Generating localized haptic feedback on touch displays has been a challenge in recent years. In this study, we introduce a haptic interface using transparent thin-film PVDF actuators to address this issue. The transparency feature can be used to mount the actuators at any location beneath the display, enabling localized haptic feedback as the generated vibration is primarily evident on the mounting area. Two different configurations are designed, simulated and prepared to explore the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The first configuration is used to characterize the haptic interface. Modal and forced-vibration analyses are performed to identify important design characteristics based on human factors. Subsequent 2AFC psychophysics experiments validate the characteristics. In the second configuration, eight actuators are attached to the touch surface in a 2 × 4 matrix formation and excited at different voltage amplitudes. Human experiments are conducted based on the results from corresponding forced-vibration analysis. The results show that subjects demonstrate an accuracy of 96% in identifying locations with haptic feedback when the actuators are excited with 232 V_pp. Overall, our study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed transparent haptic interface equipped with PVDF actuators in achieving localized haptic feedback on touch displays.

To meet the load voltage and power requirements for various specific needs, a typical lithium–ion battery (LIB) pack consists of different parallel and series combinations of individual cells in modules, which can go as high as tens of series and parallel connections in each module, reaching hundreds and even thousands of cells at high voltage (HV) levels. The inhomogeneity among the cells and modules results in voltage imbalances during operation and reduces the overall system efficiency. In this work, a robust and flexible active balancing topology is presented. It can not only mitigate the charge imbalance within a module, i.e., intramodular equalization, but also help to balance the state of charge (SoC) level of the modules in a high voltage pack, i.e., intermodular equalization, which is an often-overlooked topic. The proposed concept was proven by experimental verification on parallel and series configurations of cells in realistically sized modules and practical battery management system (BMS) hardware, when the LIB was both idle and under load.

Tam elektrikli araçlar (TEA) tüm gücünü elektriksel kaynaklardan alan elektrikli araçlardır. Fosil yakıt kullanılmaması sebebiyle en temiz ulaşım alternatifidir ve gelecekte daha da yaygınlaşması beklenmektedir. TEA’ların en belirgin dezavantajları menzillerinin kısa olması, yüksek performans istenen durumlarda yetersiz kalmaları ve batarya ömürlerinin kısalığıdır. Bu çalışmada özgün bir batarya-batarya hibrit enerji sistemi tanıtılmaktadır. Sistem modülerlik ve uyumluluk esaslarına bağlı olarak hücre seviyesinde enerji yönetim stratejisine sahiptir. Ayrıca önerilen sistem ile aktif batarya gerilim dengelemesi de yapılmaktadır. Sistem basit bir kontrol şeması içeren yarı aktif hibridizasyon stratejisine sahiptir ve yol bilgisinden bağımsız olarak verimli bir enerji yönetimi sağlanmaktadır. Çalışmada sistem ve kontrol stratejisi detaylı olarak aktarılmıştır. Hem batarya dengeleme hem de enerji yönetimi özelliklerinin gösterilebilmesi için farklı senaryolar altında sistemin benzetimi yapılmıştır. Sistemin bataryaların çalışma süresini yaklaşık 2 kat uzattığı benzetim sonuçları ile desteklenmiş, enerji transferi esnasında sistemin verimliliğinin % 95’in üzerinde olduğu deneysel sonuçlar ile gösterilmiştir.

The inductor–inductor–capacitor (LLC) resonant converter is a suitable topology for wide output voltage and load range applications with limited circuit parameters. One of the most significant design boundaries of an LLC resonant converter in high-voltage applications is the parasitic capacitance effect of the main circuit components, particularly the transformer and junction capacitances of the secondary rectifier network. Parasitic capacitance effects are much higher in high-voltage applications than in low-voltage applications. Therefore, the use of an LLC resonant converter is limited to high-voltage applications. This study proposes to reduce the capacitive effects of high-voltage transformers and rectification networks with a multi-winding transformer with an integrated rectifier design and to use it in high-voltage applications with the advantages of the LLC resonant converter. For the proposed prototype, comparative experimental measurements were conducted using a conventional scheme. The measurements validate the reliability of the LLC converter for high-voltage applications, improving the output regulation performance while significantly reducing parasitic capacitances.

A linear induction launcher (LIL) is an air-cored coilgun. Its barrel consists of an array of cylindrical drive coils and the barrel can be a single section or divided into several sections. A single-section barrel can be easily driven by energizing the coils in a polyphase fashion to accelerate the moving part of the LIL, the projectile. A multisection barrel, on the other hand, offers higher muzzle velocities for the projectile. From breech to muzzle, each section is energized with an increasing frequency. However, several problems arise when a multisection barrel is used. Some of them are currently reported in the literature. For example, a retarding force on the projectile has been observed while the projectile passes from one section to another. The initial position of the projectile also affects the launching performance. Some experiments can be useful to determine the optimum conditions to reach maximum possible muzzle velocity. This article concerns the design, implementation, and experimental test of a laboratory-scale, two-section LIL to examine the effects of various parameters on the launching performance.