Abstract: In this paper, we consider Wiener nonlinear model for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The Wiener model of the SOFC consists of a linear dynamic block and a static output non-linearity followed by the block, in which linear part is approximated by state-space model and the nonlinear part is identified by a polynomial form. To control the SOFC system, we have to consider various view points such as operating conditions, another constraint conditions, change of load current and so on. A change of load current is the significant one of these for good performance of the SOFC system. In order to keep the constant stack terminal voltage by changing load current, the nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) is proposed in this paper. After primary control method is designed to guarantee the fuel utilization as a proper constant, a nonlinear model predictive control based on the Wiener model is developed to control the stack terminal voltage of the SOFC system. Simulation results verify the possibility of the proposed Wiener model and MPC method to control of SOFC system.
Abstract: Aroma forming volatiles are important components of
fermented beverages. The aim of current research is to evaluate the
volatile compounds and phenolic compounds of commercial ciders.
Volatile aroma compounds and TPC of seven commercial ciders
were determined. Extraction of aroma compounds was performed
using solid phase microextraction (DVB/Car/PDMS fibre). Analysis
of volatile aroma compounds was made using a Perkin Elmer Clarus
500 GC/MS. Total phenol content (TPC) was determined according
to the Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method and results were
expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The highest volatile compounds
were in apple ciders with pear flavor. The highest TPC and lower
content of volatile compounds were detected in French ciders.
Abstract: A closed-loop controlled wireless power transmission circuit block for implantable biomedical applications is described in this paper. The circuit consists of one front-end rectifier, power management sub-block including bandgap reference and low drop-out regulators (LDOs) as well as transmission power detection / feedback circuits. Simulation result shows that the front-end rectifier achieves 80% power efficiency with 750-mV single-end peak-to-peak input voltage and 1.28-V output voltage under load current of 4 mA. The power management block can supply 1.8mA average load current under 1V consuming only 12μW power, which is equivalent to 99.3% power efficiency. The wireless power transmission block described in this paper achieves a maximum power efficiency of 80%. The wireless power transmission circuit block is designed and implemented using UMC 65-nm CMOS/RF process. It occupies 1 mm × 1.2 mm silicon area.
Abstract: This paper presents the experimental results of
leakage current waveforms which appears on porcelain insulator
surface due to existence of artificial pollutants. The tests have been
done using the chemical compounds of NaCl, Na2SiO3, H2SO4, CaO,
Na2SO4, KCl, Al2SO4, MgSO4, FeCl3, and TiO2. The insulator
surface was coated with those compounds and dried. Then, it was
tested in the chamber where the high voltage was applied. Using
correspondence analysis, the result indicated that the fundamental
harmonic of leakage current was very close to the applied voltage
and third harmonic leakage current was close to the yielded leakage
current amplitude. The first harmonic power was correlated to first
harmonic amplitude of leakage current, and third harmonic power
was close to third harmonic one. The chemical compounds of H2SO4
and Na2SiO3 affected to the power factor of around 70%. Both are the
most conductive, due to the power factor drastically increase among
the chemical compounds.
Abstract: Face detection and recognition has many applications
in a variety of fields such as security system, videoconferencing and
identification. Face classification is currently implemented in
software. A hardware implementation allows real-time processing,
but has higher cost and time to-market.
The objective of this work is to implement a classifier based on
neural networks MLP (Multi-layer Perceptron) for face detection.
The MLP is used to classify face and non-face patterns. The systm is
described using C language on a P4 (2.4 Ghz) to extract weight
values. Then a Hardware implementation is achieved using VHDL
based Methodology. We target Xilinx FPGA as the implementation
support.
