Plant balance model for RELAP/SCDAPSIM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza M, R.; Filio L, C.; Araiza M, E.; Ortiz V, J.

2017-09-01

In this work we developed an integral model for a nuclear power plant and have a more general picture of what happens in both the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) and the Balance of Plant (Bop) system during abnormal events that are presented in operation. RELAP/SCDAPSIM (RSS) is a computation code of the type of best estimate that can simulate the transient and accident behavior of a nuclear installation. The development of a Bop model for RSS can result in the simulation of transients such as turbine trip due to loss of vacuum in the main steam condenser. This work shows the development of models of the Bop main components for the RSS code, such as the set of high and low pressure turbines, as well as their steam extractions to the feed water heaters, the main steam condenser, a feed water heater and the condensate and water feed pumps. This new model of the Plant Balance system was then coupled to the NSSS model that is already in RSS. First, results of the steady state with this new integral model are show, to later show results of the transients simulation: 1) turbine trip due to loss of vacuum in the main steam condenser; 2) loss of condensate pumps; and 3) failure of the feed water heater. (Author)

UNIRAM modeling for increased nuclear-plant availability and life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Mara, R.L.

1988-01-01

At the start of a nuclear-power plant's design life of 40 years, most parts of the plant are effectively brand new, but some subcomponents have already experienced significant wear and aging effects. In short, the spectrum of where each component is in its life cycle at any time is quite broad, and this makes the prediction of the future availability of the plant a complex issue. Predictive models that account for the differential effects of aging, wear, and functional failure on the plant are desirable as a means to represent this complex behavior. This paper addresses the task of using a computer model to account for the relationships between components, systems, and plant availability, in the context of current and future needs, including eventual life extension. The computer model is based on the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) code, UNIRAM, which has a large and growing user base among utilities

Mathematical models of power plant units with once-through steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmeister, W.; Kantner, A.

1977-01-01

An optimization of effective control functions with the current complex control loop structures and control algorithms is practically not possible. Therefore computer models are required which may be optimized with the process and plant data known before start-up of thermal power plants. The application of process computers allows additional predictions on the control-dynamic behavior of a thermal power plant unit. (TK) [de

Modeling of 137Cs and 90Sr behavior in the soil-plant system within the territory adjacent to 'Experimental field' technical site in the Semipalatinsk test site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiridonov, S.I.; Gontarenko, I.A.; Mukusheva, M.K.

2005-01-01

Modelling of 137 Cs and 90 Sr behavior in the soil-plant system is presented. Models have been parameterized for the area adjacent to the 'Experimental Field' Technical Site of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. The models describe the main processes responsible for changes of 137 Cs and 90 Sr content in the soil solution and, thereby, dynamics of radionuclides intake by vegetation. Results are presented from perspective and retrospective calculations, that reflect the dynamics of 137 and 90 Sr distribution by species in soil after nuclear explosions. The importance of factors governing radionuclide accumulation in plants within Semipalatinsk test site area is assessed. The analysis of sensitivity of model output variable to change in its parameters has revealed that the key soil properties significantly influence the results of prediction of radionuclide content in plants. (author)

The behavior of 137Cs in the soil-forest plants system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiridonov, S.; Fesenko, S.; Avila, R.

1999-01-01

A model has been developed which simulates the behavior of 137 Cs in forest litter and soil, as well as seasonal and long-term dynamics of 137 CS content in forest plants. The long-term cycles of 137 CS migration are described as an integrated result of multiple annual cycles. The model results demonstrate a satisfactory coincidence with the experimental data. A set of model parameters is provided for each of four different types of forest (coniferous and deciduous forest; automorphic and semi-hydromorphic landscapes). The model allows an evaluation of the effects of countermeasures implemented in the contaminated forest. Refs. 1 (author)

Behavioral simulation of a nuclear power plant operator crew for human-machine system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuta, K.; Shimada, T.; Kondo, S.

1999-01-01

This article proposes an architecture of behavioral simulation of an operator crew in a nuclear power plant including group processes and interactions between the operators and their working environment. An operator model was constructed based on the conceptual human information processor and then substantiated as a knowledge-based system with multiple sets of knowledge base and blackboard, each of which represents an individual operator. From a trade-off between reality and practicality, we adopted an architecture of simulation that consists of the operator, plant and environment models in order to consider operator-environment interactions. The simulation system developed on this framework and called OCCS was tested using a scenario of BWR plant operation. The case study showed that operator-environment interactions have significant effects on operator crew performance and that they should be considered properly for simulating behavior of human-machine systems. The proposed architecture contributed to more realistic simulation in comparison with an experimental result, and a good prospect has been obtained that computer simulation of an operator crew is feasible and useful for human-machine system design. (orig.)

Plants : Adaptive behavior, root-brains, and minimal cognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calvo Garzon, Paco; Keijzer, Fred

Plant intelligence has gone largely unnoticed within the field of animal and human adaptive behavior. In this context, we will introduce current work on plant intelligence as a new set of relevant phenomena that deserves attention and also discuss its potential relevance for the study of adaptive

Influence of operators' emotion on their cognition and behavior in a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Naoko; Yoshimura, Seiichi

1997-01-01

The Simulation System for the Behavior of an Operating Group (SYBORG) has been developed to simulate and analyze the cognitive process of operators and the behavior of operating teams. Although fundamental mechanisms of the SYBORG have been constructed, it cannot simulate the influence of human emotion. Emotion may be considered to be one of important factors causing human errors. This is why an emotional function is introduced into the SYBORG. As the first step to develop a simulation model of operator''s emotion, a basic mechanism of simulation function was suggested. According to the suggestion, the composition of each emotion with basic emotions was investigated for expressing each emotion by numerical values. In addition, the relationship among situations which activate emotion, kinds of emotion and kinds of expected actions was investigated. This report shows the results of two investigations which were conducted to develop a simulation model for the SYBORG. In the first investigation, 51 emotions were classified into five basic emotions according to the criterion proposed by Johnson-Laird (1988), and then, were ranked by their intensities. Another investigation was also conducted to determine the emotions with which operators predicted behavior that they would respond when a trouble occurs in a plant. Subjects were 53 men who have had experience in operating nuclear power plants. The results are as follows: (1) ''Fear'' is the most frequently activated emotion during plant off-normal conditions. (2) ''Cannot decide what should be done'' which is one of errors in thinking process is the most frequently expected behavior accompanying any emotion except ''Happiness''. (author)

Design of plant safety model in plant enterprise engineering environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabbar, Hossam A.; Suzuki, Kazuhiko; Shimada, Yukiyasu

2001-01-01

Plant enterprise engineering environment (PEEE) is an approach aiming to manage the plant through its lifecycle. In such environment, safety is considered as the common objective for all activities throughout the plant lifecycle. One approach to achieve plant safety is to embed safety aspects within each function and activity within such environment. One ideal way to enable safety aspects within each automated function is through modeling. This paper proposes a theoretical approach to design plant safety model as integrated with the plant lifecycle model within such environment. Object-oriented modeling approach is used to construct the plant safety model using OO CASE tool on the basis of unified modeling language (UML). Multiple views are defined for plant objects to express static, dynamic, and functional semantics of these objects. Process safety aspects are mapped to each model element and inherited from design to operation stage, as it is naturally embedded within plant's objects. By developing and realizing the plant safety model, safer plant operation can be achieved and plant safety can be assured

Atmospheric behavior, deposition, and budget of radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Morino, Y.; Ohara, T.; Nishizawa, M.

2011-12-01

To understand the atmospheric behavior of radioactive materials emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the nuclear accident that accompanied the great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, we simulated the transport and deposition of iodine-131 and cesium-137 using a chemical transport model. The model roughly reproduced the observed temporal and spatial variations of deposition rates over 15 Japanese prefectures (60-400 km from the plant), including Tokyo, although there were some discrepancies between the simulated and observed rates. These discrepancies were likely due to uncertainties in the simulation of emission, transport, and deposition processes in the model. A budget analysis indicated that approximately 13% of iodine-131 and 22% of cesium-137 were deposited over land in Japan, and the rest was deposited over the ocean or transported out of the model domain (700 × 700 km2). Radioactivity budgets are sensitive to temporal emission patterns. Accurate estimation of emissions to the air is important for estimation of the atmospheric behavior of radionuclides and their subsequent behavior in land water, soil, vegetation, and the ocean.

Data Quality Enhanced Prediction Model for Massive Plant Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Moon-Ghu; Kang, Seong-Ki; Shin, Hajin

2016-01-01

This paper introduces an integrated signal preconditioning and model prediction mainly by kernel functions. The performance and benefits of the methods are demonstrated by a case study with measurement data from a power plant and its components transient data. The developed methods will be applied as a part of monitoring massive or big data platform where human experts cannot detect the fault behaviors due to too large size of the measurements. Recent extensive efforts for on-line monitoring implementation insists that a big surprise in the modeling for predicting process variables was the extent of data quality problems in measurement data especially for data-driven modeling. Bad data for training will be learned as normal and can make significant degrade in prediction performance. For this reason, the quantity and quality of measurement data in modeling phase need special care. Bad quality data must be removed from training sets to the bad data considered as normal system behavior. This paper presented an integrated structure of supervisory system for monitoring the plants or sensors performance. The quality of the data-driven model is improved with a bilateral kernel filter for preprocessing of the noisy data. The prediction module is also based on kernel regression having the same basis with noise filter. The model structure is optimized by a grouping process with nonlinear Hoeffding correlation function

Data Quality Enhanced Prediction Model for Massive Plant Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Moon-Ghu [Nuclear Engr. Sejong Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Seong-Ki [Monitoring and Diagnosis, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Hajin [Saint Paul Preparatory Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

This paper introduces an integrated signal preconditioning and model prediction mainly by kernel functions. The performance and benefits of the methods are demonstrated by a case study with measurement data from a power plant and its components transient data. The developed methods will be applied as a part of monitoring massive or big data platform where human experts cannot detect the fault behaviors due to too large size of the measurements. Recent extensive efforts for on-line monitoring implementation insists that a big surprise in the modeling for predicting process variables was the extent of data quality problems in measurement data especially for data-driven modeling. Bad data for training will be learned as normal and can make significant degrade in prediction performance. For this reason, the quantity and quality of measurement data in modeling phase need special care. Bad quality data must be removed from training sets to the bad data considered as normal system behavior. This paper presented an integrated structure of supervisory system for monitoring the plants or sensors performance. The quality of the data-driven model is improved with a bilateral kernel filter for preprocessing of the noisy data. The prediction module is also based on kernel regression having the same basis with noise filter. The model structure is optimized by a grouping process with nonlinear Hoeffding correlation function.

Dynamics of pesticide uptake into plants: From system functioning to parsimonious modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fantke, Peter; Wieland, Peter; Wannaz, Cedric

2013-01-01

Dynamic plant uptake models are suitable for assessing environmental fate and behavior of toxic chemicals in food crops. However, existing tools mostly lack in-depth analysis of system dynamics. Furthermore, no existing model is available as parameterized version that is easily applicable for use...

Modeling cognitive behavior in nuclear power plants: An overview of contributing theoretical traditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, D.D.; Roth, E.M.

1986-01-01

This paper reviews the major theoretical literatures that are relevant to modeling human cognitive activities important to nuclear power plant safety. The traditions considered include control theory, communication theory, statistical decision theory, information processing models and symbolic processing models. The review reveals a gradual convergence towards models that incorporate elements from multiple traditions. Models from the control theory tradition have gradually evolved to include rich knowledge representations borrowed from the symbolic processing work. At the same time theorists in the symbolic processing tradition are beginning to grapple with some of the critical issues involved in modeling complex real world domain

A discrete control model of PLANT

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, C. M.

