Optimal passive filter design for effective utilization of cables and transformers under non-sinusoidal conditions

Transformers and cables have overheating and reduced loading capabilities under non-sinusoidal conditions due to the fact that their losses increases with not only rms value but also frequency of the load current. In this paper, it is aimed to employ passive filters for effective utilization of the cables and transformers in the harmonically contaminated power systems. To attain this goal, an optimal passive filter design approach is provided to maximize the power factor definition, which takes into account frequency-dependent losses of the power transmission and distribution equipment, under non-sinusoidal conditions. The obtained simulation results show that the proposed approach has a considerable advantage on the reduction of the total transmission loss and the transformer loading capability under non-sinusoidal conditions when compared to the traditional optimal filter design approach, which aims to maximize classical power factor definition. On the other hand, for the simulated system cases, both approaches lead to almost the same current carrying (or loading) capability value of the cables. © 2014 IEEE.This work is supported by Turkish Republic Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology and BEST Transformers Co. under the project number of 01008.STZ.2011 - 2

A filter design approach to maximize ampacity of cables in nonsinusoidal power systems

This paper presents an optimal design of the C-type passive filters for the effective utilization of the power cables under nonsinusoidal conditions based on maximization of the harmonic derating factor (HDF) of a power cable, where maintaining the load true power factor at an acceptable range is desired. According to IEEE Standard 519, the total harmonic distortions of the voltage and current measured at the point of common coupling are taken into account as main constraints of the proposed approach. The presented numerical results show that the proposed approach provides higher current carrying capacity, or ampacity of the cables under nonsinusoidal conditions when compared to the traditional approaches based on minimization of the current total harmonic distortion and maximization of the true load power factor. A numerical case study is presented to demonstrate the proposed approach

Optimal design of single-tuned passive filters using response surface methodology

This paper presents an approach based on Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to find the optimal parameters of the single-tuned passive filters for harmonic mitigation. The main advantages of RSM can be underlined as easy implementation and effective computation. Using RSM, the single-tuned harmonic filter is designed to minimize voltage total harmonic distortion (THDV) and current total harmonic distortion (THDI). Power factor (PF) is also incorporated in the design procedure as a constraint. To show the validity of the proposed approach, RSM and Classical Direct Search (Grid Search) methods are evaluated for a typical industrial power system

Initial bounds for certain subclasses of generalized salagean type Bi-univalent functions associated with the Horadam polynomials

This study proposes the use of Horadam polynomials which are known as their special cases, such as the Fibonacci polynomials, the Lucas polynomials, the Pell polynomials, the Pell-Lucas polynomials, and Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind. The aim of this study is to introduce a new subclass of generalized Sǎlǎgean type bi-univalent functions using Hadamard product and defined by Horadam polynomials ()nx in the open unit disk {z:1}.UCz We obtained coefficient estimates of the Taylor-Maclaurin 2a and 3a for functions f belonging to this newly defined subclass. Fekete-Szegö inequalities were also studied. Moreover, we give some interesting results using the relation between Sǎlǎgean’s differential operator and generalized Sǎlǎgean differential operator

Exact Results of the 1D 1/r21/r^2 Supersymmetric t-J Model without Translational Invariance

In this work, we continue the study of the supersymmetric t-J model with 1/r^2 hopping and exchange without translational invariance. A set of Jastrow wavefunctions are obtained for the system, with eigenenergies explicitly calculated. The ground state of the t-J model is included in this set of wavefunctions. The spectrum of this t-J model consists of equal-distant energy levels which are highly degenerate.Comment: 14 pages, Late

Increasing PV hosting capacity in distorted distribution systems using passive harmonic filtering

Adding new capacity expansion alternatives using distributed generation (DG) technologies, particularly penetration of renewable energy, has several economical, and technical advantages such as the reduced system costs, the improved voltage profile, lower line loss and enhanced system’s reliability. However, the DG units may lead to power quality, energy efficiency, and protection problems in the system when their penetration exceeds a particular value, generally called as the system’s hosting capacity (HC) in the literature. In this paper, the HC determination of a distorted distribution system with Photovoltaic (PV)-based DG units is handled as an optimization problem by considering over and under voltage limitations of buses, current carrying capabilities of the lines, and harmonic distortion limitations as constraints. It is seen from simulation results that the HC is dramatically decreased with the increament of the load’s nonlinearity level and the utility side’s background voltage distortion. Accordingly, a C-type passive filter is designed to maximize the harmonic-constrained HC of the studied system while satisfying the constraints. The results indicate that higher HC level can be achieved using the proposed filter design approach compared to three conventional filter design approaches as voltage total harmonic distortion minimization, line loss minimization and power factor maximization.This paper is supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey under the project 116E110

