ALBERT

Description: We use recent innovative solution techniques to investigate the problem of MHD viscous flow due to a shrinking sheet with a chemical reaction. A comparison is made of the convergence rates, ease of use, and expensiveness (the number of iterations required to give convergent results) of three seminumerical techniques in solving systems of nonlinear boundary value problems. The results were validated using a multistep, multimethod approach comprising the use of the shooting method, the Matlab bvp4c numerical routine, and with results in the literature.

Description: We investigate the fluctuation behaviors of financial stock markets by Zipf analysis. In the present paper, the empirical research is made to describe ensembles and specifics of stock price returns for global stock indices, and the corresponding Zipf distributions are given. First we study the fluctuation behavior of global stock markets by (m,k)-Zipf method. Then we consider a dynamic stock price model, and we analyze the absolute frequencies and the relative frequencies for this financial model. Further, the Zipf distributions of returns for SSE Composite Index are studied for different time scales.

Description: A new design procedure for a robust H2 and H∞ control of continuous-time singularly perturbed systems via dynamic output feedback is presented. By formulating all objectives in terms of a common Lyapunov function, the controller will be designed through solving a set of inequalities. Therefore, a dynamic output feedback controller is developed such that H∞ and H2 performance of the resulting closed-loop system is less than or equal to some prescribed value. Also, H∞ and H2 performance for a given upperbound of singular perturbation parameter ε∈(0,ε∗] are guaranteed. It is shown that the ε-dependent controller is well defined for any ε∈(0,ε∗] and can be reduced to an ε-independent one so long as ε is sufficiently small. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to validate the proposed controller. Numerical simulations coincide with the theoretical analysis.

Description: This paper is concerned with the existence of monotone positive solution of boundary value problem for an elastic beam equation. By applying iterative techniques, we not only obtain the existence of monotone positive solution but also establish iterative scheme for approximating the solution. It is worth mentioning that the iterative scheme starts off with zero function, which is very useful and feasible for computational purpose. An example is also included to illustrate the main results.

Description: Super-resolution is a fusion process for reconstructing a high-resolution image from a set of low-resolution images. This paper proposes a novel approach to image super-resolution based on total variation (TV) regularization. We applied the Douglas-Rachford splitting technique to the constrained TV-based variational SR model which is separated into three subproblems that are easy to solve. Then, we derive an efficient and effective iterative scheme, which includes a fast iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm for denoising problem, a very simple noniterative algorithm for fusion part, and linear equation systems for deblurring process. Moreover, to speed up convergence, we provide an accelerated scheme based on precondition design of initial guess and forward-backward splitting technique which yields linear systems of equations with a nice structure. The proposed algorithm shares a remarkable simplicity together with a proven global rate of convergence which is significantly better than currently known lagged diffusivity fixed point iteration algorithm and fast decoupling algorithm by exploiting the alternating minimizing approach. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Description: Fatigue failure is the typical failure mode of mechanical components subjected to random load-time history. It is important to ensure that the mechanical components have an expected life with a high reliability. However, it is difficult to reduce the influence of factors that affect the fatigue reliability and thus a reliability sensitivity analysis is necessary. An approach of fatigue reliability sensitivity analysis of complex mechanical components under random excitation is presented. Firstly, load spectra are derived using a theoretical method. A design of experiment (DOE) is performed to study the stresses of dangerous points according to the change of design parameters of the mechanical component. By utilizing a Back-Propagation (BP) algorithm, the explicit function relation between stresses and design parameters is formulated and thus solves the problem of implicit limit state function. Based on the damage accumulation (DA) approach, the probability perturbation method, the fourth-moment method, the Edgeworth expansion is adopted to calculate the fatigue reliability and reliability-based sensitivity. The fatigue reliability sensitivity analysis of a train wheel is performed as an example. The results of reliability are compared with that obtained using Monte Carlo simulation. The reliability sensitivity of design parameters in the train wheel is analyzed.

Description: This paper deals with the existence of positive solutions for the elliptic problems with sublinear and superlinear nonlinearities -Δu=λa(x)up+b(x)uq in Ω, u>0 in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω, where λ>0 is a real parameter, 0<p<1<q. Ω is a bounded domain in RN   (N≥ 3), and a(x) and b(x) are some given functions. By means of variational method and super-subsolution method, we obtain some results about existence of positive solutions.

Description: Various aspects of the interaction of HIV with the human immune system can be modeled by a system of ordinary differential equations. This model is utilized, and a multiobjective optimal control problem (MOOCP) is proposed to maximize the CD4+ T cells population and minimize both the viral load and drug costs. The weighted sum method is used, and continuous Pareto optimal solutions are derived by solving the corresponding optimality system. Moreover, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy is applied, with the final goal of implementing Pareto optimal structured treatment interruptions (STI) protocol. In particular, by using a fuzzy approach, the MOOCP is converted to a single-objective optimization problem to derive a Pareto optimal solution which among other Pareto optimal solutions has the best satisfaction performance. Then, by using an embedding method, the problem is transferred into a modified problem in an appropriate space in which the existence of solution is guaranteed by compactness of the space. The metamorphosed problem is approximated by a linear programming (LP) model, and a piecewise constant solution which shows the desired combinations of reverse transcriptase inhibitor (RTI) and protease inhibitor (PI) drug efficacies is achieved.

Description: This paper deals with multiobjective optimization techniques for a class of hybrid optimal control problems in mechanical systems. We deal with general nonlinear hybrid control systems described by boundary-value problems associated with hybrid-type Euler-Lagrange or Hamilton equations. The variational structure of the corresponding solutions makes it possible to reduce the original “mechanical” problem to an auxiliary multiobjective programming reformulation. This approach motivates possible applications of theoretical and computational results from multiobjective optimization related to the original dynamical optimization problem. We consider first order optimality conditions for optimal control problems governed by hybrid mechanical systems and also discuss some conceptual algorithms.

Description: Packet scheduling has drawn a great deal of attention in the field of wireless networks as it plays an important role in distributing shared resources in a network. The process involves allocating the bandwidth among users and determining their transmission order. In this paper an uplink (UL) scheduling algorithm for the Mobile Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network based on the cyclic polling model is proposed. The model in this study consists of five queues (UGS, ertPS, rtPS, nrtPS, and BE) visited by a single server. A threshold policy is imposed to the nrtPS queue to ensure that the delay constraint of real time traffic (UGS, ertPS, and rtPS) is not violated making this approach original in comparison to the existing contributions. A mathematical model is formulated for the weighted sum of the mean waiting time of each individual queues based on the pseudo-conservation law. The results of the analysis are useful in obtaining or testing approximation for individual mean waiting time especially when queues are asymmetric (where each queue may have different stochastic characteristic such as arrival rate and service time distribution) and when their number is large (more than 2 queues).

Description: Product design has normally been performed by teams, each with expertise in a specific discipline such as material, structural, and electrical systems. Traditionally, each team would use its member's experience and knowledge to develop the design sequentially. Collaborative design decisions explore the use of optimization methods to solve the design problem incorporating a number of disciplines simultaneously. It is known that such optimized product design is superior to the design found by optimizing each discipline sequentially due to the fact that it enables the exploitation of the interactions between the disciplines. In this paper, a bi-level decentralized framework based on Memetic Algorithm (MA) is proposed for collaborative design decision making using forearm crutch as the case. Two major decisions are considered: the weight and the strength. We introduce two design agents for each of the decisions. At the system level, one additional agent termed facilitator agent is created. Its main function is to locate the optimal solution for the system objective function which is derived from the Pareto concept. Thus to Pareto optimum for both weight and strength is obtained. It is demonstrated that the proposed model can converge to Pareto solutions.

Description: The aim of this paper is to introduce a model for temporary staffing when temporary employment is managed by firm contracts and to propose a simulated annealing-based method to solve the model. Temporary employment is a policy frequently used to adjust the working hour capacity to fluctuating demand. Temporary workforce planning models have been unnecessarily simplified to account for only periodic hiring and laying off; a company can review its workforce requirement every period and make hire-fire decisions accordingly, usually with a layoff cost. We present a more realistic temporary workforce planning model that assumes a firm contract between the worker and the company, which can extend to several periods. The model assumes the traditional constraints, such as inventory balance constraints, worker availability, and labor hour mix. The costs are the inventory holding cost, training cost of the temporary workers, and the backorder cost. The mixed integer model developed for this case has been found to be difficult to solve even for small problem sizes; therefore, a simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to solve the mixed integer model. The performance of the SA algorithm is compared with the CPLEX solution.

Description: Many large and sparse linear systems can be solved efficiently by restarted GMRES and CMRH methods Sadok 1999. The CMRH(m) method is less expensive and requires slightly less storage than GMRES(m). But like GMRES, the restarted CMRH method may not converge. In order to remedy this defect, this paper presents a polynomial preconditioner for CMRH-based algorithm. Numerical experiments are given to show that the polynomial preconditioner is quite simple and easily constructed and the preconditioned CMRH(m) with the polynomial preconditioner has better performance than CMRH(m).

