Abstract: This paper presents a methodology for operational and
economic characteristics based evaluation and selection of a power
plant using Graph theoretic approach. A universal evaluation index
on the basis of Operational and economics characteristics of a plant is
proposed which evaluates and ranks the various types of power plants.
The index thus obtained from the pool of operational characteristics
of the power plant attributes Digraph. The Digraph is developed
considering Operational and economics attributes of the power plants
and their relative importance for their smooth operation, installation
and commissioning and prioritizing their selection. The sensitivity
analysis of the attributes towards the objective has also been carried
out in order to study the impact of attributes over the desired outcome
i.e. the universal operational-economics index of the power plant.
Abstract: The hydraulic actuated excavator, being a non-linear
mobile machine, encounters many uncertainties. There are
uncertainties in the hydraulic system in addition to the uncertain
nature of the load. The simulation results obtained in this study show
that there is a need for intelligent control of such machines and in
particular interval type-2 fuzzy controller is most suitable for
minimizing the position error of a typical excavator-s bucket under
load variations. We consider the model parameter uncertainties such
as hydraulic fluid leakage and friction. These are uncertainties which
also depend up on the temperature and alter bulk modulus and
viscosity of the hydraulic fluid. Such uncertainties together with the
load variations cause chattering of the bucket position. The interval
type-2 fuzzy controller effectively eliminates the chattering and
manages to control the end-effecter (bucket) position with positional
error in the order of few millimeters.
Abstract: The photonic component industry is a highly
innovative industry with a large value chain. In order to ensure the
growth of the industry much effort must be devoted to road mapping
activities. In such activities demand and price evolution forecasting
tools can prove quite useful in order to help in the roadmap
refinement and update process. This paper attempts to provide useful
guidelines in roadmapping of optical components and considers two
models based on diffusion theory and the extended learning curve for
demand and price evolution forecasting.
Abstract: Hierarchical high-level PNs (HHPNs) with time
versions are a useful tool to model systems in a variety of application
domains, ranging from logistics to complex workflows. This paper
addresses an application domain which is receiving more and more
attention: procedure that arranges the final inpatient charge in
payment-s office and their management. We shall prove that Petri net
based analysis is able to improve the delays during the procedure, in
order that inpatient charges could be more reliable and on time.
Abstract: In this contribution a newly developed elearning environment is presented, which incorporates Intelligent Agents and Computational Intelligence Techniques. The new e-learning environment is constituted by three parts, the E-learning platform Front-End, the Student Questioner Reasoning and the Student Model Agent. These parts are distributed geographically in dispersed computer servers, with main focus on the design and development of these subsystems through the use of new and emerging technologies. These parts are interconnected in an interoperable way, using web services for the integration of the subsystems, in order to enhance the user modelling procedure and achieve the goals of the learning process.
Abstract: In this work, we are interested in developing a speech denoising tool by using a discrete wavelet packet transform (DWPT). This speech denoising tool will be employed for applications of recognition, coding and synthesis. For noise reduction, instead of applying the classical thresholding technique, some wavelet packet nodes are set to zero and the others are thresholded. To estimate the non stationary noise level, we employ the spectral entropy. A comparison of our proposed technique to classical denoising methods based on thresholding and spectral subtraction is made in order to evaluate our approach. The experimental implementation uses speech signals corrupted by two sorts of noise, white and Volvo noises. The obtained results from listening tests show that our proposed technique is better than spectral subtraction. The obtained results from SNR computation show the superiority of our technique when compared to the classical thresholding method using the modified hard thresholding function based on u-law algorithm.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the flow unsteady behavior for moving plug in convergent-divergent variable thrust nozzle. Compressible axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations are used to study this physical phenomenon. Different velocities are set for plug to investigate the effect of plug movement on flow unsteadiness. Variation of mass flow rate and thrust are compared under two conditions: First, the plug is placed at different positions and flow is simulated to reach the steady state (quasi steady simulation) and second, the plug is moved with assigned velocity and flow simulation is coupled with plug movement (unsteady simulation). If plug speed is high enough and its movement time scale is at the same order of the flow time scale, variation of the mass flow rate and thrust level versus plug position demonstrate a vital discrepancy under the quasi steady and unsteady conditions. This phenomenon should be considered especially from response time viewpoints in thrusters design.
