An approach based on Support Vector Machines and a K-D Tree search algorithm for identification of the failure domain and safest operating conditions in nuclear systems

The safety of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is verified by analyzing the system responses under normal and accidental conditions. This is done by resorting to a Best-Estimate (BE) Thermal-Hydraulic (TH) code, whose outcomes are compared to given safety thresholds enforced by regulation. This allows identifying the limit-state function that separates the failure domain from the safe domain.In practice, the TH model response is affected by uncertainties (both epistemic and aleatory), which make the limit-state function and the failure domain probabilistic.The present paper sets forth an innovative approach to identify the failure domain together with the safest plant operating conditions. The approach relies on the use of Reduced Order Models (ROMs) and K-D Tree.The model failure boundary is approximated by Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and, then, projected onto the space of the controllable variables (i.e., the model inputs that can be manipulated by the plant operator, such as reactor control-rods position, feed-water flow-rate through the plant primary loops, accumulator water temperature and pressure, repair times, etc.). The farthest point from the failure boundary is, then, computed by means of a K-D Tree-based nearest neighbor algorithm; this point represents the combination of input values corresponding to the safest operating conditions.The approach is shown to give satisfactory results with reference to one analytical example and one real case study regarding the Peak Cladding Temperature (PCT) reached in a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) during a Station-Black-Out (SBO), simulated using RELAP5-3D.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a positive definite solution of a nonlinear matrix equation

Some necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a positive definite solution of the nonlinear matrix equation X+A*X ^?α A=Q (0<α≤1) are given. By the way an iterative method is presented. Furthermore, the convergence and error estimation of the iterative algorithm are derived. The illustrative numerical examples due to Peng are worked out.     

Dislocation interactions with grain boundaries

Recent progress in understanding dislocation interactions with grain boundaries and interfaces in metallic systems via static and in situ dynamic experimental approaches is reviewed.     

Hydro-thermal-wind scheduling employing novel ant lion optimization technique with composite ranking index

A solution to the combined hydro-thermal-wind scheduling problem of multi reservoir cascaded hydro plants is presented employing a novel ant lion optimization (ALO) algorithm. Five objectives, cost, various emissions and power loss, are simultaneously optimized. The optimal schedules of thermal, hydro and wind power (WP) units are determined for continuously varying load subject to a large number of practical operational constraints. The effect of reserve and penalty coefficients and WP uncertainty is also investigated for the multi-objective (MO) problem. The newly proposed ALO algorithm has unique features like random walk, roulette wheel, and boundary shrinking. These operations provide a judicious balance between exploration and exploitation, and create a powerful optimization technique for complex real-world problems.Finding the best compromise solution (BCS) is a tedious task when multiple objectives are involved. A composite ranking index (CRI) is proposed as a performance metrics for MO problems. The CRI helps the decision maker in ranking the large number of Pareto-optimal solutions. The developed model is tested on three standard systems, having a mix of hydro, thermal and wind generators. The performance is found to be superior to published results and comparable with established algorithms like artificial bee colony (ABC) and differential evolution (DE).     

Optimisation of the extraction conditions of natural colourant carthamin from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) by response surface methodology

Alkali‐solution and acid‐isolation method (ASAI) and aqueous two‐phase system separation method (ATSS) have been reported to extract natural colourant carthamin from Carthamus tinctorius. In this study, these two methods were compared based on the optimisation results of extraction conditions by response surface methodology. In ASAI, the maximum extraction yield reached 0.779% at pH value of potassium carbonate solution of 11.16, ratio of potassium carbonate solution to raw material of fifteen and extraction time of 18 min, while 2.652% was achieved with concentration of acetone of 58%, ratio of acetone solution to raw material of twenty‐three and extraction time of 41 min in ATSS. From the point of view of extraction yield, ATSS had more superiority than ASAI. However, more pure carthamin was provided in ASAI according to HPLC assay. The obtained results in our experiments could be utilised for further researches of carthamin.     

