Peak Time Period Research Articles

Integrated Scheduling of Hybrid Generation and Demand Response Program for a Building

This paper illustrates a comprehensive model of an energy management system and a novel control algorithm in a building in a grid-connected state. This study attempts to provide an approach including a proposed scheduling algorithm and a hybrid model of electricity generation to reduce the electricity consumption cost and increase the reliability of the grid in summer due to the great demands of electricity for using air condition systems. The model consists of cogeneration of a photovoltaic system and a diesel generator with a battery storage system. The electrical consumption profile of home appliances used in the daytime is modeled. Then an algorithm is introduced to observe and schedule the electrical appliances and charge and discharge the batteries in an optimal way. The results depict that the unified model and proposed control strategy are performed successfully and the peak of electrical demand is eliminated appropriately. The occupants also can benefit financially in grid-connected mode by selling extra domestic electricity generation to the grid over the peak time period.

A Numerical Study: Transitional Hydrodynamic Behaviour of a Moored Barge in Different Ultra-shallow Water Depths of Malaysia

Background: Malaysia has most of its oil reservoirs in the South China sea. The water depth ranges from 50 m to 200 m. The effects of ultra-shallow water are of prime importance in the exploration of marginal oil fields. Hence, there is an increasing demand for understanding the hydrodynamic behavior of FPSO in ultra-shallow water depths. Objective: A simulation study in both frequency-domain and time-domain analyses has been performed to understand the dynamic responses of a moored barge in varying shallow water depths. The objective of this study was to observe the transitional hydrodynamic behavior of the moored barge under varying shallow water depths. Methods: The moored barge was administered under regular and irregular waves. Operating conditions for irregular waves in terms of significant wave height and peak time period were incorporated from PETRONAS Technical Standards (PTS). The wave-body interactions and mooring effects have been numerically modelled using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and simulation software (ANSYS AQWA) successfully. In order to gain confidence in the simulation software, additional experimental validation was performed for a FPSO model. Results: Though the barge was primarily free to rotate in all Degrees Of Freedom (DOF), however, only three DOFs were considered for our study; viz, heave, roll and yaw respectively. The force spectral density, cable RAO’s in addition to the time series of cable forces, along with the effect of significant motions on the mooring cables behavior have been discussed. Conclusion: In irregular beam sea state, the significant motions in ultra-shallow water were greater than that for deep waters, this was primarily the main reason for higher cable responses in ultra-shallow water.

Research on Comprehensive Strategy of Microgrid PV Absorption Capability Improvement

As a typical renewable energy, photovoltaic (PV) has developed rapidly due to its permanent, clean and flexible characteristics. However, in the microgrid with a high proportion of PV installed, the difficulty of absorption has always been a hot issue. This paper constructs a photovoltaic microgrid system containing an electric vehicle and introducing a demand response model. Electric vehicles are used as energy storage systems and transferable loads. With the constraints of user satisfaction and the goal of maximizing photovoltaic absorption, the economy of microgrid is also taken into account. The peak, flat and valley time periods of time-sharing tariff are optimized to construct the tariff incentive model, which promotes the movement of the transferable load to the photovoltaic output. Comparing the comprehensive and single effects of energy storage system and demand response and the improved simulated annealing algorithm is used to solve the problem of multivariable nonlinearity. The results show that the combined effect of the two methods can promote the consumption rate and reduce the cost of power generation side and user side, while reducing the emission of polluting gases.

Warm-Season Diurnal Variations of Total, Stratiform, Convective, and Extreme Hourly Precipitation over Central and Eastern China

