet, à travers sa description continue du phénomène de transfert des flux de la CL, de pallier les problèmes d explosion combinatoire inhérents à la taille importante de la chaîne. Contrairement aux modèles de la CL existants, notre modèle offre une lisibilité en termes d'analyse des interactions entre les différents acteurs de la chaîne, et donne une vision globale plus claire de l état de cette chaîne facilitant ainsi son analyse, l évaluation de sa performance et le pilotage de ses différents flux. / The proposed model for supply chain in this contribution adopts a global and trend vision of supply chain functioning. Given the complexity and diversity of the supply chain, the modeling follows a modular and generic approach based on the potential of variable speed continuous Petri nets (VCPNs) and the concepts of the systemic approach. Our model allows to integrate both physical, informational and decision-making aspect of the supply chain and it adapts to the great diversity of its configuration. Moreover, through its continuous description of the flow transfer phenomena within the chain, it overcomes the problems of combinatorial explosion related to the large size of the chain. Unlike existing supply chain models, our model provides clarity in terms of interactions analysis between the different actors in the chain, and gives a clearer global vision of the state of this chain thus facilitating its analysis, evaluation of its performance and management of its various flows.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo a comparação dos resultados de ensaios de durabilidade em um suporte do eixo traseiro de um veículo leve de passeio, submetido a dois tipos distintos de testes: durabilidade em rodagem real e em simuladores de estradas. Após o término dos ensaios, o componente apresentou resultados diferentes: as trincas podem ser observadas na peça submetida à rodagem real, e os danos não ocorrem no eixo que foi testado em simulador. As discrepâncias citadas podem estar ligadas a possíveis erros, ocorridos durante a transferência dos dados pertinentes ao teste real para o simulador. / The aim of this research is comparing results from durability tests performed at a rear axle bracket of a small passenger car. The part was tested using two different kinds of tests: real (proving ground) durability and simulated (road simulator) durability. After that, the part showed different final results: several cracks can be observed at the part that was tested at the proving ground and no real damage was inflicted at the part that was test at the road simulator. These differences can be related to transferability problems that occurred during data analysis and transfer from real test to a simulated one.

Internal waves are generated in a fluid if the density increases continuously with depth. The variation in density with depth, or stratification, defines the natural frequency of the fluid N. Two common examples of stratified fluids are the ocean and atmosphere; internal waves are generated continuously in both mediums. Although there are many internal wave generation mechanisms, one common and frequently studied method is tidal flow over oceanic bathymetry. If the local natural frequency of the water near the topography is greater than the tidal frequencyω, internal waves will be generated by the tidal flow over the topography. If N=ω, only evanescent waves will be formed. Unlike internal waves, evanescent waves decay rapidly as they move vertically away from their generation site. As evanescent waves pass from an evanescent region (N=ω),through a turning depth (N=ω) and into a propagating region (N=ω), they become propagating internal waves. Because internal waves can propagate energy across large distances, they play an important role in oceanic mixing and the overall energy budget of the ocean. Knowing where these waves are formed from evanescent waves and their corresponding energy improves understanding of the impact on their surrounding area.Kinetic energy density of evanescent and internal waves formed from oscillatory flow over topography in evanescent regions is first estimated using synthetic schlieren experiments and a novel linear theory model. Experiments were performed with two Gaussian topographies in an exponential density profile. The linear theory model, which uses a set of equations that links the evanescent and propagating regions with the Airy function to overcome the discontinuity inherent with a turning depth, was compared to the experiments. Both methods showed that increasing Fr1,the strength of the evanescent region relative to the excitation frequency, causes the propagating kinetic energy to decrease. In addition, kinetic energy decreased with increasing distance between the topography and the turning depth. Because the model does not account for non-linearities such as turbulence generation, it regularly overestimates propagating kinetic energy relative to the experiments. After comparing the model with synthetic schlieren experiments, it was used to estimate that 25% of the evanescent wave energy generated by an oceanic topography located at 15◦N, 130◦E can become propagating wave energy.The influence of topography shape and fluid density profile on kinetic energy density was also explored through a combination of experiments, a linear theory model, and numerical simulations. From numerical simulations, kinetic energy can be directly calculated with the velocity pro-file and indirectly with the density perturbation field, in the same manner as the synthetic schlieren experiments. Average propagating internal wave kinetic energy (KE∗ 2) as a function of Fr1D/H,which combines Fr1 with the relative distance between the topography and the turning depth D/H,was compared for all methods. KE∗ 2 decreases with increasing Fr1D/H for all methods. Also, far from the turning depth, the direct and indirect simulations indicate similar kinetic energy when in the propagating region, where a distance from the turning depth can be quantified based on N and ω. This work was expanded to include a medium Gaussian, steep Gaussian, sinusoidal, and complex topography with two layer linear, parabolic, cubic, and exponential density profiles to investigate the validity of assuming an average natural frequency in the evanescent region and the impact of the topographic slope on KE∗ 2. A comparison of the density profiles indicated that using a two layer linear density profile has similar results compared to the other density profiles for estimating KE∗ 2 as a function of Fr1D/H. Also, KE∗ 2 is non-negligible for Fr1D/H<4. Increasing the maximum slope of a topography shape decreases the kinetic energy of the generated internal waves, though it was found that the energy is dependent upon the actual shape of the topography as well.Particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments were performed and compared to synthetic schlieren (SS). While SS experiments generally resulted in an overestimate of kinetic energy relative to the PIV results, the trends from each experimental method matched well. It is recommended that SS be used in regions away from turning depths, but that either are valid in the evanescent and propagating regions. PIV methods should be used when results near the turning depth or the topography are desired.

Polarization observations of the unique eclipsing binary, Epsilon Aurigae, are being carried out using a new dual beam imaging polarimeter on the 0.36m telescope of the Harry D. Powell Observatory. This bright binary system has a 27.1 year period with an eclipse duration of nearly two years. The primary is known to be a pulsating F0 supergiant with the secondary a large and essentially opaque disk. We report here on the characteristics of the polarimeter and on the status of V-band observations that are being obtained to better understand the system's geometry and the nature of its two components. In particular, the characteristics of the secondary disk remain a puzzle. Results are compared to polarization observations from the 1982-1984 eclipse.