Abstract: This paper aims at overviewing the topics of a research project (CARDIOSENSOR) on the field of health sciences (biomaterials and biomedical engineering). The project has focused on the development of a nanosensor for the assessment of the risk of cardiovascular diseases by the monitoring of C-reactive protein (CRP), which has been currently considered as the best validated inflammatory biomarker associated to cardiovascular diseases. The project involves tasks such as: 1) the development of sensor devices based on field effect transistors (FET): assembly, optimization and validation; 2) application of sensors to the detection of CRP in standard solutions and comparison with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); and 3) application of sensors to real samples such as blood and saliva and evaluation of their ability to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Abstract: We report the size dependence of 1D superconductivity in ultrathin (10-130 nm) nanowires produced by coating suspended carbon nanotubes with a superconducting NbN thin film. The resistance-temperature characteristic curves for samples with ≧25 nm wire width show the superconducting transition. On the other hand, for the samples with 10-nm width, the superconducting transition is not exhibited owing to the quantum size effect. The differential resistance vs. current density characteristic curves show some peak, indicating that Josephson junctions are formed in nanowires. The presence of the Josephson junctions is well explained by the measurement of the magnetic field dependence of the critical current. These understanding allow for the further expansion of the potential application of NbN, which is utilized for single photon detectors and so on.
Abstract: The scientific community has invested a great deal of effort in the fields of discrete wavelet transform in the last few decades. Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) associated with the vector quantization has been proved to be a very useful tool for the compression of image. However, the DWT is very computationally intensive process requiring innovative and computationally efficient method to obtain the image compression. The concurrent transformation of the image can be an important solution to this problem. This paper proposes a model of concurrent DWT for image compression. Additionally, the formal verification of the model has also been performed. Here the Symbolic Model Verifier (SMV) has been used as the formal verification tool. The system has been modeled in SMV and some properties have been verified formally.
Abstract: The problem discussed in this paper involves packing fresh fish fileet of the northern Cod into a standard square container. The fish is first cleaned and split and then collected on a belt ready to be stacked in a container. The aim of our work is to pack the fish into the container with constraints on the amount of overlap allowed for the fileets. The current focus is to design a packing cell that can be real-time and of practical use, while finding the optimal solution to the degree of overlap and minimise the unused space of the container.
Abstract: As a learning theory tries to borrow from science a framework to found its method, it shows paradoxes and paralysing contraddictions. This results, on one hand, from adopting a learning/teaching model as it were a mere “transfer of data" (mechanical learning approach), and on the other hand from borrowing the complexity theory (an indeterministic and non-linear model), that risks to vanish every educational effort. This work is aimed at describing existing criticism, unveiling the antinomic nature of such paradoxes, focussing on a view where neither the mechanical learning perspective nor the chaotic and nonlinear model can threaten and jeopardize the educational work. Author intends to go back over the steps that led to these paradoxes and to unveil their antinomic nature. Actually this could serve the purpose to explain some current misunderstandings about the real usefulness of Ict within the youth-s learning process and growth.
Abstract: There is currently intensive debate in Alberta,
Canada, regarding rural to urban water reallocation. This paper
explores the demographic and attitudinal influences that are
associated with the acceptance of water reallocation policies and
whether such acceptance differs between urban and rural residents.
We investigate three policy orientations in regards to water policies:
i) government intervention; ii) environmental protection; and iii)
protecting irrigators- water rights. We find that urban dwellers are
more likely to favour government intervention while rural dwellers
are more likely to support policies that aim at protecting irrigators-
water rights. While urban dwellers are also more likely to favour
environmental protection, the difference is not statistically
significant. We also find that other factors have a significant impact
on policy choice irrespective of residence such as demographic and
socioeconomic factors as well as the values people hold toward water
and the environment.
Abstract: This paper present a circular patch microstrip array antenna operate in KU-band (10.9GHz – 17.25GHz). The proposed circular patch array antenna will be in light weight, flexible, slim and compact unit compare with current antenna used in KU-band. The paper also presents the detail steps of designing the circular patch microstrip array antenna. An Advance Design System (ADS) software is used to compute the gain, power, radiation pattern, and S11 of the antenna. The proposed Circular patch microstrip array antenna basically is a phased array consisting of 'n' elements (circular patch antennas) arranged in a rectangular grid. The size of each element is determined by the operating frequency. The incident wave from satellite arrives at the plane of the antenna with equal phase across the surface of the array. Each 'n' element receives a small amount of power in phase with the others. There are feed network connects each element to the microstrip lines with an equal length, thus the signals reaching the circular patches are all combined in phase and the voltages add up. The significant difference of the circular patch array antenna is not come in the phase across the surface but in the magnitude distribution.
