Search results for: scale adaptive simulation

Authors: S. Aghainajafi Zadeh, M.R. Hemami., F. Heydari

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Asiatic Houbara ( Chlamydotis macqueenii ) is a flagship and vulnerable species. In-situ conservation of this threatened species demands for knowledge of its habitat selection. The aim of this study was to determine habitat variables influencing birds wintering and breeding selection in semi- arid central Iran. Habitat features of the detected nest and pellet sites were compared with paired and random plots by quantifying a number of habitat variables. In wintering habitat use at micro scale houbara selected sites where vegetation cover was significantly lower compard to control sites( p< 0.001). Areas with low number of larger plant species (p=0.03) that were not too close to a vegetation patch(p<0.001) were selected for breeding habitat.

Keywords: Asiatic houbara bustard, Habitat selection, Nest, pellet.

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Authors: Sajed Yaghoubnezhad, Mina Karimi, Seyede Marjan Modirkhazeni

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The goal of this research was to study the relationship between codependency, perceived social support and depression in mothers of children with intellectual disability (ID). The correlational method was used in this study. The research population is comprised of mothers of educable children with ID in the age range of 25 to 61 years. From among this, a sample of 251 individuals, in the multistage cluster sampling method, was selected from educational districts in Tehran, who responded to the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale (SFCDS), the Social Support Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The findings of this study indicate that among mothers of children with ID depression has a positive and significant correlation with codependency (P<0.01, r=0.4) and a negative and significant correlation with the total score of social support (P<0.01, r=-0.34). Moreover, the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that codependency is allocated a higher variance than social support in explaining depression (R²=0.023).

Keywords: Codependency, social support, depression, mothers of children with ID.

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Authors: A. Hayati Soloot, A. Gholami, E. Agheb, A. Ghorbandaeipour, P. Mokhtari

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The two significant overvoltages in power system, switching overvoltage and lightning overvoltage, are investigated in this paper. Firstly, the effect of various power system parameters on Line Energization overvoltages is evaluated by simulation in ATP. The dominant parameters include line parameters; short-circuit impedance and circuit breaker parameters. Solutions to reduce switching overvoltages are reviewed and controlled closing using switchsync controllers is proposed as proper method. This paper also investigates lightning overvoltages in the overhead-cable transition. Simulations are performed in PSCAD/EMTDC. Surge arresters are applied in both ends of cable to fulfill the insulation coordination. The maximum amplitude of overvoltages inside the cable is surveyed which should be of great concerns in insulation coordination studies.

Keywords: Switching Overvoltage, Lightning Overvoltage, Insulation Coordination, ATP, PSCAD/EMTDC.

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Authors: Martha C. Orazulume, Jibril D. Jiya

Abstract:

Flexible satellites are equipped with various appendages which vibrate under the influence of any excitation and make the attitude of the satellite to be unstable. Therefore, the system must be able to adjust to balance the effect of these appendages in order to point accurately and satisfactorily which is one of the most important problems in satellite design. Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Controller is simple to design and computationally efficient to implement which is used to stabilize the effect of these flexible appendages. However, manual turning of the PID is time consuming, waste energy and money. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used to tune the parameters of PID Controller. Simulation results obtained show that PSO tuned PID Controller is able to re-orient the spacecraft attitude as well as dampen the effect of mechanical resonance and yields better performance when compared with manually tuned PID Controller.

Keywords: Attitude control, flexible satellite, particle swarm optimization, PID controller.

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Authors: Mahdi Zolfaghari, Seyed Hossein Hosseinian, Hossein Askarian Abyaneh, Mehrdad Abedi

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This paper presents a virtual active power filter (VAPF) using vehicle to grid (V2G) technology to maintain power quality requirements. The optimal discrete operation of the power converter of electric vehicle (EV) is based on recognizing desired switching states using the model predictive control (MPC) algorithm. A fast dynamic response, lower total harmonic distortion (THD) and good reference tracking performance are realized through the presented control strategy. The simulation results using MATLAB/Simulink validate the effectiveness of the scheme in improving power quality as well as good dynamic response in power transferring capability.

