Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper, a new control strategy for optimal attitude tracking control of a multivariable satellite system has been presented. The approach is based on Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) and classical PD Controller for its initial stabilization. It is shown how the network can be employed as a multivariable self- organizing and self learning controller in conjunction with a PD controller for attitude control of a satellite. By using four reaction wheels and quaternion for kinematics representation, the attitude dynamics of the satellite has been presented. In contrast to the previous classical approaches, it is shown how this controller can be carried out in an on-line manner... 

In thin-film solar cells, deposition of pinhole and the crack-free absorber layer, with the right chemical stoichiometry is highly important for high-performance solar cell devices. In solution-based CIGS solar cell technology, a nanoparticle ink approach provides phase stability of the final chalcogenide absorber layer. However, the sintering of small nanoparticles to form large grains with reduced grain boundaries is an important challenge in the fabrication process. This is usually realized by annealing in the Se atmosphere, i.e. selenization process. However, the presence of Ga in CIGS films leads to pinholes after selenization. In this study, the synthesis and deposition of high-quality... 

A novel method is proposed in the scope of image segmentation that solves this problem by breaking it into two main blocks. The first block's functionality is a method to anticipate the color basis of each segment in segmented images. One of the challenges of image segmentation is the inappropriate distribution of colors in the RGB color space. To determine the color of each segment, after mapping the input image onto the HSI color space, the image colors are classified into some clusters by exploiting the K-Means. Then, the list of cluster centers is winnowed down to a short list of colors based on a set of criteria. The second block of the proposed method defines how each pixel of the... 

In this paper, a new control strategy for optimal attitude tracking control of a multivariable satellite system has been presented. The approach is based on a Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN) and a classical PD Controller for its initial stabilization. It is shown how the network can be employed as a multivariable self-organizing and self-learning controller in conjunction with a PD controller for attitude control of a satellite. By using three thrusters and quaternion for kinematics representation, the attitude dynamics of the satellite has been presented. In contrast to the previous classical approaches, it is shown how this controller can be carried out in an on-line manner... 

The present study conducts a comprehensive comparative techno-economic analysis of some near-term sensible thermal energy storage (TES) alternatives to the ‘standard’ two-tank molten salt system for concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. As such, we conducted detailed, relative annual transient simulations for single-medium thermocline (SMT), dual-media thermocline (DMT), and shell-and-tube (ST) systems. To be consistent with recent literature, the DMT and ST systems use concrete with a porosity of 0.2 (e.g. where concrete occupies 80% of the system) as their low cost filler material. The systems were integrated into a validated 19.9 MWe Gemasolar CSP model, which has a solar multiple of... 

In this study, a novel hybrid hydrogel based on chitosan, acrylic acid and amine-functionalized nanosilica was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. This hydrogel nanocomposite was used for removal of Co2+, Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ ions from aqueous solution. The metal ion adsorption was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The adsorption behavior showed that the presence of modified nanosilica enhanced the porosity of the hydrogel network and affected its adsorption capacity in response to different parameters such as nanosilica content, metal ion concentration, adsorbent content,... 

Congestion management is one of the most important issues for secure and reliable system operations in deregulated electricity market. This paper presents a cost/worth analysis approach for optimal location and sizing of Distributed Resources (DRs) to mitigate congestion and increase security of the system. In order to reduce the solution space a priority of candidate buses is formed, then optimal location and sizing problem is discussed. To increase the accuracy of results, load duration curve is constituted and based on this curve different load levels are incorporated into this study. Proposed method considers economical factors such as congestion rent, deferred upgrading investment and... 

A practical design method is presented which used the fuzzy logic advantages in adaptation of sliding mode control. The combined Fuzzy Adaptive Sliding Control (FASC) is designed in such a way to enhance satisfactory sliding performance and robustness with good level of chattering alleviation. The design approach is valid for a class of nonlinear uncertain MIMO systems. This control algorithm does not require the system model. A supervisory term is appended to the controller to assure the stability of fuzzy sliding mode control through Lyapunov theory. The design approach has been applied to a 2DOF twin propeler system with large uncertainty. Simulation results verified effectiveness of... 

In terms of manufacturability, there is a high tendency to deposit light-absorbing CuInS2 films by solution processing methods like ink-based depositions. In particular, for nanoparticle inks, the synthesis of highly dispersed and stable inks, with uniformity in the deposition process, is a serious challenge. Here, we demonstrate a novel two-step low-temperature CuInS2 film deposition method in which the In2S3 is deposited first. It then partially is converted into CuInS2 through the infiltration of Cu+ ions in the In2S3 layer in a dip-coating process. The resulting films are highly uniform, with diffraction peaks indicating the formation of pure CuInS2 phase. The proper stoichiometry of... 

Particle transport and deposition in a channel flow with elliptic obstruction is studied. Numerical simulation of fluid flow is performed using two-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method, while one-way coupling Lagrangian method for particle tracking is used. Standard particles are injected in the inlet of the channel. Gravity, Drag force, Brownian forces, and the Saffman lift are considered in equation of particle motion. The influence of geometrical parameter, ellipse aspect ratio, is studied on dispersion and deposition of particles as well as the flow parameters, such as Reynolds number. In addition, the effect of particles size -particles of 0.01-10μm in diameter- on dispersion and... 

