A Decision-Tree Scheme for Responding to Uncertainties in Microgrid Protection Coordination

In addition to the dynamic nature of microgrids, uncertainty in the proper operation of protection system and communication links are other challenges affecting the protection coordination of these networks. Therefore, in this paper, a new protection coordination plan based on decision tree for considering uncertainties in the topology of microgrid, protection system, and communication links is presented. The proposed method allows the adaptive protection to make global decisions and adopt the best strategy to clear faults depending on considered uncertainties. Since circuit breakers are the most prone to failure equipment in the protection system due to fault-caused stress, this paper models uncertainty in the protection system with uncertainty in the performance of circuit breakers. In order to consider uncertainty in circuit breakers and communication links, their probability of correct operation are not considered fixed but variable, respectively, proportional to the fault current flowing through the circuit breakers and the latency of communication links. The proposed plan was tested on a sample microgrid in DIgSILENT Power Factory. Results prove that using the proposed method, adaptive protection can establish an optimal sequence of strategies so that with the failure of each strategy, the best backup strategy is replaced given the uncertainties.     

Emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization of 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate

The emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) was carried out with ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB) as an initiator and copper bromide (CuBr)/4,4′-dinonyl-2,2′-bipyridyl (dNbpy) as a catalyst system. The effects of surfactant type and concentration, temperature, monomer/initiator ratio, and CuBr₂ addition on the system livingness, polymer molecular weight control, and latex stability were examined in detail. It was found that the polymerization systems with Tween 80 and Brij 98 as surfactants at 30 °C gave the best latex stability. The polymer samples prepared under these conditions had narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n=1.1-1.2) and linear relationships of number-average molecular weight versus monomer conversion.     

Effect of zirconia on ablation mechanism of asbestos fiber/phenolic composites in oxyacetylene torch environment

Micron-size zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) was used to improve the thermal stability and ablation properties of asbestos fiber/phenolic composites and to reduce their final cost. ZrO₂/asbestos/phenolic composites were prepared in an autoclave by the curing cycle process. The densities of the composites were in the range of 1.64–1.82 g/cm³. The ablation properties of composites were determined by oxyacetylene torch environment and burn-through time, erosion rates and back surface temperature in the first required 20 s. To understand the ablation mechanism, the morphology and phase composition of the composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Thermal stability of the produced materials was estimated by means of thermal gravimetric analysis, in air which consisted of dynamic scans at a heating rate of 10 °C/min from 30 to 1000 °C with bulk samples of about 23±2 mg. The thermal stability of the composites was enhanced by adding ZrO₂. The results showed that the linear and mass ablation rates of the composites after adding 14 wt% ZrO₂ decreased by 58% and 92%, respectively. The back surface temperature of a sample with 14% zirconia was 49% lower than that of pure composite. The SEM studies showed that, modified composites displayed much lower porosity than that of non-modified composite and the destruction of asbestos fibers was very low. On the other hand, it appeared that a thin melted layer of ZrO₂ covered the surfaces of zirconia-containing composites.     

Orthogonal array design method for optimization experiments of sodium azide microencapsulation with stearic acid

In this study, an orthogonal array design (OAD), OA₉, was employed as a statistical experimental method for mircoencapsulation of sodium azide with stearic acid through a solvent/non-solvent procedure which is based on the coacervation principle. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the coating morphology. The effect of stearic acid coating on sodium azide decomposition has been studied by means of differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Our findings revealed that stearic acid can provide an effective coating shell around sodium azide microparticle and the coating quality is affected by some parameters, such as percent of stabilizer, addition time of non-solvent, volume of non-solvent and stirring speed of the mixture (revolutions per minute, rpm). The effects of these factors on the thermal decomposition temperature of microencapsulated sample were quantitatively evaluated by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical results showed that sodium azide powder can optimally be coated and stabilized by controlling of stabilizer percent, addition time of non-solvent, and volume of non-solvent. The OAD evaluation of initial experimental data provide optimized amount of the parameters to obtain the most stabilized sample, at which the thermal decomposition temperature of sodium azide is predicted at 436 °C. The prediction is in excellent agreement with experimental result obtained at the same conditions that is 435 °C. These data could be compared to that of the pure stearic acid and sodium azide in which decomposition temperature ranges are 160–300 and 382–397 °C, respectively. Also, the kinetic parameters such as activation energy and frequency factor of the decomposition processes of pure components and microencapsulated sodium azide at optimum condition were obtained from the DSC data by non-isothermal methods proposed by ASTM E696. Our finding showed that the treated NaN₃ has much lower decomposition rate as compared to the pure one.     

