Fault-Diagnostic System using Support Vector Machines for Power Transmission Systems

This paper presents an approach for identifying the faulted line section and fault location on transmission systems using support vector machines (SVMs) for diagnosis/post-fault analysis purpose. Power system disturbances are often caused by faults on transmission lines. When fault occurs on a transmission system, the protective relay detects the fault and initiates the tripping operation, which isolates the affected part from the rest of the power system. Based on the fault section identified, rapid and corrective restoration procedures can thus be taken to minimize the power interruption and limit the impact of outage on the system. The approach is particularly important for post-fault diagnosis of any mal-operation of relays following a disturbance in the neighboring line connected to the same substation. This may help in improving the fault monitoring/diagnosis process, thus assuring secure operation of the power systems. In this paper we compare SVMs with radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN) in data sets corresponding to different faults on a transmission system. Classification and regression accuracy is reported for both strategies. Studies on a practical 24-Bus equivalent EHV transmission system of the Indian Southern region is presented for indicating the improved generalization with the large margin classifiers in enhancing the efficacy of the chosen model.

The generalized Onsager model for the secondary flow in a high-speed rotating cylinder

The generalizations of the Onsager model for the radial boundary layer and the Carrier-Maslen model for the end-cap axial boundary layer in a high-speed rotating cylinder are formulated for studying the secondary gas flow due to wall heating and due to insertion of mass, momentum and energy into the cylinder. The generalizations have wider applicability than the original Onsager and Carrier-Maslen models, because they are not restricted to the limit A >> 1, though they are restricted to the limit R e >> 1 and a high-aspect-ratio cylinder whose length/diameter ratio is large. Here, the stratification parameter A = root m Omega(2)R(2)/2k(B)T). This parameter A is the ratio of the peripheral speed, Omega R, to the most probable molecular speed, root 2k(B)T/m, the Reynolds number Re = rho w Omega R(2)/mu, where m is the molecular mass, Omega and R are the rotational speed and radius of the cylinder, k(B) is the Boltzmann constant, T is the gas temperature, rho(w) is the gas density at wall, and mu is the gas viscosity. In the case of wall forcing, analytical solutions are obtained for the sixth-order generalized Onsager equations for the master potential, and for the fourth-order generalized Carrier-Maslen equation for the velocity potential. For the case of mass/momentum/energy insertion into the flow, the separation-of-variables procedure is used, and the appropriate homogeneous boundary conditions are specified so that the linear operators in the axial and radial directions are self-adjoint. The discrete eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the linear operators (sixth-order and second-order in the radial and axial directions for the Onsager equation, and fourth-order and second-order in the axial and radial directions for the Carrier-Maslen equation) are determined. These solutions are compared with direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) simulations. The comparison reveals that the boundary conditions in the simulations and analysis have to be matched with care. The commonly used `diffuse reflection' boundary conditions at solid walls in DSMC simulations result in a non-zero slip velocity as well as a `temperature slip' (gas temperature at the wall is different from wall temperature). These have to be incorporated in the analysis in order to make quantitative predictions. In the case of mass/momentum/energy sources within the flow, it is necessary to ensure that the homogeneous boundary conditions are accurately satisfied in the simulations. When these precautions are taken, there is excellent agreement between analysis and simulations, to within 10 %, even when the stratification parameter is as low as 0.707, the Reynolds number is as low as 100 and the aspect ratio (length/diameter) of the cylinder is as low as 2, and the secondary flow velocity is as high as 0.2 times the maximum base flow velocity. The predictions of the generalized models are also significantly better than those of the original Onsager and Carrier-Maslen models, which are restricted to thin boundary layers in the limit of high stratification parameter.

On the solution of bivariate population balance equations for aggregation: X-discretization of space for expansion and contraction of computational domain

A new structured discretization of 2D space, named X-discretization, is proposed to solve bivariate population balance equations using the framework of minimal internal consistency of discretization of Chakraborty and Kumar [2007, A new framework for solution of multidimensional population balance equations. Chem. Eng. Sci. 62, 4112-4125] for breakup and aggregation of particles. The 2D space of particle constituents (internal attributes) is discretized into bins by using arbitrarily spaced constant composition radial lines and constant mass lines of slope -1. The quadrilaterals are triangulated by using straight lines pointing towards the mean composition line. The monotonicity of the new discretization makes is quite easy to implement, like a rectangular grid but with significantly reduced numerical dispersion. We use the new discretization of space to automate the expansion and contraction of the computational domain for the aggregation process, corresponding to the formation of larger particles and the disappearance of smaller particles by adding and removing the constant mass lines at the boundaries. The results show that the predictions of particle size distribution on fixed X-grid are in better agreement with the analytical solution than those obtained with the earlier techniques. The simulations carried out with expansion and/or contraction of the computational domain as population evolves show that the proposed strategy of evolving the computational domain with the aggregation process brings down the computational effort quite substantially; larger the extent of evolution, greater is the reduction in computational effort. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dry tribology and nanomechanics of gaseous flame soot in comparison with carbon black and diesel soot