Abstract: Building conservation work generally involves complex and non-standard work different from new building construction processes. In preparing tenders for building conservation projects, therefore, the quantity surveyor must carefully consider the specificity of non-standard items and demarcate the scope of unique conservation work. While the quantity surveyor must appreciate the full range of works to prepare a good tender document, he typically manages many unfamiliar elements, including practical construction methods, restoration techniques and work sequences. Only by fulfilling the demanding requirements of building conservation work can the quantity surveyor enhance his professionalism an area of growing cultural value and economic importance. By discussing several issues crucial to tender preparations for building conservation projects in Malaysia, this paper seeks a deeper understanding of how quantity surveying can better standardize tender preparation work and more successfully manage building conservation processes.
Abstract: Degradation of polymeric insulation systems of
electrical equipments increases the space charge density and the
concentration of electrical dipoles. By consequence, the maximum
values and the slopes of absorption/resorption (A/R) currents can
change with insulation systems ageing. In this paper, an analysis of
the nature of the A/R currents and the importance of their
components, especially the polarization current and the current given
by the space charge, is presented. The experimental study concerns
the A/R currents measurements of plane samples (made from
CALMICAGLAS tapes), virgin and thermally accelerated aged. The
obtained results show that the ageing process produces an increase of
the values and a decrease of shapes of the A/R currents. Finally, the
possibility of estimating insulations ageing state and lifetime from
A/R currents measurements is discussed.
Abstract: The paper deals with the kinematics and automated
calculation of intermittent mechanisms with radial cams. Currently,
electronic cams are increasingly applied in the drives of working link
mechanisms. Despite a huge advantage of electronic cams in their reprogrammability
or instantaneous change of displacement diagrams,
conventional cam mechanisms have an irreplaceable role in
production and handling machines. With high frequency of working
cycle periods, the dynamic load of the proper servomotor rotor
increases and efficiency of electronic cams strongly decreases.
Though conventional intermittent mechanisms with radial cams are
representatives of fixed automation, they have distinct advantages in
their high speed (high dynamics), positional accuracy and relatively
easy manufacture. We try to remove the disadvantage of firm
displacement diagram by reducing costs for simple design and
automated calculation that leads reliably to high-quality and
inexpensive manufacture.
Abstract: The main objective of our study is to collect data
about the profile of the asthmatic patients in Assam and thereby have
a comprehensive knowledge of the factors influencing the asthmatic
patients of the state and their medication pattern. We developed a
search strategy to find any publication about the community based
survey asthma related and used. These to search the MEDLINE
(1996 to current literature) CINAHL DOAJ pubmed databases using
the key phrases, Asthma, Respiratory disorders, Drug therapy of
Asthma, database decision support system and asthma. The
appropriate literature was printed out from the online source and
library (Journal) source. The study was conducted through a set of
structured and non-structured questionnaires targeted on the
asthmatic patients belonging to the rural and urban areas of Assam,
during the month of Dec 2006 to July 2007, 138 cases were studied
in Gauwathi Medical College & Hospital located in Bhangagarh,
Assam in India. The demographic characteristics a factor in 138
patients with asthma with allergic rhinitis (cases) gives the detail
profile of asthmatic patient-s distribution of Assam as classified on
the basis of age and sex. It is evident from the study that male
populations (66%) are more prone to asthma as compared to the
females (34%).Another striking features that emerged from this
survey is the maximum prevalence of asthma in the age group of 20-
30 years followed by infants belonging to the age group of 7 (0.05%)
0-10years among both male and female populations of Assam. The
high incidence of asthma in the age group of 20-30 years may
probably be due to the allergy arising out of sudden exposure to dust
and pollen which the children face while playing and going to the
school. The rural females in the age group of 30-40 years are more
prone to asthma than urban females in the same age group may be
due to sex differentiation among the tribal population of the state.
