Automating security monitoring and analysis for Space Station Freedom's electric power system

Operating a large, space power system requires classifying the system's status and analyzing its security. Conventional algorithms are used by terrestrial electric utilities to provide such information to their dispatchers, but their application aboard Space Station Freedom will consume too much processing time. A new approach for monitoring and analysis using adaptive pattern techniques is presented. This approach yields an on-line security monitoring and analysis algorithm that is accurate and fast; and thus, it can free the Space Station Freedom's power control computers for other tasks

Determination of generator groupings for an islanding scheme in the Manitoba Hydro system using the method of normal forms

This paper deals with the application of the method of normal forms in the analysis of a specific aspect of system dynamic behavior in the Manitoba Hydro system. Following a major loss of transmission capacity on the Manitoba Hydro HVDC system (Nelson River system), and the subsequent operation of protection systems, there is a major deficit of generation in the remaining system, comprising Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The method of normal forms is applied to determine the natural groupings which are formed by the machines in Manitoba Hydro due to nonlinear interaction. This grouping then provides a basis for developing a systematic procedure to island the remaining system.published_or_final_versio

The GAMCIT gamma ray burst detector

The GAMCIT payload is a Get-Away-Special payload designed to search for high-energy gamma-ray bursts and any associated optical transients. This paper presents details on the design of the GAMCIT payload, in the areas of battery selection, power processing, electronics design, gamma-ray detection systems, and the optical imaging of the transients. The paper discusses the progress of the construction, testing, and specific design details of the payload. In addition, this paper discusses the unique challenges involved in bringing this payload to completion, as the project has been designed, constructed, and managed entirely by undergraduate students. Our experience will certainly be valuable to other student groups interested in taking on a challenging project such as a Get-Away-Special payload

The supplementation of a high dose of fish oil during pregnancy and lactation led to an elevation in Mfsd2a expression without any changes in docosahexaenoic acid levels in the retina of healthy 2-month-old mouse offspring

IntroductionDuring fetal development, the proper development of neural and visual systems relies on the maternal supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids through placental transfer. Pregnant women are strongly advised to augment their diet with additional sources of omega-3, such as fish oil (FO). This supplementation has been linked to a reduced risk of preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and perinatal depression. Recently, higher doses of omega-3 supplementation have been recommended for pregnant women. Considering that omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate homeostasis required for the proper functioning of the retina and photoreceptors the effects of high-dose fish oil (FO) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on the retina and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) in healthy offspring warrant better understanding.MethodsThe fatty acid content and the changes in the expression of the genes regulating cholesterol homeostasis and DHA transport in the retina and RPE were evaluated following the high-dose FO supplementation.ResultsOur study demonstrated that despite the high-dose FO treatment during pregnancy and lactation, the rigorous DHA homeostasis in the retina and RPE of the two-month-old offspring remained balanced. Another significant finding of this study is the increase in the expression levels of major facilitator superfamily domain-containing protein (Mfsd2a), a primary DHA transporter. Mfsd2a also serves as a major regulator of transcytosis during development, and a reduction in Mfsd2a levels poses a major risk for the development of leaky blood vessels.ConclusionImpairment of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) is associated with the development of numerous ocular diseases, and a better understanding of how to manipulate transcytosis in the BRB during development can enhance drug delivery through the BRB or contribute to the repair of central nervous system (CNS) barriers

The future of GPS-based electric power system measurements, operation and control

Much of modern society is powered by inexpensive and reliable electricity delivered by a complex and elaborate electric power network. Electrical utilities are currently using the Global Positioning System-NAVSTAR (GPS) timekeeping to improve the network`s reliability. Currently, GPS synchronizes the clocks on dynamic recorders and aids in post-mortem analysis of network disturbances. Two major projects have demonstrated the use of GPS-synchronized power system measurements. In 1992, the Electric Power Research Institute`s (EPRI) sponsored Phase Measurements Project used a commercially available Phasor Measurements Unit (PMU) to collect GPS-synchronized measurements for analyzing power system problems. In 1995, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) under DOE`s and EPRI`s sponsorship launched the Wide Area Measurements (WAMS) project. WAMS demonstrated GPS-synchronized measurements over a large area of their power networks and demonstrated the networking of GPS-based measurement systems in BPA and WAPA. The phasor measurement technology has also been used to conduct dynamic power system tests. During these tests, a large dynamic resistor was inserted to simulate a small power system disturbance

The DOE Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) Project: Demonstration of dynamic information technology for the future power system

In 1989 the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) joined the US Department of Energy (DOE) in an assessment of longer-term research and development needs for future electric power system operation. The effort produced a progressively sharper vision of a future power system in which enhanced control and operation are the primary means for serving new customer demands, in an environment where increased competition, a wider range of services and vendors, and much narrower operating margins all contribute to increased system efficiencies and capacity. Technology and infrastructure for real time access to wide area dynamic information were identified as critical path elements in realizing that vision. In 1995 the DOE accordingly launched the Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) Project jointly with the two Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) to address these issues in a practical operating environment--the western North America power system. The Project draws upon many years of PMA effort and related collaboration among the western utilities, plus an expanding infrastructure that includes regionally involved contractors, universities, and National Laboratories plus linkages to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The WAMS project also brings added focus and resources to the evolving Western System Dynamic Information Network, or WesDINet. This is a collective response of the Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC) member utilities to their shared needs for direct information about power system characteristics, model fidelity, and operational performance. The WAMS project is a key source of the technology and backbone communications needed to make WesDINet a well integrated, cost effective enterprise network demonstrating the role of dynamic information technology in the emerging utility environment

Optimization methods for electric power systems: An overview

Power systems optimization problems are very difficult to solve because power systems are very large, complex, geographically widely distributed and are influenced by many unexpected events. It is therefore necessary to employ most efficient optimization methods to take full advantages in simplifying the formulation and implementation of the problem. This article presents an overview of important mathematical optimization and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques used in power optimization problems. Applications of hybrid AI techniques have also been discussed in this article