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As a new type of ultrasonic transducer with significant advantages, capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) has good application prospect. The reception characteristic of the CMUT is one of the important factors determining the application effect. This paper aims to study the reception characteristics of CMUT.

In this paper, the state equation is deduced and the analysis model is established in SIMULINK environment based on the lumped parameter system model of the CMUT cell. Based on this analysis model, the influencing factors of CMUT reception characteristics are studied and investigated, and the time-domain and frequency-domain characteristics are investigated in detail.

The analysis results show that parameters directly affect the reception characteristics of the CMUT, such as direct current (DC) bias voltage, input sound pressure amplitude and frequency. At the same time, the measurement system is built and the reception characteristics are verified.

This paper provides an effective method for rapid analyzing the reception characteristics of CMUT. These results provide an important theoretical basis and reference for further optimization of CMUT structure design, and lay a good foundation for the practical application measurement.

Thermopile infrared (IR) detectors are one of the most important IR devices. Considering that the surface area of conventional four-end-beam (FEB)-based thermopile devices cannot be effectively used and the performance of this type of devices is relatively low, this paper aims to present a double-end-beam (DEB)-based thermopile device with high duty cycle and performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Numerical analysis was conducted to show the advantages of the DEB-based thermopile devices.

Structural size of the DEB-based thermopiles may be further scaled down and maintain relatively higher responsivity and detectivity when compared with the FEB-based thermopiles. The authors characterized the thermoelectric properties of the device proposed in this paper, which achieves a responsivity of 1,151.14 V/W, a detectivity of 4.15 × 108 cm Hz1/2/W and a response time of 14.46 ms sensor based on DEB structure.

The paper proposed a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) thermopile infrared sensor based on double-end-beam structure.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel MEMS vector hydrophone with the key features of smaller size, better consistency, higher sensitivity and directional reception, and to develop a highly effective and economical obstacle avoidance sonar system. Currently, the typical vector hydrophones are resonant vector hydrophones based on the accelerometer, which greatly increases the volume and constrains the detection sensitivity. Also, because the system is composed of a number of devices, its size is difficult to be reduced.

A novel double T-shape MEMS vector hydrophone is proposed with a fish’s lateral line organs as prototypes. The structure size and layout location of the piezoresistors were determined by simulation analysis, and the double T-shape microstructure was fabricated integrally by MEMS manufacturing technology, after which, the acoustic package of the microstructure was completed and the prototype was produced. Finally, the packaged hydrophone was calibrated in a standing wave field in the first-class national-defense underwater acoustic calibration station of China. Also, the design and test of an obstacle avoidance sonar system based on the vector hydrophone were completed.

The calibration data show that the double T-shape vector hydrophone has a flat frequency response curve, exhibits a sensitivity of −180 dB (1 kHz, 0 dB reference 1 V/uPa) and shows a good directivity pattern in the form of an “8” shape. The test results of the obstacle avoidance sonar system further verify the feasibility of detecting underwater acoustic signals.

The next work is to increase the sensitivity by optimizing the microstructure and to realize orientation by organizing array.

The hydrophone has the advantages of smaller size, lower cost and directional reception. It can be used to develop highly effective and economical obstacle avoidance sonar system, thus solving the problems of water transport efficiency and traffic safety. The hydrophone has broad application prospects and a huge market potential in the civilian fields.

The MEMS technology and innovative bionic microstructure enable the miniaturization and low cost of the hydrophone. The hydrophone is easy to form array and can narrow the array aperture greatly. So, the hydrophone can be widely used in civil sonar systems.

The purpose of this paper was to develop a novel capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) reception and transmission linear array for underwater imaging at 400 kHz. Compared with traditional CMUTs, the developed transducer array offers higher electromechanical coupling coefficient and higher directivity performance.

The configuration of the newly developed CMUT reception and transmission array was determined by the authors’ previous research into new element structures with patterned top electrodes and into directivity simulation analysis. Using the Si-Silicon on insulator (Si-SOI) bonding technique and the principle of acoustic impedance matching, the CMUT array was fabricated and packaged. In addition, underwater imaging system design and testing based on the packaged CMUT 1 × 16 array were completed.

