Performance-based engineering (PBE) requires advances in hazard characterization, structural modeling, and nonlinear analysis techniques to fully and efficiently develop the fragility expressions and other tools forming the basis for risk-based design procedures. This research examined and extended the state-of-the-art in hazard characterization (wind and surge) and risk-based design procedures (seismic). State-of-the-art hurricane models (including wind field, tracking and decay models) and event-based simulation techniques were used to characterize the hurricane wind hazard along the Texas coast. A total of 10,000 years of synthetic hurricane wind speed records were generated for each zip-code in Texas and were used to statistically characterize the N-year maximum hurricane wind speed distribution for each zip-code location and develop design non-exceedance probability contours for both coastal and inland areas. Actual recorded wind and surge data, the hurricane wind field model, hurricane size parameters, and a measure of storm kinetic energy were used to develop wind-surge and wind-surge-energy models, which can be used to characterize the wind-surge hazard at a level of accuracy suitable for PBE applications. These models provide a powerful tool to quickly and inexpensively estimate surge depths at coastal locations in advance of a hurricane landfall. They also were used to create surge hazard maps that provide storm surge height non-exceedance probability contours for the Texas coast. The simulation tools, wind field models, and statistical analyses, make it possible to characterize the risk-consistent hurricane events considering both hurricane intensity and size. The proposed methodology for event-based hurricane hazard characterization, when coupled with a hurricane damage model, can also be used for regional loss estimation and other spatial impact analyses. In considering seismic hazard, a risk-consistent framework for displacement-based seismic design of engineered multistory woodframe structures was developed. Specifically, a database of probability-based scale factors which can be used in a direct displacement design (DDD) procedure for woodframe buildings was created using nonlinear time-history analyses with suitably scaled ground motions records. The resulting DDD procedure results in more risk-consistent designs and therefore advances the state-of-the-art in displacement-based seismic design of woodframe structures.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Hayder Rasheed / Most state highway agencies do not perform routine fatigue inspections on highway signs, luminaires, and traffic signals, thereby increasing the potential for unnoticed fatigue cracking. The Kansas Highway System utilizes over 450 sign trusses, most of which have been in service for 30-45 years. In addition, to aging support structures, the structural designs these signs and signals sometimes result in significant cyclical loading due to wind gust. This study conducted fatigue evaluations using nominal axial member-specific stress ranges corresponding to a wind speed database for a 45-year period, as well as, hundreds of structural analysis simulations. Potential fatigue failure was assessed for each member of the support structure by evaluating the ratio of consumed fatigue cycles to ultimate fatigue cycles using Miner’s rule to estimate finite life. If the ratio was close to zero after 45 years or any number of actual service years, the member was expected to have a practically infinite life. If the ratio was close to 1 after the service years, the member was expected to be at the end of its life. This information can help inspectors identify for critical spots that may have developed fatigue cracks that otherwise would be difficult to detect. Two approaches were hypothesized to account for fatigue life deterministically and probabilistically. Fatigue Life Simulator Software (FLSS) was developed to manage hundreds of simulations and determine the fatigue life of all members in a structure in specific areas of Kansas. FLSS is compatible and works simultaneously with STAAD Pro Software and Sign Truss Interface provided by KDOT, to generate results. Users apply the results to study the behavior of overhead structures and identify critical spots that should be physically inspected and potentially replaced. Results in Kanas indicated a range of structural fatigue life varying by city. Modifications were made to the output files of Sign Truss Interface to incorporate American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) load cases 1 and 2 and simulate wind speed into wind pressure using the effect of the two load cases. The modification also automatically incorporated 45-years of wind speed data into the Sign Truss Interface to simulate and generate structural models to determine corresponding stresses to the wind effect.

