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Abstract: This paper provides a solution to address one of the requirements identified in the US Northwest 6th Power Plan, specifically, meeting an increase in the forecasted Pacific Northwest demand with renewable generation. A model is presented which evaluates one source of renewable generation, off-shore wind energy. The model analyzes different wind turbine design characteristics, assigns significance to potential synergistic effects of one design feature on another, and provides an optimized design relative to the cost, environment, robustness, and overall efficiency of an off-shore wind turbine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a novel mathematical method for incoming target detection in a cluttered background motivated by the robust properties of the human visual system (HVS). The robust detection of small targets is very important in IRST (Infrared Search and Track) applications for self-defense or attacks. HVS shows the best efficiency and robustness for the task of object detection in cluttered backgrounds. The robust properties of HVS include the contrast mechanism of figure-ground, multi-resolution representation of an object, size adaptation of object boundary, and pop-out phenomena in a complex environment. Based on these facts, a plausible computational model integrating these facts is proposed using Laplacian scale-space theory and an optimization method. Simultaneous target signal enhancement and background clutter suppression are achieved by tuning and maximizing the signal-to-clutter ratio (TM-SCR) in Laplacian scale-space. At the first stage, Tune–Max of the signal to background contrast produces candidate targets with estimated target scale. At the second stage, Tune–Max of the signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) produces maximal SCR that is used to sort the detection results. Especially, the row-directional-local background removal filter (RD-LBRF) is preprocessed in the horizontal region to enhance the TM-SCR method. The evaluation results of incoming target sequence validate the detection capability of the proposed method from dim, small targets to strong, large targets in comparison with the Top-hat method at the same rate of false alarms. The experimental results of various cluttered background images show that the proposed TM-SCR produces less false alarms (4.3 times reduction) compared to that of the Top-hat at the same detection rate. Finally, TM-SCR after RD-LBRF can maximize the detection rate in horizontal regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposes a fuzzy bilinear scheme including a fuzzy modeling method and a fuzzy controller for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with an additive disturbance input. Firstly, this procedure of modeling describes how to transform a nonlinear system into a fuzzy bilinear system (FBS). For controller design problem, the parallel distributed compensation (PDC) method is adopted to design a fuzzy controller which ensures the robust asymptotic stability of the uncertain T–S FBS with an additive disturbance input and guarantees an H ∞ norm bound constraint on disturbance attenuation. Besides, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the robust stabilization of the overall fuzzy control system via linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, the Van de Vusse reactor (Chen, Lin, Lin, & Tong, 2008; Chong & Zak, 1996; Kashiwagi & Rong, 2002; Li, Tsai, Lee, Hsiao, & Chao, 2008; Perez, Ogunnaike, & Devasia, 2000) with additive disturbance input is utilized to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper is dedicated to the stability analysis of a class of uncertain distributed delay systems, the kernel of which can be modeled as a polynomial function of the delay. The results are constructed by rewriting the system as an uncertain interconnected model. Appropriate robust control tools, i.e. quadratic separation, are then used to address the stability issue. To this end, some relations that highlight relevant characteristics of the delayed term are added to the interconnected model leading then to the conservatism reduction. Finally, numerical examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we introduce a general and robust prey-dependent consumption predator–prey Gompertz model with periodic harvesting for the prey and stage structure for the predator with constant maturation time delay and perform a systematic mathematical and ecological study. Sufficient conditions which guarantee the global attractivity of predator-extinction periodic solution and permanence of the system are obtained. We also prove that constant maturation time delay and impulsive catching or poisoning for the prey can bring great effects on the dynamics of system by numerical analysis. Our results provide reliable tactic basis for the practical pest management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a procedure for robust two-degrees-of-freedom PID synthesis based on a non-convex optimization problem considering the and/or guaranteed costs of the closed-loop transfer matrix as objective functions and constraints together with robust regional pole placement. The uncertain system can be represented by multiple, polytopic or affine parameter-dependent models. The efficiency of the proposed synthesis procedure is illustrated by examples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]