Pharmacists should educate the asthmatics how to use inhalers
considering growing menace of asthma in the state. Safer drugs
should be produced in the form of aerosol so that easy administration
by the asthmatic patients and physicians of the state is possible for
curing asthma. The health centers should be more equipped with the
medicines to cure asthma in the state like Assam.
Abstract: Due to important issues, such as deadlock, starvation,
communication, non-deterministic behavior and synchronization,
concurrent systems are very complex, sensitive, and error-prone.
Thus ensuring reliability and accuracy of these systems is very
essential. Therefore, there has been a big interest in the formal
specification of concurrent programs in recent years. Nevertheless,
some features of concurrent systems, such as dynamic process
creation, scheduling and starvation have not been specified formally
yet. Also, some other features have been specified partially and/or
have been described using a combination of several different
formalisms and methods whose integration needs too much effort. In
other words, a comprehensive and integrated specification that could
cover all aspects of concurrent systems has not been provided yet.
Thus, this paper makes two major contributions: firstly, it provides a
comprehensive formal framework to specify all well-known features
of concurrent systems. Secondly, it provides an integrated
specification of these features by using just a single formal notation,
i.e., the Z language.
Abstract: A novel low-cost impedance control structure is
proposed for monitoring the contact force between end-effector and
environment without installing an expensive force/torque sensor.
Theoretically, the end-effector contact force can be estimated from the
superposition of each joint control torque. There have a nonlinear
matrix mapping function between each joint motor control input and
end-effector actuating force/torques vector. This new force control
structure can be implemented based on this estimated mapping matrix.
First, the robot end-effector is manipulated to specified positions, then
the force controller is actuated based on the hall sensor current
feedback of each joint motor. The model-free fuzzy sliding mode
control (FSMC) strategy is employed to design the position and force
controllers, respectively. All the hardware circuits and software
control programs are designed on an Altera Nios II embedded
development kit to constitute an embedded system structure for a
retrofitted Mitsubishi 5 DOF robot. Experimental results show that PI
and FSMC force control algorithms can achieve reasonable contact
force monitoring objective based on this hardware control structure.
Abstract: In current global economics the application of Business Continuity Management is the prerequisite for sustainable competitive advantage in an organization. Business Continuity Management is a managerial which identifies the potential impact of losses in an organization. The aim of this paper is to identify and critically evaluate the relative advantages and disadvantages of deploying Business Continuity Management in an organization on the basis of seven criteria. The strongest advantage of Business Continuity Management is in its capacity to identify a crisis situation and help the organization to flexibly and also to keep the critical knowledge within the organization. By contrast the main disadvantage is that establishing Business Continuity Management in an organization is time-consuming and its implementation as an integral part of the organizational culture present significant difficulties.
Abstract: A preliminary evaluation of the urban land system is
presented in the article together with the instruments of land policy in
Serbia. The main reason for the analysis is demand for
definition of reform framework for urban land management in
Serbia in the period of transition towards market-led system. It
is concluded that due to the limitations of the current regulation it
will be impossible in the future to apply market principles in the
urban land policy (supply and demand of land, land capitalization,
investment efficiency, et al.). Based on the estimation that the urban
land system and land policy are key factors of competitiveness
between regions and towns in Serbia, it is necessary to initiate
changes in this field. There are indicated on an option of privatization
of urban public land and possible establishment of leasehold land. A
comparative analysis of the possibilities of the reform urban land
system in Serbia has been carried out in relation to two approaches of
market systems: (a) with dominant private ownership of urban land
(neo/liberal approach) and (b) with dominant public ownership of
urban land (system of leasehold)whose findings can be a basis for
further study of the new system in Serbia.. The attanied results are
part of studies matter for the making of Strategy of territorial
development of Serbia.