Description: A stochastic technique has been developed for the solution of fractional order system represented by Bagley-Torvik equation. The mathematical model of the equation was developed with the help of feed-forward artificial neural networks. The training of the networks was made with evolutionary computational intelligence based on genetic algorithm hybrid with pattern search technique. Designed scheme was successfully applied to different forms of the equation. Results are compared with standard approximate analytic, stochastic numerical solvers and exact solutions.

Description: This paper deals with a nearly circular crack, Ω in the plane elasticity. The problem of finding the resulting shear stress can be formulated as a hypersingular integral equation over a considered domain, Ω and it is then transformed into a similar equation over a circular region, D, using conformal mapping. Appropriate collocation points are chosen on the region D to reduce the hypersingular integral equation into a system of linear equations with (2N+1)(N+1) unknown coefficients, which will later be used in the determination of energy release rate. Numerical results for energy release rate are compared with the existing asymptotic solution and are displayed graphically.

Description: This paper considers the extended problem of the thermosolutal Marangoni forced convection boundary layer by Pop et al. (2001) when the wall is permeable, namely, there is a suction or injection effect. The governing system of partial differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations, and the transformed equations are solved numerically using the shooting method. The effects of suction or injection parameter f0 on the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles are illustrated and presented in tables and figures. It is shown that dual solutions exist for the similarity parameter β less than 0.5.

Description: Monitoring a process over time using a control chart allows quick detection of unusual states. In phase I, some historical process data, assumed to come from an in-control process, are used to construct the control limits. In Phase II, the process is monitored for an ongoing basis using control limits from Phase I. In Phase II, observations falling outside the control limits or unusual patterns of observations signal that the process has shifted from in-control process settings. Such signals trigger a search for assignable cause and, if the cause is found, corrective action will be implemented to prevent its recurrence. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new methodology appropriate for constructing a robust control chart when a nonnormal or a contaminated data that may arise in phase I state. Through extensive Monte Carlo simulations, we examine the behaviors and performances of the proposed MM robust control chart when there is a process shift in mean.

Description: This paper considers generation self-scheduling in electricity markets under uncertain price. Based on the robust optimization (denoted as RO) methodology, a new self-scheduling model, which has a complicated max-min optimization structure, is set up. By using optimal dual theory, the proposed model is reformulated to an ordinary quadratic and quadratic cone programming problems in the cases of box and ellipsoidal uncertainty, respectively. IEEE 30-bus system is used to test the new model. Some comparisons with other methods are done, and the sensitivity with respect to the uncertain set is analyzed. Comparing with the existed uncertain self-scheduling approaches, the new method has twofold characteristics. First, it does not need a prediction of distribution of random variables and just requires an estimated value and the uncertain set of power price. Second, the counterpart of RO corresponding to the self-scheduling is a simple quadratic or quadratic cone programming. This indicates that the reformulated problem can be solved by many ordinary optimization algorithms.

Description: Coupled equations between wind and saltating particles are presented for a stable wind blowing over an infinite plane bed and the equations are solved for a simplified particle-bed impact process. The calculated results show that the saltating snow particles strongly affect the velocity distribution of the wind, causing a deviation from a logarithmically distributed wind velocity profile. The average height and length of saltating snow particle trajectories exponentially increase as the friction velocity increases; the ejected snow number flux and the streamwise snow transport rate also increase as the friction velocity increases.

Description: This paper deals with usage of an alternative tool for symbolic regression—analytic programming which is able to solve various problems from the symbolic domain, as well as genetic programming and grammatical evolution. This paper describes a setting of an optimal trajectory for a robot (originally designed as an artificial ant on Santa Fe trail) solved by means of analytic programming. Firstly, main principles of analytic programming are described and explained. The second part shows how analytic programming was used for the application of finding a suitable trajectory step by step. Because analytic programming needs evolutionary algorithms for its run, three evolutionary algorithms were used—self-organizing migrating algorithm, differential evolution, and simulated annealing—to show that anyone can be used. The total number of simulations was 150 and results show that the first two used algorithms were more successful than not so robust simulated annealing.

Description: Frequency control during power system restoration has not been strongly addressed. Operators are often concerned with the offline sizing of load and generation steps, but, nowadays, the introduction of Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) makes it possible to monitor the stability of power system online. The constraints of WAMS operation result in some changes in power system frequency control. This paper proposes a novel methodology for frequency control and monitoring during the early steps of power system restoration based on WAMS. Detailed load modeling is achieved based on the static load modeling approach. Power generators' modeling is also accomplished utilizing the single machine equivalent of the power system based on PMU measurements. Simulation results of the presented methodology on the 39 bus New England power system clearly show the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed method. The simulation results show that the presented approach has a completely acceptable precision and an outstanding speed with less than 0.05% error. The outstanding speed of the presented approach along with the result precision will result in a great promotion in power system restoration methodologies.

Description: We investigate Noether and partial Noether operators of point type corresponding to a Lagrangian and a partial Lagrangian for a system of two linearly coupled nonlinear Duffing oscillators. Then, the first integrals with respect to Noether and partial Noether operators of point type are obtained explicitly by utilizing Noether and partial Noether theorems for the system under consideration. Moreover, if the partial Euler-Lagrange equations are independent of derivatives, then the partial Noether operators become Noether point symmetry generators for such equations. The difference arises in the gauge terms due to Lagrangians being different for respective approaches. This study points to new ways of constructing first integrals for nonlinear equations without regard to a Lagrangian. We have illustrated it here for nonlinear Duffing oscillators.

Description: As a perspective to ensure the power system stability and to avoid the vulnerability leading to the blackouts, several preventive and curative means are adopted. In order to avoid the voltage collapse, load shedding schemes represent a suitable action to maintain the power system service quality and to control its vulnerability. In this paper, we try to propose an intelligent load shedding strategy as a new approach based on fuzzy controllers. This strategy was founded on the calculation of generated power sensitivity degree related to those injected at different network buses. During the fault phase, fuzzy controller algorithms generate monitor vectors ensuring a precalculated load shedding ratio in the purpose to reestablish the power balance and conduct the network to a new steady state.

Description: A global optimization algorithm for solving generalized geometric programming (GGP) problem is developed based on a new linearization technique. Furthermore, in order to improve the convergence speed of this algorithm, a new pruning technique is proposed, which can be used to cut away a large part of the current investigated region in which the global optimal solution does not exist. Convergence of this algorithm is proved, and some experiments are reported to show the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.

Description: This paper is concerned with a kind of corporate international optimal portfolio and consumption choice problems, in which the investor can invest her or his wealth either in a domestic bond (bank account) or in an oversea real project with production. The bank pays a lower interest rate for deposit and takes a higher rate for any loan. First, we show that Bellman's dynamic programming principle still holds in our setting; second, in terms of the foregoing principle, we obtain the investor's optimal portfolio proportion for a general maximizing expected utility problem and give the corresponding economic analysis; third, for the special but nontrivial Constant Relative Risk Aversion (CRRA) case, we get the investors optimal investment and consumption solution; last but not least, we give some numerical simulation results to illustrate the influence of volatility parameters on the optimal investment strategy.

Description: This paper introduces a new parallel algorithm based on the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization method. This parallel algorithm can find almost exact solutions of tridiagonal linear systems of equations in an efficient way. The system of equations is partitioned proportional to number of processors, and each partition is solved by a processor with a minimum request from the other partitions' data. The considerable reduction in data communication between processors causes interesting speedup. The relationships between partitions approximately disappear if some columns are switched. Hence, the speed of computation increases, and the computational cost decreases. Consequently, obtained results show that the suggested algorithm is considerably scalable. In addition, this method of partitioning can significantly decrease the computational cost on a single processor and make it possible to solve greater systems of equations. To evaluate the performance of the parallel algorithm, speedup and efficiency are presented. The results reveal that the proposed algorithm is practical and efficient.

Description: We consider a nonlinear Volterra-Fredholm integral equation (NVFIE) of the second kind. The Volterra kernel is time dependent, and the Fredholm kernel is position dependent. Existence and uniqueness of the solution to this equation, under certain conditions, are discussed. The block-by-block method is introduced to solve such equations numerically. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate our results.

Description: A 3D dynamic computer model for the movement of the head-neck complex is presented. It incorporates anatomically correct information about the diverse elements forming the system. The skeleton is considered as a set of interconnected rigid 3D bodies following the Newton-Euler laws of movement. The muscles are modeled using Enderle's linear model, which shows equivalent dynamic characteristics to Loeb's virtual muscle model. The soft tissues, namely, the ligaments, intervertebral disks, and facet joints, are modeled considering their physiological roles and dynamics. In contrast with other head and neck models developed for safety research, the model is aimed to study the neural control of the complex during fast eye and head movements, such as saccades and gaze shifts. In particular, the time-optimal hypothesis and the feedback control ones are discussed.

