<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong>Lithium-ion cells have been the workhorse for customer products including laptop computers, cell phones and battery energy storage systems that can store energy from renewable energy sources. The internal resistance of them is very low, resulting in a low amount of wasted energy. Performance of Li-Ion cells is wonderful if they treated well. For this reason, an efficient battery management system (BMS) is essential in order to maximize the battery's capacity, battery means a collection of cells wired in series providing a higher voltage. So by using a BMS, SOC (State Of Charge) levels of cells get closer to each other resulting increased life and capacity of a battery. There are active and passive battery balancers. The energy which is extracted from those cells with higher SOC using passive balancer is wasted in heat, so it is not so efficient in terms of wasted energy in comparison with active balancing algorithms. There are different types of active balancing techniques. Cell to cell technique, cell to battery and battery to cell. Among the above mentioned, cell to battery performs well. However, when push-pull converters (which have high performance) are used, flux imbalance phenomenon ( which is resulted in a asymmetric hysteresis loop of a magnetic core) is unavoidable. In order to prevent this phenomenon, current mode topology is used. Hence, the transistors won't burn out due to this effect. In this thesis I simulated current mode algorithms with push-pull converters with MATLAB SIMULINK. I also physically designed push-pull converters and built it with help of chips ( current mode controllers, optocouplers, transistors, fast recovery diodes, linear and shunt regulators). I did simulate two active balancing methods ( Cell to cell and cell to battery) and compared the results. The results that came from cell to battery indicated a better performance in terms of balancing speed. For three cells balancing time reduced from 3570 seconds in cell to cell method to 518 seconds in cell to battery method.</p> / Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE)

