Appropriate search techniques to estimate Weibull function parameters in a Pinus spp.plantation

The Weibull function,a continuous probability distribution,is widely used for diameter distribution modelling,in which parameter estimation performance is affected by stand attributes and fitting methods.The Weibull cumulative distribution function is nonlinear,and classical fitting methods may provide a not optimal solution.Invoking the use of artificial intelligence by metaheuristics is reasonable for this optimisation task.Therefore,aimed and compared(1)the metaheuristics genetic algorithm and simulated annealing performance over the moment and percentile methods;(2)the hybrid strategy merging the metaheuristics tested and the percentile method and,(3)the metaheuristics fitness functions under basal area and density errors.A long-term experiment in a Pinus taeda stand subjected to crown thinning was used.According to our findings,all methods have a similar performance,independent of the thinning regimes and age.The pattern of the estimated parameters tends to be acceptable,as b increases over time and c increases after thinning.Overall,our findings suggest that methods based on metaheuristics have a higher precision than classical methods for estimating Weibull parameters.According to the classification test,the methods that involved simulated annealing stood out.The hybrid method involving this metaheuristic also stood out,with accurate estimates.Classical methods showed the poorest performance,and we therefore suggest the use of simulated annealing due to its faster processing time and high-quality solution.

Estimation of Weibull Distribution Parameters for Wind Speed Characteristics Using Neural Network Algorithm

Harvesting the power coming from the wind provides a green andenvironmentally friendly approach to producing electricity. To facilitate theongoing advancement in wind energy applications, deep knowledge aboutwind regime behavior is essential. Wind speed is typically characterized bya statistical distribution, and the two-parameters Weibull distribution hasshown its ability to represent wind speeds worldwide. Estimation of Weibullparameters, namely scale (c) and shape (k) parameters, is vital to describethe observed wind speeds data accurately. Yet, it is still a challenging task.Several numerical estimation approaches have been used by researchers toobtain c and k. However, utilizing such methods to characterize wind speedsmay lead to unsatisfactory accuracy. Therefore, this study aims to investigatethe performance of the metaheuristic optimization algorithm, Neural NetworkAlgorithm (NNA), in obtaining Weibull parameters and comparing itsperformance with five numerical estimation approaches. In carrying out thestudy, the wind characteristics of three sites in Saudi Arabia, namely HaferAl Batin, Riyadh, and Sharurah, are analyzed. Results exhibit that NNA hashigh accuracy fitting results compared to the numerical estimation methods.The NNA demonstrates its efficiency in optimizing Weibull parameters at allthe considered sites with correlations exceeding 98.54.

A Modified Model for Soil–Structure Interface Considering Random Damage of Mesoscopic Contact Elements

The interaction between soil and marine structures like submarine pipeline/pipe pile/suction caisson is a complicated geotechnical mechanism process.In this study,the interface is discretized into multiple mesoscopic contact elements that are damaged randomly throughout the shearing process due to the natural heterogeneity.The evolution equation of damage variable is developed based on the Weibull function,which is able to cover a rather wide range of distribution shapes by only two parameters,making it applicable for varying scenarios.Accordingly,a statistical damage model is established by incorporating Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion,in which the interfacial residual strength is considered whereby the strain softening behavior can be described.A concept of“semi-softening”characteristic point on shear stress–displacement curve is proposed for effectively modeling the evolution of strain softening.Finally,a series of ring shear tests of the interfaces between fine sea sand and smooth/rough steel surfaces are conducted.The predicted results using the proposed model are compared with experimental data of this study as well as some results from existing literature,indicating that the model has a good performance in modeling the progressive failure and strain softening behavior for various types of soil–structure interfaces.

A new NMR-data-based method for predicting petrophysical properties of tight sandstone reservoirs

Evaluating the permeability and irreducible water saturation of tight sandstone reservoirs is challenging.This study uses distribution functions to fit measured NMR T_(2)distributions of tight sandstone reservoirs and extract parameters for characterizing pore size distribution.These parameters are then used to establish prediction models for permeability and irreducible water saturation of reservoirs.Results of comparing the fit of the T_(2)distributions by the Gauss and Weibull distribution functions show that the fitting accuracy with the Weibull distribution function is higher.The physical meaning of the statistical parameters of the Weibull distribution function is defined to establish nonlinear prediction models of permeability and irreducible water saturation using the radial basis function(RBF)method.Correlation coefficients between the predicted values by the established models and the measured values of the tight sandstone core samples are 0.944 for permeability and 0.851 for irreducible water saturation,which highlight the effectiveness of the prediction models.