Description: This paper presents the topology of operating DC-DC buck converter in boost mode for extra-high-voltage applications. Traditional DC-DC boost converters are used in high-voltage applications, but they are not economical due to the limited output voltage, efficiency and they require two sensors with complex control algorithm. Moreover, due to the effect of parasitic elements the output voltage and power transfer efficiency of DC-DC converters are limited. These limitations are overcome by using the voltage lift technique, opens a good way to improve the performance characteristics of DC-DC converter. The technique is applied to DC-DC converter and a simplified control algorithm in this paper. The performance of the controller is studied for both line and load disturbances. These converters perform positive DC-DC voltage increasing conversion with high power density, high efficiency, low cost in simple structure, small ripples, and wide range of control. Simulation results along theoretical analysis are provided to verify its performance.

Description: Better understanding of stresses and flow characteristics in the human airways is very important for many clinical applications such as aerosol drug therapy, inhalation toxicology, and airway remodeling process. The bifurcation geometry of airway generations 3 to 5 based on the ICRP tracheobronchial model was chosen to analyze the flow characteristics and stresses during inhalation. A computational model was developed to investigate the airway tissue flexibility effect on stresses and flow characteristics in the airways. The finite-element method with the fluid-structure interaction analysis was employed to investigate the transient responses of the flow characteristics and stresses in the airways during inhalation. The simulation results showed that tissue flexibility affected the maximum airflow velocity, airway pressure, and wall shear stress about 2%, 7%, and 6%, respectively. The simulation results also showed that the differences between the orthotropic and isotropic material models on the airway stresses were in the ranges of 25–52%. The results from the present study suggest that it is very important to incorporate the orthotropic tissue properties into a computational model for studying flow characteristics and stresses in the airways.

Description: To date, most speech synthesis techniques have relied upon the representation of the vocal tract by some form of filter, a typical example being linear predictive coding (LPC). This paper describes the development of a physiologically realistic model of the vocal tract using the well-established technique of transmission line modelling (TLM). This technique is based on the principle of wave scattering at transmission line segment boundaries and may be used in one, two, or three dimensions. This work uses this technique to model the vocal tract using a one-dimensional transmission line. A six-port scattering node is applied in the region separating the pharyngeal, oral, and the nasal parts of the vocal tract.

Description: A case study of open-source (OS) development of the computational research software MFIX, used for multiphase computational fluid dynamics simulations, is presented here. The verification and validation steps required for constructing modern computational software and the advantages of OS development in those steps are discussed. The infrastructure used for enabling the OS development of MFIX is described. The impact of OS development on computational research and education in gas-solids flow, as well as the dissemination of information to other areas such as geophysical and volcanology research, is demonstrated. This study shows that the advantages of OS development were realized in the case of MFIX: verification by many users, which enhances software quality; the use of software as a means for accumulating and exchanging information; the facilitation of peer review of the results of computational research.

Description: A new genetic algorithm (GA) methodology, Bipopulation-Based Genetic Algorithm with Enhanced Interval Search (BGAwEIS), is introduced and used to optimize the design of truss structures with various complexities. The results of BGAwEIS are compared with those obtained by the sequential genetic algorithm (SGA) utilizing a single population, a multipopulation-based genetic algorithm (MPGA) proposed for this study and other existing approaches presented in literature. This study has two goals: outlining BGAwEIS's fundamentals and evaluating the performances of BGAwEIS and MPGA. Consequently, it is demonstrated that MPGA shows a better performance than SGA taking advantage of multiple populations, but BGAwEIS explores promising solution regions more efficiently than MPGA by exploiting the feasible solutions. The performance of BGAwEIS is confirmed by better quality degree of its optimal designations compared to algorithms proposed here and described in literature.

Description: Frequency control during power system restoration has not been strongly addressed. Operators are often concerned with the offline sizing of load and generation steps, but, nowadays, the introduction of Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) makes it possible to monitor the stability of power system online. The constraints of WAMS operation result in some changes in power system frequency control. This paper proposes a novel methodology for frequency control and monitoring during the early steps of power system restoration based on WAMS. Detailed load modeling is achieved based on the static load modeling approach. Power generators' modeling is also accomplished utilizing the single machine equivalent of the power system based on PMU measurements. Simulation results of the presented methodology on the 39 bus New England power system clearly show the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed method. The simulation results show that the presented approach has a completely acceptable precision and an outstanding speed with less than 0.05% error. The outstanding speed of the presented approach along with the result precision will result in a great promotion in power system restoration methodologies.

Description: The problem of signal tracking in discrete linear time invariant systems, in the presence of a disturbance signal in the plant, is solved using a new zero-variation methodology. A discrete-time dynamic output feedback controller is designed in order to minimize the H∞ norm between the exogen input and the output signal of the system, such that the effect of the disturbance is attenuated. Then, the zeros modification is used to minimize the H∞ norm from the reference input signal to the error signal. The error is taken as the difference between the reference and the output signal. The proposed design is formulated in linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) framework, such that the optimal solution of the stated problem is obtained. The method can be applied to plants with delay. The control of a delayed system illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Description: This paper presents a control design for flexible manipulators using piezoelectric actuators bonded on nonprismatic links. The dynamic model of the manipulator is obtained in a closed form through the Lagrange equations. Each link is discretized using finite element modal formulation based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The control uses the motor torques and piezoelectric actuators for controlling vibrations. An optimization problem with genetic algorithm (GA) is formulated for the location and size of the piezoelectric actuator and sensor on the links. The natural frequencies and mode shapes are computed by the finite element method, and the irregular beam geometry is approximated by piecewise prismatic elements. The State-Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) technique is used to derive a suboptimal controller for a robot control problem. A state-dependent equation is solved at each new point obtained for the variables from the problem, along the trajectory to obtain a nonlinear feedback controller. Numerical tests verify the efficiency of the proposed optimization and control design.

Description: We consider the problem of reconstruction of an unknown characteristic transient thermal source inside a domain. By introducing the definition of an extended dirichlet-to-Neumann map in the time-space cylinder and the adoption of the anisotropic Sobolev-Hilbert spaces, we can treat the problem with methods similar to those used in the analysis of the stationary source reconstruction problem. Further, the finite difference θ scheme applied to the transient heat conduction equation leads to a model based on a sequence of modified Helmholtz equation solutions. For each modified Helmholtz equation the characteristic star-shape source function may be reconstructed uniquely from the Cauchy boundary data. Using representation formula, we establish reciprocity functional mapping functions that are solutions of the modified Helmholtz equation to their integral in the unknown characteristic support.

Description: A new method for optimum shape design of variable capacitance micromotor (VCM) using Differential Evolution (DE), a stochastic search algorithm, is presented. In this optimization exercise, the objective function aims to maximize torque value and minimize the torque ripple, where the geometric parameters are considered to be the variables. The optimization process is carried out using a combination of DE algorithm and FEM analysis. Fitness value is calculated by FEM analysis using COMSOL3.4, and the DE algorithm is realized by MATLAB7.4. The proposed method is applied to a VCM with 8 poles at the stator and 6 poles at the rotor. The results show that the optimized micromotor using DE algorithm had higher torque value and lower torque ripple, indicating the validity of this methodology for VCM design.

Description: Pick up-dispatching problem together with delivery-dispatching problem of a multiple-load automated guided vehicle (AGV) system have been studied. By mixing different pick up-dispatching rules, several control strategies (alternatives) have been generated and the best control strategy has been determined considering some important criteria such as System Throughput (ST), Mean Flow Time of Parts (MFTP), Mean Tardiness of Parts (MFTP), AGV Idle Time (AGVIT), AGV Travel Full (AGVTF), AGV Travel Empty (AGVTE), AGV Load Time (AGVLT), AGV Unload Time (AGVUT), Mean Queue Length (MQL) and Mean Queue Waiting (MQW). For ranking the control strategies, a new framework based on MADM methods including fuzzy MADM and TOPSIS method were developed. Then several simulation experiments which had been based on a flow path layout to find the results were conducted. Finally, by using TOPSIS method, the control strategies were ranked. Furthermore, a similar approach was used for determining the optimal fleet size. The main contribution of this paper is developing a new approach combining the top managers' views in selecting the best control strategy for AGV systems while trying to optimize the fleet size at the mean time by combining MADM, MCDM and simulation methods.

Description: Colour matching between carded and finished fibres is an important challenge for textile industry. The straightforward approach for mixing together some differently coloured fibres in order to obtain a blend of a desired colour is to perform a trial and error approach starting from a given colour recipe and optimizing it with several attempts. Unfortunately, dyeing process so as the carding procedure may result in a carded fibre whose colour is different from the desired one. As a consequence textile companies have to modify the original recipe in order to reduce the gap between the colour of the final product and the desired one. The present work describes a model able to simulate the colour mixing of fibres in order to assess the best recipe. The model consists in two modules: a “prediction module” predicts the colour of a blend obtained by mixing together several fibres; an “optimization module” is used to optimize the final recipe. The devised system has been tested for optimizing the recipe of a set of 200 blends. The mean error in predicting the blend colour is about 15% with a variance of 0.165. The time for optimizing the recipe is reduced by 92%.

