175 research outputs found
Communications and control for electric power systems: Power flow classification for static security assessment
This report investigates the classification of power system states using an artificial neural network model, Kohonen's self-organizing feature map. The ultimate goal of this classification is to assess power system static security in real-time. Kohonen's self-organizing feature map is an unsupervised neural network which maps N-dimensional input vectors to an array of M neurons. After learning, the synaptic weight vectors exhibit a topological organization which represents the relationship between the vectors of the training set. This learning is unsupervised, which means that the number and size of the classes are not specified beforehand. In the application developed in this report, the input vectors used as the training set are generated by off-line load-flow simulations. The learning algorithm and the results of the organization are discussed
Communications and control for electric power systems
The first section of the report describes the AbNET system, a hardware and software communications system designed for distribution automation (it can also find application in substation monitoring and control). The topology of the power system fixes the topology of the communications network, which can therefore be expected to include a larger number of branch points, tap points, and interconnections. These features make this communications network unlike any other. The network operating software has to solve the problem of communicating to all the nodes of a very complex network in as reliable a way as possible even if the network is damaged, and it has to do so with minimum transmission delays and at minimum cost. The design of the operating protocols is described within the framework of the seven-layer Open System Interconnection hierarchy of the International Standards Organization. Section 2 of the report describes the development and testing of a high voltage sensor based on an electro-optic polymer. The theory of operation is reviewed. Bulk fabrication of the polymer is discussed, as well as results of testing of the electro-optic coefficient of the material. Fabrication of a complete prototype sensor suitable for use in the range 1-20 kV is described. The electro-optic polymer is shown to be an important material for fiber optic sensing applications. Appendix A is theoretical support for this work. The third section of the report presents the application of an artificial neural network, Kohonen's self-organizing feature map, for the classification of power system states. This classifier maps vectors of an N-dimensional space to a 2-dimensional neural net in a nonlinear way preserving the topological order of the input vectors. These mappings are studied using a nonlinear power system model
Spontaneous phase oscillation induced by inertia and time delay
We consider a system of coupled oscillators with finite inertia and
time-delayed interaction, and investigate the interplay between inertia and
delay both analytically and numerically. The phase velocity of the system is
examined; revealed in numerical simulations is emergence of spontaneous phase
oscillation without external driving, which turns out to be in good agreement
with analytical results derived in the strong-coupling limit. Such
self-oscillation is found to suppress synchronization and its frequency is
observed to decrease with inertia and delay. We obtain the phase diagram, which
displays oscillatory and stationary phases in the appropriate regions of the
parameters.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, to pe published in PR
Experimental Evidence of Time Delay Induced Death in Coupled Limit Cycle Oscillators
Experimental observations of time delay induced amplitude death in a pair of
coupled nonlinear electronic circuits that are individually capable of
exhibiting limit cycle oscillations are described. In particular, the existence
of multiply connected death islands in the parameter space of the coupling
strength and the time delay parameter for coupled identical oscillators is
established. The existence of such regions was predicted earlier on theoretical
grounds in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 5109 (1998); Physica 129D, 15 (1999)]. The
experiments also reveal the occurrence of multiple frequency states, frequency
suppression of oscillations with increased time delay and the onset of both
in-phase and anti-phase collective oscillations.Comment: 4 aps formatted RevTeX pages; 6 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Nemo: a computational tool for analyzing nematode locomotion
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to an impressive range of
chemical, mechanical and thermal stimuli and is extensively used to investigate
the molecular mechanisms that mediate chemosensation, mechanotransduction and
thermosensation. The main behavioral output of these responses is manifested as
alterations in animal locomotion. Monitoring and examination of such
alterations requires tools to capture and quantify features of nematode
movement. In this paper, we introduce Nemo (nematode movement), a
computationally efficient and robust two-dimensional object tracking algorithm
for automated detection and analysis of C. elegans locomotion. This algorithm
enables precise measurement and feature extraction of nematode movement
components. In addition, we develop a Graphical User Interface designed to
facilitate processing and interpretation of movement data. While, in this
study, we focus on the simple sinusoidal locomotion of C. elegans, our approach
can be readily adapted to handle complicated locomotory behaviour patterns by
including additional movement characteristics and parameters subject to
quantification. Our software tool offers the capacity to extract, analyze and
measure nematode locomotion features by processing simple video files. By
allowing precise and quantitative assessment of behavioral traits, this tool
will assist the genetic dissection and elucidation of the molecular mechanisms
underlying specific behavioral responses.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. accepted by BMC Neuroscience 2007, 8:8
Colored Motifs Reveal Computational Building Blocks in the C. elegans Brain
Background: Complex networks can often be decomposed into less complex sub-networks whose structures can give hints about the functional
organization of the network as a whole. However, these structural
motifs can only tell one part of the functional story because in this
analysis each node and edge is treated on an equal footing. In real
networks, two motifs that are topologically identical but whose nodes
perform very different functions will play very different roles in the
network.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we combine structural information
derived from the topology of the neuronal network of the nematode C.