Abstract: Modular multiplication is the basic operation
in most public key cryptosystems, such as RSA, DSA, ECC,
and DH key exchange. Unfortunately, very large operands
(in order of 1024 or 2048 bits) must be used to provide
sufficient security strength. The use of such big numbers
dramatically slows down the whole cipher system, especially
when running on embedded processors.
So far, customized hardware accelerators - developed on
FPGAs or ASICs - were the best choice for accelerating
modular multiplication in embedded environments. On the
other hand, many algorithms have been developed to speed
up such operations. Examples are the Montgomery modular
multiplication and the interleaved modular multiplication
algorithms. Combining both customized hardware with
an efficient algorithm is expected to provide a much faster
cipher system.
This paper introduces an enhanced architecture for computing
the modular multiplication of two large numbers X
and Y modulo a given modulus M. The proposed design is
compared with three previous architectures depending on
carry save adders and look up tables. Look up tables should
be loaded with a set of pre-computed values. Our proposed
architecture uses the same carry save addition, but replaces
both look up tables and pre-computations with an enhanced
version of sign detection techniques. The proposed architecture
supports higher frequencies than other architectures.
It also has a better overall absolute time for a single operation.
Abstract: Series compensators have been used for many years,
to increase the stability and load ability of transmission line. They
compensate retarded or advanced volt drop of transmission lines
by placing advanced or retarded voltage in series with them to
compensate the effective reactance, which cause to increase load
ability of transmission lines. In this paper, two method of fuzzy
controller, based on power reference tracking and impedance
reference tracking have been developed on TCSC controller in
order to increase load ability and improving power oscillation
damping of system. In these methods, fire angle of thyristors are
determined directly through the special Rule-bases with the error
and change of error as the inputs. The simulation results of two
area four- machines power system show the good performance of
power oscillation damping in system. Comparison of this method
with classical PI controller shows the increasing speed of system
response in power oscillation damping.
Abstract: In films, visual effects have played the role of
expressing realities more realistically or describing imaginations as if
they are real. Such images are immediated images representing
realism, and the logic of immediation for the reality of images has
been perceived dominant in visual effects. In order for immediation to
have an identity as immediation, there should be the opposite concept
hypermediation.
In the mid 2000s, hypermediated images were settled as a code of
mass culture in Asia. Thus, among Asian films highly popular in those
days, this study selected five displaying hypermediated images – 2 Korean, 2 Japanese, and 1 Thailand movies – and examined the
semiotic meanings of such images using Roland Barthes- directional and implicated meaning analysis and Metz-s paradigmatic analysis
method, focusing on how hypermediated images work in the general
context of the films, how they are associated with spaces, and what
meanings they try to carry.
Abstract: Feeder is one of the airships of the Multibody Advanced Airship for Transport (MAAT) system, under development within the EU FP7 project. MAAT is based on a modular concept composed of two different parts that have the possibility to join; respectively they are the so-called Cruiser and Feeder, designed on the lighter than air principle. Feeder, also named ATEN (Airship Transport Elevator Network), is the smaller one which joins the bigger one, Cruiser, also named PTAH (Photovoltaic modular Transport Airship for High altitude),envisaged to happen at 15km altitude. During the MAAT design phase, the aerodynamic studies of the both airships and their interactions are analyzed. The objective of these studies is to understand the aerodynamic behavior of all the preselected configurations, as an important element in the overall MAAT system design. The most of these configurations are only simulated by CFD, while the most feasible one is experimentally analyzed in order to validate and thrust the CFD predictions. This paper presents the numerical and experimental investigation of the Feeder “conical like" shape configuration. The experiments are focused on the aerodynamic force coefficients and the pressure distribution over the Feeder outer surface, while the numerical simulation cover also the analysis of the velocity and pressure distribution. Finally, the wind tunnel experiment is compared with its CFD model in order to validate such specific simulations with respective experiments and to better understand the difference between the wind tunnel and in-flight circumstances.