Description: An analysis is presented to study the MHD free convection with thermal radiation and mass transfer of polar fluid through a porous medium occupying a semi-infinite region of the space bounded by an infinite vertical porous plate with constant suction velocity in the presence of chemical reaction, internal heat source, viscous and Darcy's dissipation. The highly nonlinear coupled differential equations governing the boundary layer flow, heat, and mass transfer are solved by using a two-term perturbation method with Eckert number E as a perturbation parameter. The results are obtained for velocity, angular velocity, temperature, concentration, skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number. The effect of various material parameters on flow, heat, and mass transfer variables is discussed and illustrated graphically.

Description: Mathematical modeling of many engineering and physics problem leads to extraordinary differential equations like Nonlinear, Delayed, and Fractional Order. An effective method is required to analyze the mathematical model which provides solutions conforming to physical reality. A Fractional Differential Equation (FDE), where the leading differential operator is Riemann-Liouvelli (RL) type requires fractional order initial states which are sometimes hard to physically relate. Therefore, we must be able to solve these extraordinary systems, in space, time, frequency, area, volume, with physical reality conserved. Extra Ordinary Differential equation Systems and its solution, with Physical Principle, of action-reaction and equivalent mathematical decomposition method, are obtained as an aid for Physicists and Engineers to tackle the process dynamics with ease. This reactions-chain generates internal modes from zeroth mode reaction to first mode second mode and to infinite modes; instantaneously in parallel time or space-scales; and the sum of all these modes gives entire system reaction. This modal reaction as explained by physics theory exactly matches the principle of Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM). Fractional Differential Equation (FDE) with Riemann-Liouvelli formulation linear and non-linear is solved as per ADM. In this formulation of FDE by RL method it is found that there is no need to worry about the fractional initial states; instead one can use integer order initial states (the conventional ones) to arrive at solution of FDE. This new finding too is highlighted in this paper-along with several other problems to give physical insight to the solution of extraordinary differential equation systems. This way one gets insight to Physics of General Differential Equation Systems-and its solution-by Physical Principle and equivalent mathematical decomposition method. This facilitates ease in modeling.

Description: The paper initiates a comprehensive conceptual framework for an integrated simulation environment for unmanned autonomous systems (UAS) that is capable of supporting the design, analysis, testing, and evaluation from a “system of systems” perspective. The paper also investigates the current state of the art of modeling and performance assessment of UAS and their components and identifies directions for future developments. All the components of a comprehensive simulation environment focused on the testing and evaluation of UAS are identified and defined through detailed analysis of current and future required capabilities and performance. The generality and completeness of the simulation environment is ensured by including all operational domains, types of agents, external systems, missions, and interactions between components. The conceptual framework for the simulation environment is formulated with flexibility, modularity, generality, and portability as key objectives. The development of the conceptual framework for the UAS simulation reveals important aspects related to the mechanisms and interactions that determine specific UAS characteristics including complexity, adaptability, synergy, and high impact of artificial and human intelligence on system performance and effectiveness.

Description: Although of a great extent in time, the research works directed at studying transients in synchronous generators have not yet provided fully sufficient comparative studies in respect to sudden short circuits of the machine. The present paper puts forward novel and comprehensive process models for dynamic simulation of short circuit faults of initially unloaded synchronous generators, using the generalized d-q-0 mathematical model as starting point in derivation. Distinct from the time-domain analysis, the technique proposed here allows an effective comparative overview by employing a specialized procedure to perform repeated time-domain simulations accompanied by peak values recording for the various circumstances. The time consuming matrix numerical inversion at each step of integration, usually performed when selecting currents as state variables, is eliminated by advancing the process models in a convenient split matrix form that allows the symbolic processing. Also, the computational efficiency is being increased by introducing a set of auxiliary variables common to different state equations. The models derivation is carried out without altering the structural equations of the generalized d-q-0 mathematical model of synchronous generators whilst the simulation results are both compared and discussed in detail.

Description: A numerical model based on the mild-slope equation of water wave propagation over complicated bathymetry, taking into account the combined effects of refraction, diffraction, and reflection due to breakwater, is presented. The numerical method was developed using a split proposed version of the mild-slope equation and solved by an implicit method in a finite volume grid; this technique easily allows model the wave effects caused by the breakwater building in coastal waters, where industrial and other economic activities take place. Controlled case studies have been made and the results match very well with the reference solution. The capability and utility of the model for real coastal areas are illustrated by application to the breakwater of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP).

Description: Nonlinear process models are widely used in various applications. In the absence of fundamental models, it is usually relied on empirical models, which are estimated from measurements of the process variables. Unfortunately, measured data are usually corrupted with measurement noise that degrades the accuracy of the estimated models. Multiscale wavelet-based representation of data has been shown to be a powerful data analysis and feature extraction tool. In this paper, these characteristics of multiscale representation are utilized to improve the estimation accuracy of the linear-in-the-parameters nonlinear model by developing a multiscale nonlinear (MSNL) modeling algorithm. The main idea in this MSNL modeling algorithm is to decompose the data at multiple scales, construct multiple nonlinear models at multiple scales, and then select among all scales the model which best describes the process. The main advantage of the developed algorithm is that it integrates modeling and feature extraction to improve the robustness of the estimated model to the presence of measurement noise in the data. This advantage of MSNL modeling is demonstrated using a nonlinear reactor model.

Description: Downwind wind turbines have lower upwind rotor misalignment, and thus lower turning moment and self-steered advantage over the upwind configuration. In this paper, numerical simulation to the downwind turbine is conducted to investigate the interaction between the tower and the blade during the intrinsic passage of the rotor in the wake of the tower. The moving rotor has been accounted for via ALE formulation of the incompressible, unsteady, turbulent Navier-Stokes equations. The localized CP, CL, and CD are computed and compared to undisturbed flow evaluated by Panel method. The time history of the CP, aerodynamic forces (CL and CD), as well as moments were evaluated for three cross-sectional tower; asymmetrical airfoil (NACA0012) having four times the rotor's chord length, and two circular cross-sections having four and two chords lengths of the rotor's chord. 5%, 17%, and 57% reductions of the aerodynamic lift forces during the blade passage in the wake of the symmetrical airfoil tower, small circular cross-section tower and large circular cross-section tower were observed, respectively. The pronounced reduction, however, is confined to a short time/distance of three rotor chords. A net forward impulsive force is also observed on the tower due to the high speed rotor motion.

Description: In order to keep track of the position and motion of our body in space, nature has given us a fascinating and very ingenious organ, the inner ear. Each inner ear includes five biological sensors—three angular and two linear accelerometers—which provide the body with the ability to sense angular and linear motion of the head with respect to inertial space. The aim of this paper is to present a dynamic virtual reality model of these sensors. This model, implemented in MATLAB/Simulink, simulates the rotary chair testing which is one of the tests carried out during a diagnosis of the vestibular system. High-quality 3D animations linked to the Simulink model are created using the export of CAD models into Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) files. This virtual environment shows not only the test but also the state of each sensor (excited or inhibited) in real time. Virtual reality is used as a tool of integrated learning of the dynamic behavior of the inner ear using ergonomic paradigm of user interactivity (zoom, rotation, mouse interaction, etc.). It can be used as a learning and demonstrating tool either in the medicine field—to understand the behavior of the sensors during any kind of motion—or in the aeronautical field to relate the inner ear functioning to some sensory illusions.

Description: A new mixed method for reducing the order of the large-scale linear dynamic multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) systems has been presented. In this method, the common denominator polynomial of the reduced-order transfer function matrix is synthesized by using modified pole clustering while the coefficients of the numerator elements are computed by minimizing the integral square error between the time responses of the original and reduced system element using Genetic Algorithm. The modified pole clustering generates more dominant cluster centres than cluster centres obtained by pole clustering technique already available in literature. The proposed algorithm is computer-oriented and comparable in quality. This method guarantees stability of the reduced model if the original high-order system is stable. The algorithm of the proposed method is illustrated with the help of an example and the results are compared with the other well-known reduction techniques.

Description: To investigate the transient behaviour of the toroidal and poloidal field coils magnet systems of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor during safety discharge, network models with lumped elements are established. Frequency-dependant values of the network elements, that is, inductances and resistances are calculated with the finite element method. That way, overvoltages can be determined. According to these overvoltages, the insulation coordination of coils has to be selected.