Diurnal variations in amount, frequency and intensity of warm-season hourly precipitation (HP) at seven levels, which are defined as HP ≥ 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 mm, are revealed based on no less than 30 years of hourly rain-gauge observations at national stations over central and eastern China (CEC). This study investigates the variations, relationships, differences and similarities of total, stratiform, convective and extreme HP over the entire CEC and various subregions. Results indicate that the variations in the amount and frequency of HP at the seven levels over the entire CEC all display a bimodal feature. For various regions, the variations of total HP mostly feature two peaks, while convective HP mainly occurs in the late afternoon and determines the diurnal variation of total HP intensity. On the basis of the primary peak time periods of HP frequency at all levels over different subregions, the variations can be classified into three main categories: late-afternoon primary peak, nocturnal primary peak, and time-shifting primary peak. However, the variations over some coastal regions like the Liaodong Peninsula, the Shandong Peninsula, and the coastal regions of Guangdong, distinctly differ from those over their corresponding larger regions. Overall, the normalized diurnal variation amplitude of amount and frequency increases with the increasing HP intensity; convective precipitation can be represented by HP ≥ 10 mm; and the intensity of HP ≥ 50 mm is slightly larger during the nighttime than during the daytime over the entire CEC. In northern China, diurnal variation in HP ≥ 5 mm can represent well that in convective precipitation.

The Relationship Between Load and Electricity Price in Different Time Periods Based on Granger Causality Test

With the liberalization of the market on the selling side, the user’s electricity load shows a stronger volatility, and correspondingly, the price change has a certain degree of dynamics. This paper first selects the working day load of a certain power market to realize the peak-valley period division. Secondly, with the help of Eviews software package, studying the causal relationship between load and electricity price in different time periods, the following conclusions are obtained: the peak time period electricity price has a one-way causal relationship with the peak time period load, and there is a low causal relationship between the electricity price and the electricity load during the flat time period; the valley time period electricity price has a two-way causal relationship with the electricity load.

A daytime optimal stochastic energy management for EV commercial parking lots by using approximate dynamic programming and hybrid big bang big crunch algorithm

The design of optimal energy management systems has been an important problem, in particular for daytime plug-in electric vehicles’ (PEVs’) parking lots at workplaces and commercial buildings, where the number of vehicles, their arrival and departure times are typically unknown and time-varying. The paper addresses this problem by introducing a two-stage optimization based on Approximate Dynamic Programing (ADP) and Hybrid Big Bang Big Crunch (HBB-BC) algorithm considering a Multi-Layer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN) which predicts the electricity price. The proposed optimal energy management minimizes the cost of parking lot owner with respect to the Time of Use (TOU) Demand Response (DR) program without reducing the welfare of EV owners. The two-stage optimization manages the charge scheduling subject to short and long term data coming from the MLP-ANN and intelligent transportation system. The stochastic features of the commercial parking are fully addressed into the problem. The effectiveness of the proposed charging technology is assessed and discussed by using real electricity data from ERCOT, under various stochastic conditions. The results demonstrate optimal energy management during peak and off time periods at the minimum cost.

No Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Auditory Cortex on Auditory-Evoked Potentials.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique to change cortical excitability. Its effects are shown for cognitive processing, and behavior in the motor and perceptual domains. However, evidence of tDCS effects in the perceptual domain particularly for auditory processing is rare. Therefore, and in the context of disturbances in auditory processing in psychiatric populations, e.g., in patients with auditory verbal hallucinations, we aimed to investigate the potential modulatory effect of tDCS on the excitability of left posterior temporal cortex in detail. We included 24 healthy participants in a crossover design, applying sham and anodal stimulation in two measurement sessions 1 week apart. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded while participants listened to tones before, during, and after stimulation. Amplitudes and latencies of P50, N100, and P200 auditory-evoked potentials (AEP) were compared between anodal and sham stimulation, and between time points before, during, and after tDCS. In contrast to previous studies, results demonstrate no significant differences between stimulation types or time points for any of the investigated AEP amplitudes or latencies. Furthermore, a topographical analysis did not show any topographical differences during peak time periods of the investigated AEP for stimulation types and time points besides a habituation effect. Thus, our results suggest that tDCS modulation of excitability of the left posterior temporal cortex, targeting the auditory cortex, does not have any effect on AEP. This is particularly interesting in the context of tDCS as a potential treatment for changed electrophysiological parameters and symptoms of psychiatric diseases, e.g., lower N100 or auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Development of a Self-Coordinated Algorithm for Demand Side Management in the Case of Aggregated Electric Vehicle in a Grid Integrated System

