Parameter sensitivity analysis for a biochemically-based photosynthesis model

A challenge for the development of Land Surface Models(LSMs) is improving transpiration of water exchange and photosynthesis of carbon exchange between terrestrial plants and the atmosphere, both of which are governed by stoma in leaves. In the photosynthesis module of these LSMs, variations of parameters arising from diversity in plant functional types(PFTs) and climate remain unclear. Identifying sensitive parameters among all photosynthetic parameters before parameter estimation can not only reduce operation cost, but also improve the usability of photosynthesis models worldwide. Here, we analyzed 13 parameters of a biochemically-based photosynthesis model(FvCB), implemented in many LSMs, using two sensitivity analysis(SA) methods(i.e., the Sobol’ method and the Morris method) for setting up the parameter ensemble. Three different model performance metrics, i.e.,Root Mean Squared Error(RMSE), Nash Sutcliffe efficiency(NSE), and Standard Deviation(STDEV) were introduced for model assessment and sensitive parameters identification. The results showed that among all photosynthetic parameters only a small portion of parameters were sensitive, and the sensitive parameters were different across plant functional types: maximum rate of Rubisco activity(Vcmax25), maximum electron transport rate(Jmax25), triose phosphate use rate(TPU) and dark respiration in light(Rd) were sensitive in broad leafevergreen trees(BET), broad leaf-deciduous trees(BDT) and needle leaf-evergreen trees(NET), while only Vcmax25and TPU are sensitive in short vegetation(SV), dwarf trees and shrubs(DTS), and agriculture and grassland(AG). The two sensitivity analysis methods suggested a strong SA coherence;in contrast, different model performance metrics led to different SA results. This misfit suggests that more accurate values of sensitive parameters, specifically, species specific and seasonal variable parameters, are required to improve the performance of the FvCB model.

Parameter analysis of a photonic crystal fiber with raised-core index profile based on effective index method

Photonic crystal fibers （PCFs） with a stepped raised-core profile and one layer equally spaced holes in the cladding are analyzed. Using effective index method and considering a raised step refractive index difference between the index of the core and the effective index of the cladding, we improve the characteristic parameters such as numerical aperture and V-parameter, and reduce its bending loss to about one tenth of a conventional PCF. Implementing such a structure in PCFs may be one step forward to achieve low loss PCFs for communication applications.

Landslide dynamic process and parameter sensitivity analysis by discrete element method: the case of Turnoff Creek rock avalanche

The great diversity and complexity of geological hazards in terms of flowing materials,environment,triggering mechanisms and physical processes during the flow bring great difficulties to the numerical parameter selection for the discrete element method.In order to identity the significance of individual parameters on the landslides dynamic process and provide valuable contribution to the runout analysis of similar landslide,the dynamic process and associated microscopic mechanism of the Turnoff Creek rock avalanche in Canada are simulated.The present numerical results are compared with the field survey data and the results of depth-integrated continuum method.The final deposit range matches well with the field survey data.It is illustrated that the discrete element method is robust and feasible to capture the dynamic characteristics of large rock avalanche over a complex terrain.Besides,a new method to assess the landslide hazard level based on the discrete element method is proposed.According to the parameter sensitivity analysis,it is demonstrated that the basal friction coefficient and bond strength are essential to the final deposit while rolling coefficient and restitution coefficient have little effects on it.

Parameterized time-frequency analysis to separate multi-radar signals

Multi-radar signal separation is a critical process in modern reconnaissance systems. However, the complicated battlefield is typically confronted with increasing electronic equipment and complex radar waveforms. The intercepted signal is difficult to separate with conventional parameters because of severe overlapping in both time and frequency domains. On the contrary, time-frequency analysis maps the 1D signal into a 2D time-frequency plane, which provides a better insight into the signal than traditional methods. Particularly, the parameterized time-frequency analysis (PTFA) shows great potential in processing such non stationary signals. Five procedures for the PTFA are proposed to separate the overlapped multi-radar signal, including initiation, instantaneous frequency estimation with PTFA, signal demodulation, signal separation with adaptive filter and signal recovery. The proposed method is verified with both simulated and real signals, which shows good performance in the application on multi-radar signal separation.

