Ground Penetrating Radar is a complex nondestructive evaluation technique where the antenna is the most critical part. The antenna is responsible for transmission and reception of waves at the proper level and frequencies defined in the GPR system specifications. Important GPR features such as resolution and penetration depth depend on its characteristics. In this context, this work outlines the fundamental GPR system theory in order to discuss procedures for improving antennas to GPR applications. Additionally, recent works regarding GPR antenna optimization are reviewed and placed in the context of a framework for GPR antenna design and optimization.

With the advances of Radio Access Networks, the Open RAN introduced the concept of virtualization and openness to the mobile network elements. These characteristics allow multi-vendor implementations in commercial out-of-shelf hardware with open radio interfaces beyond flexibility and scalability, permitting bringing the data processing to the network edge and easy network element escalation. In Brazil, Radio Access Networks comprise distributed and centralized architectural topology types, which do not meet the requirements of the 5G New Radio wireless mobile network. To reach the 5G needs, an upgrade in the existing network is necessary, revealing some challenges over the existing scenario. This study shows the state-of-art, political, and economic factors that challenge the implementation of Open RAN in Brazil, analyzing the actual regulatory and political facts that can make the technology affordable and possible to introduce quickly to the market.

Composite materials have diverse engineering applications including the automotive, energy and aerospace industries. In manufacturing aircraft structures, the material is expected to endure atmospheric discharges. The present paper aims to model some of the effects of lightning strikes on a composite materials modeled through numerical simulation. The simulation is based on the finite-difference time-domain method which allows analysis the electromagnetic and thermal effects related to the problem. Aerospace standards are taken into account for modeling a lightning strike on a composite plate. The thermal distribution is evaluated based on results obtained from an electromagnetic simulation of the lightning strike effect. Since multiphysics problems are complex, the hypotheses adopted to obtain the results are also discussed. Results show the current density distribution on a carbon fiber reinforced plastic plate varying with the anisotropy characteristics of the material. From the thermal simulation it is shown that the lightning strike can cause a rise in the composite temperature over 900 °C with only 1 μs of interaction with the material.

 Most of the electricity generated in Brazil still comes from hydroelectric plants. In 2021, the country reached a critical hydrological scenario due to low capacities in the reservoirs. Although the installed wind power capacity in Brazil has expanded considerably in recent years, wind generation in the country is limited to the onshore type. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a new wind farm to be installed in Brazil, comparing several possible conditions and technologies, for installing a wind farm on a predetermined location in the northeast region of the country, the most promising region for wind farms. Based on the literature review, different technology routes that characterize wind farms around the world were identified and, through expert evaluation, the best technology route in terms of cost-effectiveness was defined. The results show that, under current conditions, the onshore route with higher unit power of the wind turbine and tubular tower proved to be the preferred one. However, it was shown that in the medium term, offshore wind energy shall become a reality in the country, as long as favorable regulations and licensing models, political and economic stability, and long-term public policies in terms of incentives and subsidies to attract investments for this type of energy generation are present.

The use of renewable sources for electricity generation has as main benefits the preservation of natural resources, security in the distribution of electricity and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Research has shown that the participation of wind in the Brazilian electrical matrix has increased considerably in recent years, despite the existence of multiple barriers to the implementation of wind farms in the country. This study aims to identify and evaluate the current barriers to the expansion of wind farms in Brazil, suggesting ways to overcome them. Based on a systematic review of the literature, the evaluation of the complexity level and associated risk, the barriers were categorized into seven groups. The results indicated that four barriers are more relevant in relation to the expansion of wind farms in Brazil: unstable macroeconomic environment, government policy uncertainty, system constraints, and lack of infrastructure. On this basis, apart from the recent growth of wind energy in Brazil, actions must be taken to mitigate the identified barriers, as the most complex barriers need government intervention to be removed or mitigated, since the electricity market is highly regulated and complex in Brazil. Further research is needed to rank and analyze more deeply the barriers that were identified here, through interviews with stakeholders and visits to wind farms.