Compact 2x2 and 4x4 MIMO Antenna Systems for 5G Automotive Applications

In this paper, three Vehicular multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) 5G antenna systems have been constructed from using a newly developed 5G cellular branched Monopole element are presented. The MIMO systems operates in the 5G frequency bands (617MHz- 5GHz) with a compact structure that allows for up to four elements to be integrated in the same Sharkfin. The 3 configurations of MIMO systems have been simulated using HFSS, measured on a 1-meter ground plane (GND), then measured on a vehicle roof and the individual antenna parameters in terms of reflection coefficient and efficiency have captured. The MIMO antenna systems performance in terms of passive isolation, combined radiation pattern, envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), and diversity gain (DG) have been reported and discussed.

Adaptive Deterministic Vibration Control of a Piezo-Actuated Active–Passive Isolation Structure

With the improvement of the performance of optical equipment carried by on-orbit spacecraft, the requirements of vibration isolation are increasing. Passive isolation platforms are widely used, but the ability to suppress the low-frequency deterministic vibration disturbance is limited, especially near the system’s natural frequency. Therefore, an active vibration control strategy is proposed to improve passive isolation performance. In this paper, a Youla parameterized adaptive active vibration control system is introduced to improve the isolation performance of a piezo-actuated active–passive isolation structure. A linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) central controller is first designed to shape the band-limited local loop of the closed-loop system. Then, the central controller is augmented into a Youla parameterized adaptive regulator with the recursive least square adaptive algorithm, and the Youla parameters (Q parameters) can be adjusted online to the desired value to suppress the unknown and time-varying multifrequency deterministic vibration disturbance. In the experiment, the residual vibration with respect to the combination of multiple frequencies is effectively suppressed by more than 20 dB on average, and a quick response time of less than 0.3 s is achieved when the deterministic residual vibration changes suddenly over time. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed adaptive active vibration control system can effectively suppress the low-frequency deterministic residual vibration.

Hierarchical large-scale elastic metamaterials for passive seismic wave mitigation

Large scale elastic metamaterials have recently attracted increasing interest in the scientific community for their potential as passive isolation structures for seismic waves. In particular, so-called “seismic shields” have been proposed for the protection of large areas where other isolation strategies (e.g. dampers) are not workable solutions. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of an innovative design based on hierarchical design of the unit cell, i.e. a structure with a self-similar geometry repeated at different scales. Results show how the introduction of hierarchy allows the conception of unit cells exhibiting reduced size with respect to the wavelength while maintaining the same or improved isolation efficiency at frequencies of interest for earthquake engineering. This allows to move closer to the practical realization of such seismic shields, where low-frequency operation and acceptable size are both essential characteristics for feasibility.

Passive impact/vibration control and isolation performance optimization for space noncooperative target capture

On-orbit capture is an important technique for the space debris removal, refueling, or malfunction satellite repairing. While due to the uncertainty of the motion parameters of the space noncooperative target, the impact between the capture device and the noncooperative target during the capturing process is inevitable, which may bring strong vibration perturbation to the base satellite, and potentially alter the position and the attitude of the servicing spacecraft, or even cause failure of on-orbit tasks. This article presents a new and alternative method for passive suppression of spacecraft impact and perturbation during noncooperative spacecraft capture. The passive device based on bioinspired X-shape is installed between the satellite and the capture device. In the capture process, nonlinear damping of the passive isolation structure can significantly reduce impact/vibration perturbation. For performance analysis, dynamic equations of the isolation system are established. Based on which, the relationship between structure parameters and isolation performance is systematically analyzed. Experiments are conducted for verification of the effectiveness of the proposed method. Moreover, an optimal process using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II optimization method is developed to minimize impact/vibration perturbation effect, and optimal solutions can provide useful reference for the passive isolation system design.

Passive Isolation by Nonlinear Boundaries for Flexible Structures

A simple passive technique of vibration isolation for flexible structures by nonlinear boundaries is investigated, which to our best knowledge is the first study of its kind reported in the literature. The equations of the structure are derived with Hamilton’s principle. An iterative analytic method is investigated to improve the accuracy of the response prediction. The effect of nonlinear boundaries of the structure is studied compared with the linear structure. It is found that stronger nonlinearities in the boundary make the system more stable. Analytical and simulation results show that nonlinear boundaries can significantly reduce the vibration and stress of flexible structures. It is important to point out that with the help of nonlinear boundaries, structural vibration and stress control can be achieved without altering the original structure.