Development of a Bias Compensating Q-Learning Controller for a Multi-Zone HVAC Facility

We present the development of a bias compensating reinforcement learning(RL)algorithm that optimizes thermal comfort(by minimizing tracking error)and control utilization(by penalizing setpoint deviations)in a multi-zone heating,ventilation,and air-conditioning(HVAC)lab facility subject to unmeasurable disturbances and unknown dynamics.It is shown that the presence of unmeasurable disturbance results in an inconsistent learning equation in traditional RL controllers leading to parameter estimation bias(even with integral action support),and in the extreme case,the divergence of the learning algorithm.We demonstrate this issue by applying the popular Q-learning algorithm to linear quadratic regulation(LQR)of a multi-zone HVAC environment and showing that,even with integral support,the algorithm exhibits bias issue during the learning phase when the HVAC disturbance is unmeasurable due to unknown heat gains,occupancy variations,light sources,and outside weather changes.To address this difficulty,we present a bias compensating learning equation that learns a lumped bias term as a result of disturbances(and possibly other sources)in conjunction with the optimal control parameters.Experimental results show that the proposed scheme not only recovers the bias-free optimal control parameters but it does so without explicitly learning the dynamic model or estimating the disturbances,demonstrating the effectiveness of the algorithm in addressing the above challenges.

一种求解复杂平面机构奇异位置的分析图解法

提出了复杂多环路平面机构奇异位置分析的一种简明的分析图解方法 ,即先将机构分解为基本运动链 ,再导出基本运动链的奇异性条件 ,后由其相应的奇异几何图形 ,解出其机构的奇异位置。揭示了机构奇异性分析的三个重要结论。还给出了任意复杂多环路平面机构可能产生奇异位置总数的上限计算公式。最后举例说明了一个双环复杂机构的奇异位置求解过程。

Research on big data applications in Global Energy Interconnection

Construction of Global Energy Interconnection(GEI) is regarded as an effective way to utilize clean energy and it has been a hot research topic in recent years. As one of the enabling technologies for GEI, big data is accompanied with the sharing, fusion and comprehensive application of energy related data all over the world. The paper analyzes the technology innovation direction of GEI and the advantages of big data technologies in supporting GEI development, and then gives some typical application scenarios to illustrate the application value of big data. Finally, the architecture for applying random matrix theory in GEI is presented.

Effects of ration level and feeding frequency on digestibility in juvenile soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis

The effects of ration level and feeding frequency on digestibility in juvenile soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis, were investigated. Four ration levels 1.5%, 2.5%, 4.0% and satiation （6.0% BW/d） were used. Apparent digestibility （AD） of dry matter （DMAD）, protein （PAD） and protein real digestibility （PRD） were significantly affected by ration level, but not by feeding frequency when the ration level was similar. However, the feeding frequency affected the AD, DMAD, PAD and PRD significantly when the turtles were fed to satiation. The relationship between fecal protein content （Y） and protein intake （At） can be expressed as a quadric equation： Y=-0.1742＋0.1476X-0.0003X^2 （r^2=0.876, n=27, F=93.92, P〈0.01）.

Cu(II) Propionyl-Thiazole Thiosemicarbazone Complexes: Crystal Structure, Inhibition of Human Topoisomerase IIα, and Activity against Breast Cancer Cells

Two new thiosemicarbazone ligands, 2-propionylthiazole ethylthiosemicarbazone (PTZ-ETSC), and 2-propionylthiazole tert-butylthiosemicarbazone (PTZ-tBTSC), along with their two copper(II) complexes, [Cu(PTZ-ETSC)Cl] and [Cu(PTZ-tBTSC)Cl], are reported here for the first time. Once characterized by NMR and MS, these mono-anionic tridentate ligands were reacted with Cu2+ to form the square planar metal complexes [Cu(PTZ-ETSC)Cl] and [Cu(PTZ-tBTSC)Cl]. The x-ray crystal structure of the [Cu(PTZ-tBTSC)Cl] complex shows that the complex adopts a square planar arrangement around the copper(II) ion, but forms a sulfur-bridged dimer in the solid state. Both of the copper complexes displayed strong inhibition of human topoisomerase IIα at activities between 2-4 μM for [Cu(PTZ-ETSC)Cl], and between 8-10 μM for the [Cu(PTZ-tBTSC)Cl] complex. The EC50 values for the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line were 82.6 μM for (PTZ-ETSC), 17.9 μM for [Cu(PTZ- ETSC)Cl], 97.8 μM for (PTZ-tBTSC), and 1.41 μM for [Cu(PTZ-tBTSC)Cl]. The EC50 values for the MCF7 breast cancer cell lines were 9.36 μM for (PTZ-ETSC), 0.13 μM for [Cu(PTZ-ETSC)Cl], 0.333 μM for (PTZ-tBTSC), and 0.093 μM for [Cu(PTZ-tBTSC)Cl].