Keywords: Virtual active power filter, V2G technology, model predictive control, electric vehicle, power quality.

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Authors: F. Khaber, K. Zehar, A. Hamzaoui

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In this paper, we introduce a robust state feedback controller design using Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) and guaranteed cost approach for Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems. The purpose on this work is to establish a systematic method to design controllers for a class of uncertain linear and non linear systems. Our approach utilizes a certain type of fuzzy systems that are based on Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy models to approximate nonlinear systems. We use a robust control methodology to design controllers. This method not only guarantees stability, but also minimizes an upper bound on a linear quadratic performance measure. A simulation example is presented to show the effectiveness of this method.

Keywords: Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model, state feedback, linear matrix inequalities, robust stability.

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Authors: Jae-Min Yu, Hyoung-Ho Doh, Ji-Su Kim, Dong-Ho Lee, Sung-Ho Nam

Abstract:

A reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is an advanced system designed at the outset for rapid changes in its hardware and software components in order to quickly adjust its production capacity and functionally. Among various operational decisions, this study considers the scheduling problem that determines the input sequence and schedule at the same time for a given set of parts. In particular, we consider the practical constraints that the numbers of pallets/fixtures are limited and hence a part can be released into the system only when the fixture required for the part is available. To solve the integrated input sequencing and scheduling problems, we suggest a priority rule based approach in which the two sub-problems are solved using a combination of priority rules. To show the effectiveness of various rule combinations, a simulation experiment was done on the data for a real RMS, and the test results are reported.

Keywords: Reconfigurable manufacturing system, scheduling, priority rules, multiple process plans, pallets/fixtures

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Authors: B. Ramgopal Reddy, K. Ramji, B. Satyanarayana

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In this paper, free vibration analysis of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced laminated composite panels is presented. Three types of panels such as flat, concave and convex are considered for study. Numerical simulation is carried out using commercially available finite element analysis software ANSYS. Numerical homogenization is employed to calculate the effective elastic properties of randomly distributed carbon nanotube reinforced composites. To verify the accuracy of the finite element method, comparisons are made with existing results available in the literature for conventional laminated composite panels and good agreements are obtained. The results of the CNT reinforced composite materials are compared with conventional composite materials under different boundary conditions.

Keywords: CNT Reinforced Composite Panels, Effective ElasticProperties, Finite Element Method, Natural Frequency.

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Authors: S. Basnet

Abstract:

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Nepal and is one of the largest sources of foreign exchange and revenues. Tourism has both negative and positive effects, and Chitwan National Park (CNP) is no different. CNP is the first national park of Nepal where tourists can enjoy many mega faunas along with other natural amenities and the indigenous Tharu culture. This research is focused on analyzing sustainability of the national park and ways to develop it as an eco-tourism destination. The methodology used are literature review, questionnaire, focus group discussion, household survey and field observation. The research reveals that, although, tourist has increased the value and economic scale of the destination, there is huge influx of population from the nearby areas in search of opportunities, which has led to various problems such as, overuse and declining of resources, side-lining of the aboriginals’ groups, modernization and pollution. Hence, analysis of tourism in the area and determining its sustainability becomes vital for protecting it from further damage.

Keywords: Culture, economy, eco-tourism, effects of tourism, environment, national park and sustainability.

