The focus of this thesis is the quantification of the value of operation flexibility in systems with large penetration of wind generation. This begins with the quantification of the impact of wind generation (WG) uncertainty on the system's needs for frequency regulation and reserve. This is done by combing the stochastic behaviour of wind generation, demand uncertainty and generation outages. Two different approaches are compared to access the implications of using normal distribution approximations or direct representations of different sources of uncertainty. This is followed by an investigation of the relative impact of different sources of uncertainty on the reserve levels. For large wind penetration, wind becomes the dominant source of uncertainty driving most of the need for reserve. Procuring such large requirements increases the need for flexibility and the overall system operations cost. To mitigate these additional costs and improve system flexibility, the study explores the use of a combination of spinning and standing reserve to meet the increased reserve requirements. This combination minimises the cost of reserve and increases system flexibility. These benefits are more pronounced if a more accurate representation of uncertainty is used. Following this, a detailed analysis of the value of generation flexibility is performed. The analysis is based on the modification of traditional scheduling models to include WG and to take into account the relevant features of system operation flexibility. The value of flexibility is quantified for different conventional generation mix, different response and reserve technology compositions and generation technology flexibility, across a wide range of wind penetration levels. The key drivers for the value of flexibility are shown to be the increased response and reserve requirements (especially reserve requirements), the conventional generation mix and the inherent flexibility of must-run generation. This is driven mostly by the system's need for curtailing wind to maintain the generation/demand balance. To obtain a significant reduction of carbon emissions, however, a combination of must-run generation with a large penetration of wind is required. This results in a high economic and environmental value being placed on must-run generation flexibility. The high economic and environmental value attributed to flexibility is seen as an opportunity to explore alternative sources of flexibility, such as storage and demand side flexibility (DSF). To this end, this work also investigates the role that such enabling technologies can play in enhancing system flexibility, by contributing to standing reserve and load-levelling. To this end a new system operation tool is developed. This tool simulates system operation for forecasted and realised wind generation to optimise reserve scheduling and utilisation. This is required to quantify the value of value of using storage and DSF to provide reserve. This tool is used to quantify the economic and environmental value of these technologies for different conventional generation mix and wind penetration. The studies show that both technologies have economic and environmental benefits and this is more pronounced for low flexible conventional generation mix and higher wind penetration. The value is driven mostly from increasing the system's ability of using WG. This highlights the role that storage and DSF can play in enabling low carbon systems composed by a combination of low flexible conventional generation with a large wind penetration. Finally, the thesis also examines the role of storage and DSM to support network operation, particularly in systems like the UK where the connection of WG capacity is limited by network constraints. The use of these technologies, to increase network flexibility in situations of congestion, is explored through the development and application of a multi-period optimal power flow with storage and DSM included as part of the optimisation constraints. The study concludes that both technologies present benefits and have a complementary role. Its value is maximised under different conditions and depends on the cost of generation and location of demand, across the network.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2006. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-196). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