In aerospace applications structures weight is considered as a major performance parameter. One of the most effective manufacturing methods for weight reduction is superplastic forming. By this technique, not only the weight, but also the stress concentration, the cost, and the manufacturing time are noticeably reduced. Additionally, the components with complicated shapes could be formed in a single manufacturing step. Due to the wide demand for whiskers reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) in aerospace industries, many research works have been designed to extend the borders of superplastic forming to MMCs materials. In the present study, a 3-D symmetric micromechanical finite element... 

A pH-responsive drug delivery system based on core shell structure of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) and chitosan-PEG copolymer was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and high-resolution transmission microscope (HR-TEM) techniques. In order to improve compatibility MSN and drug, mesoporous nanosilica was modified by 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane. The release of erythromycin (a macrolide antibiotic) as a model drug was investigated in two pHs, 7.4 and 5.5  

Teratozoospermia is one of conditions that can cause male infertility. The mechanism of teratozoospermia remains unclear. The knowledge of the metabolites in human seminal plasma (HSP) is meaningful for the pathological study of teratozoospermia. Analysis of changed metabolites in HSP can help understand the cellular mechanism, find the novel biomarkers and subsequently design a diagnosis test. In this study, the analysis of samples performed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR spectroscopy) to identify the various metabolites, with the aim of finding metabolic profiles and biomarkers related to male infertility. Eighteen de-regulated metabolites were identified in... 

Pricing for an insurance policy can be described as the process of calculation of expected compensation to be paid to property losers as well as associated costs of potential risks. Loss forecast is accurate if the risks will be identified appropriately in order to calculate the frequency and expected severity of losses.This is particularly important about environmental risks since most of them appear in the long run. Environmental risk assessment model is both able to estimate the environmental liability premium for environmental pollution and degradation, and it can play a valuable role in promoting this industry. ELIS (Environmental Liability Insurance) software calculates the... 

Gas-phase acidities of nucleosides, combined with the knowledge of deprotonation sites, could improve our understanding of chemical reactions to biological systems. In this paper, we mainly focus our attention on the influence of cation coordination on acidities of multiple sites in cytosine nucleosides. The acidities of multiple sites in M +-L (where L represents cytosine nucleosides and M + is an alkali metal ion, including Li +, Na + and K +) complexes have been investigated theoretically, employing B3LY P6-311++G(d,p) basis sets. The geometrical characters, gas-phase acidities, sugar puckering and electronic properties of non-deprotonated and/or deprotonated complexes have been... 

Inverted pendulum (IP) has been broadly used to model locomotor systems. In this paper, we demonstrate that an IP-like model could simulate stable periodic handspring maneuvers with passive flight phases. The model is a 2-D symmetric rigid body which is merely controlled during the contact phase. To benefit from an open-loop sensorless strategy, the control policy is implemented only by an unvaried torque input. The system's dynamics is an example of nonlinear impulsive systems studied and analyzed by the Poincaré section method. The numerical results reveal that the stable periodic solutions are sufficiently robust for a broad range of the parameter space. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd  

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in damaged DNA and RNA nucleobases. These damaged nucleobases can cause DNA mutation, resulting in various diseases such as cancer. Alkylating agents are mutagenic and carcinogenic in a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The present study employs density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP) with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set to investigate the effect of chemical damage in O-alkyl pyrimidines such as O4-methylthymine, O2-methylcytosine and O 2-methylthymine. We compared the intrinsic properties, such as proton affinities, gas phase acidities, equilibrium tautomerization and nucleobase pair's hydrogen bonding properties, of these... 

Glutathione tripeptide (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) is a flexible molecule and its conformational energy landscape is strongly influenced by forming intramolecular hydrogen bond, its charge and the environment. This study employs DFT-B3LYP method with the 6-31+G (d,p) basis set to carry out conformational analysis of neutral, zwitterionic, cationic, and anionic forms of glutathione. In analyzing the structural characteristics of these structures, intramolecular hydrogen bonds were identified and characterized in details by topological parameters such as electron density ρ(r) and Laplacian of electron density Δ2 ρ(r) from Bader's atom in molecules theory. Charge transfer energies based on... 

A dense membrane of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3- δ (LSCF) perovskite was prepared by a new chelating agent, ethylene diamine N,N,N′,N′-tetra N-acetyl diamine (EDTNAD). As a potent ligand, EDTNAD provided a facile one-step method to form complexes of the four metal ions, simultaneously. The oxygen permeation flux through the pure perovskite LSCF dense membrane was measured over temperature range of 1073-1223 K, thickness of 0.7-1.0 mm and oxygen partial pressure of 0.1-1.0 bar. Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction using LSCF disk in the atmospheric membrane reactor and over the temperature range of 1073-1173 K showed a C2 selectivity of 100% and C2 yield of 5.01% at 1153 K. Furthermore,... 

Ways to reduce an airline's cost has been studied for years. In fact, in order to achieve this goal, ones need to know different types of airline's costs including; fuel and oil, maintenance, Ticketing, passenger services, etc. and their impact on the total cost of an airline. According to announcement of ICAO [1], "maintenance cost (about 11% of total cost) is the second major cost after fuel and oil". Therefore, this may attract airline owners' attention to find ways to control maintenance cost and eventually the total cost of an airline. Though, there are many systematic approaches to analyze cost reduction and making policies, in this article, SD modeling is applied to develop a...