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Multifunctional flexible electronics have been a hot spot in scientific research and technology development. From the view of practical application, high-performance flexible heating devices with the capability to respond to commands are an urgent need for thermal management. Herein, we propose a strategy for multifunctional integration by assembling two pieces of laser-scribed Nomex paper, thus enabling the combination of heating and sensing modules. On account of the good electrothermal and piezoresistive properties of laser-induced graphene, the device can generate high steady-state temperature with a low voltage excitation and recognize valid commands from users finger to switch between operating states. Besides, the fast and efficient fabrication method entirely based on direct laser writing technology is another unique advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses an advanced method for estimating dc conductivity of oil using parameters evaluated under switching impulse voltage application. Firstly, the effectiveness of switching impulse application for assessing the condition of oil–paper insulation is investigated. Thereafter, the evaluated parameters under switching impulse voltage are fitted by Havriliak and Negami (HN) model for estimating the oil conductivity. The method is applied on oil-impregnated pressboards containing different moistures and a distribution transformer for experimental investigation. Moreover, the limitations of the proposed method are also discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a simple yet effective network pruning framework is proposed to simultaneously address the problems of pruning indicator, pruning ratio, and efficiency constraint. This paper argues that the pruning decision should depend on the convolutional weights, and thus proposes novel weight-dependent gates (W-Gates) to learn the information from filter weights and obtain binary gates to prune or keep the filters automatically. To prune the network under efficiency constraints, a switchable Efficiency Module is constructed to predict the hardware latency or FLOPs of candidate pruned networks. Combined with the proposed Efficiency Module, W-Gates can perform filter pruning in an efficiency-aware manner and achieve a compact network with a better accuracy-efficiency trade-off. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method on ResNet34, ResNet50, and MobileNet V2, respectively achieving up to 1.33/1.28/1.1 higher Top-1 accuracy with lower hardware latency on ImageNet. Compared with state-of-the-art methods, W-Gates also achieves superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new modulation strategy based on the carrier-based switching strategy for the non-square direct matrix converters (MC) is proposed to control the active power of distributed generation (DG) units. In this strategy, the active power of DGs is controlled by the central input current control of the non-square direct MC independent from the voltage and frequency. Conventionally, each DG has a converter, and for supplying a load with N number of DGs, N number of converters are needed and each converter has its own modulation switching and control strategy to control the power output of each DG. Needless to say, in a microgrid with N number of DGs, the control strategy of each converter has more complex structure than that of a microgrid with one converter, and surely the former strategy entails more volume and price. Using the proposed converter in this paper, it is possible to supply a load with N number of DGs through one converter. Also, the power outputs of all DGs are controlled by a central control strategy. The proposed central control strategy is described and simulated for a typical microgrid. Experimental and simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed converter and the proposed strategy. The results demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of the system and verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network function virtualization (NFV) is a promising technology that decouples network functions from hardware. Connecting virtual network functions (VNFs) in series to form a service function chain (SFC) can flexibly orchestrate and expand network functions. However, there are higher availability requirements for SFCs. This paper aims to solve the SFC placement problem under availability and resource constraints. This paper proposes the sideway cross (SC) backup model, which considers the availability of both VNFs and physical machines (PMs) in a data center. The SC model cross-arranges the backup instances of VNFs to guarantee availability and optimize resource consumption. Then, this paper proposes the heuristic meteor shower optimization (MSO) algorithm to place SFCs. Compared to traditional heuristic algorithms, MSO can improve the execution time by approximately 200%. Combined with the SC backup model, MSO can effectively improve the availability and resource overhead. The evaluation results show that the proposed approach can guarantee higher availability and consumes fewer resources. The proposed approach only needs 75% of the resources to achieve the same availability as the state-of-the-art models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has been pretty mature and widely used in our daily life, the positioning of the indoor environment cannot be realized due to the shielding of concretes or glasses by GNSS. Many positioning methods have been proposed to solve that problem, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is one of the most widely used wireless technologies. This paper takes BLE Angle of Arrival (AOA) as the research object and proposes a method based on signal fitting and Propagator Direct Data Acquisition (PDDA) angle estimation algorithm. This method can be applied to both linear antenna array and rectangular antenna array and has good positioning performance. The method proposed in this paper does not need to calculate the phase differences between antennas, making it unnecessary to calculate the intersection of cones during spatial positioning. The angle estimation is divided into two steps. Firstly, the frequency deviation of Constant Tone Extension (CTE) is calculated based on the IQ samples captured during the reference period, and the received signal matrix of all antennas is fitted based on frequency deviation. Secondly, the antenna received signal model is established based on hardware antenna arrangement, and the arrival angle is estimated by the PDDA algorithm. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, the plane and spatial positioning experiments are carried out using the BLE devices of Nordic Company, which shows a good positioning accuracy. In spatial positioning, the average positioning accuracy of BLE in channel 37, channel 38, and channel 39 is 0.59m, 0.74m, and 0.77m, respectively, which can meet the basic indoor positioning requirements and cover a large area by one receiver. Compared with the classical MUSIC algorithm, the PDDA algorithm has the same positioning accuracy but lower computational complexity, so it has certain advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by applications in data center networks, in this paper, we study the problem of scheduling in an input queued switch. While throughput maximizing algorithms in a switch are well-understood, delay analysis was developed only recently. It was recently shown that the well-known MaxWeight algorithm achieves optimal scaling of mean queue lengths in steady state in the heavy-traffic regime, and is within a factor less than 2 of a universal lower bound. However, MaxWeight is not used in practice because of its high time complexity. In this paper, we study several low complexity algorithms and show that their heavy-traffic performance is identical to that of MaxWeight. We first present a negative result that picking a random schedule does not have optimal heavy-traffic scaling of queue