3D garment positioning using Hermite radial basis functions

Virtual Reality - Fitting an elegant 3D garment model onto a target 3D human model is crucial for garment design industry and virtual try-on systems. The alignment of the garment onto virtual...     

Assessment of energy distribution losses for increasing penetration of distributed generation

High levels of penetration of distributed generation (DG) are a new challenge for traditional electric power systems. Power injections from DGs change network power flows modifying energy losses. Although it is considered that DG reduce losses, this paper shows that this is not always true. This paper presents an approach to compute annual energy losses variations when different penetration and concentration levels of DG are connected to a distribution network. In addition, the impact on losses of different DG technologies, such as combined heat and power, wind power, photovoltaic, and fuel-cells, is analyzed. Results show that energy losses variation, as a function of the DG penetration level, presents a characteristic U-shape trajectory. Moreover, when DG units are more dispersed along network feeders, higher losses reduction can be expected. Regarding DG technologies, it should be noted that wind power is the one that shows the worst behavior in losses reduction. Finally, DG units with reactive power control provide a better network voltage profile and lower losses.     

Digital signal processing of in-cylinder pressure for combustion diagnosis of internal combustion engines

In-cylinder pressure analysis is a key tool for engine research and diagnosis; however, it normally requires to process the experimental signal for providing valuable information. Usual four-step data processing consists on level correction, angle referencing, cycle averaging, and filtering. Concerning the last two issues, ad-hoc methods and experience-based algorithms are mostly used, and there is not a consensus in the scientific community about the optimal way to proceed. This paper presents a step-by-step approach to optimise the signal processing both for offline and online applications based on the characteristics of the signal.     

Thermoelectric,electronic and structural properties of CuNMn3 cubic antiperovskite

Using first-principles calculations, in this work we report the structural, electronic and, for the first time, thermoelectric properties of CuNMn3 cubic antiperovskite. The structural properties are explored using GGA and \(\hbox {GGA}{+}\hbox {U}\) approximations. Structural optimization shows that the compound is stable in the ferrimagnetic phase, and the electronic properties confirm the metallicity of this compound. At room temperature, high values of the Seebeck coefficient are obtained between \(-\) 0.8 and 0.5 \(\upmu (\hbox {eV})\) chemical potential, whereas outside this region the Seebeck coefficient diminishes. Also, thermal conductivities are minimal in this region of chemical potential; therefore, the material can be used to achieve thermocouples. Thermal conductivity is high for 900 K. The maximum electrical conductivity is obtained at 0.38 \(\upmu (\hbox {eV})\) chemical potential, with a value of \(4.15\times 10^{20}(\Omega ~\hbox {ms})^{-1}\). The figure of merit ZT values obtained are still low, so for thermoelectric applications of the material, it is necessary to improve the figure of merit coefficient by doping the material with a suitable element.     

Perturbation of multivariable linear quadratic systems with jumpparameters

Considers the problem of the perturbation of a class of linear quadratic systems where the change from one structure (for the dynamics and costs) to another is governed by a finite-state Markov process. The problem above leads to the analysis of some perturbed linearly coupled sets of Riccati equations. We show that the matrix obtained as the solution of the equations, which determines the optimal value and control, has a Taylor expansion in the perturbation parameter. We compute explicitly the terms of this expansion     

European Balancing Act

Wind power integration into power systems has two dimensions: an economical one related to optimization of the resources and a fair sharing of the cost, and a technical one related to security of supply. The economical dimension is first observed in the allocation and use of reserves that can incur increased costs for the power system operation. The actual impact of adding wind generation in different balancing areas can vary depending on local factors. Comparing European studies, some general aspects to reduce integration costs were identified, such as aggregating wind plant output over large geographical regions, larger balancing areas, and operating the power system closer to the delivery hour. In regard to the technical dimension, appropriate grid codes, in particular FRT and frequency control requirements, are essential to allow high wind penetration levels (>15%).     

The Geodesic Distance on the Generalized Gamma Manifold for Texture Image Retrieval

Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision - In this paper, the similarity measurement issue, in the context of texture images comparison, is tackled from a geometrical point of view by computing...