A Smart Grid Information System for Demand Side Participation: Remote Control of Domestic Appliances to Balance Demand

Due to the intermittent nature of renewable generation it is desirable to consider the potential of controlling the demand-side load to smooth overall system demand. The architecture and control methodologies of such a system on a large scale would require careful consideration. Some of these considerations are discussed in this paper; such as communications infrastructure, systems architecture, control methodologies and security. A domestic fridge is used in this paper as an example of a controllable appliance. A layered approach to smart-grid is introduced and it can be observed how each smart-grid component from physical cables, to the end-devices (or smart-applications) can be mapped to these set layers. It is clear how security plays an integral part in each component of the smart-grid so this is also an integral part of each layer. The controllable fridge is described in detail and as one potential smart-grid application which maps to the layered approach. A demonstration system is presented which involves a Raspberry Pi (a low-power, low-cost device representing the appliance controller).

Photodynamic antimicrobial polymers for infection control

Hospital-acquired infections pose both a major risk to patient wellbeing and an economic burden on global healthcare systems, with the problem compounded by the emergence of multidrug resistant and biocide tolerant bacterial pathogens. Many inanimate surfaces can act as a reservoir for infection, and adequate disinfection is difficult to achieve and requires direct intervention. In this study we demonstrate the preparation and performance of materials with inherent photodynamic, surface-active, persistent antimicrobial properties through the incorporation of photosensitizers into high density poly(ethylene) (HDPE) using hot-melt extrusion, which require no external intervention except a source of visible light. Our aim is to prevent bacterial adherence to these surfaces and eliminate them as reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens, thus presenting a valuable advance in infection control. A two-layer system with one layer comprising photosensitizer-incorporated HDPE, and one layer comprising HDPE alone is also described to demonstrate the versatility of our approach. The photosensitizer-incorporated materials are capable of reducing the adherence of viable bacteria by up to 3.62 Log colony forming units (CFU) per square centimeter of material surface for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and by up to 1.51 Log CFU/cm2 for Escherichia coli. Potential applications for the technology are in antimicrobial coatings for, or materials comprising objects, such as tubing, collection bags, handrails, finger-plates on hospital doors, or medical equipment found in the healthcare setting.

Two potential clinical applications of the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay .1. Human bladder washings and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder .2. Human sperm and male infertility

Part 1: The alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay was used to analyse the integrity and DNA content of exfoliated cells extracted from bladder washing specimens from 9 transitional cell carcinoma patients and 15 control patients. DNA damage, as expressed by % tail DNA and tail moment values, was observed to occur in cells from both control and bladder cancer samples. The extent of the damage was, however, found to be significantly greater in the cancer group than in the control group. Comet optical density values were also recorded for each cell analysed in the comet assay and although differences observed between tumour grades were not found to be statistically significant, the mean comet optical density value was observed to be greater in the cancer group than in the control population studied, These preliminary results suggest that the comet assay may have potential as a diagnostic tool and as a prognostic indicator in transitional cell carcinoma, Part 2: Baseline DNA damage in sperm cells from 13 normozoospermic fertile males, 17 normozoospermic infertile males and 11 asthenozoospermic infertile males were compared using a modified alkaline comet assay technique. No significant difference in the level of baseline DNA damage was observed between the 3 categories of sperm studied; however the untreated sperm cells were observed to display approximately 20% tail DNA. This is notably higher than the background DNA damage observed in somatic cells where the % tail DNA is normally less than 5%. Sperm from the 3 groups of men studied were also compared for sensitivity to DNA breakage, using the modified alkaline comet assay, following X-ray irradiations (5, 10 and 30 Gy) and hydrogen peroxide treatments (40, 100 and 200 mu M). Significant levels of X-ray-induced damage were found relative to untreated control sperm in the two infertile groups following 30 Gy irradiation. Significant damage in hydrogen peroxide-treated sperm was observed in sperm from fertile samples, at 200 mu M and in infertile samples at 100- and 200-mu M doses relative to controls. These results therefore indicate that fertile sperm samples are more resistant to X-ray- and hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA breakage than infertile samples. Further studies involving greater numbers of individuals are currently in progress to confirm these findings.

