A bi-objective DC-optimal power flow model using linear relaxation-based second order cone programming and its Pareto Frontier

The DC optimal power flow (DC-OPF) plays an important role in the operation and planning of modern power systems. In this paper, a bi-objective DC-OPF model minimizing both network losses and generation costs is introduced, which can further be converted into a single objective model via the weighted sum method. Furthermore, the Pareto Frontier is employed to solve this problem. In the mathematical view, the model is a special non-convex quadratic constraints quadratic programming problem. In order to obtain a continuous Pareto Frontier, the original non-convex feasible region is relaxed to its convex hull using a linear relaxation-based second order cone programming method. Compared with the semi-definite relaxation method, the proposed method can greatly reduce the number of dummy variables and the complexity of solutions. Finally, simulations on eight small systems and four practical, large systems are performed, in addition to the comparison of a Monte Carlo simulation. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.     

Evaluation of fire performance of organic fire retardant free acrylic based coatings applied on various building materials by cone calorimetric method

Fire performance of water‐based plaster systems containing acrylic copolymer binder and non‐flammable mineral and ceramic fillers intended for decorative coating application was determined by cone calorimetric method. The coatings were applied on common building substrate materials used in construction sector, namely, Medium Density Fibre (MDF) boards, Gypsum Boards (GIB) and Stainless Steel (SS), and the different plaster finishes attempted on these substrates were Tierrafino, Suave and Bone China respectively. Group numbers of the different test samples were also evaluated following the Kokkala method. Based on various measurements, especially heat release, smoke evolution, mass loss data and the Group number estimates, it is evident that these organic fire retardant free coatings can offer good fire safety if applied on appropriate substrates like GIB or SS. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

尾管悬挂器超高压封隔技术研究与实践

针对高压油气井常规尾管固井重叠段固井质量差的问题,研制了新型超高压封隔式尾管悬挂器。该悬挂器同时具有悬挂、封隔2种功能,能够有效地密封重叠段,防止油、气、水窜的发生。根据金属膨胀原理,设计了由金属和橡胶共同组成的密封组件,采用有限元方法分析了密封组件膨胀过程中的应力情况,在此基础上优化了结构设计,试制了样机,并进行了样机性能试验和现场试验。试验结果表明,该超高压尾管封隔悬挂器坐挂、坐封可靠,操作简便,且允许大排量循环,防止了常规结构存在的提前坐封现象,有效地解决了尾管固井过程中重叠段封固质量差的难题,具有极高的推广应用价值。     

影响锥形喇叭口密封性的有限元分析

为解决制动系统接头加注过程中出现的泄漏问题,将锥形接头的密封原理应用到泄漏原因分析中。首先,运用有限元分析软件ANSYS,建立了两组不同结构尺寸与接头密封性之间的关系,根据分析得到的结果,把每一组的接触状态分布图和位移矢量变形图进行了对比,找出了影响喇叭口接触密封性能的主要原因;然后,进行了生产工艺上的改进;最后,进行了密封性试验。研究结果表明,锥角差是影响密封性能的主要原因,并且改进后的喇叭口密封性能得到了显著提高。     

A neurophysiologically‐based analysis of lightness and brightness perception

Psychophysical, achromatic luminance threshold, and scaling data have been analyzed and found to follow from nonlinear, hyperbolic responses of retinal cones. For short (0.1 s) stimulus duration, a stable state of visual adaptation could explain the threshold response, but for longer durations a change of adaptation had to be considered. This resulted in a contrast sensitivity that increased when the stimulus duration increased and became constant for higher test field luminances. Threshold and scaling data can thus be traced back to cone‐specific responses over a much larger range of stimulus intensity than has been anticipated earlier. The experimental results, including those for lightness and brightness scaling, have been compared with the CIELAB and the CIEDE2000 color formulas. The idea of combining cone responses with adaptive changes to describe luminance responses resulted in a common cone‐based response formula for describing both luminance thresholds and scaling data. Adaptive changes explain the reason why both Weber–Fechner and Stevens’ laws are valid. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 339–351, 2016     

Monitoring of a biodiesel production process via reset observer

This paper is concerned with the monitoring of a biodiesel production process, more specifically with the monitoring of the esterification of grease trap wastes, a low quality feedstock for biodiesel production typically characterized by its high content of Free Fatty Acids (FFAs). The esterification takes place in a jacketed Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR). A reset observer is designed and applied in order to provide on-line estimation of the concentration of FFAs from temperature measurements within the CSTR. In addition, the proposed reset observer is compared to two other observers (classical fuzzy observer and extended Kalman filter). According to a multiple range test conducted for analyzing the estimation error, the monitoring task for the process under study has been better fulfilled by the reset observer which is able to update the estimation results every instant when the measurements were available.     

