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In this study, nanocomposites with binary elements of poly (ethylene-co-ethyl acrylate)/carbon nanotube (EEA/CNT) were prepared so that their thermal and electrical characteristics and morphology, not reported in any literature, could be measured. For the thermal characteristics, their thermal degradation and activation energy were measured by using the thermogram (TG) curve, which was obtained by a heating from 100 [degrees]C to 600 [degrees]C with a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, after maintaining a thermal equilibrium at each temperature of 25 [degrees]C, 50 [degrees]C, 75 [degrees]C, 100 [degrees]C, 125 [degrees]C and 150 [degrees]C, their thermoluminescence was measured for 20 minutes. Then, the volume resistivity of EEA/CNT was measured by means of ASTM D991. Morphology of EEA/CNT was measured at 15 kV. First, with the TGA experiments, the thermal degradation temperatures of the specimens containing a CNT were found to shift to a higher temperature region, while activation energy values between 204 kJ/mol and 213 kJ/mol were obtained. Secondly, with the thermoluminescence experiment, the specimens containing a CNT were found to show a much smaller thermoluminescence than the specimens without a CNT. Thirdly, the volume resistivity was lowered as the CNT content increased, which is not enough to create a semiconductivity. This is thought to reveal that the melting blend method has a worse dispersibility than the solution method. Lastly, with the measurements of the fractured surfaces from the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) experiment, it was observed that the CNT was dispersed in the form of many lumps as its content increased. Index Terms--EEA/CNT, activation energy, volume resistivity, morphology.

In this paper, the epoxy elasticity factors were investigated by thermomechanical analysis (TMA), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) to improve toughness and reduce brittleness of existing epoxy resin. Dumbbell shaped specimens were made and tested at rates of 0, 20 and 35 parts per hundred resins (phr). TMA and DMTA temperatures ranged from -20 to 200[degrees]C and TGA ranged from 0 to 600[degrees]C. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of elastic epoxy was measured by thermal analysis. Also investigated were the thermal expansion coefficient (a), the high-temperature characteristics, modulus and the loss factor (Tan [delta]). We analyzed the structure using FESEM and have found elastomer particles (elastic-factors) in the elastic epoxy matrix. We have made elastic epoxy by adding elastomer particles to existing epoxy. Generally, the toughness of elastic epoxy can be improved by changing the structure of existing epoxy of poor impact-strength. In addition, we measured the permittivity and Tan [delta] for investigation of the electrical properties of elastic epoxy. The permittivity and Tan [delta] depend on the elastomer composition. Namely, the permittivity and Tan 6 increase according to the elastomer contents. For experimental analysis results, 20 phr was considered an excellent specimen. Index Terms--Elastic epoxy, high impact, high temperature, glass transition temperature, elastic-factor.

This paper presents summaries of the activities of six research active power engineering educators which were presented in a panel session of the same name at the IEEE Power Engineering Society Winter Meeting on February 3, 1997 in New York City. Each of the panelists discusses how research results are incorporated into courses and how students benefit from this approach. Keywords: engineering education, curriculum development

This paper develops an optimization approach using the modal performance measure for the selection of Power System Stabilizer parameters in multi-machine power systems. The goal of the optimization problem is to damp out the sustained low frequency oscillations in the outputs of a linearized power system. Thus, the modal performance measure optimization problem is to select a set of PSS parameters so that the area under the envelop of the oscillatory output response will be minimum. This paper also considers bounded and unbounded PSS parameters and compares the effects of bounds on the end results. Furthermore, this work also shows that the performance measure is not a convex function in the PSS parameters. That is, there exist many local minima and possibly a global minimum. Single-machine infinite-bus and two-machine three-bus power systems are used to show the effectiveness of the proposed work.

This paper presents a new method to solve the problem of economic power dispatch with piecewise quadratic cost function using the Hopfield neural network. Traditionally one convex cost function for each generator is assumed. However, it is more realistic to represent the cost function as a piecewise quadratic function rather than one convex function. In this study, multiple intersecting cost functions are used for each unit. Through case studies, we have shown the possibility of the application of the Hopfield neural network to the ELD problem with general nonconvex cost functions. The proposed approach is much simpler and the results are very close to those of the numerical method.

This paper describes the intelligent distributed controls research laboratory (IDCRL) in the College of Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). The center-piece of equipment is a modern distributed microprocessor-based control system which is interfaced to real-time simulations of power plant processes. Research into implementation issues of hierarchical and distributed control for large-scale power plant systems are now more fully explored at the university level. The microprocessor-based control system has also been interfaced to the PSU TRIGA nuclear research reactor and enables research in optimal, robust, intelligent, and other advanced control techniques for nuclear power plants.

This paper reports on the measured dielectric constants of leaves of two tropical crops, namely rubber and oil palm, as a function of moisture content at X-band. Using a microcomputer-based automated system consisting of a Wiltron scalar network analyzer and a slotted waveguide, the measurements are done based on the waveguide thin sheet technique. Theoretical values from the dual-dispersion model by Ulaby and El-Rayes [13] and from the simple dielectric theory of Fung and Fung [2] are compared with the experimental data. The model from Ulaby and El-Rayes is found to be able to give good estimates of the dielectric constants for the two types of leaf samples at X-band.