Cu(II) Benzoylpyridine Thiosemicarbazone Complexes: Inhibition of Human Topoisomerase IIα and Activity against Breast Cancer Cells

The focus of this research is on the study of a series of copper (II) benzoylpyridine thiosemicarbazone complexes. Of the six benzoylpyridine thiosemicarbazone ligands used in this study, two are reported for the first time;2-benzoylpyridine tert-butyl thiosemicarbazone (BZP-tBTSC), and 2-benzoylpyridine benzyl thiosemicarbazone (BZP-BzTSC). Once characterized by NMR, melting point, and MS, these mono-anionic tridentate ligands were then reacted with Cu2+ to form the new square planar metal complexes [Cu(BZP-tBTSC)Cl] and [Cu(BZP-BzTSC)Cl]. All of the copper complexes display marked inhibition of human topoisomerase IIα. The [Cu(BZP-tBTSC)Cl] complex shows marked activity against human breast cancer cell lines.

Optimization of the gas separation performance of polyurethane–zeolite 3A and ZSM-5 mixed matrix membranes using response surface methodology

In the present work, the response surface method software was used with five measurement levels with three factors.These were applied for the optimization of operating parameters that affected gas separation performance of polyurethane–zeolite 3A, ZSM-5 mixed matrix membranes.The basis of the experiments was a rotatable central composite design(CCD).The three independent variables studied were: zeolite content(0–24 wt%), operating temperature(25–45 ℃) and operating pressure(0.2–0.1 MPa).The effects of these three variables on the selectivity and permeability membranes were studied by the analysis of variance(ANOVA).Optimal conditions for the enhancement of gas separation performances of polyurethane–3A zeolite were found to be 18 wt%, 30 ℃ and 0.8 MPa respectively.Under these conditions, the permeabilities of carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen and nitrogen gases were measured at 138.4, 22.9, 15.7 and 6.4 Barrer respectively while the CO_2/CH_4, CO_2/N_2 and O_2/N_2 selectivities were 5.8, 22.5 and 2.5, respectively.Also, the optimal conditions for improvement of the gas separation performance of polyurethane–ZSM 5 were found to be 15.64 wt%, 30 ℃ and 4 bar.The permeabilities of these four gases(i.e.carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen and nitrogen) were 164.7, 21.2, 21.5 and 8.1 Barrer while the CO_2/CH_4, CO_2/N_2 and O_2/N_2 selectivities were 7.8, 20.6 and 2.7 respectively.

Instantaneous Point, Line, and Plane Motions Using a Clifford Algebra

The motions of points, lines, and planes, embedded in a rigid body are expressed in a unified algebraic framework using a Clifford algebra. A Clifford algebra based displacement operator is addressed and its higher derivatives from which the coordinate-independent characteristic numbers with simple geometric meaning are defined. Because of the coordinate independent feature, no tedious coordinate transformation typically found in the conventional instantaneous invariants methods is needed.