Adaptive contrast enhancement using edge-based lighting condition estimation

This paper proposes a new approach to image contrast enhancement that improves the perceptual visual quality by considering the lighting condition and minimizing the structural distortion to a tolerable level. The proposed method consists of the following two major steps: lighting condition estimation and contrast enhancement processes. In the first step, the proposed method estimates the lighting condition by calculating the dynamic range along the edges of the image. In the second step, the method adaptively adjusts the luminance by considering both the estimated lighting condition and the order of luminance levels in order to improve the perceptual visual quality. In addition, the method properly reduces the structural distortion. Experimental results show that the proposed method improved the perceptual visual quality of various images by increasing the average structural fidelity, enhancement performance measure, entropy, and tone-mapped image quality index by up to 11%, 133%, 16%, and 11%, respectively, compared to the benchmark methods.     

信息化条件下我国资产证券化研究

资产证券化凭借其独特的交易机制，已经成为发达国家资本市场的主流融资手段，更是全球领域最重要的金融创新之一。它不但为市场机制作用的发挥奠定了基础，而且充分体现了金融市场一体化的客观要求。信息化条件下，资产证券化快速渗透到社会经济领域的各个层面，对经济运行效率能够产生深远的影响。     

Improvements to the structural condition index (SCI) for pavement structural evaluation at network level

Structural evaluation provides valuable information about the expected behaviour and response of pavements and can be used at the network level of pavement management to prioritise projects. The falling weight deflectometer (FWD) can be used to identify the beginning and end of management sections and group pavement sections with similar structural capacities. The structural condition index (SCI) was developed as a screening tool for the pavement network-level evaluation, and the FWD data are used to determine the SCI. For the successful implementation of the SCI concept at the network level, one of the critical issues is the accuracy of the index. This article evaluates the accuracy of the SCI and also discusses a concept and procedure how to improve the SCI and its algorithm for low-volume flexible pavements. A case study (Texas) illustrates that the original SCI algorithm underestimates the existing structural condition, resulting in overestimated treatments in the pavement maintenance and rehabilitation.     

Validation of a three-dimensional viscous–inviscid interactive solver for wind turbine rotors

MIRAS is a newly developed computational model that predicts the aerodynamic behavior of wind turbine blades and wakes subject to unsteady motions and viscous effects. The model is based on a three-dimensional panel method using a surface distribution of quadrilateral singularities with a Neumann no penetration condition. Viscous effects inside the boundary layer are taken into account through the coupling with the quasi-3D integral boundary layer solver Q³UIC. A free-wake model is employed to simulate the vorticity released by the blades in the wake. In this paper the new code is validated against measurements and/or CFD simulations for five wind turbine rotors, including three experimental model rotors [20–22], the 2.5 MW NM80 machine [23] and the NREL 5 MW virtual rotor [24]. Such a broad set of operational conditions and rotor sizes constitutes a very challenging validation matrix, with Reynolds numbers ranging from 5.0⋅10⁴ to 1.2⋅10⁷.     

Scour evaluation for foundation of a cable-stayed bridge based on ambient vibration measurements of superstructure

This study develops a foundation scour evaluation method merely using the ambient vibration measurements taken from the superstructure of a cable-stayed bridge. Various modal frequencies of girder and those of the local pier are first identified for Kao-Ping-Hsi Bridge. The finite element model of this bridge is then constructed to perform the modal analysis with original design parameters. Combining the above results, this work further determines the best boundary support conditions for the model to fit the identified modal frequencies of bridge girder. According to this globally best fitted model, the optimal soil stiffness is first decided by fitting the critical bridge frequencies with a known deposit height at the pylon. Subsequently, the scour depth at a pier can be estimated by varying the depth of its supporting soil to fit the two sensitive frequencies of local pier modes. Finally, a direct measurement scheme is carried out to verify the estimated scour depth.