Energy Efficient Motion Control for a Light Rail Vehicle Using The Big Bang Big Crunch Algorithm

In this manuscript, an energy-efficient train operation between successive stations is studied. Cruising and coasting, two basic motion phases of train, should be taken into consideration in order to decrease energy consumption. Determining the optimal switching points from one motion phase into another is key in the energy saving. It is shown that, genetic algorithm and simulated annealing, when employed in a hybrid algorithm, complement each other in finding such switching points. For a performance verification of the hybrid optimization approach, multiple test tracks with different lengths are considered. Also certain real life constraints are taken into account such as punctuality and maximum speed limit. Obtained results are compared to the single genetic algorithm and it is shown that the hybrid algorithm built as a cascade combination of genetic algorithm and simulated annealing can reach optimum solution with better accuracy and lower time consumption.

An external contractor receives a payment from a manufacturer for periodically performing preventive maintenance and for performing minimal repairs whenever process failures occur. Suppose a new technology will be available in the future, but the timing is uncertain. We propose specifying one or multiple time points in a maintenance contract, at which the manufacturer can adopt (switch to) the new technology, if it becomes available, and change the preventive maintenance schedule for the remaining time in the contract period. A model is developed to determine the value of using these (switch) points in a maintenance contract to the manufacturer. The numerical results show that, with a higher arrival rate of the new technology, the value becomes greater, and thus, the optimal switch point should be set earlier. Furthermore, if the new technology reduces maintenance costs, using switch points adds more value to a cost-plus-margin method than either the fixed payment or cost-plus-fixed-fee methods. On the other hand, if adopting the new technology results in higher maintenance costs, the value using switch points is higher for the fixed payment method.

Identifying the optimal switching point between different invasive alien species (IAS) management policies is a very complex task and policy makers are in need of modelling tools to assist them. In this paper we develop an optimal control bioeconomic model to estimate the type of optimal policy and switching point of control efforts against a spreading IAS. We apply the models to the case study of Colorado potato beetle in the UK. The results demonstrate that eradication is optimal for small initial sizes of invasion at discovery. High capacity of the agency to reduce spread velocity for several years leads to smaller total overall costs of invasion and makes eradication optimal for larger sizes of initial invasion. In many cases, it is optimal to switch from control to acceptance within the time horizon. The switching point depends on the capacity of the agency, initial size of invasion, spread velocity of the IAS and the ratio of unit cost of damage and removal. We encourage the integration of the dispersal patterns of the invader and the geometry of the invasion in the theoretical development of the economics of IAS invasion management.

The application interval type-2 fuzzy inference systems (IT2FIS) has been attention for a short-term load forecasting problems solution. This paper present optimization membership function of antecedent (X,Y) and consequent (Z) interval type-2 Fuzzy Logic System using Big Bang – Big Crunch Algorithm for application short term load forecasting on national holiday. This method has implemented on the historical peak load data during 14 national holiday case study in South and Central Kalimantan – Indonesia electrical power system on year 2008. The Big Bang–Big Crunch (BB–BC) algorithm will applied to optimization interval footprint of uncertainty (FOU) membership functions of interval type-2 fuzzy logic system. BB-BC Algorithm is a global optimization algorithm and has a low computational cost and a high convergence speed, so very efficient in this research. The test result showed main absolute percentage error (MAPE) less than interval type-2 fuzzy inference system (FIS) and type-1 fuzzy inference system (FIS). Finally, this paper defined main absolute percentage error (MAPE) 0.58045% for type-1 FIS, 0.53906% for interval type-2 FIS, and 0.52421% for optimization interval type-2 FIS-Big Bang Big Crunch Algorithm.

In this paper, the control of the Wood-Berry distillation column is proposed using the Fractional Order PID (FOPID) controller, which is tuned by using Big Bang - Big Crunch (BB-BC) algorithm. The results obtained by tuning the parameters of the FOPID controller are compared to the results obtained after tuning the parameters of the PID controller using the Big Bang - Big Crunch (BB-BC) algorithm, Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm, and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm.