1985-01-01

A model of the PLANT system using the discrete control modeling techniques developed by Miller is described. Discrete control models attempt to represent in a mathematical form how a human operator might decompose a complex system into simpler parts and how the control actions and system configuration are coordinated so that acceptable overall system performance is achieved. Basic questions include knowledge representation, information flow, and decision making in complex systems. The structure of the model is a general hierarchical/heterarchical scheme which structurally accounts for coordination and dynamic focus of attention. Mathematically, the discrete control model is defined in terms of a network of finite state systems. Specifically, the discrete control model accounts for how specific control actions are selected from information about the controlled system, the environment, and the context of the situation. The objective is to provide a plausible and empirically testable accounting and, if possible, explanation of control behavior.

Issues to be considered on obtaining plant models for formal verification purposes

Science.gov (United States)

Pacheco, R.; Gonzalez, L.; Intriago, M.; Machado, J.; Prisacaru, G.; Olaru, D.

2016-08-01

The development of dependable software for mechatronic systems can be a very complex and hard task. For facilitating the obtaining of dependable software for industrial controllers, some powerful software tools and analysis techniques can be used. Mainly, when using simulation and formal verification analysis techniques, it is necessary to develop plant models, in order to describe the plant behavior of those systems. However, developing a plant model implies that designer takes his (or her) decisions concerning granularity and level of abstraction of models; approach to consider for modeling (global or modular); and definition of strategies for simulation and formal verification tasks. This paper intends to highlight some aspects that can be considered for taking into account those decisions. For this purpose, it is presented a case study and there are illustrated and discussed very important aspects concerning above exposed issues.

Installation of aerosol behavior model into multi-dimensional thermal hydraulic analysis code AQUA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kisohara, Naoyuki; Yamaguchi, Akira

1997-12-01

The safety analysis of FBR plant system for sodium leak phenomena needs to evaluate the deposition of the aerosol particle to the components in the plant, the chemical reaction of aerosol to humidity in the air and the effect of the combustion heat through aerosol to the structural component. For this purpose, ABC-INTG (Aerosol Behavior in Containment-INTeGrated Version) code has been developed and used until now. This code calculates aerosol behavior in the gas area of uniform temperature and pressure by 1 cell-model. Later, however, more detailed calculation of aerosol behavior requires the installation of aerosol model into multi-cell thermal hydraulic analysis code AQUA. AQUA can calculate the carrier gas flow, temperature and the distribution of the aerosol spatial concentration. On the other hand, ABC-INTG can calculate the generation, deposition to the wall and flower, agglomeration of aerosol particle and figure out the distribution of the aerosol particle size. Thus, the combination of these two codes enables to deal with aerosol model coupling the distribution of the aerosol spatial concentration and that of the aerosol particle size. This report describes aerosol behavior model, how to install the aerosol model to AQUA and new subroutine equipped to the code. Furthermore, the test calculations of the simple structural model were executed by this code, appropriate results were obtained. Thus, this code has prospect to predict aerosol behavior by the introduction of coupling analysis with multi-dimensional gas thermo-dynamics for sodium combustion evaluation. (J.P.N.)

Study of the behavior of thermal shield support system for the French CPO series plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellet, S.; Roux, P.; Bhandari, D.R.; Schwirian, R.E.; Yu, C.; Matarazzo, J.C.; Singleton, N.R.

1996-01-01

Degradation/failure of thermal shield support system in PWRs has been observed in the US as well as in foreign plants. In almost all the cases, remedial actions were put in place at very high economic costs to the utilities only after the failures had occurred. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study to predict the long term behavior of a thermal shield support system due to flow-induced vibratory loads and thermal transients. Excellent agreement from the system finite model between the measured plant test data on the barrel/thermal shield beam and shell mode frequencies and the flexure strains confirms the basic structural behavior and physics of the flow induced vibrations. Loads and stresses on the support bolts and the flexures were determined to predict the fatigue life of the components

A gravity model for the spread of a pollinator-borne plant pathogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Matthew J; Bjørnstad, Ottar N; Partain, Jessica L; Antonovics, Janis

2006-09-01

Many pathogens of plants are transmitted by arthropod vectors whose movement between individual hosts is influenced by foraging behavior. Insect foraging has been shown to depend on both the quality of hosts and the distances between hosts. Given the spatial distribution of host plants and individual variation in quality, vector foraging patterns may therefore produce predictable variation in exposure to pathogens. We develop a "gravity" model to describe the spatial spread of a vector-borne plant pathogen from underlying models of insect foraging in response to host quality using the pollinator-borne smut fungus Microbotryum violaceum as a case study. We fit the model to spatially explicit time series of M. violaceum transmission in replicate experimental plots of the white campion Silene latifolia. The gravity model provides a better fit than a mean field model or a model with only distance-dependent transmission. The results highlight the importance of active vector foraging in generating spatial patterns of disease incidence and for pathogen-mediated selection for floral traits.

Models of cognitive behavior in nuclear power plant personnel. A feasibility study: main report. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, D.D.; Roth, E.M.; Hanes, L.F.

1986-07-01

This report contains the results of a feasibility study to determine if the current state of models human cognitive activities can serve as the basis for improved techniques for predicting human error in nuclear power plants emergency operations. Based on the answer to this questions, two subsequent phases of research are planned. Phase II is to develop a model of cognitive activities, and Phase III is to test the model. The feasibility study included an analysis of the cognitive activities that occur in emergency operations and an assessment of the modeling concepts/tools available to capture these cognitive activities. The results indicated that a symbolic processing (or artificial intelligence) model of cognitive activities in nuclear power plants is both desirable and feasible. This cognitive model can be built upon the computational framework provided by an existing artificial intelligence system for medical problem solving called Caduceus. The resulting cognitive model will increase the capability to capture the human contribution to risk in probabilistic risk assessments studies. Volume I summarizes the major findings and conclusions of the study. Volume II provides a complete description of the methods and results, including a synthesis of the cognitive activities that occur during emergency operations, and a literature review on cognitive modeling relevant to nuclear power plants. 112 refs., 10 figs

Model Predictive Control of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

B. Wayne Bequette; Priyadarshi Mahapatra

2010-08-31

The primary project objectives were to understand how the process design of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant affects the dynamic operability and controllability of the process. Steady-state and dynamic simulation models were developed to predict the process behavior during typical transients that occur in plant operation. Advanced control strategies were developed to improve the ability of the process to follow changes in the power load demand, and to improve performance during transitions between power levels. Another objective of the proposed work was to educate graduate and undergraduate students in the application of process systems and control to coal technology. Educational materials were developed for use in engineering courses to further broaden this exposure to many students. ASPENTECH software was used to perform steady-state and dynamic simulations of an IGCC power plant. Linear systems analysis techniques were used to assess the steady-state and dynamic operability of the power plant under various plant operating conditions. Model predictive control (MPC) strategies were developed to improve the dynamic operation of the power plants. MATLAB and SIMULINK software were used for systems analysis and control system design, and the SIMULINK functionality in ASPEN DYNAMICS was used to test the control strategies on the simulated process. Project funds were used to support a Ph.D. student to receive education and training in coal technology and the application of modeling and simulation techniques.

Integrating human and natural systems in community psychology: an ecological model of stewardship behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Moskell, Christine; Allred, Shorna Broussard

2013-03-01

Community psychology (CP) research on the natural environment lacks a theoretical framework for analyzing the complex relationship between human systems and the natural world. We introduce other academic fields concerned with the interactions between humans and the natural environment, including environmental sociology and coupled human and natural systems. To demonstrate how the natural environment can be included within CP's ecological framework, we propose an ecological model of urban forest stewardship action. Although ecological models of behavior in CP have previously modeled health behaviors, we argue that these frameworks are also applicable to actions that positively influence the natural environment. We chose the environmental action of urban forest stewardship because cities across the United States are planting millions of trees and increased citizen participation in urban tree planting and stewardship will be needed to sustain the benefits provided by urban trees. We used the framework of an ecological model of behavior to illustrate multiple levels of factors that may promote or hinder involvement in urban forest stewardship actions. The implications of our model for the development of multi-level ecological interventions to foster stewardship actions are discussed, as well as directions for future research to further test and refine the model.

[Evaluation of Fusarium spp. pathogenicity in plant and murine models].

Science.gov (United States)

Forero-Reyes, Consuelo M; Alvarado-Fernández, Angela M; Ceballos-Rojas, Ana M; González-Carmona, Lady C; Linares-Linares, Melva Y; Castañeda-Salazar, Rubiela; Pulido-Villamarín, Adriana; Góngora-Medina, Manuel E; Cortés-Vecino, Jesús A; Rodríguez-Bocanegra, María X

The genus Fusarium is widely recognized for its phytopathogenic capacity. However, it has been reported as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Thus, it can be considered a microorganism of interest in pathogenicity studies on different hosts. Therefore, this work evaluated the pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. isolates from different origins in plants and animals (murine hosts). Twelve isolates of Fusarium spp. from plants, animal superficial mycoses, and human superficial and systemic mycoses were inoculated in tomato, passion fruit and carnation plants, and in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. Pathogenicity tests in plants did not show all the symptoms associated with vascular wilt in the three plant models; however, colonization and necrosis of the vascular bundles, regardless of the species and origin of the isolates, showed the infective potential of Fusarium spp. in different plant species. Moreover, the pathogenicity tests in the murine model revealed behavioral changes. It was noteworthy that only five isolates (different origin and species) caused mortality. Additionally, it was observed that all isolates infected and colonized different organs, regardless of the species and origin of the isolates or host immune status. In contrast, the superficial inoculation test showed no evidence of epidermal injury or colonization. The observed results in plant and murine models suggest the pathogenic potential of Fusarium spp. isolates in different types of hosts. However, further studies on pathogenicity are needed to confirm the multihost capacity of this genus. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Accumulation and long term behavior of radiocesium in tropical plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anjos, R.M.; Carvalho, C.; Mosquera, B.; Macario, K.; Veiga, R.; Sanches, N.; Bastos, J.; Saavedra, R.; Iguatemy, M. [Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi (Brazil)

2006-07-01

Full text of publication follows: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the evaluation of nutrient fluxes and radioactive contaminants in forest and agricultural ecosystems. Several studies on forest ecosystems have been carried out, mostly in Europe, after the Chernobyl accident. Japanese forest sites and native plant species of the Marshall Islands have also been extensively investigated. These studies have been used for various purposes, including the development of models for predicting plant concentrations from soil concentration measurements or the long term of dietary contamination by radiocesium following a fallout nuclear. Cesium is an alkali metal just like potassium and its behavior in nature, as well as in the human body, is similar to that of potassium. Uptake of 137 Cs from contaminated soil represents a significant pathway of human radiation exposure, either due to the direct consumption of cereals, fruits and vegetables or, indirectly, following consumption of milk and meat from animals fed on contaminated vegetable matter. The decline of 137 Cs levels as function of time of fruit trees is of interest given its long life in the field. Therefore, the cesium behavior is important in the design of management strategies to mitigate any negative health effects of radioactivity on the environment. It is also important to apply the current knowledge of the transport and distribution of salts derived from forest ecosystems in agricultural ecosystems, especially for tropical fruit trees. So far, in the South hemisphere there have been only a few studies on this subject, without conclusive results. With this aim, the Laboratory of Radioecology (L.A.R.A.) of the Universidade Federal Fluminense has been performing analyzes of 137 Cs and 40 K concentrations in several tropical plants (guava, mango, avocado, pomegranate, papaya, manioc and chili pepper trees) in order to determine the accumulation of these radionuclides throughout these trees and

Accumulation and long term behavior of radiocesium in tropical plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anjos, R.M.; Carvalho, C.; Mosquera, B.; Macario, K.; Veiga, R.; Sanches, N.; Bastos, J.; Saavedra, R.; Iguatemy, M.