Python PSS/E Simulation to Test Efficacy of Proposed PMU Based WAMS and Potential WAMPAC Applications

A PSS/E 32 model of a real section of the Northern Ireland electrical grid was dynamically controlled with Python 2.5. In this manner data from a proposed wide area monitoring system was simulated. The area is of interest as it is a weakly coupled distribution grid with significant distributed generation. The data was used to create an optimization and protection metric that reflected reactive power flow, voltage profile, thermal overload and voltage excursions. Step changes in the metric were introduced upon the operation of special protection systems and voltage excursions. A wide variety of grid conditions were simulated while tap changer positions and switched capacitor banks were iterated through; with the most desirable state returning the lowest optimization and protection metric. The optimized metric was compared against the metric generated from the standard system state returned by PSS/E. Various grid scenarios were explored involving an intact network and compromised networks (line loss) under summer maximum, summer minimum and winter maximum conditions. In each instance the output from the installed distributed generation is varied between 0 MW and 80 MW (120% of installed capacity). It is shown that in grid models the triggering of special protection systems is delayed by between 1 MW and 6 MW (1.5% to 9% of capacity), with 3.5 MW being the average. The optimization and protection metric gives a quantitative value for system health and demonstrates the potential efficacy of wide area monitoring for protection and control.

OperationCheckpoint: SDN Application Control

One of the core properties of Software Defined Networking (SDN) is the ability for third parties to develop network applications. This introduces increased potential for innovation in networking from performance-enhanced to energy-efficient designs. In SDN, the application connects with the network via the SDN controller. A specific concern relating to this communication channel is whether an application can be trusted or not. For example, what information about the network state is gathered by the application? Is this information necessary for the application to execute or is it gathered for malicious intent? In this paper we present an approach to secure the northbound interface by introducing a permissions system that ensures that controller operations are available to trusted applications only. Implementation of this permissions system with our Operation Checkpoint adds negligible overhead and illustrates successful defense against unauthorized control function access attempts.

Carboxyl functionalised MWCNT/Polymethyl methacrylate bone cement for orthopaedic applications

The incorporation of carboxyl functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT-COOH) into a leading proprietary grade orthopaedic bone cement (Simplex PTM) at 0.1 wt% has been investigated. Resultant static and fatigue mechanical properties, in addition to thermal and polymerisation properties, have been determined. Significant improvements (p 0.001) in bending strength (42%), bending modulus (55%) and fracture toughness (22%) were demonstrated. Fatigue properties were improved (p 0.001), with mean number of cycles to failure and fatigue performance index being increased by 64% and 52%, respectively. Thermal necrosis index values at 44C and 55C were significantly reduced (p 0.001) (28% and 27%) versus the control. Furthermore, the onset of polymerisation increased by 58% (p < 0.001), as did the duration of the polymerisation reaction (52%). Peak energy during polymerisation increased by 672% (p < 0.001). Peak area of polymerisation increased by 116% (p < 0.001) indicating that the incorporation of MWCNT-COOH reduced the rate of polymerisation significantly. A non-significant reduction (8%) in percentage monomer conversion was also recorded. Raman spectroscopy clearly showed that the addition of MWCNT-COOH increased the ratio between normalised intensities of the G-Band and D-Band (IG/ID), and also increased the theoretical compressive strain (1.72%) exerted on the MWCNT-COOH by the Simplex PTM cement matrix. Therefore, demonstrating a level of chemical interactivity between the MWCNT-COOH and the Simplex PTM bone cement exists and consequently a more effective mechanism for successful transfer of mechanical load. The extent of homogenous dispersion of the MWCNT-COOH throughout the bone cement was determined using Raman mapping. Ke

The Impact of EU Privacy Legislation on Biometric System Deployment: Protecting citizens but constraining applications

Biometric systems provide a valuable service in helping to identify individuals from their stored personal details. Unfortunately, with the rapidly increasing use of such systems, there is a growing concern about the possible misuse of that information. To counteract the threat, the European Union (EU) has introduced comprehensive legislation that seeks to regulate data collection and help strengthen an individual’s right to privacy. This article looks at the implications of the legislation for biometric system deployment. After an initial consideration of current privacy concerns, it examines what is meant by ‘personal data’ and its protection, in legislation terms. Also covered are issues around the storage of biometric data, including its accuracy, its security, and justification for what is collected. Finally, the privacy issues are illustrated through three biometric use cases: border security, online bank access control and customer profiling in stores.