Ethylene gas is burnt and the carbon soot particles are thermophoretically collected using a home-built equipment where the fuel air injection and intervention into the 7.5-cm long flame are controlled using three small pneumatic cylinders and computer-driven controllers. The physical and mechanical properties and tribological performance of the collected soot are compared with those of carbon black and diesel soot. The crystalline structures of the nanometric particles generated in the flame, as revealed by high-resolution transmission electron studies, are shown to vary from the flame root to the exhaust. As the particle journeys upwards the flame, through a purely amorphous coagulated phase at the burner nozzle, it leads to a well-defined crystalline phase shell in the mid-flame zone and to a disordered phase consisting of randomly distributed short-range crystalline order at the exhaust. In the mid-flame region, a large shell of radial-columnar order surrounds a dense amorphous core. The hardness and wear resistance as well as friction coefficient of the soot extracted from this zone are low. The mechanical properties characteristics of this zone may be attributed to microcrystalline slip. Moving towards the exhaust, the slip is inhibited and there is an increase in hardness and friction compared to those in the mid-flame zone. This study of the comparison of flame soot to carbon black and diesel soot is further extended to suggest a rationale based on additional physico-chemical study using micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Experiments on three-dimensional wire-frame object recognition

Some experimental results on the recognition of three-dimensional wire-frame objects are presented. In order to overcome the limitations of a recent model, which employs radial basis functions-based neural networks, we have proposed a hybrid learning system for object recognition, featuring: an optimization strategy (simulated annealing) in order to avoid local minima of an energy functional; and an appropriate choice of centers of the units. Further, in an attempt to achieve improved generalization ability, and to reduce the time for training, we invoke the principle of self-organization which utilises an unsupervised learning algorithm.

A neural network based automatic generation control design through reinforcement learning

This paper presents the design and implementation of a learning controller for the Automatic Generation Control (AGC) in power systems based on a reinforcement learning (RL) framework. In contrast to the recent RL scheme for AGC proposed by us, the present method permits handling of power system variables such as Area Control Error (ACE) and deviations from scheduled frequency and tie-line flows as continuous variables. (In the earlier scheme, these variables have to be quantized into finitely many levels). The optimal control law is arrived at in the RL framework by making use of Q-learning strategy. Since the state variables are continuous, we propose the use of Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural networks to compute the Q-values for a given input state. Since, in this application we cannot provide training data appropriate for the standard supervised learning framework, a reinforcement learning algorithm is employed to train the RBF network. We also employ a novel exploration strategy, based on a Learning Automata algorithm,for generating training samples during Q-learning. The proposed scheme, in addition to being simple to implement, inherits all the attractive features of an RL scheme such as model independent design, flexibility in control objective specification, robustness etc. Two implementations of the proposed approach are presented. Through simulation studies the attractiveness of this approach is demonstrated.

A Revisit to Capture the Entire Behavior of Ultrasonic Wave Dispersion Characteristics of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes Based on Nonlocal Elasticity Theory and Flugge Shell Model

In this paper, an ultrasonic wave propagation analysis in single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is re-studied using nonlocal elasticity theory, to capture the whole behaviour. The SWCNT is modeled using Flugge's shell theory, with the wall having axial, circumferential and radial degrees of freedom and also including small scale effects. Nonlocal governing equations for this system are derived and wave propagation analysis is also carried out. The revisited nonlocal elasticity calculation shows that the wavenumber tends to infinite at certain frequencies and the corresponding wave velocity tends to zero at those frequencies indicating localization and stationary behavior. This frequency is termed as escape frequency. This behavior is observed only for axial and radial waves in SWCNT. It has been shown that the circumferential waves will propagate dispersively at higher frequencies in nonlocality. The magnitudes of wave velocities of circumferential waves are smaller in nonlocal elasticity as compared to local elasticity. We also show that the explicit expressions of cut-off frequency depend on the nonlocal scaling parameter and the axial wavenumber. The effect of axial wavenumber on the ultrasonic wave behavior in SWCNTs is also discussed. The present results are compared with the corresponding results (for first mode) obtained from ab initio and 3-D elastodynamic continuum models. The acoustic phonon dispersion relation predicted by the present model is in good agreement with that obtained from literature. The results are new and can provide useful guidance for the study and design of the next generation of nanodevices that make use of the wave propagation properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Selection of Static VAR Compensator Location and Size for System Voltage Stability Improvement