lengths even under uniform traffic. We then show that if one picks the best among two matchings or modifies a random matching even a little, using the so-called flip operation, it leads to MaxWeight like heavy-traffic performance under uniform traffic. We then focus on the case of non-uniform traffic and show that a large class of low time complexity algorithms have the same heavy-traffic performance as MaxWeight, as long as it is ensured that a MaxWeight matching is picked often enough. We also briefly discuss the performance of these algorithms in the large scale heavy-traffic regime when the size of the switch increases simultaneously with the load. Finally, we perform empirical study on a new algorithm to compare its performance with some existing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a trajectory optimization approach for high-speed trains to reduce traction energy consumption and increase riding comfort. Besides, the proposed approach can also achieve energy-saving effects by optimizing the operation time between stations. First, an optimization model is developed by defining the objective function as a trade-off function of the traction energy consumption and riding comfort. In addition to constraints in the classic optimal train control model, three new factors–the discrete throttle settings, neutral zones, and sectionalized tunnel resistance–are considered. Then, the model is discretized and turned into a multi-step decision optimization problem. All the nonlinear constraints are approximated using piecewise affine (PWA) functions, and the trajectory optimization problem is turned into a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem which can be solved by existing solvers CPLEX and YALMIP. Finally, some case studies with real-world data sets are conducted to present the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The simulation results are compared with the practical running data of trains, which shows that the proposed model and the optimization approach save energy and improve the riding comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an optimization approach for day-ahead reactive power planning to improve voltage security in transmission networks. The problem is formulated as a voltage-secure multi-period optimal reactive power dispatch (MP-ORPD) problem. The optimization approach searches for optimal set-points of dynamic and static reactive power (var) resources. Specifically, the output includes set-points for switching shunts, transformer taps, and voltage magnitudes at the regulated buses. The primary goal is to maximize the dynamic reactive power reserve of the system, by minimizing the reactive power supplied by synchronous generators. As the size of the MP-ORPD problem increases significantly with increasing number of contingencies and time periods, efficiency is crucial for practical applications. In this paper, a decomposition technique based on consensus and alternating optimization, where integer variable targets are obtained via MILP, is used to partition the MP-ORPD problem into a set of subproblems, which can be solved in parallel to reduce the computation time. The proposed MP-ORPD problem and its solution algorithm are integrated into the EPRI-VCA software. The results of various power networks of large electric utilities in the Eastern interconnection demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in providing preventive control schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve the purpose of extending the speed range and reducing power electronics devices for the permanent-magnet linear motor drive system, a half-centralized open-end winding (OEW) topology is studied for rail transit applications in this paper. In this topology, compared with the traditional OEW topology, the number of voltage-source-inverters (VSIs) can be reduced from four to three to drive two OEW movers and all these VSIs share a common dc bus voltage. In order to improve the steady-state performances, a four-vector phase model predictive voltage control (FV-PMPVC) is proposed in this paper. Due to the spatial distribution of phase voltage vector (PVV), an orthometric synthesis principle (OSP) is proposed to calculated the duration time for the vector synthesis, which reduces the computation burden and enhances the robustness. Comparing the existing control method, FV-PMPVC can get similar dynamic performances but better steady-state performances. Additionally, the half-centralized topology using FV-PMPVC can have same speed range while less VSIs are required. The effectiveness of FV-PMPVC is verified by experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owning to the sub-standards being developed by IEEE Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Task Group, the traditional IEEE 802.1 Ethernet is enhanced to support real-time dependable communications for future time- and safety-critical applications. Several sub-standards have been recently proposed that introduce various traffic shapers (e.g., Time-Aware Shaper (TAS), Asynchronous Traffic Shaper (ATS), Credit-Based Shaper (CBS), Strict Priority (SP)) for flow control mechanisms of queuing and scheduling, targeting different application requirements. These shapers can be used in isolation or combination and there is limited work that analyzes, evaluates, and compares their performance, which makes it challenging for end-users to choose the right combination for their applications. This paper aims at (i) quantitatively comparing various traffic shapers and their combinations, (ii) summarizing, classifying, and extending the architectures of individual and combined traffic shapers and their Network calculus (NC)-based performance analysis methods, and (iii) filling the gap in the timing analysis research on handling ATS and CBS used for different priority queues, and two novel hybrid architectures of combined traffic shapers, i.e., TAS+ATS+SP and TAS+ATS+CBS when ATS and CBS used at the same queue. A large number of experiments, using both synthetic and realistic test cases, are carried out for quantitative performance comparisons of various individual and combined traffic shapers, from the perspective of upper bounds of delay, backlog, and jitter. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to quantitatively compare the performance of the main traffic shapers in TSN. The paper aims at supporting the researchers and practitioners in the selection of suitable TSN sub-protocols for their use cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather-related or other types of faults can negatively impact the continuity of the electricity delivery to the consumers and, thus, lead to poorer reliability scores. 90% of customer outage-minutes are due to events which affect local distribution systems. The radial configuration is simple and has a low cost design; however, when a fault occurs it often causes power outages beyond the location of the fault itself. Therefore, it is beneficial for utilities to automatically isolate the fault and, thus, restore power to as many consumers as possible. The benefits of fault isolation and service restoration include, but are not limited to: enhanced reliability and resiliency, reduced loss of revenue to the utility, and enhanced comfort and satisfaction for the utility’s consumers. This paper provides an algorithm to quickly isolate a fault and automatically restore power to as many nodes of the distribution system as possible by opening and closing switches already placed within the system. The expert model and centralized algorithm that are proposed in this paper guarantee an optimal solution and a short run-time regardless of the size of the distribution system. A mathematical proof of the optimal nature of the solution is provided. In addition, the model is validated in practice, solving two different-sized systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the switching process of driving authority for man-machine cooperative driving, it should be ensured that