No presente trabalho, três tipos de fotocatalisadores híbridos nanométricos, CdS, CdS/TiO2, e CdS/TiO2/SiO2, foram preparados e utilizados em três aplicações fotoquímicas: fotodegradação macro e microscópica de um corante, fotólise da água para geração de H2 com acompanhamento via espectrometria de massas in situ e estudo de uma reação redox via microscopia de fluorescência de campo largo. As análises por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e de transmissão (MET) apresentaram esferas de sílica com diâmetro em torno de 300 nm e nanopartículas de CdS e TiO2 com diâmetro da ordem de 5 nm e com alta aglomeração. O recobrimento da sílica com TiO2 e CdS não foi uniforme, resultando em \"ilhas\" preferencialmente isoladas. Apesar da morfologia heterogênea, os fotocatalisadores foram eficientes na degradação da safranina O, apresentando cinética de 1ª ordem em relação à concentração do corante. No que se refere à fotólise da água, o sistema ternário (CdS/TiO2/SiO2) apresentou a maior taxa de produção de H2 (0,79 mmol h-1 g-1), o que indica maior eficiência na transferência ou injeção de carga entre CdS e TiO2, devido ao melhor contato entre os dois semicondutores na superfície das nanopartículas (NPs) de sílica. Esse sistema também foi o mais eficiente na fotorredução do corante não fluorescente resazurina no corante fluorescente resorufina, acompanhada através de medidas de intermitência de fluorescência utilizando microscopia de fluorescência de campo largo. Em geral, os sistemas após adição do corante apresentaram intermitência de fluorescência mais lenta, com maiores tempos de relaxação de off. A fotorredução do corante estabeleceu um método interessante para o mapeamento das regiões de injeção de carga CdS/TiO2, inicialmente escuras e a seguir com alta intensidade de emissão. / In the present work, three types of nanosized hybrid photocatalysts, CdS, CdS/TiO2 and CdS/TiO2/SiO2, were synthesized and used in three photochemical applications: macro and microscopic photodegradation of a dye, photolysis of water to generate H2 monitored by in situ mass spectrometry and study of a redox reaction by wide-field fluorescence microscopy. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electronic microscopies showed quasi-monodispersed silica spheres with a diameter of about 300 nm and CdS and TiO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of approximately 5 nm highly agglomerated. The coating of the silica with CdS and TiO2 was not uniform, resulting in \"islands\" preferentially isolated. Despite the heterogeneous morphology of the photocatalysts, they were efficient in the degradation of a safranine O solution, showing kinetics of first order with respect to dye concentration. With regard to water photolysis, the ternary system (CdS/TiO2/SiO2) showed the highest rate of H2 production (0.79 mmol g-1 h-1) , which indicates more efficient charge transfer or injection between CdS and TiO2 due to better contact between the two semiconductors on the surface of the silica nanoparticles (NPs). This system also was the most efficient photocatalyst in the photorreduction of the nonfluorescent dye resazurin into the fluorescent dye resorufin, monitored by fluorescence intermittency measurements using wide-field microscopy. In general, the systems after adding the dye presented slower fluorescence intermittency, with higher times of off relaxation. The photoreduction of the dye provided an interesting method for mapping the regions of CdS/TiO2 charge injection, initially dark and then with high emission intensity.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-02-22T18:13:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 williamdasilvapedretti.pdf: 1030447 bytes, checksum: aee304fa3b25d381a6cc4ad1fe2fd1e5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-02-26T14:12:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 williamdasilvapedretti.pdf: 1030447 bytes, checksum: aee304fa3b25d381a6cc4ad1fe2fd1e5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-26T14:12:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 williamdasilvapedretti.pdf: 1030447 bytes, checksum: aee304fa3b25d381a6cc4ad1fe2fd1e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-28 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Desde o trabalho de Pomeau e Maneville [27] o estudo de intermitência vem ocorrendo cada vez mais ao longo dos anos. Gaspard e Wang [17] introduziram uma função geradora de sequências de renovação decorrentes da distribuição de tempos de retorno, e a partir disto vários trabalhos vêm sendo desenvolvidos nesse ambiente, devido às ricas propriedades que possuem. Neste trabalho estaremos interessados em obter uma estimativa polinomial exata para o comportamento assintótico da taxa de mixing quando a medida invariante é nita e da taxa de scaling quando a medida é in nita, ambos casos abordados por Isola [20]. Para isto analisaremos o comportamento assintótico dos coe cientes da série de Taylor obtidos da função geradora da sequência de renovação. Esta série de ne uma função holomorfa no disco aberto unitário que converge em todo ponto exceto para z = 1, onde possui uma singularidade não-polar. / Since the work of Pomeau and Maneville [27] the study of intermittency has been happening increasingly over the years. Gaspard and Wang [17] introduced a generating function of renewal sequences arising from the distribution of return times, and from this several studies have been developed in this environment due to the rich properties they have. In this work we are interested to obtain an exact polynomial estimate for the asymptotic behavior of the mixing rate when the invariant measure is nite and of the scaling rate when the measure is in nite, both cases addressed by Isola [20]. For this we analyze the asymptotic behavior of the coe cients of the Taylor series obtained from the generating function of the renewal sequence. This series de nes a holomorphic function in the unit open disk and it converges at every point except for z = 1 where it has a non-polar singularity.

Les Transformation Martensitiques (TM) sont des transitions du premier ordre entre des phases cristallines qui caractérisent une classe intéressante de matériaux intelligents, les Alliages à Mémoire de Forme (AMF). Ces alliages métalliques furent découverts dans les années 1930 environ. Ils sont surtout intéressants car ils combinent deux effets particuliers : l'effet de mémoire de forme et la pseudo-élasticité. L'effet mémoire de forme consiste à mémoriser une configuration particulière et la retrouver après des cycles thermiques ou mécaniques. La Pseudo-Elasticité consiste à rejoindre des niveaux de déformation très grands qui sont, en général, plus typiques du caoutchouc que des métaux. Dans cette thèse, nous avons traité la caractérisation des transformations martensitiques en analysant des points de vue différents. La compréhension du fonctionnement des AMFs est fondamentale pour plusieurs types d'applications industrielles. Elle constitue encore un domaine de recherche très ouvert. (...) / This thesis deals with the characterization of Martensitic Transformations (MT) that are first order phase transitions among different solid states with different crystalline structures. These transitions are at the basis of the behavior of a class of smart materials, called Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). This work combines an experimental study of a mechanically-induced martensitic transformation in a Cu-Al-Be single crystal and a macroscopic model for the reproduction of permanent effects in cyclic temperature-induced and stress-induced transitions. From the experimental point of view, the novelties are in the device that has been built and used for the test and in the full-field measurement technique at the basis of the data treatment. The especially designed gravity-based device allows for a uni-axial and uni-directional tensile test with slow loading rates. Simultaneously, the full-field measurement technique, known as grid method, provides high-resolution two-dimensional strain maps during all the transformation. With all the data collected during the test, we characterize for the first time the two-dimensional strain intermittency in a number of ways, showing heavy-tailed distributions for the strain avalanching over almost six decades of magnitude. In parallel, we develop a macroscopic mathematical model for the description of fatigue and permanent effects in several kinds of martensitic transformations. We show an easy way to calibrate the model parameters in the simple one-dimensional case. Moreover, we compare the numerical results with experimental data for different tests and specimens and obtain a good qualitative agreement.