Comparison of Pharmacological Treatment Versus Acupuncture Treatment for Migraine Without Aura——Analysis of Socio-medical Parameters

This study was carried out in 120 patients affected by migraine without aura, treated in 4 public health centers and randomly divided into acupuncture group (AG) and conventional drug therapy group (CDTG). The evaluation of clinical results was made 6 and 12 months after the beginning of treatment and was worked out as well according to socio-medical parameters. Acupuncture was applied to the following points: Touwei (ST 8), Xuanlu (GB 5), Fengchi (GB 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Lieque (LU 7), treated with the reducing method. In AG, the figure scoring the entity and frequency of migraine attacks drops from 9,823 before treatment to 1,990 6 months after and 1,590 12 months after; while in CDTG, it drops from 8,405 before treatment to 3,927 6 months after and 3,084 12 months after. In AG, the total absence from work amounted to 1,120 working days/year, with a total cost (private + social costs) of 186,677,000 Italian liras. In CDTG, the absence from work amounted to 1,404 working days/year, with a total cost of 266,614,000 Italian liras. If we consider that in Italy the patients affected by migraine without aura are around 800,000, and that acupuncture therapy is able to save 1,332,000 Italian liras on the total average cost supported for every single patient, the application of acupuncture in the treatment of migraine without aura would allow a saving of the health expenses in Italy of over 1,000 billion liras.

Parameters Sensitivity Analysis and Correction for Concrete Damage Plastic Model

In order to understand the effect of hardening ductility parameters and softening ductility parameters of the concrete damage plastic model in LS-DYNA,a sensitivity and reliability analysis of these parameters through a convenient cube unit test was conducted. The results showed that the peak strength strain was independent of the hardening ductility parameter DH,but affected by AH,BH,and CH. The softening ductility was mainly related to the softening ductility parameter AS,but not affected by the damage ductility exponent BS. In case that the model with default parameters failed to match the AS-controlled damage softening phase,an optimized model with an AS correction was developed. The corrected model with the AS value of 2 matched well with the code model,and exhibited good feasibility in predicting the stress-strain curve of different grades of concrete. Moreover,the practicability of the corrected model was further validated by the conventional triaxial test. The simulated curve exhibited favorable consistence with the trial curve. Therefore,the model with parameter correction could provide a prospective reference for predicting the mechanical properties of concrete.

Parameters analysis and application of the differential excitation detection technology

A differential excitation probe based on eddy current testing technology was designed. Sheet specimens of Q 235 steel with prefabricated micro-cracks of different widths and of aluminum with prefabricated micro-cracks of different depths were detected through the designed detection system. The characteristics of micro-cracks can be clearly showed after signals processing through the short-time Fourier transform（ STFT）. By changing the parameter and its value in detecting process,the factors including the excitation frequency and amplitude,the lift-off effect and the scanning direction were discussed,respectively. The results showed that the differential excitation probe was insensitive to dimension and surface state of the tested specimen,while it had a high degree of recognition for micro-crack detection. Therefore,when the differential excitation detection technology was used for inspecting micro-crack of turbine blade in aero-engine,and smoothed pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution was used for signal processing,micro-cracks of 0. 3 mm depth and 0. 1 mm width could be identified. The experimental results might be useful for further research on engineering test of turbine blades of aero-engine.

Seismic isolation analysis of FPS bearings in spatial lattice shell structures

A theoretical model of a friction pendulum system （FPS） is introduced to examine its application for the seismic isolation of spatial lattice shell structures. An equation of motion of the lattice shell with FPS bearings is developed. Then, seismic isolation studies are performed for both double-layer and single-layer lattice shell structures under different seismic input and design parameters of the FPS. The influence of frictional coefficients and radius of the FPS on seismic performance are discussed. Based on the study, some suggestions for seismic isolation design of lattice shells with FPS bearings are given and conclusions are made which could be helpful in the application of FPS.