PINTO, Fabrício Alves. Medição da evaporação em tanques classe a instalados em ambientes aquático e terrestre. 2009. 58 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Agrícola, Fortaleza-CE, 2009. / Submitted by demia Maia (demiamlm@gmail.com) on 2016-06-28T14:11:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2009_dis_fapinto.pdf: 1378262 bytes, checksum: 2dae07ff31ce2b3fa2226128d976ce5d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by demia Maia (demiamlm@gmail.com) on 2016-06-28T14:12:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2009_dis_fapinto.pdf: 1378262 bytes, checksum: 2dae07ff31ce2b3fa2226128d976ce5d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-28T14:12:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2009_dis_fapinto.pdf: 1378262 bytes, checksum: 2dae07ff31ce2b3fa2226128d976ce5d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / The main objective of this research was to compare evaporation measured in two Class A evaporation pans. The first one installed 15 cm over the surface and the second one installed at surface level in a small reservoir. The experiment was carried out at the Fisheries Station of the Federal University of Ceará, in Fortaleza. An automated weather station was installed at the same site. During February to November of 2008, evaporation data were measured in a daily basis. The weather data were collected in a weekly basis using a radio frequency system. The evaporation measured at a soil surface was 5.3% higher than the evaporation measured at a water surface level of the reservoir. The different installation conditions were influenced differently by the weather parameters. The evaporation estimation methods of Penman, Linsley and Linacre underestimated the evaporation measured in the reservoir, and the Penman method presented the smaller error / As condições climáticas das regiões semi-áridas favorecem a evaporação que representa a maior perda do volume líquido dos açudes, portanto, um parâmetro importante para o gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos. Um dos instrumentos mais difundidos e utilizados para estimar a evaporação em reservatórios é o Tanque Classe A. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo principal comparar a evaporação medida em dois tanques Classe A, sendo um instalado em ambiente aquático e outro em ambiente terrestre, e como objetivo secundário avaliar estimativas da evaporação obtidas pelos métodos propostos por Penman (1948), Linsley (1982) e Linacre (1993) em relação às medidas de evaporação obtidas nos referidos tanques evaporimétricos. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação de Piscicultura do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal do Ceará, em Fortaleza, CE. Neste local, além dos tanques Classe A, foi instalada uma estação meteorológica automática. No período de fevereiro a novembro de 2008 foram realizadas medidas diárias de evaporação e coletados, semanalmente, os dados meteorológicos armazenados no sistema de aquisição da estação, utilizando rádio freqüência. O total evaporado no tanque Classe A instalado em ambiente terrestre foi 5,3% superior ao total evaporado no tanque Classe A em ambiente aquático. A instalação do tanque Classe A em ambiente aquático reduziu os efeitos diretos da radiação solar incidente, umidade relativa, temperatura do ar e velocidade do vento sobre a evaporação assim com a amplitude térmica da água no seu interior. O método proposto por Penman (1948) apresentou os melhores desempenhos, com erros relativos de -3,0% em relação ao tanque Classe A no ambiente aquático e -7,9% em relação ao tanque Classe A no ambiente terrestre.

River, lakes and   streams account for more carbon dioxide emissions than all other freshwater   reservoirs together. However, there is still lack of knowledge of the   physical processes that control the efficiency of the air-water exchange of   CO2 in these aquatic systems. In the more turbulent water sections   of a river, the gas transfer is thought to be governed by the river’s   morphology such as bottom topography, slope and stream flow. Whiles for wider   sections of the river, the gas transfer could potentially be influenced by   atmospheric forcing (e.g. Wind speed). The main purpose of this project is to   study the fluxes of carbon dioxide and how (wind speed and stream discharge)   influence the CO2 fluxes in the river. In this study, direct and   continuous measurements of CO2 emission was conducted for the   first time in a controlled boreal river in Kattstrupeforsen (Sweden) from   18th April to 10th May 2018. A unique measurement setup which combines eddy   covariance techniques, general meteorology and in situ water variables (for   high accuracy emission measurements) was used. The