the driver can take over the vehicle safely, stably and efficiently. This paper proposes a driving authority allocation strategy based on real-time allocation domain (RAD), which mainly includes the establishment of RAD and the dynamic optimization. The RAD is a comprehensive dynamic allocation internal, whose range is determined by the corresponding allocation values of driver’s cognitive state, driver’s muscle state and environment state. The dynamic optimization is to search for the optimal driving authority in RAD at any time, and its optimization objectives and constraints all contain time-varying parameters. This work proposes an improved simulated annealing algorithm to solve this problem. Simulation results show that the proposed driving authority allocation strategy can effectively allocate the driving authority according to the current condition and driver’s state, and ensure the safety, stability and efficiency of the take-over process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In renewable energy micro-source applications, a wide range of voltage conversion of the step-up converter is an essential part to equalize the typical low voltage of micro-source with DC-bus voltage of Inverter or motor drives. In order to meet this purpose, an ultra-voltage gain step-up DC-DC converter is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter has made an arrangement of the regenerative-boost fed switched inductor and capacitor configurations. Thereby, due to such an organization of structure, the proposed converter can develop an extremely high voltage-gain even at lower duty ratios. In addition, it has the advantage of lower switching stress across all power semi-conductive diodes. Furthermore, this paper describes the steady-state analysis and comparative features of the converter with existing recent literature. Finally, to validate theoretical analysis and test the feasibility and suitability of the proposed ultra-gain converter, the experimental results were observed by a 500 W fabricated prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcers and chronic wounds are a large and expensive problem, costing billions of pounds a year and affecting millions of people. Electrical stimulation has been known to have a positive effect on wound healing since the 1960s and this has been confirmed in numerous studies, reducing the time to heal, and the incidence of adverse events such as infections. However, because each study used different parameters for the treatment, inclusion criteria and metrics for quantifying the success, it is currently hard to combine them statistically and gain a true picture of its efficacy. As such, electrical stimulation has not been universally adopted as a recommended treatment for various types of wound. This paper summarises the biological basis for electrical simulation treatment and reviews the clinical evidence for its effectiveness. Notable is the lack of research focused on the electrodes used to deliver electrostimulation treatment. However, a significant amount of work has been conducted on electrodes for other medical applications in the field of e-textiles. This e-textile work is reviewed with a focus on its potential in electrostimulation and proposals are made for future developments to improve future studies and applications for wound healing via electrical stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications in data-parallel computing typically consist of multiple stages. In each stage, a set of intermediate parallel data flows (Coflow) is produced and transferred between servers to enable starting of next stage. While there has been much research on scheduling isolated coflows, the dependency between coflows in multi-stage jobs has been largely ignored. In this paper, we consider scheduling coflows of multi-stage jobs represented by general DAGs (Directed Acyclic Graphs) in a shared data center network, so as to minimize the total weighted completion time of jobs. This problem is significantly more challenging than the traditional coflow scheduling, as scheduling even a single multi-stage job to minimize its completion time is shown to be NP-hard. In this paper, we propose a polynomial-time algorithm with approximation ratio of $O(\mu \log (m)/\log (\log (m)))$ , where $\mu $ is the maximum number of coflows in a job and $m$ is the number of servers. For the special case that the jobs’ underlying dependency graphs are rooted trees, we modify the algorithm and improve its approximation ratio. To verify the performance of our algorithms, we present simulation results using real traffic traces that show up to 53% improvement over the prior approach. We conclude the paper by providing a result concerning an optimality gap for scheduling coflows with general DAGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an accurate impedance model for line commutated converter (LCC) in the stationary frame. The commutation overlap process caused by the transformer leakage inductance complicates the modeling for LCC. Traditional impedance models are derived in positive sequence and negative sequence frame based on the simplified commutation overlap process, which degrades the modeling accuracy and limits the description of frequency coupling. This paper systematically analyzes the effects of the commutation overlap process on the impedance model, and the impedance model with the accurate commutation overlap process is established in the dq-frame. For clearly revealing the frequency coupling phenomenon of the LCC, the complex space vector is employed to extend the impedance model in the dq-frame to the complex αβ-frame. A closed-loop model on PSCAD/EMTDC is used to verify the proposed impedance model in the time-domain and the frequency-domain. The consistency between the simulation results and theoretical analysis effectively verifies the accuracy of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linearity of high-resolution current-steering digital-to-analog converters (DACs) is often limited by inter-symbol interference (ISI). While dynamic element matching (DEM) can be applied to convert a portion of the ISI to uncorrelated noise instead of nonlinear distortion, DEM alone fails to prevent ISI from at least introducing strong second-order nonlinear distortion. This paper addresses this problem by proposing, analyzing, and experimentally demonstrating a low-cost add-on technique, called ISI scrambling, that, in conjunction with DEM, causes a DAC’s ISI to be free of nonlinear distortion. The ISI scrambling technique is demonstrated in a 1-GS/s, 14-bit DEM DAC implemented in 90 nm CMOS technology. The DAC’s measured linearity is in line with the state-of-the-art and its measured output power spectra closely match those predicted by this paper’s theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an optimization framework for sequential reconfiguration using an assortment of switching devices and repair process in distribution system restoration. Compared to existing studies, this paper considers types, capabilities and operational limits of different switching devices, making it applicable in practice. We develop a novel multi-phase method to find the optimal sequential operation of various switching devices and repair faulted areas. We consider circuit breakers, reclosers, sectionalizers, load breaker switches, and fuses. The switching operation problem is decomposed into two mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) subproblems. The first subproblem determines the optimal network topology and estimates the number of steps to reach that topology, while the second subproblem generates a sequence of switching operations to coordinate the switches. For repairing the faults, we design an MILP model that dispatches repair crews to clear faults and replace melted fuses. After clearing a fault, we update the topology of the network by generating a new sequence of switching operations, and the process continues until all faults are cleared. To improve the computational