Description: Desulphurization of flue gases from various chemical industries in a techno-econo-enviro manner is a demanding technology. The concentrations of sulphur dioxide in and around these plants overshoot the danger point. In recent years, the process analysis of chemical absorption in a slurry has become important in rational design and development of wet scrubbing processes for the removal of SO2 from flue gases. The elementary steps encountered in wet scrubbing by slurries are diffusion and reaction of gaseous species and solid dissolution in liquid film. In the present work, the process of the absorption of sulphur dioxide into wet magnesia slurry was theoretically analyzed according to the two-reaction plane model incorporating the solid dissolution promoted by the reactions with absorbed sulphur dioxide in the liquid film. A model based on Fick's second law has been developed to calculate enhancement factor for absorption of Sulphur dioxide into Mg(OH)2 slurry. The concentration of accumulated species in the bulk of the liquid phase (sulphite ions for this case) which substantially control the absorption rates was included in the model for the prediction of theoretical enhancement factor. The values of theoretical enhancement factors obtained from model were compared with experimental enhancement factors available in literature. The model values of enhancement factors agreed well with the values of experimental enhancement factor available in literature.

Description: The present discussion deals with the study of an unsteady flow and heat transfer of a dusty fluid through a rectangular channel under the influence of pulsatile pressure gradient along with the effect of a uniform magnetic field. The analytical solutions of the problem are obtained using variable separable and Fourier transform techniques. The graphs are drawn for the velocity fields of both fluid and dust phases under the effect of Reynolds number. Further, changes in the Nusselt number are shown graphically, and, on the basis of these, the conclusions and discussions are given.

Description: We propose a simple, quick, and cost-effective method for nondestructive eddy-current testing of metallic cables. Inclusions in the cross section of the cable are detected on the basis of certain global data: hysteresis loop measurements for different frequencies. We detect air-gap inclusions inside the cross section using a homogenized model. The problem, which can be understood as an inverse spectral problem, is posed in two dimensions. We consider its reduction to one dimension. The identifiability is studied. We obtain a uniqueness result for a single inclusion in 1D by two measurements for sufficiently low frequency. We study the sensibility of the inverse problem numerically. A study case with real data is performed to confirm the usefulness.

Description: The frequency response is an important tool for practical and efficient design of control systems. Control techniques based on frequency response are of special interest to dealing with important subjects such as the bandwidth and the cost of feedback. Furthermore, these techniques are easily adapted to deal with the uncertainty of the process to control. Quantitative feedback theory (QFT) is an engineering design technique of uncertain feedback systems that uses frequency domain specifications. This paper analyzes the phase specifications problem in frequency domain using QFT. This type of specification is not commonly taken into account due to the fundamental limitations of the linear control given by Bode's integral. An algorithm is proposed aimed at achieving prespecified closed-loop transfer function phase and magnitude variations, taking into account the plant uncertainty. A two-degrees-of-freedom feedback control structure is used and a new type of boundary is defined to satisfy these objectives. As the control effort heavily depends on a good estimation of these boundaries, the proposed algorithm allows avoiding overdesign.

Description: Having the property to modify only the geometry of a polygonal structure, preserving its physical magnitudes, the Conformal Mapping is an exceptional tool to solve electromagnetism problems with known boundary conditions. This work aims to introduce a new developed mathematical operator, based on polynomial extrapolation. This operator has the capacity to accelerate an optimization method applied in conformal mappings, to determinate the equipotential lines, the field lines, the capacitance, and the permeance of some polygonal geometry electrical devices with an inner dielectric of permittivity ε. The results obtained in this work are compared with other simulations performed by the software of finite elements method, Flux 2D.

Description: The present study examines the non-coaxial aspects of incremental material behavior, and attempts to classify the incremental non-coaxiality that relates stress and strain increments. In the solid mechanics literature, non-coaxiality (NC) refers usually to incremental strains and stress states having different principal directions. Departing from conventional non-coaxiality, the analysis investigates the incremental non-coaxiality (INC) of linearized rate-type solids. This study uses the concept of deviatoric second-order work for examining the relations between stability and incremental non-coaxiality. Based on a spectral analysis of the constitutive compliance matrix, it proposes three classifications for distinguishing various degrees of incremental non-coaxiality and stability. These classifications determine the conditions for the existence of incremental coaxiality (i.e., colinearity of stress and strain increments), stability, instability, and stable-instable transition (i.e., positive, negative, or zero second-order deviatoric work). The study illustrates these classifications in the cases of generic elastic and elastoplastic constitutive models. The analysis pertains to two-dimensional cases. Additional research is required to extend the analysis from two to three dimensions.

Description: Aim of the present work is to investigate the effect of radiation on steady mixed convection boundary layer flow of viscous, incompressible, electrically conducting fluid past a semi-infinite magnetized vertical porous plate with uniform transpiration and variable transverse magnetic field along the surface. The equations governing the flow magnetic and temperature field are reduced to dimensionless convenient form using the free variable transformations and solved numerically by using finite difference method. Effects of physical parameters like Prandtl number, Pr, the conduction-radiation parameter Rd, magnetic field parameter S, magnetic Prandtl number Pm, mixed convection parameter λ, and the surface temperature, θw on the local skin friction coefficient Cfx, local Nusselt number, Nux, and coefficient of magnetic intensity, Mgx against the local transpiration parameter ξ are shown graphically. Later, the problem is analysed by using series solution for small and large values of ξ, and the results near and away from the leading edge are compared with numerical results obtained by finite difference method and found to be in good agreement.

Description: The aim of the present study is to introduce a probabilistic approach to determine the components of the risk evaluation for rainfall-induced earthflows in medium scale. The Catakli catchment area (Cayeli, Rize, Turkey) was selected as the application site of this study. The investigations were performed in four different stages: (i) evaluation of the conditioning factors, (ii) calculation of the probability of spatial occurrence, (iii) calculation of the probability of the temporal occurrence, and (iv) evaluation of the consequent risk. For the purpose, some basic concepts such as “Risk Cube”, “Risk Plane”, and “Risk Vector” were defined. Additionally, in order to assign the vulnerability to the terrain units being studied in medium scale, a new more robust and more objective equation was proposed. As a result, considering the concrete type of roads in the catchment area, the economic risks were estimated as 3.6×106 €—in case the failures occur on the terrain units including element at risk, and 12.3×106 €—in case the risks arise from surrounding terrain units. The risk assessments performed in medium scale considering the technique proposed in the present study will supply substantial economic contributions to the mitigation planning studies in the region.

Description: A defect-correction mixed finite element method (MFEM) for solving the stationary conduction-convection problems in two-dimension is given. In this method, we solve the nonlinear equations with an added artificial viscosity term on a grid and correct this solution on the same grid using a linearized defect-correction technique. The stability is given and the error analysis in L2 and H1-norm of u, T and the L2-norm of p are derived. The theory analysis shows that our method is stable and has a good precision. Some numerical results are also given, which show that the defect-correction MFEM is highly efficient for the stationary conduction-convection problems.

Description: The numerical inverse Laplace transformation (NILM) makes use of numerical integration. Generally, a high-order scheme of numerical integration renders high accuracy. However, surprisingly, this is not true for the NILM to the transfer function. Numerical examples show that the performance of higher-order schemes is no better than that of the trapezoidal scheme. In particular, the solutions from high-order scheme deviate from the exact one markedly over the rear portion of the period of interest. The underlying essence is examined. The deviation can be reduced by decreasing the frequency-sampling interval.

Description: In the mobile robotic systems, a precise estimate of the robot pose with the intention of the optimization in the path planning is essential for the correct performance, on the part of the robots, for tasks that are destined to it. This paper describes the use of RF digital signal interacting with beacons for computational triangulation in the way to provide a pose estimative at bidimensional indoor environment, where GPS system is out of range. This methodology takes advantage of high-performance multicore DSP processors to calculate ToF of the order about ns. Sensors data like odometry, compass, and the result of triangulation Cartesian estimative, are fused for better position estimative. It uses a mathematical and computational tool for nonlinear systems with time-discrete sampling for pose estimative calculation of mobile robots, with the utilization of extended Kalman filter (EKF). A mobile robot platform with differential drive and nonholonomic constraints is used as a base for state space, plants and measurements models that are used in the simulations and validation of the experiments.

Description: Various aspects of the interaction of HIV with the human immune system can be modeled by a system of ordinary differential equations. This model is utilized, and a multiobjective optimal control problem (MOOCP) is proposed to maximize the CD4+ T cells population and minimize both the viral load and drug costs. The weighted sum method is used, and continuous Pareto optimal solutions are derived by solving the corresponding optimality system. Moreover, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy is applied, with the final goal of implementing Pareto optimal structured treatment interruptions (STI) protocol. In particular, by using a fuzzy approach, the MOOCP is converted to a single-objective optimization problem to derive a Pareto optimal solution which among other Pareto optimal solutions has the best satisfaction performance. Then, by using an embedding method, the problem is transferred into a modified problem in an appropriate space in which the existence of solution is guaranteed by compactness of the space. The metamorphosed problem is approximated by a linear programming (LP) model, and a piecewise constant solution which shows the desired combinations of reverse transcriptase inhibitor (RTI) and protease inhibitor (PI) drug efficacies is achieved.

