The electricity industry was designed more than 50 years ago when the load and generation was less, now we are in the information age with a digital society where the demand is very high, this has forced the electricity infrastructure to its limits which was not designed for, in addition, the electricity demand continues to grow. So the focus of the question becomes what we need to do from technology prospective to meet that growing demand for electricity, and do it in a way that we don't create a greater carbon footprint. Smart grid is the next generation of the electricity infrastructure based on the optimisation of the current system in all levels. Since the current system is facing various problems from increasing disturbances, system is operating on the limit, aging equipments, load change etc. therefore an improvement is essential to minimize these problems. To enhance the current system and resolve the issues that it's facing, Smart grid must have the right tools to solve it and reduce it. First of all, this thesis gives a brief concept of smart grid and summarizes many issues about smart grid, such as strategy planning, drivers for develop the Smart Grid, key characteristics, technologies of the Smart Grid, benefits in implementing Smart Grid, key Challenges, implementation sequence. And then this thesis discusses smart metering system and its standards. Secondly, this thesis reports on development of a new approach to deal with power quality problem. Wavelet Transform (WT) is used for the new approach. Complex Morlet Wavelet (CMW) is selected for the new approach introduced in this thesis. The proposed algorithm is able to identify all harmonic components including integer, non-integer and sub-harmonics. Comparing with DFT, the proposed algorithm achieves exact estimation of the harmonic frequency. Thirdly, reports on the development of a WT-based dynamic waveform reconstruction algorithm which is able to identify amplitude variations of harmonic components of the distorted waveform in the examined period. At last, this thesis reports a new Wavelet-GA-ANN based hybrid model for accurate prediction of short-term load forecast. Finally, the conclusions and future work will be given.

The most popular and accurate form of expression used over the last 50 years for estimating scour under falling jets is: D=Kqx Hy/dz There is, however, disagreement between Authors concerning which values should be used for K, x, y and z. It was. surmised by the writer that plunge pool air entrainment could also be a relevant parameter and apparatus was built to examine this assumption. Two dimensional testing without air indicated scour to be independent of head drop (H) and directly proportional to flow (q), such that x=1.0 and y=0.0. The introduction of air, to give air/water ratios that a falling jet would entrain naturally, produced values for x of about 0.6 to 0.7 and y of about 0.03 to 0.2. The latter are very close to normally assumed values and it is concluded that such values have been produced by the aeration on previous Authors' models. As aeration is not a simple function of q and H, not allowing for it was bound to produce variable results. Results from the testing indicated that scour depth varied with aeration to maintain a characteristic force on the particles of bed material. The expression obtained for two dimensional scour was: 8.4 q (1 + /a ) 0.5 h 0.15 /d 0.10 It was also reasoned that the expression would have to be modified to allow for the lateral development of plunge pools in the three dimensional case such that (approximately): D=K qo-5 (l +A)0.25 h 0.15 /do* 10 An analysis of data from previous hydraulic model tests of various dams produced the expression: D=1.438 q 0.6 (1 +/a ) 0.25 h 0.15 /d 0.10 with a coefficient of variation of results of 26.8%. This expression was used to analyse a body of scour data from prototype dams and also gave good results. It is concluded that it represents a new form of expression for calculating scour under jets which seems to be applicable to models and prototypes. In the case of the former it is at least as accurate as any previous expressions. It is concluded that any future plunge pool scour formulae should incorporate an allowance for air entrainment if they are not to be essentially flawed one last conclusion from this study is that air entrainments on prototypes may not be significantly different to those encountered on reasonably sized models, given that there may be an upper limit on & of around 2 to 3 and that such figures can easily be approached on models.

