Multi-Step Clustering of Smart Meters Time Series:Application to Demand Flexibility Characterization of SME Customers

Customer segmentation according to load-shape profiles using smart meter data is an increasingly important application to vital the planning and operation of energy systems and to enable citizens’participation in the energy transition.This study proposes an innovative multi-step clustering procedure to segment customers based on load-shape patterns at the daily and intra-daily time horizons.Smart meter data is split between daily and hourly normalized time series to assess monthly,weekly,daily,and hourly seasonality patterns separately.The dimensionality reduction implicit in the splitting allows a direct approach to clustering raw daily energy time series data.The intraday clustering procedure sequentially identifies representative hourly day-unit profiles for each customer and the entire population.For the first time,a step function approach is applied to reduce time series dimensionality.Customer attributes embedded in surveys are employed to build external clustering validation metrics using Cramer’s V correlation factors and to identify statistically significant determinants of load-shape in energy usage.In addition,a time series features engineering approach is used to extract 16 relevant demand flexibility indicators that characterize customers and corresponding clusters along four different axes:available Energy(E),Temporal patterns(T),Consistency(C),and Variability(V).The methodology is implemented on a real-world electricity consumption dataset of 325 Small and Medium-sized Enterprise(SME)customers,identifying 4 daily and 6 hourly easy-to-interpret,well-defined clusters.The application of the methodology includes selecting key parameters via grid search and a thorough comparison of clustering distances and methods to ensure the robustness of the results.Further research can test the scalability of the methodology to larger datasets from various customer segments(households and large commercial)and locations with different weather and socioeconomic conditions.

Deformable Catalytic Material Derived from Mechanical Flexibility for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Deformable catalytic material with excellent flexible structure is a new type of catalyst that has been applied in various chemical reactions,especially electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).In recent years,deformable catalysts for HER have made great progress and would become a research hotspot.The catalytic activities of deformable catalysts could be adjustable by the strain engineering and surface reconfiguration.The surface curvature of flexible catalytic materials is closely related to the electrocatalytic HER properties.Here,firstly,we systematically summarized self-adaptive catalytic performance of deformable catalysts and various micro–nanostructures evolution in catalytic HER process.Secondly,a series of strategies to design highly active catalysts based on the mechanical flexibility of lowdimensional nanomaterials were summarized.Last but not least,we presented the challenges and prospects of the study of flexible and deformable micro–nanostructures of electrocatalysts,which would further deepen the understanding of catalytic mechanisms of deformable HER catalyst.

On the Polygonal Wear Evolution of Heavy-Haul Locomotive Wheels due to Wheel/Rail Flexibility and Its Mitigation Measures

Wheel polygonal wear can immensely worsen wheel/rail interactions and vibration performances of the train and track,and ultimately,lead to the shortening of service life of railway components.At present,wheel/rail medium-or high-frequency frictional interactions are perceived as an essential reason of the high-order polygonal wear of railway wheels,which are potentially resulted by the flexible deformations of the train/track system or other external excitations.In this work,the effect of wheel/rail flexibility on polygonal wear evolution of heavy-haul locomotive wheels is explored with aid of the long-term wheel polygonal wear evolution simulations,in which different flexible modeling of the heavy-haul wheel/rail coupled system is implemented.Further,the mitigation measures for the polygonal wear of heavy-haul locomotive wheels are discussed.The results point out that the evolution of polygonal wear of heavy-haul locomotive wheels can be veritably simulated with consideration of the flexible effect of both wheelset and rails.Execution of mixed-line operation of heavy-haul trains and application of multicut wheel re-profiling can effectively reduce the development of wheel polygonal wear.This research can provide a deep-going understanding of polygonal wear evolution mechanism of heavy-haul locomotive wheels and its mitigation measures.

Dynamic Analysis of a 10 MW Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Considering the Tower and Platform Flexibility

Recently,semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine technologies have received considerable attention.For the coupled simulation of semisubmersible floating offshore wind energy,the platform is usually considered a rigid model,which could affect the calculation accuracy of the dynamic responses.The dynamic responses of a TripleSpar floating offshore wind turbine equipped with a 10 MW offshore wind turbine are discussed herein.The simulation of a floating offshore wind turbine under regular waves,white noise waves,and combined wind-wave conditions is conducted.The effects of the tower and platform flexibility on the motion and force responses of the TripleSpar semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine are investigated.The results show that the flexibility of the tower and platform can influence the dynamic responses of a TripleSpar semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine.Considering the flexibility of the tower and platform,the tower and platform pitch motions markedly increased compared with the fully rigid model.Moreover,the force responses,particularly for tower base loads,are considerably influenced by the flexibility of the tower and platform.Thus,the flexibility of the tower and platform for the coupled simulation of floating offshore wind turbines must be appropriately examined.

