A framework for home energy management and its experimental validation

With the Smart Grid revolution and the increasing interest in renewable energy sources, the management of the electricity consumption and production of individual households and small residential communities is becoming an essential element of new power systems. The electric energy chain can greatly benefit from a flexible interaction with end-users based on the optimization of load profiles and the exploitation of local generation and energy storage. This paper proposes a framework for the development of a complete energy management system for individual residential units and small communities of domestic users, taking into account both the power system and the final users’ perspectives. All the main elements of the framework are considered, and contributions are provided on the users’ habits profiling, electricity generation forecast, energy load, and storage optimization. Specifically, we propose a linear regression model to predict the photovoltaic panels production, a stochastic method to forecast the home appliances usage, and two optimization models to optimize the electricity management of residential users with the goal of minimizing their bills. The study shows that it is possible to reduce the energy bill of residential users through the electricity optimization driven by dynamic energy prices. Moreover, remarkable improvements of the electric grid efficiency can be achieved with the cooperation among users, confirming that services for the coordination of the demand of groups of users allow huge benefits on the power system performance.     

Radio planning of energy-aware cellular networks

This paper introduces a joint planning and management optimization approach for cellular networks to limit energy consumption while guaranteeing QoS and minimizing operators Capex and Opex. The modeling framework shows that an effective energy-efficient operation depends on the planning decisions. Conversely, it also shows that planning with energy management operation in view yields more versatile topologies than more traditional models based only on Capex. Results for LTE networks are provided and show that savings up to 65% in energy expenses are possible with slight increases in capital investments.     

Reactor cavity cooling system (Rccs) experimental characterization

The development of a new concept for a high temperature gas cooled reactor is strictly correlated to the Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) design. This is the latest heat sink designed to ensure the cooling down of the vessel and other structural materials during an accident scenario. An experimental facility was built at Texas A&M to quantitatively analyze heat transfer phenomena and the air flow regime inside the reactor cavity. The thermal measurements were performed using 18 thermocouples mounted on the vessel surface, 8 on the external surface of one of the cooling pipes and 24 on a movable rack that captures the axial temperature profile inside the cavity. Flow regime measurements were performed with Particle Tracking Velocimetry techniques (PTV), using a high speed camera and spraying a special dust in the cavity for the tracking. The results demonstrate that the main heat transfer mode inside the cavity is the radiation (about 80%); also, they show the complexity of the flow regime inside the cavity due to natural circulation. The experimental conditions were a vessel surface temperature of about 300 °C heated at fixed power and different flow rates for the cooling pipes.     

Spaceborne bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar for remote sensing applications

This paper presents a performance analysis of spaceborne bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Earth observation. Since a bistatic system requires the simultaneous use of two spatially separated antennae, this paper refers to the European Space Agency ENVISAT-1 ASAR as the master mission, i.e. reflected echoes collected by ASAR are gathered also by a receiving-only slave antenna, which is on board a small satellite. Depending on orbit configuration, two mission profiles could be envisaged: two satellites flying along parallel orbits with different ascending nodes, or in one orbit plane with adequate angular separation. It is assumed that ENVISAT-1 is non-cooperative; therefore, signal synchronization and swath overlap and antenna separation control are committed to receiving-only spacecraft. To gain further insight into system geometric and radiometric characteristics and accuracy, several simulations are performed by using a computer code, which accounts for spacecraft orbit and attitude dynamics, sensor pointing geometry and Earth rotation. Numerical results and plots show the potentiality of the system for quite accurate three-dimensional measurements. In particular, thanks to system geometry, it is possible to compute target position and slant range components of velocity. Finally, further potential applications are outlined, also considering additional spin-offs for the master mission.     

A system for classifying mechanical injuries of the eye (globe). The Ocular Trauma Classification Group

PURPOSE: To develop a classification system for mechanical injuries of the eye. METHODS: The Ocular Trauma Classification Group, a committee of 13 ophthalmologists from seven separate institutions, was organized to discuss the standardization of ocular trauma classification. To develop the classification system, the group reviewed trauma classification systems in ophthalmology and general medicine and, in detail, reports on the characteristics and outcomes of eye trauma, then established a classification system based on standard terminology and features of eye injuries at initial examination that have demonstrated prognostic significance. RESULTS: This system classifies both open-globe and closed-globe injuries according to four separate variables: type of injury, based on the mechanism of injury; grade of injury, defined by visual acuity in the injured eye at initial examination; pupil, defined as the presence or absence of a relative afferent pupillary defect in the injured eye; and zone of injury, based on the anteroposterior extent of the injury. This system is designed to be used by ophthalmologists and nonophthalmologists who care for patients or conduct research on ocular injuries. An ocular injury is classified during the initial examination or at the time of the primary surgical intervention and does not require extraordinary testing. CONCLUSIONS: This classification system will categorize ocular injuries at the time of initial examination. It is designed to promote the use of standard terminology and assessment, with applications to clinical management and research stud ies regarding eye injuries.     

Mixed traffic in UMTS downlink

The traffic being transferred within 3G mobile networks will be composed by different information flows with various constraints on the required QoS (bit rate, delays, etc.). In this scenario, flexibility will be a key point for the success of 3G systems. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) offers both circuit switched and packet switched transfer mode, and within each transfer mode, different QoS can be achieved by properly setting physical parameters such as the spreading factor of the physical channels, the power control scheme, the rate of the FEC protecting code, etc. In this letter, we give an evaluation of the downlink performance of W-CDMA UMTS radio interface when providing access to multimedia services. In particular, we analyze through simulations a typical scenario where voice calls and Web-browsing sessions share the same frequency carrier, the former using the dedicated channels (DCH), the latter being transferred on the downlink shared channel (DSCH).     

Experimental evaluation of load carrying capacity and frictional drag in the fluid-dynamic lubrication of discs

In the lubrication of discs, the chosen starting point of the lubricant film has a considerable influence on the analytical determination of the load capacity. When using the traditional hypothesis, the maximum load capacity is defined. A new hypothesis that enables the lower limit of the load capacity of the system also to be found has been defined.To verify that the real behaviour of the kinematic couple is included within these limits, experimental research has been carried out under conditions where the difference between the load capacities is greatest.The test equipment and the test method are described and the experimental results reported.     

Acquisition of CD24 expression by Lin-CD43+B220(low)ckit(hi) cells coincides with commitment to the B cell lineage

The present study describes three subsets of bone marrow-derived Lin CD43+B220(low) (B220(low)) progenitor cells which represent distinct stages in hematopoietic development. These populations differ in their expression of CD24 and ckit and the occurrence of IgH gene rearrangement. B220(low) CD24-ckit(hi) progenitors have their IgH loci in germ-line configuration and are multipotent since they can give rise to B cells, T cells and myeloid cells. B220lowckit(hi) cells which have acquired CD24 expression have retained IgH loci in germ-line configuration and the ability to generate B cells, however, they have lost the ability to generate T cells and myeloid cells. Thus acquisition of CD24 by B220(low) cells occurs concurrently with the transition from a multipotent to a lineage-restricted progenitor population. B220(low)CD24+ cells expressing low levels of ckit are also lineage restricted, giving rise to only B cells and have begun D-J(H) rearrangement, implying that initiation of IgH rearrangement coincides with the down-regulation of ckit expression.