Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper, three fundamental properties of a potential field-based flocking algorithm, i.e. merging of neighbouring graphs during the system evolution, collision avoidance and convergence of position of the centre of mass of informed agents to that of virtual leader are discussed. Next, these properties are utilized to determine required number of informed agents based on initial position of uninformed ones and consequently reduce the domain of search in optimization problems defined for finding the optimal number of required informed agents. Finally, a new optimization framework is proposed, which benefits Voronoi diagrams in order to reduce the number of informed agents required for... 

This paper investigates the effects of two important factors, i.e., correlation of wind farms output with load and wind speed coincidence in determining the required static reserve in a high wind-penetrated power system. To this end, it suggests an analytical approach to involve the effects of these two factors in probabilistic analytical multi-state models of wind farms output generation. Based on an optimization framework with the objective of reaching the desirable level of correlation, the key idea is to calculate some joint probabilities for equivalent models of wind farms. As a result, these models become compatible with the ones for conventional generation units in adequacy studies of... 

In this article, solving the population balance equation (PBE) and controlling the final particle size for crystallization problems have been addressed. For solving the general form of multidimensional PBE, a numerical method called conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) has been used. By applying this method to one- and two-dimensional crystallization problems, it has been shown that this technique can handle all types of source terms in the PBE. Model accuracy has been checked with experimental data reported in the literature and also with the analytical solution of PB-type equations. Control of final particle size was formulated in an optimization framework. To obtain a desired... 

The proper and reliable operation of circuit breakers (CBs) directly affects the reliability and continuity of electricity services in a power systems. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is the best economic CB maintenance strategy through its online monitoring (OLM) possibilities. Since there is a large number of CBs in a power system, to equip all CBs with OLM systems is not economically justifiable however. This paper, as the second part of a two-part paper, presents an effective optimization framework to find the optimal number of CBs to be monitored online as the kernel of CBM process. To prove its feasibility, the proposed approach is applied to the IEEE Roy Billinton Test System, which... 

In this paper, we propose an optimization framework to retrieve an optimal group of experts to perform a given multi-aspect task/project. Each task needs a diverse set of skills and the group of assigned experts should be able to collectively cover all required aspects of the task. We consider three types of multiaspect team formation problems and propose a unified framework to solve these problems accurately and efficiently. Our proposed framework is based on Facility Location Analysis (FLA) which is a well known branch of the Operation Research (OR). Our experiments on a real dataset show significant improvement in comparison with the state-of-the art approaches for the team formation... 

When latent heat is transferred in a heat exchanger network, the formation of the second phase creates an opportunity for separation. This network is known as a Heat Induced Separation Network (HISEN). HISENs have been extended to include pressure adjusting devices for improving the thermodynamic feasibility of the network. This extended network is termed an Energy Induced Separation Network (EISEN). Most examples of EISENs in the literature are environmental pollution treatment case studies which do not require liquid phase mass integration or shaft power integration. They assume a predetermined extent of separation and mostly are based on conceptual methods of design. This paper explains... 

Table forms are highly flexible and mobile form systems for beams and slabs. In this system, the components with standard dimensions are fabricated in production plants, transported to construction sites and assembled for final use. Then, based on the plan of the floor zone to be constructed and location of columns, beams, and openings, the assembled tables are placed next to each other and the gaps are covered to provide a perfect surface for concrete casting. However, since the tables are rectangular with standard dimensions, even the best layout does not guarantee the full coverage of the area with tables. The more the uncovered areas are, the more the extra formwork cost and required... 

As the electricity market undergoes continuous evolutions, along with the widely-recognized outdated nature of the grid, system operators would have to be able to more effectively manage the system operation expenses since waves of maintenance costs and equipment investments would be anticipated in a few years to come. Strategic implementation of cost-effective reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approaches seems to be a key solution. This paper proposes an efficient method to assess the component criticality for system overall reliability and further maintenance focuses. A solution concept of game theory, called shapely value, is proposed that is able to fairly identify the contribution... 

Nowadays, we live in a Big Data world and many sectors of our economy are guided by data-driven decision processes. Big Data and Business Intelligence applications are facilitated by the MapReduce programming model, while, at infrastructural layer, cloud computing provides flexible and cost-effective solutions to provide on-demand large clusters. Capacity allocation in such systems, meant as the problem of providing computational power to support concurrent MapReduce applications in a cost-effective fashion, represents a challenge of paramount importance. In this paper we lay the foundation for a solution implementing admission control and capacity allocation for MapReduce jobs with a priori... 

Residential energy management (REM) program is a demand response (DR) tool that automatically manages energy consumption of controllable household appliances to improve the energy consumption profile of a house according to electricity price. REM intends not only to improve technical aspects of distribution systems but also motivate customers for active participation in DR programs. In this regard, this paper proposes a two-level REM framework. In the first level, each customer runs an optimization problem to minimize his payment cost and sends the desired operation scheduling of appliances and the payment cost to the system operator. In the second level, a multiobjective (MO) optimization... 