Electric Vehicles (EV) are now a days proposed to serve the electric power grid bi-directionally by means of consuming energy from grid and also by injecting back the captive energy within the EV battery upon grid requirements. Thus EV and its known variants like Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (PHEV) possess unique rewards compared to the conventional fossil fueled vehicle. The increasing number of EVs integration with electricity network could have a significant knock on the performance and planning of a power system especially in the demand side management. The recent studies made by the National laboratory of U S Department of Energy clearly mentions the risks involved in EV integration in terms of its peak demand profile and spinning reserve profile. The work in this paper investigates the behavior of different types of EVs & its impact on the load profile in a grid connected system in terms of EV capacity, EV charging levels and EV penetration time. The charging profile thus obtained for the above different cases clearly conveys very significant and relevant information regarding its influence on the peak time demand. The peak time period is extended to late hours respective of the different charging conditions which has a definite impact of DSM. Also, an intelligent algorithm is developed to take care of the Demand Side Management (DSM) issues. For the same, the algorithm inputs the grid as well as the vehicle parameters. The uniqueness of the proposed algorithm is in its ability to avoid the communication complexities with the Independent System Operator (ISO) & aggregator. The work is done after studying relevant market models of EVs having different similar or different characteristics.

Visceral leishmaniasis cyclical trends in Bihar, India – implications for the elimination programme.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne disease of public health importance in India, with the highest burden of disease in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The disease is currently targeted for elimination (annual incidence to less than one per 10,000 population) using indoor residual spraying, active case detection and treatment. Historically the disease trend in India has been regarded as cyclical with case resurgence characteristically occurring every 15 years. Understanding this pattern is essential if the VL elimination gains are to be sustained. To better understand the cyclical trends, annual climatic indicators including rainfall, temperature and humidity over time were compared with annual VL case incidence data. Methods: Annual climate data (rainfall, average and maximum temperature and specific humidity) from 1956-2004 were used to identify potential factors influencing VL incidence. Months relevant to the VL life-cycle were identified and defined (Monsoon, Sand-fly Peak, Pre-Sand-fly Peak and Annual) for analysis. The Kruskall-Wallis test was used to determine significant difference between categorical rainfall and VL incidence, whilst univariate negative binomial regression models were used to determine predictors of disease incidence. Results: The negative binomial regression model showed statistically significant associations (p <0.05) for VL incidence and maximum temperature, and average temperature, when considering annual and pre-sand fly peak time periods. No other associations between humidity, rainfall or temperature and VL incidence were detected (all values p >0.05). Conclusion: The VL programme in Bihar has made significant progress in adopting best practices for improved treatment and vector control, with the aim to achieve VL elimination. However, open access granular programme data for indoor residual spray activities and case detection is required to fully understand the role of climate in disease transmission and potential resurgence.

Visceral leishmaniasis cyclical trends in Bihar, India - implications for the elimination programme.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne disease of public health importance in India, with the highest burden of disease in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The disease is currently targeted for elimination (annual incidence to less than one per 10,000 population) using indoor residual spraying, active case detection and treatment. Historically the disease trend in India has been regarded as cyclical with case resurgence characteristically occurring every 15 years. Understanding this pattern is essential if the VL elimination gains are to be sustained. To better understand the cyclical trends, annual climatic indicators including rainfall, temperature and humidity over time were compared with annual VL case incidence data. Methods: Annual climate data (rainfall, average and maximum temperature and specific humidity) from 1956-2004 were used to identify potential factors influencing VL incidence. Months relevant to the VL life-cycle were identified and defined (Monsoon, Sand-fly Peak, Pre-Sand-fly Peak and Annual) for analysis. The Kruskall-Wallis test was used to determine significant difference between categorical rainfall and VL incidence, whilst univariate negative binomial regression models were used to determine predictors of disease incidence. Results: The negative binomial regression model showed statistically significant associations (p <0.05) for VL incidence and maximum temperature, and average temperature, when considering annual and pre-sand fly peak time periods. No other associations between humidity, rainfall or temperature and VL incidence were detected (all values p >0.05). Conclusion: The VL programme in Bihar has made significant progress in adopting best practices for improved treatment and vector control, with the aim to achieve VL elimination. However, open access granular programme data for indoor residual spray activities and case detection is required to fully understand the role of climate in disease transmission and potential resurgence.