elegans with information about the biological function of these nodes,
thus coloring nodes by function. We discover that particular
colorations of motifs are significantly more abundant in the worm brain
than expected by chance, and have particular computational functions
that emphasize the feed-forward structure of information processing in
the network, while evading feedback loops. Interneurons are strongly
over-represented among the common motifs, supporting the notion that
these motifs process and transduce the information from the sensor
neurons towards the muscles. Some of the most common motifs identified
in the search for significant colored motifs play a crucial role in the
system of neurons controlling the worm's locomotion.
Conclusions/Significance: The analysis of complex networks in terms of
colored motifs combines two independent data sets to generate insight
about these networks that cannot be obtained with either data set
alone. The method is general and should allow a decomposition of any
complex networks into its functional (rather than topological) motifs
as long as both wiring and functional information is available
Mutual synchronization and clustering in randomly coupled chaotic dynamical networks
We introduce and study systems of randomly coupled maps (RCM) where the
relevant parameter is the degree of connectivity in the system. Global
(almost-) synchronized states are found (equivalent to the synchronization
observed in globally coupled maps) until a certain critical threshold for the
connectivity is reached. We further show that not only the average
connectivity, but also the architecture of the couplings is responsible for the
cluster structure observed. We analyse the different phases of the system and
use various correlation measures in order to detect ordered non-synchronized
states. Finally, it is shown that the system displays a dynamical hierarchical
clustering which allows the definition of emerging graphs.Comment: 13 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Dynamics of delayed-coupled chaotic logistic maps: influence of network topology, connectivity and delay times
We review our recent work on the synchronization of a network of
delay-coupled maps, focusing on the interplay of the network topology and the
delay times that take into account the finite velocity of propagation of
interactions. We assume that the elements of the network are identical (
logistic maps in the regime where the individual maps, without coupling, evolve
in a chaotic orbit) and that the coupling strengths are uniform throughout the
network. We show that if the delay times are sufficiently heterogeneous, for
adequate coupling strength the network synchronizes in a spatially homogeneous
steady-state, which is unstable for the individual maps without coupling. This
synchronization behavior is referred to as ``suppression of chaos by random
delays'' and is in contrast with the synchronization when all the interaction
delay times are homogeneous, because with homogeneous delays the network
synchronizes in a state where the elements display in-phase time-periodic or
chaotic oscillations. We analyze the influence of the network topology
considering four different types of networks: two regular (a ring-type and a
ring-type with a central node) and two random (free-scale Barabasi-Albert and
small-world Newman-Watts). We find that when the delay times are sufficiently
heterogeneous the synchronization behavior is largely independent of the
network topology but depends on the networks connectivity, i.e., on the average
number of neighbors per node.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures. Also submitted to Pramana: the journal of the
Indian Academy of Sciences. To appear in the Proceedings of "Perspectives on
Nonlinear Dynamics 2007
The High-Acceptance Dielectron Spectrometer HADES
HADES is a versatile magnetic spectrometer aimed at studying dielectron
production in pion, proton and heavy-ion induced collisions. Its main features
include a ring imaging gas Cherenkov detector for electron-hadron
discrimination, a tracking system consisting of a set of 6 superconducting
coils producing a toroidal field and drift chambers and a multiplicity and
electron trigger array for additional electron-hadron discrimination and event
characterization. A two-stage trigger system enhances events containing
electrons. The physics program is focused on the investigation of hadron
properties in nuclei and in the hot and dense hadronic matter. The detector
system is characterized by an 85% azimuthal coverage over a polar angle
interval from 18 to 85 degree, a single electron efficiency of 50% and a vector
meson mass resolution of 2.5%. Identification of pions, kaons and protons is
achieved combining time-of-flight and energy loss measurements over a large
momentum range. This paper describes the main features and the performance of
the detector system
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