Microstructure and Properties of Cement Foams Prepared by Magnesium Oxychloride Cement

Microstructural features including pore size distribution, cell walls and phase compositions of magnesium oxychloride cement foams（MOCF） with various MgO powders and water mixture ratios were studied. Their infl uences on compressive strength, water absorption and resistance of MOCF were also discussed in detail. The experimental results indicated that moderate and slight excess MgO powders（MgO/MgCl2 molar ratios from 5.1 to 7） were beneficial to the formation of excellent microstructure of MOCF, but increasing water contents（H2O/MgO mass ratios from 0.9 to 1.29） might result in opposite conclusions. The microstructure of MOCF produced with moderate and slight excess MgO powders could enhance the compressive strength, while serious excess MgO powders addition（MgO/MgCl2 molar ratios = 9） would destroy the cell wall structures, and therefore decrease the strength of the system. Although MOCF produced with excess MgO powders could decrease the water absorption, its softening coefficient was lower than that of the material produced with moderate MgO powders. This might be due to the instability of phase 5, the volume expansion and cracking of cell walls as immersed the sample into water.

Extreme Values of Wind Speed over the Kara Sea Based on the ERA5 Dataset

Extreme values of wind speed were studied based on the highly detailed ERA5 dataset covering the central part of the Kara Sea. Cases in which the ice coverage of the cells exceeded 15% were filtered. Our study shows that the wind speed extrema obtained from station observations, as well as from modelling results in the framework of mesoscale models, can be divided into two groups according to their probability distribution laws. One group is specifically designated as black swans, with the other referred to as dragons (or dragon-kings). In this study we determined that the data of ERA5 accurately described the swans, but did not fully reproduce extrema related to the dragons;these extrema were identified only in half of ERA5 grid points. Weibull probability distribution function (PDF) parameters were identified in only a quarter of the pixels. The parameters were connected almost deterministically. This converted the Weibull function into a one-parameter dependence. It was not clear whether this uniqueness was a consequence of the features of the calculation algorithm used in ERA5, or whether it was a consequence of a relatively small area being considered, which had the same wind regime. Extremes of wind speed arise as mesoscale features and are associated with hydrodynamic features of the wind flow. If the flow was non-geostrophic and if its trajectory had a substantial curvature, then the extreme velocities were distributed according to a rule similar to the Weibull law.

Damage Curves Derived from Hurricane Ike in the West of Galveston Bay Based on Insurance Claims and Hydrodynamic Simulations

Hurricane Ike,which struck the United States in September 2008,was the ninth most expensive hurricane in terms of damages.It caused nearly USD 30 billion in damage after making landfall on the Bolivar Peninsula,Texas.We used the Delft3dFM/SWAN hydrodynamic and spectral wave model to simulate the storm surge inundation around Galveston Bay during Hurricane Ike.Damage curves were established through the relationship between eight hydrodynamic parameters(water depth,flow velocity,unit discharge,flow momentum flux,significant wave height,wave energy flux,total water depth(flow depth plus wave height),and total(flow plus wave)force)simulated by the model and National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP)insurance damage data.The NFIP insurance database contains a large amount of building damage data,building stories,and elevation,as well as other information from the Ike event.We found that the damage curves are sensitive to the model grid resolution,building elevation,and the number of stories.We also found that the resulting damage functions are steeper than those developed for residential structures in many other locations.

Drying characteristics,kinetics model and effective moisture diffusivity of vacuum far-infrared dried Rehmanniae

Vacuum far-infrared radiation(VFIR)drying has recently received many attentions because of its effective and successful applications in drying some agricultural products.The VFIR drying of Radix Rehmanniae was conducted and Weibull distribution function was applied to fit the drying kinetics in this study.The results showed that the increase of radiation heater temperature and the decrease of chamber pressure could reduce drying time obviously.Compared with single diffusion equation,Weibull distribution function had higher precision to fit the drying curves of VFIR drying of Rehmanniae.The effective moisture diffusivity(Deff)increased with the increase of heater temperature and the decrease of pressure.Scanning electron telescope(SEM)analysis showed that more porous surface could be observed after VFIR drying,which is beneficial to enhance moisture diffusivity and drying rate as well.