2006-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the evaluation of nutrient fluxes and radioactive contaminants in forest and agricultural ecosystems. Several studies on forest ecosystems have been carried out, mostly in Europe, after the Chernobyl accident. Japanese forest sites and native plant species of the Marshall Islands have also been extensively investigated. These studies have been used for various purposes, including the development of models for predicting plant concentrations from soil concentration measurements or the long term of dietary contamination by radiocesium following a fallout nuclear. Cesium is an alkali metal just like potassium and its behavior in nature, as well as in the human body, is similar to that of potassium. Uptake of 137 Cs from contaminated soil represents a significant pathway of human radiation exposure, either due to the direct consumption of cereals, fruits and vegetables or, indirectly, following consumption of milk and meat from animals fed on contaminated vegetable matter. The decline of 137 Cs levels as function of time of fruit trees is of interest given its long life in the field. Therefore, the cesium behavior is important in the design of management strategies to mitigate any negative health effects of radioactivity on the environment. It is also important to apply the current knowledge of the transport and distribution of salts derived from forest ecosystems in agricultural ecosystems, especially for tropical fruit trees. So far, in the South hemisphere there have been only a few studies on this subject, without conclusive results. With this aim, the Laboratory of Radioecology (L.A.R.A.) of the 'Universidade Federal Fluminense' has been performing analyzes of 137 Cs and 40 K concentrations in several tropical plants (guava, mango, avocado, pomegranate, papaya, manioc and chili pepper trees) in order to determine the accumulation of these radionuclides throughout these trees

Transuranic element behavior in soils and plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wildung, R.E.

1982-01-01

The principal objective of this study is to define soil, plant, and foliar interaction processes that influence the availability of transuranic elements to agricultural plants and animals as a basis for improved modeling and dose-assessment. Major areas of emphasis are: (1) soil and soil-microbial processes that influence the concentration and form of transuranic elements in soil solutions and availability to the plant root with time; (2) deposition and plant interception of airborne submicronic particles containing transuranic elements and their susceptibility to leaching; (3) plant processes that influence transport across plant root membrane and foliar surfaces, as well as the form and sites of deposition of transuranic elements in mature plants; and (4) the integrated effect of soil and plant processes on transuranic element availability to, and form in, animals that consume plants

Absorption behavior of technetium and rhenium through plant roots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagami, K.; Uchida, S.

2004-01-01

The absorption behavior of technetium (Tc) and rhenium (Re) through plant roots was studied using nutrient solution culture. Radish samples, grown in culture solutions for 20-30 days in a green house, were transferred into plastic vessels containing nutrient solutions contaminated with multi-tracer solutions including Tc-95m and Re-183. The plant samples were grown individually for 1-7 days under laboratory conditions. The activities of radionuclides in nutrient solutions and oven-dried plant parts (roots, fleshy roots and leaves) were measured with Ge detecting systems. The concentrations of Tc-95m and Re-183 in the nutrient solutions after harvesting the plants were almost the same as those in the initial solution. Possibly, the radionuclides were taken up with water through plant roots. The distributions of Tc and Re in the plants showed no differences, thus, soluble Tc and Re absorption by plant samples were the same. It is suggested that Re could be used as a geochemical tracer of Tc in the soil environment. (author)

Models of cognitive behavior in nuclear power plant personnel. A feasibility study: summary of results. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, D.D.; Roth, E.M.; Hanes, L.F.

1986-07-01

This report summarizes the results of a feasibility study to determine if the current state of models of human cognitive activities can serve as the basis for improved techniques for predicting human error in nuclear power plants emergency operations. Based on the answer to this question, two subsequent phases of research are planned. Phase II is to develop a model of cognitive activities, and Phase III is to test the model. The feasibility study included an analysis of the cognitive activities that occur in emergency operations and an assessment of the modeling concepts/tools available to capture these cognitive activities. The results indicated that a symbolic processing (or artificial intelligence) model of cognitive activities in nuclear power plants is both desirable and feasible. This cognitive model can be built upon the computational framework provided by an existing artificial intelligence system for medical problem solving, called Caduceus. The resulting cognitive model will increase the capability to capture the human contribution to risk in probabilistic risk assessment studies. Volume 1 summarizes the major findings and conclusions of the study. Volume 2 provides a complete description of the methods and results, including a synthesis of the cognitive activities that occur during emergency operations, and a literature review on cognitive modeling relevant to nuclear power plants. 19 refs

Mathematical models for plant-herbivore interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Zhilan; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2017-01-01

Mathematical Models of Plant-Herbivore Interactions addresses mathematical models in the study of practical questions in ecology, particularly factors that affect herbivory, including plant defense, herbivore natural enemies, and adaptive herbivory, as well as the effects of these on plant community dynamics. The result of extensive research on the use of mathematical modeling to investigate the effects of plant defenses on plant-herbivore dynamics, this book describes a toxin-determined functional response model (TDFRM) that helps explains field observations of these interactions. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers interested in mathematical biology and ecology.

Modeling of the core of Atucha II nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, Anibal

2007-01-01

This work is part of a Nuclear Engineer degree thesis of the Instituto Balseiro and it is carried out under the development of an Argentinean Nuclear Power Plant Simulator. To obtain the best representation of the reactor physical behavior using the state of the art tools this Simulator should couple a 3D neutronics core calculation code with a thermal-hydraulics system code. Focused in the neutronic nature of this job, using PARCS, we modeled and performed calculations of the nuclear power plant Atucha 2 core. Whenever it is possible, we compare our results against results obtained with PUMA (the official core code for Atucha 2). (author) [es

A Differential-Algebraic Model for the Once-Through Steam Generator of MHTGR-Based Multimodular Nuclear Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Dong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Small modular reactors (SMRs are those fission reactors whose electrical output power is no more than 300 MWe. SMRs usually have the inherent safety feature that can be applicable to power plants of any desired power rating by applying the multimodular operation scheme. Due to its strong inherent safety feature, the modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR, which uses helium as coolant and graphite as moderator and structural material, is a typical SMR for building the next generation of nuclear plants (NGNPs. The once-through steam generator (OTSG is the basis of realizing the multimodular scheme, and modeling of the OTSG is meaningful to study the dynamic behavior of the multimodular plants and to design the operation and control strategy. In this paper, based upon the conservation laws of mass, energy, and momentum, a new differential-algebraic model for the OTSGs of the MHTGR-based multimodular nuclear plants is given. This newly-built model can describe the dynamic behavior of the OTSG in both the cases of providing superheated steam and generating saturated steam. Numerical simulation results show the feasibility and satisfactory performance of this model. Moreover, this model has been applied to develop the real-time simulation software for the operation and regulation features of the world first underconstructed MHTGR-based commercial nuclear plant—HTR-PM.

Modeling the water use efficiency of soybean and maize plants under environmental stresses: application of a synthetic model of photosynthesis-transpiration based on stomatal behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Gui-Rui; Wang, Qiu-Feng; Zhuang, Jie

2004-03-01

Understanding the variability of plant WUE and its control mechanism can promote the comprehension to the coupling relationship of water and carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystem, which is the foundation for developing water-carbon coupling cycle model. In this paper, we made clear the differences of net assimilation rate, transpiration rate, and WUE between the two species by comparing the experiment data of soybean (Glycine max Merr.) and maize (Zea mays L.) plants under water and soil nutrient stresses. WUE of maize was about two and a half times more than that of soybean in the same weather conditions. Enhancement of water stresses led to the marked decrease of Am and Em of two species, but water stresses of some degree could improve WUE, and this effect was more obvious for soybean. WUE of the two species changed with psiL in a second-order curve relation, and the WUE at high fertilization was higher than that at low fertilization, this effect was especially obvious for maize. Moreover, according to the synthetic model of photosynthesis-transpiration based on stomatal behavior (SMPTSB) presented by Yu et al. (2001), the WUE model and its applicability were discussed with the data measured in this experiment. The WUE estimated by means of the model accorded well with the measured values. However, this model underestimated the WUE for maize slightly, thus further improvement on the original model was made in this study. Finally, by discussing some physiological factors controlling Am and WUE, we made clear the physiological explanation for differences of the relative contributions of stomata- and mesophyll processes to control of Am and WUE, and the applicability of WUE model between the two species. Because the requirement to stomatal conductance by unit change of net assimilation rate is different, the responses of opening-closing activity of stomata to environmental stresses are different between the two species. To obtain the same level of net assimilation

Effect of plant chemicals on the behavior of the Mediterranean fruit fly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadopoulos, N.T.; Kouloussis, N.A.; Katsoyannos, B.I.

2006-01-01

A review of current information on the relation between plant chemicals and the Mediterranean fruit fly is presented. The influence of age and adult physiology on the response of med flies to plant chemicals is studied. The effect of plant chemicals on med fly behavior during host finding, mating and oviposition is analysed. The possible influence of plant chemicals on the dispersion patterns and spatial distribution of the fly is also addressed. (MAC)

Effect of plant chemicals on the behavior of the Mediterranean fruit fly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papadopoulos, N.T., E-mail: nikopap@uth.g [University of Thessaly (Greece). Dept. of Crop Production and Rural Environment. Lab. of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology; Kouloussis, N.A.; Katsoyannos, B.I. [University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (Greece). School of Agriculture

2006-07-01

A review of current information on the relation between plant chemicals and the Mediterranean fruit fly is presented. The influence of age and adult physiology on the response of med flies to plant chemicals is studied. The effect of plant chemicals on med fly behavior during host finding, mating and oviposition is analysed. The possible influence of plant chemicals on the dispersion patterns and spatial distribution of the fly is also addressed. (MAC)

PWR plant operator training used full scope simulator incorporated MAAP model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Y.; Tabuchi, T.; Yamashita, T.; Komatsu, Y.; Tsubouchi, K.; Banka, T.; Mochizuki, T.; Nishimura, K.; Iizuka, H.

2015-01-01

NTC makes an effort with the understanding of plant behavior of core damage accident as part of our advanced training. For the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, we introduced the MAAP model into PWR operator training full scope simulator and also made the Severe Accident Visual Display unit. From 2014, we will introduce new training program for a core damage accident with PWR operator training full scope simulator incorporated the MAAP model and the Severe Accident Visual Display unit. (author)

Field Guide to Plant Model Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Caren; Bowman, John L; Meyerowitz, Elliot M

2016-10-06

For the past several decades, advances in plant development, physiology, cell biology, and genetics have relied heavily on the model (or reference) plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis resembles other plants, including crop plants, in many but by no means all respects. Study of Arabidopsis alone provides little information on the evolutionary history of plants, evolutionary differences between species, plants that survive in different environments, or plants that access nutrients and photosynthesize differently. Empowered by the availability of large-scale sequencing and new technologies for investigating gene function, many new plant models are being proposed and studied. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An End-to-End Model of Plant Pheromone Channel for Long Range Molecular Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Unluturk, Bige D; Akyildiz, Ian F

2017-01-01

A new track in molecular communication is using pheromones which can scale up the range of diffusion-based communication from μm meters to meters and enable new applications requiring long range. Pheromone communication is the emission of molecules in the air which trigger behavioral or physiological responses in receiving organisms. The objective of this paper is to introduce a new end-to-end model which incorporates pheromone behavior with communication theory for plants. The proposed model includes both the transmission and reception processes as well as the propagation channel. The transmission process is the emission of pheromones from the leaves of plants. The dispersion of pheromones by the flow of wind constitutes the propagation process. The reception process is the sensing of pheromones by the pheromone receptors of plants. The major difference of pheromone communication from other molecular communication techniques is the dispersion channel acting under the laws of turbulent diffusion. In this paper, the pheromone channel is modeled as a Gaussian puff, i.e., a cloud of pheromone released instantaneously from the source whose dispersion follows a Gaussian distribution. Numerical results on the performance of the overall end-to-end pheromone channel in terms of normalized gain and delay are provided.