PI and RST Control Design and Comparison for Matrix Converters Using Venturini Modulation Strategy

This paper presents a thorough design and comparative study of two popular control techniques, i.e., classical Proportional Integral (PI) and RST, for Matrix Converters (MCs) in terms of tracking the reference and robustness. The output signal of MCs is directly affected by unbalanced grid voltage. Some research works have attempted to overcome this problem with PI control. However, this technique is known to offer lower performance when it is used in complex and nonlinear systems. On the other hand, RST control offers better performance, even in case of highly nonlinear systems. Therefore, the RST can achieve better performance to overcome the limitation of PI control of nonlinear systems. In this paper, a RST control method is proposed as output current controller to improve the performance of the MC powered by unbalanced grid voltage. The overall operating principle, Venturini modulation strategy of MC, PI control and characteristics of RST are presented.

Comparison of Serum Phospholipase A₂Activities of All Known Extant Crocodylian Species

Serum samples from all 23 extant crocodilian species were tested for phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity against nine different bacterial species. The data were used?to generate a PLA2 activity profile for each crocodilian species, and the data were used to compare the activities of the three main lineages (Alligatoridae,?Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae), the seven different genera, and to compare all?of the 23 individual species. The data revealed that the three lineages ofcrocodilians (Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae) exhibited PLA2 activities toward nine species of bacteria that were statistically?distinguishable. In?addition,?the PLA2 activities of crocodilians in a specific genus tended to be more similar to other?members in their genus than to members of other crocodilian genera.

New Copper (II), Palladium (II), and Platinum (II) 2-Acetylpyrazine Tert-Butylthiosemicarbazone Complexes: Inhibition of Human Topoisomerase IIα and Activity against Breast Cancer Cells

The new ligand, 2-acetylpyrazine-tertbutylthiosemicarbazone (APZ-tBTSC), and its Cu(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes have been synthesized. This ligand coordinates to the metal ions in a tridentate monoanionic fashion forming monometallic complexes with the formula [M(APZ-tBTSC)Cl]. The ligand and the three metal complexes [Cu(APZ-tBTSC)Cl], [Pd(APZ-tBTSC)Cl], and [Pt(APZ-tBTSC)Cl] were tested for anti-proliferative biological behavior with a panel of seven microbes, and the copper and palladium complexes were found to be highly active against Gram positive bacteria. The 4 compounds were also tested in human topoisomerase IIα DNA relaxation assays and all three metal complexes had topoisomerase inhibition at a concentration between 4 - 6 micro-molar. The 4 compounds were also tested for activity with the HEK293T cell line and also the breast cell cancer line, MDA-MB-231. The most effective compound for activity against the HEK293T cell line was the [Cu(APZ-tBTSC)Cl] complex, and the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line was the [Pt(APZ-tBTSC)Cl] complex.

Identification of Bridge Movement Mechanisms

Bridge behavior is highly dependent upon the movement mechanisms present throughout the structure. These mechanisms (e.g. bearing, joints, etc.) have a substantial impact on the long-term durability and potential safety of the structure. A major distinguisher between the varieties of movement systems is their operating timescale. In some cases, they function rapidly, within fractions of a second, and in other cases gradually over days, months or even years. However, in nearly all cases, the lifecycle of the movement system is shorter than that of the bridge assuring the need for future intervention. Breakdown of a movement system can produce unintended forces/deformations that progressively degrade the structure. Identification and tracking of movement mechanisms proactively address long-term durability by helping to avoid these unintended consequences. A general framework for characterization of these mechanisms was developed. This framework was applied to an operating bridge that includes several critical mechanisms operating over different timescales. As a result of this and other studies, recommendations are provided for identification of bridge movement systems.

Raccoon Use of Den Trees and Plant Associations in Western Mesophytic Forests: Tree Attributes and Availability or Landscape Heterogeneity?

We monitored 15 radio-collared raccoons (Procyon lotor) on Davies Island in March 1987 - May 1988 to determine the extent to which individual tree attributes or spatial configuration of plant associations (habitat types) across the landscape influenced den use. Of 1091 verified den sites, 428 were in tree cavities. Raccoon occurrence among 4 cover types differed from that expected based on the total area of each across the island and varied across all seasons for all habitat types except Cedar Wood. Preference varied among age and sex groups and across seasons with some groups showing opposite selection for the same cover type in different seasons. Species and diameter-class distributions of selected den trees differed from a random sample of trees across the landscape. Species composition of trees with cavities also differed from the species composition across the study area. American beech (Fagus grandifolia—relative abundance 8.7%) was over-represented in the sample of trees with cavities (29.4%) and trees selected as dens (65%);diameter at breast height (dbh) of beech den trees averaged 80.0 cm, whereas all beech trees averaged 71.2 cm. For all species combined, mean dbh of den trees was 78.4 cm as compared to trees with cavities (67.6 cm), or all trees (50.4 cm). The relative availability of large, cavity-prone tree species was related to previous logging practices.

