Sharif Digital Repository

In general, reliability is the ability of a system to perform and maintain its functions in routine circumstances, as well as hostile or unexpected circumstances. Redundancy Allocation Problem (RAP) is a combinatorial problem where it is going to maximize system reliability by discrete selection from available components. The main purpose of this study is to prove the effectiveness of robust optimization to solve RAP. Generally, robust optimization is a field of optimization theory where robustness is sought against uncertainty and/or variability of parameters' values. In this study it is assumed to have Erlang distribution density for components' failures where to implement robust... 

In this study, the nano-scale deformation mechanism of cementite was investigated with aid of Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using MEAM potential. For this purpose, flow localization was evaluated in various structures such as single crystal cementite, nanocrystalline (NC) cementite, and lamellar cementite at various temperatures and different stress conditions. In order to understand the deformation mechanism in the cementite single crystal, two cylindrical samples with 15 nm length and 5 nm diameter oriented along [001] and [011] were constructed. The result of tensile test simulation at 100 K, 300 K, 700 K and 1100 K revealed that the deformation mechanism in single crystal cementite... 

In recent years, we have seen the proliferation of real-time and time-dependent systems. They have increased both in number and in complexity. Due to their increasing complexity, we need to model them and become assured of their correctness. Several formalisms have been devised for time-dependent systems. They include timed automaton and timed extensions of Petri nets. Our focus is on timed extension of activity networks and its model checking. Activity networksare powerful formalisms which allow designers to model the system in a natural, small and conceivable manner. This way, timed extension of activity networks can greatly help modelers. In this thesis, we propose a method to specify the... 

The purpose of this research is to investigate the seismic behavior of plane moment resisting frame consisting of steel-concrete columns and steel I beams utilizing fragility curves. Due to the great influence of the column type in seismic performance of structure. To reach an optimal system, different types of steel-concrete composite columns has been used in the models and the fragility curve of each one is compared. Steel-Concrete composite columns can be divided into three types: (1) concrete filled steel tube (CFT), (2) steel reinforced concrete (SRC) and (3) new combinations of (1) and (2). Due to the abundance of the use of concrete filled steel tube (CFT) and steel reinforced... 

Estimating the life-time of electronic devices has always been an important issue in their mass production. Nowadays, electronic chips are widely used due to technological advances and due to their smaller size. They may be more likely to break down because of their complexity. Therefore, estimating their life-time has received much attention. In the first chapters of this thesis, the concepts and standards that exist in the field of reliability and the life expectancy of electronic devices are discussed. There are many reasons for chip failure, which are beyond the scope of this thesis but what is known as the most important cause of failure which is named electromigration has been... 

The use of public transportation in metropolises has developed due to the increase in the population and the need for within-city transportation. Among public transportation service, the use of city subways has attracted more public interest due to its speed, safety, and matching with the environment. Also, one solution for reducing the between-city transit distances,decreasing the accidents and above all, saving the time of the travel is building tunnels and underground lines. Design and construction of underground structures (tunnels),in comparison with surfacestructures, has more complex conditions and considerations that require special studies. One challenging problem fortunnel... 

This paper examines the impact of Ramadan fasting hours on stock market returns across 59 countries during the period 1980–2011. Exploiting cross-country variation in geographic latitude and daylight duration as an exogenous source of fasting intensity, we identify behavioral mechanisms underlying market performance during Ramadan. The results indicate that longer fasting hours are generally associated with lower monthly and annual returns. However, in Muslim-majority countries, this adverse effect is mitigated and, in some cases, reversed into positive returns. Seasonal analyses further reveal that the positive impact is more pronounced during summer months, and that extended fasting hours... 