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Authors: Chien-Song Chyang, Yu-Chi Wang

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For sludge disposal, incineration is considered to be better than direct burial because of regulations and space limitations in Taiwan. Additionally, burial after incineration can effectively prolong the lifespan of a landfill. Therefore, it is the most satisfactory method for treating sludge at present. Of the various incineration technologies, the fluidized bed incinerator is a suitable choice due to its fuel flexibility. In this work, sludge generated from industrial plants was treated in a pilot-scale vortexing fluidized bed. The moisture content of the sludge was 48.53%, and its LHV was 454.6 kcal/kg. Primary gas and secondary gas were fixed at 3 Nm³/min and 1 Nm³/min, respectively. Diesel burners with on-off controllers were used to control the temperature; the bed temperature was set to 750±20 °C, and the freeboard temperature was 850±20 °C. The experimental data show that the NO emission increased with bed temperature. The maximum NO emission is 139 ppm, which is in agreement with the regulation. The CO emission is low than 100 ppm through the operation period. The mean particle size of fly ash collected from baghouse decreased with operating time. The ration of bottom ash to fly ash is about 3. Compared with bottom ash, the potassium in the fly ash is much higher. It implied that the potassium content is not the key factor for aggregation of bottom ash.

Keywords: Sludge incineration, fluidized bed combustion, fly ash, bottom ash.

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Authors: M. Najafi, F. Rahimi Dehgolan

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In this paper, the dynamic modeling of a single-link flexible beam with a tip mass is given by using Hamilton's principle. The link has been rotational and translational motion and it was assumed that the beam is moving with a harmonic velocity about a constant mean velocity. Non-linearity has been introduced by including the non-linear strain to the analysis. Dynamic model is obtained by Euler-Bernoulli beam assumption and modal expansion method. Also, the effects of rotary inertia, axial force, and associated boundary conditions of the dynamic model were analyzed. Since the complex boundary value problem cannot be solved analytically, the multiple scale method is utilized to obtain an approximate solution. Finally, the effects of several conditions on the differences among the behavior of the non-linear term, mean velocity on natural frequencies and the system stability are discussed.

Keywords: Non-linear vibration, stability, axially moving beam, bifurcation, multiple scales method.

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Authors: Arash Mir Abdolah Lavasani, Meghdad Ebrahimi Sabet

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In this paper, the 2-D unsteady viscous flow around two cam shaped cylinders in tandem arrangement is numerically simulated in order to study the characteristics of the flow in turbulent regimes. The investigation covers the effects of high subcritical and supercritical Reynolds numbers and L/D ratio on total drag coefficient. The equivalent diameter of cylinders is 27.6 mm The space between center to center of two cam shaped cylinders is define as longitudinal pitch ratio and it varies in range of 1.5< L/D<6. Reynolds number base on equivalent circular cylinder varies in range of 27×103< Re <166×103 Results show that drag coefficient of both cylinders depends on pitch ratio. However, drag coefficient of downstream cylinder is more dependent on the pitch ratio.

Keywords: Cam shaped, tandem, numerical, drag coefficient, turbulent.

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Authors: E. T. L. Cöuras Ford, V. A. C.Vale, J. U. L Mendes

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The sun is an inexhaustible source and harness its potential both for heating and power generation is one of the most promising and necessary alternatives, mainly due to environmental issues. However, it should be noted that this has always been present in the generation of energy on earth, only indirectly, since it is responsible for virtually all other energy sources, such as generating source of evaporation of the water cycle, allowing the impoundment and the consequent generation of electricity (hydroelectric power); winds are caused by atmospheric induction caused by large scale solar radiation; petroleum, coal and natural gas were generated from waste plants and animals that originally derived energy required for their development of solar radiation. This paper presents a study on the feasibility of using solar energy for water heating in homes. A simplified methodology developed for formulation of solar heating operation model of water in alternative systems of solar energy in Brazil, and compared it to that in the international market. Across this research, it was possible to create new paradigms for alternative applications to the use of solar energy.

Keywords: Solar energy, solar heating, solar project.