The thesis concerns investigation and measurement of the elastic deformation properties of an anisotropic soil within the context of critical state soil mechanics. The soil tested is a heavily overconsolidated Gault Clay. Laboratory triaxial testing on 38 mm samples is used to measure and soil 100 mm diameter stiffness. A microcomputer-based control system has been developed for use with hydraulically-operated triaxial cells to enable stress path testing, and this is described. The axial and radial stresses and the back pressure can be varied independently to produce any desired stress path. A method of measurement of anisotropic of loading stiffness is developed using various pairs and unloading cycles, or stress path probes. tried, with isotropic, undrained cycles proving to be of most Several alternatives are uniaxial and constant pi use. For the soil tested, measured modulus values are found to be about 25% in error if anisotropy is neglected. Factors affecting stiffness measurements are assessed, including sample disturbance, soil structure, threshold and stress history effects, design of the apparatus and test procedure. Elasticity theory for cross-anisotropic soils is reviewed, particularly as it relates to the triaxial apparatus. The way in which elasticity theory is incorporated in the critical state model is discussed. Isotropic compression a~ swelling test the compression law usually used in the results question critical state model. Theoretical difficulties have been found with this law when formulating an elastic soil model within critical state theory. A series of stress probe tests is used to investigate the variation of elastic stiffness parameters with soil state. The results are compared with patterns of soil behaviour found from strain path tests.

The hot tensile test has been used for a variety of steels, to investigate the influence of such factors as inclusions, precipitation, phase transformation and grain size on hot ductility. Tests were performed in the temperature range 700-1000 °C and at a strain .4 _2 1 rates of (10 —10 S ), generally to simulate the conditions experienced during the straightening operation in the continuous casting process in which transverse cracks propagate. Two zones of reduced ductility can be identified. The Y-a transformation zone which has been shown to produce a significant ductility trough due to strain concentration in the softer ferrite films surrounding the V grains, cating voiding around he MnS inclusions which link to give intergranular failure, and factors which alter the A3 temperature, such as carbon content, have been shown to produce a change in the temperature at which the ductility trough occurs. The second zone of reduced hot ductility was observed in the austenite region, due to the retardation of dynamic recrystallisation associated with the presence of fine carbides, nitrides and/or inclusions precipitates at the austenite grain boundaries, which allows intergranular cracks to develop. The depth and width of this ductility trough is primarily dependent on the size and amount of precipitates present. The influence of MnS inclusions in reducing hot ductility has been noted above and below the Ae3 temperature. Above the Ae3 , inclusions act in a similar way to fine precipitation preventing dynamic recrystallisation and below the Ae3 , they offer more sites for micro-voiding to occur. Although grain size refinement improves ductility, it does so as long as similarity in precipitate volume fraction and size exist. Improved hot ductility has been achieved by adding Ca to the steel which reduces the amount of l9nS inclusions precipitated during cooling from solution temperature at the austenite grain boundaries.

Some of the methods used in deformation analyses are briefly reviewed. It is observed that often there is a large difference between data quoted from laboratory tests and that obtained from the back analysis of either field tests or back analysed structures. Some of the factors which affect soil stiffness are reviewed. The major factors affecting soil stiffness are identified as the stress history of samples, the current stress state and the current stress path. The effect of sample disturbance is to reduce measured stiffnesses, opinion has in the past attributed the differences in stiffness to this factor. However this is not supported by the results of high quality laboratory tests in which field and laboratory data agree well. The importance of care when defining stiffness moduli and the need for the definition to be given at appropriate points on the stress-strain curve are emphasised. Some indication of the significance of recent stress history in the form of threshold effects is discussed, although this is based on limited evidence in the case of stress path effects. The soils to be tested and the equipment to be used for the soil test program are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the calibration of the apparatus and system compliance. Details of the tests conducted are briefly given with details of the method of preparation of soil and soil samples for testing. The results of these tests indicate that as the deviation of the current stress path from that immediately preceding increases so the stiffness on a given stress path increases. In addition it is observed that the strain increment ratio is non-unique. These effects are observed to be most important for high plasticity soils. Further tests indicate the independence of time and stress path threshold effects. The variation of these effects with stress history and overconsolidation ratio are investigated. It is found that these effects are most significant for soils which have been isotropically compressed and swelled to have an overconsolidation ratio of two. The results of these tests indicate some of the reasons for difficulties in tests to examine path dependence in earlier research. Finally some conclusions from this experimental work are drawn together and topics for further research suggested. The importance of considering the complete stress history of samples including recent stress paths and periods of rest are emphasised for inclusion in the stress path method.