This paper presents a methodology for selection of static VAR compensator location based on static voltage stability analysis of power systems. The analysis presented here uses the L-index of load buses, which includes voltage stability information of a normal load flow and is in the range of 0 (no load of system) to 1 (voltage collapse). An approach has been presented to select a suitable size and location of static VAR compensator in an EHV network for system voltage stability improvement. The proposed approach has been tested under simulated conditions on a few power systems and the results for a sample radial network and a 24-node equivalent EHV power network of a practical system are presented for illustration purposes. © 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

A Robust Three Phase State Estimation for Distribution Networks

Electric power utilities are installing distribution automation systems (DAS) for better management and control of the distribution networks during the recent past. The success of DAS, largely depends on the availability of reliable database of the control centre and thus requires an efficient state estimation (SE) solution technique. This paper presents an efficient and robust three-phase SE algorithm for application to radial distribution networks. This method exploits the radial nature of the network and uses forward and backward propagation scheme to estimate the line flows, node voltage and loads at each node, based on the measured quantities. The SE cannot be executed without adequate number of measurements. The extension of the method to the network observability analysis and bad data detection is also discussed. The proposed method has been tested to analyze several practical distribution networks of various voltage levels and also having high R:X ratio of lines. The results for a typical network are presented for illustration purposes. © 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Approach for Fault Diagnosis in Power Transmission Systems Using Support Vector Machines

This paper presents an approach for identifying the faulted line section and fault location on transmission systems using support vector machines (SVMs) for diagnosis/post-fault analysis purpose. Power system disturbances are often caused by faults on transmission lines. When fault occurs on a transmission system, the protective relay detects the fault and initiates the tripping operation, which isolates the affected part from the rest of the power system. Based on the fault section identified, rapid and corrective restoration procedures can thus be taken to minimize the power interruption and limit the impact of outage on the system. The approach is particularly important for post-fault diagnosis of any mal-operation of relays following a disturbance in the neighboring line connected to the same substation. This may help in improving the fault monitoring/diagnosis process, thus assuring secure operation of the power systems. In this paper we compare SVMs with radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN) in data sets corresponding to different faults on a transmission system. Classification and regression accuracy is reported for both strategies. Studies on a practical 24-Bus equivalent EHV transmission system of the Indian Southern region is presented for indicating the improved generalization with the large margin classifiers in enhancing the efficacy of the chosen model.

3-D acoustic analysis of elliptical chamber mufflers having an end-inlet and a side-outlet: An impedance matrix approach

The acoustical behavior of an elliptical chamber muffler having an end-inlet and side-outlet port is analyzed semi-analytically. A uniform piston source is assumed to model the 3-D acoustic field in the elliptical chamber cavity. Towards this end, we consider the modal expansion of acoustic pressure field in the elliptical cavity in terms of angular and radial Mathieu functions, subjected to rigid wall condition, whereupon under the assumption of a point source, Green's function is obtained. On integrating this function over piston area of the side or end port and dividing it by piston area, one obtains the acoustic field, whence one can find the impedance matrix parameters characterizing the 2-port system. The acoustic performance of these configurations is evaluated in terms of transmission loss (TL). The analytical results thus obtained are compared with 3-D HA carried on a commercial software for certain muffler configurations. These show excellent agreement, thereby validating the 3-D semi-analytical piston driven model. The influence of the chamber length as well as the angular and axial location of the end and side ports on TL performance is also discussed, thus providing useful guidelines to the muffler designer. (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of temperature on the plastic zone size and the shear band density in a bulk metallic glass

High temperature bonded interface indentation experiments are carried out on a Zr based bulk metallic glass (BMG) to examine the plastic deformation characteristics in subsurface deformation zone under a Vickers indenter. The results show that the shear bands are semi-circular in shape and propagate in radial direction. At all temperatures the inter-band spacing along the indentation axis is found to increase with increasing distance from the indenter tip. The average shear band spacing monotonically increases with temperature whereas the shear band induced plastic deformation zone is invariant with temperature. These observations are able to explain the increase in pressure sensitive plastic flow of BMGs with temperature. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural Transformations, Composition Anomalies and a Dramatic Collapse of Linear Polymer Chains in Dilute Ethanol-Water Mixtures

