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Transforming the aging electric grid to a smart grid is an active area of research in industry and the government. One of the main objectives of the smart grid is to improve the efficiency of power generation, transmission and distribution and also to improve the stability and the reliability of the grid. In order to achieve this, various processes involved in power generation, transmission, and distribution should be armed with advanced sensor technologies, computing, communication and networking capabilities to an unprecedented level. These high speed data transfer and computational abilities aid power system engineers to obtain wide area measurements, achieve better control of power system operations and improve the reliability of power supply and the efficiency of different power grid operations. In the process of making the grid smarter, problems existing in traditional grid applications can be identified and solutions have to be developed to fix the identified issues. In this dissertation, two problems that aid power system engineers to meet the above mentioned smart grid's objective are researched. One problem is related to the distribution-side smart grid and the other one is a part of the transmission-side smart grid. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is one of the important distribution-side smart grid applications. AMI is a technology where smart meters are installed at customer site which gives the utilities the ability to monitor and collect information related to the amount of electricity, water, and gas consumed by the user. Many recent research studies suggested the use of 3G cellular CDMA2000 for AMI network as it provides an advanced and cost effective solution for smart grid communications. Taking into account both technical and non-technical factors such as extended lifetime, security, availability and control of the solution, Alliander, an electric utility in Netherlands deployed a private 3G CDMA2000 network for smart metering. Although 3G CDMA2000 satisfies the requirements of smart grid applications, an analysis on the use of the current state of the art 3G CDMA2000 for smart grid applications indicates that its usage results in high percentage of control overhead, high latency and high power consumption for data transfer. As a part of this dissertation, we proposed FLEX-MAC - a new Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol that reduces the latency and overhead in smart meter data collection when compared to 3G CDMA2000 MAC. As mentioned above the second problem studied in this dissertation is related to the transmission-side grid. Power grid transmission and sub-transmission lines are generally protected by distance relays. After a thorough analysis of U.S. historical blackouts, North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) has concluded that the hidden failure induced tripping of distance relays is responsible for 70% of the U.S. blackouts. As a part of this dissertation, agent based distance relaying protection scheme is proposed to improve the robustness of distance relays to hidden failures and thus reduce the probability of blackouts. This dissertation has two major contributions. First, a hierarchically distributed non-intrusive Agent Aided Distance Relaying Protection Scheme (AADRPS) is proposed to improve the robustness of distance relays to hidden failures. The problem of adapting the proposed AADRPS to a larger power system network consisting of thousands of buses is modeled as an integer linear programming multiple facility location optimization problem. Distance relaying protection scheme is a real time system and has stringent timing requirements. Therefore, in order to verify if the proposed AADRPS meets the timing requirements or not and also to check for deadlocks, verification models based on UPPAAL real time model checker are provided in this dissertation. So, the entire framework consisting of AADRPS that aids in increasing the robustness of distance relays and reducing the possibility of blackouts, the multiple facility location optimization models and the UPPAAL real time model checker verification models form one of the major contributions of this dissertation. The second contribution is related to the MAC layer of AMI networks. In this dissertation, FLEX-MAC - a novel and flexible MAC protocol is proposed to reduce the overhead and latency in smart