Mathematical Modelling Plant Signalling Networks

KAUST Repository

Muraro, D.; Byrne, H.M.; King, J.R.; Bennett, M.J.

2013-01-01

methods for modelling gene and signalling networks and their application in plants. We then describe specific models of hormonal perception and cross-talk in plants. This mathematical analysis of sub-cellular molecular mechanisms paves the way for more

Towards Behavioral Reflexion Models

Science.gov (United States)

Ackermann, Christopher; Lindvall, Mikael; Cleaveland, Rance

2009-01-01

Software architecture has become essential in the struggle to manage today s increasingly large and complex systems. Software architecture views are created to capture important system characteristics on an abstract and, thus, comprehensible level. As the system is implemented and later maintained, it often deviates from the original design specification. Such deviations can have implication for the quality of the system, such as reliability, security, and maintainability. Software architecture compliance checking approaches, such as the reflexion model technique, have been proposed to address this issue by comparing the implementation to a model of the systems architecture design. However, architecture compliance checking approaches focus solely on structural characteristics and ignore behavioral conformance. This is especially an issue in Systems-of- Systems. Systems-of-Systems (SoS) are decompositions of large systems, into smaller systems for the sake of flexibility. Deviations of the implementation to its behavioral design often reduce the reliability of the entire SoS. An approach is needed that supports the reasoning about behavioral conformance on architecture level. In order to address this issue, we have developed an approach for comparing the implementation of a SoS to an architecture model of its behavioral design. The approach follows the idea of reflexion models and adopts it to support the compliance checking of behaviors. In this paper, we focus on sequencing properties as they play an important role in many SoS. Sequencing deviations potentially have a severe impact on the SoS correctness and qualities. The desired behavioral specification is defined in UML sequence diagram notation and behaviors are extracted from the SoS implementation. The behaviors are then mapped to the model of the desired behavior and the two are compared. Finally, a reflexion model is constructed that shows the deviations between behavioral design and implementation. This

A stochastic dynamic model for human error analysis in nuclear power plants

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Loperena, Dharma

Nuclear disasters like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl indicate that human performance is a critical safety issue, sending a clear message about the need to include environmental press and competence aspects in research. This investigation was undertaken to serve as a roadmap for studying human behavior through the formulation of a general solution equation. The theoretical model integrates models from two heretofore-disassociated disciplines (behavior specialists and technical specialists), that historically have independently studied the nature of error and human behavior; including concepts derived from fractal and chaos theory; and suggests re-evaluation of base theory regarding human error. The results of this research were based on comprehensive analysis of patterns of error, with the omnipresent underlying structure of chaotic systems. The study of patterns lead to a dynamic formulation, serving for any other formula used to study human error consequences. The search for literature regarding error yielded insight for the need to include concepts rooted in chaos theory and strange attractors---heretofore unconsidered by mainstream researchers who investigated human error in nuclear power plants or those who employed the ecological model in their work. The study of patterns obtained from the rupture of a steam generator tube (SGTR) event simulation, provided a direct application to aspects of control room operations in nuclear power plant operations. In doing so, the conceptual foundation based in the understanding of the patterns of human error analysis can be gleaned, resulting in reduced and prevent undesirable events.

Improvement of the nuclear plant analyzer for Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sung Soo; Han, Byoung Sub; Suh, Jae Seung; Son, Dae Seong

2005-04-01

Accurate analysis of the operating characteristics of Nuclear Power Plants provides valuable information for both norman and abnormal operation. The information can be used for the enhancement of plant performance and safety. Usually, such analysis is performed using computer codes used for plant design or simulators. However, their usages are limited because special expertise is required to use the computer codes and simulators are not portable. Therefore, it deemed necessary to develop an NPA which minimizes those limitations and can be used for the analysis and simulation of Nuclear Power Plants. The purpose of this study is to develop a real-time best-estimate NPA for the Korean Nuclear Power Plants(KSNP). The NPA is an interactive, high fidelity engineering simulator. NPA combines the process model simulating the plant behavior with the latest computer technology such as Graphical User Interface(GUI) and simulation executive for enhanced user interface. The process model includes models for a three-dimensional reactor core, the NSSS, secondary system including turbine and feedtrain, safety auxiliary systems, and various control systems. Through the verification and validation of the NPA, it was demonstrated that the NPA can realistically simulate the plant behaviors during transient and accident conditions

A Function-Behavior-State Approach to Designing Human Machine Interface for Nuclear Power Plant Operators

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Y.; Zhang, W. J.

2005-02-01

This paper presents an approach to human-machine interface design for control room operators of nuclear power plants. The first step in designing an interface for a particular application is to determine information content that needs to be displayed. The design methodology for this step is called the interface design framework (called framework ). Several frameworks have been proposed for applications at varying levels, including process plants. However, none is based on the design and manufacture of a plant system for which the interface is designed. This paper presents an interface design framework which originates from design theory and methodology for general technical systems. Specifically, the framework is based on a set of core concepts of a function-behavior-state model originally proposed by the artificial intelligence research community and widely applied in the design research community. Benefits of this new framework include the provision of a model-based fault diagnosis facility, and the seamless integration of the design (manufacture, maintenance) of plants and the design of human-machine interfaces. The missing linkage between design and operation of a plant was one of the causes of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor incident. A simulated plant system is presented to explain how to apply this framework in designing an interface. The resulting human-machine interface is discussed; specifically, several fault diagnosis examples are elaborated to demonstrate how this interface could support operators' fault diagnosis in an unanticipated situation.

Model-based explanation of plant knowledge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huuskonen, P.J. [VTT Electronics, Oulu (Finland). Embedded Software

1997-12-31

This thesis deals with computer explanation of knowledge related to design and operation of industrial plants. The needs for explanation are motivated through case studies and literature reviews. A general framework for analysing plant explanations is presented. Prototypes demonstrate key mechanisms for implementing parts of the framework. Power plants, steel mills, paper factories, and high energy physics control systems are studied to set requirements for explanation. The main problems are seen to be either lack or abundance of information. Design knowledge in particular is found missing at plants. Support systems and automation should be enhanced with ways to explain plant knowledge to the plant staff. A framework is formulated for analysing explanations of plant knowledge. It consists of three parts: 1. a typology of explanation, organised by the class of knowledge (factual, functional, or strategic) and by the target of explanation (processes, automation, or support systems), 2. an identification of explanation tasks generic for the plant domain, and 3. an identification of essential model types for explanation (structural, behavioural, functional, and teleological). The tasks use the models to create the explanations of the given classes. Key mechanisms are discussed to implement the generic explanation tasks. Knowledge representations based on objects and their relations form a vocabulary to model and present plant knowledge. A particular class of models, means-end models, are used to explain plant knowledge. Explanations are generated through searches in the models. Hypertext is adopted to communicate explanations over dialogue based on context. The results are demonstrated in prototypes. The VICE prototype explains the reasoning of an expert system for diagnosis of rotating machines at power plants. The Justifier prototype explains design knowledge obtained from an object-oriented plant design tool. Enhanced access mechanisms into on-line documentation are

Model-based explanation of plant knowledge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huuskonen, P J [VTT Electronics, Oulu (Finland). Embedded Software

1998-12-31

This thesis deals with computer explanation of knowledge related to design and operation of industrial plants. The needs for explanation are motivated through case studies and literature reviews. A general framework for analysing plant explanations is presented. Prototypes demonstrate key mechanisms for implementing parts of the framework. Power plants, steel mills, paper factories, and high energy physics control systems are studied to set requirements for explanation. The main problems are seen to be either lack or abundance of information. Design knowledge in particular is found missing at plants. Support systems and automation should be enhanced with ways to explain plant knowledge to the plant staff. A framework is formulated for analysing explanations of plant knowledge. It consists of three parts: 1. a typology of explanation, organised by the class of knowledge (factual, functional, or strategic) and by the target of explanation (processes, automation, or support systems), 2. an identification of explanation tasks generic for the plant domain, and 3. an identification of essential model types for explanation (structural, behavioural, functional, and teleological). The tasks use the models to create the explanations of the given classes. Key mechanisms are discussed to implement the generic explanation tasks. Knowledge representations based on objects and their relations form a vocabulary to model and present plant knowledge. A particular class of models, means-end models, are used to explain plant knowledge. Explanations are generated through searches in the models. Hypertext is adopted to communicate explanations over dialogue based on context. The results are demonstrated in prototypes. The VICE prototype explains the reasoning of an expert system for diagnosis of rotating machines at power plants. The Justifier prototype explains design knowledge obtained from an object-oriented plant design tool. Enhanced access mechanisms into on-line documentation are

Los Alamos Nuclear Plant Analyzer: an interactive power-plant simulation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinke, R.; Booker, C.; Giguere, P.; Liles, D.R.; Mahaffy, J.H.; Turner, M.R.

1984-01-01

The Nuclear Plant Analyzer (NPA) is a computer-software interface for executing the TRAC or RELAP5 power-plant systems codes. The NPA is designed to use advanced supercomputers, long-distance data communications, and a remote workstation terminal with interactive computer graphics to analyze power-plant thermal-hydraulic behavior. The NPA interface simplifies the running of these codes through automated procedures and dialog interaction. User understanding of simulated-plant behavior is enhanced through graphics displays of calculational results. These results are displayed concurrently with the calculation. The user has the capability to override the plant's modeled control system with hardware-adjustment commands. This gives the NPA the utility of a simulator, and at the same time, the accuracy of an advanced, best-estimate, power-plant systems code for plant operation and safety analysis

Nuclear Plant Analyzer: an interactive TRAC/RELAP Power-Plant Simulation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinke, R.; Booker, C.; Giguere, P.; Liles, D.; Mahaffy, J.; Turner, M.; Wiley, R.

1984-01-01

The Nuclear Plant Analyzer (NPA) is a computer-software interface for executing the TRAC or RELAP5 power-plant systems codes. The NPA is designed to use advanced supercomputers, long-distance data communications, and a remote workstation terminal with interactive computer graphics to analyze power-plant thermal-hydraulic behavior. The NPA interface simplifies the running of these codes through automated procedures and dialog interaction. User understanding of simulated-plant behavior is enhanced through graphics displays of calculational results. These results are displayed concurrently with the calculation. The user has the capability to override the plant's modeled control system with hardware adjustment commands. This gives the NPA the utility of a simulator, and at the same time, the accuracy of an advanced, best-estimate, power-plant systems code for plant operation and safety analysis

A dependability modeling of software under hardware faults digitized system in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jong Gyun

1996-02-01

An analytic approach to the dependability evaluation of software in the operational phase is suggested in this work with special attention to the physical fault effects on the software dependability : The physical faults considered are memory faults and the dependability measure in question is the reliability. The model is based on the simple reliability theory and the graph theory with the path decomposition micro model. The model represents an application software with a graph consisting of nodes and arcs that probabilistic ally determine the flow from node to node. Through proper transformation of nodes and arcs, the graph can be reduced to a simple two-node graph and the software failure probability is derived from this graph. This model can be extended to the software system which consists of several complete modules without modification. The derived model is validated by the computer simulation, where the software is transformed to a probabilistic control flow graph. Simulation also shows a different viewpoint of software failure behavior. Using this model, we predict the reliability of an application software and a software system in a digitized system(ILS system) in the nuclear power plant and show the sensitivity of the software reliability to the major physical parameters which affect the software failure in the normal operation phase. The derived model is validated by the computer simulation, where the software is transformed to a probabilistic control flow graph. Simulation also shows a different viewpoint of software failure behavior. Using this model, we predict the reliability of an application software and a software system in a digitized system (ILS system) is the nuclear power plant and show the sensitivity of the software reliability to the major physical parameters which affect the software failure in the normal operation phase. This modeling method is particularly attractive for medium size programs such as software used in digitized systems of

Development of model reference adaptive control theory for electric power plant control applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mabius, L.E.