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Authors: Xin H. Zou, Qiang Wang

Abstract:

The comparisons of two typical fluidic thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles including two-dimensional(2-D) nozzle and axisymmetric nozzle on aerodynamic characteristics was presented by numerical simulation. The results show: the thrust vector angles increased with the increasing secondary flow but decreased with the nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) increasing. With the same secondary flow and NPR, the thrust vector angles of 2-D nozzle were higher than the axisymmetric nozzle-s. So with the lower NPR and more secondary weight flow, the much higher thrust vector angle was caused by 2-D fluidic nozzle. And with the higher NPR and less secondary weight flow, there was not much difference in angular dimension between two nozzles.

Keywords: Aerodynamic characteristics, fluidic nozzle, vector angle, thrust coefficient comparison.

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Authors: M. Shakir Saat, M. Noh Ahmad, Dr, Amat Amir

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A cart-ball system is a challenging system from the control engineering point of view. This is due to the nonlinearities, multivariable, and non-minimum phase behavior present in this system. This paper is concerned with the problem of modeling and control of such system. The objective of control strategy is to place the cart at a desired position while balancing the ball on the top of the arc-shaped track fixed on the cart. A State-Feedback Controller (SFC) with a pole-placement method will be designed in order to control the system. At first, the mathematical model of a cart-ball system in the state-space form is developed. Then, the linearization of a model will be established in order to design a SFC. The integral control strategy will be performed as to control the cart position of a system. Simulation work is then performed using MATLAB/SIMULINK software in order to study the performance of SFC when applied to the system.

Keywords: Cart-Ball System, Integral Control, Pole-PlacementMethod, State-Feedback Controller.

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Authors: A. N. K. Nasir, R. M. T. Raja Ismail, M. A. Ahmad

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The objective of this paper is to compare the time specification performance between conventional controller PID and modern controller SMC for an inverted pendulum system. The goal is to determine which control strategy delivers better performance with respect to pendulum-s angle and cart-s position. The inverted pendulum represents a challenging control problem, which continually moves toward an uncontrolled state. Two controllers are presented such as Sliding Mode Control (SMC) and Proportional- Integral-Derivatives (PID) controllers for controlling the highly nonlinear system of inverted pendulum model. Simulation study has been done in Matlab Mfile and simulink environment shows that both controllers are capable to control multi output inverted pendulum system successfully. The result shows that Sliding Mode Control (SMC) produced better response compared to PID control strategies and the responses are presented in time domain with the details analysis.

Keywords: SMC, PID, Inverted Pendulum System.

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Authors: Fuh-Hsin Hwang, Tsui-Tsai Lin, Chih-Wen Chan, Cheng-Yuan Chang

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This paper studies the design of a simple constellation precoding for a multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system over Rayleigh fading channels where OFDM is used to keep the diversity replicas orthogonal and reduce ISI effects. A multi-user environment with K synchronous co-channel users is considered. The proposed scheme provides a bandwidth efficient transmission for individual users by increasing the system throughput. In comparison with the existing coded MIMO-OFDM schemes, the precoding technique is designed under the consideration of its low implementation complexity while providing a comparable error performance to the existing schemes. Analytic and simulation results have been presented to show the distinguished error performance.

Keywords: coded modulation, diversity technique, OFDM, MIMO, constellation precoding

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Authors: Sandhya, Rajbir Singh, Ramesh Kumar

Abstract:

The purpose of this research paper on the subject of Leadership Effectiveness attempts to conduct a focused amount of research to examine the employees’ perceptions pertaining to specific competencies of leadership effectiveness in Indian manufacturing industries and to correlate their perceptions between private sectors and public sector undertakings. It specifically looks at the current definitions of leadership and looks at some historical background information relating to the more common theories that relate to leadership and effectiveness. This research was conducted by using a variety of current books and periodical articles on the topic of leadership effectiveness and employees’ perceptions. A number of leadership effectiveness competencies have been identified. The demographic details and perception of the employees on importance of leadership effectiveness competencies have been obtained through a well designed online questionnaire. For this purpose, a likert scale of seven-point has been used. Descriptive and inferential statistics is used to analyze the gathered data.

Keywords: Employees Perception, Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Competencies, Manufacturing.

