Stability enhancement of induction generator–based series compensated wind power plants by alleviating subsynchronous torsional oscillations using BFOA‐optimal controller tuned STATCOM

In this paper, a STATCOM (static synchronous compensator) is used to encounter the potential SSR (subsynchronous resonance) observed by IG (Induction Generator) based series compensated wind farms. The basic controller used for STATCOM control is identical to that of the literature. An idea of a unique meta‐heuristic swarm‐based optimization technique called BFOA (bacterial foraging optimization algorithm) based optimal‐controller is introduced for optimal parameter selection of the basic controller used in the control scheme of the STATCOM. The investigation is carried out with 500 MW IG‐based wind farm exposed to three‐phase LLL‐G fault close to the PCC (point of common coupling) and implemented with MATLAB in both steady and transient states for the three different cases, namely, without STATCOM, with the basic STATCOM controller, and in the presence of the proposed BFOA‐optimal controller‐based STATCOM. In both the states, the observed eigenvalues of the test system, together with the time domain results of the generator rotor dynamics for three distinct cases, reveals the effectiveness of the suggested BFOA‐optimal controller tuned STATCOM in mitigating the potential SSR.     

内阻尼对柔性连接转子系统稳定性的影响

工作在高速柔轴下的柔性连接转子容易发生转子动力学失稳，柔性连接处内阻尼是引起失稳的主要因素。采用Kelvin-Voigt黏弹性理论建立转子柔性连接的复刚度内阻尼模型，通过Kelvin-Voigt黏弹性理论损耗因子与转子模态测试得到复刚度模型中代表内阻尼的虚部系数，应用拉格朗日方法建立柔性连接转子系统的动力学方程。结合试验结果验证了模型的合理性，研究了连接处内阻尼和减振器动力学参数对转子系统稳定性的影响。结果表明，增大柔性连接处内阻尼会极大降低转子系统的稳定性，增大减振器中的刚度系数和减小折合质量可有效提高稳定性，系统的稳定性需从连接处和减振器两方面协调设计。     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma with poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine

Cold atmospheric plasma shows a satisfactory ability to inactivate bacterial biofilms that are difficult to remove using conventional methods in some cases. However, the researches on the inactivation mechanism are not quite sufficient. Poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), which is one of the important components in some biofilms, was used as the research subject, and the related mechanism of action triggered by different concentrations of the OH in plasma was studied using reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that OH radicals could not only trigger the hydrogen abstraction reaction leading to cleavage of the PNAG molecular structure, but undergo an OH addition reaction with PNAG molecules. New reaction pathways appeared in the simulations as the OH concentration increased, but the reaction efficiency first increased and then decreased. The simulation study in this paper could, to some extent, help elucidate the microscopic mechanism of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma and bacterial biofilms at the atomic level.     

Criteria on existence of horseshoes near homoclinic tangencies of arbitrary orders

Consider (m + 1)-dimensional, m ≥ 1, diffeomorphisms that have a saddle fixed point O with m-dimensional stable manifold W^s(O), one-dimensional unstable manifold W^u(O), and with the saddle value σ different from 1. We assume that W^s(O) and W^u(O) are tangent at the points of some homoclinic orbit and we let the order of tangency be arbitrary. In the case when σ < 1, we prove necessary and sufficient conditions of existence of topological horseshoes near homoclinic tangencies. In the case when σ > 1, we also obtain the criterion of existence of horseshoes under the additional assumption that the homoclinic tangency is simple.     

Modeling of the electromechanical coupling between crack propagation and piezoelectric behavior in active layers of smart devices

In this article, a new computational approach is investigated to predict the crack propagation inside some smart structures equipped with surface-bonded piezoelectric layers; meanwhile, the electromechanical coupling is exploited. The current industrial need of analyzing rather irregular geometries motivates resorting to a numerical approach. Therefore, the finite element method (FEM) is used to predict both the fracture behavior and the coupled response of piezoelectric material through a suitable interoperation of the two computational environments, available in some commercial code like the ABAQUS^©. The two solutions are then coupled by means of a subroutine, in this case operated through the ISIGHT^© tool. After a preliminary analysis and a validation, results of some numerical simulations are shown to highlight some significant peculiarities of the coupled behavior of the piezoelectric material.     

Selective Binding of Cyclodextrins with Leflunomide and Its Pharmacologically Active Metabolite Teriflunomide

The selectivity of encapsulation of leflunomide and teriflunomide by native α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins was investigated through ¹H NMR and molecular modeling. Thermodynamic analysis revealed the main driving forces involved in the binding. For α-cyclodextrin, the partial encapsulation was obtained while deep penetration was characterized for the other two cyclodextrins, where the remaining polar fragment of the molecule is located outside the macrocyclic cavity. The interactions via hydrogen bonding are responsible for high negative enthalpy and entropy changes accompanying the complexation of cyclodextrins with teriflunomide. These results were in agreement with the molecular modeling calculations, which provide a clearer picture of the involved interactions at the atomic level.     

Impact of A134 and E218 Amino Acid Residues of Tropomyosin on Its Flexibility and Function

Tropomyosin (Tpm) is one of the major actin-binding proteins that play a crucial role in the regulation of muscle contraction. The flexibility of the Tpm molecule is believed to be vital for its functioning, although its role and significance are under discussion. We choose two sites of the Tpm molecule that presumably have high flexibility and stabilized them with the A134L or E218L substitutions. Applying differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), molecular dynamics (MD), co-sedimentation, trypsin digestion, and in vitro motility assay, we characterized the properties of Tpm molecules with these substitutions. The A134L mutation prevented proteolysis of Tpm molecule by trypsin, and both substitutions increased the thermal stability of Tpm and its bending stiffness estimated from MD simulation. None of these mutations affected the primary binding of Tpm to F-actin; still, both of them increased the thermal stability of the actin-Tpm complex and maximal sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments in vitro at a saturating Ca²⁺ concentration. However, the mutations differently affected the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the sliding velocity and pulling force produced by myosin heads. The data suggest that both regions of instability are essential for correct regulation and fine-tuning of Ca²⁺-dependent interaction of myosin heads with F-actin.