1982-09-15

The scope of this effort includes the theoretical development of a multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) Model Reference Control (MRC) algorithm, (i.e., model following control law), Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) algorithm and the formulation of a nonlinear model of a typical electric power plant. Previous single-input, single-output MRAC algorithm designs have been generalized to MIMO MRAC designs using the MIMO MRC algorithm. This MRC algorithm, which has been developed using Command Generator Tracker methodologies, represents the steady state behavior (in the adaptive sense) of the MRAC algorithm. The MRC algorithm is a fundamental component in the MRAC design and stability analysis. An enhanced MRC algorithm, which has been developed for systems with more controls than regulated outputs, alleviates the MRC stability constraint of stable plant transmission zeroes. The nonlinear power plant model is based on the Cromby model with the addition of a governor valve management algorithm, turbine dynamics and turbine interactions with extraction flows. An application of the MRC algorithm to a linearization of this model demonstrates its applicability to power plant systems. In particular, the generated power changes at 7% per minute while throttle pressure and temperature, reheat temperature and drum level are held constant with a reasonable level of control. The enhanced algorithm reduces significantly control fluctuations without modifying the output response.

Neimark-Sacker Bifurcation and Chaos Control in a Fractional-Order Plant-Herbivore Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qamar Din

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This work is related to dynamics of a discrete-time 3-dimensional plant-herbivore model. We investigate existence and uniqueness of positive equilibrium and parametric conditions for local asymptotic stability of positive equilibrium point of this model. Moreover, it is also proved that the system undergoes Neimark-Sacker bifurcation for positive equilibrium with the help of an explicit criterion for Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. The chaos control in the model is discussed through implementation of two feedback control strategies, that is, pole-placement technique and hybrid control methodology. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to illustrate theoretical results. These results of numerical simulations demonstrate chaotic long-term behavior over a broad range of parameters. The computation of the maximum Lyapunov exponents confirms the presence of chaotic behavior in the model.

Modeling Operating Modes during Plant Life Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Sten Bay; Lind, Morten

2012-01-01

Modelling process plants during normal operation requires a set a basic assumptions to define the desired functionalities which lead to fullfillment of the operational goal(-s) for the plant. However during during start-up and shut down as well as during batch operation an ensemble of interrelated...... modes are required to cover the whole operational window of a processs plant including intermediary operating modes. Development of such an model ensemble for a plant would constitute a systematic way of defining the possible plant operating modes and thus provide a platform for also defining a set...... of candidate control structures. The present contribution focuses on development of a model ensemble for a plant with an illustartive example for a bioreactor. Starting from a functional model a process plant may be conceptually designed and qualitative operating models may be developed to cover the different...

Description of reference (model) plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, R.A.

1984-01-01

For the workshop on Safeguards System design for a fuel fabrication plant, a generic example of a LEU bulk-handling facility that is based on the Exxon LWR fuel fabrication plants is used. The model plant information is given in the following separate sections: (1) process assumptions; (2) six-month material balance model; (3) measurements; (4) error parameters, measurements, and sigma MUF calculations; (5) material control areas; (6) accounting, records, and reports; (7) tamper-safing; and (8) measurement control program

Modeling and dynamic behaviour of hydropower plants

CERN Document Server

Kishor, Nand

2017-01-01

This book presents a systematic approach to mathematical modeling of different configurations of hydropower plants over four sections - modeling and simulation approaches; control of hydropower plants; operation and scheduling of hydropower plants, including pumped storage; and special features of small hydropower plants.

Dynamic modeling of IGCC power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casella, F.; Colonna, P.

2012-01-01

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants are an effective option to reduce emissions and implement carbon-dioxide sequestration. The combination of a very complex fuel-processing plant and a combined cycle power station leads to challenging problems as far as dynamic operation is concerned. Dynamic performance is extremely relevant because recent developments in the electricity market push toward an ever more flexible and varying operation of power plants. A dynamic model of the entire system and models of its sub-systems are indispensable tools in order to perform computer simulations aimed at process and control design. This paper presents the development of the lumped-parameters dynamic model of an entrained-flow gasifier, with special emphasis on the modeling approach. The model is implemented into software by means of the Modelica language and validated by comparison with one set of data related to the steady operation of the gasifier of the Buggenum power station in the Netherlands. Furthermore, in order to demonstrate the potential of the proposed modeling approach and the use of simulation for control design purposes, a complete model of an exemplary IGCC power plant, including its control system, has been developed, by re-using existing models of combined cycle plant components; the results of a load dispatch ramp simulation are presented and shortly discussed. - Highlights: ► The acausal dynamic model of an entrained gasifier has been developed. ► The model can be used to perform system optimization and control studies. ► The model has been validated using field data. ► Model use is illustrated with an example showing the transient of an IGCC plant.

Experimental study on the operators' cognitive behavior analysis for the plant anomaly diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Makoto; Kubo, Osamu; Yasuta, Akira

1996-01-01

In this paper, a method of human cognitive state estimation based on physiological measures has been applied to the analysis of cognitive behavior during anomaly diagnosis observed with nuclear power plant simulator. This method has also been combined with the conventional experimental protocol such as operational sequence and questionnaire results. The simulator experiments have been performed using plant experts and the results demonstrate that the cognitive state estimation method can be an effective way for understanding cognitive behavior during the anomaly diagnosis of the nuclear power plant. It has also been shown from the results that the combined use of the human cognitive state estimation and the conventional experimental protocol can provide effective information in decreasing the ambiguity of the analysis results. (author)

Role of cognitive models of operators in the design, operation and licensing of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, J.

1982-01-01

Cognitive models of the behavior of nuclear power plant operators - that is, models developed in terms of human properties rather than external task characteristics - are assuming increasingly important roles in plant design, operation and licensing. This is partly due to an increased concern for human decision making during unfamiliar plant conditions, and partly due to problems that arise when modern information technology is used to support operators in complex situations. Some of the problems identified during work on interface design and risk analysis are described. First, the question of categories of models is raised. Next, the use of cognitive models for system design is discussed. The use of the available cognitive models for more effective operator training is also advocated. The need for using cognitive models in risk analysis is also emphasized. Finally, the sources of human performance data, that is, event reports, incident analysis, experiments, and training simulators are mentioned, and the need for a consistent framework for data analysis based on cognitive models is discussed

Plants status monitor: Modelling techniques and inherent benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breeding, R.J.; Lainoff, S.M.; Rees, D.C.; Prather, W.A.; Fickiessen, K.O.E.

1987-01-01

The Plant Status Monitor (PSM) is designed to provide plant personnel with information on the operational status of the plant and compliance with the plant technical specifications. The PSM software evaluates system models using a 'distributed processing' technique in which detailed models of individual systems are processed rather than by evaluating a single, plant-level model. In addition, development of the system models for PSM provides inherent benefits to the plant by forcing detailed reviews of the technical specifications, system design and operating procedures, and plant documentation. (orig.)

A quantitative and dynamic model for plant stem cell regulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Geier

Full Text Available Plants maintain pools of totipotent stem cells throughout their entire life. These stem cells are embedded within specialized tissues called meristems, which form the growing points of the organism. The shoot apical meristem of the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana is subdivided into several distinct domains, which execute diverse biological functions, such as tissue organization, cell-proliferation and differentiation. The number of cells required for growth and organ formation changes over the course of a plants life, while the structure of the meristem remains remarkably constant. Thus, regulatory systems must be in place, which allow for an adaptation of cell proliferation within the shoot apical meristem, while maintaining the organization at the tissue level. To advance our understanding of this dynamic tissue behavior, we measured domain sizes as well as cell division rates of the shoot apical meristem under various environmental conditions, which cause adaptations in meristem size. Based on our results we developed a mathematical model to explain the observed changes by a cell pool size dependent regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, which is able to correctly predict CLV3 and WUS over-expression phenotypes. While the model shows stem cell homeostasis under constant growth conditions, it predicts a variation in stem cell number under changing conditions. Consistent with our experimental data this behavior is correlated with variations in cell proliferation. Therefore, we investigate different signaling mechanisms, which could stabilize stem cell number despite variations in cell proliferation. Our results shed light onto the dynamic constraints of stem cell pool maintenance in the shoot apical meristem of Arabidopsis in different environmental conditions and developmental states.

Probing behavior of Dysmicoccus brevipes mealybug in pineapple plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenira Viana Costa Santa-Cecília

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Differences in susceptibility to viruses in plants may be partially explained by the insect vector probing behavior and by the presence of phenolic compounds, which are often associated with defense strategies. This study aimed at detecting barriers that may difficult the probing activity of the Dysmicoccus brevipes (Pseudococcidae pineapple mealybug, a vector of the pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus, as well as evaluating the phenolic content of plants, in order to verify any possible relationship with the probing behavior, by using the electrical penetration graphs (EPG technique. Seedlings of 'Smooth Cayenne' and 'Pérola' pineapple cultivars were used in the experiments. Only 28 % and 21 % of the mealybugs reached the phloem of the 'Smooth Cayenne' and 'Pérola' cultivars, respectively, over 16 h of recording, with an average of 9 h to reach the phloem vessels. The xylem phase was extended in both cultivars and represented approximately 31 % ('Smooth Cayenne' and 44 % ('Pérola' of the recording time. The phenolic contents of both cultivars were similar.

Dynamic model with experimental validation of a biogas-fed SOFC plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Andrea, G.; Gandiglio, M.; Lanzini, A.; Santarelli, M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • 60% of DIR into the SOFC anode reduces the air blower parasitic losses by 14%. • PID-controlled cathode airflow enables fast thermal regulation of the SOFC. • Stack overheating occurs due to unexpected reductions in the cathode airflow. • Current ramp rates higher than +0.30 A/min lead to an excessive stack overheating. - Abstract: The dynamic model of a poly-generation system based on a biogas-fed solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) plant is presented in this paper. The poly-generation plant was developed in the framework of the FP7 EU-funded project SOFCOM ( (www.sofcom.eu)), which consists of a fuel-cell based polygeneration plant with CO_2 capture and re-use. CO_2 is recovered from the anode exhaust of the SOFC (after oxy-combustion, cooling and water condensation) and the Carbon is fixed in the form of micro-algae in a tubular photobioreactor. This work focuses on the dynamic operation of the SOFC module running on steam-reformed biogas. Both steady state and dynamic operation of the fuel cell stack and the related Balance-of-Plant (BoP) has been modeled in order to simulate the thermal behavior and performance of the system. The model was validated against experimental data gathered during the operation of the SOFCOM proof-of-concept showing good agreement with the experimental data. The validated model has been used to investigate further on the harsh off-design operation of the proof-of-concept. Simulation results provide guidelines for an improved design of the control system of the plant, highlighting the feasible operating region under safe conditions and means to maximize the overall system efficiency.

