Automated prediction system of household energy consumption in cities using web crawler and optimized artificial intelligence

The supply of electrical energy is critical to convenient and comfortable living. However, people consume a large amount of energy, contributing to an energy crisis and global warming, and damaging some ecological cycles. Residential electricity consumption has greater elasticity than industrial and business consumption; it therefore has high energy-saving potential. This work establishes an automated platform, which provides information about residential electricity consumption in each city in Taiwan. Machine learning was used to forecast future residential electricity demand. A nature-inspired optimization method was applied to enhance the accuracy of the best machine learner, yielding an even better hybrid ensemble model. Performance measures indicate that the resulting model is accurate and provides effective information for reference. An automatic web-based system based on the model was combined with a web crawler and scheduled to run automatically to provide information on monthly residential electricity consumption in each county and city. By providing energy consumption information across the country, power providers and government can discuss policy and set different goals for energy use. The results of this study can facilitate the early implementation of energy-saving and carbon emission-reducing in cities and aid utility companies in establishing energy conservation guidelines.     

Additional deepwater sampling of prey fish in Lake Michigan annual bottom trawl survey reveals new insights for depth distribution dynamics

Beginning in 2013, sites at the 128-m bottom depth contour were added to the sampling design of the annual Lake Michigan bottom trawl survey for prey fish, which has been conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) each fall since 1973, to better assess fish depth distributions in a changing ecosystem. The standard sampling design included bottom depths from 9 to 110 m, although the GLSC also sporadically conducted bottom trawl tows at the 128-m bottom depth contour during 1973–1988. Enactment of this new sampling design in 2013 revealed that mean biomass density of deepwater sculpins (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) at the 128-m depth exceeded the sum of mean biomass densities at shallower depths, indicating that the bulk of the deepwater sculpin population is residing in waters deeper than 110 m. Thus, our findings supported the hypothesis that the depth distribution of the deepwater sculpin population had shifted to deeper waters beginning in 2007, thereby explaining, at least in part, the marked decline in deepwater sculpin abundance since 2006 based on the standard sampling design. In contrast, our results did not support the hypothesis that the slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) population had shifted to deeper waters sometime after 2000. A portion of the burbot (Lota lota) population may have also shifted in depth distribution to waters deeper than 110 m after 2007, based on our results. Our findings have served as an impetus to further expand the range of depths sampled in our bottom trawl survey.     

Microstructure,mechanical, tribological,and oxidizing properties of AlCrSiN/AlCrVN/AlCrNbN multilayer coatings with different modulated thicknesses

Multilayer structure design is one of the most promising methods for improving the comprehensive performance of AlCrN-based hard coatings applied to cutting tools. In this study, four types of AlCrSiN/AlCrVN/AlCrNbN multilayer coatings, with different modulated thicknesses, were deposited to investigate their microstructure, mechanical, tribological, and oxidizing properties. All multilayer coatings exhibited grain growth along the crystallographic plane of (200) with a NaCl-type face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. The results show that, as the modulation thickness decreases from ～35 nm to ～10 nm, (1) the grain refinement effect is increasingly evident; (2) all multilayer coatings show a hardness of >30 GPa and an elastic modulus of >300 GPa. Both the ability to resist elastic strain to failure and the plastic deformation of multilayer coatings increase. In addition, their resistance to cracking reduces; (3) the wear rates of these multilayer coatings reduce successively from 1.78 × 10^?16 m³ N^?1 m^?1 to 7.7 × 10^?17 m³ N^?1 m^?1. This is attributed to an increase in self-lubricating VO_x and a decrease in adhesives from the counterparts; (4) the best high-temperature oxidation resistance was obtained for the multilayer coating with a modulated thickness of ～15 nm.     

Crystalline lens thickness change is associated with axial length elongation and myopia progression in orthokeratology

AimsConsidering individual variability in regards to the effects of orthokeratology (ortho-k) on myopia progression and controversies regarding the precise underlying mechanism, the aim of this study was to investigate several ocular measurements associated with axial length (AL) growth in children wearing ortho-k lenses.MethodsIn this retrospective chart review, medical records of 53 Chinese children who wore ortho-k lenses over the course of 12 months were reviewed. Baseline variables included age at initiation of ortho-k wear, refractive error (spherical equivalent, SE), central corneal thickness (CCT), and flat and steep keratometry of corneal principal meridians. The change of anterior chamber depth (ACD) and the change of crystalline lens thickness (CLT) between baseline and the 12-month follow-up were also analyzed. The contributions of all analyzed variables to AL change were assessed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.ResultsInitially, the results of paired t-test showed that CLT and AL were significantly increased after 12 months of ortho-k wear compared with that at baseline (P = 0.001 and < 0.001). The ACD did not change significantly after 12 months compared with that at baseline (P = 0.491). Subsequently, univariate analyses showed that a reduced rate of AL elongation was found in children who were older age at initiation of ortho-k wear (P = 0.028), had greater SE (higher degree of myopia) at baseline (p = 0.006), had thicker CCT at baseline (P = 0.04), and had greater increase of CLT (P = 0.001) in 12 months. At last, only greater SE (higher degree of myopia) and greater increase of CLT were associated with smaller increases of AL in multivariable analyses, (P = 0.003 and 0.001).ConclusionsBoth CLT and AL were significantly increased in children with overnight ortho-k wear after 12 months of follow-up. Greater baseline SE and greater increase of CLT were associated with less increase in AL during ortho-k wear in children with myopia.     

