Simulation of dynamic response for steel fibrous concrete members using new material modeling

Present investigation includes formulation of new nonlinear material constitutive mathematical models of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) material depending on many experimental data available in literature. Eight-node degenerated plate elements were used to investigate the dynamic performance of SFRC slabs and beams under blast and impact loadings. Two models are used to simulate the compressive behavior of fibrous concrete material namely the elastic perfectly plastic and strain hardening plasticity models. Dynamic yield function is assumed to be a function of strain rate. Geometrical nonlinearity in the layered approach is considered in the mathematical model, which is based on the total Lagrange approach taking into account Von Karman assumptions. Implicit Newmark with corrector–predictor algorithm was adopted for time integration solution of the equation of the motion. Concrete crack pattern has been determined according to smeared fixed crack approach. Present numerical outputs show suitable agreement with experimental results available in literature which include deflections and failure pattern.     

Abrasivity evaluation for wear prediction of button drill bits using geotechnical rock properties

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - The current study investigates the wear life of button bits and rate of penetration (ROP) of rotary-percussive drilling machines by employing...     

A glutamic Acid-producing lactic Acid bacteria isolated from malaysian fermented foods

l-glutamaic acid is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and an important intermediate in metabolism. In the present study, lactic acid bacteria (218) were isolated from six different fermented foods as potent sources of glutamic acid producers. The presumptive bacteria were tested for their ability to synthesize glutamic acid. Out of the 35 strains showing this capability, strain MNZ was determined as the highest glutamic-acid producer. Identification tests including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and sugar assimilation ability identified the strain MNZ as Lactobacillus plantarum. The characteristics of this microorganism related to its glutamic acid-producing ability, growth rate, glucose consumption and pH profile were studied. Results revealed that glutamic acid was formed inside the cell and excreted into the extracellular medium. Glutamic acid production was found to be growth-associated and glucose significantly enhanced glutamic acid production (1.032 mmol/L) compared to other carbon sources. A concentration of 0.7% ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen source effectively enhanced glutamic acid production. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of glutamic acid production by lactic acid bacteria. The results of this study can be further applied for developing functional foods enriched in glutamic acid and subsequently γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) as a bioactive compound.     

A generalized fault location method based on voltage sags for distribution network

An enhanced fault location method based on voltage sag profiles for distribution networks is presented in this paper. In other previous methods, only a single measurement has been used. The proposed method can be used with any number of measurements in the network, making it more general. A new ranking approach that addresses multiple possibilities of the faulted section is proposed. Different case studies with various numbers of measurements are performed on a large 11‐kV network with the main feeder consisting of 42 buses to validate the method. The test results show that there is an improvement in terms of accuracy in detecting the faulted section in the first attempt for each additional measurement. Therefore, by utilizing the average value of each measurement, a better accuracy of fault location can be achieved. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Economic load dispatch with nonsmooth cost functions using evolutionary particle swarm optimization

This paper presents an evolutionary particle swarm optimization (EPSO) method for solving the nonconvex economic load dispatch (ELD) problem. In practice, the nonconvex and the discontinuous cost function should be considered when optimizing ELD problem with constraints such as valve point effects, prohibited operating zones, ramp‐rate limits, and transmission loss of the system. In view of these constraints, the ELD problem is difficult to solve by any mathematical method. In EPSO, the evolutionary programming concept (combination, tournament competition, sorting, and selection) is employed in the classical PSO method in order to find the best individual and best group position based on the survival particle. The effectiveness of the EPSO is tested on 3‐, 6‐, 15‐, and 38‐unit systems. The results obtained by EPSO are also compared with classical PSO and other results reported in the literature. It is concluded that the EPSO method can produce lower generation cost compared to the existing methods. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A review on islanding operation and control for distribution network connected with small hydro power plant

Hydro power generation is the oldest generation and provides the largest contribution among the renewable energy types of generation. In distribution system, most of the distributed generation (DG) is small scale hydro generation of which utilizes the natural flowing water of the river. This generation requires governor and excitation control unit to control and sustain the power generation when subjected to any changes of load behavior. More advanced control strategy is critically expected when considering the recent interest in distribution system to perform islanding operation of DG. Many of the literature have clearly highlighted this issue, but only a few have discussed on the islanding operation of small hydro generation. This paper therefore reviews this topic and relates the discussion with the controller designed for other type of turbines interfaced with synchronous generator. To strengthen the knowledge on islanding operation, the background of islanding is also presented in this paper.