Adjustable speed operation of a hydropower plant associated to an irrigation reservoir

This paper deals with the issue of adjustable speed operation (ASO) of hydropower plants. The main idea of this technique is to allow the turbine speed to change in accordance with hydraulic conditions, thus improving the overall unit efficiency. General technical aspects of ASO are further discussed with special emphasis on the energy and operational benefits that may potentially result from its application. In order to assess these benefits, annual operation of a hydropower plant associated to an irrigation reservoir has been simulated under different scenarios, with both adjustable and fixed speed. Turbine operating range proved to be wider with ASO. In addition, simulation results confirm that considerable energy gains are expected to be obtained

Contribution of a pumped-storage hydropower plant to reduce the scheduling costs of an isolated power system with high wind power penetration

AbstractThe paper aims at demonstrating that the consideration of constant start-up costs and ramps of the thermal generating units for assessing the contribution of pumped-hydro energy storage to reduce the scheduling costs of hydrothermal power systems with high wind penetration, may yield unrealistic results. For this purpose, an isolated power system is used as a case study. The contribution of a pumped-storage hydropower plant to reduce the system scheduling costs is assessed in the paper by using a hydrothermal weekly unit commitment model. The model considers different start-up costs and ramps of the thermal generating units as a function of the start-up type. The effects of including pumped hydro energy storage in the system on the integration of wind energy, and on the start-ups and capacity factors of the thermal generating units are also evaluated. The results of the paper demonstrate that the consideration of constant start-up costs and ramps of the thermal generating units yields unrealistic results, and that the pumped-storage hydropower plant may help reduce the system scheduling costs by 2.5–11% and integrate wind power and may allow dispensing with some inflexible thermal generating units

Applying Recommendations to Align Competences, Methodology, and Assessment in Telematics, Computing, and Electronic Engineering Courses

The alignment between competences, teachinglearning methodologies, and assessment is a key element of European higher education. This paper presents the efforts carried out by six telematics, computer science and electronic engineering education teachers toward achieving this alignment in their subjects. In a joint work with pedagogues, a set of recommended actions are identified. A selection of these actions are applied and evaluated in the six subjects. The cross analysis of the results indicates that the actions allow students to better understand the methodologies and assessments planned for the subjects, facilitate (self-) regulation, and increase students’ involvement in the subjects

Estructura i polítiques de comunicació

L'article presenta el marc teòric i les diferents iniciatives i projectes que han permès estudiar i analitzar l'estructura dels mitjans i les polítiques de comunicació a la Comunitat Valenciana. Així mateix, ofereix una panoràmica sobre la producció científica en aquest camp i descriu les principals línies de recerca encetades per la comunitat científica a partir dels anys vuitanta, i destaquen els estudis sobre Radiotelevisió Valenciana, els conflictes derivats de les emissions de TV3, el paper del Centre Territorial de RTVE en la descentralització del model radiotelevisiu, el debat al voltant dels espais de comunicació i el model comunicatiu valencià, les característiques del mercat valencià de la comunicació, etc. També es recullen les temàtiques més actuals i les recerques més recents, com ara el desenvolupament dels mitjans locals i el procés de digitalització del sistema audiovisual valencià.This article describes the theoretical framework and various initiatives and projects that have enabled the study of the media structure and communication policies in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. Included are an overview of scientific production in the field of communication sciences and a description of the main lines of research undertaken by the scientific community since the 1980s—especially studies on subjects such as Radiotelevisió Valenciana, the conflicts over TV3 broadcasts, the role of the Centre Territorial of Radiotelevisión Española in decentralizing the radio and television networks, the debate over broadcasting space and the Valencian communication model, and the characteristics of the Valencian communication market. Also dealt with are recent issues and research, such as the development of local media and the digitalization of the Valencian audiovisual system

The added value of implementing the Planet Game scenario with Collage and Gridcole

