Many-Objective Multi-Scenario Algorithm for Optimal Reservoir Operation Under Future Uncertainties

An increase in greenhouse gases in future can exacerbate the climate change phenomenon and may have negative consequences on different elements of hydrologic system, including rainfall, temperature, and streamflow. Since the reservoir operation is highly dependent on the timing and magnitude of inflow, the impact of potential climate change on inflow sequences should be considered in deriving the system operation rule. Nevertheless, existing algorithms are only able to optimize the operation policy for a single predetermined climate scenario. Thus, the derived operation rule would not work well if the scenario changes. This paper proposes an algorithm which is able to handle simultaneously multiple scenarios in finding optimum system operation rule. Thus, it can overcome drawbacks caused by uncertainties in the occurrence of future scenarios. The proposed algorithm is used to optimize reservoir operation policy considering various climate change scenarios (RCPs). To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, a five-reservoir system within Tehran region with several objectives including municipal, agricultural, environmental, and hydropower demands is employed as the case study. Results show that in all cases the multi-scenario rule derived by the proposed method performs as good as the operation rule derived for any specific scenario using a powerful optimization algorithm when evaluated for that scenario. While, in all other models as the future scenario changes to the one other than that used in deriving the operation rule, the model performance declines as compared to the proposed model.     

Forced Vibration Analysis of Functionally Graded Anisotropic Nanoplates Resting on Winkler/Pasternak-Foundation

This study investigates the forced vibration of functionally graded hexagonal nano-size plates for the first time. A quasi-three-dimensional (3D) plate theory including stretching effect is used to model the anisotropic plate as a continuum one where smallscale effects are considered based on nonlocal strain gradient theory. Also, the plate is assumed on a Pasternak foundation in which normal and transverse shear loads are taken into account. The governing equations of motion are obtained via the Hamiltonian principles which are solved using analytical based methods by means of Navier’s approximation. The influences of the exponential factor, nonlocal parameter, strain gradient parameter, Pasternak foundation coefficients, length-to-thickness, and length-to-width ratios on the dynamic response of the nanoplates are examined. In addition, the accuracy of an isotropic approximate instead of the anisotropic model is studied. The dynamic behavior of the system shows that mechanical mathematics-based models may get better results considering the anisotropic model because the dynamic response can cause prominent differences (up to 17%) between isotropic approximation and anisotropic model.     

The Fuzzy Logic Application in Volume Fractions Prediction of the Annular Three-Phase Flows

In this paper, the volume fractions in the annular three-phase flow are measured based on a dual energy metering system consisting of \(^{152}\)Eu and \(^{137}\)Cs and one NaI detector, and then modeled by fuzzy logic. Since the summation of volume fractions are constant (equal to 100%), therefore the fuzzy network must predict only two volume fractions. In this study, three fuzzy networks are applied. The first network is utilized to predict the gas and water volume fractions. The next one is applied to predict the gas and oil volume fractions, and the last one to predict the water and oil volume fractions. In the next step, the numerically obtained data from MCNP-X code, must be imported to the fuzzy models. Then, the average errors of these three networks are computed and compared. The network which has the least error is selected as the best predictor model. According to the modeling results, the best fuzzy network, predicts the gas and water volume fractions with the mean relative error of less than 0.3%, which shows that the fuzzy logic can predict the results precisely.     

Hydrothermally grown mixed ternary nickel ferrite oxides as hybrid battery-type electrodes

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - In this paper, a facile hydrothermal method is introduced to synthesize MNiFe-oxide (MNFOs: M?=?non, Cu, Co, Mg, Zn or Al)...     

Determination of phenobarbital in real sample using carbon quantum dots modified with tungsten as a fluorescent nanoprobe

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - In this study, a sensitive and selective fluorescence nanoprobe has been designed based on carbon quantum dots modified by tungsten (WCQDs)...     