This thesis describes a new technique for studying the non-linear behaviour of reinforced concrete frames with flexible joints. The method is based on the concept of establishing an equilibrium deflected shape of a structure. The computations involve two basic levels of iteration. First, starting with an assumed nodal deformation, equilibrium deflected shapes and end forces of individual members in a structure are calculated using moment-thrust-curvature relations. The out of balance forces are computed by considering equilibrium of member forces at nodal points. In the second level of iteration based on a numerically computed nonlinear stiffness matrix, the nodal deformation are updated until the out of balance forces are negligible. The interaction of torsion with flexure has been assumed to be independent and further, the members are assumed to behave linearly in torsion. The influence of floors and cladding is ignored and only the skeleton frame is considered in the analysis. The associated computer program SWANSA based on the above method can be used as a design tool for sway and nonsway concrete frames with or without flexible joints. An interactive data entry facility allows the user to enter data by answering simple questions or by returning default values. Full scale experiments were carried out on eight column beam subframes to validate the computer program. Each subframe consisted of a two storey column with a short length of a typical mid-storey beam. Four types of connection commonly used in precast construction were selected to connect the beam to the column at mid height. Two sets of subframes were made for each connection, one each of a pair of subframes was tested for upward and downward rotations. The numerical technique is further validated with results published in literature, including experiments and the finite element method. All the comparisons show that the analysis developed in this thesis can be used to predict the behaviour of precast and other reinforced concrete frames for deflections, strains and for the ultimate loads. Finally, it is shown how a computer program based on the new numerical method can be used as an alternative method of designing rigid jointed or semi-rigid jointed precast concrete 3-dimensional frames, taking into account material and geometrical nonlinearities.

Air jet vortex generators are a boundary layer control device and as such can effect a significant delay to the stall of an aerofoil. They can also reattach a separated flow, as long as the angle of attack is less than the air jets 'on' stall angle. A wind tunnel model was built and tested and then modified to incorporate air jets. The air jets increased CL max by 55% and reduced the drag throughout the incidence range, a, for the chosen blowing pressure of 1 p. s. i. (6900Pa). By varying the air supply so that the jets operate between 'off' and fully 'on' a whole family bf aerofoil L/D characteristics could be derived. The blade set of a 150 kW stall regulated wind turbine was then modified with air jet vortex generators and tested at full scale. This was done primarily to increase its energy yield by reducing energy loss in the region of the power curve 'knee', but also to allow a degree of power regulation in high wind speeds. The air supply in this demonstration was supplied by a fan mounted on, and rotating with, the rotor. Full-scale trials demonstrated that air jets can indeed be used to straighten the power curve prior to rated wind speed. This important result means that a stall regulated machine can be made to behave in the same way as a pitch controlled machine without having to pitch the blades. Of the two air jet configurations tested in the wind tunnel, the second had an improved L/D characteristic and required less mass flow, even though the physical change was minor. This indicates that further optimisation of air jets may be achieved. Further wind tunnel testing showed that it should be possible to eliminate the fan used in the full scale trials and use one of two 'passive' blowing techniques. It was shown that the air jets can be supplied by air at atmospheric pressure due to the suction on the upper surface of the aerofoil which is sufficient to pull air through the jet exits and create vortices. However, to achieve an optimised air jet configuration and to investigate the possibilities of using passive blowing, air jet vortex generators will need to be modelled numerically, so that this innovative concept can be brought to market quickly.