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Power System Applications: An Overview

Due to increasing complexity, uncertainty and data dimensions in power systems, conventional methods often meet bottlenecks when attempting to solve decision and control prob- lems. Therefore, data-driven methods toward solving such prob- lems are being extensively studied. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is one of these data-driven methods and is regarded as real artificial intelligence (AI). DRL is a combination of deep learning (DL) and reinforcement learning (RL). This field of research has been applied to solve a wide range of complex sequential decision-making problems, including those in power systems. This paper firstly reviews the basic ideas, models, algorithms and techniques of DRL. Applications in power systems such as energy management, demand response, electricity market, operational control, and others are then considered. In addition, recent advances in DRL including the combination of RL with other classical methods, and the prospect and challenges of applications in power systems are also discussed.

An Accurate and Real-time Method of Self-blast Glass Insulator Location Based on Faster R-CNN and U-net with Aerial Images

This paper proposes a new deep learning framework for the location of broken insulators(in particular the self-blast glass insulator)in aerial images.We address the broken insulators location problem in a low signal-noise-ratio(SNR)setting.We deal with two modules:1)object detection based on Faster R-CNN,and 2)classification of pixels based on U-net.For the first time,our paper combines the above two modules.This combination is motivated as follows:Faster R-CNN is used to improve SNR,while the U-net is used for classification of pixels.A diverse aerial image set measured by a power grid in China is tested to validate the proposed approach.Furthermore,a comparison is made among different methods and the result shows that our approach is accurate in real time.

Phase stability and mechanical properties of wire+arc additively manufactured H13 tool steel at elevated temperatures

Wire+arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)is considered an innovative technology that can change the manufacturing landscape in the near future.WAAM offers the benefits of inexpensive initial system setup and a high deposition rate for fabricating medium-and large-sized parts such as die-casting tools.In this study,AISI H13 tool steel,a popular die-casting tool metal,is manufactured by cold metal transfer(CMT)-based WAAM and is then comprehensively analyzed for its microstructural and mechanical properties.Location-dependent phase combinations are observed,which could be explained by nonequilibrium thermal cycles that resulted from the layer-by-layer stacking mechanism used in WAAM.In addition,remelting and reheating of the layers reduces welding anomalies(e.g.,pores and voids).The metallurgical characteristics of the H13 strongly correlate with the mechanical properties.The combinations of phases at different locations of the additively manufactured part exhibit a periodic microhardness profile.Martensite,Retained Austenite,Ferrite,and Carbide phases are found in combination at different locations of the part based on the part’s temperature distribution during additive deposition.Moreover,the tensile properties at elevated temperatures(23℃,300℃,and 600℃)are comparable to those from other WAAM and additive manufacturing(AM)processes.The X-ray diffraction results verify that the microstructural stability of the fabricated parts at high temperatures would allow them to be used in high temperatures.

Microstructures and mechanical behavior of the bimetallic additively-manufactured structure(BAMS)of austenitic stainless steel and Inconel 625

Bimetallic additively manufactured structures(BAMSs)can replace traditionally-fabricated functionallygraded-components through fusion welding processes and can eliminate locally-deteriorated mechanical properties arising from post-processing.The present work fabricates a BAMS by sequentially depositing the austenitic stainless-steel and Inconel625 using a gas-metal-arc-welding(GMAW)-based wire+arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)system.Elemental mapping shows a smooth compositional transition at the interface without any segregation.Both materials being the face-center-cubic(FCC)austenite,the electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD)analysis of the interface shows the smooth and cross-interfacecrystallographic growth of long-elongated grains in the<001>direction.The hardness values were within the range of 220-240 HV for both materials without a large deviation at the interface.Due to the controlled thermal history,mechanical testing yielded a consistent result with the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of 600 MPa and 40%,respectively,with the failure location on the stainless-steel side.This study demonstrates that WAAM has the potential to fabricate BAMS with controlled properties.

