Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper, we consider multiple multicast sessions with intra-session network coding where rates over all links are integer multiples of a basic rate. Although having quantized rates over communication links is quite common, conventional minimum cost network coding problem cannot generally result in quantized solutions. In this research, the problem of finding minimum cost transmission for multiple multicast sessions with network coding is addressed. It is assumed that the rate of coded packet injection at every link of each session takes quantized values. First, this problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming problem, and then it is proved that this problem is strongly... 

This study proposes an optimal day-ahead (DA) electricity market offering model for a virtual power plant (VPP) formed by a mix of renewable distributed energy resources along with energy storage, such as electric vehicles. Two sources of uncertainty are considered, namely, wind power generation, modelled by an uncertainty set, and DA market price, modelled by scenarios. Opposite to classical robust optimisation approaches, the authors model maps minimal (worst-case) profits to a conservativeness parameter, while the classical robust optimisation maps conservativeness parameter to worst-case profits. In this regard, by using their optimisation framework, a VPP operator only deals with... 

The application of mathematical and systematic models and approaches to health is on the rise. In this study, a mixed-integer linear programming problem with cost (staff payroll) objective function is proposed to determine homogeneous personnel shift scheduling so that the constraints of the number of personnel per shift are met. The purpose of this study is to optimize the scheduling of personnel with the same skills to minimize variable hospital costs. In a hospital, homogeneous personnel might be skilled nurses who can work in the same departments or service staff of the departments. First, a mathematical model is proposed for scheduling as a linear problem and solved using Lingo... 

This paper proposes a hierarchical outage management scheme to enhance the resilience of a smart distribution system comprised of multi-microgrids against unexpected disaster events. In this regard, after identifying the main features and requirements for a resilient outage management scheme, an appropriate framework is devised and the roles and tasks of different management entities in a multi-microgrids system are introduced. Based on this framework, the microgrids schedule their available resources in the first stage using a novel model predictive control-based algorithm. In the second stage, distribution system operator coordinates the possible power transfers among the microgrids and... 

This paper concentrates on degradation of electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) programs and proposes a practical wear cost model for EVs charge scheduling applications. As the first step, all the factors affecting the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries are identified and their impacts on degradation process are investigated. Subsequently, a general model for battery loss of cycle life is devised incorporating all the pertinent factors associated with charging and discharging activities in V2G applications. Modeling the battery wear cost as a series of equal-payments over the cycle life, a mechanism for calculating the cost incurred by EV users due to... 

A capacitated location-multi-allocation-routing model is presented for a transportation network with travel times between the nodes represented by links on the network. The concept of multi-allocation arises from the possibility of allocating the population in a demand node to more than one server node. In normal conditions, travel time between two nodes is a fixed value. However, since the flow of population in a link can affect the travel time, here the impact of the population flow on link time is considered to be simultaneous. This way, distribution of the population over the network has a direct influence on the travel link times. It is assumed that all links are two-way and capacities... 

In recent years, while energy consumption is still increasing, system peak load is decreasing due to deregulation in power systems, application of demand response programmes, microgrids and smart grids implementation, and so on. Thus, transmission system operators (TSOs), which are usually a public entity, must reinforce the transmission systems to maintain power system reliability. They are not interested in investing transmission network because of high investment costs. In this regard, this study presents a new bi-level model for co-planning of transmission system and merchant distributed energy resources (DERs). The upper level takes the TSOs perspective and aims to minimise the line... 

In this study, optimal offering strategy problem of a virtual power plant (VPP) as a price-maker player in day-ahead frequency constrained electricity market is presented. The optimal offering strategy problem is modelled as a bi-level optimisation problem. In the upper-level problem, the total profit of VPP is maximised. In the lower-level problem, the clearing conditions of frequency constrained electricity market are modelled. The proposed bi-level optimisation problem is reformulated as a mathematical programming with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) problem by using Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions. Then, the proposed MPEC problem, which is non-linear and hard to solve by commercial solvers,...