Formation and optogenetic control of engineered 3D skeletal muscle bioactuators

Densely arrayed skeletal myotubes are activated individually and as a group using precise optical stimulation with high spatiotemporal resolution. Skeletal muscle myoblasts are genetically encoded to express a light-activated cation channel, Channelrhodopsin-2, which allows for spatiotemporal coordination of a multitude of skeletal myotubes that contract in response to pulsed blue light. Furthermore, ensembles of mature, functional 3D muscle microtissues have been formed from the optogenetically encoded myoblasts using a high-throughput device. The device, called “skeletal muscle on a chip”, not only provides the myoblasts with controlled stress and constraints necessary for muscle alignment, fusion and maturation, but also facilitates the measurement of forces and characterization of the muscle tissue. We measured the specific static and dynamic stresses generated by the microtissues and characterized the morphology and alignment of the myotubes within the constructs. The device allows testing of the effect of a wide range of parameters (cell source, matrix composition, microtissue geometry, auxotonic load, growth factors and exercise) on the maturation, structure and function of the engineered muscle tissues in a combinatorial manner. Our studies integrate tools from optogenetics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology with skeletal muscle tissue engineering to open up opportunities to generate soft robots actuated by a multitude of spatiotemporally coordinated 3D skeletal muscle microtissues.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Science and Technology Center—Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS) grant No. CBET-0939511)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (EB00262)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (GM74048)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (HL90747)National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (RESBIO, Integrapted Technologies for Polymeric Biomaterial)University of Pennsylvania. Center for Engineering Cells and RegenerationSingapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technolog

Metformin reduces airway glucose permeability and hyperglycaemia-induced Staphylococcus aureus load independently of effects on blood glucose

Background Diabetes is a risk factor for respiratory infection, and hyperglycaemia is associated with increased glucose in airway surface liquid and risk of Staphylococcus aureus infection. Objectives To investigate whether elevation of basolateral/blood glucose concentration promotes airway Staphylococcus aureus growth and whether pretreatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin affects this relationship. Methods Human airway epithelial cells grown at air–liquid interface (±18 h pre-treatment, 30 μM–1 mM metformin) were inoculated with 5×105 colony-forming units (CFU)/cm2 S aureus 8325-4 or JE2 or Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 on the apical surface and incubated for 7 h. Wild-type C57BL/6 or db/db (leptin receptor-deficient) mice, 6–10 weeks old, were treated with intraperitoneal phosphate-buffered saline or 40 mg/kg metformin for 2 days before intranasal inoculation with 1×107 CFU S aureus. Mice were culled 24 h after infection and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid collected. Results Apical S aureus growth increased with basolateral glucose concentration in an in vitro airway epithelia–bacteria co-culture model. S aureus reduced transepithelial electrical resistance (RT) and increased paracellular glucose flux. Metformin inhibited the glucose-induced growth of S aureus, increased RT and decreased glucose flux. Diabetic (db/db) mice infected with S aureus exhibited a higher bacterial load in their airways than control mice after 2 days and metformin treatment reversed this effect. Metformin did not decrease blood glucose but reduced paracellular flux across ex vivo murine tracheas. Conclusions Hyperglycaemia promotes respiratory S aureus infection, and metformin modifies glucose flux across the airway epithelium to limit hyperglycaemia-induced bacterial growth. Metformin might, therefore, be of additional benefit in the prevention and treatment of respiratory infection

Repairing the Leaky Pipeline: A Motivationally Supportive Intervention to Enhance Persistence in Undergraduate Science Pathways

The current study reports on the efficacy of a multi-faceted motivationally designed undergraduate enrichment summer program for supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) persistence. Structural equation modeling was used to compare summer program participants (n = 186), who participated in the program between their first and second years in college, to a propensity score matched comparison sample (n = 401). Participation in the summer program positively predicted science motivation (self-efficacy, task value), assessed eight months after the end of the program (second year in college). The summer enrichment program was also beneficial for science persistence variables, as evidenced by significant direct and indirect effects of the program on science course completion during students’ third year of college and students’ intentions to pursue a science research career assessed during the third year of college. In general, the program was equally beneficial for all participants, but ancillary analyses indicated added benefits with respect to task value for students with relatively lower prior science achievement during the first year of college and with respect to subsequent science course taking for males. Implications for developing effective interventions to reduce the flow of individuals out of STEM fields and for translating motivational theory into practice are discussed