Basic features of current induced/shared by cables mounted on down conductors/towers during stroke interception

The telecommunication, broadcasting and other instrumented towers carry power and/or signal cables from their ground end to their upper regions. During a direct hit to the tower, significant induction can occur to these mounted cables. In order to provide adequate protection to the equipments connected to them, protection schemes have been evolved in the literature. Development of more effective protection schemes requires a quantitative knowledge on various parameters. However, such quantitative knowledge is difficult to find at present. Amongst several of these aspects, the present work aims to investigate on the two important aspects: (i) what would be the nature of the induced currents and (ii) what will be the current sharing if as per the practice, the sheath of the cable is connected to the down conductor/tower. These aspects will be useful in design of protection schemes and also in analyzing the field structure around instrumented towers.

Correlation between corona current and radio interference due to high voltage insulator string

The Radio Interference (RI) from electric power transmission line hardware, if not controlled, poses serious electromagnetic interference to system in the vicinity. The present work mainly concerns with the RI from the insulator string along with the associated line hardware. The laboratory testing for the RI levels are carried out through the measurement of the conducted radio interference levels. However such measurements do not really locate the coronating point, as well as, the mode of corona. At the same time experience shows that it is rather difficult to locate the coronating points by mere inspection. After a thorough look into the intricacies of the problem, it is ascertained that the measurement of associated ground end currents could give a better picture of the prevailing corona modes and their intensities. A study on the same is attempted in the present work. Various intricacies of the problem,features of ground end current pulses and its correlation with RI are dealt with. Owing to the complexity of such experimental investigations, the study made is not fully complete nevertheless it seems to be first of its kind.

Criteria for thermally induced atomization and catastrophic breakup of acoustically levitated droplet

We report thermally induced instability leading to catastrophic breakup in acoustically levitated vaporizing fuel droplets. Change in surface tension and viscosity with increase in droplet temperature causes wide fluctuations in droplet aspect ratio. If the viscous damping of aspect ratio oscillation is not strong enough, the droplet goes through unbounded stretching. If the droplet exceeds a critical Weber number locally, a bag type and capillary wave induced atomization can occur, which leads to catastrophic breakup. A stability criterion has been established based on the inhomogeneity of Bernoulli (acoustic) pressure and surface tension of the droplet in terms of a local Weber number and Ohnesorge number. This instability is thermally induced in a droplet which does not experience instabilities without heating. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of IGBT switching characteristics and loss using coaxial current transformer

Device switching times and switching energy losses are required over a wide range of practical working conditions for successful design of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) based power converters. This paper presents a cost-effective experimental setup using a co-axial current transformer for measurement of IGBT switching characteristics and switching energy loss. Measurements are carried out on a 50A, 1200V IGBT (SKM50GB123D) for different values of gate resistance, device current and junction temperature. These measurements augment the technical data available in the device datasheet.Short circuit transients are also investigated experimentally under hard switched fault as well as fault under load conditions.

Comparison of one cycle control of charge and current for bi-directional boost rectifiers

Classical control and one cycle control of current are popular methods used to modulate pulses in active rectifiers for ac-dc power conversion. One cycle control has lower control complexity and can be implemented using linear analog circuits when compared with the classical approach. However, it also suffers from problems such as instability and offsets in current that is severe at light load conditions. A control strategy for bidirectional boost rectifiers based on one cycle control of charge is proposed for that overcomes these limitations. The integral of sensed current, which represents charge, is compared with a non-linear carrier, which is modified for ac-dc power conversion. This generates the gating signals for the switching devices. The modifications required for the control law governing one cycle control of charge is derived in the paper. Detailed simulation studies are carried out to compare one cycle control of current with the proposed method for ac-dc power conversion, which are validated on a laboratory hardware prototype.