Aggregated wind power plant models consisting of IEC wind turbine models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Altin, Müfit; Göksu, Ömer; Hansen, Anca Daniela

2015-01-01

The common practice regarding the modelling of large generation components has been to make use of models representing the performance of the individual components with a required level of accuracy and details. Owing to the rapid increase of wind power plants comprising large number of wind...... turbines, parameters and models to represent each individual wind turbine in detail makes it necessary to develop aggregated wind power plant models considering the simulation time for power system stability studies. In this paper, aggregated wind power plant models consisting of the IEC 61400-27 variable...... speed wind turbine models (type 3 and type 4) with a power plant controller is presented. The performance of the detailed benchmark wind power plant model and the aggregated model are compared by means of simulations for the specified test cases. Consequently, the results are summarized and discussed...

SASSYS-1 balance-of-plant component models for an integrated plant response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ku, J.-Y.

1989-01-01

Models of power plant heat transfer components and rotating machinery have been added to the balance-of-plant model in the SASSYS-1 liquid metal reactor systems analysis code. This work is part of a continuing effort in plant network simulation based on the general mathematical models developed. The models described in this paper extend the scope of the balance-of-plant model to handle non-adiabatic conditions along flow paths. While the mass and momentum equations remain the same, the energy equation now contains a heat source term due to energy transfer across the flow boundary or to work done through a shaft. The heat source term is treated fully explicitly. In addition, the equation of state is rewritten in terms of the quality and separate parameters for each phase. The models are simple enough to run quickly, yet include sufficient detail of dominant plant component characteristics to provide accurate results. 5 refs., 16 figs., 2 tabs

Modeling taxi driver anticipatory behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zheng, Zhong; Rasouli, S.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

2018-01-01

As part of a wider behavioral agent-based model that simulates taxi drivers’ dynamic passenger-finding behavior under uncertainty, we present a model of strategic behavior of taxi drivers in anticipation of substantial time varying demand at locations such as airports and major train stations. The

Invasive plant species alters consumer behavior by providing refuge from predation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Humberto P; Barnett, Kirk; Reinhardt, Jason R; Marquis, Robert J; Orrock, John L

2011-07-01

Understanding the effects of invasive plants on native consumers is important because consumer-mediated indirect effects have the potential to alter the dynamics of coexistence in native communities. Invasive plants may promote changes in consumer pressure due to changes in protective cover (i.e., the architectural complexity of the invaded habitat) and in food availability (i.e., subsidies of fruits and seeds). No experimental studies have evaluated the relative interplay of these two effects. In a factorial experiment, we manipulated cover and food provided by the invasive shrub Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) to evaluate whether this plant alters the foraging activity of native mammals. Using tracking plates to quantify mammalian foraging activity, we found that removal of honeysuckle cover, rather than changes in the fruit resources it provides, reduced the activity of important seed consumers, mice in the genus Peromyscus. Two mesopredators, Procyon lotor and Didelphis virginiana, were also affected. Moreover, we found rodents used L. maackii for cover only on cloudless nights, indicating that the effect of honeysuckle was weather-dependent. Our work provides experimental evidence that this invasive plant species changes habitat characteristics, and in so doing alters the behavior of small- and medium-sized mammals. Changes in seed predator behavior may lead to cascading effects on the seeds that mice consume.

Probing behaviors of Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae on enhanced UV-B irradiated plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Zu-Qing

2013-01-01

Full Text Available UV-B induced changes in plants can influence sap-feeding insects through mechanisms that have not been studied. Herein the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius (Hemiptera: Aphididae, was monitored on barley plants under the treatments of control [0 kJ/ (m2.d], ambient UV-B [60 kJ/ (m2.d], and enhanced UV-B [120 kJ/ (m2.d] irradiation. Electrical penetration graph (EPG techniques were used to record aphid probing behaviors. Enhanced UV-B irradiated plants negatively affected probing behaviors of S. avenae compared with control plants. In particular, phloem factors that could diminish sieve element acceptance appeared to be involved, as reflected by smaller number of phloem phase, shorter phloem ingestion, and fewer aphids reaching the sustained phloem ingestion phase (E2>10min. On the other hand, factors from leaf surface, epidermis, and mesophyll cannot be excluded, as reflected by higher number of non-probing, longer non-probing and pathway phase, and later the time to first probe.

The extraction behavior of some noticeable nuclides in the Tokai reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanouchi, T.; Sasao, N.; Ozawa, M.; Yamana, H.

1987-01-01

The extraction behavior of some TRU nuclides and Ru-106 were investigated on the basis of the process analytical data obtained during this decade of the hot operation in the Tokai Reprocessing Plant. Some characteristics of their extraction behavior under Tokai-flowsheet became clear. They were explainable by the chemical features of these nuclides in conjunction with the chemical conditions of the process. Some extraction-simulation calculations were performed to supplement the understanding of their characteristic behaviors

Plant origin of Okinawan propolis: honeybee behavior observation and phytochemical analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Kumazawa, Shigenori; Nakamura, Jun; Murase, Masayo; Miyagawa, Mariko; Ahn, Mok-Ryeon; Fukumoto, Shuichi

2008-08-01

Propolis is a natural resinous product collected by honeybees from certain plants. It has gained popularity as a food and alternative medicine. Poplar and Baccharis are well known as the source plants of European and Brazilian propolis, respectively. However, the propolis from Okinawa, Japan, contains some prenylflavonoids not seen in other regions such as Europe and Brazil, suggesting that the plant origin of Okinawan propolis is a particular plant that grows in Okinawa. To identify the plant origin of Okinawan propolis, we observed the behavior of honeybees as they collected material from plants and caulked it inside the hive. Honeybees scraped resinous material from the surface of plant fruits of Macaranga tanarius and brought it back to their hive to use it as propolis. We collected samples of the plant and propolis, and compared their constituents by high-performance liquid chromatography with a photo-diode array detector. We also compared their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The chemical constituents and biological activity of the ethanol extracts of the plant did not differ from those of propolis. This indicates directly that the plant origin of Okinawan propolis is M. tanarius.

The hygroscopic behavior of plant fibres: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amandine eCélino

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental concern has resulted in a renewed interest in bio-based materials. Among them, plant fibres are perceived as an environmentally friendly substitute to glass fibres for the reinforcement of composites, particularly in automotive engineering. Due to their wide availability, low cost, low density, high-specific mechanical properties and eco-friendly image, they are increasingly being employed as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. Indeed, their complex microstructure as a composite material makes plant fibre a really interesting and challenging subject to study. Research subjects about such fibres are abundant because there are always some issues to prevent their use at large scale (poor adhesion, variability, low thermal resistance, hydrophilic behavior. The choice of natural fibres rather than glass fibres as filler yields a change of the final properties of the composite. One of the most relevant differences between the two kinds of fibre is their response to humidity. Actually, glass fibres are considered as hydrophobic whereas plant fibres have a pronounced hydrophilic behavior. Composite materials are often submitted to variable climatic conditions during their lifetime, including unsteady hygroscopic conditions. However, in humid conditions, strong hydrophilic behaviour of such reinforcing fibres leads to high level of moisture absorption in wet environments. This results in the structural modification of the fibres and an evolution of their mechanical properties together with the composites in which they are fitted in. Thereby, the understanding of these moisture absorption mechanisms as well as the influence of water on the final properties of these fibres and their composites is of great interest to get a better control of such new biomaterials. This is the topic of this review paper.

The hygroscopic behavior of plant fibres: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Célino, Amandine; Freour, Sylvain; Jacquemin, Frederic; Casari, Pascal

2013-12-01

Environmental concern has resulted in a renewed interest in bio-based materials. Among them, plant fibres are perceived as an environmentally friendly substitute to glass fibres for the reinforcement of composites, particularly in automotive engineering. Due to their wide availability, low cost, low density, high-specific mechanical properties and eco-friendly image, they are increasingly being employed as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. Indeed, their complex microstructure as a composite material makes plant fibre a really interesting and challenging subject to study. Research subjects about such fibres are abundant because there are always some issues to prevent their use at large scale (poor adhesion, variability, low thermal resistance, hydrophilic behavior). The choice of natural fibres rather than glass fibres as filler yields a change of the final properties of the composite. One of the most relevant differences between the two kinds of fibre is their response to humidity. Actually, glass fibres are considered as hydrophobic whereas plant fibres have a pronounced hydrophilic behavior. Composite materials are often submitted to variable climatic conditions during their lifetime, including unsteady hygroscopic conditions. However, in humid conditions, strong hydrophilic behaviour of such reinforcing fibres leads to high level of moisture absorption in wet environments. This results in the structural modification of the fibres and an evolution of their mechanical properties together with the composites in which they are fitted in. Thereby, the understanding of these moisture absorption mechanisms as well as the influence of water on the final properties of these fibres and their composites is of great interest to get a better control of such new biomaterials. This is the topic of this review paper.

Model-Based Power Plant Master Control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boman, Katarina; Thomas, Jean; Funkquist, Jonas

2010-08-15

The main goal of the project has been to evaluate the potential of a coordinated master control for a solid fuel power plant in terms of tracking capability, stability and robustness. The control strategy has been model-based predictive control (MPC) and the plant used in the case study has been the Vattenfall power plant Idbaecken in Nykoeping. A dynamic plant model based on nonlinear physical models was used to imitate the true plant in MATLAB/SIMULINK simulations. The basis for this model was already developed in previous Vattenfall internal projects, along with a simulation model of the existing control implementation with traditional PID controllers. The existing PID control is used as a reference performance, and it has been thoroughly studied and tuned in these previous Vattenfall internal projects. A turbine model was developed with characteristics based on the results of steady-state simulations of the plant using the software EBSILON. Using the derived model as a representative for the actual process, an MPC control strategy was developed using linearization and gain-scheduling. The control signal constraints (rate of change) and constraints on outputs were implemented to comply with plant constraints. After tuning the MPC control parameters, a number of simulation scenarios were performed to compare the MPC strategy with the existing PID control structure. The simulation scenarios also included cases highlighting the robustness properties of the MPC strategy. From the study, the main conclusions are: - The proposed Master MPC controller shows excellent set-point tracking performance even though the plant has strong interactions and non-linearity, and the controls and their rate of change are bounded. - The proposed Master MPC controller is robust, stable in the presence of disturbances and parameter variations. Even though the current study only considered a very small number of the possible disturbances and modelling errors, the considered cases are

Development of CAP code for nuclear power plant containment: Lumped model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Soon Joon, E-mail: sjhong90@fnctech.com [FNC Tech. Co. Ltd., Heungdeok 1 ro 13, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-908 (Korea, Republic of); Choo, Yeon Joon; Hwang, Su Hyun; Lee, Byung Chul [FNC Tech. Co. Ltd., Heungdeok 1 ro 13, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-908 (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Sang Jun [Central Research Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company, Ltd., 70, 1312-gil, Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • State-of-art containment analysis code, CAP, has been developed. • CAP uses 3-field equations, water level oriented upwind scheme, local head model. • CAP has a function of linked calculation with reactor coolant system code. • CAP code assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities. - Abstract: CAP (nuclear Containment Analysis Package) code has been developed in Korean nuclear society for the analysis of nuclear containment thermal hydraulic behaviors including pressure and temperature trends and hydrogen concentration. Lumped model of CAP code uses 2-phase, 3-field equations for fluid behaviors, and has appropriate constitutive equations, 1-dimensional heat conductor model, component models, trip and control models, and special process models. CAP can run in a standalone mode or a linked mode with a reactor coolant system analysis code. The linked mode enables the more realistic calculation of a containment response and is expected to be applicable to a more complicated advanced plant design calculation. CAP code assessments were carried out by gradual approaches: conceptual problems, fundamental phenomena, component and principal phenomena, experimental validation, and finally comparison with other code calculations on the base of important phenomena identifications. The assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities of CAP.

