Search results for "Control and Optimization"
showing 10 items of 448 documents
Distributed and proximity-constrained C-means for discrete coverage control
2018
In this paper we present a novel distributed coverage control framework for a network of mobile agents, in charge of covering a finite set of points of interest (PoI), such as people in danger, geographically dispersed equipment or environmental landmarks. The proposed algorithm is inspired by C-Means, an unsupervised learning algorithm originally proposed for non-exclusive clustering and for identification of cluster centroids from a set of observations. To cope with the agents' limited sensing range and avoid infeasible coverage solutions, traditional C-Means needs to be enhanced with proximity constraints, ensuring that each agent takes into account only neighboring PoIs. The proposed co…
The impact of systemic and illiquidity risk on financing with risky collateral
2015
Abstract Repurchase agreements (repos) are one of the most important sources of funding liquidity for many financial investors and intermediaries. In a repo, some assets are given by a borrower as collateral in exchange of funding. The capital given to the borrower is the market value of the collateral, reduced by an amount termed as haircut (or margin). The haircut protects the capital lender from loss of value of the collateral contingent on the borrower׳s default. For this reason, the haircut is typically calculated with a simple Value at Risk estimation of the collateral for the purpose of preventing the risk associated to volatility. However, other risk factors should be included in th…
DEMAND Project: Bottom-Up Aggregation of Prosumers in Distribution Networks
2018
The paper explains the concept of the DEMAND project, whose aim is to develop a technical framework for allowing a Bottom-Up aggregation of prosumers connected to the distribution grid. Load and generation aggregation is a very current issue given the great potential that the coordinated management of distributed resources has on power systems operation and design. The novelty in DEMAND is the absence of a physical aggregator and the recourse to a virtual aggregation environment (VAE) for allowing the exchange of information among the prosumers in order to provide a service to the DSO. After a general description of the research project, the paper presents the services that the aggregated c…
A Review of Key Performance Indicators for Building Flexibility Quantification to Support the Clean Energy Transition
2021
The transition to a sustainable society and a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 requires extensive deployment of renewable energy sources that, due to the aleatority and non-programmability of most of them, may seriously affect the stability of existing power grids. In this context, buildings are increasingly being seen as a potential source of energy flexibility for the power grid. In literature, key performance indicators, allowing different aspects of the load management, are used to investigate buildings’ energy flexibility. The paper reviews existing indicators developed in the context of theoretical, experimental and numerical studies on flexible buildings, outlining the current status a…
Wave Energy Assessment around the Aegadian Islands (Sicily)
2019
This paper presents the estimation of the wave energy potential around the Aegadian islands (Italy), carried out on the basis of high resolution wave hindcast. This reanalysis was developed employing Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) and WAVEWATCH III ® models for the modelling of the atmosphere and the waves, respectively. Wave climate has been determined using the above-mentioned 32-year dataset covering the years from 1979 to 2010. To improve the information about wave characteristics regarding spatial details, i.e., increasing wave model resolution, especially in the nearshore region around the islands, a SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) wave propagation model was used. Results obtai…
Objective function design for robust optimality of linear control under state-constraints and uncertainty
2009
We consider a model for the control of a linear network flow system with unknown but bounded demand and polytopic bounds on controlled flows. We are interested in the problem of finding a suitable objective function that makes robust optimal the policy represented by the so-called linear saturated feedback control. We regard the problem as a suitable differential game with switching cost and study it in the framework of the viscosity solutions theory for Bellman and Isaacs equations. © 2009 EDP Sciences, SMAI.
Electric Field Effect on the Thermal Decomposition and Co-combustion of Straw with Solid Fuel Pellets
2019
The aim of this study was to provide more effective use of straw for energy production by co-firing wheat straw pellets with solid fuels (wood, peat pellets) under additional electric control of the combustion characteristics at thermo-chemical conversion of fuel mixtures. Effects of the DC electric field on the main combustion characteristics were studied experimentally using a fixed-bed experimental setup with a heat output up to 4 kW. An axisymmetric electric field was applied to the flame base between the positively charged electrode and the grounded wall of the combustion chamber. The experimental study includes local measurements of the composition of the gasification gas, flame tempe…
Mapping Seasonal Variability of Buildings Electricity Demand profiles in Mediterranean Small Islands
2023
In communities with a high tourist influx and warm climate, such as Mediterranean small islands, the energy demands for space cooling and domestic hot water are expected to significantly increase during summer. Considering the current energy context, for succeeding energy transition and reducing the dependency on not endogenous fossil fuels, it is paramount to increase the deployment of renewable sources of energy, especially wind and solar which, however, are aleatory and unpredictable. Hence, to reduce the high costs for energy supply in these contexts, the analysis of the variation of energy consumption is fundamental. Moreover, mapping the spatial distribution of energy profiles can be …
Design of the CGAL 3D Spherical Kernel and application to arrangements of circles on a sphere
2009
AbstractThis paper presents a cgal kernel for algorithms manipulating 3D spheres, circles, and circular arcs. The paper makes three contributions. First, the mathematics underlying two non-trivial predicates are presented. Second, the design of the kernel concept is developed, and the connexion between the mathematics and this design is established. In particular, we show how two different frameworks can be combined: one for the general setting, and one dedicated to the case where all the objects handled lie on a reference sphere. Finally, an assessment about the efficacy of the 3D Spherical Kernel is made through the calculation of the exact arrangement of circles on a sphere. On average w…
High-Speed Machines: Typologies, Standards, and Operation under PWM Supply
2018
This paper presents an overview of the most recent state of the art in the field of high-speed electric machines fed through high-frequency converters. This type of systems is rapidly wide spreading in aeronautical and automotive applications, as well as microturbines. Each typology has its own advantages and downsides, which are analytically presented in this paper. Some types of high-speed electric machines require high-frequency voltage supply, highly stressing the dielectric materials of the winding insulation system. For this reason, in high-speed electric drives, premature failure may occur and a reduction of the total system reliability has been observed in the past years. Such issue…