Combining the advantages from electric motor and the pneumatic actuator, the hybrid pneumatic-electric actuator is expected to be safe, low-cost, clean, high power to weight ratio, and to provide precise position control. In this thesis, the modeling and control of an improved hybrid pneumatic-electric actuator prototype is presented. The actuator’s main components consist of a low-friction pneumatic cylinder, two on/off solenoid valves, and a small DC motor. The cylinder and motor are connected to a common output shaft using gears. The shaft rotates a single-link robot arm. Its position is measured by an incremental encoder. The prototype was improved by incorporating faster switching valves, flow controls, a faster valve drive circuit, a high resolution encoder rather than the existing linear potentiometer, more accurate pressure sensors and stronger gears. A system dynamic model without the valve dynamic was developed identified and validated using open-loop experiments. The valve models for a discrete input and PWM input were then developed and validated separately. The use of bipolynomial function and artificial neural network fitting methods for modeling the valve mass flow rates were compared. The combined system model with valve dynamics was validated experimentally. Two model-based nonlinear position controllers, using the backstepping and discrete-valued model predictive control (DVMPC) methods, were designed, simulated and extensively tested. Testing was done with the actuator operating using the cylinder alone, the motor alone and in hybrid mode using the cylinder and motor together. Operating in the hybrid mode reduced the root-mean-square error (RMSE) up to 80%. A stability analysis for the backstepping control including the valve modeling error, friction model error, and electric motor torque modeling error was performed. Compensation terms were designed to improve the performance for the two controllers. Additional stability analyses were performed for backstepping controller with a feedback term and the DVMPC with motor control. A payload estimation algorithm was proposed and shown to enhance the robustness of the DVMPC operating in vertical configuration. Simulations and experiments demonstrated that the model-based controllers performed well for both vertical and horizontal configurations. Regarding robustness to payload mismatch, if the payload was within the load capacity of the hybrid actuator, the model-based controllers were both insensitive to the payload variations in horizontal configuration. The backstepping controller was also robust to the payload variations in the vertical configuration. In experiments, the backstepping control in hybrid actuation mode produced a RMSE of 0.0066 radian for a 2 Hz sine wave desired position trajectory with a 0.3 radian amplitude. With DVMPC, this value decreased to 0.0045 radian. These tracking errors were shown to be 30 to 50% less than those produced by a modified linear position plus velocity plus acceleration controller. / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Continuous measurements of the energy and radiation balance were made during the 1991 growing season over a dwarf willow-birch forest located near Churchill, Manitoba. The ecological setting is described in terms of both the nature of the substrate and the morphology and distribution of the plant species. Intensive measurements of stomatal conductance and xylem pressure potential for several species were taken on three fair weather days. These represented a wide range of air temperatures and leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficits and allowed the quantification of the surface-atmosphere interactions. The very dynamic and important role of the vegetation in the evaporative process is illustrated. The willow-birch forest consists of six main species which have colonized the recently emerged coastline. There is a wide range in the plant height, rooting networks, and above-to-below ground plant mass. A mature leaf area index of 0.81 m^2 m^-2 was reached within 15 days after the onset of growth. The substrate consists of a 20 cm moderately saline organic layer situated on top of sand. Soil moisture was high, with at least some of the roots of all plants residing within the saturated zone throughout the growing season. The influence of the vegetation on both the radiation and energy balance is illustrated by partitioning the growing season into growth, mature and senescence periods. A strong relationship between surface albedo and vegetation growth indicates that the canopy is more effective in reflecting than in trapping radiation. As the canopy matures, the addition of transpiration to the overall evaporation dramatically increases the magnitude of the latent heat flux at the expense of the sensible heat flux. A sensitivity analysis indicates that evaporation is highly sensitive to the canopy resistance. The sensitivity of evaporation to canopy resistance, in turn, is a function of the ratio of canopy-to-aerodynamic resistance. Strong seasonal and diurnal trends are shown in the sensitivity of evaporation to net radiation, canopy resistance, and aerodynamic resistance. Diurnal stomatal conductance measurements indicate that some species show a pronounced midday stomatal closure. A conceptual model is developed which attributes this behaviour to differences in the sensitivities to the leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit. A non-linear boundary line analysis of stomatal conductance indicates species-specific responses to irradiance, air temperature, leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit, and xylem pressure potential. The results of the boundary line analysis are coupled with a modified version of the Penman-Monteith combination model. The model predicts evaporation accurately when the canopy is mature, and indicates that 80% of the evaporation originates from the plants (transpiration). The model is used to examine the potential effects of species composition and climate change on evaporation. This illustrates the important and variable role that vegetation can play in determining responses to climate change. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Legged robots are well-suited for navigating unstructured terrain due to their ability to perform agile dynamic motions. Building on the efforts of Cal Poly's Legged Robotics Group, this project focuses on achieving stable forward hopping with a single legged robot. A comprehensive model of leg hopping is formulated, with leg dynamics during flight and stance phases derived using Euler-Lagrange equations. During the stance phase, a spring-mass system models the leg-ground interaction. The touchdown and lift-off conditions are formulated mathematically, and state mappings between phases are determined via momentum conservation. A two-phase hybrid controller is designed, incorporating trajectory planning during flight and ground-reaction force and impedance control during stance. Numerical simulations validate the design, followed by experimental testing on a Speedgoat real-time machine within a Simulink environment, showing good correlation with simulations. The impact of a control parameters on average velocity are experimentally analyzed. The results demonstrate the controller's effectiveness in achieving stable hops and provide a method for tuning hop speeds. This research also paves the way for future projects by thoroughly documenting the leg's physical parameters and addressing the challenge of implementing reliable impact and lift-off detection during experimental testing.

Clear changes occurred in the field of conventional arms control in the last two decades. States adopted a multitude of norms on especially small arms control in various multilateral control instruments. In addition, non-governmental advocacy actors often established themselves as active participants in control debates with governments. The changes are surprising because they took place in the security sphere and therewith in an area traditionally understood to be the exclusive domain of governments. This research project investigates the significance of the changes for the traditional understanding of security governance. Specifically, it investigates the emergence of control norms and the role and policy impact of non-governmental actors in the promotion of the norms. It asks whether the normative changes and significance of nongovernmental actors therein challenge the understanding of security governance that underpins many established approaches to international relations theory.