Numerical verification of the continuous calculation method for tip stress during the driving process of the dynamic penetration test

This paper presents a calculation method for obtaining the continuous variation in stress between the tip and the soil during dynamic penetration tests, particularly in the case of using the Panda 3® penetration testing device. The originality of the method is that the tip stress can be computed continuously throughout the driving process. For each impact of the hammer on the penetrometer, data are recorded by sensors located at the top of the apparatus. Then, the stress at the tip and the displacement of the apparatus are calculated with a method based on the propagation of waves in the device. A three-dimensional numerical model of the penetration test, based on the Panda 3® specifications and using the discrete element method (DEM), is proposed in this paper. The purpose of the simulations is to validate the calculation method by comparing the curves of the tip stress versus the penetration distance obtained in two different ways, the first being the distance directly observed at the tip and the second being the distance calculated from the data recorded at the top of the penetrometer, as with the experimental device. The entire apparatus is represented, including the hammer, the rod, and the tip, and is driven into the model soil. The calculation method is applied, and the results are compared to the actual response of the soil to the driving of the penetrometer directly at the tip, which can be obtained with the numerical model. The responses are found to be very similar, confirming the theoretical framework and its underlying assumptions. This method is applied to dynamic penetration tests and provides the opportunity to obtain mechanical parameters other than the tip resistance from the tests.     

Experimental investigation and numerical modelling of the fire performance for epoxy resin carbon fibre composites of variable thicknesses

This paper applies a unique integrated approach to determine the flammability properties of a composite material (epoxy with carbon fibre) and compares its fire behaviour at two different thicknesses (2.1 and 4.2 mm) by performing small scale (thermo‐gravimetric analysis (TGA)/Fourier transform infrared radiation) and meso‐scale tests (cone calorimeter). For small‐scale tests, experiments were conducted in nitrogen using TGA coupled to gas analysis by Fourier transform infrared radiation. These results allow the determination of thermal stability, main degradation temperature and main gaseous emissions released during the thermal degradation. For meso‐scale tests, experiments were carried out using a cone calorimeter with sample dimensions of 100 × 100 mm at five heat fluxes (30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 kW/m²). The results show that the ignition time increases with an increase in the thickness of the material. Relative hazard classification of the fire performance of the current composites has also been compared with other materials using parameters obtained elsewhere. In addition, the effective ignition, thermal and pyrolysis properties obtained from the ignition and mass loss rate experiments for the 4.2‐mm thick samples were used in a numerical model for pyrolysis to predict well ignition times, back‐surface temperatures and mass pyrolysis rates for all heat fluxes as well as for the 2.1‐mm thick samples. Note that the ignition temperature obtained in the cone agrees with the main degradation temperature in the TGA. The flammability properties deduced here can be used to predict the heat release rate for real fire situations using CFD modelling. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electronic transport properties of phosphorene/graphene(silicene/germanene) bilayer heterostructures: A first-principles exploration

Recently, new researches on van der Waals (vdW) two-dimensional bilayer heterostructures have been carried out owing to their unique properties different from single-layer materials. Herein, three types of bilayer heterostructures, phosphorene/graphene, phosphorene/silicene and phosphorene/germanene are constructed and their electronic transport properties are calculated based on the first-principle method. The results show that their I-V curves are totally different that the phosphorene/graphene devices have higher electron transmission probability, resulting in higher current values. Furthermore, we calculate their band structures to explore the internal mechanism of current difference. The graphene-like Dirac cones are found in the bilayer phosphorene/graphene heterostructures. However, the positions of their Dirac cones in the Brillouin zone are markedly different from that of graphene. But when the silicene or germanene is combined with the phosphorene together, the Dirac cones of the silicene or germanene disappear, instead, there are band gaps of about 0.2?eV around the Fermi level. Our results suggest that the Dirac cone can be mainly retained by the weak hybridization between monolayer phosphorus and 2D Dirac materials. Due to the existence of the Dirac cone, the overlap between the source and drain electrodes increases, which leads to a larger current value. This discovery of the Dirac cones in the bilayer heterostructures is applicable in designing Dirac materials and understanding their electronic transport properties.