Optimal stochastic short-term thermal and electrical operation of fuel cell/photovoltaic/battery/grid hybrid energy system in the presence of demand response program

In this paper, cost-efficient operation problem of photovoltaic/battery/fuel cell hybrid energy system has been evaluated in the presence of demand response program. Each load curve has off-peak, mid and peak time periods in which the energy prices are different. Demand response program transfers some amount of load from peak periods to other periods to flatten the load curve and minimize total cost. So, the main goal is to meet the energy demand and propose a cost-efficient approach to minimize system’s total cost including system’s electrical cost and thermal cost and the revenue from exporting power to the upstream grid. A battery has been utilized as an electrical energy storage system and a heat storage tank is used as a thermal energy storage system to save energy in off-peak and mid-peak hours and then supply load in peak hours which leads to reduction of cost. The proposed cost-efficient operation problem of photovoltaic/battery/fuel cell hybrid energy system is modeled by a mixed-integer linear program and solved by General algebraic modeling system optimization software under CPLEX solver. Two case studies are investigated to show the effects of demand response program on reduction of total cost.

Challenging the EU’s normative power: Media views on the EU in India

This article presents comparative analysis across time of the European Union (EU) and India in energy affairs. Yet, while there have been a number of signed agreements and completed negotiations, the actual achievements of the dialogue in energy matters are still questionable. This article focuses on how two leading Indian newspapers (The Times of India and The Economic Times) represented India’s dialogue with the EU. The three frames of sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply were traced in three peak time periods: (i) the Joint Declaration of Enhanced Energy Cooperation February 2012, (ii) the Doha Climate Change Conference in 2012 and (iii) the Warsaw Climate Change Conference in 2013. The analysis is guided by two questions: (i) whether the EU is recognised as a ‘normative’ power in the Indian influential press and (ii) whether Indian perceptions of the EU’s ‘normative’ power in energy framework have changed over time? The findings highlight the perceptions of the dynamics of EU cooperation with India in the energy field. Manners’ analysis of the EU’s ‘core’ and ‘minor’ norms provides a valuable perspective to analyse the EU’s international identity in energy affairs with external partners.

Identifying peaks in bat activity: a new application of SaTScan’s space–time scan statistic

Context Identifying key spatio–temporal periods of an organism’s activity is an important focus of many ecological studies. Bat activity, as assessed by passive acoustic monitoring, can be extremely variable and currently there exists no agreed-upon method for identifying periods of high activity. Aims We proposed a new application for the space–time scan statistic (SaTScan) as an objective technique for identifying peak periods of bat activity. We aimed to test the validity of SaTScan as a method for identifying peaks in bat activity and demonstrate its use for assessing species-specific temporal patterns of activity. Methods To evaluate the effectiveness of SaTScan for detecting peaks in activity, we compared SaTScan to peaks identified with percentile thresholds. We evaluated peaks in activity across three scales: within nights; among nights at a site; and among sites. We applied SaTScan to demonstrate analysis of species-specific activity as further use of this technique. Key results SaTScan was effective at identifying peak time periods that included the majority of the high activity minutes. Timing of peaks of activity was most consistent for Myotis lucifugus during swarming and Lasiurus borealis during migration. All other activity for five species at three sites was indicative of foraging activity, with peaks in the first 5h after sunset. Conclusions SaTScan can be a valuable tool for quickly identifying peaks in acoustic activity of bats, with an objective, replicable and statistically sound method that can be applied at many temporal and spatial scales. Implications This tool has the potential for many more applications in ecology. Beyond acoustic analyses of bat activity, this technique could easily identify peaks in a research or management context, such as study activity among habitats, commercial developments or years at a single site.