Development of CAP code for nuclear power plant containment: Lumped model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Soon Joon; Choo, Yeon Joon; Hwang, Su Hyun; Lee, Byung Chul; Ha, Sang Jun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • State-of-art containment analysis code, CAP, has been developed. • CAP uses 3-field equations, water level oriented upwind scheme, local head model. • CAP has a function of linked calculation with reactor coolant system code. • CAP code assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities. - Abstract: CAP (nuclear Containment Analysis Package) code has been developed in Korean nuclear society for the analysis of nuclear containment thermal hydraulic behaviors including pressure and temperature trends and hydrogen concentration. Lumped model of CAP code uses 2-phase, 3-field equations for fluid behaviors, and has appropriate constitutive equations, 1-dimensional heat conductor model, component models, trip and control models, and special process models. CAP can run in a standalone mode or a linked mode with a reactor coolant system analysis code. The linked mode enables the more realistic calculation of a containment response and is expected to be applicable to a more complicated advanced plant design calculation. CAP code assessments were carried out by gradual approaches: conceptual problems, fundamental phenomena, component and principal phenomena, experimental validation, and finally comparison with other code calculations on the base of important phenomena identifications. The assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities of CAP

Morphological Plant Modeling: Unleashing Geometric and Topological Potential within the Plant Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Bucksch, Alexander; Atta-Boateng, Acheampong; Azihou, Akomian F.; Battogtokh, Dorjsuren; Baumgartner, Aly; Binder, Brad M.; Braybrook, Siobhan A.; Chang, Cynthia; Coneva, Viktoirya; DeWitt, Thomas J.; Fletcher, Alexander G.; Gehan, Malia A.; Diaz-Martinez, Diego Hernan; Hong, Lilan; Iyer-Pascuzzi, Anjali S.; Klein, Laura L.; Leiboff, Samuel; Li, Mao; Lynch, Jonathan P.; Maizel, Alexis; Maloof, Julin N.; Markelz, R. J. Cody; Martinez, Ciera C.; Miller, Laura A.; Mio, Washington; Palubicki, Wojtek; Poorter, Hendrik; Pradal, Christophe; Price, Charles A.; Puttonen, Eetu; Reese, John B.; Rellán-Álvarez, Rubén; Spalding, Edgar P.; Sparks, Erin E.; Topp, Christopher N.; Williams, Joseph H.; Chitwood, Daniel H.

2017-01-01

The geometries and topologies of leaves, flowers, roots, shoots, and their arrangements have fascinated plant biologists and mathematicians alike. As such, plant morphology is inherently mathematical in that it describes plant form and architecture with geometrical and topological techniques. Gaining an understanding of how to modify plant morphology, through molecular biology and breeding, aided by a mathematical perspective, is critical to improving agriculture, and the monitoring of ecosystems is vital to modeling a future with fewer natural resources. In this white paper, we begin with an overview in quantifying the form of plants and mathematical models of patterning in plants. We then explore the fundamental challenges that remain unanswered concerning plant morphology, from the barriers preventing the prediction of phenotype from genotype to modeling the movement of leaves in air streams. We end with a discussion concerning the education of plant morphology synthesizing biological and mathematical approaches and ways to facilitate research advances through outreach, cross-disciplinary training, and open science. Unleashing the potential of geometric and topological approaches in the plant sciences promises to transform our understanding of both plants and mathematics. PMID:28659934

Morphological Plant Modeling: Unleashing Geometric and Topological Potential within the Plant Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Bucksch

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The geometries and topologies of leaves, flowers, roots, shoots, and their arrangements have fascinated plant biologists and mathematicians alike. As such, plant morphology is inherently mathematical in that it describes plant form and architecture with geometrical and topological techniques. Gaining an understanding of how to modify plant morphology, through molecular biology and breeding, aided by a mathematical perspective, is critical to improving agriculture, and the monitoring of ecosystems is vital to modeling a future with fewer natural resources. In this white paper, we begin with an overview in quantifying the form of plants and mathematical models of patterning in plants. We then explore the fundamental challenges that remain unanswered concerning plant morphology, from the barriers preventing the prediction of phenotype from genotype to modeling the movement of leaves in air streams. We end with a discussion concerning the education of plant morphology synthesizing biological and mathematical approaches and ways to facilitate research advances through outreach, cross-disciplinary training, and open science. Unleashing the potential of geometric and topological approaches in the plant sciences promises to transform our understanding of both plants and mathematics.

Oxidation behavior analysis of cladding during severe accidents with combined codes for Qinshan Phase II Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Xingwei; Cao, Xinrong; Liu, Zhengzhi

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A new verified oxidation model of cladding has been added in Severe Accident Program (SAP). • A coupled analysis method utilizing RELAP5 and SAP codes has been developed and applied to analyze a SA caused by LBLOCA. • Analysis of cladding oxidation under a SA for Qinshan Phase II Nuclear Power Plant (QSP-II NPP) has been performed by SAP. • Estimation of the production of hydrogen has been achieved by coupled codes. - Abstract: Core behavior at a high temperature is extremely complicated during transition from Design Basic Accident (DBA) to the severe accident (SA) in Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The progression of core damage is strongly affected by the behavior of fuel cladding (oxidation, embrittlement and burst). A Severe Accident Program (SAP) is developed to simulate the process of fuel cladding oxidation, rupture and relocation of core debris based on the oxidation models of cladding, candling of melted material and mechanical slumping of core components. Relying on the thermal–hydraulic boundary parameters calculated by RELAP5 code, analysis of a SA caused by the large break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) without mitigating measures for Qinshan Phase II Nuclear Power Plant (QSP-II NPP) was performed by SAP for finding the key sequences of accidents, estimating the amount of hydrogen generation and oxidation behavior of the cladding

CFD study of ejector flow behavior in a blast furnace gas galvanizing plant

Science.gov (United States)

Besagni, Giorgio; Mereu, Riccardo; Inzoli, Fabio

2015-02-01

In recent years, there has been a growing interest toward Blast Furnace Gas (BFG) as a low-grade energy source for industrial furnaces. This paper considers the revamping of a galvanic plant furnace converted to BFG from natural gas. In the design of the new system, the ejector on the exhaust line is a critical component. This paper studies the flow behavior of the ejector using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. The CFD model is based on a 3D representation of the ejector, using air and exhaust gases as working fluids. This paper is divided in three parts. In the first part, the galvanic plant used as case study is presented and discussed, in the second part the CFD approach is outlined, and in the third part the CFD approach is validated using experimental data and the numerical results are presented and discussed. Different Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models ( k-ω SST and k-ɛ Realizable) are evaluated in terms of convergence capability and accuracy in predicting the pressure drop along the ejector. Suggestions for future optimization of the system are also provided.

Electric utility fuel choice behavior in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joskow, P.L.; Mishkin, F.S.

1977-10-01

Electric utility fuel choice behavior is analyzed by a conditional logit model to determine the effects of changing oil prices of five plants. Three of the plants faced favorable expected coal prices and, like many areas of the country, were insensitive to changing oil prices. This was not the case at the New England plant, however, where relatively small price increases would decrease the likelihood of choosing oil as an alternative fuel for new plants. The modeling of utility behavior in fuel decisions is felt to be applicable to other industries where a continuum of decision possibilities does not reasonably characterize choice alternatives. New behavior models are urged in order to obtain better predictions of the effects of a changing economic environment. 10 references.

Field Guide to Plant Model Systems

OpenAIRE

Chang, Caren; Bowman, John L.; Meyerowitz, Elliot M.

2016-01-01

For the past several decades, advances in plant development, physiology, cell biology, and genetics have relied heavily on the model (or reference) plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis resembles other plants, including crop plants, in many but by no means all respects. Study of Arabidopsis alone provides little information on the evolutionary history of plants, evolutionary differences between species, plants that survive in different environments, or plants that access nutrients and photo...

Neuro-fuzzy models for systems identification applied to the operation of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Antonio Carlos Pinto Dias

2000-09-01

A nuclear power plant has a myriad of complex system and sub-systems that, working cooperatively, make the control of the whole plant. Nevertheless their operation be automatic most of the time, the integral understanding of their internal- logic can be away of the comprehension of even experienced operators because of the poor interpretability those controls offer. This difficulty does not happens only in nuclear power plants but in almost every a little more complex control system. Neuro-fuzzy models have been used for the last years in a attempt of suppress these difficulties because of their ability of modelling in linguist form even a system which behavior is extremely complex. This is a very intuitive human form of interpretation and neuro-fuzzy model are gathering increasing acceptance. Unfortunately, neuro-fuzzy models can grow up to become of hard interpretation because of the complexity of the systems under modelling. In general, that growing occurs in function of redundant rules or rules that cover a very little domain of the problem. This work presents an identification method for neuro-fuzzy models that not only allows models grow in function of the existent complexity but that beforehand they try to self-adapt to avoid the inclusion of new rules. This form of construction allowed to arrive to highly interpretative neuro-fuzzy models even of very complex systems. The use of this kind of technique in modelling the control of the pressurizer of a PWR nuclear power plant allowed verify its validity and how neuro-fuzzy models so built can be useful in understanding the automatic operation of a nuclear power plant. (author)

Utility of low-order linear nuclear-power-plant models in plant diagnostics and control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tylee, J.L.

1981-01-01

A low-order, linear model of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant is described and evaluated. The model consists of 23 linear, first-order difference equations and simulates all subsystems of both the primary and secondary sides of the plant. Comparisons between the calculated model response and available test data show the model to be an adequate representation of the actual plant dynamics. Suggested use for the model in an on-line digital plant diagnostics and control system are presented

Towards aspect-oriented functional–structural plant modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N.; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Hanan, Jim

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Functional–structural plant models (FSPMs) are used to integrate knowledge and test hypotheses of plant behaviour, and to aid in the development of decision support systems. A significant amount of effort is being put into providing a sound methodology for building them. Standard techniques, such as procedural or object-oriented programming, are not suited for clearly separating aspects of plant function that criss-cross between different components of plant structure, which makes it difficult to reuse and share their implementations. The aim of this paper is to present an aspect-oriented programming approach that helps to overcome this difficulty. Methods The L-system-based plant modelling language L+C was used to develop an aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling based on multi-modules. Each element of the plant structure was represented by a sequence of L-system modules (rather than a single module), with each module representing an aspect of the element's function. Separate sets of productions were used for modelling each aspect, with context-sensitive rules facilitated by local lists of modules to consider/ignore. Aspect weaving or communication between aspects was made possible through the use of pseudo-L-systems, where the strict-predecessor of a production rule was specified as a multi-module. Key Results The new approach was used to integrate previously modelled aspects of carbon dynamics, apical dominance and biomechanics with a model of a developing kiwifruit shoot. These aspects were specified independently and their implementation was based on source code provided by the original authors without major changes. Conclusions This new aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling is well suited for studying complex phenomena in plant science, because it can be used to integrate separate models of individual aspects of plant development and function, both previously constructed and new, into clearly organized, comprehensive FSPMs. In

Towards aspect-oriented functional--structural plant modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Hanan, Jim

2011-10-01

Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) are used to integrate knowledge and test hypotheses of plant behaviour, and to aid in the development of decision support systems. A significant amount of effort is being put into providing a sound methodology for building them. Standard techniques, such as procedural or object-oriented programming, are not suited for clearly separating aspects of plant function that criss-cross between different components of plant structure, which makes it difficult to reuse and share their implementations. The aim of this paper is to present an aspect-oriented programming approach that helps to overcome this difficulty. The L-system-based plant modelling language L+C was used to develop an aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling based on multi-modules. Each element of the plant structure was represented by a sequence of L-system modules (rather than a single module), with each module representing an aspect of the element's function. Separate sets of productions were used for modelling each aspect, with context-sensitive rules facilitated by local lists of modules to consider/ignore. Aspect weaving or communication between aspects was made possible through the use of pseudo-L-systems, where the strict-predecessor of a production rule was specified as a multi-module. The new approach was used to integrate previously modelled aspects of carbon dynamics, apical dominance and biomechanics with a model of a developing kiwifruit shoot. These aspects were specified independently and their implementation was based on source code provided by the original authors without major changes. This new aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling is well suited for studying complex phenomena in plant science, because it can be used to integrate separate models of individual aspects of plant development and function, both previously constructed and new, into clearly organized, comprehensive FSPMs. In a future work, this approach could be further

Behavior of a nuclear power plant ventilation stack for wind loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkatachalapathy, V.

