1,326 research outputs found
Interpretation of Core Extrusion Measurements When Tunnelling Through Squeezing Ground
Squeezing intensity in tunnelling often varies over short distances, even where there is no change in the excavation method or lithology. Reliable predictions of the ground conditions ahead of the face are thus essential to avoid project setbacks. Such predictions would enable adjustments to be made during construction to the temporary support, to the excavation diameter and also to the final lining. The assessment of the behaviour of the core ahead of the face, as observed by means of extrusion measurements, provides some indications as to the mechanical characteristics of the ground. If the ground exhibits a moderate time-dependent behaviour and the effects of the support measures are taken into account, the prediction of convergence is feasible. If the ground behaviour is pronouncedly time-dependent, however, convergence predictions become very difficult, because core extrusion is governed by the short-term characteristics of the ground, which may be different from the long-term properties that govern final convergence. The case histories of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and of the Vasto tunnel show that there is a weak correlation between the axial extrusions and the convergences of the tunnel. By means of the case histories of the Tartaiguille tunnel and Raticosa tunnel, it is shown that to identify potentially weak zones on the basis of the extrusion measurements, careful processing of the monitoring data is essential: the analysis of the data has to take account of the effects of tunnel support and time, and has to eliminate errors caused by the monitoring proces
Operational Planning of Active Distribution Grids under Uncertainty
Modern distribution system operators are facing constantly changing operating conditions caused by the increased penetration of intermittent renewable generators and other distributed energy resources. Under these conditions, the distribution system operators are required to operate their networks with increased uncertainty, while ensuring optimal, cost-effective, and secure operation. This paper proposes a centralized scheme for the operational planning of active distribution networks under uncertainty. A multi-period optimal power flow algorithm is used to compute optimal set-points of the controllable distributed energy resources located in the system and ensure its security. Computational tractability of the algorithm and feasibility of the resulting flows are ensured with the use of an iterative power flow method. The system uncertainty, caused by forecasting errors of renewables, is handled through the incorporation of chance constraints, which limit the probability of insecure operation. The resulting operational planning scheme is tested on a low-voltage distribution network model using real forecasting data for the renewable energy sources. We observe that the proposed method prevents insecure operation through efficient use of system controls
Local spectroscopy and atomic imaging of tunneling current, forces and dissipation on graphite
Theory predicts that the currents in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and
the attractive forces measured in atomic force microscopy (AFM) are directly
related. Atomic images obtained in an attractive AFM mode should therefore be
redundant because they should be \emph{similar} to STM. Here, we show that
while the distance dependence of current and force is similar for graphite,
constant-height AFM- and STM images differ substantially depending on distance
and bias voltage. We perform spectroscopy of the tunneling current, the
frequency shift and the damping signal at high-symmetry lattice sites of the
graphite (0001) surface. The dissipation signal is about twice as sensitive to
distance as the frequency shift, explained by the Prandtl-Tomlinson model of
atomic friction.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted at Physical Review Letter
Minkowski Tensors of Anisotropic Spatial Structure
This article describes the theoretical foundation of and explicit algorithms
for a novel approach to morphology and anisotropy analysis of complex spatial
structure using tensor-valued Minkowski functionals, the so-called Minkowski
tensors. Minkowski tensors are generalisations of the well-known scalar
Minkowski functionals and are explicitly sensitive to anisotropic aspects of
morphology, relevant for example for elastic moduli or permeability of
microstructured materials. Here we derive explicit linear-time algorithms to
compute these tensorial measures for three-dimensional shapes. These apply to
representations of any object that can be represented by a triangulation of its
bounding surface; their application is illustrated for the polyhedral Voronoi
cellular complexes of jammed sphere configurations, and for triangulations of a
biopolymer fibre network obtained by confocal microscopy. The article further
bridges the substantial notational and conceptual gap between the different but
equivalent approaches to scalar or tensorial Minkowski functionals in
mathematics and in physics, hence making the mathematical measure theoretic
method more readily accessible for future application in the physical sciences
Second order analysis of geometric functionals of Boolean models
This paper presents asymptotic covariance formulae and central limit theorems
for geometric functionals, including volume, surface area, and all Minkowski
functionals and translation invariant Minkowski tensors as prominent examples,
of stationary Boolean models. Special focus is put on the anisotropic case. In
the (anisotropic) example of aligned rectangles, we provide explicit analytic
formulae and compare them with simulation results. We discuss which information
about the grain distribution second moments add to the mean values.Comment: Chapter of the forthcoming book "Tensor Valuations and their
Applications in Stochastic Geometry and Imaging" in Lecture Notes in
Mathematics edited by Markus Kiderlen and Eva B. Vedel Jensen. (The second
version mainly resolves minor LaTeX problems.
Local Anisotropy of Fluids using Minkowski Tensors
Statistics of the free volume available to individual particles have
previously been studied for simple and complex fluids, granular matter,
amorphous solids, and structural glasses. Minkowski tensors provide a set of
shape measures that are based on strong mathematical theorems and easily
computed for polygonal and polyhedral bodies such as free volume cells (Voronoi
cells). They characterize the local structure beyond the two-point correlation
function and are suitable to define indices of
local anisotropy. Here, we analyze the statistics of Minkowski tensors for
configurations of simple liquid models, including the ideal gas (Poisson point
process), the hard disks and hard spheres ensemble, and the Lennard-Jones
fluid. We show that Minkowski tensors provide a robust characterization of
local anisotropy, which ranges from for vapor
phases to for ordered solids. We find that for fluids,
local anisotropy decreases monotonously with increasing free volume and
randomness of particle positions. Furthermore, the local anisotropy indices
are sensitive to structural transitions in these simple
fluids, as has been previously shown in granular systems for the transition
from loose to jammed bead packs
Studies of the dose-effect relation
Dose-effect relations and, specifically, cell survival curves are surveyed with emphasis on the interplay of the random factors — biological variability, stochastic reaction of the cell, and the statistics of energy deposition —that co-determine their shape. The global parameters mean inactivation dose, , and coefficient of variance, V, represent this interplay better than conventional parameters. Mechanisms such as lesion interaction, misrepair, repair overload, or repair depletion have been invoked to explain sigmoid dose dependencies, but these notions are partly synonymous and are largely undistinguishable on the basis of observed dose dependencies. All dose dependencies reflect, to varying degree, the microdosimetric fluctuations of energy deposition, and these have certain implications, e.g. the linearity of the dose dependence at small doses, that apply regardless of unresolved molecular mechanisms of cellular radiation action
Quantum dots and spin qubits in graphene
This is a review on graphene quantum dots and their use as a host for spin
qubits. We discuss the advantages but also the challenges to use graphene
quantum dots for spin qubits as compared to the more standard materials like
GaAs. We start with an overview of this young and fascinating field and will
then discuss gate-tunable quantum dots in detail. We calculate the bound states
for three different quantum dot architectures where a bulk gap allows for
confinement via electrostatic fields: (i) graphene nanoribbons with armchair
boundary, (ii) a disc in single-layer graphene, and (iii) a disc in bilayer
graphene. In order for graphene quantum dots to be useful in the context of
spin qubits, one needs to find reliable ways to break the valley-degeneracy.
This is achieved here, either by a specific termination of graphene in (i) or
in (ii) and (iii) by a magnetic field, without the need of a specific boundary.
We further discuss how to manipulate spin in these quantum dots and explain the
mechanism of spin decoherence and relaxation caused by spin-orbit interaction
in combination with electron-phonon coupling, and by hyperfine interaction with
the nuclear spin system.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, topical review prepared for Nanotechnolog
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