Real time optimal schedule controller for home energy management system using new binary backtracking search algorithm

In the domestic sector, increased energy consumption of home appliances has become a growing issue. Thus, reducing and scheduling energy usage is the key for any home energy management system (HEMS). To better match demand and supply, many utilities offer residential demand response program to change the pattern of power consumption of a residential customer by curtailing or shifting their energy use during the peak time period. In the present study, real time optimal schedule controller for HEMS is proposed using a new binary backtracking search algorithm (BBSA) to manage the energy consumption. The BBSA gives optimal schedule for home devices in order to limit the demand of total load and schedule the operation of home appliances at specific times during the day. Hardware prototype of smart sockets and graphical user interface software were designed to demonstrate the proposed HEMS and to provide the interface between loads and scheduler, respectively. A set of the most common home appliances, namely, air conditioner, water heater, refrigerator, and washing machine has been considered to be controlled. The proposed scheduling algorithm is applied under two cases in which the first case considers operation at weekday from 4 to 11 pm and the second case considers weekend at different time of the day. Experimental results of the proposed BBSA schedule controller are compared with the binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) schedule controller to verify the accuracy of the developed controller in the HEMS. The BBSA schedule controller provides better results compared to that of the BPSO schedule controller in reducing the energy consumption and the total electricity bill and save the energy at peak hours of certain loads.

Internet Traffic Measurement: Trends and Impact to Campus Network

Abstract— University of Lampung (Unila) is an Institution of Higher Education located in Bandar Lampung. Since 2016, Unila has deployed Internet Access Management (IAM) to guarantee the healthiness of the campus network, as well as to enhance the effectiveness of the bandwidth usage. This study focused on internet traffic measurement, conducted in Unila’s campus network during February 1 until February 29, 2016. Overall, this study shows user behavior on their application. The trend data of monthly most popular URL Categories accessed by users was; 1st Computers &amp; Technology with 30032328 hits or 39.1%, the 2nd was Search Engines &amp; Portals with 14214611 hits or 18.5%. There were around 30-40 % of internet traffic was use for Streaming Media activity, it proves that the existence of Streaming Media Activity in Campus Network which contribute to network congestion. During a month doing internet measurement, we identify the most active device/user that are the 1st was Aruba Wireless Controller with total traffic flow 40.45%, the 2nd was CCR-1 with 26.2%, the 3rd was CCR-2 with 16.9%, and the 4th was Digital Library Server with total flow was 0.6%. Monthly uplink traffic total flow was 5889.92 GB while downlink traffic total flow was 61041.35 GB. We made a recommendation to Unila management for implementing traffic provisioning especially on streaming media activity specific on access to Google Global Cache (GGC), to overcome network congestion during peak time period on working hours. Keywords—internet access management, internet traffic measurement; traffic trend

Hybrid short‐term prediction of traffic volume at ferry terminal based on data fusion

Ferry traffic prediction is an important consideration for urban transportation authorities. A novel methodology which considers cyclical patterns in ferry on-board vehicle traffic and improves on this method by incorporating traffic data from nearby freeway loop detectors is proposed. Since vehicles arriving in ferry terminals often originate from nearby freeways, the study of freeway traffic flow can improve ferry traffic prediction, especially during peak travel periods. In this study, the authors first identify periodic patterns in ferry traffic through analysis in both the time and frequency domain, and propose a modelling methodology which considers these patterns in short-term traffic prediction. In the proposed model, the ferry traffic volume is divided into periodic and dynamic components, with the periodic component approximated by trigonometric functions. Second, this model is expanded to incorporate measured traffic data on nearby freeways. Specifically, the correlation between freeway traffic and ferry traffic volume is studied, and an enhanced model is proposed which integrates the predictions obtained through historical ferry data and from freeway traffic during peak travel time periods. Validation results demonstrate that consideration of periodic patterns increases prediction accuracy and that the proposed model further improves the ferry traffic prediction accuracy during peak time periods.

