A Top-Down Approach for Distribution Loss Evaluation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Planejamento da expansão de sistemas de transmissão considerando análise de confiabilidade e incertezas na demanda futura

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Continuation load flow using automatically determined branch megawatt losses as parameters

The conventional Newton's method is considered to be inadequate for the computation of the maximum loading point (MLP) of power systems since: (i) it encounters difficulties in the vicinity of the MLP: and (ii) the load flow Jacobian matrix becomes singular at the MLP. It is well known that continuation methods are powerful and useful tools that are able to trace the solution PV curve without experiencing such diffculties. However, continuation methods require a parameterisation so that a modified, well conditioned set of load flow equations is obtained. In particular, the Jacobian matrix associated with this modified set of equations should not be singular at the MLP. The authors propose that the actual power losses in transmission branches (lines and transformers) are used to parameterise the approach. Specific procedures for the automatic determination of the most appropriate parameter (branch) are proposed. Such procedures include the utilisation of fast voltage-stability indices. Simulation results are presented to show that the proposed method is able to trace the whole solution PV curve very efficiently.

Characteristics of the double-torsion test to determine the R-curve of ceramic materials

Double-torsion tests were carried out on a commercial ceramic floor tile to verify whether this test is suitable for determining the R-curve of ceramics. The instantaneous crack length was obtained by means of compliance calibration, and it was found that the experimental compliance underestimates the real crack length. The load vs. displacement curves were also found to drop after maximum loading, causing the stress intensity factor to decline. The R-curves were calculated by two methods: linear elastic fracture mechanics and the energetic method. It was obtained that the average values of crack resistance, R, and the double of the work of fracture, 2 · γwof, did not depend on notch length, a0, which is a highly relevant finding, indicating that these parameters were less dependent on the test specimen's geometry. The proposal was to use small notches, which produce long stable crack propagation paths that in turn are particularly important in the case of coarse microstructures.

Modeling field load tests in lateritic unsaturated soil

Many models for unsaturated soil have been developed in the last years, accompanying the development of experimental techniques to deal with such soils. The benchmark of the models for unsaturated soil can be assigned to the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) now incorporated in some codes such as the CODE_BRIGHT. Most of those models were validated considering limited laboratory test results and not much validation is available considering real field problems. This paper presents modeling results of field plate load tests performed under known suction on a lateritic unsaturated soil. The required input data were taken from laboratory tests performed under suction control. The modeling nicely reproduces field tests allowing appreciating the influence of soil suction on the stress-settlement curve. In addition, wetting induced or collapse settlements were calculated from field tests and were nicely duplicated by the numerical analysis performed.

Egg production curve fitting using nonlinear models for selected and nonselected lines of White Leghorn hens

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparison of logistic and neural network models to fit to the egg production curve of White Leghorn hens

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Growth curve in Santa Ines sheep

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Modeling of average growth curve in Santa Ines sheep using random regression models

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparison of non-linear growth models to describe the growth curve in West African Dwarf sheep

The objectives of this study were to compare the goodness of fit of four non-linear growth models, i.e. Brody, Gompertz, Logistic and Von Bertalanffy, in West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep. A total of 5274 monthly weight records from birth up to 180 days of age from 889 lambs, collected during 2001 to 2004 in Betecoucou breeding farm in Benin were used. In the preliminary analysis, the General Linear Model Procedure of the Statistical Analysis Systems Institute was applied to the dataset to identify the significant effects of the sex of lamb (male and female), type of birth (single and twin), season of birth (rainy season and dry season), parity of dam (1, 2 and 3) and year of birth (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) on the observed birth weight and monthly weight up to 6 months of age. The models parameters (A, B and k), coefficient of determination (112), mean square error (MSE) were calculated using language of technical computing package Matlab(R), 2006. The mean values of A, B and k were substituted into each model to calculate the corresponding Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). Among the four growth functions, the Brody model has been selected for its accuracy of fit according to the higher R(2), lower MSE and A/C Finally, the parameters A, B and k were adjusted in Matlab(R) 2006 for the sex of lamb, year of birth, season of birth, birth type and the parity of ewe, providing a specific slope of the Brody growth curve. The results of this study suggest that Brody model can be useful for WAD sheep breeding in Betecoucou farm conditions through growth monitoring.

Genetic parameters of total milk yield and factors describing the shape of lactation curve in dairy buffaloes

The objective of this study was to apply factor analysis to describe lactation curves in dairy buffaloes in order to estimate the phenotypic and genetic association between common latent factors and cumulative milk yield. A total of 31 257 monthly test-day milk yield records from buffaloes belonging to herds located in the state of São Paulo were used to estimate two common latent factors, which were then analysed in a multi-trait animal model for estimating genetic parameters. Estimates of (co)variance components for the two common latent factors and cumulated 270-d milk yield were obtained by Bayesian inference using a multiple trait animal model. Contemporary group, number of milkings per day (two levels) and age of buffalo cow at calving (linear and quadratic) as covariate were included in the model as fixed effects. The additive genetic, permanent environmental and residual effects were included as random effects. The first common latent factor (F1) was associated with persistency of lactation and the second common latent factor (F2) with the level of production in early lactation. Heritability estimates for Fl and F2 were 0.12 and 0.07, respectively. Genetic correlation estimates between El and F2 with cumulative milk yield were positive and moderate (0.63 and 0.52). Multivariate statistics employing factor analysis allowed the extraction of two variables (latent factors) that described the shape of the lactation curve. It is expected that the response to selection to increase lactation persistency is higher than the response obtained from selecting animals to increase lactation peak. Selection for higher total milk yield would result in a favourable correlated response to increase the level of production in early lactation and the lactation persistency.

A novel neural model to electrical load forecasting in transformers

The paper describes a novel neural model to electrical load forecasting in transformers. The network acts as identifier of structural features to forecast process. So that output parameters can be estimated and generalized from an input parameter set. The model was trained and assessed through load data extracted from a Brazilian Electric Utility taking into account time, current, tension, active power in the three phases of the system. The results obtained in the simulations show that the developed technique can be used as an alternative tool to become more appropriate for planning of electric power systems.

An efficient neural approach to economic load dispatch in power systems

A neural approach to solve the problem defined by the economic load dispatch in power systems is presented in this paper, Systems based on artificial neural networks have high computational rates due to the use of a massive number of simple processing elements and the high degree of connectivity between these elements the ability of neural networks to realize some complex nonlinear function makes them attractive for system optimization the neural networks applyed in economic load dispatch reported in literature sometimes fail to converge towards feasible equilibrium points the internal parameters of the modified Hopfield network developed here are computed using the valid-subspace technique These parameters guarantee the network convergence to feasible quilibrium points, A solution for the economic load dispatch problem corresponds to an equilibrium point of the network. Simulation results and comparative analysis in relation to other neural approaches are presented to illustrate efficiency of the proposed approach.

Neural Network-Based Approach for Identification of the Harmonic Content of a Nonlinear Load in a Single-Phase System

In this paper an alternative method based on artificial neural networks is presented to determine harmonic components in the load current of a single-phase electric power system with nonlinear loads, whose parameters can vary so much in reason of the loads characteristic behaviors as because of the human intervention. The first six components in the load current are determined using the information contained in the time-varying waveforms. The effectiveness of this method is verified by using it in a single-phase active power filter with selective compensation of the current drained by an AC controller. The proposed method is compared with the fast Fourier transform.

Effect of abutment's height and framework alloy on the load distribution of mandibular cantilevered implant-supported prosthesis

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)