Description: This paper deals with the existence of positive solutions for the elliptic problems with sublinear and superlinear nonlinearities -Δu=λa(x)up+b(x)uq in Ω, u>0 in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω, where λ>0 is a real parameter, 0<p<1<q. Ω is a bounded domain in RN   (N≥ 3), and a(x) and b(x) are some given functions. By means of variational method and super-subsolution method, we obtain some results about existence of positive solutions.

Description: This paper proposes an accuracy improvement of the method of multiple scales (MMSs) for nonlinear vibration analyses of continuous systems with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. As an example, we treat a shallow suspended cable subjected to a harmonic excitation, and investigate the primary resonance of the mth in-plane mode (Ω≈ωm) in which Ω and ωm are the driving and natural frequencies, respectively. The application of Galerkin's procedure to the equation of motion yields nonlinear ordinary differential equations with quadratic and cubic nonlinear terms. The steady-state responses are obtained by using the discretization approach of the MMS in which the definition of the detuning parameter, expressing the relationship between the natural frequency and the driving frequency, is changed in an attempt to improve the accuracy of the solutions. The validity of the solutions is discussed by comparing them with solutions of the direct approach of the MMS and the finite difference method.

Description: Atlantic hurricanes and severe tropical storms are a serious threat for the communities in the Gulf of Mexico region. Such storms are violent and destructive. In response to these dangers, coastal evacuation may be ordered. This paper describes the development of a simulation model to analyze the movement of vehicles through I-65, a major US Interstate highway that runs north off the coastal City of Mobile, Alabama, towards the State of Tennessee, during a massive evacuation originated by a disastrous event such a hurricane. The constructed simulation platform consists of a primary and two secondary models. The primary model is based on the entry of vehicles from the 20 on-ramps to I-65. The two secondary models assist the primary model with related traffic events such as car breakdowns and accidents, traffic control measures, interarrival signaling, and unforeseen emergency incidents, among others. Statistical testing was performed on the data generated by the simulation model to indentify variation in relevant traffic variables affecting the timely flow of vehicles travelling north. The performed statistical analysis focused on the closing of alternative on-ramps throughout the Interstate.

Description: To reduce the side effects and to improve the efficiency of radiation therapy in lung cancer, a pinpoint radiation therapy system is under development. In the system, the movement of lung tumor during breathing could be estimated by employing a suitable numerical modeling technique. This paper presents a gridless numerical technique called Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method to simulate the lung deformation during breathing. The potential of the proposed method to employ in the future pinpoint radiation therapy system has been explored. Deformation of lung during breathing was dynamically tracked and compared against the experimental results at two different locations (upper lobe and lower lobe). Numerical simulations showed that the deformation of lung surface ranged from less than 4 mm to over 20 mm depending on the location at the surface of lung. The simulation showed that the lower section of lung exhibited comparatively large displacement than the upper section. Comparing with the experimental data, the lung surface displacement during inspiration process was predicted reasonably well. Comparison of numerical prediction with experimental observations showed that the root mean squared error was about 2 mm at lower lobe and less than 1 mm at upper lobe at lung surface.

Description: This research adopts a shock tube 16 meters long and with a 9 cm bore to create a supersonic, high-temperature, and high-pressure flowfield to observe the gasification and ignition of HTPB solid fuel under different environments. Also, full-scale 3D numerical simulation is executed to enhance the comprehension of this complex phenomenon. The CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code is based on the control volume method and the pre-conditioning method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations to simulate the compressible and incompressible coupling problem. In the tests, a HTPB slab is placed in the windowed-test section. Various test conditions generate different supersonic Mach numbers and environmental temperatures. In addition, the incident angles of the HTPB slab were changed relative to the incoming shock wave. Results show that as the Mach number around the slab section exceeded 1.25, the flowfield temperature achieved 1100 K, which is higher than the HTPB gasification temperature (930 K ~ 1090 K). Then, gasification occurred and a short-period ignition could be observed. In particular, when the slab angle was 7∘, the phenomenon became more visible. This is due to the flow field temperature increase when the slab angle was at 7∘.

Description: We propose a noninvasive method to estimate the time constant. The calculation of this factor permits us to understand the pressure variations of the inner ear and also predict the behavior of the flow resistance of the cochlear aqueduct. A set of mathematical relationships incorporating the intralabyrinthine pressure, the intracranial pressure, and the time constant was applied. The modeling process describes the hydrodynamic effects of the cerebrospinal fluid in the intralabyrinthine fluid space, where the input and output of the created model are, respectively, the sinusoidal variation of the respiration signal and the distortion product of otoacoustic emissions. The obtained results were compared with those obtained by different invasive techniques. A long time constant was detected each time when the intracranial pressure increased; this phenomenon is related to the role of the cochlear aqueduct described elsewhere. The interpretation of this model has revealed the ability of these predictions to provide a greater precision for hydrodynamic variation of the inner ear, consequently the variation of the dynamic process of the cerebrospinal fluid.

Description: This paper treats some problems related to nonlinear systems identification. A stability analysis neural network model for identifying nonlinear dynamic systems is presented. A constrained adaptive stable backpropagation updating law is presented and used in the proposed identification approach. The proposed backpropagation training algorithm is modified to obtain an adaptive learning rate guarantying convergence stability. The proposed learning rule is the backpropagation algorithm under the condition that the learning rate belongs to a specified range defining the stability domain. Satisfying such condition, unstable phenomena during the learning process are avoided. A Lyapunov analysis leads to the computation of the expression of a convenient adaptive learning rate verifying the convergence stability criteria. Finally, the elaborated training algorithm is applied in several simulations. The results confirm the effectiveness of the CSBP algorithm.

Description: For long time the optimization of controller parameters uses the well-known classical method such as the Ziegler-Nichols and the Cohen-Coon tuning techniques. Despite its effectiveness, these off-line tuning techniques can be time consuming especially for a case of complex nonlinear system. This paper attempts to show a great deal on how Metamodeling techniques can be utilized to tune the PID controller parameters quickly. Note that the plant use in this study is the cruise control system with 2 different models, which are the linear model and the nonlinear model. The difference between both models is that the disturbances were taken into consideration for the nonlinear model, but in the linear model the disturbances were assumed as zero. The Radial Basis Function Neural Network Metamodel is able to prove that it can minimize the time in tuning process as it is able to give a good approximation to the optimum controller parameters in both models of this system.

Description: The coupling of groundwater movement and reactive transport during groundwater recharge with wastewater leads to a complicated mathematical model, involving terms to describe convection-dispersion, adsorption/desorption and/or biodegradation, and so forth. It has been found very difficult to solve such a coupled model either analytically or numerically. The present study adopts operator-splitting techniques to decompose the coupled model into two submodels with different intrinsic characteristics. By applying an upwind finite difference scheme to the finite volume integral of the convection flux term, an implicit solution procedure is derived to solve the convection-dominant equation. The dispersion term is discretized in a standard central-difference scheme while the dispersion-dominant equation is solved using either the preconditioned Jacobi conjugate gradient (PJCG) method or Thomas method based on local-one-dimensional scheme. The solution method proposed in this study is applied to the demonstration project of groundwater recharge with secondary effluent at Gaobeidian sewage treatment plant (STP) successfully.

Description: The high peak to average power ration (PAR) levels of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals attract the attention of many researchers during the past decade. Existing approaches that attack this PAR issue are abundant, but no systematic framework or comparison between them exists to date. They sometimes even differ in the problem definition itself and consequently in the basic approach to follow. In this paper, we propose a new trend in mitigating the peak power problem in OFDM system based on modeling the effects of clipping and amplifier nonlinearities in an OFDM system. We showed that the distortion due to these effects is highly related to the dynamic range itself rather than the clipping level or the saturation level of the nonlinear amplifier, and thus we propose two criteria to reduce the dynamic range of the OFDM, namely, the use of MSK modulation and the use of Hadamard transform. Computer simulations of the OFDM system using Matlab are completely matched with the deduced model in terms of OFDM signal quality metrics such as BER, ACPR, and EVM. Also simulation results show that even the reduction of PAR using the two proposed criteria is not significat, and the reduction in the amount of distortion due to HPA is truley delightful.

Description: We present a numerical study of an example of piecewise linear systems that constitute a class of hybrid systems. Precisely, we study the chaotic dynamics of the voltage-mode controlled buck converter circuit in an open loop. By considering the voltage input as a bifurcation parameter, we observe that the obtained simulations show that the buck converter is prone to have subharmonic behavior and chaos. We also present the corresponding bifurcation diagram. Our modeling techniques are based on the new French native modeler and simulator for hybrid systems called Scicos (Scilab connected object simulator) which is a Scilab (scientific laboratory) package. The followed approach takes into account the hybrid nature of the circuit.