Interference analysis and novel fractional frequency reuse scheme in LTE networks

Inter-cell interference (ICI) mitigation is always a challenge issue in LTE system. In this paper, several common interference parameters are firstly analyzed for both cell edge users and center users, and then a novel fractional frequency reuse (FFR) architecture based on interference avoidance scheme coupled with power control is proposed to solve the problem of interference management in multi-cell LTE environment. The scheme divides the whole sub-carriers into three groups orthogonally. One is allocated to cell edge users, while another two are assigned to cell center users with different transmitter power. Then a parameter named interference avoidance factor (IAF) is defined to avoid ICI and adjust the number of allocated sub-carriers to match the number of users. The parameter also takes weight factor and fairness factor into consideration. The simulation results show the proposed scheme can improve the performance of cell edge users obviously.

Performance Analysis of Nested-loop Secondary Linear Doubly-fed Machine Considering End Effects

Nested-loop secondary linear doubly-fed machine(NLS-LDFM) is a novel linear machine evolved from rotary brushless doubly-fed induction machine, which has a good application prospect in linear metro. In order to analyze the performance of NLS-LDFM, the mechanism and action rules of end effects are investigated in this paper. Firstly, the mechanism of static and dynamic end effects is analyzed in aspect of direct coupling, winding asymmetry and transient secondary current. Furthermore, based on the winding theory for short primary linear machines, the machine parameters are established qualitatively considering pulsating magnetic field of NLS-LDFM. Finally, the NLS-LDFM performance analysis is supplemented by the finite element algorithm(FEA) simulation and experiments under different operating conditions.

Combination of structural reliability and interval analysis

In engineering applications, probabilistic reliability theory appears to be presently the most important method, however, in many cases precise probabilistic reliability theory cannot be considered as adequate and credible model of the real state of actual affairs. In this paper, we developed a hybrid of probabilistic and non-probabilistic reliability theory, which describes the structural uncertain parameters as interval variables when statistical data are found insufficient. By using the interval analysis, a new method for calculating the interval of the structural reliability as well as the reliability index is introduced in this paper, and the traditional probabilistic theory is incorporated with the interval analysis. Moreover, the new method preserves the useful part of the traditional probabilistic reliability theory, but removes the restriction of its strict requirement on data acquisition. Example is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed theory.

An ocean current inversion accuracy analysis based on a Doppler spectrum model

Microwave remote sensing is one of the most useful methods for observing the ocean parameters. The Doppler frequency or interferometric phase of the radar echoes can be used for an ocean surface current speed retrieval,which is widely used in spaceborne and airborne radars. While the effect of the ocean currents and waves is interactional. It is impossible to retrieve the ocean surface current speed from Doppler frequency shift directly. In order to study the relationship between the ocean surface current speed and the Doppler frequency shift, a numerical ocean surface Doppler spectrum model is established and validated with a reference. The input parameters of ocean Doppler spectrum include an ocean wave elevation model, a directional distribution function, and wind speed and direction. The suitable ocean wave elevation spectrum and the directional distribution function are selected by comparing the ocean Doppler spectrum in C band with an empirical geophysical model function（CDOP）. What is more, the error sensitivities of ocean surface current speed to the wind speed and direction are analyzed. All these simulations are in Ku band. The simulation results show that the ocean surface current speed error is sensitive to the wind speed and direction errors. With VV polarization, the ocean surface current speed error is about 0.15 m/s when the wind speed error is 2 m/s, and the ocean surface current speed error is smaller than 0.3 m/s when the wind direction error is within 20° in the cross wind direction.