Principals in the nation's schools have been tasked with managing crisis incidents that may occur with students and others on their campuses on a daily basis. The purposes of this study were to determine the differences, if any, that existed in Central Florida public school principals' perceptions regarding school security, their perceived confidence to address critical crisis incidents on their campuses, their perceptions of the likelihood critical incidents would occur, their perceptions of interaction with law enforcement, the critical incidents they fear the most, and their perceptions of factors impacting the incidents they fear the most. Principal subgroup mean responses to the Principal Safety and Security Perceptions Survey in the three areas of Bandura's (1997) triadic reciprocal causation were examined in the context of principals' gender, longevity, student enrollment, grade configuration, free and reduced lunch rate, presence of a law enforcement officer, and presence of a security plan. Findings revealed significant differences between categorical groups of principals in multiple areas. It was determined that significant differences in principals' perceptions warrant further study. Recommendations for practice include security policy development and practical application of noted trends.

This thesis presents a series of direct numerical simulations (DNS) performed in order to understand the discrepancy in the literature regarding turbulent asymptotic suction boundary layers (TASBLs) at low Reynolds numbers. The hypothesis to be tested is that the main reason for higher turbulence intensities observed in experiments compared to DNS is that the latter exhibits intermittent patches of laminar flow, developing both temporally and spatially. This hypothesis is confirmed here by comparing simulations with and without tripping, where the former removed patches of laminar flow thereby establishing a fully developed turbulent state with higher turbulence intensities compared to its naturally developing counterpart. The DNS were performed at different suctions rates corresponding to Reynolds numbers above the critical value of 270. The statistics taken from the simulations at different streamwise positions also support the developing character of the flow with increasing intermittency further downstream. Thus, it can be concluded that the actual flow state at these marginal Reynolds numbers is indeed an intermittent one, with lower fluctuation values as the experimental data would indicate.

No description available.

Over the past thirty years, extensive research has been conducted with the objective of reducing wind damage to structures. Wind tunnel simulations of wind loads have been the major source of building codes. However, a simple comparison of pressure coefficients measured in wind tunnel simulations with full-scale measurements show that the simulations, in general, underpredict extreme negative pressure coefficients. One obvious reason is the lack of consensus on wind tunnel simulation parameters. The wind in the atmospheric surface layer is highly turbulent. In simulating wind loads on structures, one needs to simulate the turbulent character besides satisfying geometric and dynamic similitudes. Some turbulence parameters that have been considered in many simulations include, turbulence intensities, integral length scales, surface roughness, and frequency spectrum. One problem with these parameters is that they are time varying in the atmospheric boundary layer and their averaged value, usually considered in the wind tunnel simulations, cannot be used to simulate pressure peaks. In this work, we show how wavelet analysis and time-scale representation can be used to establish an intermittency factor that characterizes energetic turbulence events in the atmospheric flows. Moreover, we relate these events to the occurrence of extreme negative peak pressures. / Ph. D.

The focus of this thesis is the dynamical behaviour of linear arrays of laser oscillators with nearest-neighbour coupling. In particular, we study how laser dynamics are influenced by laser-coupling strength, $\kappa$, the natural frequencies of the uncoupled lasers, $\tilde{\Omega}_j$, and the coupling between the magnitude and phase of each lasers electric field, $\alpha$. Equivariant bifurcation analysis, combined with Lyapunov exponent calculations, is used to study different aspects of the laser dynamics. Firstly, codimension-one and -two bifurcations of relative equilibria determine the laser coupling conditions required to achieve stable phase locking. Furthermore, we find that global bifurcations and their associated infinite cascades of local bifurcations are responsible for interesting locking-unlocking transitions. Secondly, for large $\alpha$, vast regions of the parameter space are found to support chaotic dynamics. We explain this phenomenon through simulations of $\alpha$-induced stretching-and-folding of the phase space that is responsible for the creation of horseshoes. A comparison between the results of a simple {\it coupled-laser model} and a more accurate {\it composite-cavity mode model} reveals a good agreement, which further supports the use of the simpler model to study coupling-induced instabilities in laser arrays. Finally, synchronisation properties of the laser array are studied. Laser coupling conditions are derived that guarantee the existence of synchronised solutions where all the lasers emit light with the same frequency and intensity. Analytical stability conditions are obtained for two special cases of such laser synchronisation: (i) where all the lasers oscillate in-phase with each other and (ii) where each laser oscillates in anti-phase with its direct neighbours. Transitions from complete synchronisation (where all the lasers synchronise) to optical turbulence (where no lasers synchronise and each laser is chaotic in time) are studied and explained through symmetry breaking bifurcations. Lastly, the effect of increasing the number of lasers in the array is discussed in relation to persistent optical turbulence.