Geological processes give natural clays a different structure to that of clays that are reconstituted in the laboratory. In soft clays, this structure often breaks down under loading; this is called destructuration. This project aimed to develop a model to predict destructuration in soft natural clays. An understanding of the main characteristics of the behaviour of these clays detained was from data reported in the literature. Existing frameworks that describe the behaviour of these clays were reviewed, and basic concepts proposed to model structured soils. The Sensitivity framework (Cotecchia & Chandler, 2000) uses sensitivity as a parameter that can represent structure in both volumetric and stress space before significant destructuration takes place. Study of the behaviour of three soft clays with low to medium sensitivities; Sibari, Bothkennar and Pisa clays, demonstrated that sensitivity changes in parallel with destructuration during both volumetric compression and undrained shearing such that there is a single expression that directly relates change in normalised sensitivity to change in damage strain, where the increment of damage strain is the magnitude of the vector of plastic strain increment. This destructuration law was used to extend an existing model, the Three-surface kinematic hardening (3-SKH) model which was developed by Stallebrass & Taylor (1997) for reconstituted clays. The new model requires only three new parameters to represent structure and its degradation that can each be derived from data from a single isotropic compression test. They are: the initial sensitivity, which represents the initial degree of structure in the natural clay; the ultimate sensitivity, which represents the stable elements of structure in the clay; and the parameter k, which controls the rate of destructuration with plastic strains. The other parameters used are the same as in the 3-SKH model and are derived from data from tests on the corresponding reconstituted clay. The model was evaluated against data from tests on Bothkennar and Pisa clay. Qualitatively, the model could predict the important features of behaviour observed in these clays. Quantitatively, results of analyses showed that determining initial sensitivity in a consistent way by using the Sensitivity framework leads to predicted values of undrained shear strength within 10 to 20% of the experimental values. Typically destructuration was correctly predicted in analyses simulating volumetric compression, but it was over-predicted by about 15 to 25% in analyses simulating undrained tests. This could be improved in some cases by using an ultimate sensitivity greater than unity in analyses simulating tests on specimens that are likely to have stable elements of structure arising from fabric. Structural anisotropy seemed to influence the behaviour of Pisa clay, and a model including structural anisotropy may improve predictions on such soils. The main limitation of the current research is the difficulty in determining the initial stress state and sensitivity to be used in the analyses; improvement of this should be the prime aim of further work.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate Total Quality Management (TQM) as a means of making the Saudi construction industry more efficient. The thesis also examines the effect of TQM on industry in general. Although TQM is a management concept that has been implemented in many industries effectively and with encouraging results, adopting TQM in the construction industry is more challenging due to its unique characteristics. The research has examined the compliance of the Saudi contractors and design offices with the principles of TQM qualitatively through personal interviews, and quantitatively through a mailing questionnaire. The objective of this part of the thesis is to determine the levels of industry compliance with the principles of TQM, and to detect the potential obstacles to compliance. In addition, this thesis has examined the effectiveness of TQM implementation in the Saudi construction industry. A case study of TQM implementation in one of the largest project owners (client) in Saudi Arabia has been reported and analysed. In addition, the findings of interviews with contracting companies, to determine the effectiveness of TQM as a solution to the problems of the Saudi construction industry, have been reported and discussed. Furthermore, practical TQM implementation experience in a small construction firm has been reported to augment the findings of other sources, namely the personal interviews and the questionnaire. The interviews with the contractors identified the major problems of the Saudi construction industry, which have been reported in this research. These problems have been further investigated in order to determine their significance through the mailing of a questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire have been reported and analysed in this study. The thesis has discussed those problems that have been identified statistically as significant (major) problems, and proposed solutions to them.

In general, on-line optimisation can be defined as the on-line process of finding the optimum set-points of the system. Several areas might be concerned in this procedure. This thesis evaluates algorithms for on-line Optimisation. Techniques for steady-state detection, static data reconciliation, gross error detection and steady-state optimisation are presented and implemented separately and within an on-line optimisation methodology. It has been acknowledged for some time now that the estimation of derivative information is probably the major drawback of the steady-state optimisation technique considered here: the ISOPE algorithm. This thesis investigates the requirements of these derivatives, methods proposed to estimate them, and presents some attempts to overcome some related problems. Also a modified version of the dynamic model identification method that uses a nonlinear model representation is proposed, and compared under simulation with other available techniques. In the same context, an alternative method based on Artificial Neural Networks to estimate the derivatives is also implemented and tested. Often, rigorous steady-state detection is crucial for process performance assessment, simulation, optimisation and control. In general, at steady-state data is collected for safe, beneficial and rational management of processes. A method for automatic detection of steady-state in multivariable processes is implemented and tested. The technique is applied on a dynamic model of a chemical reactor. The presence of errors in process measurements can invalidate the potential gains obtained from advanced optimisation and control techniques. Data reconciliation and gross error detection methods are used to reduce the inaccuracies of these measurements. The implementation and application of static data reconciliation and gross error detection techniques in this thesis show a noticeable improvement in the operation of the system, and general control system performance. The various algorithms mentioned above are successfully implemented and tested under simulation. It is illustrated that in some cases, it is possible to use steady state detection in conjunction with data reconciliation, gross error detection, parameter estimation and optimisation, to form an on-line optimisation methodology. The methodology was tested on a dynamic model of a chemical reactor.