This paper discusses the suitability and the added value of Collage and Gridcole when contrasted with other solutions participating in the ICALT 2006 workshop titled “Comparing educational modelling languages on a case study.” In this workshop each proposed solution was challenged to implement a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning situation (CSCL) posed by the workshop’s organizers. Collage is a pattern-based authoring tool for the creation of CSCL scripts compliant with IMS Learning Design (IMS LD). These IMS LD scripts can be enacted by the Gridcole tailorable CSCL system. The analysis presented in the paper is organized as a case study which considers the data recorded in the workshop discussion as well the information reported in the workshop contributions. The results of this analysis show how Collage and Gridcole succeed in implementing the scenario and also point out some significant advantages in terms of design reusability and generality, user-friendliness, and enactment flexibility

Metalurgia de la plata en el asentamiento de bronce pleno / final de cortijo La Ramira (Salteras-Gerena, Sevilla)

Se estudia en este trabajo los resultados de la excavación arqueológica realizada en el asentamiento de Bronce Pleno y Bronce Final de Cortijo La Ramira (Salteras/ Gerena, Sevilla), y se valora la aparición de escorias de plata de sílice libre en estos contextos, anteriores a la colonización fenicia en la Península Ibérica.________________________________This work studies the results of the archaeological excavation carried out in a settlement of the Middle and Late Bronze Age near Cortijo La Ramira (Salseras/Gerena, Sevilla, SW Spain), and evaluates the appearance of silica-free slag in these contexts, prior to the Phoenician colonies in the Iberian Peninsula

Temperature-independent quantum logic for molecular spectroscopy

We propose a fast and non-destructive spectroscopic method for single molecular ions that implements quantum logic schemes between an atomic ion and the molecular ion of interest. Our proposal relies on a hybrid coherent manipulation of the two-ion system, using optical or magnetic forces depending on the types of molecular levels to be addressed (Zeeman, rotational, vibrational or electronic degrees of freedom). The method is especially suited for the non-destructive precision spectroscopy of single molecular ions, and sets a starting point for new hybrid quantum computation schemes that combine molecular and atomic ions, covering the measurement and entangling steps.Comment: v3. Substantially enlarged manuscript with details of derivations and calculations in two appendices. To appear in PR

Una aproximació a l'espai públic mundial

This article, fruit of the reflections of a group of four professors of the Universitat CEU– San Pablo (Valencia), deals with 9/11 and its consequences. Those dramatic events are food for thought about public space since, as we well remember, it was then that all discourse was centered on one single point, leading to the materialization of an abstract reference of the world public space. Not only in the case of the attack itself, viewed in direct around the world, but also in the case of the subsequent attack on Afghanistan, the background media henomenon was use of a world public space. The four points of the article are 1) the system of social stratification of the world, 2) the process of globalisation and the structure of communication,3) the actors on the world stage, and 4) the public space,the public and the media

Reflexiones en torno a los enterramientos de la Edad del Bronce en las tierras valencianas. A propósito de la Cova de l’Esbarzer (la Vall de Gallinera, Alacant)

Con ocasión de una reciente síntesis sobre la Edad del Bronce en el Comtat (Hernández y Mataix, 2015) tuvimos ocasión de estudiar los yacimientos y materiales adscritos a esta etapa de nuestra Prehistoria que a lo largo de varias décadas de trabajos de campo miembros del Centre d’Estudis Contestans –C.E.C.- han depositado, junto a la documentación correspondiente, en el Museu Arqueològic i Etnològic del Comtat, en Cocentaina (Ferrer, 2002). Con la ayuda inestimable de Pere Ferrer i Marset, que participó activamente en todas aquellas actuaciones arqueológicas, tuvimos conocimiento de primera mano de los trabajos realizados en los yacimientos que en el registro del museo se identifican como de la Edad del Bronce y se localizan en las tierras montañosas de la actual provincia de Alicante, incluidas en el Prebético Meridional Valenciano, sobre la que en estos momento se última su estudio