results show that   in the late winter, an   upward directed CO2 fluxes measured in the river was approximately   2.2 μmol m−2 s−1. This value agrees with many other small and   large rivers where CO2 fluxes has been studied. The river can be   said to serve as source of CO2 to the atmosphere in the day due to   the dominant upward fluxes recorded during the daytime. The results also show   that carbon dioxide fluxes increase with increasing wind speed notably at   wind speed above 2 m s-1. There   was no relation between CO2 fluxes and stream discharge. This   indicates that wind speed could be one principal factor for air- river gas   exchange. The findings in this work on river gas exchange will provide   a basis for a regional estimate and be applicable for many river systems on a   global scale. / <p>2018-07-09</p>

Submitted by (ana.araujo@ufrpe.br) on 2016-05-25T14:39:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Barbara Camboim Lopes de Figueiredo.pdf: 2032958 bytes, checksum: d463c6ab534a96f1ce5aac33c2dde210 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-25T14:39:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Barbara Camboim Lopes de Figueiredo.pdf: 2032958 bytes, checksum: d463c6ab534a96f1ce5aac33c2dde210 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The study of climate has great importance, given that a variation of climatic elements affect the economy of a certain region and life of the inhabitants. Climate variables temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, precipitation and wind can be affected by geophysical and environmental factors such as latitude, altitude, air mass, proximity to sea, sea currents and vegetation. Wind is the most complex climate element representing the natural phenomenon of turbulence, it is characterized by high temporal and spatial variability. Wind is generated by atmospheric air mass movement, and has influence on various environmental phenomena such as soil erosion, pollutant dispersal and transport of pollen and seeds. Knowing wind speed temporal and spatial distribution is crucial to evaluate the potential for generation of eolic energy. In this work we study long-term correlations in wind speed temporal series registered at twelve meteorological stations in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. To this end we apply Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) on hourly wind speed data for the period 2008-2011. All the analyzed series exhibit multifractal properties with generalized Hurst exponents above 0.5 indicating persistent temporal dynamics for both, small and large fluctuations. We also calculate other multifractal measures Rényi exponent and singularity spectrum, and complexity parameters, position of maximum, width and asymmetry of multifractral spectrum. No correlation was detected between complexity parameters and the geographic parameters longitude, latitude and altitude of the station, except for asymmetry of multifractal spectrum: negative correlation with longitude for maximum wind speed and negative correlation with latitude for average wind speed. However for all stations the strength of multifractality (indicated by width of multifractal spectrum) is greater for maximum wind speed then for average wind speed. These results contribute to a better understanding of the nature of stochastic processes governing wind dynamics which is necessary for development of more accurate predictive models for wind speed temporal variability and diverse phenomena influenced by wind. / O estudo do clima tem grande importância visto que a variação em elementos climáticos afeta a economia de uma região e a vida das pessoas que ali habitam. As variáveis climáticas temperatura, umidade, pressão atmosférica, radiação solar, precipitação e vento podem ser influenciadas por diversos fatores, geofísicos e ambientais, tais como latitude, altitude, massas de ar, continentalidade e maritmidade, relevo e vegetação. Um dos mais complexos elementos do clima é o vento, pelo fato de representar um fenômeno natural de turbulência, caracterizado por uma grande variabilidade temporal e espacial. O vento é gerado pelo movimento das massas de ar e pode influenciar vários fenômenos ambientais como erosão do solo, dispersão de poluentes e transporte de pólen e sementes. O conhecimento da distribuição temporal e espacial da velocidade do vento é crucial para avaliação do potencial eólico de uma região. Neste trabalho estudaram-se correlações de longo alcance das séries temporais de velocidade do vento registradas em 12 estações meteorológicas durante o período de 2008 a 2011 no estado de Pernambuco aplicando-se o método Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) nas séries temporais horárias. Todas as séries