The simulation results showed that the optimized CMUT array configuration was selected. Furthermore, the designed configuration of the CMUT 1 × 16 linear array was good enough to guarantee high angular resolution. The underwater experiments were conducted to demonstrate that this CMUT array can be of great benefit in imaging applications.

Based on our research, the CMUT linear array has good directivity and good impedance matching with water and can be used for obstacle avoidance, distance measurement and imaging underwater.

This research provides a basis for CMUT directivity theory and array design. CMUT array presented in this paper has good directivity and has been applied in the underwater imaging, resulting in a huge market potential in underwater detection systems.

Piezoelectric materials are widely used as actuators, due to the advantages of quick response, high sensitivity and linear strain-electric field relationship. The previous work on the piezoelectric material plate structures is not enough; however, such structures play a very important role in the practical design. In this paper, the actuation performance of piezoelectric laminated plate actuator (PLPA) is analyzed based on Galerkin method to parametric study the shape control.

In this paper, the actuation performance of PLPA is analyzed based on Galerkin method to parametric study the shape control. The stress components of the matrix plate are formulated based on electro-mechanical coupling theory and Kirchhoff's classical laminated plate theory. The effectiveness of the developed method is validated by the comparison with finite element method.

The actuation performance of PLPA and its influencing factors are numerically analyzed through the developed method. The deflection of PLPA is reasonably increased by optimizing the electric fields, the piezoelectric patch and the matrix plate.

The Galerkin method can be used for engineering applications more easily, and it does not require to rebuild the calculation model as finite element method during the calculation and analysis of PLPA. This paper is a valuable reference for the design and analysis of PLPAs.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of online service quality on swift guanxi that influences customer repurchase intention and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between online service quality and swift guanxi.

Based on survey data obtained from 274 college students, structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses.

The results show that the dimensions of online service quality (i.e. perceived control, convenience and customer service) are positively related to buyer-seller swift guanxi, which influences repurchase intention. Additionally, men are driven mainly by perceived control and service convenience when establishing swift guanxi, whereas women care more about customer service.

Online service quality is the key factor underlying customer repurchase intention. In addition, gender differences exist in many aspects of online shopping including information processing, perceived service, and perceived risk. This is one of the first empirical studies that empirically examine the effects of three dimensions of online service quality on swift guanxi and take gender differences into consideration. Based on the conceptual and empirical evidence, this study provides the practical and theoretical implications of these findings.

To extend the reuse method and rate of straw biomass, this paper investigated the effect of lignin synthetic phenolic resin (LPF) on the rheological properties of asphalt binder.

Four LPFs with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% substitution rates were prepared by replacing phenol with lignin in synthetic resins and using it as a modifier to prepare a bio-asphalt binder. Temperature sweep tests were conducted to evaluate aging resistance and temperature sensitivity of the bio-asphalt binder. The rutting resistance of the bio-asphalt binder was evaluated by frequency sweeps and multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test. Linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests were conducted to evaluate the fatigue resistance of the bio-asphalt binder. A master curve was constructed to further analyze the rheological properties of the bio-asphalt binder at different frequencies. The low-temperature cracking resistance of the binder was evaluated by G-R parameters, critical temperatures and ΔTc. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to investigate the changes in the functional groups of the binder before and after aging.

The results indicated that adding LPF could improve the high-temperature rutting resistance, fatigue resistance, aging resistance of asphalt and the binders are less affected by temperature. Additionally, LPF slightly prohibited the low-temperature performance of the asphalt binder, which, however, was significantly lower than the base asphalt degradation during aging. Compared with base asphalt binders, the bio-asphalt binder showed no new absorption peaks generated after adding LPF, identifying that the improved asphalt binder performance by LPF was a mainly physical modification.

The main objective of this paper is to further improve the substitution rate (i.e. the mass substitution ratio of lignin to phenol) of lignin and broaden the application of biomass resins, thus realizing resource sustainability.

