Search results for "TRACK"
showing 10 items of 975 documents
The Sequential Switching Shunt Maximum Power Regulator and its Application in the Electric Propulsion System of a Spacecraft
2007
This paper describes a baseline solution of a Power Conditioning and Distribution Unit (PCDU) for Electrical Propulsion (EP) systems. The solution adopted uses two high efficiency, low-mass power regulators; a solar array regulator (SAR) based on the classical Sequential Switching Shunt Regulator with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) capability followed by a step-up converter to achieve the desired regulated bus voltage. This paper focuses on the first part of the PCDU, the Sequential Switching Shunt Maximum Power Regulator (S3MPR). This electrical architecture has been adapted and recently proposed for the Electric Propulsion power system of the European and Japanese Mercury Mission (Be…
Electromagnetic optimization of passive RFID sensor nodes
2012
RFID passive tags are nowadays starting to be considered more than labeling devices: by properly analyzing the two-ways communication link it is possible to get information about the state of a tagged object, without any specific embedded sensor or local power supply. Despite of the generality and the straightforwardness of the approach, the design of such a class of devices requires specific strategies to make the radio-sensors able to properly track the evolution of the phenomena under observation, jointly optimizing communication and sensing requirements. In this paper the optimization problem is formalized by means of convenient matching charts and evaluated in realistic experimental ex…
Microgrid supervisory controllers and energy management systems:A literature review
2016
Abstract Microgrids (MGs), featured by distributed energy resources, consumption and storage, are designed to significantly enhance the self-sustainability of future electric distribution grids. In order to adapt to this new and revolutionary paradigm, it is necessary to control MGs in intelligent and coordinated fashion. To this aim, a new generation of advanced Microgrid Supervisory Controllers (MGSC) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) has emerged. The aim of this paper is to summarize the control objectives and development methodologies in the recently proposed MGSC/EMS. At first, a classification of control objectives is made according to the definition of hierarchical control layers i…
The comprehensive aerospace index (CASI): Tracking the economic performance of the aerospace industry
2008
In this paper, we described the Comprehensive Aerospace Index (CASI), a financial index aimed at representing the economic performance of the aerospace industry. CASI is build upon a data set of approximately 20 years of daily close prices set, from January 1987 to June 2007, from a comprehensive sample of leading aerospace-related companies with stocks negotiated on the New York Exchange (NYSE) and on the over-the-counter (OTC) markets. We also introduced the sub-indices CASI-AERO, for aeronautical segment, and CASI-SAT for satellite segment. and considered the relation between them. These three indices are compared to others aerospace indices and to more traditional general financial indi…
Optimization of photovoltaic energy production through an efficient switching matrix
2013
This work presents a preliminary study on the implementation of a new system for power output maximization of photovoltaic generators under non-homogeneous conditions. The study evaluates the performance of an efficient switching matrix and the relevant automatic reconfiguration control algorithms. The switching matrix is installed between the PV generator and the inverter, allowing a large number of possible module configurations. PV generator, switching matrix and the intelligent controller have been simulated in Simulink. The proposed reconfiguration system improved the energy extracted by the PV generator under non-uniform solar irradiation conditions. Short calculation times of the pro…
Improved Traffic Signal Detection and Classification via Image Processing Algorithms
2012
An image analysis technique for automatic traffic sign detection and classification is proposed. This analysis makes it possible, after proper training, to detect, recognize and classify vertical road signs from video frames acquired on a moving vehicle equipped with cameras, as well as to identify anomalies with respect to road sign regulations (positioning and visibility). The experimental results show that this technique allows one to correctly detect and classify almost all vertical signs and, mainly in extra-urban environment, it can be considered as highly reliable, apart from being really versatile and user-friendly for road inventory and road maintenance purposes.
Economic analysis on dynamic photovoltaic systems in new Italian “feed in tariffs” context
2013
Dynamic photovoltaic generators, based on the application of solar-trackers, are able to give an increment to the electric energy production from solar source. Their realization and maintenance costs are certainly higher than those of fixed ones. In this paper the Authors propose a method to estimate the increment of electrical energy generation that must be guaranteed by a dynamic photovoltaic generator, so as its realization could be more favorable with respect to that of a fixed generator one with the same rated power. This method, developed by means of classical economic indexes like the Pay-Back-Period and the Net Present Value, takes in to account the economic incentives for the PV sy…
Photovoltaic based active generator: Energy control system using stateflow analysis
2015
At present, most of the grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems are operating at maximum power points and injecting power in uncontrolled way. Thus, active generator will be a good solution to support instantaneous power balance, frequency control and maintaining the power quality with controllable power injection. This new mode of active generator needs innovative power management. The new proposed energy control system for active generator might help to manage the energy within the micro-grid environment. In this work, the focus is to manage the energy among the PV based active generator, load and interconnected grid and energy controller architecture for that purpose is presented. It co…
A new modified Inc-Cond MPPT technique and its testing in a whole PV simulator under PSC
2015
In this paper a new modified Inc-Cond MPPT technique able to lead PV plants to work in the real MPP (Maximum Power Point) under PSC (Partial Shading Condition) is proposed. The new Inc-Cond MPPT technique working principle is fully explained, discussed and then successfully tested in a whole and reliable PV simulator conceived and set-up by the Authors in order to test and compare several new MPPT algorithms. The simulation results show that the proposed Inc-Cond MPPT technique is able to successfully lead the PV plant to work in the real MPP both in the cases of instantaneous and gradual changing of shading and of temperature conditions.
Mono and Stereoscopic Image Analysis for Detecting the Transverse Profile of Worn-Out Rails
2012
AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to suggest a new procedure for reconstructing the transverse profile of rails in operation by means of image-processing technique. This methodological approach is based on the “information” contained in high-resolution photographic images of tracks and on specific algorithms which allow to obtain the exact geometric profile of the rails and therefore to measure the state of the rail-head extrados wear. The analyses and the results concern rails taken from railway lines under upgrading by means of mono- and stereoscopic methods which are appropriate to be employed in laboratory applications or in high-efficiency surveys in situ.