Ultrahigh thermoelectric properties of p‐type Bi_(x)Sb_(2−x)Te_(3) thin films with exceptional flexibility for wearable energy harvesting

Use of a flexible thermoelectric source is a feasible approach to realizing selfpowered wearable electronics and the Internet of Things.Inorganic thin films are promising candidates for fabricating flexible power supply,but obtaining highthermoelectric‐performance thin films remains a big challenge.In the present work,a p‐type Bi_(x)Sb_(2−x)Te_(3) thin film is designed with a high figure of merit of 1.11 at 393 K and exceptional flexibility(less than 5%increase in resistance after 1000 cycles of bending at a radius of∼5 mm).The favorable comprehensive performance of the Bi_(x)Sb_(2−x)Te_(3) flexible thin film is due to its excellent crystallinity,optimized carrier concentration,and low elastic modulus,which have been verified by experiments and theoretical calculations.Further,a flexible device is fabricated using the prepared p‐type Bi_(x)Sb_(2−x)Te_(3) and n‐type Ag_(2)Se thin films.Consequently,an outstanding power density of∼1028μWcm^(−2)is achieved at a temperature difference of 25 K.This work extends a novel concept to the fabrication of highperformance flexible thin films and devices for wearable energy harvesting.

A Novel Bi-Level VSC-DC Transmission Expansion Planning Method of VSC-DC for Power System Flexibility and Stability Enhancement

Investigating flexibility and stability boosting transmission expansion planning(TEP)methods can increase the renewable energy(RE)consumption of the power systems.In this study,we propose a bi-level TEP method for voltage-source-converter-based direct current(VSC-DC),focusing on flexibility and stability enhancement.First,we established the TEP framework of VSC-DC,by introducing the evaluation indices to quantify the power system flexibility and stability.Subsequently,we propose a bi-level VSC-DC TEP model:the upper-level model acquires the optimal VSC-DC planning scheme by using the improved moth flame optimization(IMFO)algorithm,and the lower-level model evaluates the flexibility through time-series production simulation.Finally,we applied the proposedVSC-DC TEPmethod to the modified IEEE-24 and IEEE-39 test systems,and obtained the optimalVSCDC planning schemes.The results verified that the proposed method can achieve excellent RE curtailment with high flexibility and stability.Furthermore,the well-designed IMFO algorithm outperformed the traditional particle swarm optimization(PSO)and moth flame optimization(MFO)algorithms,confirming the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Organizational Flexibility in the Literature From 2021 to 2024

The relationship between climate and labor flexibility has been distinguished as an antecedent of performance.In this sense,the objective of this work was to explore the factorial structure of the organizational binomial.A cross-sectional,psychometric,and correlational study was carried out with a sample of 100 employees from organizations in central Mexico.Respondents were selected based on their affiliation with the local chamber of commerce.The results show the prevalence of six factors related to the leadership climate,compensation,structure,logistics,contingencies,and risks.The total explained variance reached 71%,although the correlation analysis and the factorial structure indicate the inclusion of another factor that the literature identifies as entrepreneurial and innovative flexibility.

Effects of Crosswise Appendage Plate Flexibility on the Drag Reduction Characteristics of Cylinder

In engineering applications (Like an ocean riser), fluid flow around bluff bodies generates substantial resistance, which can jeopardize structural integrity, lifespan, and escalate resource consumption. Therefore, employing drag reduction measures becomes particularly crucial. This paper employs the immersed boundary method to investigate the impact of transversely oriented appendage plate flexibility on the drag of cylinders under different Reynolds numbers and distances. The results indicate that flexible appendage plate exerts drag reduction effects on the downstream cylinder, with this effect gradually diminishing as Reynolds numbers increase. At identical Reynolds numbers, the drag reduction effect initially increases and then decreases with distance, with the optimal drag reduction distance observed at D = 2.5. Compared to cylinders without appendage plate, the maximum drag reduction achieved is 30.551%. Addressing the drag reduction issue in cylinders holds significant importance for ensuring engineering structural integrity, enhancing engineering efficiency, and developing novel underwater towing systems.