Description: This paper presents the unscented transform (UT) applied to uncertainty modeling of manufacturing tolerances at the design stage of microwave passive devices. The process combines the UT with electromagnetic simulations and assumes that the numerical sources of error are negligible in comparison to the imperfections due to the manufacturing process. The technique was validated with the simulation, construction, and test of several sets of identical microstrip filters with very good results. Although the combination of UT and electromagnetic simulators was presented for microstrip filters, it can also be used for different types of microwave devices.

Description: Super-resolution is a fusion process for reconstructing a high-resolution image from a set of low-resolution images. This paper proposes a novel approach to image super-resolution based on total variation (TV) regularization. We applied the Douglas-Rachford splitting technique to the constrained TV-based variational SR model which is separated into three subproblems that are easy to solve. Then, we derive an efficient and effective iterative scheme, which includes a fast iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm for denoising problem, a very simple noniterative algorithm for fusion part, and linear equation systems for deblurring process. Moreover, to speed up convergence, we provide an accelerated scheme based on precondition design of initial guess and forward-backward splitting technique which yields linear systems of equations with a nice structure. The proposed algorithm shares a remarkable simplicity together with a proven global rate of convergence which is significantly better than currently known lagged diffusivity fixed point iteration algorithm and fast decoupling algorithm by exploiting the alternating minimizing approach. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Description: Fatigue failure is the typical failure mode of mechanical components subjected to random load-time history. It is important to ensure that the mechanical components have an expected life with a high reliability. However, it is difficult to reduce the influence of factors that affect the fatigue reliability and thus a reliability sensitivity analysis is necessary. An approach of fatigue reliability sensitivity analysis of complex mechanical components under random excitation is presented. Firstly, load spectra are derived using a theoretical method. A design of experiment (DOE) is performed to study the stresses of dangerous points according to the change of design parameters of the mechanical component. By utilizing a Back-Propagation (BP) algorithm, the explicit function relation between stresses and design parameters is formulated and thus solves the problem of implicit limit state function. Based on the damage accumulation (DA) approach, the probability perturbation method, the fourth-moment method, the Edgeworth expansion is adopted to calculate the fatigue reliability and reliability-based sensitivity. The fatigue reliability sensitivity analysis of a train wheel is performed as an example. The results of reliability are compared with that obtained using Monte Carlo simulation. The reliability sensitivity of design parameters in the train wheel is analyzed.

Description: Three different profiles of the straight fin that has a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity are investigated by differential transformation method (DTM) and compared with numerical solution. Fin profiles are rectangular, convex, and exponential. For validation of the DTM, the heat equation is solved numerically by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The temperature distribution, fin efficiency, and fin heat transfer rate are presented for three fin profiles and a range of values of heat transfer parameters. DTM results indicate that series converge rapidly with high accuracy. The efficiency and base temperature of the exponential profile are higher than the rectangular and the convex profiles. The results indicate that the numerical data and analytical method are in agreement with each other.

Description: In the application of fuzzy reasoning, researchers usually choose the membership function optionally in some degree. Even though the membership functions may be different for the same concept, they can generally get the same (or approximate) results. The robustness of the membership function optionally chosen has brought many researchers' attention. At present, many researchers pay attention to the structural interpretation (definition) of a fuzzy concept, and find that a hierarchical quotient space structure may be a better tool than a fuzzy set for characterizing the essential of fuzzy concept in some degree. In this paper, first the uncertainty of a hierarchical quotient space structure is defined, the information entropy sequence of a hierarchical quotient space structure is proposed, the concept of isomorphism between two hierarchical quotient space structures is defined, and the sufficient condition of isomorphism between two hierarchical quotient space structures is discovered and proved also. Then, the relationships among information entropy sequence, hierarchical quotient space structure, fuzzy equivalence relation, and fuzzy similarity relation are analyzed. Finally, a fast method for constructing a hierarchical quotient space structure is presented.

Description: A simulation technique based on electromagnetic topology (EMT) theory is proposed for analyzing electromagnetic interference (EMI) coupling through apertures onto the two-transmission line enclosed within metallic structures. The electromagnetic interactions between apertures and the external-internal interactions were treated through the topological decomposition and the multistep iterative method. Then, the load responses of the two-wire transmission line are resolved by the the Baum-Liu-Tesche (BLT) equation. The simulation results both without and with the electromagnetic interaction are presented for the frequency range from 100 MHz to 3 GHz. These numerical results obtained by two methods imply that the electromagnetic interaction cannot be simply ignored, especially for the frequency range up to 1 GHz.

Description: A defect-correction mixed finite element method (MFEM) for solving the stationary conduction-convection problems in two-dimension is given. In this method, we solve the nonlinear equations with an added artificial viscosity term on a grid and correct this solution on the same grid using a linearized defect-correction technique. The stability is given and the error analysis in L2 and H1-norm of u, T and the L2-norm of p are derived. The theory analysis shows that our method is stable and has a good precision. Some numerical results are also given, which show that the defect-correction MFEM is highly efficient for the stationary conduction-convection problems.

Description: The numerical inverse Laplace transformation (NILM) makes use of numerical integration. Generally, a high-order scheme of numerical integration renders high accuracy. However, surprisingly, this is not true for the NILM to the transfer function. Numerical examples show that the performance of higher-order schemes is no better than that of the trapezoidal scheme. In particular, the solutions from high-order scheme deviate from the exact one markedly over the rear portion of the period of interest. The underlying essence is examined. The deviation can be reduced by decreasing the frequency-sampling interval.

Description: The present discussion deals with the study of an unsteady flow and heat transfer of a dusty fluid through a rectangular channel under the influence of pulsatile pressure gradient along with the effect of a uniform magnetic field. The analytical solutions of the problem are obtained using variable separable and Fourier transform techniques. The graphs are drawn for the velocity fields of both fluid and dust phases under the effect of Reynolds number. Further, changes in the Nusselt number are shown graphically, and, on the basis of these, the conclusions and discussions are given.

Description: We investigate Noether and partial Noether operators of point type corresponding to a Lagrangian and a partial Lagrangian for a system of two linearly coupled nonlinear Duffing oscillators. Then, the first integrals with respect to Noether and partial Noether operators of point type are obtained explicitly by utilizing Noether and partial Noether theorems for the system under consideration. Moreover, if the partial Euler-Lagrange equations are independent of derivatives, then the partial Noether operators become Noether point symmetry generators for such equations. The difference arises in the gauge terms due to Lagrangians being different for respective approaches. This study points to new ways of constructing first integrals for nonlinear equations without regard to a Lagrangian. We have illustrated it here for nonlinear Duffing oscillators.

Description: A numerical model based on the mild-slope equation of water wave propagation over complicated bathymetry, taking into account the combined effects of refraction, diffraction, and reflection due to breakwater, is presented. The numerical method was developed using a split proposed version of the mild-slope equation and solved by an implicit method in a finite volume grid; this technique easily allows model the wave effects caused by the breakwater building in coastal waters, where industrial and other economic activities take place. Controlled case studies have been made and the results match very well with the reference solution. The capability and utility of the model for real coastal areas are illustrated by application to the breakwater of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP).

Description: Aim of the present work is to investigate the effect of radiation on steady mixed convection boundary layer flow of viscous, incompressible, electrically conducting fluid past a semi-infinite magnetized vertical porous plate with uniform transpiration and variable transverse magnetic field along the surface. The equations governing the flow magnetic and temperature field are reduced to dimensionless convenient form using the free variable transformations and solved numerically by using finite difference method. Effects of physical parameters like Prandtl number, Pr, the conduction-radiation parameter Rd, magnetic field parameter S, magnetic Prandtl number Pm, mixed convection parameter λ, and the surface temperature, θw on the local skin friction coefficient Cfx, local Nusselt number, Nux, and coefficient of magnetic intensity, Mgx against the local transpiration parameter ξ are shown graphically. Later, the problem is analysed by using series solution for small and large values of ξ, and the results near and away from the leading edge are compared with numerical results obtained by finite difference method and found to be in good agreement.

Description: We propose a simple, quick, and cost-effective method for nondestructive eddy-current testing of metallic cables. Inclusions in the cross section of the cable are detected on the basis of certain global data: hysteresis loop measurements for different frequencies. We detect air-gap inclusions inside the cross section using a homogenized model. The problem, which can be understood as an inverse spectral problem, is posed in two dimensions. We consider its reduction to one dimension. The identifiability is studied. We obtain a uniqueness result for a single inclusion in 1D by two measurements for sufficiently low frequency. We study the sensibility of the inverse problem numerically. A study case with real data is performed to confirm the usefulness.