Quantitative interactions between the A-type K+ current and inositol trisphosphate receptors regulate intraneuronal Ca2+ waves and synaptic plasticity

Key points center dot Active calcium signal propagation occurs when an initial calcium trigger elicits calcium release through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) receptors. A high concentration of the calcium trigger in thin-calibre dendrites would suppress release of calcium through hippocampal inositol trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs). center dot Could the high-density expression of A-type K+ channels in thin-calibre dendrites be a mechanism for inhibiting this suppression, thereby restoring the utility of the ER as a substrate for active calcium propagation? center dot Quantitative analyses involving experimentally constrained models reveal a bell-shaped dependence of calcium released through InsP3Rs on the A-type K+ channel density, during the propagation of a calcium wave. center dot A-type K+ channels regulated the relative contribution of ER calcium to the induction of synaptic plasticity in the presence of model metabotropic glutamate receptors. center dot These results identify a novel form of interaction between active dendrites and the ER membrane and suggest that A-type K+ channels are ideally placed for inhibiting the suppression of InsP3Rs in thin-calibre dendrites. Abstract The A-type potassium current has been implicated in the regulation of several physiological processes. Here, we explore a role for the A-type potassium current in regulating the release of calcium through inositol trisphosphate receptors (InsP3R) that reside on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hippocampal pyramidal neurons. To do this, we constructed morphologically realistic, conductance-based models equipped with kinetic schemes that govern several calcium signalling modules and pathways, and constrained the distributions and properties of constitutive components by experimental measurements from these neurons. Employing these models, we establish a bell-shaped dependence of calcium release through InsP3Rs on the density ofA-type potassium channels, during the propagation of an intraneuronal calcium wave initiated through established protocols. Exploring the sensitivities of calcium wave initiation and propagation to several underlying parameters, we found that ER calcium release critically depends on dendritic diameter and that wave initiation occurred at branch points as a consequence of a high surface area to volume ratio of oblique dendrites. Furthermore, analogous to the role ofA-type potassium channels in regulating spike latency, we found that an increase in the density ofA-type potassium channels led to increases in the latency and the temporal spread of a propagating calcium wave. Next, we incorporated kinetic models for the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) signalling components and a calcium-controlled plasticity rule into our model and demonstrate thatthe presence of mGluRs induced a leftward shift in a BienenstockCooperMunro-like synaptic plasticity profile. Finally, we show that the A-type potassium current could regulate the relative contribution of ER calcium to synaptic plasticity induced either through 900 pulses of various stimulus frequencies or through theta burst stimulation. Our results establish a novel form of interaction between active dendrites and the ER membrane, uncovering a powerful mechanism that could regulate biophysical/biochemical signal integration and steer the spatiotemporal spread of signalling microdomains through changes in dendritic excitability.

A soluble-lead redox flow battery with corrugated graphite sheet and reticulated vitreous carbon as positive and negative current collectors

A soluble-lead redox flow battery with corrugated-graphite sheet and reticulated-vitreous carbon as positive and negative current collectors is assembled and performance tested. In the cell, electrolyte comprising of 1 center dot 5 M lead (II) methanesulfonate and 0 center dot 9 M methanesulfonic acid with sodium salt of lignosulfonic acid as additive is circulated through the reaction chamber at a flow rate of 50 ml min (-aEuro parts per thousand 1). During the charge cycle, pure lead (Pb) and lead dioxide (PbO2) from the soluble lead (II) species are electrodeposited onto the surface of the negative and positive current collectors, respectively. Both the electrodeposited materials are characterized by XRD, XPS and SEM. Phase purity of synthesized lead (II) methanesulfonate is unequivocally established by single crystal X-ray diffraction followed by profile refinements using high resolution powder data. During the discharge cycle, electrodeposited Pb and PbO2 are dissolved back into the electrolyte. Since lead ions are produced during oxidation and reduction at the negative and positive plates, respectively there is no risk of crossover during discharge cycle, preventing the possibility of lowering the overall efficiency of the cell. As the cell employs a common electrolyte, the need of employing a membrane is averted. It has been possible to achieve a capacity value of 114 mAh g (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) at a load current-density of 20 mA cm (-aEuro parts per thousand 2) with the cell at a faradaic efficiency of 95%. The cell is tested for 200 cycles with little loss in its capacity and efficiency.