Abstract: The intermittent connectivity modifies the “always
on" network assumption made by all the distributed query processing
systems. In modern- day systems, the absence of network
connectivity is considered as a fault. Since the last upload, it might
not be feasible to transmit all the data accumulated right away over
the available connection. It is possible that vital information may be
delayed excessively when the less important information takes place
of the vital information. Owing to the restricted and uneven
bandwidth, it is vital that the mobile nodes make the most
advantageous use of the connectivity when it arrives. Hence, in order
to select the data that needs to be transmitted first, some sort of data
prioritization is essential. A continuous query processing system for
intermittently connected mobile networks that comprises of a delaytolerant
continuous query processor distributed across the mobile
hosts has been proposed in this paper. In addition, a mechanism for
prioritizing query results has been designed that guarantees enhanced
accuracy and reduced delay. It is illustrated that our architecture
reduces the client power consumption, increases query efficiency by
the extensive simulation results.
Abstract: Milk is a very important nutrient. Low productivity is
a problem of Turkish dairy farming. During recent years, Turkish government has supported cooperatives that assist milk producers and
encouraged farmers to become cooperative members. Turkish
government established several ways to support specially smallholders. For example Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
(MARA) provided two to four cows to villagers on a grant or loan basis with a long repayment period at low interest rates by
cooperatives. Social Support Project in Rural Areas (SSPRA) is
another support program targeting only disadvantaged people,
especially poor villager. Both programs have a very strong social
support component and similar objectives. But there are minor
differences between them in terms of target people, terms and conditions of the credit supplied Isparta province in Mediterranean region of Turkey is one of the
supported regions. MARA distributed dairy cows to 1072 farmers through 16 agricultural cooperatives in Isparta province in the context
of SSPRA. In this study, economic-social impacts on dairy cattle project
implemented through cooperatives were examined in Isparta. Primary data were collected from 12 cooperatives- president. The
data were obtained by personal interview through a questionnaire and
to cooperatives and given to farms benefiting from the project in
order to reveal the economic and social developments.
Finding of the study revealed that project provided new job
opportunities and improved quality of livestock. It was found that producers who benefited from the project were more willing to
participate in cooperative or other producer organizations.
Abstract: Graph decompositions are vital in the study of combinatorial design theory. Given two graphs G and H, an H-decomposition of G is a partition of the edge set of G into disjoint isomorphic copies of H. An n-sun is a cycle Cn with an edge terminating in a vertex of degree one attached to each vertex. In this paper we have proved that the complete graph of order 2n, K2n can be decomposed into n-2 n-suns, a Hamilton cycle and a perfect matching, when n is even and for odd case, the decomposition is n-1 n-suns and a perfect matching. For an odd order complete graph K2n+1, delete the star subgraph K1, 2n and the resultant graph K2n is decomposed as in the case of even order. The method of building n-suns uses Walecki's construction for the Hamilton decomposition of complete graphs. A spanning tree decomposition of even order complete graphs is also discussed using the labeling scheme of n-sun decomposition. A complete bipartite graph Kn, n can be decomposed into n/2 n-suns when n/2 is even. When n/2 is odd, Kn, n can be decomposed into (n-2)/2 n-suns and a Hamilton cycle.