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Authors: Y. Atilgan Şengül

Abstract:

Health information technologies promise higher quality, safer care and much more for both patients and professionals. Despite their promise, they are costly to develop and difficult to implement. On the other hand, user acceptance and usage determine the success of implemented information technology in healthcare. This study provides a model to understand health professionals’ perception and expectation of health information technology. Extensive literature review has been conducted to determine the main factors to be measured. A questionnaire has been designed as a measurement model and submitted to the personnel of an in vitro fertilization clinic. The respondents’ degree of agreement according to five-point Likert scale was 72% for convenient access to data and 69.4% for the importance of data security. There was a significant difference in acceptance of electronic data storage for female respondents. Also, other significant differences between professions were obtained.

Keywords: Healthcare, health informatics, medical record system, questionnaire.

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Authors: Prakash G L, Thejaswini M, S H Manjula, K R Venugopal, L M Patnaik

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Computing and maintaining network structures for efficient data aggregation incurs high overhead for dynamic events where the set of nodes sensing an event changes with time. Moreover, structured approaches are sensitive to the waiting time that is used by nodes to wait for packets from their children before forwarding the packet to the sink. An optimal routing and data aggregation scheme for wireless sensor networks is proposed in this paper. We propose Tree on DAG (ToD), a semistructured approach that uses Dynamic Forwarding on an implicitly constructed structure composed of multiple shortest path trees to support network scalability. The key principle behind ToD is that adjacent nodes in a graph will have low stretch in one of these trees in ToD, thus resulting in early aggregation of packets. Based on simulations on a 2,000-node Mica2- based network, we conclude that efficient aggregation in large-scale networks can be achieved by our semistructured approach.

Keywords: Aggregation, Packet Merging, Query Processing.

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Authors: M. H. Hussain, I. Musirin, A. F. Abidin, S. R. A. Rahim

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This paper presents the implementation of Artificial Bees Colony (ABC) algorithm in solving Directional OverCurrent Relays (DOCRs) coordination problem for near-end faults occurring in fixed network topology. The coordination optimization of DOCRs is formulated as linear programming (LP) problem. The objective function is introduced to minimize the operating time of the associated relay which depends on the time multiplier setting. The proposed technique is to taken as a technique for comparison purpose in order to highlight its superiority. The proposed algorithms have been tested successfully on 8 bus test system. The simulation results demonstrated that the ABC algorithm which has been proved to have good search ability is capable in dealing with constraint optimization problems.

Keywords: Artificial bees colony, directional overcurrent relay coordination problem, relay settings, time multiplier setting.

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Authors: Ashutosh Kumar Singh, Ravi Kumar P

Abstract:

This paper gives an introduction to Web mining, then describes Web Structure mining in detail, and explores the data structure used by the Web. This paper also explores different Page Rank algorithms and compare those algorithms used for Information Retrieval. In Web Mining, the basics of Web mining and the Web mining categories are explained. Different Page Rank based algorithms like PageRank (PR), WPR (Weighted PageRank), HITS (Hyperlink-Induced Topic Search), DistanceRank and DirichletRank algorithms are discussed and compared. PageRanks are calculated for PageRank and Weighted PageRank algorithms for a given hyperlink structure. Simulation Program is developed for PageRank algorithm because PageRank is the only ranking algorithm implemented in the search engine (Google). The outputs are shown in a table and chart format.