Flexibility potential of Cs_(2)BX_(6)(B=Hf,Sn,Pt,Zr,Ti;X=I,Br,Cl)with application in photovoltaic devices and radiation detectors

As interest in double perovskites is growing,especially in applications like photovoltaic devices,understanding their mechanical properties is vital for device durability.Despite extensive exploration of structure and optical properties,research on mechanical aspects is limited.This article builds a vacancyordered double perovskite model,employing first-principles calculations to analyze mechanical,bonding,electronic,and optical properties.Results show Cs_(2)Hfl_(6),Cs_(2)SnBr_(6),Cs_(2)SnI_(6),and Cs_(2)PtBr_(6)have Young's moduli below 13 GPa,indicating flexibility.Geometric parameters explain flexibility variations with the changes of B and X site composition.Bonding characteristic exploration reveals the influence of B and X site electronegativity on mechanical strength.Cs_(2)SnBr_(6)and Cs_(2)PtBr_(6)are suitable for solar cells,while Cs_(2)HfI_(6)and Cs_(2)TiCl_(6)show potential for semi-transparent solar cells.Optical property calculations highlight the high light absorption coefficients of up to 3.5×10^(5) cm^(-1)for Cs_(2)HfI_(6)and Cs_(2)TiCl_(6).Solar cell simulation shows Cs_(2)PtBr_(6)achieves 22.4%of conversion effciency.Cs_(2)ZrCl_(6)holds promise for ionizing radiation detection with its 3.68 eV bandgap and high absorption coefficient.Vacancy-ordered double perovskites offer superior flexibility,providing valuable insights for designing stable and flexible devices.This understanding enhances the development of functional devices based on these perovskites,especially for applications requiring high stability and flexibility.

Amphiphilicity-driven octaphenyl polyoxyethylenes regulate soft microcapsules flexibility for better foliar adhesion and pesticide utilization

Pesticide-loaded flexible carriers that allow for deformation and adhesion on crop leaves is an effective way to improve pesticide utilization.In interfacial polymerization,the addition of octaphenyl polyoxyethylene(OP)with different hydrophile lipophilic balances(HLBs)into the oil phase can regulate the flexibility of pyraclostrobinloaded microcapsules(MCs).Due to differences in amphiphilicity and molecular structure,OP redistributed on the oil-water two-phases and oil-water interface.With increasing HLB,the proportion of OP entering the aqueous phase increased.Furthermore,more OP with low HLB remained in the oil phase and occupied the oil-water interface,and these OPs participated in and regulated the interfacial polymerization to increase the thickness,reduce the compactness of the shell,and increase the hydroxyl and ether bond contents in the shell.Therefore,pyraclostrobin-loaded MCs with low HLB(11.5-12.5)OP-7 exhibited flexible deformation,strong foliar adhesion,good scouring resistance,and a high control effect on peanut leaf spot,which the disease severity was 3.67.For high HLB(16),OP-21-prepared MCs with compact shells were safer to zebrafish,which the safety index was 23.81.Using the amphiphilicity of OP molecules to drive their redistribution in an encapsulation system to regulate interfacial polymerization is an effective way to control the structure and performance of pesticideloaded MCs.

Curvature of Flexibility Matrix for Damage Identification in Legs of Jacket Platforms

In this paper a new nondestructive damage identification method is introduced. The method based on flexibility matrix can be used to detect and locate structm＇al damage and evaluate the severity of damage in legs of jacket platforms by modal parameters of a structure. With the modal data for only the few lower modes in both the intact and damaged states, the one-dimensional and two-dimensional distributed curvatures can be used to analyze damage location and the severity. Instead of directly comparing the curvatures before and ＇after damage, the method here uses modal parameters only in the damaged structure to detect the damage and it consists of three parts. First, ilexibility matrix is obtained by use of the absolute maximum in each column. Second, because the legs of jacket platforms are the pipe-like structure, the circumferential flexibility curvature matrix is obtained by use of the circular curvature. At last, equivalent curvature ratio is defined and the curve meaning equivalent curvature ratio and the severity of damage relationship for one element is given through the data of damage severity from ten percent to ninety percent by numerical simulation. Many existing damage detection methods need two steps, locate the damage firstly and evaluate the severity of the damage. However, the method present- ed! in this paper can locate and then evaluate the severity of damage at the same time. The numerical analysis results in- dicate that the present method is effective, useful and only need the first and the second mode data of the structure.