Abstract: The present work represents an investigation of the
hydrolysis of hull-less pumpkin (Cucurbita Pepo L.) oil cake protein
isolate (PuOC PI) by pepsin. To examine the effectiveness and
suitability of pepsin towards PuOC PI the kinetic parameters for
pepsin on PuOC PI were determined and then, the hydrolysis process
was studied using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The
hydrolysis was carried out at temperature of 30°C and pH 3.00. Time
and initial enzyme/substrate ratio (E/S) at three levels were selected
as the independent parameters. The degree of hydrolysis, DH, was
mesuared after 20, 30 and 40 minutes, at initial E/S of 0.7, 1 and 1.3
mA/mg proteins. Since the proposed second-order polynomial model
showed good fit with the experimental data (R2 = 0.9822), the
obtained mathematical model could be used for monitoring the
hydrolysis of PuOC PI by pepsin, under studied experimental
conditions, varying the time and initial E/S. To achieve the highest
value of DH (39.13 %), the obtained optimum conditions for time
and initial E/S were 30 min and 1.024 mA/mg proteins.
Abstract: In this paper, we study the oscillation of a class of second-order nonlinear neutral damped variable delay dynamic equations on time scales. By using a generalized Riccati transformation technique, we obtain some sufficient conditions for the oscillation of the equations. The results of this paper improve and extend some known results. We also illustrate our main results with some examples.
Abstract: Response surface methodology (RSM) is a very
efficient tool to provide a good practical insight into developing new
process and optimizing them. This methodology could help
engineers to raise a mathematical model to represent the behavior of
system as a convincing function of process parameters.
Through this paper the sequential nature of the RSM surveyed for process
engineers and its relationship to design of experiments (DOE), regression
analysis and robust design reviewed. The proposed four-step procedure in
two different phases could help system analyst to resolve the parameter
design problem involving responses. In order to check accuracy of the
designed model, residual analysis and prediction error sum of squares
(PRESS) described.
It is believed that the proposed procedure in this study can resolve a
complex parameter design problem with one or more responses. It can be
applied to those areas where there are large data sets and a number of
responses are to be optimized simultaneously. In addition, the proposed
procedure is relatively simple and can be implemented easily by using
ready-made standard statistical packages.
Abstract: Higher education institutions are increasingly opting to outsourcing methods in order to sustain themselves and this creates a gap of literature in terms of how they perceive the relationship. This research paper attempts to identify the behavioral and psychological factors that exist in the engagement thus providing valuable information to practicing and potential clients, and vendors. The determinants were gathered from previous literatures and analyzed to formulate the factors. This study adopts the case study and survey approaches in which interviews and questionnaires are deployed on employees of IT-related department in a Malaysian higher education institution.
Abstract: The optimal grid spacing and turbulence model for the
2D numerical analysis of a vertical-axis water turbine (VAWaterT)
operating in a 2 m/s freestream current has been investigated. The
results of five different spatial domain discretizations and two
turbulence models (k-ω SST and k-ε RNG) have been compared, in
order to gain the optimal y+ parameter distribution along the blade
walls during a full rotor revolution. The resulting optimal mesh has
appeared to be quite similar to that obtained for the numerical
analysis of a vertical-axis wind turbine.
Abstract: Selective harmonic elimination-pulse width modulation techniques offer a tight control of the harmonic spectrum of a given voltage waveform generated by a power electronic converter along with a low number of switching transitions. Traditional optimization methods suffer from various drawbacks, such as prolonged and tedious computational steps and convergence to local optima; thus, the more the number of harmonics to be eliminated, the larger the computational complexity and time. This paper presents a novel method for output voltage harmonic elimination and voltage control of PWM AC/AC voltage converters using the principle of hybrid Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm-Pattern Search (RGA-PS) method. RGA is the primary optimizer exploiting its global search capabilities, PS is then employed to fine tune the best solution provided by RGA in each evolution. The proposed method enables linear control of the fundamental component of the output voltage and complete elimination of its harmonic contents up to a specified order. Theoretical studies have been carried out to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method of selective harmonic elimination. Theoretical results are validated through simulation studies using PSIM software package.