efficiency, a network reduction algorithm is developed to group line sections, such that only switchable sections are present in the reduced network. The proposed method is validated on the IEEE 123-bus and 8500-bus systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an on-line monitoring method of IGBT module bond wires aging based on the phase-frequency characteristics (PFCs) of differential mode (DM) interference signal. Firstly, the collector current variation during IGBT chip switching is analyzed, and the relationship between the aging degree of bond wires and the PFCs of DM interference signal is studied; Secondly, a phase angle characteristic measurement system of DM interference signal is built and used to online monitor the aging of bond wires in IGBT module; Finally, taking the buck converter composed of IGBT module as the equipment under tested, the interference signal is extracted by the RF current probe and processed by the low-pass filter and signal amplifier, then the phase angle characteristics are measured by the oscilloscope board to realize the on-line monitoring of the bond wires aging of IGBT module. The experimental results show that compared with buck converter with healthy IGBT module, the phase angle of DM interference signal in Buck Converter with aging IGBT module is reduced. The proposed method does not need expensive equipment such as spectrum analyzer, and only needs to monitor the aging state of bond wires in IGBT module online through oscilloscope board. Besides, the research method in this paper provides an approximate linear monitoring method for bonding wire lift-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are widely used in street lighting, landscape lighting, liquid crystal display (LCD) backlighting, healthcare, etc. As an important part of LED lighting products, LED driver plays a vital role in maintenance costs reduction, energy saving and lifetime prolongation. In this paper, a single-stage LED driver is proposed, which is integrated by a totem-pole bridgeless power factor correction (PFC) unit and several modular LCL-T resonant rectifiers. The totem-pole bridgeless PFC unit and the LCL-T resonant rectifiers are integrated by sharing switches, which can simplify the circuit and reduce the system cost. The output current can be regulated by applying the variable inductor control. Constant duty cycle and fixed switching frequency operation can be achieved as well. The operating principle and the performance of the proposed converter are analyzed in this paper. In addition, a precise parameter design method is proposed by considering the high-order harmonics. At last, an experimental prototype is established to validate the proposed parameter design and variable inductor control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the possibilities of reducing emergency situations and reducing the time of failure in the power grid. The paper contains a detailed description of the method (algorithm) of operation in emergency situations on the example of a Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) located in one of the system-forming (node) stations in the power grid. The level of detail contained in this paper, which has not been previously encountered in previous publications, favors an in-depth understanding of the possible solutions that result from these emergencies. The above method (algorithm) of activities has been developed based on three levels of research: simulation, theoretical and practical. This means that the simulation analysis that was performed based on theoretical information was experimentally tested as part of an emergency situation in one of the system-forming (nodal) stations in the power system. In order to achieve the result described in this article, one of the most promising types of devices used in power systems was selected - the GIS. This has been confirmed by numerous analyzes of the effectiveness of these devices included in this article. The paper contains a detailed description of the individual steps in the field of corrective actions and aimed at minimizing downtime. In addition, this article provides guidance to monitor possible emergencies that are designed to increase the reliability of the power grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of the electrical contact in a gas insulated switchgear (GIS) is closely related to overheating at the contact. However, the disconnector contact is one of the hot contacts in GIS. Therefore, in this paper, the finite element method was used to solve the three-dimensional multiphysics coupling temperature rise field and flow field in the Single Phase in One Tank (SPIOT) type GIS disconnector under different operating conditions. From the perspective of temperature rise field and flow field, this paper analyzed the temperature rise characteristics under different working conditions and explored the feasibility of the direct application of air, CO2 and C4F7N/CO2 mixed gas to an electrical device. The disconnector temperature rise experiment platform was then built to verify the simulation. The results showed that the temperature rise field and the flow field distribution were similar in four gas environments. SF6 gas had the smallest temperature rise, followed by C4F7N/CO2 mixed gas, and the temperature rise of CO2 and air was relatively large. Therefore, from the perspective of the temperature rise field and flow field, it was feasible to directly apply C4F7N/CO2 mixed gas to an electrical device in order to meet insulation requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless networks are envisioned to bring a very high degree of spatial reuse, i.e., multiple links can operate simultaneously without interference. The vision, however, is becoming doubtful, as recent studies found that non-negligible interference exists due to imperfect beam patterns. In this paper, we extensively measure the spatial reuse issue in a dense 60 GHz mmWave network consisting of multiple access points (AP) and users. Our measurement quantifies the impact of interference on network performance and finds that the existing prediction based on interference-resolving approaches are insufficient. Motivated by the findings, we propose MDSR, which enhances the spatial reuse in 60 GHz mmWave networks. Instead of relying on interference prediction, MDSR takes a new measurement principle of building a conflict graph that implicitly takes into account the impact of both beam imperfection and reflections. Using the conflict graph, MDSR improves the spatial reuse from three dimensions: AP association, user scheduling, and beam selection, which can determine the optimal AP-user-beam combination and minimize interference in each scheduling cycle. We prototype and evaluate MDSR on the testbed using commodity mmWave radios. The evaluation results demonstrate that MDSR improves network throughput by multi-folds compared with the state-of-the-art one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conventional sliding mode control, the four-leg distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) currents are controlled based on a current error in each phase. However, the four currents in a four-wire system can not be independently controlled variables and hence one of the four controllers is redundant in conventional schemes. Further, the current dynamics of a DSTATCOM converter are coupled through converter pole voltages in the natural reference frame. This leads to cross-coupling in the sliding variable equations with respect to four manipulated input variables. Considering the above points, in this paper, the current due to Thevenin’s equivalent load neutral-point voltage is considered as a fourth independent controlled variable and the corresponding system dynamic equations are presented. To get a decoupled feature, a new sliding surface function is structured. The performance of a DSTATCOM with the proposed control scheme under various operating conditions is validated through a detailed simulation study