Multi-Reservoir System Optimization Based on Hybrid Gravitational Algorithm to Minimize Water-Supply Deficiencies

The growing prevalence of droughts and water scarcity have increased the importance of operating dam and reservoir systems efficiently. Several methods based on algorithms have been developed in recent years in a bid to optimize water release operation policy, in order to overcome or minimize the impact of droughts. However, all of these algorithms suffer from some weaknesses or drawbacks – notably early convergence, a low rate of convergence, or trapping in local optimizations – that limit their effectiveness and efficiency in seeking to determine the global optima for the operation of water systems. Against this background, the present study seeks to introduce and test a Hybrid Algorithm (HA) which integrates the Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) with the Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (PSOA) with the goal of minimizing irrigation deficiencies in a multi-reservoir system. The proposed algorithm was tested for a specific important multi-reservoir system in Iran: namely the Golestan Dam and Voshmgir Dam system. The results showed that applying the HA could reduce average irrigation deficiencies for the Golestan Dam substantially, to only 2 million cubic meters (MCM), compared to deficiency values for the Genetic Algorithm (GA), PSOA and GSA of 15.1, 6.7 and 5.8 MCM respectively. In addition, the HA performed very efficiently, reducing substantially the computational time needed to achieve the global optimal when compared with the other algorithms tested. Furthermore, the HA showed itself capable of assuring a high volumetric reliability index (VRI) to meet the pattern of water demand downstream from the dams, as well as clearly outperforming the other algorithms on other important indices. In conclusion, the proposed HA seems to offer considerable potential as an optimizer for dam and reservoir operations world-wide.

     

Linking Hydro-Physical Variables and Landscape Metrics using Advanced Data Mining for Stream-Flow Prediction

Water Resources Management - In Streamflow prediction the most important triggering/controlling variables are related to climate, physiography, and landscape patterns. This study investigated the...     

Special all-round fillet weld for anchor rods of base-plate T-stub connections

The eccentricity between connected steel parts and the anchor rods in base-plate T-stub connections makes base plates the weaker components in tension and compression. Additionally, the oversized holes in base plates lead to irregular placement of anchor rods, resulting in an unsymmetrical shear behavior. Thus, this paper aims to develop a special all-round fillet weld to connect the anchor rods beneath the base plate concentrically to the steel part, removing the base plate from the load-transferring chain. Accordingly, design criteria were first developed based on Eurocode's directional method considering all the potential failure modes. Next, results were validated by conducting experimental work. The digital image correlation technique (DIC) was also used to capture the strain distribution developed over the tested specimen till failure. Consequently, numerical analysis was carried out to investigate the fracture strength and the fracture angle and compare the special fillet weld with its equivalent standard one, which has the same weld volume. The results indicated that the proposed design criteria produced safe strength prediction for the developed special all-round fillet weld. Furthermore, the results revealed that using a special all-round fillet weld instead of the equivalent standard one can increase the strength by about 8% and improve the ductility of the weld. However, it decreases the stiffness of the weld by about 21%. The fracture surface occurred at $15°$ from the face of the anchor rod, which produced a higher strength than the predicted tensile strength calculated according to the theoretical throat plane.     

Modeling the free convection heat transfer in a partitioned cavity using ANFIS

In this paper, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is used to predict the free convection in a partitioned cavity consisting of an adiabatic partition. The main focus of the present paper is to consider the effects of partition angle and Rayleigh number variation on average heat transfer in the partitioned cavity. The training data for optimizing the ANFIS structure is obtained experimentally. For the best ANFIS structure obtained in this study, the mean relative errors of the train and test data were found to be 0.055% and 1.735% respectively, which shows that ANFIS can predict the experimental results precisely.     

Fuzzy modeling of the forced convection heat transfer from a V‐shaped plate exposed to an air slot jet

This paper focuses on the application of fuzzy logic (FL) to predict the forced convection heat transfer from V‐shaped plate internal surfaces exposed to an air impingement slot jet. The aim of the present paper is to consider the effects of the angle of a V‐shaped plate (Φ), slot‐to‐plate spacing ratio (Z/W), and Reynolds number (Re) variation on average heat transfer from the V‐shaped plate internal surfaces. The data used for developing the FL structure was obtained experimentally by a Mach‐Zehnder interferometer. The proposed FL was developed using MATLAB functions. It was observed that the average Nusselt number will be decreased with an increase in jet spacing and be increased with an increase in Reynolds number and angle of V‐shaped plate. Moreover, it is also shown that fuzzy logic is a powerful technique to use for predicting heat transfer due to its low error rate. The average error of the fuzzy predictions compared with experimental data was found to be 0.33% for this study. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj ). DOI 10.1002/htj.21009