STRUCTURE PARAMETERS DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE TEST OF FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

Based on the numerical simulation analysis, structure parameters of the high pressure fuel pump and common rail as well as flow limiter are designed and the GD-1 high pressure common rail fuel injection system is self-developed. Fuel injection characteristics experiment is performed on the GD-1 system. And double-factor variance analysis is applied to investigate the influence of the rail pressure and injection pulse width on the consistency of fuel injection quantity, thus to test whether the design of structure parameters is sound accordingly. The results of experiment and test show that rail pressure and injection pulse width as well as their mutual-effect have no influence on the injection quantity consistency, which proves that the structure parameters design is successful and performance of GD-1 system is sound.

Estimating stellar atmospheric parameters based on Lasso features

With the rapid development of large scale sky surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey （SDSS）, GAIA and LAMOST （Guoshoujing telescope）, stellar spectra can be obtained on an ever-increasing scale. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate stel- lar atmospheric parameters such as Teff, log g and [Fe/H] automatically to achieve the scientific goals and make full use of the potential value of these observations. Feature selection plays a key role in the automatic measurement of atmospheric parameters. We propose to use the least absolute shrinkage selection operator （Lasso） algorithm to select features from stellar spectra. Feature selection can reduce redundancy in spectra, alleviate the influence of noise, improve calculation speed and enhance the robustness of the estimation system. Based on the extracted features, stellar atmospheric param- eters are estimated by the support vector regression model. Three typical schemes are evaluated on spectral data from both the ELODIE library and SDSS. Experimental results show the potential performance to a certain degree. In addition, results show that our method is stable when applied to different spectra.

Application of Particle Swarm Optimization to Fault Condition Recognition Based on Kernel Principal Component Analysis

Panicle swarm optimization （PSO） is an optimization algorithm based on the swarm intelligent principle. In this paper the modified PSO is applied to a kernel principal component analysis （ KPCA ） for an optimal kernel function parameter. We first comprehensively considered within-class scatter and between-class scatter of the sample features. Then, the fitness function of an optimized kernel function parameter is constructed, and the particle swarm optimization algorithm with adaptive acceleration （CPSO） is applied to optimizing it. It is used for gearbox condi- tion recognition, and the result is compared with the recognized results based on principal component analysis （PCA）. The results show that KPCA optimized by CPSO can effectively recognize fault conditions of the gearbox by reducing bind set-up of the kernel function parameter, and its results of fault recognition outperform those of PCA. We draw the conclusion that KPCA based on CPSO has an advantage in nonlinear feature extraction of mechanical failure, and is helpful for fault condition recognition of complicated machines.

Performance of novel 3D printing tools in removing coronary-artery calcification tissue

Rotational atherectomy is an effective treatment for severe vascular calcification obstruction,and relies on high-speed grinding(typically 130,000–210,000 r/min)with miniature grinding tools to remove calcified tissue and restore blood flow.However,reports of intraoperative complications are common because of the grinding force,temperature,and debris directly acting on the body during the grinding process,which can easily cause damage to patients.In this study,three novel grinding tools were designed and fabricated and a series of experiments have been conducted to analyze the effects of tool geometry and parameters on grinding performance,that is,force,temperature,and specimen surface morphology.The results show that these tools can effectively remove simulated calcified tissue and that they have two motions,rotation and revolution,in the tube.At higher rotational speeds,grinding force and temperature increase noticeably,while the amount of debris decreases significantly.In addition,by observing the surface morphology of the specimens,we concluded that the material removal rate per unit time is influenced by both rotational speed and tool geometry,and that high rotational speed and a rough tool surface can improve the material removal rate efficiently.