and experimental results, obtained from a laboratory prototype of four-leg DSTATCOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inverter-based Volt/Var control (VVC) methods can effectively address issues of voltage deviations and constraint violations, as well as reduce network power losses in active distribution networks. Conventional VVC mainly relies on rule-based, mathematical, or heuristic methods. However, these methods can be inefficient or even infeasible for large-scale systems, especially when operational uncertainties are considered at both spatial and temporal scales. To this end, firstly, this paper formulates a multi-region coordinated VVC optimization problem to simultaneously minimize bus voltage deviations and network power losses. Furthermore, with the problem being formulated as a partially observable Markov Game, a multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) algorithm is modified to solve this problem. Each region, which is a sub-network with a control center, is modeled as an agent and learns to optimize inverter reactive power output setpoints through exploration in virtual environment and improved neural network training procedure. Spatial and temporal uncertainties of photovoltaic power generation and loads are modeled by stochastic programming as scenarios in the MADDPG algorithm. This algorithm can address the uncertainties to guarantee solution robustness. Thus, this paper eventually proposes a robust regionally coordinated VVC method, and numerical simulations indicate high computing efficiency and robust optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large software defined networks use a cluster of distributed controllers to process flow requests from a massive number of switches. To cope with traffic dynamics, this paper studies a new problem of how to improve the residual capacity available at the controllers to handle request bursts experienced at the switches. While the total residual capacity is a constant under a given total capacity of all controllers and a given total workload from all switches, this paper considers the residual capacity available to each individual switch, which depends on how the switches are mapped to the controllers for management. We focus on how to maximize the minimum residual capacity available to any switch. The prior work either provides poor residual capacity or incurs heavy synchronization overhead by simulation results. This paper proposes a new method called indirect multi-mapping that achieves both high residual capacity and low synchronization cost. We formally define a non-linear integer optimization problem for max-min residual capacity under indirect multi-mapping. We then approximate the problem as two sub-problems: switch-controller mapping selection and weight assignment for each switch-controller mapping. We solve these sub-problems and formally analyze their approximate factor. We implement the proposed solution on an SDN testbed for experimental studies and use simulations for large-scale investigation. Our evaluation shows that indirect multi-mapping improves the minimum residual capacity by 49.8% on average and reduces the synchronization cost by 41.9-60.3% on average when compared with the alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dc-dc converters with high step-up DC-voltage gain play a vital role in integrating low voltage DC sources. Though several converter topologies are reported in the recent past, attempts have been made to reduce the components, especially the switching devices, passive elements, converter losses, etc., of the converter. A novel DC-DC converter topology, viz., single switched impedance network (SSIN)-based converter with n-stage is proposed in this paper. The operation of the SSIN based converter in continuous and discontinuous conduction modes are discussed. The effect of parasitic elements on DC-voltage gain and efficiency of the SSIN is carried out. The small-signal model of the SSIN converter is derived. The performance of the SSIN converter is compared with the similar converter topologies. The 500 W prototypes of the SSIN with n = 1 and n = 2 are fabricated, and the experimental results are presented in this paper. To improve the converter performance, SiC-based semiconductor devices are used. The SSIN converter with two-stage has low switch loss at 500 W load, improved efficiency during high power and high output voltage operation, the switch stress of Vo/2, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of Hall-based BLDC motors ranges from automotive accessory components such as oil and water pumps to high speed compressors. This paper proposes a new twelve-step unsymmetrical 160° commutation strategy using a single Hall-effect sensor method for brushless DC (BLDC) motor drives. The signal from the Hall-effect sensor is used to generate a number of pseudo Hall signals via a proposed speed-position estimator. The pseudo signals are then employed to control switching logic of a voltage source inverter (VSI). The effectiveness of the single Hall sensor method is examined on the unconventional 160° strategy, and on conventional 120°, 150° and 180° strategies with promising results. The paper presents a detailed comparison of the twelve-step unsymmetrical 160° commutation strategy with six-step voltage space vector that is used in conventional 120° and 180° strategies, and twelve-step symmetrical voltage space vector that is used in 150° strategy. Simulation results are validated via experimental measurements on a laboratory set-up using a real time dSPACE control environment, a representative BLDC motor prototype, a VSI and associated control components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simple pulse width modulation algorithm for control of an ultracapacitor based energy storage system used for source and load support applications. As opposed to dual loop control philosophy that is widely used for backup applications, this paper presents a simple single loop current control that is only useful for controlling the ultracapacitor based DC/DC converters used in source and load support applications. The proposed PWM blocking method necessitates the DC/DC converter to operate in five states and takes into consideration the essential operational limits associated with the ultracapacitors. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified experimentally using a 24 V laboratory prototype setup. Further, the shortcomings of dual loop control when applied to source and load support applications are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an advanced technique for calculating activation energy of oil-impregnated pressboard through dielectric response current measurement under switching impulse voltage at different temperatures. The proposed technique analyzes the measured impulse voltage and current signals to formulate its equivalent circuit at different temperatures. The equivalent circuit parameters are utilized to determine the shifting of ac conductivity curve along frequency axis with variations in temperatures. Based on the shifted ac conductivity curves at different temperatures, the corresponding activation energy of the insulation is estimated. