On the volume power density of radial thermoelectric generators

We examine the volume power density of radial thermoelectric generators (TEGs). Radial, or tubular, TEGs have been considered as an alternative to the usual flat-plate TEGs due to its improved geometric match to typical curved heat sources and high surface power density. However, surface power density is not the only important performance index in realistic situations. Especially for TEGs with inorganic materials that have high raw material prices, volume power density can be important as well. In this note, an analytic model of a radial TEG is studied with a numerical trial-and-error approach for investigating its volume power density. At the same time, an alternative, approximate method of estimating the maximum power of the radial TEG is presented. Using these two approaches, we estimate the volume power density of a skutterudite-based radial TEG and compare the results to those of a flat-plate TEG. The volume power density of the radial TEG is significantly lower than that of the flat-plate TEG. For example, our calculation for a representative case with free convection on the cold side shows that the volume power density of the radial TEG will be 107 W/m³ at best. The result improves with forced convection, and our calculation for a representative case with forced convection on the cold side exhibits the maximum volume power density of 24 100 W/m³ . All these values turn out to be smaller roughly by one order of magnitude than the maximum volume power densities of comparable flat-plate TEGs. Such a low volume power density indicates lower economic feasibility of the radial TEG with expensive inorganic thermoelectric materials. This is also explicitly discussed by presenting the high cost per watt of the radial TEG. It is therefore suggested that radial TEGs with less expensive organic materials may be more acceptable than those with inorganic ones.     

Distributed data-driven observer for linear time invariant systems

This paper is concerned with distributed data-driven observer design problem. The existing data-driven observers rely on a common assumption that all the information about the system, and the calculations based upon this information are centralized. Therefore the resulting algorithms cannot be applied to the distributed systems in which each local observer receives only a part of the output signal. On the other hand, traditional model-based distributed state estimation methods generally assume that the processes are decomposed according to the known process models, while in data-driven approaches there is no such information available. The main goal of this paper is to extend the centralized data-driven observer design approach to the distributed framework. The stability of the proposed data-driven distributed observer is also proved analytically. A quadruple-tank process is simulated to demonstrate the performance of the proposed scheme.     

Effects of Winding Attachment Positions on Output Characteristics of Flux‐Modulating Synchronous Machines

The flux‐modulating synchronous machine (FMSM) is a new type of multipole SM with nonoverlapping concentrated armature and field windings on the stator. This paper compares the output characteristics of two FMSMs through finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments. In both of the FMSMs, the attachment positions of the armature and field windings are swapped. To determine the reason for the discrepancies in their output characteristics, unsaturated inductances were calculated using a d‐‐q equivalent circuit. In addition, the calculated results of the inductances were confirmed through a visualization of the leakage fluxes using FEA. The results of the study show that the synchronous inductance can be reduced by attaching the armature winding to the air‐gap side of the stator teeth and that the reduction leads to an increase in output power.     

分布式交互技术在虚拟培训中的研究与应用

生活中大量虚拟培训系统仅适用于单人培训使用,难以满足那些需要人与人之间进行协调完成的工作的培训要求,文中提出一种适用于虚拟培训的分布式交互技术应用方法,对互操作性,分布性以及时空一致性等问题进行分析比较,目的是为了满足多人在同一虚拟场景中进行模拟培训操作的要求。最后以传统模拟驾驶器为试验对象,建立一个可供异地多用户同时参与实时交互、协同工作的分布式虚拟环境。实验结果表明,分布式交互技术应用于虚拟培训中,能够弥补传统虚拟培训系统的不足,提高人们协同工作的能力。     

融合分词隐层特征的汉语基本块识别

该文以字为基本标注单位,构建了一种汉语基本块识别的神经网络学习模型。模型联合分词任务的神经网络学习模型与基本块识别任务模型,将分词任务模型中学习得到的隐层特征融入基本块识别的模型中,两模型相互交替优化学习模型参数,并实现了以整句似然函数(而非单字似然函数)作为优化目标的算法。实验结果表明:1)以整句似然函数为优化目标的基本块识别的F值比单字似然情形要高出1.33%,特别是在多字块识别中,其召回率比单字似然情形要高出4.68%;2)融合分词任务模型中的隐层特征的汉语基本块识别模型的结果比不做融合的模型要高出2.17%,说明融合分词隐层特征的交替联合学习方法是有效的。     