Effects of different modes of hot cross-rolling in 7010 aluminum alloy: part I. evolution of microstructure and texture

The current study describes the evolution of microstructure and texture in an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr-based 7010 aluminum alloy during different modes of hot cross-rolling. Processing of materials involves three different types of cross-rolling. The development of texture in the one-step cross-rolled specimen can be described by a typical beta-fiber having the maximum intensity near Copper (Cu) component. However, for the multi-step cross-rolled specimens, the as-rolled texture is mainly characterized by a strong rotated-Brass (Bs) component and a very weak rotated-cube component. Subsequent heat treatment leads to sharpening of the major texture component (i.e., rotated-Bs). Furthermore, the main texture components in all the specimens appear to be significantly rotated in a complex manner away from their ideal positions because of non-symmetric deformations in the two rolling directions. Detailed microstructural study indicates that dynamic recovery is the dominant restoration mechanism operating during the hot rolling. During subsequent heat treatment, static recovery dominates, while a combination of particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) and strain-induced grain boundary migration (SIBM) causes partial recrystallization of the grain structure. The aforementioned restoration mechanisms play an important role in the development of texture components. The textural development in the current study could be attributed to the combined effects of (a) cross-rolling and inter-pass annealing that reduce the intensity of Cu component after each successive pass, (b) recrystallization resistance of Bs-oriented grains, (c) stability of Bs texture under cross-rolling, and (d) Zener pinning by Al3Zr dispersoids.

IGF-1 stimulated upregulation of cyclin D1 is mediated via STAT5 signaling pathway in neuronal cells

Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STATs) regulate various target genes such as cyclin D1, MYC, and BCL2 in nonneuronal cells which contribute towards progression as well as prevention of apoptosis and are involved in differentiation and cell survival. However, in neuronal cells, the role of STATs in the activation and regulation of these target genes and their signaling pathways are still not well established. In this study, a robust cyclin D1 expression was observed following IGF-1 stimulation in SY5Y cells as well as neurospheres. JAK/STAT pathway was shown to be involved in this upregulation. A detailed promoter analysis revealed that the specific STAT involved was STAT5, which acted as a positive regulatory element for cyclin D1 expression. Overexpression studies confirmed increase in cyclin D1 expression in response to STAT5a and STAT5b constructs when compared to dominant-negative STAT5. siRNA targeting STAT5, diminished the cyclin D1 expression, further confirming that STAT5 specifically regulated cyclin D1 in neuronal cells. Together, these findings shed new light on the mechanism of IGF-1 mediated upregulation of cyclin D1 expression in neural cell lines as well as in neural stem cells via the JAK/STAT5 signaling cascade.

Proactive control of sequential saccades in the human supplementary eye field

Our ability to regulate behavior based on past experience has thus far been examined using single movements. However, natural behavior typically involves a sequence of movements. Here, we examined the effect of previous trial type on the concurrent planning of sequential saccades using a unique paradigm. The task consisted of two trial types: no-shift trials, which implicitly encouraged the concurrent preparation of the second saccade in a subsequent trial; and target-shift trials, which implicitly discouraged the same in the next trial. Using the intersaccadic interval as an index of concurrent planning, we found evidence for context-based preparation of sequential saccades. We also used functional MRI-guided, single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation on human subjects to test the role of the supplementary eye field (SEF) in the proactive control of sequential eye movements. Results showed that (i) stimulating the SEF in the previous trial disrupted the previous trial type-based preparation of the second saccade in the nonstimulated current trial, (ii) stimulating the SEF in the current trial rectified the disruptive effect caused by stimulation in the previous trial, and (iii) stimulating the SEF facilitated the preparation of second saccades based on previous trial type even when the previous trial was not stimulated. Taken together, we show how the human SEF is causally involved in proactive preparation of sequential saccades.