meter data collection. The novelty of the FLEX-MAC lies in its ability to change the mode of operation based on the type of the data being collected in a smart meter network. FLEX-MAC employs Frame and Channel Reserved (FCR) MAC or Frame Reserved and Random Channel (FRRC) MAC for scheduled data collection. Power outage data in an AMI network is considered as a random data . In a densely populated area, during an outage, a large number of smart meters attempt to report the outage, which significantly increases the Random Access CHannel (RACH) load. In order to reduce the RACH traffic during an outage, this dissertation proposes a Time Hierarchical Scheme (THS). Also, in order to minimize the total time to collect the power outage data, a Backward Recursive Dynamic Programming (BRDP) approach is proposed to adapt the transmission rate of smart meters reporting an outage. Both the Optimal Transmission Rate Adaption and Time Hierarchical Scheme form the basis of OTRA-THS MAC which is employed by FLEX-MAC for random data collection. Additionally, in this work, Markov chain models are presented for evaluating the performance of FCR and FRRC MACs in terms of average throughput and delay. Also, another Markov model is presented to find the mean time to absorption or mean time to collect power outage data of OTRA-TH MAC during an outage. / Ph. D.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur la tectonique active du système de faille de Doruneh (DFS) situé au NE de l'Iran. Une approche combinée de géologie structurale, morpho-tectonique, géomorphologie quantitative et datation par des nucléides cosmogéniques 36Cl et 10Be nous a permis de décrire la cinématique ainsi que le rôle géodynamique du DFS dans le contexte de la collision Arabie-Eurasie.Le DFS comprend trois zones avec des caractéristiques structurales, géomorphologiques et cinématiques distinctes, (a) inverse-senestre pour la WFZ (Ouest) (b) purement senestre pour la CFZ (Centre) et (c) inverse pour l'EFZ (Est). Les âges d'abandon de trois générations de cônes alluviaux quaternaires ont été déterminés à ~12, ~36 et ~100 ka. Ces âges, combinés avec les décalages mesurés, indiquent une vitesse maximum de déplacement horizontal senestre de ~5,3 mm/an pour l'Holocène. Notre analyse d'aléa sismique indique que la longueur maximale d'un segment sismogène varie de 70 à 100 km, ce qui pourrait produire des séismes caractéristiques de magnitude 7.2 à 7.4 avec des intervalles de récurrence de ~750 ans.Nous proposons un nouveau modèle géodynamique dans lequel l'EFZ est impliquée dans une zone de cisaillement dextre d'orientation NNW entre Iran central et Eurasie. Le mouvement vers le nord de l'Iran central est accommodé dans cette zone de relais en transpression par du raccourcissement sur des failles inverses d'orientation NW, et transféré vers le Nord par des faille dextres d'orientation NNW. / This study focuses on the active tectonics of the Doruneh Fault System (DFS) in the north-eastern part of central Iran. A combined approach of geological and morphotectonic mapping, fault kinematic analysis, as well as in situ-produced cosmogenic dating (36Cl and 10Be) allowed us to characterize the active kinematics and geodynamic role of the DFS in the context of the Arabia-Eurasia collision.The DFS comprises Western, Central and Eastern fault zones (WFZ, CFZ, EFZ) with distinct structural, geomorphic and kinematic characteristics. The WFZ is oblique reverse-left-lateral, the CFZ is pure left-lateral and the EFZ is reverse. Exposure ages of ~12, ~36 and ~100 ka have been determined for three generations of alluvial fan abandonment surfaces along the DFS. Combining geomorphic offsets and their related ages yields a maximum left-lateral slip rate of ~5.3 mm/yr for the CFZ during Holocene. The maximum length of independent seismogenic fault segments varies from ~70 to ~100 km that could produce a characteristic earthquake with a magnitude of Mw =7.2 to 7.4 and recurrence interval of ~750 years.We propose a geodynamic model in which the EFZ is involved in a NNW-trending dextral shear zone between Central Iran and Eurasia. This implies that the EFZ forms a complex right-lateral transpressional relay zone between the eastern and northeastern Arabia-Eurasia convergence boundaries. The northward motion of Central Iran relative to Eurasia is accommodated by shortening on NW-trending reverse faults, and is transferred northward via NNW-trending dextral faults.