Health Literacy Among Parents of Newborn Infants

Health Literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand health information to make knowledgeable health decisions. To determine baseline health literacy of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents at a tertiary care hospital during periods of crucial information exchange. Health literacy of English-speaking NICU parents was assessed using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) on admission (n = 121) and discharge (n = 59). A quasi-control group of well-baby nursery (WBN) parents (n = 24) and prenatal obstetric clinic (PRE) parents (n = 18) were included. A single, Likert-style question measured nurses' assessment of parental comprehension with discharge teaching. Suspected limited health literacy (SLHL) was defined as the NVS score of 3 or less. Forty-three percent of parents on NICU admission and 32% at NICU discharge had SLHL (P < .01). SLHL for WBN and PRE parents was 25% and 58%, respectively. Parental age, gender, location, and history of healthcare-related employment were not associated with health literacy status at any time point. Thirty-nine percent of NICU parents and 25% of WBN parents with SLHL at time of admission/infant birth had a college education. Nurse subjective measurement of parental comprehension of discharge instructions was not correlated to the objective measurement of health literacy (P = .26). SLHL is common during peak time periods of complex health discussion in the NICU, WBN, and PRE settings. NICU providers may not accurately gauge parents' literacy status. Methods for improving health communication are needed. Studies should evaluate SLHL in a larger NICU population and across different languages and cultures.

Safety Impacts of the Actuated Signal Control at Urban Intersections

To reduce travel time, the actuated signal controls have been implemented at urban intersections. However, the safety impacts of actuated signal controls thus far have rarely been examined. In this assessment of the safety impact of urban intersections with semi-actuated signal controls, the safety performance functions and EB approaches were applied. The semi-actuated signal controls have increased injuries and total crashes in all crash types by around 5.9% and 3.8%, respectively. Regarding the most common crash types, such as angle, sideswipe &amp; rear-end, and head-on crashes, semi-actuated signal controls have been seen to decrease injuries by 7.7%. Total crashes have been reduced by over 9.2% through the use of semi-actuated signal controls. This may be result of optimal signal timings considering traffic conditions during peak time periods. In conclusion, safety impact factors which have been established in this study can be used to improve safety and minimize travel times using semi-actuated signal controls.

대중교통카드 자료를 활용한 도시철도 승강장 혼잡도 추정 알고리즘 개발

In some sections of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, severe congestion can be observed during rush hours and on specific days. The subway operators have been conducting regular surveys to measure the level of congestion on trains: the results are then used to make plans for congestion reduction. However, the survey has so far focused just on train` congestion and has been unable to determine non-recurring congestion due to special events. This study develops an algorithm to estimate the platform congestion rate by time using individual public transportation card data. The algorithm is evaluated by comparison of the estimated congestion rate and the ground truth data that are actually observed at non-transfer subway stations on Seoul subway line 2. The error rates are within and the performance of the algorithm is fairly good. However, varying walking times from gates to platforms, which are applied to both non-peak periods and peak time periods, are needed to improve the algorithm.

Exercise-Induced Repolarization Changes in Patients with Isolated Myocardial Bridging.

BackgroundAlthough myocardial bridging (MB) is defined as an angiographic phenomenon with a benign course, it has also been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. The effects of exercise on myocardial repolarization in patients with MB were tested in this study, with Tp-e and Tp-e/QT repolarization indexes.Material/MethodsA total of 50 patients in whom isolated MB was diagnosed at coronary angiography (CAG) (Group I) and 48 patients with normal CAG results (Group II) were included in this study. The participants underwent treadmill exercise stress testing according to the Bruce protocol. QT dispersion (QTd) was defined as the minimum QT interval subtracted from the maximum. The Tp-e interval was defined as the difference between the QT and the QT peak time period. QTd and Tp-e intervals were calculated for all patients before and after exercise testing and differences between groups were compared.ResultsAt peak exercise, QTd and cQTd showed a significant increase in comparison to baseline values in the group of patients with myocardial bridges. Significant increases were also found with exercise in the Tp-e, cTp-e durations and Tp-e/QT ratio of the MB patient group in comparison to the baseline values. On the other hand, significant differences in QTd, cQTd, Tp-e, cTp-e intervals, and Tp-e/QT ratio during peak exercise in comparison with baseline values were not detected in the control group (p>0.05).ConclusionsSignificant increases in QTd, cQTd, Tp-e and cTp-e intervals and Tp-e/QT ratio were detected in the MB patients during exercise testing.