Integrating an agent-based wireless sensor network within an existing multi-agent condition monitoring system

The use of wireless sensor networks for condition monitoring is gaining ground across all sectors of industry, and while their use for power engineering applications has yet been limited, they represent a viable platform for next-generation substation condition monitoring systems. For engineers to fully benefit from this new approach to condition monitoring, new sensor data must be incorporated into a single integrated system. This paper proposes the integration of an agent-based wireless sensor network with an existing agent-based condition monitoring system. It demonstrates that multi-agent systems can be extended down to the sensor level while considering the reduced energy availability of low-power embedded devices. A novel agent-based approach to data translation is presented, which is demonstrated through two case studies: a lab-based temperature and vibration monitoring system, and a proposal to integrate a wireless sensor network to an existing technology demonstrator deployed in a substation in the UK

A frequency-based RF partial discharge detector for low-power wireless sensing

Partial discharge (PD) monitoring has been the subject of significant research in recent years, which has given rise to a range of well-established PD detection and measurement techniques, such as acoustic and RF, on which condition monitoring systems for highvoltage equipment have been based. This paper presents a novel approach to partial discharge monitoring by using a low-cost, low-power RF detector. The detector employs a frequency-based technique that can distinguish between multiple partial discharge events and other impulsive noise sources within a substation, tracking defect severity over time and providing information pertaining to plant health. The detector is designed to operate as part of a wireless condition monitoring network, removing the need for additional wiring to be installed into substations whilst still gaining the benefits of the RF technique. This novel approach to PD detection not only provides a low-cost solution to on-line partial discharge monitoring, but also presents a means to deploy wide-scale RF monitoring without the associated costs of wide-band monitoring systems

Development of an integrated low-power RF partial discharge detector

This paper presents the results from integrating a low-power partial discharge detector with a wireless sensor node designed for operating as part of an IEEE 802.15.4 sensor network, and applying an on-line classifier capable of classifying partial discharges in real-time. Such a system is of benefit to monitoring engineers as it provides a means to exploit the RF technique using a low-cost device while circumventing the need for any additional cabling associated with new condition monitoring systems. The detector uses a frequency-based technique to differentiate between multiple defects, and has been integrated with a SunSPOT wireless sensor node hosting an agent-based monitoring platform, which includes a data capture agent and rule induction agent trained using experimental data. The results of laboratory system verification are discussed, and the requirements for a fully robust and flexible system are outlined

Finishing of precision generated metal optical components

Diamond turning and precision generation of aspheric metal surfaces has promoted a change in lapping techniques due to the extremely close figure tolerances and surface finishes that have been achieved. Special tooling, diamond abrasive, silicon oil and special techniques used to polish the unusual aspheric figures are described. The studies include small flat diamond turned samples of copper, electroplated copper, electroplated silver, electroplated nickel and silver as well as large aspheres such as an f/0.75, 35 cm dia copper ellipse. Results from cleaning studies on flat samples using ultrasonics and vapor degreasers are also summarized. Interferograms of wavefront distortion and analysis of focal volume are included as well as 10.6 $mu$m reflectivity and a summary of laser damage experiments. (TFD

Genomic Organization and Control of the Grb7 Gene Family

Grb7 and their related family members Grb10 and Grb14 are adaptor proteins, which participate in the functionality of multiple signal transduction pathways under the control of a variety of activated tyrosine kinase receptors and other tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. They are involved in the modulation of important cellular and organismal functions such as cell migration, cell proliferation, apoptosis, gene expression, protein degradation, protein phosphorylation, angiogenesis, embryonic development and metabolic control. In this short review we shall describe the organization of the genes encoding the Grb7 protein family, their transcriptional products and the regulatory mechanisms implicated in the control of their expression. Finally, the alterations found in these genes and the mechanisms affecting their expression under pathological conditions such as cancer, diabetes and some congenital disorders will be highlighted

