Modeling and Experimental Investigation of Energy Management for Hybrid Electric Vehicle based on Variable Structure Control Strategy

The current study presents real-time modeling and non-linear controllers-based energy management system (EMS) for multi-energy hybrid Electric Vehicle (EV), where a detailed physics-based dynamic vehicle model has been considered. The main objective of the paper is to regulate the power flow, stabilize DC voltage for an EV driven by a brushless DC motor, and ensure effective power sharing in a hybrid electric system under complex driving circumstances. The approach is based on tracking the reference battery current by backstepping sliding mode control for optimal power distribution. Subsequently, Integral Sliding Mode Control based on barrier function (NBS-ISMC), and Fractional Order Terminal Sliding Mode Control (FOTSMC) are implemented to control the switching operation of converters for Photovoltaic (PV) and Ultra-capacitor (UC), respectively. User-defined and practical standard drive cycles are selected to test the effectiveness of proposed reference current controllers

Pearl farming as a sustainable development path

For centuries, wild pearl oysters and mussels were fished in the quest for natural pearls and shell material. This eventually led to the drastic overexploitation of oyster stocks in many areas of the globe.1 Scientific innovation and entrepreneurship eventually unearthed a solution: Researchers discovered a way for humans to farm pearl oysters and induce the formation of a cultured pearl. A century after this discovery, many pearl farming regions are vulnerable to climate change and coral and coastal habitat destruction. Pearl farming might provide a win-win opportunity for such communities

Reductive Perturbation Method in Magnetized Plasma and Role of Negative Ions

An analysis of reductive perturbation method (RPM) is presented to show that why the solitary structures of nonlinear ion acoustic waves (IAWs) cannot be obtained in magnetized electron ion plasma by employing this technique. In RPM, the nonlinear Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation is derived using stretched coordinates in the reference frame of the wave phase speed, considering the dispersion to be a higher-order effect which balances the nonlinearity to produce a solitary structure. The maximum amplitude $\mid \Phi_m \mid$ of the nonlinear solitary wave turns out to be larger than one which contradicts the small amplitude approximation. In the presence of negative ions, the maximum amplitude satisfies the condition $\mid\Phi_m\mid <1$. To elaborate these points, the results have been applied to an experimental plasma consisting of positive ions of xenon $(Xe^{+})$ and negative ions of fluorene $(F^{-})$ along with electrons. The amplitude and width of the solitary structures depend upon the ratio of the electron to positive ion density ($\frac{n_{e0}}{n_{i0}}$). Since the nonlinear coefficient turns out to be negative, rarefied (dip) solitons are formed in the magnetized $Xe^{+}-F^{-}-e$ plasma

Environmental resistance and Aboriginal development : a comparative study of mining ventures in the United States and Canada

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (v. 2, leaves 325-346).Summary: This dissertation asks the question: why do indigenous communities support environmental causes in certain cases of mining development and not in others, when technical indicators of environmental impact may in fact be comparable? The empirical research question I am trying to address is: When does environmental resistance arise in native communities in the United States and Canada that are faced with the prospect of mining development? Native people in the United States and Canada have endured widespread environmental harm at the behest of mining ventures. During the past two decades, the enactment of environmental laws and the recognition of treaty violations by settler governments have collectively led to a politics of retribution in both countries. However, conflicts surrounding mining development and indigenous people continue to challenge policy-makers on both sides of the border. I use qualitative social science research techniques such as deviant case analysis, process tracing, congruence procedures and counterfactual analysis to study four instances of mining development (cases involving both the prevalence and non-prevalence of environmental resistance in each of the two countries). After using a process of elimination procedure in my initial scoping analysis for the case studies, I test process-oriented hypotheses anchored in theories of negotiation involving social movements and linkage politics. My study reveals that contrary to common belief, neither scientific studies (technical impact) and economic considerations nor external influence of civic society adequately explain the emergence or prevalence of resistance. Instead the negotiation process, particularly the way in which issues are linked, strategic alliance formation and the articulation of sovereignty are the key determinants of environmental resistance in Aboriginal communities. I conclude with some lessons for both the US and Canada in terms of public policy and negotiation processes that can be most conducive to environmentally responsible and effective planning of mining ventures on or near Aboriginal land.by Saleem H. Ali.Ph.D

Spinal muscular atrophy:clinical spectrum and genetic mutations in Pakistani children

Background: In Pakistan the rate of consanguineous marriages is high, thus, the chance of incidence of autosomal recessive disorders is likely to be high. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics and genetics of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in children who presented to Aga Khan University, Karachi.Materials and Methods: This study was a retrospective review of the medical charts of children (neonate: 15 years) with discharge diagnosis of SMA during last 10 years. Demographic features, consanguinity, and diagnostic analysis (including genetic analysis) were noted.Results: During the study period 67 children had a discharge diagnosis of SMA. Werdnig Hoffman disease (SMA type I) was the commonest variant seen in 37 (56%) children. Overall 68% were infants. High parental consanguinity was observed in 68% of the study cohort. The history of delayed development and undiagnosed early death was observed in the families of 19 children. Genetic testing was performed in 22 (33%) children. Survival motor neuron (SMN) 1 gene deletion was found in 19 (86%) of the 22 patients in whom the gene analysis was done and 13 (68%) were also positive for neuronal apoptosis inhibitory proteins (NAIP) deletion.Conclusion: SMA is not an uncommon neurodegenerative disorder in Pakistan and SMA type I was the most common type. SMN1 gene deletion was the most common genetic deletion found in this study. In addition, family history of developmental delay and frequent early deaths highlights the need for implementation of prenatal diagnosis for early detection, effective control, and management of this disorder in Pakistan