Nos últimos anos verificou-se um crescimento acentuado da complexidade da avaliação da segurança em Sistemas Elétricos de Potência (SEPs). O aumento das interligações, aliado à operação das redes com altos níveis de carregamento, aumenta a probabilidade de ocorrência de incidentes que podem levar o SEP à instabilidade de tensão, culminando com o colapso de tensão e grandes prejuízos à qualidade do fornecimento de energia elétrica. Neste trabalho foi proposta uma ferramenta rápida para a manutenção da segurança de SEPs no contexto da Estabilidade de Tensão (ET). Para tal, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia rápida para a análise de contingências. Selecionadas as críticas, a eliminação da criticalidade das mesmas é realizada via ações preventivas. Neste contexto, foram desenvolvidas duas abordagens para a seleção de ações preventivas. Na primeira procura-se minimizar o número de controles via técnicas de agrupamento de dados, para eliminar a criticalidade de uma contingência. Na segunda abordagem foi desenvolvida uma estratégia para obtenção de um grupo de controles para eliminar a criticalidade de todas as contingências. Ambas as abordagens baseiam-se em uma metodologia de análise de sensibilidade da margem de ET em relação aos controles preventivos que também foi proposta nesta tese. A eficácia da ferramenta foi comprovada por intermédio de simulações em um SEP. Os resultados foram bastante satisfatórios, os grupos de controles obtidos pela primeira abordagem representam um conjunto mínimo de ações preventivas para eliminar a criticalidade de uma contingência específica. Já na segunda abordagem, foi possível determinar um grupo de controles para a eliminar simultaneamente a criticalidade de todas as contingências. Como produto científico deste doutorado foram obtidas novas metodologias rápidas para a análise de segurança do SEP no contexto da ET. / The complexity of the security assessment in Electric Power Systems (EPS) has received much attention from researches in recent years. The continuous growth in the number of interconnections, allied to networks operating with high loading levels, enhance the probability of incidents that can lead the EPS to voltage instability. Voltage collapse and considerably loss of the electric supply are the principal consequences of this scenery. In this study, we propose a fast tool for supporting the EPS security, in the context of Voltage Stability (VS). To this end, a fast methodology was developed for contingency analysis. Once the critical contingencies are selected, their criticalities are eliminated through the selection of preventive actions. In this context, two approaches were developed. In the first one, we aim at minimizing eh number of controls by using clustering techniques. In this case, the principal objective is to eliminate the criticality of a contingency. In the second approach, we developed a strategy for obtaining a groups of controls in order to eliminate the criticality of all contingencies. Both approaches are based on a methodology for sensitivity analysis of the VS margin with respect to preventive controls which is also proposed in this thesis. The effectiveness of the tool was corroborated by simulations in a EPS. We found the results satisfactory, since the groups of controls achieved by the first approach represent a minimum set of preventive actions that can be taken to eliminate the criticality of a specific contingency. In the second approach, it was possible to determine a minimum group of controls that eliminate the criticality of all contingencies simultaneously. New fast methodologies for security analysis of the EPS in the context of the VS is considered the main scientific product result of this doctorate.