Off-Shell Axial Anomaly via the \gamma^* \pi^0 -> \gamma Transition

The $\gamma^* \pi^0 \rightarrow \gamma$ form factor, including the extension off the pion mass-shell, is obtained from a generalized impulse approximation within a QCD-based model field theory known to provide an excellent description of the pion charge form factor. This approach implements dressing of the vertex functions and propagators consistent with dynamical chiral symmetry breaking, gauge invariance, quark confinement and perturbative QCD. Soft nonperturbative behavior, dictated by the axial anomaly, is found to evolve to the perturbative QCD limit only for \mbox{$Q^2 \geq 20~{\rm GeV}^2$}.Comment: 10 Pages, 3 figures (uuencoded and appended), REVTE

Caves demonstrate decrease in rainfall recharge of southwest Australian groundwater is unprecedented for the last 800 years

Billions of people worldwide rely on groundwater. As rainfall in many regions in the future is projected to decrease, it is critical to understand the impacts of climate change on groundwater recharge. The groundwater recharge response to a sustained decrease in rainfall across southwest Australia that began in the late 1960s was examined in seven modern speleothems and drip waters from four caves. These show a pronounced increase or uptick in regional drip water and speleothem oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O) that is not driven by a change in rainfall δ¹⁸O values, but is in response to the shallow karst aquifers becoming disconnected from rainfall recharge due to regional drying. Our findings imply that rainfall recharge to groundwater may no longer be reliably occurring in this region, which is highly dependent on groundwater resources. Examination of the longer speleothem record shows that this situation is unprecedented over the last 800 years.Stacey C. Priestley, Pauline C. Treble, Alan D. Griffiths, Andy Baker, Nerilie J. Abram, Karina T. Meredit

Hard Instances of the Constrained Discrete Logarithm Problem

The discrete logarithm problem (DLP) generalizes to the constrained DLP, where the secret exponent $x$ belongs to a set known to the attacker. The complexity of generic algorithms for solving the constrained DLP depends on the choice of the set. Motivated by cryptographic applications, we study sets with succinct representation for which the constrained DLP is hard. We draw on earlier results due to Erd\"os et al. and Schnorr, develop geometric tools such as generalized Menelaus' theorem for proving lower bounds on the complexity of the constrained DLP, and construct sets with succinct representation with provable non-trivial lower bounds

Nonlinear time-series analysis of Hyperion's lightcurves

Hyperion is a satellite of Saturn that was predicted to remain in a chaotic rotational state. This was confirmed to some extent by Voyager 2 and Cassini series of images and some ground-based photometric observations. The aim of this aticle is to explore conditions for potential observations to meet in order to estimate a maximal Lyapunov Exponent (mLE), which being positive is an indicator of chaos and allows to characterise it quantitatively. Lightcurves existing in literature as well as numerical simulations are examined using standard tools of theory of chaos. It is found that existing datasets are too short and undersampled to detect a positive mLE, although its presence is not rejected. Analysis of simulated lightcurves leads to an assertion that observations from one site should be performed over a year-long period to detect a positive mLE, if present, in a reliable way. Another approach would be to use 2---3 telescopes spread over the world to have observations distributed more uniformly. This may be achieved without disrupting other observational projects being conducted. The necessity of time-series to be stationary is highly stressed.Comment: 34 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables; v2 after referee report; matches the version accepted in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Nutrient recovery and fractionation of anaerobic digester effluents employing pilot scale membrane technology

Anaerobic Digester (AD) waste, known as digestate (spent anaerobically digested effluents) of agricultural origin, was collected for a feasibility study on the use of membrane filtration to fractionate phosphate and ammonia from digestate into nutrient streams. The digestate was pre-treated to remove bulk solids and then filtered using diafiltration (DF) with ultrafiltration (UF) (5.65 psi TMP) and then nanofiltration (NF) (operating pressure 253.82 psi). Having set the pre-treated effluents at pH 4.0, retention of phosphate reached 6.78 mmols L−1 during UF with lower values being achieved with repeated DF steps. In contrast, nitrogen retention was lower at 8.21 mmols L-1 and was continuously dropping at each DF step. During NF phosphorus was shown to be strongly retained by the membrane at 31.8 mmols L−1, while retention of ammonium was low at 13.4 mmols L-1 demonstrating the potential for this combination of membrane types for fractionating high value components from AD waste