Sharif Digital Repository

To address sustainability challenges appeared in today's power grids, it is essential for emerging demand control paradigm to be adapted more to the lifestyle of the customers. In this paper, due to the ever-growing interconnectivity of the grids, a distributed Commodity Market (CM) framework is proposed in which intelligent agents embedded inside of customers want to maximize their preferred welfare through real-time demand of power from an energy market. Since there is not a comprehensive model for the grids, utilizing Reinforcement Learning (RL) proves that the global optimal performance is achieved in the Nash Equilibrium (NE) of the proposed framework. This solution not only maximizes... 

This paper presents an investigation of the dynamics of two coupled non-identical FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons with delayed synaptic connection. We consider coupling strength and time delay as bifurcation parameters, and try to classify all possible dynamics which is fairly rich. The neural system exhibits a unique rest point or three ones for the different values of coupling strength by employing the pitchfork bifurcation of non-trivial rest point. The asymptotic stability and possible Hopf bifurcations of the trivial rest point are studied by analyzing the corresponding characteristic equation. Homoclinic, fold, and pitchfork bifurcations of limit cycles are found. The delay-dependent stability... 

Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices have a strict necessity for power consumption to achieve the expected battery life. Therefore, measuring and optimizing the energy consumption of IoT nodes are essential. IoT nodes feature extreme current consumption range over 100 dB between their operating modes. The main focus of this article is to design and implement a low-power and low-cost current measurement circuit, which can be integrated into IoT nodes. A new pass element is introduced for measuring the current consumption. This element is placed in the current path to measure current over a high dynamic range with a constant voltage drop. The introduced pass element consists of a capacitor and... 

Magnetic components such as inductors have supreme importance in switch-mode power supplies (SMPS). The design of the SMPS circuit is typically based on the information obtained from simulations and available datasheets. However, the behavior of the implemented circuit can deviate from expectation due to its time-varying characteristics, operation point, and various environmental factors. Therefore, advanced methods are required to measure the behavior of inductors in-circuit. To address this challenge, an in-circuit measurement solution based on the energy transfer characteristic of the inductance is presented. It is a cost-effective and easy-to-implement solution that can be integrated... 

The influence of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) on microstructure and mechanical behavior, as well as, strain aging during ECAP and post-ECAP of Mg-1.8Zn-0.7Si-0.4Ca biomedical alloy was examined. The alloy in solid solution heat-treated condition was processed by ECAP with route BC at 350 and 400 °C. The specimens ECAPed at 350 °C were aged at 125 and 150 °C for different times. The hardness and shear punch test results indicated that performing ECAP at 350 °C for 4 passes increases the hardness and shear strength of the alloy from 48 HV and 110 MPa to 71 HV and 188 MPa, respectively. It was revealed that the average grain size of the alloy decreases from 78 µm to about 3 µm after 4... 

In a distributed system, each solution for the problem of Byzantine agreement requires that some of the correct processes reach a common decision value from a set of proposed values while Byzantine processes may behave arbitrarily. While the problem has been widely studied in fully connected fixed networks, few studies have been carried out in the context of self-organizing mobile networks such as mobile ad hoc networks. We present a randomized consensus protocol with three additional modules for the case of dynamic networks: participant detectors, failure detectors and maintainer. We assume an asynchronous network with unknown participants where processes can be fixed or move continuously... 

The global energy crisis and harmful effects of fossil fuel usage as well as the rapid rate of electricity price growth forces Data Centers (DCs) providers to install on-site Renewable Energy (RE). However, the huge installation investment, as well as fluctuating characteristic, impedes the widespread usage of RE. Reducing the break-even time of the required investment is a reinforcing economic incentive that complements the environmental incentive to further encourage DC Providers to use more RE. This paper takes advantages of an economic opportunity, namely the electricity pricing models, as well as a technological opportunity, namely the distributed Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)... 

Originally, the application of nano zero valent iron/nickel (nZVI/Ni) particles for nitrate removal in porous media was studied. nZVI/Ni was prepared and employed in batch and continuous modes. Based on batch experiments, the reaction kinetics was consistent with the adsorption model by the order of 1-1.5. The variation of the kinetics order depends on pH and nickel content. So that highest reactivity was observed for nZVI with 10% of Ni at pH ≤ 3. Nitrate remediation in a continuous system was mostly influenced by seepage velocity, quantity and freshness of nZVI/Ni and particle size of porous media. In a batch mode, the maximum nitrate removal was 99% while in a continuous mode it did not... 