Nos últimos anos verificou-se um crescimento acentuado da complexidade da avaliação da segurança em Sistemas Elétricos de Potência (SEPs). O aumento das interligações, aliado à operação das redes com altos níveis de carregamento, aumenta a probabilidade de ocorrência de incidentes que podem levar o SEP à instabilidade de tensão, culminando com o colapso de tensão e grandes prejuízos à qualidade do fornecimento de energia elétrica. Neste trabalho foi proposta uma ferramenta rápida para a manutenção da segurança de SEPs no contexto da Estabilidade de Tensão (ET). Para tal, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia rápida para a análise de contingências. Selecionadas as críticas, a eliminação da criticalidade das mesmas é realizada via ações preventivas. Neste contexto, foram desenvolvidas duas abordagens para a seleção de ações preventivas. Na primeira procura-se minimizar o número de controles via técnicas de agrupamento de dados, para eliminar a criticalidade de uma contingência. Na segunda abordagem foi desenvolvida uma estratégia para obtenção de um grupo de controles para eliminar a criticalidade de todas as contingências. Ambas as abordagens baseiam-se em uma metodologia de análise de sensibilidade da margem de ET em relação aos controles preventivos que também foi proposta nesta tese. A eficácia da ferramenta foi comprovada por intermédio de simulações em um SEP. Os resultados foram bastante satisfatórios, os grupos de controles obtidos pela primeira abordagem representam um conjunto mínimo de ações preventivas para eliminar a criticalidade de uma contingência específica. Já na segunda abordagem, foi possível determinar um grupo de controles para a eliminar simultaneamente a criticalidade de todas as contingências. Como produto científico deste doutorado foram obtidas novas metodologias rápidas para a análise de segurança do SEP no contexto da ET. / The complexity of the security assessment in Electric Power Systems (EPS) has received much attention from researches in recent years. The continuous growth in the number of interconnections, allied to networks operating with high loading levels, enhance the probability of incidents that can lead the EPS to voltage instability. Voltage collapse and considerably loss of the electric supply are the principal consequences of this scenery. In this study, we propose a fast tool for supporting the EPS security, in the context of Voltage Stability (VS). To this end, a fast methodology was developed for contingency analysis. Once the critical contingencies are selected, their criticalities are eliminated through the selection of preventive actions. In this context, two approaches were developed. In the first one, we aim at minimizing eh number of controls by using clustering techniques. In this case, the principal objective is to eliminate the criticality of a contingency. In the second approach, we developed a strategy for obtaining a groups of controls in order to eliminate the criticality of all contingencies. Both approaches are based on a methodology for sensitivity analysis of the VS margin with respect to preventive controls which is also proposed in this thesis. The effectiveness of the tool was corroborated by simulations in a EPS. We found the results satisfactory, since the groups of controls achieved by the first approach represent a minimum set of preventive actions that can be taken to eliminate the criticality of a specific contingency. In the second approach, it was possible to determine a minimum group of controls that eliminate the criticality of all contingencies simultaneously. New fast methodologies for security analysis of the EPS in the context of the VS is considered the main scientific product result of this doctorate.

本研究探討台灣媒體記者駐點中國在採訪時所遇到的工作控制、以及所採取的因應策略。透過對多位實務工作者的深度訪談，本研究發現，對駐點中國記者最直接的控制來源，分別是「中國官方」與「台灣媒體組織」。中國官方雖然仍會使用較為粗暴、強硬的新聞控制手段，不過也越來越懂得用軟性的互動手法，干涉的深度與廣度與兩岸政治關係也有相當關係。駐點中國的台灣媒體記者採取的因應方式，則包括新聞現場快速反應，平時不斷增加專業知識、以提升對「爆料與網路線索或刻意餵新聞」的判斷能力。再者，台灣媒體接受中國官方的「置入」，再透過組織要求對記者產生影響。駐點中國的台灣媒體記者除了工作量因此增加之外，還成為台灣媒體在中國的業務代表；為了應付稿量需求、搶快、搶獨家，而利用網路消息作為新聞線索，同時並需保護自己，因此在寫作上需以「事實陳述」、「找名人背書」等方式轉移責任歸屬。 / This study focused on Taiwanese journalists’ practical strategies against governmental and organizational controls while working in china. Through empirical in-depth interviews with journalists, we came to identified how government of China uses both aggressive and subtle ways to influencing news reporting. Journalists in China need rapid responses action on sight and train themselves with extensive knowledge. In addition, one of the subtle ways to deal with Taiwanese media is to use product placement, but the more Taiwanese media receive product placement from china, the more chances are China government can further influence on the controversial news content in Taiwanese media. Receiving product placement only making these cross-strait journalists became sales representative of Taiwanese media in china. In order to meet the needs of organization, Journalists need to use internet as sources. But they also need to be extra careful by using “fact-based statement” or “quote from celebrity” in their daily writing skills.

Instrumented umanned aerial vehicles represent a new way of measuring turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. However, autonomous measurements require control methods with disturbance-rejection and altitude command-following capabilities. Filtered dynamic inversion is a control method with desirable disturbance-rejection and command-following properties, and this controller requires limited model information. We implement filtered dynamic inversion as the pitch controller in an altitude-hold autopilot. We design and numerically simulate the continuous-time and discrete-time filtered-dynamic-inversion controllers with anti-windup on a nonlinear aircraft model. Finally, we present results from a flight experiment comparing the filtered-dynamic-inversion controller to a classical proportional-integral controller. The experimental results show that the filtered-dynamic-inversion controller performs better than a proportional-integral controller at certain values of the parameter.

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