The University of Michigan (U-M) is planning its course toward carbon neutrality. A key component in U-M carbon accounting is the calculation of carbon sinks via estimation of carbon storage and biosequestration on U-M landholdings. Here, this paper aims to compare multiple remote sensing methods across U-M natural lands and urban campuses to determine the accurate and efficient protocol for land assessment and ecosystem service valuation that other institutions may scale as relevant.

This paper tested three remote sensing methods to determine land use and land cover (LULC), namely, unsupervised classification, supervised classification and supervised classification incorporating delineated wetlands. Using confusion matrices, this paper tested remote sensing approaches to ground-truthed data, the paper obtained via field-based vegetation surveys across a subset of U-M landholdings.

In natural areas, supervised classification incorporating delineated wetlands was the most accurate and efficient approach. In urban settings, maps incorporating institutional knowledge and campus tree surveys better estimated LULC. Using LULC and literature-based carbon data, this paper estimated that U-M lands store 1.37–3.68 million metric tons of carbon and sequester 45,000–86,000 Mt CO₂e/yr, valued at $2.2m–$4.3m annually ($50/metric ton, social cost of carbon).

This paper compared methods to identify an efficient and accurate remote sensing methodology to identify LULC and estimate carbon storage, biosequestration rates and economic values of ecosystem services provided.

This paper aims to control the deformation of a thin wall CrZrCu cylinder components (wall thickness 5 mm, diameter 400 mm) during thermal spray alumina-titania (AT13) coating by adjusting the spray parameters without deteriorating its quality evidently.

The deformation was controlled by lowering the temperature of the component in the way of adjusting the spray parameters. The main parameters adjust included extending the spraying distance, from normally 120 mm to 140 mm, decreasing plasma power from 50to 42 kW. An alumina-titanium (AT13) ceramic coating was chosen for protecting the substrate from corrosion. Microscopic morphology and phase analysis, insulation resistance testing, neutral salt test and electrochemical method were used to analyze the anti-corrosion and insulation performances of the coating.

The results indicate that, after adjusting the spraying parameters, the coating has a relatively high porosity, with an average value of 8.96 ± 0.77%. The bonding strength of the coating is relatively low, with an average value of 17.69 ± 0.85 MPa. However, after sealing, the polarization resistance of the coating in seawater can be maintained above 6.25 × 10⁶ Ω.cm² for an extended period. The coating has a high resistance (=1.1 M Ω), and there is no apparent galvanic corrosion when contacted with TC4 alloy. Additionally, analysis of corrosion products on the sample surface reveals that the samples with sprayed alumina-titanium ceramic show no copper corrosion products on the surface, and the coating remains intact, effectively isolating the corrosive medium.

By adjusting the spraying parameters, the deformation of the cylinder thin-walled component can be effectively controlled, making the φ 400 × 392 mm (thickness 5 mm) CrZrCu cylinder com-ponent with a maximum diameter deformation of only 0.14 mm. The satisfactory corrosion performances can be achieved under adjusting spraying parameters, which can guarantee the application of ceramic coating for weapon launching system of naval ships.

Because of the small size and high integration of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) component, it can be made into large-scale array, but this lead to high hardware complexity, so the purpose of this paper is to use less elements to achieve better imaging results. In this research, an optimized sparse array is studied, which can suppress the side lobe and reduce the imaging artifacts compared with the equispaced sparse array with the same number of elements.

Genetic algorithm is used to sparse the CMUT linear array, and Kaiser window apodization is added to reduce imaging artifacts, the beam pattern and peak-to-side lobe ratio are calculated, point targets imaging comparisons are performed. Furthermore, a 256-elements CMUT linear array is used to carry out the imaging experiment of embedded mass and forearm blood vessel, and the imaging results are compared quantitatively.

Through the imaging comparison of embedded mass and forearm blood vessel, the feasibility of optimized sparse array of CMUT is verified, and the purpose of reducing the hardware complexity is achieved.

This research provides a basis for the large-scale CMUT array to reduce the hardware complexity and the amount of calculation. At present, the CMUT array has been used in medical ultrasound imaging and has huge market potential.