激光在线测厚振动分析与精度优化

激光测厚具有安全可靠、测量精度高、测量范围大等优点,广泛应用于纸张、电池极片等薄膜类材料厚度的在线测量。带材宽幅方向扫描测厚时由于扫描架往复运动会产生机械振动,影响在线测厚精度。针对该问题,以锂离子电池极片厚度测量为例,使用双激光差动式测厚平台对电池极片和铜箔分别进行厚度测量,然后对测厚数据进行频谱分析,探究其振动规律的相似性,并基于频谱分析结果采用滑动带阻滤波方式对测厚数据进行处理,滤波后极片和铜箔的厚度极差分别降低了33.4%和73.8%,有效过滤了机械振动导致的测量误差,可满足极片和铜箔厚度测量的精度要求。     

南方地区造纸车间钢屋面保温厚度的计算与分析

本文从内表面防结露、夏季隔热2个角度出发，对夏热冬冷及夏热冬暖地区代表城市采用的钢结构屋面的保温（隔热）层厚度进行计算分析。研究表明，在夏季室内温、湿度达到某一状态时，隔热厚度要大于冬季防结露的保温厚度。因此，夏热冬冷地区的造纸车间钢屋面保温层厚度应按夏季隔热计算确定，并进行冬季防结露验算；夏热冬暖地区按照冬季防结露计算即可。     

基于化学监督的超(超)临界机组关键控制节能指标分析及建议

针对超(超)临界机组参数提高、材质升级,化学技术监督中的监督指标对机组经济性和可靠性影响较大的问题,本文通过机组典型案例分析、技术监督报告、现场实测等,对目前化学监督中影响较大的、关键的技术指标进行了系统性的分析研究。研究结果找出了6项化学监督中超(超)临界机组关键的、影响较大的控制监督指标,且提出了指标控制值和控制方法。这项系统性研究分析方法对指导超(超)临界机组化学监督具有重要的借鉴作用,以控制超(超)临界机组因参数提高和材质升级带来的新问题和新挑战。     

基于气动性能与刚度特性的风力机翼型优化设计

结合翼型泛函集成理论与叶片截面刚度矩阵数学计算模型,提出了风力机中等厚度翼型气动性能与结构刚度特性的一体化设计方法,实现了翼型气动性能与叶片截面刚度特性的同时提高。对考虑叶片截面铺层参数变化设计的WQ-B300翼型与DU97-W-300翼型进行了气动性能与结构刚度特性对比分析,结果表明:相比于DU97-W-300翼型,WQ-B300翼型的气动性能与叶片截面刚度性能均有显著提高,其挥舞刚度和摆振刚度分别提高了6.2%和8.4%,验证了该设计方法的可行性,给风力机中等厚度及大厚度翼型设计提供了一种思路。     

贾燕1,赵永涛2,张红松2

为确定ZrO2/莫来石热障涂层的单层最佳厚度,采用有限元技术研究单层厚度对ZrO2/莫来石热障涂层热冲击应力的影响。结果表明,莫来石层厚度为0.25mm时,涂层表面及ZrO2/莫来石界面处具有最大热应力,而其它莫来石层厚度时涂层内部热应力则受莫来石层厚度影响不明显。当ZrO2层厚度为0.3mm时,ZrO2/莫来石涂层中的热应力在整个横向距离范围内保持稳定,而其它情况下涂层中的热应力则与ZrO2层厚度成正比。涂层表面处的径向热应力大于ZrO2/莫来石界面处的对应值。     

整体壁板离散填料滚弯成形有限元模拟

具有一定曲率外形的铝合金整体壁板属于典型的多筋零部件,传统弯曲成形工艺成形困难,容易产生多种缺陷。提出了离散填料辅助滚弯成形整体2A12T4铝合金壁板滚弯工艺,并通过实验与整体填料滚变成形进行了对比,同时采用有限元模拟技术,探究了离散填料辅助整体壁板滚弯成形中的影响因素。研究结果表明:填料数量、上下垫板厚度等因素对成形性能影响较大,填料在3~6块时成形稳定,可以有效地避免筋条屈曲与失稳;随垫板厚度增加,壁板表面圆弧更加光滑、连续,但是回弹性增强;上下垫板分别在10~20 mm厚度时,综合性能较好。通过离散填料辅助滚弯技术可以成形出质量较高的整体壁板。