The big bang--big crunch (BB--BC) algorithm has been proposed as a novel optimization method that relies on one of the theories of the evolution of the universe, namely the big bang and big crunch theory. It has been shown that this algorithm is capable of quick convergence, even in long, narrow parabolic-shaped flat valleys or in the existence of several local extremes. In this work, the BB--BC optimization algorithm is hybridized with local search moves in between the ``banging'' and ``crunching'' phases of the algorithm. These 2 original phases of the BB--BC algorithm are preserved, but the representative point (``best'' or ``fittest'' point) attained after the crunching phase of the iteration is modified with some local directional moves, using the previous representative points so far attained, with the hope that a better representative point would be obtained. The effect of imposing local directional moves is inspected by comparing the results of the original and enhanced BB--BC algorithm on various benchmark test functions. Moreover, the crunching phase of the algorithm is improved with the addition of a simplex-based local search routine. The results of the new hybridized algorithm are compared with the state-of-the-art variants of widely used evolutionary computation methods, namely genetic algorithms, covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategies, and particle swarm optimization. The results over the benchmark test functions have proven that the BB--BC algorithm, enhanced with local directional moves, has provided more accuracy with the same computation time or for the same number of function evaluations.

In view of the hold phase in front of and behind the uphill or downhill of a track, the optimal switch point with local optimal algorithm is not the one with the least cost. This paper finds its deficiencies, and presents an improved method to be applied in the global optimization to minimize the energy costs.

Avian formation flight has always inspired technology protagonists to mimic and harness associated benefits for the aviation industry. This paper discusses the performance benefits of similar and hybrid jet airliners flying in formation. The aerodynamic forces are modelled through potential flow theory. The lateral and vertical spacing is varied to estimate advantages in range. For simplicity, only cruise performance is analysed. By employing formation flying in wide-body aircrafts, an increase in range up to 65% is observed relative to standard flight. In addition to that, an optimal switching point during cruise flight is evaluated to give equal benefits to both aircrafts flying in formation. The study proposes a new concept of shared airspace where different aircrafts cooperate on long routes for fuel savings. However, the findings reported in this paper are of theoretical nature and high-fidelity models and experimentation is considered necessary to further evaluate the benefits of formation flying. Moreover, existing distancing restrictions between two aircrafts, imposed by regulatory authorities, are also a potential limitation in successful realisation of commercial formation flight.

Review of energy-efficient train control and timetabling

An additional acceleration effect of the design process has been discovered on the basis of the generalized system design methodology by means of various design strategies analysis with the different initial points. Some principal characteristics of this effect were studied to select the optimal position of the initial point of the design process. The special Lyapunov function of the design process was proposed to analyze some conditions to obtain the optimal position of the switching points between the different design strategies. These optimal switching points serve as the basis for the structure determination of the time-optimal design algorithm.

Context-awareness has empowered advanced multimedia computing technology to provide user-oriented services and environment. This research aims at achieving a seamless video delivery service concentrating on the user’s mobility patterns during a multimedia streaming service session. Mobility supporting technology providing seamless services are categorized into host mobility and user mobility. The former corresponds to host-level handoff while the latter refers to user-level handoff. In host-level handoff, the influential parameters affecting the quality of video consumption are the total distance between the hosts, the distance for streaming to resume while user is in mobility mode and the screen size of the end host. The interdependency amongst the parameters is evaluated by a user subjective assessment and a befitting video quality model is developed, accordingly. Additionally, the optimal video delivery switching point to enable user mobility based video service is studied based on a quality analysis of host mobility services at varying distances among hosts. This quality model supporting a complete mobilization has a high correlation with the assessed quality and enables an adequate seamless mobility for multimedia service delivery.KeywordsSession mobilitySeamless mobilityMultimedia handoff