A STUDY OF THE FLOTATION OF OXIDIZED AHASRA COAL

ABSTRACT

The flotation of oxidized Amasra Coal which was collected between 1973–1978 and, stored in the atmospheric conditions was examined In this work. Coal samples were fractioned by wet screening to +0.560 mm, ?0.500 + 0.140 mm, ?0.140 mm particle sizes and first fraction was ground to ?0.560 mm before flotation. Motorin and pine oil which had been heated at 125° C for 5 hours were used ns flotation reagents. The influence of impeller speed, aeration rate, solid concent of the pulp, reagent amounts were examined and optimum values were determined. Increase of the pine oil amount added to the pulp, increased the coal. recovery on the flotation of this oxidized coal.     

Axisymmetric mechanical and thermal stresses in thick short length FGM cylinders

The exact solution of steady-state two-dimensional axisymmetric mechanical and thermal stresses for a short hollow cylinder made of functionally graded material is developed. Temperature, as functions of radial and longitudinal directions, is solved analytically, using the generalized Bessel function. A standard method is used to solve a non-homogeneous system of partial differential Navier equations with non-constant coefficients, using Fourier series, rather than potential functions method.     

THERMAL BUCKLING OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED PLATES BASED ON HIGHER ORDER THEORY

Equilibrium and stability equations of a rectangular plate made of functionally graded material (FGM) under thermal loads are derived, based on the higher order shear deformation plate theory. Assuming that the material properties vary as a power form of the thickness coordinate variable z and using the variational method, the system of fundamental partial differential equations is established. The derived equilibrium and stability equations for functionally graded plates (FGPs) are identical to the equations for laminated composite plates. A buckling analysis of a functionally graded plate under four types of thermal loads is carried out and results in closed-form solutions. The critical buckling temperature relations are reduced to the respective relations for functionally graded plates with a linear composition of constituent materials and homogeneous plates. The results are compared with the critical buckling temperatures obtained for functionally graded plates based on classical plate theory given in the literature. The study concludes that higher order shear deformation theory accurately predicts the behavior of functionally graded plates, whereas the classical plate theory overestimates buckling temperatures.     

Anomalous line broading of donor transitions in high-purity InP in high magnetic fields

New lines shapes, not predicted by Stark broadening, are reported for 1s→2p (m=?1, 0) for a single hydrogenlike donor in InP. Stark-effect inhomogeneous broadening is suppressed by a magnetic field in GaAs according to both theory and experiment but the characteristic low frequency tail is enhanced by the high magnetic field for both 1s→2p (m=?1, 0) in InP.     

THERMOELASTICITY SOLUTION OF A LAYER USING THE GREEN–NAGHDI MODEL

The Green–Naghdi (GN) linear theory of thermoelasticity of types II (without energy dissipation) and III (with energy dissipation) for homogeneous and isotropic materials is employed to study thermal and mechanical waves in a layer. The disturbances are generated by sudden application of temperature to the boundary. The dimensionless forms of the governing equations are solved utilizing the Laplace transform method. Closed-form solutions are obtained for a layer in the Laplace domain, and a numerical inversion of the Laplace transform method is used to obtain the temperature, displacement, and stress fields in the physical time domain. Thermomechanical wave propagation and reflection from the boundary layer are investigated and the influence of the damping parameter on the temperature, displacement, and stress fields in the GN type III theory is discussed.