Intraspecific temporal resource partitioning at white-tailed deer feeding sites

Individuals may reduce competition by temporally partitioning their use of a shared resource. Behavioral differences between sexes in ungulates may encourage segregation as individuals attempt to avoid antagonistic interactions. However, dominant sex and age groups may reduce subordinates' access to food resources, regardless of the subordinate's sex. We hypothesized that white-tailed deer Odocoileus Virginian us temporally segregated at supplemental feedi ng sites based on social rank (subordinate: yearling males and adult females;dominant: adult males) and that segregation was affected by phase of the breeding season and diel cycle. If deer temporally segregate according to social rank, we predicted that the resulting activity patterns would manifest in one social class being relatively more susceptible to hunter-induced mortality. We used a multistate modeling approach to quantify temporal segregation and calculated the probability that a feeding site was in a particular state during diurnal and nocturnal hours for each of the 3 phases of the breeding season. We determined that transition probabilities differed by season and diel cycle and dominant and subordinate social classes clearly avoided each other, with <1% co-occurrenee at feedi ng sites. During the pre-breedi ng seas on, the probability of a subordi nate being present during diurnal hours was 3.Ox more likely than a dominant being present, but did not differ during nocturnal hours. There was no difference for dominants and subordinates during diurnal or no cturnal hours during the breedi ng season .In the post-breedi ng season, subordi nates were 1.7x more likely to occur at the feeding site than a dominant during diurnal hours but they did not differ during nocturnal hours. Our results indicate that dominance status influences temporal segregation at feeding sites and is affected by the phase of the breeding season. Therefore, the resulti ng activity patterns may in crease subordi nates' risk to human predation during the prebreedi ng and post-breeding seasons.

Local model networks based mixed-sensitivity H-infinity control of CE-150 helicopters

In this paper, a local model network H-infinity control is proposed for CE-150 helicopter stabilization. The proposed strategy capitalizes on recent developments on H-infinity control and its promising results in robust stabilization of plants under unstructured uncertainties. CE-150 helicopters are known for their varying operating conditions along with external disturbances. Therefore, local model networks are introduced for their adaptive feature and since they provide a powerful combination of fuzzy logic and conventional linear control techniques to control nonlinear systems without the added computational burden of soft-computing techniques. Using the fact that the system can be linearized at different operating points, a mixed sensitivity H-infinity controller is designed for the linearized system, and combined within a network to make transitions between them. The proposed control structure ensures robustness, decoupling of the system dynamics while achieving good performance. A comparison is carried-out against the well-known proportional-integral-derivative （PID） control technique. Results are presented to illustrate the controller＇s performance in various operating conditions.

PID-type Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator-based Enhanced Wind Energy Conversion Systems

The provision of wind farm(WF)grid codes(GCs)has become imperative for sustained grid operations,especially for WFs with permanent-magnet synchronous generator(PMSG)wind energy conversion system.Numerous techniques have been developed for executing GC requirements in the event of grid faults.Among the methods,an intriguing strategy is to enhance the performance of back-to-back(BTB)converter controllers.In this research,the PID-type terminal sliding mode control(PID-TSMC)scheme is implemented for both machine-side and grid-side converter-modified controllers of BTB-converter,to reinforce the nonlinear relationship among the state-variable and the control input.The application of this control scheme decreases the response time and improves the robustness of the BTB-converter controllers regarding uncertainty of parameters and external disturbances.The grid-side converter tracks the maximum power point,contributing to the rapid decrease of generator active power output during faults.This frees up converter capacity for injecting GC-compliant reactive current into the grid.Besides,the machine-side converter regulates DC-link voltage,in which its variations during external disturbances decrease substantially with the PID-TSMC.The discussions on the simulations contemplate on the robustness and efficiency of the implemented PID-TSMC strategy in comparison to other BTB-converter control strategies.