Keywords: Web Mining, Web Structure, Web Graph, LinkAnalysis, PageRank, Weighted PageRank, HITS, DistanceRank, DirichletRank,

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Authors: Malee Santikunaporn, Tattep Techopittayakul, Channarong Asavatesanupap

Abstract:

Biofuel production especially that of biodiesel has gained tremendous attention during the last decade due to environmental concerns and shortage in petroleum oil reservoir. This research aims to investigate the influences of operating parameters, such as the alcohol-to-oil molar ratio (4:1, 6:1, and 9:1) and the amount of catalyst (1, 1.5, and 2 wt.%) on the trans esterification of refined palm oil (RPO) in a medium-scale oscillatory baffle reactor.  It has been shown that an increase in the methanol-to-oil ratio resulted in an increase in fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) content. The amount of catalyst has an insignificant effect on the FAMEs content. Engine testing was performed on B0 (100 v/v% diesel) and blended fuel or B50 (50 v/v% diesel). Combustion of B50 was found to give lower torque compared to pure diesel. Exhaust gas from B50 was found to contain lower concentration of CO and CO₂.

Keywords: Biodiesel, oscillatory baffled reactor, palm oil, transesterification, fatty acid methyl esters.

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Authors: A. Faruk Bakan, İsmail Aksoy, Nihan Altintaş

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In this paper, half bridge DC-DC converters with transformer isolation presented in the literature are analyzed for highcurrent and low-voltage applications under the same operation conditions, and compared in terms of losses and efficiency. The conventional and improved half-bridge DC-DC converters are simulated, and current and voltage waveforms are obtained for input voltage Vdc=500V, output current IO=450A, output voltage VO=38V and switching frequency fS=20kHz. IGBTs are used as power semiconductor switches. The power losses of the semiconductor devices are calculated from current and voltage waveforms. From simulation results, it is seen that the capacitor switched half bridge converter has the best efficiency value, and can be preferred at high power and high frequency applications.

Keywords: Isolated half bridge DC-DC converter, high-current low-voltage applications, soft switching, high efficiency.

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Authors: Weifeng Wang, Xilong Chen, Xianwei Zeng

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The cable tower of Liede Bridge is a double-column curved-lever arched-beam portal framed structure. Being novel and unique in structure, its cable tower differs in complexity from traditional ones. This paper analyzes the ultimate load capacity of cable tower by adopting the finite element calculations and model tests which indicate that constitutive relations applied here give a better simulation of actual failure process of prestressed reinforced concrete. In vertical load, horizontal load and overloading tests, the stepped loading of the tower model is of linear relationship, and the test data has good repeatability. All suggests that the cable tower has good bearing capacity, rational design and high emergency capacity.

Keywords: Cable tower of Liede Bridge, ultimate load capacity, model test, nonlinear finite element method

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Authors: Xinde Li, Xinhan Huang, Min Wang

Abstract:

In this paper, we propose the pre-processor based on the Evidence Supporting Measure of Similarity (ESMS) filter and also propose the unified fusion approach (UFA) based on the general fusion machine coupled with ESMS filter, which improve the correctness and precision of information fusion in any fields of application. Here we mainly apply the new approach to Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) of Pioneer II mobile robots. A simulation experiment was performed, where an autonomous virtual mobile robot with sonar sensors evolves in a virtual world map with obstacles. By comparing the result of building map according to the general fusion machine (here DSmT-based fusing machine and PCR5-based conflict redistributor considereded) coupling with ESMS filter and without ESMS filter, it shows the benefit of the selection of the sources as a prerequisite for improvement of the information fusion, and also testifies the superiority of the UFA in dealing with SLAM.

Keywords: DSmT, ESMS filter, SLAM, UFA

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Authors: Hyeongbok Kim, Lingling Zhao, Xiaohong Su, Junjie Wang

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The Bernoulli filter is a precise Bayesian filter for single target tracking based on the random finite set theory. The standard Bernoulli filter often underestimates the number of the targets. This study proposes a Gaussian particle flow (GPF) Bernoulli filter employing particle flow to migrate particles from prior to posterior positions to improve the performance of the standard Bernoulli filter. By employing the particle flow filter, the computational speed of the Bernoulli filters is significantly improved. In addition, the GPF Bernoulli filter provides more accurate estimation compared with that of the standard Bernoulli filter. Simulation results confirm the improved tracking performance and computational speed in two- and three-dimensional scenarios compared with other algorithms.

