Transient analysis of a PV power generator charging a capacitor for measurement of the I–V characteristics

Measuring the I–V characteristics is of high importance since it can be considered as a quality and performance certificate for each PV generator. The most precise and inexpensive measuring method is represented in capacitor charging by the PV generator. Using the equivalent circuit of the PV generator with a capacitor as load and applying transient analysis on the circuit, we obtain the capacitor charging voltage and current as a function of time, as well as their differentials as a function of short circuit current and capacitor size. The derived equations facilitate the calculation of proper capacitance size for measuring the I–V characteristics, and considers the acquisition speed of the measuring system as demonstrated through two measurement samples in this paper. The capacitor size is directly and indirectly proportional to the short circuit current and open circuit voltage of the PV generator, respectively. Accordingly, the paper presents a capacitance calculation chart, which enables selecting the correct capacitance for measuring the I–V characteristics by a computerized data acquisition system.     

I-Media: An integrated Media server and Media database as a basic component of a cross Media publishing system

The publication of the same information on different media, the so-called Cross Media Publishing (CMP), is becoming one of the central aspects in today's publishing industry. CMP centers on a media independent document definition and an efficient integrated publishing on different media: e.g. as a paper document, as an online document in the World Wide Web, and as an offline (CD-ROM based) multimedia presentation. The aim of CMP is to get these different media at the same stage, while—and that is important—spending an acceptable amount of additional effort (in time and money) for production. In this paper we present a solution for a key problem of Cross Media Publishing, the handling of media data (images, audio, video, etc.) by using a combined approach of server and database systems functionality. The integrated multimedia server and database i-Media and its role in a complete CMP solution will be presented.     

On the use of large time steps with ELLAM for transport with kinetic reactions over heterogeneous domains

An Eulerian Lagrangian localized adjoint method (ELLAM) is considered for the resolution of advection‐dominated transport problems in porous media. Contrary to standard Eulerian methods, ELLAM can use large time steps because the advection term is approximated accurately without any CFL restriction. However, it is shown in this article that special care must be taken for the approximation of the dispersive and reactive terms when large time steps are used over heterogeneous domains. An alternative procedure is proposed. It is based on an equivalent dispersion coefficient or an equivalent reaction rate when different zones are encountered during the tracking. Numerical experiments are performed with variable dispersion or variable reaction rates over space (including nonlinearity). When classical ELLAM require numerous time steps to handle heterogeneity, the alternative procedure is shown to perform with the same accuracy in a single time step. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Cross-virtual concatenation for Ethernet-over-SONET/SDH networks

Ethernet-over-SONET/SDH (EoS) is a popular approach for interconnecting geographically distant Ethernet segments using a SONET/SDH transport infrastructure. It typically uses virtual concatenation (VC) for dynamic bandwidth management. The aggregate SONET/SDH bandwidth for a given EoS connection is obtained by “concatenating” a number of equal-capacity virtual channels. Together, these virtual channels form a virtually concatenated group (VCG). In this article, we introduce a new concatenation technique, referred to as cross-virtual concatenation (CVC), which involves the concatenation of virtual channels of heterogeneous capacities. We show that CVC can be implemented through a simple upgrade at the end node, thus utilizing the existing legacy SDH infrastructure. By employing CVC for EoS systems, we show that the SDH bandwidth can be harvested more efficiently than in conventional VC. We consider two problems associated with routing CVC connections: the connection establishment problem and the connection upgrade problem. The goal of the first problem is to compute a set of paths between two EoS end systems such that a total bandwidth demand and a constraint on the differential delay between the paths are satisfied. Among all feasible sets, the one that consumes the least amount of network bandwidth is selected. For this problem, we develop an integer linear program (ILP) and an efficient algorithm based on the sliding-window approach. For the connection upgrade problem, the goal is to augment an existing set of paths so as to increase the aggregate bandwidth, while continue to meet the differential-delay constraint. We model this problem as a flow-maximization problem with a constraint on the delay of the virtual channels with positive flow. We then consider the problem of path selection under imprecise network state information. Simulations are conducted to demonstrate the advantages of employing CVC and to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms.

Mechanical Characteristics of Superplastic Deformation of AZ31Magnesium Alloy

As the lightest constructional metal on earth, magnesium (and its alloys) offers a great potential for weight reduction in the transportation industry. Many automotive components have been already produced from different magnesium alloys, but they are mainly cast components. Production of magnesium outer body components is still hindered by the material’s inferior ductility at room temperature. Magnesium alloys are usually warm-formed to overcome this problem; however, it was observed that some magnesium alloys exhibits superior ductility and superplastic behavior at higher temperatures. More comprehensive investigation of magnesium’s high temperature behavior is needed for broader utilization of the metal and its alloys. In this work, the high temperature deformation aspects of the AZ31B-H24 commercial magnesium alloy are investigated through a set of uniaxial tensile tests that cover forming temperatures ranging between 23 and 500 °C, and constant true strain rates between 2 × 10⁻⁵ and 2.5 × 10⁻² s⁻¹. The study targets mainly the superplastic behavior of the alloy, by characterizing flow stress, elongation-to-fracture, and strain rate sensitivity under various conditions. In addition, the initial anisotropy is also investigated at different forming temperatures. The results of these and other mechanical and microstructural tests will be used to develop a microstructure-based constitutive model that can capture the superplastic behavior of the material. This article was presented at the AeroMat Conference, International Symposium on Superplasticity and Superplastic Forming (SPF) held in Seattle, WA, June 6–9, 2005.     