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is investigated through a few laboratory prepared test samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) increase the magnitude of the electric field on the Earth’s surface (E-field) and drive geomagnetically-induced currents (GICs) along the transmission lines in electric grids. These additional currents can pose severe risks, such as current distortions, transformer saturation and increased reactive power losses, each of which can lead to system unreliability. Several mitigation actions (e.g., changing grid topology) exist that can reduce the harmful GIC effects on the grids. Making such decisions can be challenging, however, because the magnitude and direction of the E-field are uncertain and non-stationary. In this paper, we model uncertain E-fields using the distributionally robust optimization (DRO) approach that determines optimal transmission grid operations such that the worst-case expectation of the system cost is minimized. We also capture the effect of GICs on the nonlinear AC power flow equations. For solution approaches, we develop an accelerated column-and-constraint generation (CCG) algorithm by exploiting a special structure of the support set of uncertain parameters representing the E-field. Extensive numerical experiments based on “epri-21” and “uiuc-150” systems, designed for GMD studies, demonstrate (i) the computational performance of the accelerated CCG algorithm, (ii) the superior performance of distributionally robust grid operations that satisfy nonlinear, nonconvex AC power flow equations and GIC constraints, in comparison with standard stochastic programming-based methods during the out-of-sample testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of beam alignment in a cell-free massive MIMO deployment with multiple access points (APs) and multiple user equipments (UEs) simultaneously operating in the same millimeter wave frequency band. Assuming the availability of a control channel at sub-6 GHz frequencies, a protocol is developed that permits estimating, for each UE, the strongest propagation path from each of the surrounding APs, and to perform user-centric association between the UEs and the APs. Estimation of the strongest paths from nearby APs is realized at the UE in a one-phase procedure, during which all the APs simultaneously transmit on pseudo-randomly selected channels with pseudo-random transmit beamformers. An algorithm for orthogonal channels assignment to the APs is also proposed, with the aim of minimizing the mutual interference between APs that transmit on the same channels. The performance of the proposed strategy is evaluated both in terms of probability of correct detection of the directions of arrival and of departure associated to the strongest beam from nearby APs, and in terms of downlink and uplink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio. Numerical results show that the proposed approach is effective and capable of efficiently realizing beam alignment in a multi-UE multi-AP wireless scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overhead of memory virtualization remains nontrivial. The traditional shadow paging (TSP) resorts to a shadow page table (SPT) to achieve the native page walk speed, but page table updates require hypervisor interventions. Alternatively, nested paging enables low-overhead page table updates, but utilizes the hardware MMU to perform a long-latency two-dimensional page walk. This paper proposes new memory virtualization solutions based on hardware (machine) mode—the highest CPU privilege level in some architectures like Sunway and RISC-V. A programming interface, running in hardware mode, enables software-implementation of hardware support functions. We first propose Software-based Nested Paging (SNP), which extends the software MMU to perform a two-dimensional page walk in hardware mode. Second, we present Swift Shadow Paging (SSP), which accomplishes page table synchronization by intercepting TLB flushing in hardware mode. Finally we propose Accelerated Shadow Paging (ASP) combining SSP and SNP. ASP handles the last-level SPT page faults by walking two-dimensional page tables in hardware mode, which eliminates most hypervisor interventions. This paper systematically compares multiple memory virtualization models by analyzing their designs and evaluating their performance both on a real system and a simulator. The experiments show that the virtualization overhead of ASP is less than 4.5% for all workloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents frequency domain (FD) Norton-type equivalents of single- and three-phase photovoltaic (PV) generators, aimed at transient calculations. The proposed equivalents can be interfaced with a general frequency-dependent network and/or nonlinear loads and include voltage/current sources representing initial conditions aimed at partitioned-time transient simulation. The transient solution is performed via the numerical Laplace transform (NLT) in a sequential scheme by using time sub-windows with corresponding initial conditions and using reduced number of samples. The proposed approach overcomes the issue of computationally heavy simulations as in classical implementations of NLT. Two case studies involving PV generator and nonlinear load are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed FD PV models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To calibrate non-contact sensors with fast response and high scale factor, it is critical to develop step pulse generators capable of generating standard high voltage step pulses and accurately measuring the generated waveform. In this paper, two types of step pulse generators are designed with output voltages of 2 kV and 100 kV. The 2 kV step pulse generator can generate a step pulse with a rise time of ∼300 ps and an adjustable pulse width. A step pulse with a rise time less than 5 ns and a pulse width over 1 μs can be generated with the 100 kV step pulse generator. The uncertainty of 2 kV step pulse generator is then analyzed by simulations and experiments. Finally, a performance comparison with step pulse generators in previous studies is carried out. Bandwidth, linearity and repeatability of the sensors can be verified with the designed two step pulse generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of converters is key to the stable operation of AC/DC hybrid power grids after AC faults. Thyristor valve current is a direct manifestation of the converter observability, but there are no measuring elements inside the converter, so the thyristor valve current can be reflected only indirectly through external electrical quantities. This paper proposes a virtual measurement scheme based on the temporal features of the converter terminal current. First, under the action of the trigger pulse, the polarity characteristics of the AC current and temporal features between the valves are utilized to predictive estimate the valve state. Then, when commutation failures occur and the bypass paths form, the conduction state of valve is constructed based on the relationship between AC and DC current. Last, when the valve is to be shut-off in the bypass path, the blocking state of the valve is corrected based on the unidirectional conductance characteristics of the valve. According to the above analysis, combined with the topological current equation of the converter, the valve current can be calculated in the whole process. Through the simulation of the different valve states and bypass paths and analysis of the field record data, the results show that the valve current can still be accurately calculated based on the virtual measurement scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a cascade blockage model for analyzing the vision that a user has of a wireless network. This model, inspired by the classical multiplicative cascade models, has a radial structure meant to analyze blockages seen by the receiver at the origin in different angular sectors. The main novelty is that it is based on the geometry of obstacles and takes the joint blockage phenomenon into account. We show on a couple of simple instances that the Laplace transforms of total interference satisfies a functional equation that can be solved efficiently by an iterative scheme. This is used to analyze the coverage probability of the receiver and the effect of blockage correlation and penetration loss in both dense and sparse blockage environments. Furthermore, this model is used to investigate the effect of blockage correlation on user beamforming techniques. Another functional equation and its associated iterative algorithm are proposed to derive the coverage performance of the best beam selection in this context. In addition, the conditional coverage probability is also derived to evaluate the effect