A gas cyclone is a fixed mechanical device that uses centrifugal force to separate solid particles from gas. Gas containing particles is brought tangentially into the cyclone. This results in the development of a vortex, which applies strong centrifugal forces to the particles. The larger particles move toward the outer wall of the system as a result of centrifugal forces. gases spiral down from a tangential inlet towards the conical section, where the flow is reversed and the particles are collected in a hopper. The gas phase then proceeds upward in an inner vortex towards the gas exit via the vortex finder.
In this study swirling flow of two-phase gas-solid in cyclone separator is... 

Since the discovery of nanomaterials, the nanotubes have found special considerations. The high strength beside the low density, have attracted the interest of the scientists and engineers. Nowadays, one of the common methods to produce composites with high specific strength is to utilize of the nanotubes in the matrix of lightweight metals and alloys such as magnesium and aluminum. Recent researches indicate that very limited focus has been given to the production and properties of the magnesium - carbon nanotube composites and their workability. In this research, magnesium alloy - carbon nanotube composite is produced by casting method and its strength and workability are investigated as... 

The continous growth of wireless networks, the increasing numbers of users and devices, along with the demand for higher data rates have intensified the frequency band limitations as the communication medium. In search for more efficient methods to use this limited resource, the cognitive radio approach that allocates the local unused frequency bands to potential users has attracted considerable attension.
A fundamental and unseperable part of any cognitive radio system is its need to search, detect and understand the surrounding frequency spectrum. Although various methods have been already propose to overcome the challenges of this domain, simpler and more reliable methods are still in... 

In this research, the spectral difference lattice Boltzmann method (SDLBM) is developed and applied for an accurate simulation of two-dimensional (2D) inviscid and viscous compressible flows on the structured and unstructured meshes. The compressible form of the discrete Boltzmann-BGK equation is used in which multiple particle speeds have to be employed to correctly model the compressibility in a thermal fluid. Here, the 2D compressible Lattice Boltzmann (LB) model proposed by Watari is used. The spectral difference (SD) method is implemented for the solution of the LB equation in which the particle distribution functions are stored at the solution points while the fluxes are calculated... 

Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) proposed the Task-Induced Involvement Load Hypothesis stating that in the retention of new words in an incidental context, tasks with higher involvement load will be more effective than tasks with lower involvement load. The present study aimed to examine whether the retention of vocabulary is enhanced with an increase in the amount of task-induced involvement load in an intentional learning environment. Moreover, it was investigated whether proficiency level of learners had a role in the effectiveness of the vocabulary tasks with different involvement loads. Four groups of university students, male and female, participated in the study. They were given a TOEFL... 

Self-regulated learning, though having swept educational psychology's literature like a tidal wave (Boekaerts, 1999), and also, compared to other constructs such as metacognition and learning strategies, has remained comparatively uncharted in L2 research. One preliminary step to chart this concept is to develop questionnaires for it. With these and other things in mind, the principal purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire in English and Persian to measure self-regulated language learning capacity and behavior of Iranian EFL learners. The development of the questionnaire was guided by two pilots (412 participants), content validation through expert judgment, cognitive... 

Regardless of the extensive research on different aspects of vocabulary and the great emphasis that leading scholars (Meara, 1996; Nation, 990; Read, 1988) placed on the significance of the number of words a learner knows as a substantial component in language learning and vocabulary learning, few investigations have been conducted regarding the size of the vocabulary each language learner knows (Nation, 2012). In addition, Nation (2012) debates the need to combine modern technology and language testing. Therefore, it is necessary to provide innovative methods of testing this knowledge. The present study developed the Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) of Nation and Beglar’s (2007) Vocabulary... 

A power transmission system includes transmission lines that are interconnected for economic and security reasons. Power systems are often prone to faults at the transmission level, since transmission lines are spread over vast geographical areas. Being the most serious events in power systems, blackouts are often initiated by a fault and a sequence of events afterward leads to partial or complete power outage. In this condition, fault diagnosis is the first step for power system restoration. In this research work, a new approach utilizing impedance-based fault location is introduced for fault diagnosis. By developing wide-area measurements in the context of smart grids, accurate...