Flexible ramping product (FRP) has been recently launched in a number of electricity markets to enhance the power grid flexibility and accommodate additional deals of uncertainty introduced by renewable energy resources. The FRP procures additional ramp capacities provided by the dispatchable generating units and consumers in the real-time market (RTM) with the aim to enhance the ability of supply to closely follow the net-load at the next immediate time-interval. An important challenge in widespread adoption of this technology is a key question: Does the available energy capacity of the RTM participants contain sufficient ramp capacity to tackle the net-load uncertainties? Indeed, shortage... 

Visible light communication (VLC) uses LED lights for simultaneous illumination and data transmission. The throughput of a VLC network is highly dependent on the location of VLC access points (AP). In this paper, we propose a novel optimization framework for approximately optimal VLC AP placement which takes into account the stationary distribution of users for the first time. This distribution is the result of the mobility pattern of users in an indoor environment. The proposed method is independent of the resource allocation algorithm and eliminates the need for exhaustive simulations to find the optimal location for VLC APs. Simulation results show a significant improvement in the... 

This paper presents a new optimization-based approach to determine the class of stabilizing control structures with the necessary set of feedback links for interconnected systems. The proposed approach relies on a graph theoretic interpretation and its equivalence in terms of binary linear programs (BLP). To carry out the primary goal, first, the stabilizability of an LTI system under the decentralized control structure is presented in terms of a BLP. Next, two graph-based criteria are proposed to characterize stabilizing control structures with the required feedback links. Finally, all possible stabilizing control structures with the necessary feedback links are derived via solving a set of... 

Optimal investment and operations of integrated local energy systems (ILESs) require medium to long-term prediction of energy consumption. To forecast load profiles, deep recurrent neural networks (DRNNs) are becoming increasingly useful due to their capability of learning uncertainty and high variability of load profiles. However, to explore and choose a DRNN model, out of conceivably numerous configurations, depends entirely on the performing task. In this regard, we tune and compare seven DRNN variants on the task of medium and long-term predictions for heating and electricity consumption. The ultimate DRNN model outperforms two state-of-the-art machine learning techniques, namely... 

Energy is one of the most important social and economic infrastructures and human life is strongly depends on it. In recent years, the occurrence of natural disasters such as drought as a high-impact low-probability event is undeniable. So, energy planning in the disruption situation is necessary in order to anticipate and maintain the performance of the energy system in optimal condition. This paper focuses on developing a hybrid long-term framework for evaluating the energy system resilience based on sustainability concept against drought. The model bridges the gap between long-term energy system planning in macro level and short-term switching operations or micro level modeling approach... 

Energy is one of the most important social and economic infrastructures and human life is strongly depends on it. In recent years, the occurrence of natural disasters such as drought as a high-impact low-probability event is undeniable. So, energy planning in the disruption situation is necessary in order to anticipate and maintain the performance of the energy system in optimal condition. This paper focuses on developing a hybrid long-term framework for evaluating the energy system resilience based on sustainability concept against drought. The model bridges the gap between long-term energy system planning in macro level and short-term switching operations or micro level modeling approach... 

Heat exchanger network synthesis (HENS) is one of the most efficient process integration tools to save energy in chemical plants. In this work, a new optimization framework is proposed for the synthesis of HENS, based on a genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with a commercial process simulator through the ActiveX capability of the simulator. The use of GA provides a robust search in complex and nonconvex spaces of mathematical problems, while the use of a simulator facilitates the formulation of rigorous models for different alternatives. To include the most common heat exchanger structures in the model, a promising superstructure has been used. Allowing nonisothermal mixing of streams in the new... 

This paper proposes a new methodology to find the most economic system configuration and energy management strategy for Li-ion battery based off-grid renewable energy systems. A system level macroscopic model and a microscopic battery lifetime prediction model are incorporated into the optimization framework to simulate hourly performance of the system. Due to the computational efficiency of the model, optimization is carried out using enumerative method (evaluating all the possible combinations of components and control strategies) to ensure finding the global optimum solution of the problem. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, the optimization results are compared... 

In this work, a novel convex sequence framework for real-time receding horizon operation optimization of a hybrid renewable energy system integrated with optimal sizing is presented to increase the penetration rate of renewable energy in supplying the demand. The proposed framework optimizes the entire lifetime cost of a system consisting of two main steps which are 1) design & installation and 2) operation as two sequence modules. This framework is applied to a hybrid renewable energy system which includes PV, wind turbine, batteries and a diesel generator. In the operation optimization, receding horizon strategy is used to optimize the operation schedule. Mixed integer convex programming...