of beam switching. The results not only show that beam selection is quite efficient for multi-beam terminals, but also show how the correlation brought by blockages can be leveraged to accelerate beam sweeping and pairing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiphase drives with fault-tolerant capability are favored in high-reliability applications. In most fault-tolerant multiphase drives, the fault types and locations must be known prior to the fault-tolerant control. Therefore, fault diagnosis is an indispensable procedure. This paper proposes a generalized method to detect and identify the open-circuit faults (including open-switch and open-phase faults) in star-connected symmetrical multiphase drives with different phase numbers. The selected fault diagnosis signals are calculated solely from simple arithmetical operations of measured phase currents, resulting in easy real-time implementation. As fault detection signals are derived from the physical constraint imposed by the neutral point, the proposed method is naturally robust and not sensitive to operating points, machine transients and harmonics in stator currents. Therefore, a relatively small fault detection threshold can be used and fast detection can also be achieved. After the fault has been detected, the fault type is further identified according to the polarity of the integration of phase currents. Experimental results on nine-phase and five-phase induction machine drives verify the generality, fast diagnosis speed and robustness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper develops two computationally efficient models, namely a detailed equivalent model and an average-value model, with provisions for representation of the critical state of converter blocking, for modular multilevel converters with embedded storage. These models are indispensable in the simulation of dc faults. The developed detailed equivalent model provides accuracy that matches electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations, with much reduced computational burden; the developed average-value model represents the averaged behavior of the converter by neglecting switching transients. Both models are extensively evaluated in the context of an HVDC system against benchmark results form a detailed switching model developed in PSCAD/EMTDC. The results confirm the validity and accuracy of the models for steady state, transient, and faulted operating conditions including when the converter is blocked in response to a dc fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable and reliable operation of high-speed railway requires continuous and reliable power supply of traction substation, and isolating switch is one of the most important electrical devices in high-speed railway traction substation. In this paper, to address the issue of isolating switch accurate localization and state recognition simultaneously, we present an automatic isolating switch segmentation and state recognition framework called ISSSR-Net using multitask learning that consists of two stages. First, an isolating switch segmentation network called ISS-Net is proposed for isolating switch pixel-level segmentation precisely, of which a new structure containing a strip pooling module, a channel attention and three pyramid pooling modules is designed to greatly improve the segmentation and recognition performance, even in complex conditions such as rain, snow and fog. Second, to improve state recognition accuracy, the segmentation map yielded from the ISS-Net and the feature map from the shared backbone are together fed into isolating switch recognition network called ISR-Net to recognize its three states. In addition, a global context block is integrated into ISR-Net to further improve state recognition accuracy. Extensive experimental results on a self-collected dataset from Heishan traction substation corroborate that this paper provides an effective and robust method to achieve isolating switch segmentation and state recognition simultaneously. The M IoU and ${F}~1$ -score of segmentation reach 0.93 and 0.94 respectively, which is better than U-Net and its variants, and other SOTA. The ${F}~1$ -score of recognition reach 1.00, which is higher than HOG+SVM and other deep learning methods that have been experimented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the robust state estimation of automotive radar targets in presence of model uncertainty. Smooth variable structure filter (SVSF) achieves error-bounded estimation for target state, even with an inaccurate description of target kinematic model. However, it suffers the undesired chattering phenomenon especially in case of a high model uncertainty level, and its performance is sensitive to a preset smoothing boundary layer parameter. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid SVSF algorithm to handle these two problems simultaneously. First, we derive a nonlinear generalized variable smoothing boundary layer (NGVBL) parameter based on the conventional Tanh-SVSF method by minimizing the pseudo posterior estimation error covariance. Then this NGVBL is employed to realize an adaptive two-module switching strategy with respect to the uncertainty level to calculate the correction gain. If the uncertainty level is high, the undesired chattering is effectively suppressed by the standard Tanh-SVSF gain. In case of a low uncertainty level, the NGVBL is utilized to replace the preset smoothing boundary layer parameter and reformulate the correction gain. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the NGVBL-based gain is quasi-optimal in the mean square error (MSE) sense. Accordingly, this novel NGVBL-based hybrid SVSF (NGVBL-SVSF) algorithm improves the estimation performance by avoiding parameter sensitivity in a low uncertainty level case, and maintains effective chattering suppression and robustness to increasing uncertainties. Simulation and real-world automotive radar data experiment results show that, the proposed NGVBL-SVSF outperforms existing SVSFs and the classical Kalman filter in terms of tracking accuracy and track continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a data-driven event-triggered cooperative control (DD-ETCC) scheme is proposed for the multiple subway trains to realize speed tracking and dynamic headway adjustment under switching topologies. Firstly, a nonlinear subway train system is transformed into a linearization data model, and the complex nonlinear terms caused by mechanical and aerodynamic resistance and operating environment conditions are estimated by projection algorithm. Then, the DD-ETCC scheme based on the linearization data model and the asynchronous event-triggered condition for multiple subway trains with switching topologies is designed. Theoretical analysis shows that the speed tracking errors of multiple subway trains are bounded, and the headway distances of consecutive trains are stabilized in a safe range with the proposed scheme. