Analysis of cascading failures in power networks

Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-56).by Irina V. Abarinov.S.B.and M.Eng

Making intelligent systems team players: Case studies and design issues. Volume 1: Human-computer interaction design

Initial results are reported from a multi-year, interdisciplinary effort to provide guidance and assistance for designers of intelligent systems and their user interfaces. The objective is to achieve more effective human-computer interaction (HCI) for systems with real time fault management capabilities. Intelligent fault management systems within the NASA were evaluated for insight into the design of systems with complex HCI. Preliminary results include: (1) a description of real time fault management in aerospace domains; (2) recommendations and examples for improving intelligent systems design and user interface design; (3) identification of issues requiring further research; and (4) recommendations for a development methodology integrating HCI design into intelligent system design

Operation and restoration of bulk power systems using distributed energy resources and multi-microgrids

The fast-paced and meaningful penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as variable renewable energy sources (RESs), concurrently with the widespread occurrence of natural disasters and man-made threats, has raised several challenges for the modern bulk power systems (BPSs) status quo. Although the DERs are demanding new solutions to ensure adequate stability and security levels, these resources enable significant opportunities to improve multiple BPS perspectives. In this view, seeking to capitalize on these novel features, while aware of the significant changes to BPS outlook, this thesis is focused on developing new methods able to capitalize on modern monitoring infrastructures, DERs and control areas opportunities toward the improvement of BPS operation and stability. Specifically, the thesis focuses on: 1) First, a novel method for the improvement of the static security region (SSR) is proposed based on a new network partitioning algorithm. The proposed algorithm focuses on modern BPS with high penetration of variable RES generation. It divides the BPS into coherence areas according to its criticality mapping, and consequently, areas are adaptively associated with SSRs generators groups. To this end, each bus is assigned a criticality index from the potential energy function, whereas this calculation is based on the data of the wide-area measurement system (WAMS) using phasor measurement unit (PMU); 2) Second, a novel area-based sensitivity index for voltage stability support is proposed, exploring both the network-wide sensitivity and the local characteristics of voltage collapse. The developed index focuses on the determination of the most effective buses for voltage support and their respective capability of increasing the system’s load margin. For this, a novel area-based outlook is developed taking advantage of the new possibilities enabled by BPS distributed controllable resources, such as flexible resources (FRs)

An Interactive Multi-Dimensional Flexibility Scheduling in Low-carbon Low-inertia Power Systems

Today, electrical energy plays a significant and conspicuous role in contemporary economies; as a result, governments should place a high priority on maintaining the supply of electrical energy. In order to assess various topologies and enhance the security of power systems, it may be useful to evaluate robustness, dependability, and resilience all at once. This is particularly true when there is a significant amount of renewable energy present. The R3 concept, which consists of these three interrelated characteristics, describes the likelihood that a power system would fail, the potential severity of the repercussions, and the speed at which the system will recover from a failure. This paper uses eight case studies created from the IEEE 24-bus RTS and thoroughly assesses the properties of reliability, robustness, and resilience to highlight the significance of the issue. The sequential Monte Carlo method is used to evaluate reliability, cascade failure simulations are used to evaluate robustness, and a mixed-integer optimization problem is used to study resilience. Different indicators related to each of the three assessments are computed. The significance of the combined analysis is emphasized as the simulation findings are described visually and statistically in a unique three-dimensional manner eventually.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

NASA space station automation: AI-based technology review

Research and Development projects in automation for the Space Station are discussed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based automation technologies are planned to enhance crew safety through reduced need for EVA, increase crew productivity through the reduction of routine operations, increase space station autonomy, and augment space station capability through the use of teleoperation and robotics. AI technology will also be developed for the servicing of satellites at the Space Station, system monitoring and diagnosis, space manufacturing, and the assembly of large space structures

The collective mind: An experimental analysis of imitation and self-organization in humans