Implementation Experiences from Smart Grid Security Applications and Outlook on Future Research

Experiences from smart grid cyber-security incidents in the past decade have raised questions on the applicability and effectiveness of security measures and protection mechanisms applied to the grid. In this chapter we focus on the security measures applied under real circumstances in today’s smart grid systems. Beginning from real world example implementations, we first review cyber-security facts that affected the electrical grid, from US blackout incidents, to the Dragonfly cyber-espionage campaign currently focusing on US and European energy firms. Provided a real world setting, we give information related to energy management of a smart grid looking also in the optimization techniques that power control engineers perform into the grid components. We examine the application of various security tools in smart grid systems, such as intrusion detection systems, smart meter authentication and key management using Physical Unclonable Functions, security analytics and resilient control algorithms. Furthermore we present evaluation use cases of security tools applied on smart grid infrastructure test-beds that could be proved important prior to their application in the real grid, describing a smart grid intrusion detection system application and security analytics results. Anticipated experimental results from the use-cases and conclusions about the successful transitions of security measures to real world smart grid operations will be presented at the end of this chapter.

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks incorporating polygalacturonic acid for medical device applications

Background Over 20 million people in the US are living with an implantable medical device [ADDIN RW.CITE{{3114 Higgins,DavidM 2009}}1], with similar figures anticipated for Europe. Complications in the use of medical implants include the Foreign Body Response (FBR) characterised by macrophage adherence and fusion, and device-related infection due to bacterial biofilm formationADDIN RW.CITE{{3124 Harding,JacquelineL 2014}}2. Both can have detrimental consequences on the structural and functional integrity of the medical device [ADDIN RW.CITE{{3101 Anderson,JamesM 2008; 3124 Harding,JacquelineL 2014}}2,3], often necessitating removal; a painful and expensive procedure [ADDIN RW.CITE{{3121 Mah,Thien-FahC 2001}}4]. Materials are sought to attenuate both the FBR and device-related infection, leading to medical devices with improved biocompatibility and performance. Objectives The present work involves development of a semi-interpenetrating network (SIPN) hydrogel containing polygalacturonic acid (PGA), a biopolysaccharide similar in structure to hyaluronic acid. We aim to synthesise, characterise and determine the in vitro biocompatibility of the developed SIPN. Results & Discussion We have successfully incorporated PGA into a poly(HEMA) based hydrogel, which shows favourable swelling and wettability. The surface topography appears altered in comparison to the control material, with pronounced micrometer-scale features. In terms of in vitro performance, the SIPN showed increased protein adsorption, and biofilm formation (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli, up to 1 Log CFU/sample greater than control). However the SIPN displayed minimal cytotoxicity towards L929 fibroblasts, and was resistant to the adherence of RAW 264.7 macrophages. Conclusions The PGA incorporated SIPN lacks cytotoxicity and shows reduced macrophage adherence, however the increased biofilm formation highlights a concern regarding possible device related infection in clinical use. Future work will focus on strategies to reduce bacterial adherence, while maintaining biocompatibility.

Discrete cyclic di-GMP-dependent control of bacterial predation versus axenic growth in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a Delta-proteobacterium that oscillates between free-living growth and predation on Gram-negative bacteria including important pathogens of man, animals and plants. After entering the prey periplasm, killing the prey and replicating inside the prey bdelloplast, several motile B. bacteriovorus progeny cells emerge. The B. bacteriovorus HD100 genome encodes numerous proteins predicted to be involved in signalling via the secondary messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP), which is known to affect bacterial lifestyle choices. We investigated the role of c-di-GMP signalling in B. bacteriovorus, focussing on the five GGDEF domain proteins that are predicted to function as diguanylyl cyclases initiating c-di-GMP signalling cascades. Inactivation of individual GGDEF domain genes resulted in remarkably distinct phenotypes. Deletion of dgcB (Bd0742) resulted in a predation impaired, obligately axenic mutant, while deletion of dgcC (Bd1434) resulted in the opposite, obligately predatory mutant. Deletion of dgcA (Bd0367) abolished gliding motility, producing bacteria capable of predatory invasion but unable to leave the exhausted prey. Complementation was achieved with wild type dgc genes, but not with GGAAF versions. Deletion of cdgA (Bd3125) substantially slowed predation; this was restored by wild type complementation. Deletion of dgcD (Bd3766) had no observable phenotype. In vitro assays showed that DgcA, DgcB, and DgcC were diguanylyl cyclases. CdgA lacks enzymatic activity but functions as a c-di-GMP receptor apparently in the DgcB pathway. Activity of DgcD was not detected. Deletion of DgcA strongly decreased the extractable c-di-GMP content of axenic Bdellovibrio cells. We show that c-di-GMP signalling pathways are essential for both the free-living and predatory lifestyles of B. bacteriovorus and that obligately predatory dgcC- can be made lacking a propensity to survive without predation of bacterial pathogens and thus possibly useful in anti-pathogen applications. In contrast to many studies in other bacteria, Bdellovibrio shows specificity and lack of overlap in c-di-GMP signalling pathways.