Keywords: Bernoulli filter, particle filter, particle flow filter, random finite sets, target tracking.

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Authors: J. H. Boonzaaier, A. C. Brent

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South Africa, a water scarce country, experiences the phenomenon that its life supporting natural water resources is seriously threatened by the users that are totally dependent on it. South Africa is globally applauded to have of the best and most progressive water laws and policies. There are however growing concerns regarding natural water resource quality deterioration and a critical void in the management of natural resources and compliance to policies due to increasing institutional uncertainties and failures. These are in accordance with concerns of many South African researchers and practitioners that call for a change in paradigm from talk to practice and a more constructive, practical approach to governance challenges in the management of water resources. A qualitative theory-building case study through longitudinal action research was conducted from 2014 to 2017. The research assessed whether a strategic positioned institutional agent can be parlayed to facilitate and execute WRM on catchment level by engaging multiple stakeholders in a polycentric setting. Through a critical realist approach a distinction was made between ex ante self-deterministic human behaviour in the realist realm, and ex post governance-management in the constructivist realm. A congruence analysis, including Toulmin’s method of argumentation analysis, was utilised. The study evaluated the unique case of a self-steering local water management institution, the Impala Water Users Association (WUA) in the Pongola River catchment in the northern part of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Exploiting prevailing water resource threats, it expanded its ancillary functions from 20,000 to 300,000 ha. Embarking on WRM activities, it addressed natural water system quality assessments, social awareness, knowledge support, and threats, such as: soil erosion, waste and effluent into water systems, coal mining, and water security dimensions; through structured engagement with 21 different catchment stakeholders. By implementing a proposed polycentric governance-management model on a catchment scale, the WUA achieved to fill the void. It developed a foundation and capacity to protect the resilience of the natural environment that is critical for freshwater resources to ensure long-term water security of the Pongola River basin. Further work is recommended on appropriate statutory delegations, mechanisms of sustainable funding, sufficient penetration of knowledge to local levels to catalyse behaviour change, incentivised support from professionals, back-to-back expansion of WUAs to alleviate scale and cost burdens, and the creation of catchment data monitoring and compilation centres.

Keywords: Institutional agent, water governance, polycentric water resource management, water resource management.

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Authors: M. N. Eshtiaghi, N. Yoswathana

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The aim of this study was to extract sugar from sugarcane using high electric field pulse (HELP) as a non-thermal cell permeabilization method. The result of this study showed that it is possible to permeablize sugar cane cells using HELP at very short times (less than 10 sec.) and at room temperature. Increasing the field strength (from 0.5kV/cm to 2kV/cm) and pulse number (1 to 12) led to increasing the permeabilization of sugar cane cells. The energy consumption during HELP treatment of sugar cane (2.4 kJ/kg) was about 100 times less compared to thermal cell disintegration at 85 <=C (about 271.7 kJ/kg). In addition, it was possible to extract sugar cane at a moderate temperature (45 <=C) using HELP pretreatment. With combination of HELP pretreatment followed by thermal extraction at 75 <=C, extraction resulted in up to 3% more sugar (on the basis of total extractable sugar) compared to samples without HELP pretreatment.

Keywords: Cell permeabilization, High electric field pulses, Non-thermal processing, Sugar cane extraction.

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Authors: Badr M. Alshammari, T. Guesmi

Abstract:

This study presents a modified version of the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm by including a local search technique for solving the non-convex economic power dispatch problem. The local search step is incorporated at the end of each iteration. Total system losses, valve-point loading effects and prohibited operating zones have been incorporated in the problem formulation. Thus, the problem becomes highly nonlinear and with discontinuous objective function. The proposed technique is validated using an IEEE benchmark system with ten thermal units. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimization algorithm has better convergence characteristics in comparison with the original ABC algorithm.

Keywords: Economic power dispatch, artificial bee colony, valve-point loading effects, prohibited operating zones.

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