Multiobjective Optimized Smart Charge Controller for Electric Vehicle Applications

The continuous deployment of distributed energy sources and the increase in the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) require smart charging algorithms. The existing EV chargers offer limited flexibility and controllability and do not fully consider factors (such as EV user waiting time and the length of next trip) as well as the potential opportunities and financial benefits from using EVs to support the grid, charge from renewable energy, and deal with the negative impacts of intermittent renewable generation. The lack of adequate smart EV charging may result in high battery degradation, violation of grid control statutory limits, high greenhouse emissions, and high charging cost. In this article, a neuro-fuzzy particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based novel and advanced smart charge controller is proposed, which considers user requirements, energy tariff, grid condition (e.g., voltage or frequency), renewable (photovoltaic) output, and battery state of health. A rule-based fuzzy controller becomes complex as the number of inputs to the controller increases. In addition, it becomes difficult to achieve an optimum operation due to the conflicting nature of control requirements. To optimize the controller response, the PSO technique is proposed to provide a global optimum solution based on a predefined cost function, and to address the implementation complexity, PSO is combined with a neural network. The proposed neuro-fuzzy PSO control algorithm meets EV user requirements, works within technical constraints, and is simple to implement in real time (and requires less processing time). Simulation using MATLAB and experimental results using a dSPACE digital real-time emulator are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Agricultural Sector: The Case of Local Responses in Punjab, Pakistan

This study contributes to explore local responses to deal with the impacts of climate change on agriculture sector by looking the case of Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan’s agriculture is facing severe challenges due to the negative consequences of climate change. In this study, we investigate (a) What are the different initiatives taken at planned and autonomous level in Punjab province? (b) What are the drivers behind these initiatives? (c) How these initiatives are being transferred within farmer’s community in Punjab and outside Punjab? and (d) What are the challenges for these farmers in adaptation to climate change and governance hurdles in the province? The government has launched massive level awareness campaign in the province. Other important initiatives are institutional capacity enhancement, promotion of climate change research, establishment of linkage with academics, enhancement of capacity building, and involvement of farmers’ community in climate adaptation for agriculture sectors. The autonomous adaptation initiatives include changing planting dates, changing crops types, changing fertilizers, and planting shade trees. Planned level adaptation is primarily driven by coordination among the respective departments, engagement with academics, and availability of financial resources. Autonomous initiatives of the province are mainly driven by the previous experiences of farmers, sustainability in agriculture production, and knowledge sharing

Application of potassium, zinc and boron as potential plant growth modulators in Gossypium hirsutum L. under heat stress

High temperature stress at reproductive stages of cotton crop severely affects the yield and quality of cotton crop under changing climatic conditions. To alleviate the adverse effects of high temperature stress on cotton crop, the regulatory effects of potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and boron (B) were assessed by applying different temperature regimes at three reproductive stages of cotton crop under field and glass house conditions. Cotton plants were subjected to low (32/20 °C ± 2), medium (38/24 °C ± 2), and high (45/30 °C ± 2) temperatures under glasshouse, but sown at specific dates in field to provide different temperatures at three reproductive stages. High-temperature stress at squaring, flowering and boll formation stages in both field studies increased relative cell injury (RCI), total soluble proteins (TSP), reactive oxygen species and reduced fiber yield attributes i.e. total number of bolls per plant (TNBPP), number of sympodial branches per plant (NSBPP) and quality traits. For example, RCI, TNBPP and fiber fineness were reduced by 73%, 42% and 29%, respectively under supra thermal regime (SupTR) of glass house study over the optimal thermal regime (OpTR). Foliar application of K and Zn followed by B increased TSP, RWC, TNBPP, NSBPP, fiber fineness, fiber length and fiber strength. Further, foliar spray of K and Zn followed by B also reduced H2 O2 under SupTR and SubTR over the OpTR. The findings of the present study clearly demonstrate that foliar spray of Zn, K and B alleviated adverse effects of high temperature stress at squaring, flowering and boll formation stages and increased seed cotton yield and quality of cotton crop. © TÜBİTAK

Data Flow Testing and Tools Review

Software engineering always strives to develop and identify software pitfalls and errors before publishing the software product, in testing the software. Bugs can appear during any stage of development or testing, even after the product has been released. This paper describes different methodologies for data flow testing. Since testing is the process of running a program to identify errors, we need to increase the accuracy of the coverage area by including dataflow elements based on aliases and avoiding useless elements that reduce the overall coverage to increase the applicability and effectiveness of the dataflow test. This page looks at data flow testing, which is a type of basic test (white box). Information flow testing is divided into two main points: properties / usage test and a set of tests embedding measurements; And divide the program into parts according to its factors to make testing programming frameworks more straightforward. It also describes the steps for performing data flow testing as well as how to design test suites that take anomalies into account. It also examines and discusses methods used to date to perform data flow testing. These approaches include node-based design, trend-finding coverage, web application comparison, and analytical testing