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed DD-ETCC scheme of multiple trains is illustrated by subway train simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the issue of network connectedness (NC) in security-constrained optimal transmission switching problems, which is complicated by branch contingencies and corrective line switching. Two criteria are firstly proposed with the principle of preserving NC as much as possible within reasonable limits. By extending the electrical flow based NC constraints, a proposition is derived to associate different cases of NC with the optimum of a linear program, yielding the mathematical formulation of the NC criteria. By Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions, this formulation is further transformed into a tractable version which can be incorporated with existing SCOTS models without affecting the applicability of original solution approaches. Finally, case studies on various networks and SCOTS models demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric power systems are in state of transition as they attempt to evolve to meet new challenges provided by growing environmental concerns, increases in the penetration of distributed renewable energy sources (DRES) as well as the challenges associated with integrating new technologies to enable smart grids. New techniques to improve the electrical power system, including the distribution system, are thus needed. One such technique is dynamic distribution system reconfiguration (DNSR), which involves altering the network topology during operation, providing significant benefits regarding the increased integration of DRES. This paper lays out an improved model which aimed to optimize the system operation in a coordinated way, where DRES, energy storage systems (ESS) and DNSR are considered as well as the uncertainty of these resources. The objective function was modeled to incentivize the uptake of DRES by considering the cost of emissions to incentivize the decarbonization of the power system. Also, the switching costs were modeled to consider not only the switching, but also the cost of degradation of these mechanisms in the system operation. Two systems are used to validate the model, the IEEE 119-bus system, and a real system in São Miguel Island. The results of this paper show that using DNSR, DRES, and ESS can lead to a significant 59% reduction in energy demand through a 24-hour period. In addition, using these technologies results in a healthier, more efficient, and higher quality system. This shows the benefits of using a variety of smart grid technologies in a coordinated manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) is a promising memory technology due to its high density, non-volatility, and high endurance. However, achieving high memory fidelity incurs high write-energy costs, which should be reduced for large-scale deployment of MRAMs. In this paper, we formulate a biconvex optimization problem to optimize write fidelity given energy and latency constraints. The basic idea is to allocate non-uniform write pulses depending on the importance of each bit position. The fidelity measure we consider is mean squared error (MSE), for which we optimize write pulses via alternating convex search (ACS). We derive analytic solutions and propose an alternating water-filling algorithm by casting the MRAM’s write operation as communication over parallel channels. Hence, the proposed alternating water-filling algorithm is computationally more efficient than the original ACS while their solutions are identical. Since the formulated biconvex problem is non-convex, both the original ACS and the proposed algorithm do not guarantee global optimality. However, the MSEs obtained by the proposed algorithm are comparable to the MSEs by complicated global nonlinear programming solvers. Furthermore, we prove that our algorithm can reduce the MSE exponentially with the number of bits per word. For an 8-bit accessed word, the proposed algorithm reduces the MSE by a factor of 21. We also evaluate MNIST dataset classification supposing that the model parameters of deep neural networks are stored in MRAMs. The numerical results show that the optimized write pulses can achieve 40% write-energy reduction for the same classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first to investigate both communication and control in traffic channel (TCH) and control channel (CCH) respectively when considering leader-follower formation keeping in UAV communication networks. In this paper, we analyze the relationship between the mutual interference and information exchange cost, and then formulate the joint channel and link selection problem as a two-way consensus game between CCH and TCH. To characterize the two-way choice of link selection, we creatively propose the generalized two-way consensus equilibrium (GTCE) to capture the stable state. Then, we prove that the formulated game has at least one pure-strategy GTCE which can maximize the UAV communication network utility. A distributed better reply based joint channel and link selection (BRJCLS) algorithm as well as two-dimensional minimum spanning tree (MST) based initialization (TMSTI) algorithm is proposed to achieve the GTCE. Simulation results are presented to show the convergence and effectiveness of the formulated two-way consensus game and proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most microgrid protection schemes found in published literature suffer from a lack of generality in that they work well for the assumed topology, including type and placement of sources. Other generic protection schemes tend to be too complicated, too expensive, or both. To overcome these drawbacks, a topology-agnostic, scalable, and cost-aware protection based on fundamental principles that work in the presence of high penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) is developed and tested in this paper. The protection system also implements stable automatic reconfiguration of the healthy sections of the system after clearance of fault, thus increasing resilience by self-healing. To achieve this ambitious goal, stable inverter models are developed that operate in unbalanced networks in grid-connected and islanded modes, even with 100% IBRs, share power without conflicting controls, and can ride through faults while limiting fault currents. The scheme is tested for primary and backup protection and reconfiguration on the IEEE 123-node feeder in grid-connected and islanded modes with 15 IBRs connected to the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage source converters (VSCs) have been extensively used in power systems for interfacing renewable energies and other modern loads. Because of their nonlinear nature, a proper harmonic model of VSC devices must be established when conducting harmonic analyses in power systems. This is especially true for low-order harmonics, which are routinely encountered in present power systems. To this end, an analytical harmonic model that represents the low-order harmonic characteristics of VSCs is developed in this paper. The new model takes both the control loop and power loop (i.e., DC-link capacitor) of the VSC into account through rigorous mathematical derivations. The final result has shown that the VSC can be represented by a harmonically coupled impedance matrix at harmonic frequencies, which can be easily used for harmonic analyses of large-scale power systems. It also shows that the DC-link capacitor has a more noticeable impact on the harmonic impedance of VSCs with a smaller DC-link capacitance and low-order harmonics. The appropriateness of the new model was verified using EMT simulations and lab experiments. A complete procedure to construct the proposed VSC model is also established based on the research findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a sound separation methodology based on deep learning neural network (DLNN) to extract useful diagnostic material in non-invasive audio-based On-Load Tap Changer (OLTC) diagnostics. The proposed methodology has been experimentally verified on both artificial mixtures (created by reproducing the targeted data by the speakers placed next to the active transformers) and actual mixtures (recorded by the microphone during OLTC live operation in the field). The results show that the method produces high-quality estimates (correlation to referent fingerprints $\rho > 0.9$) compared to other sound separation methods, e.g. Independent Component Analysis (ICA). The proposed framework can also perform source separation from a monaural mixture (mixture recorded with a single microphone only), which is impossible for ICA methods. Moreover, the results show that DLNN trained with healthy OLTC data produces diagnostically valuable estimates even when fed with a faulty OLTC audio mixture. For that reason, once trained, the DLNN can produce the diagnostic signal estimates from monaural mixtures that can be used with existing vibration-based diagnostic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]