Analytical Expression for RMS DC Link Capacitor Current in a Three-Level Inverter

An analytical expression is derived for calculating the rms current through the DC link capacitor in a three level inverter. The output current of the inverter is assumed to sinusoidal. Variations in the capacitor rms current with modulation index as well as line side power factor are studied. The worst case current stress on the capacitor is determined. This is required for sizing the capacitor and is useful for predicting the capacitor losses and life. The analytical expression derived is validated through simulations and experimental results at a number of operating points.

Loss and gain signals in broadband stimulated-Raman spectra: Theoretical analysis

Stimulated optical signals obtained by subjecting the system to a narrow band and a broadband pulse show both gain and loss Raman features at the red and blue side of the narrow beam, respectively. Recently observed temperature-dependent asymmetry in these features Mallick et al., J. Raman Spectrosc. 42, 1883 (2011); Dang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 043001 (2011)] has been attributed to the Stokes and anti-Stokes components of the third-order susceptibility, chi((3)). By treating the setup as a steady state of an open system coupled to four quantum radiation field modes, we show that Stokes and anti-Stokes processes contribute to both the loss and gain resonances. chi((3)) predicts loss and gain signals with equal intensity for electronically off-resonant excitation. Some asymmetry may exist for resonant excitation. However, this is unrelated to the Stokes vs anti-Stokes processes. Any observed temperature-dependent asymmetry must thus originate from effects lying outside the chi((3)) regime.

Modified current space vector based powerline communication method for distributed inverters interfaced smart grids

The following paper presents a Powerline Communication (PLC) Method for grid interfaced inverters, for smart grid application. The PLC method is based on the concept of the composite vector which involves multiple components rotating at different harmonic frequencies. The pulsed information is modulated on the fundamental component of the grid current as a specific repeating sequence of a particular harmonic. The principle of communication is same as that of power flow, thus reducing the complexity. The power flow and information exchange are simultaneously accomplished by the interfacing inverters based on current programmed vector control, thus eliminating the need for dedicated hardware. Simulation results have been shown for inter-inverter communication, both under ideal and distorted conditions, using various harmonic modulating signals.

Satellite Evaluation of Current status of Irrigation management in Rajolibanda diversion scheme command, Mahaboobnagar District, AP

This article presents the results of a study using satellite remote sensing techniques to evaluate the current status of canal system performance in terms of the spatial and temporal mismatch between water requirements and water releases within the command area The Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme(RDS)is the only operational major irrigation project in the drought prone district of Mahaboobnagar in Andra Pradesh. It is an inter-state project between Karnataka and Andra Pradesh which comprises of an anicut constructed in Karnataka in 1995 across river Thungabhdra and a 143 km long left bank main canel. The initial 42.6 km of the canel lies in Karnataka consisting of 12 distributaries and servers and serves an localised ayacut of 2739ha. In Andra Pradesh, the latter stretch of the main canal consists of distributaries 12A to 40, is localised to serve an ayacut of 35,410 ha.of which 14,215 ha during kharif season,19,332 ha, during rabi season and 1,863 ha.of perennial crops

Electric current-induced mass flow in very thin infinite metallic films

This paper reports on the mass transport behavior of infinitely extended, continuous, and very thin metallic films under the influence of electric current. Application of direct current of high densities (> 10(8) A/m(2)) results in visible melting of thin film at only one of the electrodes, and the melt then flows towards the other electrode in a circularly symmetric fashion forming a microscale ring pattern. For the two tested thin film systems, namely Cr and Al, of thicknesses ranging from 4 to 20 nm, the above directional flow consistently occurred from cathode to anode and anode to cathode, respectively. Furthermore, application of alternating electric current results in flow of the liquid material from both the electrodes. The dependence of critical flow behavior parameters, such as flow direction, flow velocity, and evolution of the ring diameter, are experimentally determined. Analytical models based on the principles of electromigration in liquid-phase materials are developed to explain the experimental observations.