Water-ethanol mixtures exhibit many interesting anomalies, such as negative excess partial molar volume of ethanol, excess sound absorption coefficient at low concentrations, and positive deviation from Raoult's law for vapor pressure, to mention a few. These anomalies have been attributed to different, often contradictory origins, but a quantitative understanding is still lacking. We show by computer simulation and theoretical analyses that these anomalies arise from the sudden emergence of a bicontinuous phase that occurs at a relatively low ethanol concentration of x(eth) approximate to 0.06-0.10 (that amounts to a volume fraction of 0.17-0.26, which is a significant range!). The bicontinuous phase is formed by aggregation of ethanol molecules, resulting in a weak phase transition whose nature is elucidated. We find that the microheterogeneous structure of the mixture gives rise to a pronounced nonmonotonic composition dependence of local compressibility and nonmonotonic dependence in the peak value of the radial distribution function of ethyl groups. A multidimensional free energy surface of pair association is shown to provide a molecular explanation of the known negative excess partial volume of ethanol in terms of parallel orientation and hence better packing of the ethyl groups in the mixture due to hydrophobic interactions. The energy distribution of the ethanol molecules indicates additional energy decay channels that explain the excess sound attenuation coefficient in aqueous alcohol mixtures. We studied the dependence of the solvation of a linear polymer chain on the composition of the water-ethanol solvent. We find that there is a sudden collapse of the polymer at x(eth) approximate to 0.05-a phenomenon which we attribute to the formation of the microheterogeneous structures in the binary mixture at low ethanol concentrations. Together with recent single molecule pulling experiments, these results provide new insight into the behavior of polymer chain and foreign solutes, such as enzymes, in aqueous binary mixtures.

Dimethyl sulfoxide induced structural transformations and non-monotonic concentration dependence of conformational fluctuation around active site of lysozyme

Experimental studies have observed significant changes in both structure and function of lysozyme (and other proteins) on addition of a small amount of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in aqueous solution. Our atomistic molecular dynamic simulations of lysozyme in water-DMSO reveal the following sequence of changes on increasing DMSO concentration. (i) At the initial stage (around 5% DMSO concentration) protein's conformational flexibility gets markedly suppressed. From study of radial distribution functions, we attribute this to the preferential solvation of exposed protein hydrophobic residues by the methyl groups of DMSO. (ii) In the next stage (10-15% DMSO concentration range), lysozome partially unfolds accompanied by an increase both in fluctuation and in exposed protein surface area. (iii) Between 15-20% concentration ranges, both conformational fluctuation and solvent accessible protein surface area suddenly decrease again indicating the formation of an intermediate collapse state. These results are in good agreement with near-UV circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence studies. We explain this apparently surprising behavior in terms of a structural transformation which involves clustering among the methyl groups of DMSO. (iv) Beyond 20% concentration of DMSO, the protein starts its final sojourn towards the unfolding state with further increase in conformational fluctuation and loss in native contacts. Most importantly, analysis of contact map and fluctuation near the active site reveal that both partial unfolding and conformational fluctuations are centered mostly on the hydrophobic core of active site of lysozyme. Our results could offer a general explanation and universal picture of the anomalous behavior of protein structure-function observed in the presence of cosolvents (DMSO, ethanol, tertiary butyl alcohol, dioxane) at their low concentrations. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3694268]

Ultrasonic Wave Dispersion Characteristics of Fluid-Filled Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Based on Nonclassical Shell Model

In this paper, ultrasonic wave propagation analysis in fluid filled single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is studied using nonlocal elasticity theory. The SWCNT is modeled using Flugge's shell theory, with the wall having axial, circumferential and radial degrees of freedom and also including small scale effects. The fluid inside the SWCNT is assumed as water. Nonlocal governing equations for this system are derived and wave propagation analysis is also carried out. The presence of fluid in SWCNT alters the ultrasonic wave dispersion behavior. The wavenumber and wave velocity are smaller in presence of fluid as compared to the empty SWCNT. The nonlocal elasticity calculation shows that the wavenumber tends to reach the continuum limit at certain frequencies and the corresponding wave velocity tends to zero at those frequencies indicating localization and stationary behavior. It has been shown that the circumferential. waves will propagate non-dispersively at higher frequencies in nonlocality. The magnitudes of wave velocities of circumferential waves are smaller in nonlocal elasticity as compared to local elasticity. We also show that the cut-off frequency depend on the nonlocal scaling parameter and also on the density of the fluid inside the SWCNT, and the axial wavenumber, as the fluid becomes denser the cut-off frequency decreases. The effect of axial wavenumber on the ultrasonic wave behavior in SWCNTS filled with water is also discussed.