From the operating data of open rack vaporizer (ORV), it is found that the smaller the liquefied natural gas (LNG) flow rate is, the lower the seawater heat required per unit of LNG is. But the lowest seawater heat is not necessarily the lowest seawater flow rate, because ORV has operating constraints such as the minimum seawater film flow rate, the maximum seawater flow rate, and the maximum LNG flow rate. This paper proposes an optimization switching method for multiple ORV vaporizers in an LNG station and gives a calculation method for the optimal switching point. Taking an LNG station with 4 ORVs running in parallel as an example, this paper gives the optimal switching point for the number of ORVs in operation. The optimization method proposed in this paper is generally applicable to intermediate medium vaporizer (IFV).

How to identify the optimum switch point of sequential invasive and noninvasive ventilation is the focus of clinical attention on the patients suffering from acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) complicated by acute respiratory failure (ARF). This study aims to explore the clinical significance of taking the change rate of procalcitonin (PCT) as identifying the timing of weaning on the mechanical ventilation for the patients of AECOPD followed by ARF as a complication. There were altogether 140 patients of AECOPD complicated with ARF, who were randomly selected and divided into a study group and a control group respectively. A change rate of serum PCT level exceeding 50% was taken as the switch point selection of tracheal intubation removal for the patients of the study group, while the ‘pulmonary infection control (PIC) window’ was done for those in the control group. With CRP, IL-6, TNF-a, PaCO2, PaO2, and Lac having been detected before and after treatment to them all, clinical indexes were obtained and compared between these two groups. The CRP, TNF-a, and IL-6 levels of the patients in the study group after treatment (p < 0.05) were lower than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in PaCO2, PaO2, and Lac between these two groups before and after treatment (p > 0.05). Even so, some other indexes available for the study group of patients were found to be lower than those for the control group (p < 0.05) in the following aspects: duration of invasive ventilation support, total time of mechanical ventilation support, incidence rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia, 48-hour reintubation rate, incidence rate of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hospitalization time of critical respiratory illness, total hospitalization time, RICU treatment cost, total treatment cost, and mortality. It is preferable to take the change rate of PCT level exceeding 50% as the switch point of weaning time in sequential mechanical ventilation rather than the PIC window. Abbreviations AECOPD: acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ARF: acute respiratory failure; PCT: procalcitonin; PaO2: the oxygen partial pressure; PaCO2: the partial pressure of carbon dioxide; TNF-a: serum tumor necrosis factor-a; IL-6: interleukin-6; CRP: serum C-reactive protein; PIC window: pulmonary infection control window; RICU: respiration and intensive care unit

Noise pollution is one of the environmental factors that severely threaten humans’ mental, emotional, and physical health. One of the most significant sources of this pollution is the noise generated by traffic and urban transportation, mainly the urban railway. This paper assessed noise pollution at stations, passenger cars, and the train operator’s cabin. Four consecutive Baghdad subway stations were used to collect information. There were three modes of measurement: entering the station, stopping at the station, and leaving the station. Leq(equivalent continuous noise level) at station 3 is more significant than at three other stations, confirming that the initial hypothesis regarding the noise pollution rate was correct. Among the studied stations, Station 1 was the quietest. The stations with the highest and lowest Leqvalues are 3 and 2, respectively. The Leqvalues recorded in the cabin are within the permissible range. The highest Leqvalue measured at station 3 is 81.87 dB(A), and the lowest Leqvalue measured at station 2 is 61.24 dB(A). The operator’s cabin at station 3 has the highest measured Leqof 70.26 dB(A), and station 1 has the lowest measured Leqof 61.5 dB(A). While the measured value in the operator’s cabin was within the acceptable range, the noise levels in the wagons were above standard.

Optimal multi-objective reconfiguration and capacitor placement of distribution systems with the Hybrid Big Bang–Big Crunch algorithm in the fuzzy framework