Deformation warning index for reinforced concrete dam based on structural health monitoring data and numerical simulation

The material mechanical parameters of the dam body and foundation will change when a dam is reinforced during the aging process.This causes significant changes in the structural state of the project and makes it difficult to ensure its structural safety.In this study,a new deformation warning index for reinforced concrete dams was developed according to the prototype monitoring data,statistical models,three-dimensional finite element model(FEM)numerical simulation,and the critical conditions of the dam structure.A statistical model was established to separate the water pressure component.Then,a three-dimensional FEM of the reinforced concrete dam was constructed to simulate the water pressure component.Furthermore,the deformation components that affected the mechanical parameters of the dam under the same amount of reservoir water level change were separated and quantified accurately.In addition,the method for inversion of comprehensive mechanical parameters after dam reinforcement was used.The influence mechanisms of the deformation behavior of concrete dams under the reservoir water level and temperature changes were investigated.A new deformation warning index was developed by combining the forward-simulated critical water pressure component and temperature component in the period of extreme temperature decrease with the aging component separated by the statistical model.The new deformation warning index considers the structural state of the dam before and after reinforcement and links the structural strength criterion and the deformation evolution mechanisms.It provides a theoretical foundation and decision support for long-term service and operation management of reinforced dams.

Three-Dimensional Analytical Modeling of Axial-Flux Permanent Magnet Drivers

In this paper, the axial-flux permanent magnet driver is modeledand analyzed in a simple and novel way under three-dimensional cylindricalcoordinates. The inherent three-dimensional characteristics of the deviceare comprehensively considered, and the governing equations are solved bysimplifying the boundary conditions. The axial magnetization of the sectorshapedpermanent magnets is accurately described in an algebraic form bythe parameters, which makes the physical meaning more explicit than thepurely mathematical expression in general series forms. The parameters of theBessel function are determined simply and the magnetic field distribution ofpermanent magnets and the air-gap is solved. Furthermore, the field solutionsare completely analytical, which provides convenience and satisfactoryaccuracy for modeling a series of electromagnetic performance parameters,such as the axial electromagnetic force density, axial electromagnetic force,and electromagnetic torque. The correctness and accuracy of the analyticalmodels are fully verified by three-dimensional finite element simulations and a15 kW prototype and the results of calculations, simulations, and experimentsunder three methods are highly consistent. The influence of several designparameters on magnetic field distribution and performance is studied and discussed.The results indicate that the modeling method proposed in this papercan calculate the magnetic field distribution and performance accurately andrapidly, which affords an important reference for the design and optimizationof axial-flux permanent magnet drivers.

Analytical and numerical studies on the nonlinear dynamic response of orthotropic membranes under impact load

Orthotropic membrane components and structures are widely used in building structures, instruments and meters, electronic engineering, space and aeronautics, etc., because of their light weights. However, the same lightweight combined with low stiffness make membranes prone to vibration under dynamic loads, and in some cases the vibration may lead to structural failure. Herein, the undamped nonlinear vibration response of pretension rectangular orthotropic membrane structures subjected to impact loading is studied by analytical and numerical methods. The analytical solution is obtained by solving the governing equations by the Bubnov-Galerkin method and the Lindstedt-Poincare perturbation method. Numerical analysis has also been carried out based on the same theoretical model. The analytical and numerical results have been compared and analyzed, and the influence of various model parameters on membrane vibration discussed. The results obtained herein provide some theoretical basis for the vibration control and dynamic design of orthotropic membrane components and structures.

Characterization of Surface Hardness and Microstructure of High Performance Concrete

The relationship between compressive strength obtained by universal testing machine and rebound value obtained by the hammer of high performance concrete was systematically investigated at the macro level. And a model of high performance concrete strength curve was established from them. At the micro level, the microstructure, hydration products and pore structure of concrete surface were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, comprehensive thermal analysis（TG-DSC） and mercury intrusion porosimetry（MIP）, respectively. The effect of carbonation on surface strength was also investigated. The results showed that the concrete surface hardness layer grew rapidly at early stage and then stabilized at last with ongoing curing age; the rebound value and compressive strength of concrete with slag were higher than those of concrete with the same content of fly ash. In addition, the strength curve obtained by the least square method can satisfy the local standard requirements with an average relative error of 8.9% and a relative standard deviation of 11.3%. When the carbonation depth was 6 mm, the compressive strength calculated by national uniform strength curve was 25 PMa higher than that by high performance concrete.