analisadas mostram as propriedades multifractais com valores de expoente generalizado de Hurst acima de 0,5 indicando uma dinâmica persistente para pequenas e grande flutuações. Foram calculadas também as outras medidas multifractais, o expoente Rényi e o espectro multifractal bem como os parâmetros de complexidade: posição do máximo, largura e assimetria do espectro multifractal. Não foram encontradas correlação entre os parâmetros de complexidade e as coordenadas geográficas: longitude, latitude e altitude, exceto a medida de assimetria do espectro multifractal: correlação negativa entre a rajada e longitude e entre velocidade e latitude. Para todas estações as larguras do espectro multifractal foram maiores para a rajada que para a velocidade, indicando uma multifractalidade mais forte. Estes resultados contribuem para uma melhor compreensão da natureza dos processos estocásticos geradores da dinâmica do vento, necessária para o desenvolvimento de modelos confiáveis para predição da variabilidade temporal do vento e dos diversos fenômenos influenciados pelo mesmo.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / The main objective of this research was to compare evaporation measured in two Class A evaporation pans. The first one installed 15 cm over the surface and the second one installed at surface level in a small reservoir. The experiment was carried out at the Fisheries Station of the Federal University of CearÃ, in Fortaleza. An automated weather station was installed at the same site. During February to November of 2008, evaporation data were measured in a daily basis. The weather data were collected in a weekly basis using a radio frequency system. The evaporation measured at a soil surface was 5.3% higher than the evaporation measured at a water surface level of the reservoir. The different installation conditions were influenced differently by the weather parameters. The evaporation estimation methods of Penman, Linsley and Linacre underestimated the evaporation measured in the reservoir, and the Penman method presented the smaller error. / As condiÃÃes climÃticas das regiÃes semi-Ãridas favorecem a evaporaÃÃo que representa a maior perda do volume lÃquido dos aÃudes, portanto, um parÃmetro importante para o gerenciamento dos recursos hÃdricos. Um dos instrumentos mais difundidos e utilizados para estimar a evaporaÃÃo em reservatÃrios à o Tanque Classe A. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo principal comparar a evaporaÃÃo medida em dois tanques Classe A, sendo um instalado em ambiente aquÃtico e outro em ambiente terrestre, e como objetivo secundÃrio avaliar estimativas da evaporaÃÃo obtidas pelos mÃtodos propostos por Penman (1948), Linsley (1982) e Linacre (1993) em relaÃÃo Ãs medidas de evaporaÃÃo obtidas nos referidos tanques evaporimÃtricos. O experimento foi conduzido na EstaÃÃo de Piscicultura do Centro de CiÃncias AgrÃrias da Universidade Federal do CearÃ, em Fortaleza, CE. Neste local, alÃm dos tanques Classe A, foi instalada uma estaÃÃo meteorolÃgica automÃtica. No perÃodo de fevereiro a novembro de 2008 foram realizadas medidas diÃrias de evaporaÃÃo e coletados, semanalmente, os dados meteorolÃgicos armazenados no sistema de aquisiÃÃo da estaÃÃo, utilizando rÃdio freqÃÃncia. O total evaporado no tanque Classe A instalado em ambiente terrestre foi 5,3% superior ao total evaporado no tanque Classe A em ambiente aquÃtico. A instalaÃÃo do tanque Classe A em ambiente aquÃtico reduziu os efeitos diretos da radiaÃÃo solar incidente, umidade relativa, temperatura do ar e velocidade do vento sobre a evaporaÃÃo assim com a amplitude tÃrmica da Ãgua no seu interior. O mÃtodo proposto por Penman (1948) apresentou os melhores desempenhos, com erros relativos de -3,0% em relaÃÃo ao tanque Classe A no ambiente aquÃtico e -7,9% em relaÃÃo ao tanque Classe A no ambiente terrestre.

This thesis is focused on a design and an implementation of a power consumption computation for a passenger vessel using the industrial automation system Siemens Simatic S7-200 and the touch panel Weintek Easy View MT8150X. A part of the thesis represents a theoretical summary of features and parametres of the programmable logic controllers (PLC) and a way how they are programmed. The work includes a description of a computational algorithm, a block diagram of interconnections and a visualization software for testing. A greater part of this publication is devoted to a detailed decription of a program in the PLC and its visualization, especially the power consumption computation, a distance, an average speed and a wind speed and a direction. At the end, the thesis shows a procedure for an implementation and a measurement on the passenger ships at the Brno dam, including an evaluation of downloaded data.