Description: Having the property to modify only the geometry of a polygonal structure, preserving its physical magnitudes, the Conformal Mapping is an exceptional tool to solve electromagnetism problems with known boundary conditions. This work aims to introduce a new developed mathematical operator, based on polynomial extrapolation. This operator has the capacity to accelerate an optimization method applied in conformal mappings, to determinate the equipotential lines, the field lines, the capacitance, and the permeance of some polygonal geometry electrical devices with an inner dielectric of permittivity ε. The results obtained in this work are compared with other simulations performed by the software of finite elements method, Flux 2D.

Description: The present study examines the non-coaxial aspects of incremental material behavior, and attempts to classify the incremental non-coaxiality that relates stress and strain increments. In the solid mechanics literature, non-coaxiality (NC) refers usually to incremental strains and stress states having different principal directions. Departing from conventional non-coaxiality, the analysis investigates the incremental non-coaxiality (INC) of linearized rate-type solids. This study uses the concept of deviatoric second-order work for examining the relations between stability and incremental non-coaxiality. Based on a spectral analysis of the constitutive compliance matrix, it proposes three classifications for distinguishing various degrees of incremental non-coaxiality and stability. These classifications determine the conditions for the existence of incremental coaxiality (i.e., colinearity of stress and strain increments), stability, instability, and stable-instable transition (i.e., positive, negative, or zero second-order deviatoric work). The study illustrates these classifications in the cases of generic elastic and elastoplastic constitutive models. The analysis pertains to two-dimensional cases. Additional research is required to extend the analysis from two to three dimensions.

Description: A simulation technique based on electromagnetic topology (EMT) theory is proposed for analyzing electromagnetic interference (EMI) coupling through apertures onto the two-transmission line enclosed within metallic structures. The electromagnetic interactions between apertures and the external-internal interactions were treated through the topological decomposition and the multistep iterative method. Then, the load responses of the two-wire transmission line are resolved by the the Baum-Liu-Tesche (BLT) equation. The simulation results both without and with the electromagnetic interaction are presented for the frequency range from 100 MHz to 3 GHz. These numerical results obtained by two methods imply that the electromagnetic interaction cannot be simply ignored, especially for the frequency range up to 1 GHz.

Description: The aim of the present study is to introduce a probabilistic approach to determine the components of the risk evaluation for rainfall-induced earthflows in medium scale. The Catakli catchment area (Cayeli, Rize, Turkey) was selected as the application site of this study. The investigations were performed in four different stages: (i) evaluation of the conditioning factors, (ii) calculation of the probability of spatial occurrence, (iii) calculation of the probability of the temporal occurrence, and (iv) evaluation of the consequent risk. For the purpose, some basic concepts such as “Risk Cube”, “Risk Plane”, and “Risk Vector” were defined. Additionally, in order to assign the vulnerability to the terrain units being studied in medium scale, a new more robust and more objective equation was proposed. As a result, considering the concrete type of roads in the catchment area, the economic risks were estimated as 3.6×106 €—in case the failures occur on the terrain units including element at risk, and 12.3×106 €—in case the risks arise from surrounding terrain units. The risk assessments performed in medium scale considering the technique proposed in the present study will supply substantial economic contributions to the mitigation planning studies in the region.

Description: In the mobile robotic systems, a precise estimate of the robot pose with the intention of the optimization in the path planning is essential for the correct performance, on the part of the robots, for tasks that are destined to it. This paper describes the use of RF digital signal interacting with beacons for computational triangulation in the way to provide a pose estimative at bidimensional indoor environment, where GPS system is out of range. This methodology takes advantage of high-performance multicore DSP processors to calculate ToF of the order about ns. Sensors data like odometry, compass, and the result of triangulation Cartesian estimative, are fused for better position estimative. It uses a mathematical and computational tool for nonlinear systems with time-discrete sampling for pose estimative calculation of mobile robots, with the utilization of extended Kalman filter (EKF). A mobile robot platform with differential drive and nonholonomic constraints is used as a base for state space, plants and measurements models that are used in the simulations and validation of the experiments.

Description: In the application of fuzzy reasoning, researchers usually choose the membership function optionally in some degree. Even though the membership functions may be different for the same concept, they can generally get the same (or approximate) results. The robustness of the membership function optionally chosen has brought many researchers' attention. At present, many researchers pay attention to the structural interpretation (definition) of a fuzzy concept, and find that a hierarchical quotient space structure may be a better tool than a fuzzy set for characterizing the essential of fuzzy concept in some degree. In this paper, first the uncertainty of a hierarchical quotient space structure is defined, the information entropy sequence of a hierarchical quotient space structure is proposed, the concept of isomorphism between two hierarchical quotient space structures is defined, and the sufficient condition of isomorphism between two hierarchical quotient space structures is discovered and proved also. Then, the relationships among information entropy sequence, hierarchical quotient space structure, fuzzy equivalence relation, and fuzzy similarity relation are analyzed. Finally, a fast method for constructing a hierarchical quotient space structure is presented.

Description: Three different profiles of the straight fin that has a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity are investigated by differential transformation method (DTM) and compared with numerical solution. Fin profiles are rectangular, convex, and exponential. For validation of the DTM, the heat equation is solved numerically by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The temperature distribution, fin efficiency, and fin heat transfer rate are presented for three fin profiles and a range of values of heat transfer parameters. DTM results indicate that series converge rapidly with high accuracy. The efficiency and base temperature of the exponential profile are higher than the rectangular and the convex profiles. The results indicate that the numerical data and analytical method are in agreement with each other.

Description: The frequency response is an important tool for practical and efficient design of control systems. Control techniques based on frequency response are of special interest to dealing with important subjects such as the bandwidth and the cost of feedback. Furthermore, these techniques are easily adapted to deal with the uncertainty of the process to control. Quantitative feedback theory (QFT) is an engineering design technique of uncertain feedback systems that uses frequency domain specifications. This paper analyzes the phase specifications problem in frequency domain using QFT. This type of specification is not commonly taken into account due to the fundamental limitations of the linear control given by Bode's integral. An algorithm is proposed aimed at achieving prespecified closed-loop transfer function phase and magnitude variations, taking into account the plant uncertainty. A two-degrees-of-freedom feedback control structure is used and a new type of boundary is defined to satisfy these objectives. As the control effort heavily depends on a good estimation of these boundaries, the proposed algorithm allows avoiding overdesign.

Description: The clean and pure drinking water is important in today's life but current water sources are usually brackish with bacteria that cannot be used for drinking. About 78% of water available in the sea is salty, 21% of water is brackish, and only 1% of water is fresh. Distillation is one of the feasible processes applied to water purification, and it requires the energy inputs, such as solar radiation. Water is evaporated in this distillation process and water vapor can be separated and condensed to pure water. Now, with the change from conventional fuels to renewable and environment friendly fuels sources, the modern technology allows to use the abundant energy from the sun. It is better to use solar energy to process the water desalination since it is more economical than the use of conventional energies. The main focus of this paper is applying computer-aided modeling and simulation to design a less complex solar water distillation system. The prototype of this solar still system is also built to verify its feasibility, functionality, and reliability. The computational simulation and prototype testing show the reliability and proper functionality of this solar water distillation system.

Description: This paper concentrates on ultrasonic transducers, which are driven by piezoelectric ceramic rings that are arranged in a stack. A novel drive option, where the stack contains a new type of divided piezoelectric rings, is analyzed using the finite element method, prototyped, and tested. To gain a better sense of the vibration behavior, the studies focus initially on one ring and subsequently on the different possibilities to assemble the transducer. The investigations point out that natural bending frequencies can be excited at the transducer. Thus, multiple vibration directions of the tip can be controlled, what can be advantageous for instance in dental applications.

Description: There has been extensive work to show how electric fields can influence combustion. However, many different set ups are used. This work shows how different set ups produce different field strengths and that the field is not always uniformly distributed. The field strength is modelled using Ansys Maxwell. The type of material used is discussed and the set up of apparatus. It is recommended to use parallel plates for experimentation. Parallel plates produce the most uniform field this allow's it's influence to be directly investigated and related to the field strength.

Description: The aim of this paper is to introduce two approaches to near sets by using a special neighbourhood. Some fundamental properties and characterizations are given. We obtain a comparison between these new set approximations as well as set approximations introduced by Peters (2011, 2009, 2007, 2006).

Description: We propose a general continuous-time risk model with a constant interest rate. In this model, claims arrive according to an arbitrary counting process, while their sizes have dominantly varying tails and fulfill an extended negative dependence structure. We obtain an asymptotic formula for the finite-time ruin probability, which extends a corresponding result of Wang (2008).

Description: This paper investigates the suppression of galloping in a suspension bridge due to wind loads. The galloping phenomenon can be destructive due to the high-amplitude oscillations of the structure. Two controllers are proposed to generate the control force needed to suppress the vertical galloping in the suspended cables and in the bridge deck. SIMULINK software is used to simulate the controlled system. The simulation results indicate that the proposed controllers work well. In addition, the performance of the system with the proposed controllers is compared to the performance of the system controlled with a tuned mass damper.