Multiloop robust H∞ control design based on the dynamic PLS approach to chemical processes

In this paper, a multiloop robust control strategy is proposed based on H∞ control and a partial least squares (PLS) model (H∞_PLS) for multivariable chemical processes. It is developed especially for multivariable systems in ill-conditioned plants and non-square systems. The advantage of PLS is to extract the strongest relationship between the input and the output variables in the reduced space of the latent variable model rather than in the original space of the highly dimensional variables. Without conventional decouplers, the dynamic PLS framework automatically decomposes the MIMO process into multiple single-loop systems in the PLS subspace so that the controller design can be simplified. Since plant/model mismatch is almost inevitable in practical applications, to enhance the robustness of this control system, the controllers based on the H∞ mixed sensitivity problem are designed in the PLS latent subspace. The feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed approach are illustrated by the simulation results of a distillation column and a mixing tank process. Comparisons between H∞_PLS control and conventional individual control (either H∞ control or PLS control only) are also made

Split Converter-Fed SRM Drive for Flexible Charging in EV/HEV Applications

Electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid EVs are the way forward for green transportation and for establishing low-carbon economy. This paper presents a split converter-fed four-phase switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive to realize flexible integrated charging functions (dc and ac sources). The machine is featured with a central-tapped winding node, eight stator slots, and six rotor poles (8/6). In the driving mode, the developed topology has the same characteristics as the traditional asymmetric bridge topology but better fault tolerance. The proposed system supports battery energy balance and on-board dc and ac charging. When connecting with an ac power grid, the proposed topology has a merit of the multilevel converter; the charging current control can be achieved by the improved hysteresis control. The energy flow between the two batteries is balanced by the hysteresis control based on their state-of-charge conditions. Simulation results in MATLAB/Simulink and experiments on a 150-W prototype SRM validate the effectiveness of the proposed technologies, which may provide a solution to EV charging issues associated with significant infrastructure requirements.

Mitigating the Impact of Faults in Unreliable Memories for Error-Resilient Applications

Inherently error-resilient applications in areas such as signal processing, machine learning and data analytics provide opportunities for relaxing reliability requirements, and thereby reducing the overhead incurred by conventional error correction schemes. In this paper, we exploit the tolerable imprecision of such applications by designing an energy-efficient fault-mitigation scheme for unreliable data memories to meet target yield. The proposed approach uses a bit-shuffling mechanism to isolate faults into bit locations with lower significance. This skews the bit-error distribution towards the low order bits, substantially limiting the output error magnitude. By controlling the granularity of the shuffling, the proposed technique enables trading-off quality for power, area, and timing overhead. Compared to error-correction codes, this can reduce the overhead by as much as 83% in read power, 77% in read access time, and 89% in area, when applied to various data mining applications in 28nm process technology.

Prostate cancer radiotherapy: potential applications of metal nanoparticles for imaging and therapy

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males. There have been dramatic technical advances in radiotherapy delivery, enabling higher doses of radiotherapy to primary cancer, involved lymph nodes and oligometastases with acceptable normal tissue toxicity. Despite this, many patients relapse following primary radical therapy, and novel treatment approaches are required. Metal nanoparticles are agents that promise to improve diagnostic imaging and image-guided radiotherapy and to selectively enhance radiotherapy effectiveness in CaP. We summarize current radiotherapy treatment approaches for CaP and consider pre-clinical and clinical evidence for metal nanoparticles in this condition.

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year in the UK.1 Technical advances in radiotherapy delivery, including image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT), have enabled the delivery of higher radiation dose to the prostate, which has led to improved biochemical control. Further improvements in cancer imaging during radiotherapy are being developed with the advent of MRI simulators and MRI linear accelerators.2–4

Nanotechnology promises to deliver significant advancements across numerous disciplines.5 The widest scope of applications are from the biomedical field including exogenous gene/drug delivery systems, advanced biosensors, targeted contrast agents for diagnostic applications and as direct therapeutic agents used in combination with existing treatment modalities.6–11 This diversity of application is especially evident within cancer research, with a myriad of experimental anticancer strategies currently under investigation.

This review will focus specifically on the potential of metal-based nanoparticles to augment the efficacy of radiotherapy in CaP, a disease where radiotherapy constitutes a major curative treatment modality.12 Furthermore, we will also address the clinical state of the art for CaP radiotherapy and consider how these treatments could be best combined with nanotherapeutics to improve cancer outcomes.