This thesis deals with conception of proposal and implementation of a weather station. Weather station is composed of three main parts which are measuring station, showing station and USB wireless receiving module. Measuring station measures basic meteorologic variables and sends measured variables through wireless communication. Showing station is designed to present measured data with graphics user interface and generate data for a web server.

Although generally accurate, the quality of SeaWinds on QuikSCAT scatterometer ocean vector winds is compromised by certain natural phenomena and retrieval algorithm limitations. This dissertation addresses three main contributers to scatterometer estimate error: poor ambiguity selection, estimate uncertainty at low wind speeds, and rain corruption. A quality assurance (QA) analysis performed on SeaWinds data suggests that about 5% of SeaWinds data contain ambiguity selection errors and that scatterometer estimation error is correlated with low wind speeds and rain events. Ambiguity selection errors are partly due to the "nudging" step (initialization from outside data). A sophisticated new non-nudging ambiguity selection approach produces generally more consistent wind than the nudging method in moderate wind conditions. The non-nudging method selects 93% of the same ambiguities as the nudged data, validating both techniques, and indicating that ambiguity selection can be accomplished without nudging. Variability at low wind speeds is analyzed using tower-mounted scatterometer data. According to theory, below a threshold wind speed, the wind fails to generate the surface roughness necessary for wind measurement. A simple analysis suggests the existence of the threshold in much of the tower-mounted scatterometer data. However, the backscatter does not "go to zero" beneath the threshold in an uncontrolled environment as theory suggests, but rather has a mean drop and higher variability below the threshold. Rain is the largest weather-related contributer to scatterometer error, affecting approximately 4% to 10% of SeaWinds data. A simple model formed via comparison of co-located TRMM PR and SeaWinds measurements characterizes the average effect of rain on SeaWinds backscatter. The model is generally accurate to within 3 dB over the tropics. The rain/wind backscatter model is used to simultaneously retrieve wind and rain from SeaWinds measurements. The simultaneous wind/rain (SWR) estimation procedure can improve wind estimates during rain, while providing a scatterometer-based rain rate estimate. SWR also affords improved rain flagging for low to moderate rain rates. QuikSCAT-retrieved rain rates correlate well with TRMM PR instantaneous measurements and TMI monthly rain averages. SeaWinds rain measurements can be used to supplement data from other rain-measuring instruments, filling spatial and temporal gaps in coverage.

Optimizing the operation and maintenance of wind turbines is crucial as the wind energy sector continues to expand. Predicting the mass imbalance of wind turbines, which can seriously damage the rotor blades, gearbox, and other components, is one of the key issues in this field. In this work, we propose a machine learning-based method for predicting the mass imbalance of wind turbines utilizing information from multiple sensors and monitoring systems. We collected data and trained the model from Adwen AD8 wind turbine model and evaluated on the real wind turbine SCADA data which is located at Fraunhofer IWES, Bremerhaven. The data included various parameters such as wind speed, blade root bending moments and rotor speed. We used this data to train and test machine learning classification models based on different algorithms, including extra-tree classifiers, support vector machines, and random forest. Our results showed that the machine learning models were able to predict the mass imbalance percentage of wind turbines with high accuracy. Particularly, the extra tree classifiers with blade root bending moments outperformed other research for multiclassification problem with an F1 score of 0.91 and an accuracy of 90%. Additionally, we examined the significance of various features in predicting the mass imbalance and observed that the rotor speed and blade root bending moments were the most crucial variables. Our research has significant effects for the wind energy sector since it offers a reliable and efficient way for predicting wind turbine mass imbalance. Wind farm operators can save maintenance costs, minimize downtime of wind turbines, and increase the lifespan of turbine components by identifying and eliminating mass imbalances. Also, further investigation will allow us to apply our method to different kinds of wind turbines, and it is simple to incorporate into current monitoring systems as it supports prediction without installing additional sensors. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the potential of machine learning for predicting the percentage of mass imbalance of wind turbines. We believe that our approach can significantly benefit the wind energy industry and contribute to the development of sustainable energy sources.