The Flexible Housing： Criteria and Strategies for Implementation of the Flexibility

The design of housing systems is today challenged by a highly uncertain context, dominated by the rapid development of functional and technological obsolescence in inherited housing models. If flexibility is the ability of a system to be easily modified and to respond to changes in the environment timely and conveniently, it can be considered as the antidote to obsolescence or the characteristic of the system that guarantees slippage over time. Our paper focuses on the concept of flexibility as a fundamental prerequisite for residential building in order to extend its life cycle design, through strategies and constructive solutions that ensure both the convertibility of the space in response to changing usage and the use of building materials that encourage the reversibility and the long-term easy maintenance of the technological choices that have been implemented. Flexibility is examined both from a conceptual point of view, so as to obtain a clear and logical definition that is distinct from related terms, as well as from a practical point of view, by finding ways to incorporate this requirement into the designing of housing.

Flexibility中文翻译概念的分析

分析探讨flexibility的中文译文,梳理词典和不同领域的灵活性定义,明确灵活性的属性,为护理工作者在护理学领域正确识别灵活性这一现象提供依据。通过分析发现灵活性的测量工具尚未开发出来,这也是护理工作者研究的方向之一。通过回顾灵活性概念在护理教育中的应用,可加深护理人员对灵活性的认识,促进干预的有效性。

Demand Flexibility of Residential Buildings:Definitions,Flexible Loads,and Quantification Methods

This paper reviews recent research on the demand flexibility of residential buildings in regard to definitions,flexible loads,and quantification methods.A systematic distinction of the terminology is made,including the demand flexibility,operation flexibility,and energy flexibility of buildings.A comprehensive definition of building demand flexibility is proposed based on an analysis of the existing definitions.Moreover,the flexibility capabilities and operation characteristics of the main residential flexible loads are summarized and compared.Models and evaluation indicators to quantify the flexibility of these flexible loads are reviewed and summarized.Current research gaps and challenges are identified and analyzed as well.The results indicate that previous studies have focused on the flexibility of central air conditioning,electric water heaters,wet appliances,refrigerators,and lighting,where the proportion of studies focusing on each of these subjects is 36.7%,25.7%,14.7%,9.2%,and 8.3%,respectively.These flexible loads are different in running modes,usage frequencies,seasons,and capabilities for shedding,shifting,and modulation,while their response characteristics are not yet clear.Furthermore,recommendations are given for the application of white-,black-,and grey-box models for modeling flexible loads in different situations.Numerous static flexibility evaluation indicators that are based on the aspects of power,temporality,energy,efficiency,economics,and the environment have been proposed in previous publications,but a consensus and standardized evaluation framework is lacking.This review can help readers better understand building demand flexibility and learn about the characteristics of different residential flexible loads,while also providing suggestions for future research on the modeling techniques and evaluation metrics of residential building demand flexibility.

Tunnel flexibility effect on the ground surface acceleration response

Flexibility of underground structures relative to the surrounding medium, referred to as the flexibility ratio, is an important factor that influences their dynamic interaction. This study investigates the flexibility effect of a box-shaped subway tunnel, resting directly on bedrock, on the ground surface acceleration response using a numerical model verified against dynamic centrifuge test results. A comparison of the ground surface acceleration response for tunnel models with different flexibility ratios revealed that the tunnels with different flexibility ratios influence the acceleration response at the ground surface in different ways. Tunnels with lower flexibility ratios have higher acceleration responses at short periods, whereas tunnels with higher flexibility ratios have higher acceleration responses at longer periods. The effect of the flexibility ratio on ground surface acceleration is more prominent in the high range of frequencies. Furthermore, as the flexibility ratio of the tunnel system increases, the acceleration response moves away from the free field response and shifts towards the longer periods. Therefore, the flexibility ratio of the underground tunnels influences the peak ground acceleration （PGA） at the ground surface, and may need to be considered in the seismic zonation of urban areas.