I present an experimental paradigm to explore the interpersonal dynamics generating a collective mind. I hypothesized that collective organization among humans is based on dual interpersonal modes: (1) symmetrical and (2) anti-symmetrical. I specified these modes by detecting spatiotemporal patterns that embed cooperative agents in a three-dimensional (invariant) matrix. Within this spatiotemporal matrix, I found that the symmetrical mode is executed automatically and without guidance. Conversely, the anti-symmetrical mode required explicit direction and recruited attention for execution. I demonstrate that interpersonal symmetry stabilized group dynamics, enabled fast and efficient imitation that optimized information transmission, whereas anti-symmetrical imitation was comparatively slow, inefficient, and unstable. I determined that the anti-symmetrical mode spontaneously transitioned to the symmetrical mode under perturbations. Crucially, this renormalizing behaviour never transitioned from symmetrical to anti-symmetrical. This self-organizing group mechanism speaks to symmetry-breaking in cooperation dynamics. In the present work, spontaneous group choice mandated that agents align action-perception cycles in symmetrical space under internal or external perturbations. I provide examples to illustrate that this group behaviour manifests in invertebrates and vertebrates alike. I conclude by suggesting that inter-agent symmetry provides the social stability in which attention-driven interactions enable intrapersonal and interpersonal change. Future researchers may employ the methods I provide here to explore the emergent brain activity that gives rise to interpersonal symmetry-breaking and renormalization. Research in this area may offer insight into the patterns of neural activity (i.e., intrapersonal dynamics) that predict interpersonal symmetry-breaking, thus enabling the analysis of the neurological mechanisms underlying collective organization and social cognition.May 202

Reviewing agent-based modelling of socio-ecosystems: a methodology for the analysis of climate change adaptation and sustainability

The integrated - environmental, economic and social - analysis of climate change calls for a paradigm shift as it is fundamentally a problem of complex, bottom-up and multi-agent human behaviour. There is a growing awareness that global environmental change dynamics and the related socio-economic implications involve a degree of complexity that requires an innovative modelling of combined social and ecological systems. Climate change policy can no longer be addressed separately from a broader context of adaptation and sustainability strategies. A vast body of literature on agent-based modelling (ABM) shows its potential to couple social and environmental models, to incorporate the influence of micro-level decision making in the system dynamics and to study the emergence of collective responses to policies. However, there are few publications which concretely apply this methodology to the study of climate change related issues. The analysis of the state of the art reported in this paper supports the idea that today ABM is an appropriate methodology for the bottom-up exploration of climate policies, especially because it can take into account adaptive behaviour and heterogeneity of the system's components.Review, Agent-Based Modelling, Socio-Ecosystems, Climate Change, Adaptation, Complexity.

Space Generic Open Avionics Architecture (SGOAA) reference model technical guide

This report presents a full description of the Space Generic Open Avionics Architecture (SGOAA). The SGOAA consists of a generic system architecture for the entities in spacecraft avionics, a generic processing architecture, and a six class model of interfaces in a hardware/software system. The purpose of the SGOAA is to provide an umbrella set of requirements for applying the generic architecture interface model to the design of specific avionics hardware/software systems. The SGOAA defines a generic set of system interface points to facilitate identification of critical interfaces and establishes the requirements for applying appropriate low level detailed implementation standards to those interface points. The generic core avionics system and processing architecture models provided herein are robustly tailorable to specific system applications and provide a platform upon which the interface model is to be applied

Study of application of space telescope science operations software for SIRTF use

The design and development of the Space Telescope Science Operations Ground System (ST SOGS) was evaluated to compile a history of lessons learned that would benefit NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Forty-nine specific recommendations resulted and were categorized as follows: (1) requirements: a discussion of the content, timeliness and proper allocation of the system and segment requirements and the resulting impact on SOGS development; (2) science instruments: a consideration of the impact of the Science Instrument design and data streams on SOGS software; and (3) contract phasing: an analysis of the impact of beginning the various ST program segments at different times. Approximately half of the software design and source code might be useable for SIRTF. Transportability of this software requires, at minimum, a compatible DEC VAX-based architecture and VMS operating system, system support software similar to that developed for SOGS, and continued evolution of the SIRTF operations concept and requirements such that they remain compatible with ST SOGS operation