Power quality diagnosis using time frequency analysis and rule based techniques

Diagnosing a power quality disturbance means identifying the type and cause of the disturbance. Fast diagnosis of power quality disturbances is important so as to assist network operators in performing counter measures and implementing suitable power quality mitigation actions. In this study a novel method for performing power quality diagnosis is presented by using the S-transform and rule based classification techniques. The proposed power quality diagnosis method was evaluated for its functionality in detecting the type of short duration voltage disturbances and identifying the cause of the disturbances which may be due to permanent or non permanent faults. Based on the results, this new method has the potential to be used in the existing real time power quality monitoring system in Malaysia to expedite the diagnosis on the recorded voltage disturbances.     

Short-term and long-term memory analysis of learning using 2D and 3D educational contents

ABSTRACT

The effect of 2D and 3D educational content learning on memory has been studied using electroencephalography (EEG) brain signal. A hypothesis is set that the 3D materials are better than the 2D materials for learning and memory recall. To test the hypothesis, we proposed a classification system that will predict true or false recall for short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) after learning by either 2D or 3D educational contents. For this purpose, EEG brain signals are recorded during learning and testing; the signals are then analysed in the time domain using different types of features in various frequency bands. The features are then fed into a support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier. The experimental results indicate that the learning and memory recall using 2D and 3D contents do not have significant differences for both the STM and the LTM.     

Crystal dislocation in SEM with image processing

Image processing algorithm is implemented to detect the grain boundary of the crystal using (SEM) Scanning Electron Microscopy. This paper presents a method for edge-detection in color image based on Sobel, Canny operator’s algorithm and discrete wavelet transform. The performance of these methods is effective and faster. Filtering is another approach to clear the noise of an image. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) used to inspect semiconductor materials and devices for several decades, continues to increase in importance. Removal of noise is an important step in the image restoration process, but de-noising of the image has remained a challenging problem in recent research associated with image process. De-noising is used to remove the noise from corrupted images, while retaining the edges and other detailed features too are an essential part of de-noising.     

Removal of mercaptans from a gas stream using continuous adsorption-regeneration

The removal of the mercaptan, 1-methyl-1-propanethiol, from aqueous solutions using a non-porous, electrically conducting carbon-based adsorbent (Nyex 1000) was investigated. The adsorption process was found to be rapid (equilibrium capacity achieved within 5 minutes) with low adsorptive capacity (of the order of 0.4 mg g(-1)) when compared with activated carbon. Electrochemical regeneration of the Nyex 1000 in a simple divided electrochemical cell within a sequential batch treatment unit restored 100% of the adsorbent's adsorptive capacity using treatment times as low as 20 minutes by passing a current of 0.5 A. The sorptive characteristics of a Nyex-water slurry were also modelled and investigated both in a bubble column and in a continuous adsorption-regeneration treatment system. It was demonstrated that the continuous removal-destruction system could achieve a step reduction in challenge gas concentration of approximately 75% for a period of 35 minutes with a current of 5 Amps. This was attributed to mass transfer enhanced by a combination of adsorption and chemical reaction with free chlorine species generated in the electrochemical process.     

Probabilistic assessment of loss in revenue generation in demand-driven production

In Demand-driven Production with Just-in-Time inputs, there are several sources of uncertainty which impact on the manufacturer??s ability to meet the required customer??s demand within the given time frame. This can result in a loss of revenue and customers, which will have undesirable impacts on the financial aspects and on the viability of the manufacturer. Hence, a key concern for manufacturers in just-in-time production is to determine whether they can meet a specific level of demand within a given time frame, to meet the customers?? orders and also to achieve the required revenue target for that period of time. In this paper, we propose a methodology by which a manufacturer can ascertain the probability of not meeting the required demand within a given period by considering the uncertainties in the availability of production units and raw materials, and the loss of financial revenue that it would experience as a result.     

Absorption and emission properties of Ho doped lead-zinc-borate glasses

This paper reports on the affect of lead content on the absorption and emission spectra of the Ho³⁺ ion doped lead-zinc-borate glasses in the composition (mol%) of (20 − x)PbO-20ZnO-(59 + x)B₂O₃-1.0Ho₂O₃ where x = 0, 5,10,15 of PbO content with λ_exc = 405 nm. The experimental absorption band energies have satisfactorily been correlated with the theoretical results with an r.m.s deviation of zero with the following correction factors obtained by a least square fit analysis: ΔE¹ = 348.495936 cm^− 1, ΔE² = 1.436043 cm^− 1, ΔE³ =  46.481575 cm^− 1, Δξ_4f = − 28.512979 cm^− 1, Δα = 55.508936 cm^− 1, Δβ = − 1394.339908 cm^− 1 and Δγ = 1208.424336 cm^− 1. By applying the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameter Ω₂ has been found to be linearly decreasing with the PbO content from 5 to 10 mol% and then increasing. And also radiative (A, A_T, β, τ_r) characteristic factors of the luminescent transitions (⁵I₈ ← ⁵F_3,4,5 and ⁵S₂) of the glasses have been evaluated. Stimulated emission cross-sections (σ_p^E) of the measured emission transitions of holmium glasses have also been computed.     

Adaptive reconfiguration of data networks using genetic algorithms

Genetic algorithms are applied to an important, but little investigated, network design problem, that of reconfiguring the topology and link capacities of an operational network to adapt to changes in its operating conditions. These conditions include: which nodes and links are unavailable; the traffic patterns; and the quality of service (QoS) requirements and priorities of different users and applications. Dynamic reconfiguration is possible in networks that contain links whose endpoints can be easily changed, such as satellite channels, terrestrial wireless connections, and certain types of optical connections. We report preliminary results that demonstrate the feasibility of performing genetic search quickly enough for online adaptation.     

Optimization of abrasive water jet cutting of ductile materials

Full factorial design of experiments was developed in order to investigate the effects of jet pressure, abrasive mixing rate, cutting feed, and plate thickness upon three response variables, surface finish of cutting wear zone, percentage proportion of striation free area, and maximum width of cut. The set of sixteen experiments was performed on each of the following two ductile materials: AISI 4340 (high strength low alloy steel, hardened to 49HRc) and Aluminum 2219. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed on experimental data in order to determine the significance of effects of different parameters on the performance measures. It was found that cutting feed and thickness were highly influential parameters, while abrasive mixing rate is influential upon surface roughness only. Strong interaction was found between jet pressure and workpiece material. Multi-criteria numerical optimization was performed in order to simultaneously maximize/minimize different combinations of performance measures.