Damage localization under ambient vibration using changes in flexibility

In recent years,Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has emerged as a new research area in civil engineering.Most existing health monitoring methodologies require direct measurement of input excitation for implementation.However,in many cases,there is no easy way to measure these inputs-or alternatively to externally excite the structure.Therefore,SHM methods based on ambient vibration have become important in civil engineering.In this paper,an approach is proposed based on the Damage Location Vector (DLV) method to handle the ambient vibration case.Here,this flexibility-matrix-based damage localization method is combined with a modal expansion technique to eliminate the need to measure the input excitation.As a by-product of this approach,in addition to determining the location of the damage,an estimate of the damage extent also can be determined.Finally,a numerical example analyzing a truss structure with limited sensors and noisy measurement is provided to verify the efficacy of the proposed approach.

Effect of Spanwise Flexibility on Propulsion Performance of a Flapping Hydrofoil at Low Reynolds Number

Spanwise flexibility is a key factor influencing propulsion performance of pectoral foils. Performances of bionic fish with oscillating pectoral foils can be enhanced by properly selecting the spanwise flexibility. The influence law of spanwise flexibility on thrust generation and propulsion efficiency of a rectangular hydro-foil is discussed. Series foils constructed by the two-component silicon rubber are developed. NACA0015 shape of chordwise cross-section is employed. The foils are strengthened by fin rays of different rigidity to realize variant spanwise rigidity and almost the same chordwise flexibility. Experiments on a towing platform developed are carried out at low Reynolds numbers of 10 000, 15 000, and 20 000 and Strouhal numbers from 0.1 to 1. The following experimental results are achieved: (1) The average forward thrust increases with the St number increased; (2) Certain degree of spanwise flexibility is beneficial to the forward thrust generation, but the thrust gap is not large for the fins of different spanwise rigidity; (3) The fin of the maximal spanwise flexibility owns the highest propulsion efficiency; (4) Effect of the Reynolds number on the propulsion efficiency is significant. The experimental results can be utilized as a reference in deciding the spanwise flexibility of bionic pectoral fins in designing of robotic fish prototype propelled by flapping-wing.

Flexibility of MIP Technology

The flexibility of MIP technology to meet market demand is mainly introduced in this study. Their commercial application and technical principle are analyzed too. The MIP technology with wide feed adaptability can form a good combination with other technologies. The MIP technology has been applied extensively in China. Based on this platform, the CGP, MIP-LTG and MIP-DCR technologies have been developed, which can further improve the flexibility of MIP technology. Based on its novel reaction control technique with a sole sequential two-zone riser, the MIP users can easily switch to different operating modes between producing either more clean gasoline and propylene or diesel through changing the catalysts and varying the operating conditions. That offers MIP users with enough production flexibility and a rational production arrangement to meet the market demand. The MIP-DCR technology with less dry gas and coke yields can provide a more flexible operating mode since the catalysts to oil ratio has become an independent variable.

Flexibility of a 300 MW Arch Firing Boiler Burning Low Quality Coals

Experimental investigations on the flexibility of a 300 MW Arch Firing (AF) coal-fired boiler when burning low quality coals is reported. Measurements of gas temperature and species concentration and char sampling using a water-cooled suction pyrometer were carried out along the furnace elevation. The carbon content and the size distribu-tions of the char samples were obtained. The char morphology was examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The char sampling was performed on this type of boiler for the first time. The results indicate that the flexibility of this boiler burning low quality coals under a moderate boiler load is better than its flexibility under a high boiler load. Because of the insufficient capacity of the coal pulverizers used,in case of low coal quality the pul-verized coal fineness will drastically decrease under high boiler loads. This causes an increase in the loss due to incom-plete mechanical and chemical combustion. This is the main cause of a low burnout degree of the pulverized coal and the decrease of the flexibility of this AF boiler under a high boiler load.

A Modified Model for Flexibility Analysis in Chemical Engineering Processes

This paper discussed an extended model for flexibility analysis of chemical process. Under uncertainty, probability density function is used to describe uncertain parameters instead of hyper-rectangle, and chanceconstrained programming is a feasible way to deal with the violation of constraints. Because the feasible region of control variables would change along with uncertain parameters, its smallest acceptable size threshold is presented to ensure the controllability condition. By synthesizing the considerations mentioned above, a modified model can describe the flexibility analysis problem more exactly. Then a hybrid algorithm, which integrates stochastic simulation and genetic algorithm, is applied to solve this model and maximize the flexibility region. Both numerical and chemical process examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.