Fully distributed tracking control for non‐identical multi‐agent systems with matching uncertainty

This article addresses the fully distributed consensus tracking control problem of linear multi‐agent systems with parameter uncertainties. First, a new class of distributed protocol, based on the relative states of neighbors, is proposed. Theoretical analysis indicates that the considered problem can be solved if the control gain constant of the protocol is larger than the norm bound of the leader's nonlinear inputs. Furthermore, a distributed adaptive control protocol is proposed for the case without available global information. The distributed consensus tracking control problem of uncertain linear multi‐agent systems is solved based only on local information under the proposed adaptive protocol. Finally, an application in low‐Earth‐orbit satellite formation flying is provided to illustrate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Hydrogen Management Method in Residential Distributed Generation Systems with Photovoltaic Cells and Hydrogen‐Storage Type Fuel Cells

Recently, renewable energy has been attracting attention as a result of global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels. Photovoltaic (PV) systems have spread rapidly around the world because they generate electric power quietly and can be installed in many places. The output power generated in a PV system fluctuates with changes in solar irradiance and panel temperature. The reverse flow of surplus power in output spikes may have a negative effect on electric power quality, such as on the frequency and voltage in a power system. A residential distributed generation (DG) system composed of a fuel cell (FC) unit, an electrolyzer (EL) unit, and a PV system has been proposed in order to resolve these problems. In order to operate this system without interruption, the hydrogen storage volume must be managed. This paper proposes a novel hydrogen management method for a residential DG system with PV cells and hydrogen‐storage type FCs. The hydrogen storage volume is maintained at the preset frequency by operating the FC unit and the EL unit. Models of the PV, FC, and EL were constructed for a simulation. In the simulation, we showed that the proposed management method is viable for a residential DG system with PV cells and hydrogen‐storage FCs.     

A novel quasi-oppositional harmony search algorithm and fuzzy logic controller for frequency stabilization of an isolated hybrid power system

The intermittent wind power in isolated hybrid distributed generation (IHDG) may cause serious problems associated with frequency (f) and power (P) fluctuation. Energy storage devices such as battery, super capacitor, and superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) may be used to reduce these fluctuations associated with f and P. This paper presents a study of IHDG power system for improving both f and P deviation profiles with the help of SMES. The studied IHDG power system is consisted of wind turbine generator and diesel engine generator. Both f and P control problems of the studied power system model are addressed in presence or absence of SMES. Fuzzy logic based proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller with SMES is used for the purpose of minimization of f and P deviations. The different tunable parameters of the PID controller and those of the SMES are tuned by a novel quasi-oppositional harmony search algorithm. Performance study of the IHDG power system model is carried out under different perturbation conditions. The results demonstrate minimum f and P deviations may be achieved by using the proposed fuzzy logic based PID controller along with SMES.     

Development of an experimental test rig for cogeneration based on a Stirling engine and a biofuel burner

A system consisting of a last-generation Stirling engine (SE) and a fuel burner for distributed power generation has been developed and experimentally investigated. The heat generated by the combustion of two liquid fuels, a standard Diesel fuel and a rapeseed oil, is used as a heat source for the SE, that converts part of the thermal energy into mechanical and then electric energy. The hot head of the SE is kept in direct contact with the flame generated by the burner. The burner operating parameters, designed for Diesel fuel, were changed to make it possible to burn vegetable oils, not suitable for internal combustion engines. The possibility of adopting different configurations of the combustion chamber was taken into account to increase the system efficiency. The preliminary configurations adopted allowed to operate this integrated system, obtaining an electric power up to 4.4 kW_el with a net efficiency of 11.6%.     

Disturbance observer-based adaptive boundary iterative learning control for a rigid-flexible manipulator with input backlash and endpoint constraint

In this article, an observer-based adaptive boundary iterative learning control law is developed for a class of two-link rigid-flexible manipulator with input backlash, the unknown external disturbance, and the endpoint constraint. To tackle the backlash nonlinearities and ensure the vibration suppression, the disturbance observers based upon the iterative learning conception are considered in the adaptive boundary control design. A barrier Lyapunov function is incorporated with boundary control law to restrict the endpoint state. Based on the defined barrier composite energy function, the tracking angle error convergence of the rigid part is guaranteed, and the vibrations of the flexible part are suppressed through the rigorous analysis. Finally, a numerical simulation is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control.