Originally, application of nano zero valent iron (nZVI) particles for the removal of lead (Pb2+) in porous media was studied. At first, stabilized nZVI (S-nZVI) was prepared and characterized, then used in batch and continuous systems. Based on the batch experiments, corresponding reaction kinetics well fitted with the pseudo-first-order adsorption model, and reaction rate ranged from 0.01 to 0.04 g/mg/min depend on solution pH and the molar ratio between Fe and Pb. In batch tests, optimal condition with more than 90% removal efficiency at 60 min was observed at a pH range of 4 to 6 and Fe/Pb ratio more than 2.5. Continuous experiments exposed that Pb2+ remediation was as well influenced by... 

In this paper, we consider the problem of multiuser detection in the presence of users with unknown signature codes for a synchronous coded CDMA system. Interference suppression for unknown users is done by projecting the received signal on the null space of known users and then using eigenvalue decomposition and subspace techniques to derive a detector that cancels the known interference and successfully mitigates the unknown interference. Significant performance gains over detectors that ignore unknown users and treats them as noise is achieved. © 2001 IEEE  

Internet of Things (IoT) devices have strict necessity for power consumption in order to achieve expected battery life. IoT nodes feature extreme power consumption range over 100 dB, between their operating modes. The main focus of this paper is to design and implement a high precision, high dynamic range, low power, and flexible power measurement system, which can be applied to different applications. The proposed system consists of a voltage regulating control loop, zero offset amplifiers, high precision analog to digital converters, and reference voltage. The proper operation of the proposed circuit are verified numerically with simulations and experimental measurements. The implemented... 

The power consumption of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices is a major concern as it directly affects battery life. Therefore, measuring and monitoring the energy usage of IoT devices is vital. However, measuring the current consumption measurement of IoT devices is challenging as it must cover a wide range with low power consumption. In this paper, an improved design for the current measurement circuit is presented. The pass element which is placed in the current path to measure the current based on the charge and discharge of the capacitor is optimized to have reduced voltage drop, lower power consumption, decreased costs, and improved integration with IoT devices. The proposed circuit is... 

In the present work, a novel microextraction method named in situ solvent formation microextraction (ISFME) using ionic liquids (ILs) for preconcentration of carbaryl and carbofuran in water samples is introduced. In this method, a small amount of sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6), as an ion pairing agent, was added to a sample solution containing a small quantity of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [Hmim][BF4] as a hydrophobic ionic liquid. A cloudy solution formed as a result of formation of fine droplets of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [Hmim][PF 6]. After centrifugation, the fine droplets of the extractant phase settled to the bottom of the conical-bottom... 

The optimum design of reinforced concrete cantilever retaining walls subjected to seismic loads is an extremely important challenge in structural and geotechnical engineering, especially in seismic zones. This study proposes an adaptive sperm swarm optimization algorithm (ASSO) for economic design of retaining structure under static and seismic loading. The proposed ASSO algorithm utilizes a time-varying velocity damping factor to provide a fine balance between the explorative and exploitative behavior of the original method. In addition, the new method considers a reasonable velocity limitation to avoid the divergence of the sperm movement. The proposed algorithm is benchmarked with a set... 

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... 

Pulse Repetition Interval (PRI) Modulation Detection is an important subsystem of a typical electronic warfare support system. In this paper, a robust, fast, and well designed structure for detection of simple and complex PRI modulations based on statistical and sequential analysis of Pulse Repetition Interval (PRI) is proposed. Accuracy and robustness of the technique against electromagnetic noise are demonstrated via simulations  

A new and efficient model for calculation of the unsteady hydrodynamic loads on an oscillating plate in two-dimensional flow is proposed. In order to compute the hydrodynamic loads, an unsteady hydrodynamic model is derived using the boundary-element method along with the potential flow assumption. To this aim, the steady boundary of cavity is determined by a full-nonlinear iterative procedure. Thereafter, assuming that amplitude and frequency of oscillations are so that the length of cavity in unsteady flow remains intact, simulation of the unsteady hydrodynamic flow is performed by imposing some velocity perturbations over the steady cavity solutions. Consequently, based on this... 

The functionality of multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels in physiological states is the reason for the increased attention of hydrogels nowadays. Multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit tunable changes in swelling or mechanical properties in response to predetermined combinations of stimuli such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, electric field, magnetic field, light, chemical triggers, enzyme concentration, redox species, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glucose levels. This review summarizes the recent advances in multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels used in medical approaches. The first part of the review highlights the medical applications of polymer-based and supramolecular hydrogels...