A natural gas cash-out problem: A bilevel programming framework and a penalty function method

One of the many complex problems that arise from the transmission and marketing of natural gas is when a shipper draws a contract with a pipeline company to deliver a certain amount of gas among several points. What is actually delivered is often different from the amount that had been originally agreed upon. This phenomenon is called an imbalance. When an imbalance occurs, the pipeline penalizes the shipper by imposing a cash-out penalty policy. Since this penalty is a function of the operating daily imbalances, an important decision-making problem for the shippers is how to carry out their daily imbalances so as to minimize their incurred penalty. In this paper, we introduce the problem of minimizing the cash-out penalty costs from the point of view of a natural gas shipping party. We present a mixed integer bilevel linear programming model and discuss its underlying assumptions. To solve it efficiently, we reformulate it as a standard mathematical program and describe a penalty-function algorithm functions for its solution. The algorithm is well-founded and its convergence is proved. Results of numerical experiments support the algorithm’s robustness providing a valuable solution technique for this very important and complex problem in the natural gas market.     

Synthesis, structure, and field emission properties of sulfur-doped nanocrystalline diamond

The synthesis and properties of sulfur-doped nanocrystalline diamond films were investigated. The films were deposited by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition on Mo substrates using methane, hydrogen, and hydrogen disulfide. The nanocrystalline nature of the material arises from the induction of continuous secondary nucleation in the chemical vapor deposition environment. Complementary characterization tools were employed in order to obtain a comprehensive and coherent understanding of the correlations between the structural and electronic properties. In particular, sulfur-doped nanocrystalline diamond films show n-type Hall conductivity, enhanced field emission properties, and insensitivity to ion radiation. It was found that n-type doping of the tetragonally-bonded carbon matrix together with a nano network of trigonally-bonded carbon are crucial elements for enhanced field emission from nanocrystalline diamond. These conclusions and the corresponding supporting evidence are discussed.     

Porous methacrylate tissue engineering scaffolds: using carbon dioxide to control porosity and interconnectivity

Porous scaffold structures are used in tissue engineering to provide structural guidance for regenerating tissues. The use of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to create such scaffolds has received some attention in the past but many researchers believe that although CO₂ processing of polymers can lead to porous scaffolds there is limited interconnectivity between the pores. In this study, highly porous (greater than 85%) and well interconnected scaffolds were obtained in which the size, distribution and number of pores could be controlled. This control was achieved by altering the rate of venting from polymer discs saturated with CO₂ under modest temperature and pressure. The polymer used is a blend of poly (ethyl methacrylate) and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate (PEMA/THFMA). This polymer system has shown promise for potential applications in cartilage repair.     

Correlation of fracture behavior in high pressure pipelines with axial flaws using constraint designed test specimens. Part II: 3-D effects on constraint

This study describes an extensive set of 3-D analyses conducted on conventional fracture specimens, including pin-loaded and clamped SE(T) specimens, and axially cracked pipes with varying crack configurations. The primary objective is to examine 3-D effects on the correlation of fracture behavior for the analyzed crack configurations using the J-Q methodology. An average measure of constraint over the crack front, as given by an average hydrostatic parameter, denoted Q_avg, is employed to replace the plane-strain measure of constraint, Q. Alternatively, a local measure of constraint evaluated at the mid-thickness region of the specimen, denoted Q_Z0, is also utilized. The analysis matrix considers 3-D numerical solutions for models of SE(T) fracture specimens with varying geometries (i.e., different crack depth to specimen width ratio, a/W, as well as different loading point distance, H) and test conditions (pin-loaded ends vs. clamped ends). The 3-D numerical models for the cracked pipes cover different crack depth to pipe wall thickness ratio, a/t, and a fixed crack depth to crack length ratio, a/c. The extensive 3-D numerical analyses presented here provide a representative set of solutions which provide further support for using constraint-designed SE(T) specimens in fracture assessments of pressurized pipes and cylindrical vessels.     

电力系统电流互感器饱和特性的柔性神经网络补偿法

电流互感器(CT)由于饱和使得副边电流变形,进而导致保护与测量应用中的许多问题。为此,提出一种补偿CT饱和特性的方法,以改善其测量性能。所提算法基于具有2个可变参数的sigmoid函数,构建了新型柔性神经网络,以估算CT励磁电流。实时地将估算所得励磁电流与扭曲的副边测量电流相加,即得补偿后原边电流。在学习过程中,所建补偿器的各柔性神经元柔性地改变其形状以适应各自的角色,高度柔性特点增强了网络学习能力,不但可减少网络节点数,而且可减少迭代学习时间。仿真研究中,应用一个900:5A的CT测试所提出的补偿器,测试时考虑了CT原边电流不同直流分量、CT剩磁大小与CT负载特性的影响。仿真结果验证了所提补偿方法的高精度,而且不受CT负载特性、CT剩磁情况及原边电流直流成分的影响。     

Effect of winding harmonics on the asynchronous torque of a single-phase line-start permanent-magnet motor

This paper presents an analytical method for calculating the effect of winding harmonics on the asynchronous torque of a single-phase line-start permanent-magnet motor. The method is an extension of earlier work, which combines symmetrical-component analysis with d-q-axes theory to model the various components of forward and backward rotating fields. The effect of individual winding harmonics is brought out both theoretically and experimentally by comparing the calculated and measured torque/speed characteristics for a series of six motors with different distributions of turns in both main and auxiliary windings.     

Study of fluctuations in advanced MOSFETs using a 3D finite element parallel simulator

Two important new sources of fluctuations in nanoscaled MOSFETs are the polysilicon gates and the introduction of high-κ gate dielectrics. Using a 3D parallel drift-diffusion device simulator, we study the influence of the polycrystal grains in polysilicon and in the high-κ dielectric on the device threshold for MOSFETs with gate lengths of 80 and 25 nm. We model the surface potential pinning at the grain boundaries in polysilicon through the inclusion of an interfacial charge between the grains. The grains in the high-κ gate dielectric are distinguished by different dielectric constants. We have found that the largest impact of the polysilicon grain boundary in the 80 nm gate length MOSFET occurs when it is positioned perpendicular to the current flow. At low drain voltage the maximum impact occurs when the grain boundary is close to the middle of the gate. At high drain voltage the impact is stronger when the boundary is moved toward the source end of the channel. Similar behaviour is observed in the 25 nm gate length MOSFET.     

Second-Order Stiffness Matrix and Loading Vector of a Beam-Column with Semirigid Connections on an Elastic Foundation

The second-order stiffness matrix and corresponding loading vector of a prismatic beam–column subjected to a constant axial load and supported on a uniformly distributed elastic foundation (Winkler type) along its span with its ends connected to elastic supports are derived in a classical manner. The stiffness coefficients are expressed in terms of the ballast coefficient of the elastic foundation, applied axial load, support conditions, bending, and shear deformations. These individual parameters may be dropped when the appropriate effect is not considered; therefore, the proposed model captures all the different models of beams and beam–columns including those based on the theories of Bernoulli–Euler, Timoshenko, Rayleigh, and bending and shear.The expressions developed for the load vector are also general for any type or combinations of transverse loads including concentrated and partially nonuniform distributed loads. In addition, the transfer equations necessary to determine the transverse deflections, rotations, shear, and bending moments along the member are also developed and presented.