33,311 research outputs found
A coordination framework for distributed supply chains
Supply chain is a network of cooperating organizations that are involved through upstream and downstream linkages. Such a complex system cannot be modeled simply by mathematical equations without simplification of the problem. Recently, Multi-Agent System (MAS) is proposed as a modeling technique to represent supply chain networks. In fact, many application problems in MASs that are concerned with finding a consistent combination of agent actions can be formalized as Distributed Constraints Satisfaction Problem (DCSP). The main purpose of this paper is to propose a novel coordination framework by adopting the DCSP philosophy for distributed supply chains, which are modeled by MASs, subjected to uncertainties. Simulation results indicate that the proposed mechanism outperforms traditional stochastic modeling in solving supply chain dynamics in terms of total cost and fill rate of the system. © 2004 IEEE.published_or_final_versio
Cooperation and Storage Tradeoffs in Power-Grids with Renewable Energy Resources
One of the most important challenges in smart grid systems is the integration
of renewable energy resources into its design. In this work, two different
techniques to mitigate the time varying and intermittent nature of renewable
energy generation are considered. The first one is the use of storage, which
smooths out the fluctuations in the renewable energy generation across time.
The second technique is the concept of distributed generation combined with
cooperation by exchanging energy among the distributed sources. This technique
averages out the variation in energy production across space. This paper
analyzes the trade-off between these two techniques. The problem is formulated
as a stochastic optimization problem with the objective of minimizing the time
average cost of energy exchange within the grid. First, an analytical model of
the optimal cost is provided by investigating the steady state of the system
for some specific scenarios. Then, an algorithm to solve the cost minimization
problem using the technique of Lyapunov optimization is developed and results
for the performance of the algorithm are provided. These results show that in
the presence of limited storage devices, the grid can benefit greatly from
cooperation, whereas in the presence of large storage capacity, cooperation
does not yield much benefit. Further, it is observed that most of the gains
from cooperation can be obtained by exchanging energy only among a few energy
harvesting sources
Distributed Multicell Beamforming Design Approaching Pareto Boundary with Max-Min Fairness
This paper addresses coordinated downlink beamforming optimization in
multicell time-division duplex (TDD) systems where a small number of parameters
are exchanged between cells but with no data sharing. With the goal to reach
the point on the Pareto boundary with max-min rate fairness, we first develop a
two-step centralized optimization algorithm to design the joint beamforming
vectors. This algorithm can achieve a further sum-rate improvement over the
max-min optimal performance, and is shown to guarantee max-min Pareto
optimality for scenarios with two base stations (BSs) each serving a single
user. To realize a distributed solution with limited intercell communication,
we then propose an iterative algorithm by exploiting an approximate
uplink-downlink duality, in which only a small number of positive scalars are
shared between cells in each iteration. Simulation results show that the
proposed distributed solution achieves a fairness rate performance close to the
centralized algorithm while it has a better sum-rate performance, and
demonstrates a better tradeoff between sum-rate and fairness than the Nash
Bargaining solution especially at high signal-to-noise ratio.Comment: 8 figures. To Appear in IEEE Trans. Wireless Communications, 201
Coordination approaches and systems - part I : a strategic perspective
This is the first part of a two-part paper presenting a fundamental review and summary of research of design coordination and cooperation technologies. The theme of this review is aimed at the research conducted within the decision management aspect of design coordination. The focus is therefore on the strategies involved in making decisions and how these strategies are used to satisfy design requirements. The paper reviews research within collaborative and coordinated design, project and workflow management, and, task and organization models. The research reviewed has attempted to identify fundamental coordination mechanisms from different domains, however it is concluded that domain independent mechanisms need to be augmented with domain specific mechanisms to facilitate coordination. Part II is a review of design coordination from an operational perspective
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