<p>With the 1999 introduction of IEEE 802.11b, the 2.4 GHz Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard, the WLAN market finally began to experience the growth levels that had been expected for so long. Now, 5 GHz solutions, with the IEEE 802.11a standard leading the way, offer higher throughput and more efficient use of the spectrum. Just as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band is unlicensed. A common concern to all unlicensed bands is interference between devices using the spectrum. Furthermore, in the 5 GHz band, WLAN cells can interfere with radar systems operating at the same frequencies. </p><p>This report describes a software model, WOK, suitable for simulations of IEEE 802.11a WLANs operating in various environments and under various ambient conditions. The WOK model can be configured extensively with respect to topology, traffic behavior, channel models, signal attenuation, interference sources and radar systems. </p><p>Further, the concepts of Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) and link adaptation are explored in the context of the IEEE 802.11a standard. DFS aims to avoid channels occupied by radar systems and link adaptation aims to maximize the throughput based on current ambient conditions. A DFS algorithm and a link adaptation algorithm are implemented at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and evaluated using the WOK model.</p>

The study of quadrupolar nuclei using NMR spectroscopy in the solid state significantly increased in popularity from the end of the 20th century, with the introduction of specific methods to acquire spectra free from the effects of the quadrupolar interaction, that results in broadened lineshapes that cannot be completely removed by spinning the sample at the magic angle (MAS), unlike most of the other interactions present in the solid state. The first technique which allows, without any specific hardware, the removal of this broadening has been the Multiple-Quantum MQMAS experiment. The method quickly gained a popularity within the NMR community, with numerous successful applications published. However, the multiple-quantum filtration step in this experiment relies on severely limits sensitivity, restricting application to the most sensitive nuclei. Extending the applicability of MQMAS to less receptive nuclei requires the use of signal improvement techniques. There are multiple examples of such approaches in the literature, but most of these require additional optimisation that may be time-consuming, or simply impossible, on less receptive nuclei. This work introduces a novel signal improvement technique for MQMAS, called FAM-N. Its optimisation is solely based on density matrix simulations using SIMPSON, implying no additional experimental optimisation is required, while improving the signal in MQMAS spectra by equivalent or higher amounts than other common methods. In order to prove the applicability of this method on virtually any system, FAM-N has been investigated by simulation, and tested experimentally using a number of model samples, as well as samples known to be challenging to study by NMR. This work also explores other aspects of NMR spectroscopy on quadrupolar nuclei. Adiabatic inversion of the satellite populations can be performed to improve the central transition signal in static or MAS spectra. A range of methods has been tested and compared, with particular attention given to hyperbolic secant-shaped pulses, for which its performance have been described. Finally, cross-polarisation from a spin I = 1/2 nucleus to a quadrupolar nucleus has been investigated. After reviewing the theory for the static case, simulations have been performed under MAS in order to identify the conditions for efficient magnetisation transfer, with applications in spectral editing or for the combination with MQMAS.

With the 1999 introduction of IEEE 802.11b, the 2.4 GHz Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard, the WLAN market finally began to experience the growth levels that had been expected for so long. Now, 5 GHz solutions, with the IEEE 802.11a standard leading the way, offer higher throughput and more efficient use of the spectrum. Just as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band is unlicensed. A common concern to all unlicensed bands is interference between devices using the spectrum. Furthermore, in the 5 GHz band, WLAN cells can interfere with radar systems operating at the same frequencies. This report describes a software model, WOK, suitable for simulations of IEEE 802.11a WLANs operating in various environments and under various ambient conditions. The WOK model can be configured extensively with respect to topology, traffic behavior, channel models, signal attenuation, interference sources and radar systems. Further, the concepts of Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) and link adaptation are explored in the context of the IEEE 802.11a standard. DFS aims to avoid channels occupied by radar systems and link adaptation aims to maximize the throughput based on current ambient conditions. A DFS algorithm and a link adaptation algorithm are implemented at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and evaluated using the WOK model.

This work is intended on identification with basic problems from the graphs theory area. There are the basic conceptions as well more complicated problems described. The one part of this work is specialized in working of individual types of graphs. It starts with single linked list through double linked list after as much as trees which represented the simplest graphs textures. The other part of this work devotes to the whole graph and describes more complicated problems and their resolution from the theory graphs area. Among these problems belongs to searching in graphs help by Depth First Search and Breadth First Search methods. Then searching the shortest way help by the specific algorithms as are: Dijkstra´s algorithm, Floyd-Warshall´s algorithm and Bellman-Ford´s algorithm. The last part is devoted to problems with searching minimal frames of graphs with usage Kruskal´s algorithm, Jarnik´s algorithm and Boruvka´s algorithm methods.