Software‐defined networking approach for enhanced evolved packet core network

The evolved packet core (EPC) network is the mobile network standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project and represents the recent evolution of mobile networks providing high‐speed data rates and on‐demand connectivity services. Software‐defined networking (SDN) is recently gaining momentum in network research as a new generation networking technique. An SDN‐based EPC is expected to introduce gains to the EPC control plane architecture in terms of simplified, and perhaps even software‐based, vendor independent infrastructure nodes. In this paper, we propose a novel SDN‐based EPC architecture along with the protocol‐level detailed implementation and provide a mechanism for identifying information fields exchanged between SDN‐EPC entities that maintains correct functionality with minimal impact on the conventional design. Furthermore, we present the first comprehensive network performance evaluation for the SDN‐based EPC versus the conventional EPC and provide a comparative analysis of 2 networks performances identifying potential bottlenecks and performance issues. The evaluation focuses on 2 network control operations, namely, the S1‐handover and registration operations, taking into account several factors, and assessing performance metrics such as end‐to‐end delay (E2ED) for completion of the respective control operation, and EPC nodes utilization figures.     

Investigating the relevance of Environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in Saudi Arabia: towards energy efficiency and minimal carbon dioxide emission

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - The Saudi economy is driven by the energy sector which mainly derived from petroleum-based resources. Besides export, the Kingdom’s consumption...     

Drag Forces on Large Cylinders

Introducing large woody debris into streams is a common practice in restoration projects. Beyond the complexity of flow patterns and sediment movements in streams where woody debris are found or placed, it seems that our understanding of the basic hydraulics of large roughness elements in small channels remains limited. Underestimating the drag force affecting large roughness elements can compromise the success of stream restoration projects. Results from a simple experimental setting confirm that drag force estimates based on approaches developed for small cylinders are not valid when applied to large cylinders. Indeed, the classic drag force equation that uses an empirical drag coefficient is found to significantly underestimate measured drag forces, even when corrected for the ‘blockage ratio’. In contrast, application of specific momentum can yield good estimates of the drag force. A dimensionless depth is defined in a 1D context as a function of the flow depth, critical flow depth and cylinder diameter. A cylinder is considered to be ‘large’ when this dimensionless depth is smaller than 2. In this instance, a relationship is established to estimate the upstream flow depth and the drag force acting on the cylinder. This research bridges the small roughness element theory widely recognized in hydraulic engineering with the theory applicable to large, flow controlling structures such as weirs. From a practical perspective, this research can be used to assist in the design of engineered large woody debris structures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Infrared and carbon dioxide chemisorption study of Mo/ZrO2 catalysts

The interaction of Mo with zirconia has been investigated by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and carbon dioxide chemisorption. Quantitative analysis of the IR results indicated that Mo interacts preferentially with the most basic hydroxyl group (high frequency band at 3775 cm^–1). An approximately 79% decrease in the 3775 cm^–1 band is observed vs. 21% for the low frequency band at 3673 cm^–1, with increasing the Mo loading up to 1 wt%. The relative decrease of the IR band at 3775 cm^–1 was identical to that measured for the CO₂ uptake. The Mo cross-sections estimated from CO₂ chemisorption results were much higher than those typically reported for the Mo system. It was concluded that, as previously reported for the Mo/Al₂o₃ system, CO₂ chemisorption overestimates the surface coverage of Mo/ZrO₂ catalysts.     

Electroplating of cobalt from aqueous citrate baths

Electroplating of cobalt onto steel substrates from citrate baths has been investigated under different conditions of bath composition, current density, pH and temperature. A detailed study has been made of the influence of these variables on the potentiodynamic cathodic polarization curves, cathodic current efficiency and the throwing power as well as the throwing index of these baths. The optimum bath composition has been established and it contains: CoSO₄.7H₂O (0·36 mol dm⁻³) trisodium citrate (0·19 mol dm⁻³) and citric acid (0·1 mol dm⁻³) at pH 5·0. The microhardness of cobalt electrodeposited from citrate baths is high and it may be, under certain conditions, two or three times higher than that reported for cobalt electrodeposited from other different baths. The surface morphology of the as-plated cobalt was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) while the structure was studied by using X-ray diffraction analysis and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) techniques. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry