Volume 64 (2013): Issue 5 (September 2013)

The paper presents an evolutionary algorithm for calculating available transfer capability (ATC). ATC is a measure of the transfer capability remaining in the physical transmission network for further commercial activity over and above already committed uses. In this paper, MATLAB software is used to determine the ATC between any bus in deregulated power systems without violating system constraints such as thermal, voltage, and stability constraints. The algorithm is applied on IEEE 5 bus system and on IEEE 30 bus system.

This paper discusses the problem of finding the optimal network topological configuration by changing the feeder status. The reconfiguration problem is considered as a multiobjective problem aiming to minimize power losses and total interruptions costs subject to the system constraints: the network radiality voltage limits and feeder capability limits. Due to its complexity, the metaheuristic methods can be applied to solve the problem and often the choice is genetic algorithm. NSGA II is used to solve the multiobjective optimization problem in order to get Pareto optimal set with possible solutions. The proposed method has been tested on real 35 kV distribution network. The numerical results are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed genetic algorithm.

Virtualization is a new technology that creates virtual environments based on the existing physical resources. This article evaluates effect of virtualization techniques on control servers and access method in storage systems [1, 2]. In control server virtualization, we have presented a tile based evaluation based on heterogeneous workloads to compare several key parameters and demonstrate effectiveness of virtualization techniques. Moreover, we have evaluated the virtualized model using VMotion techniques and maximum consolidation. In access method, we have prepared three different scenarios using direct, semi-virtual, and virtual attachment models. We have evaluated the proposed models with several workloads including OLTP database, data streaming, file server, web server, etc. Results of evaluation for different criteria confirm that server virtualization technique has high throughput and CPU usage as well as good performance with noticeable agility. Also virtual technique is a successful alternative for accessing to the storage systems especially in large capacity systems. This technique can therefore be an effective solution for expansion of storage area and reduction of access time. Results of different evaluation and measurements demonstrate that the virtualization in control server and full virtual access provide better performance and more agility as well as more utilization in the systems and improve business continuity plan.

An enhancement in dynamic performance of a traditional DTC drive can be achieved by a robust speed control algorithm while the steady state performance depends upon the switching strategy selected for minimization of torque ripples and an efficient flux control loop. In this paper a new torque ripple reduction technique with a modified look up table incorporating a larger number of synthesized non zero active voltage vectors is utilized to overcome the limitations of the conventionally controlled DTC drive. A fuzzy logic based speed controller and a low pass filter with tunable cutoff frequency for flux estimation is proposed in this paper. The proposed study is investigated through simulation and experimentally validated on a test drive.

The aim of the present paper is the study of the behaviour of passivity based control and difficulties due to synthesis for various operating conditions of a synchronous motor with a permanent magnets. The study takes into account the guarantee of satisfactory static and dynamic performance. It also allows the system to be insensitive to disturbances and uncertainties on the parameters. A number of estimation techniques have been developed to achieve speed and position sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives. Most of them suffer from variation of motor parameters such as the stator resistance, stator inductance and torque constant. Also it is known that conventional linear estimators are not adaptive variations of the operating point in a nonlinear system.

Three monocular passive ranging methods are analyzed and tested on the real infrared sequences. The first method exploits scale changes of an object in successive frames, while other two use Beer-Lambert’s Law. Ranging methods are evaluated by comparing with simultaneously obtained reference data at the test site. Research is addressed on scenarios where multiple sensor views or active measurements are not possible. The results show that these methods for range estimation can provide the fidelity required for object tracking. Maximum values of relative distance estimation errors in near-ideal conditions are less than 8%.

Retinal images are nowadays widely used to diagnose many diseases, for example diabetic retinopathy. In our work, we propose the algorithm for the screening application, which identifies the patients with such severe diabetic complication as diabetic retinopathy is, in early phase. In the application we use the patient’s fundus photography without any additional examination by an ophtalmologist. After this screening identification, other examination methods should be considered and the patient’s follow-up by a doctor is necessary. Our application is composed of three principal modules including fundus image preprocessing, feature extraction and feature classification. Image preprocessing module has the role of luminance normalization, contrast enhancement and optical disk masking. Feature extraction module includes two stages: bright lesions candidates localization and candidates feature extraction. We selected 16 statistical and structural features. For feature classification, we use multilayer perceptron (MLP) with one hidden layer. We classify images into two classes. Feature classification efficiency is about 93 percent.

An application of artificial neural network (ANN) based on multilayer perceptrons (MLP) to compute the resonant frequency of E-shaped compact microstrip antennas (ECMAs) is presented in this paper. The resonant frequencies of 144 ECMAs with different dimensions and electrical parameters were firstly determined by using IE3D(^tm) software based on the method of moments (MoM), then the ANN model for computing the resonant frequency was built by considering the simulation data. The parameters and respective resonant frequency values of 130 simulated ECMAs were employed for training and the remaining 14 ECMAs were used for testing the model. The computed resonant frequencies for training and testing by ANN were obtained with the average percentage errors (APE) of 0.257% and 0.523%, respectively. The validity and accuracy of the present approach was verified on the measurement results of an ECMA fabricated in this study. Furthermore, the effects of the slots loading method over the resonant frequency were investigated to explain the relationship between the slots and resonant frequency.

We have designed and verified a new structure for ohmic contacts to p-GaN, mainly for applications in light emitting devices based on a layer of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and metallic layers of Cr and Au, namely in configuration Au/Cr/SWCNT/p-GaN. The layer of carbon nanotubes was deposited on p-GaN by spraying a solution of synthesized SWCNTs, while the layers of Cr and Au were vapour deposited. The effects of the annealing temperature and time upon the electrical properties of Au/Cr/SWCNT/p-GaN contacts have been studied. It has been found that the contact structure provides a low resistivity ohmic contact after subsequent annealing in N2 ambient at 700 °C for 1 minute.

This article deals with analytical calculation of the near-field of an electric dipole in Cartesian coordinate system in a closed form. Results of the analytical calculation are verified by numerical method.

This paper presents a zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) full-bridge based DC-DC converter with linear voltage gain according to duty cycle. The proposed converter is based on an asymmetrical pulse-width-modulation (APWM) full-bridge converter which has various advantages over other converters. However, it has some drawbacks such as limited maximum duty cycle to 0.5 and narrow input range. The proposed converter overcomes these problems. The duty cycle is not limited and input voltage range is wide. Also, the ZVS operation of all power switches is achieved. Therefore, switching losses are significantly reduced and high-efficiency is obtained. Steady-state analysis and experimental results for the proposed converter are presented to validate the feasibility and the performance of the proposed converter.

This paper deals with the symbolic solution of the switched current circuits. As is described, the full graph method of the solution can be used for finding relationships expressing current transfer, too. The summa MC-graph is constructed using two-graphs method in two-phase switching. By comparing the matrix form with results of the Mason’s formula are derived relations for current transfers in all phases. There are discussed various options described transistor memory cells - with loss and lossless transistors and normal transistor current mirror. Evaluation of the graph is simplified if we consider the lossless transistors or if the y21 -parameter of one transistor is alpha multiple of second ones.