2012-01-01

This paper describes behavior of self supporting tall reinforced concrete (RC) ventilation stack of a nuclear power plant (NPP) for wind loads. Since the static and equivalent dynamic wind loads are inter-dependant on overall size of the stack, proper sizing of the stack geometry is important for reducing wind loads. The present study investigated the influence of engineered backfill soil on lateral response of ventilation stack. Ignoring backfill soil stiffness up to ground height does not allow to predict actual critical wind velocity causing across wind oscillation. The results show that proposed modification in the stack geometry modeled using 2D beam-spring elements is economical than that of single tapered geometry. Shaft diameter reduced in the proposed geometry indicates that there is a scope for overall space savings in the NPP layout. (author)

Mathematical Modelling Plant Signalling Networks

KAUST Repository

Muraro, D.

2013-01-01

During the last two decades, molecular genetic studies and the completion of the sequencing of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome have increased knowledge of hormonal regulation in plants. These signal transduction pathways act in concert through gene regulatory and signalling networks whose main components have begun to be elucidated. Our understanding of the resulting cellular processes is hindered by the complex, and sometimes counter-intuitive, dynamics of the networks, which may be interconnected through feedback controls and cross-regulation. Mathematical modelling provides a valuable tool to investigate such dynamics and to perform in silico experiments that may not be easily carried out in a laboratory. In this article, we firstly review general methods for modelling gene and signalling networks and their application in plants. We then describe specific models of hormonal perception and cross-talk in plants. This mathematical analysis of sub-cellular molecular mechanisms paves the way for more comprehensive modelling studies of hormonal transport and signalling in a multi-scale setting. © EDP Sciences, 2013.

Cold flow model study of an oxyfuel combustion pilot plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guio-Perez, D.C.; Tondl, G.; Hoeltl, W.; Proell, T.; Hofbauer, H. [Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna (Austria)

2011-12-15

The fluid-dynamic behavior of a circulating fluidized bed pilot plant for oxyfuel combustion was studied in a cold flow model, down-scaled using Glicksman's criteria. Pressures along the unit and the global circulation rate were used for characterization. The analysis of five operating parameters and their influence on the system was carried out; namely, total solids inventory and the air velocity of primary, secondary, loop seal and support fluidizations. The cold flow model study shows that the reactor design allows stable operation at a wide range of fluidization rates, with results that agree well with previous observations described in the literature. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Working toward integrated models of alpine plant distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Bradley Z; Randin, Christophe F; Boulangeat, Isabelle; Lavergne, Sébastien; Thuiller, Wilfried; Choler, Philippe

2013-10-01

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been frequently employed to forecast the response of alpine plants to global changes. Efforts to model alpine plant distribution have thus far been primarily based on a correlative approach, in which ecological processes are implicitly addressed through a statistical relationship between observed species occurrences and environmental predictors. Recent evidence, however, highlights the shortcomings of correlative SDMs, especially in alpine landscapes where plant species tend to be decoupled from atmospheric conditions in micro-topographic habitats and are particularly exposed to geomorphic disturbances. While alpine plants respond to the same limiting factors as plants found at lower elevations, alpine environments impose a particular set of scale-dependent and hierarchical drivers that shape the realized niche of species and that require explicit consideration in a modelling context. Several recent studies in the European Alps have successfully integrated both correlative and process-based elements into distribution models of alpine plants, but for the time being a single integrative modelling framework that includes all key drivers remains elusive. As a first step in working toward a comprehensive integrated model applicable to alpine plant communities, we propose a conceptual framework that structures the primary mechanisms affecting alpine plant distributions. We group processes into four categories, including multi-scalar abiotic drivers, gradient dependent species interactions, dispersal and spatial-temporal plant responses to disturbance. Finally, we propose a methodological framework aimed at developing an integrated model to better predict alpine plant distribution.

Visualization study of operators' plant knowledge model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanno, Tarou; Furuta, Kazuo; Yoshikawa, Shinji

1999-03-01

Nuclear plants are typically very complicated systems and are required extremely high level safety on the operations. Since it is never possible to include all the possible anomaly scenarios in education/training curriculum, plant knowledge formation is desired for operators to enable thein to act against unexpected anomalies based on knowledge base decision making. The authors have been conducted a study on operators' plant knowledge model for the purpose of supporting operators' effort in forming this kind of plant knowledge. In this report, an integrated plant knowledge model consisting of configuration space, causality space, goal space and status space is proposed. The authors examined appropriateness of this model and developed a prototype system to support knowledge formation by visualizing the operators' knowledge model and decision making process in knowledge-based actions with this model on a software system. Finally the feasibility of this prototype as a supportive method in operator education/training to enhance operators' ability in knowledge-based performance has been evaluated. (author)

JACOS: AI-based simulation system for man-machine system behavior in NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kazuo; Yokobayashi, Masao; Tanabe, Fumiya; Komiya, Akitoshi

2001-08-01

A prototype of a computer simulation system named JACOS (JAERI COgnitive Simulation system) has been developed at JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute) to simulate the man-machine system behavior in which both the cognitive behavior of a human operator and the plant behavior affect each other. The objectives of this system development is to provide man-machine system analysts with detailed information on the cognitive process of an operator and the plant behavior affected by operator's actions in accidental situations of a nuclear power plant. The simulation system consists of an operator model and a plant model which are coupled dynamically. The operator model simulates an operator's cognitive behavior in accidental situations based on the decision ladder model of Rasmussen, and is implemented using the AI-techniques of the distributed cooperative inference method with the so-called blackboard architecture. Rule-based behavior is simulated using knowledge representation with If-Then type of rules. Knowledge-based behavior is simulated using knowledge representation with MFM (Multilevel Flow Modeling) and qualitative reasoning method. Cognitive characteristics of attentional narrowing, limitation of short-term memory, and knowledge recalling from long-term memory are also taken into account. The plant model of a 3-loop PWR is also developed using a best estimate thermal-hydraulic analysis code RELAP5/MOD2. This report is prepared as User's Manual for JACOS. The first chapter of this report describes both operator and plant models in detail. The second chapter includes instructive descriptions for program installation, building of a knowledge base for operator model, execution of simulation and analysis of simulation results. The examples of simulation with JACOS are shown in the third chapter. (author)

Mathematical Models Light Up Plant Signaling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chew, Y.H.; Smith, R.W.; Jones, H.J.; Seaton, D.D.; Grima, R.; Halliday, K.J.

2014-01-01

Plants respond to changes in the environment by triggering a suite of regulatory networks that control and synchronize molecular signaling in different tissues, organs, and the whole plant. Molecular studies through genetic and environmental perturbations, particularly in the model plant Arabidopsis

Interannual variability of plant phenology in tussock tundra: modelling interactions of plant productivity, plant phenology, snowmelt and soil thaw

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijk, van M.T.; Williams, M.; Laundre, J.A.; Shaver, G.R.

2003-01-01

We present a linked model of plant productivity, plant phenology, snowmelt and soil thaw in order to estimate interannual variability of arctic plant phenology and its effects on plant productivity. The model is tested using 8 years of soil temperature data, and three years of bud break data of

Evaluation of OPPS model for plant operator's task simulation with Micro-SAINT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kazuo

1991-03-01

The development of a computer simulation method for cognitive behavior of operators under emergency conditions in nuclear power plant are being conducted at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). As one of activities in this project, the task network modeling and simulation method has been evaluated with reproduced OPPS model using Micro-SAINT which is a PC software for task network analysis. OPPS is an operator's task simulation model developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Operator's tasks under the condition of failure open of a safety relief valve in a BWR power plant has been analyzed as a sample problem with Micro-SAINT version of OPPS for the evaluation of task network analysis method. Furthermore, the fundamental capabilities of Micro-SAINT has been evaluated, and the task network in OPPS model has been also examined. As the results of this study, it has been clarified that random seed numbers in Micro-SAINT affect the probabilistic branching ratio and the distribution of task execution time calculated by Monte Carlo simulations, and the expression of network for a repeated task in the OPPS model leads to incorrect standard deviation in the case that a task execution time has some distribution. (author)

Modelling and controlling hydropower plants

CERN Document Server

Munoz-Hernandez, German Ardul; Jones, Dewi Ieuan

2013-01-01

Hydroelectric power stations are a major source of electricity around the world; understanding their dynamics is crucial to achieving good performance.  Modelling and Controlling Hydropower Plants discusses practical and well-documented cases of modelling and controlling hydropower station modelling and control, focussing on a pumped storage scheme based in Dinorwig, North Wales.  Single-input-single-output and multiple-input-multiple-output models, which cover the linear and nonlinear characteristics of pump-storage hydroelectric power stations, are reviewed. The most important dynamic features are discussed, and the verification of these models by hardware in the loop simulation is described. To show how the performance of a pump-storage hydroelectric power station can be improved, classical and modern controllers are applied to simulated models of the Dinorwig power plant. These include PID, fuzzy approximation, feed-forward and model-based predictive control with linear and hybrid prediction models. Mod...

Nectar chemistry mediates the behavior of parasitized bees: consequences for plant fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Leif L; Bowers, M Deane; Irwin, Rebecca E

2016-02-01

Plants produce an array of secondary metabolites that play important ecological roles as anti-herbivore and anti-pathogen defenses. Many herbivores experience physiological costs when they consume secondary metabolites, yet some also benefit, for example when these chemicals confer resistance to parasites and predators. Secondary metabolites are often present in nectar and pollen, which is paradoxical given that floral rewards are important in the attraction of mutualists rather than deterrence of antagonists. Motivated by studies of interactions among plants, herbivores, and parasites, as well as research showing that secondary metabolites can reduce bee disease, we characterized the occurrence of two iridoid glycosides, aucubin and catalpol, in floral rewards and other tissues of the bee pollinated plant, Chelone glabra. We then experimentally investigated effects of nectar iridoid glycoside concentrations on the foraging behavior of bumble bee pollinators naturally afflicted by a parasitoid fly and a protozoan intestinal parasite, and subsequent effects on an estimate of plant reproduction. We found that floral nectar had lower iridoid glycoside concentrations than leaves, pollen, and corollas, and that, compared to those plant parts, the relative ratio of the two primary iridoid glycosides, aucubin and catalpol, was reversed in nectar. Whether bees carried parasitoid fly larvae did not affect their response to nectar chemistry; however, there was a significant interaction between protozoan parasite infection and nectar treatment, with infected bees foraging longer at flowers with high compared to low nectar iridoid glycoside concentrations. Parasitized bees were also more likely to return to inflorescences with high iridoid glycoside nectar. Consequently, flowers in the high iridoid glycoside nectar treatment donated significantly more pollen to conspecific stigmas than did flowers in the low iridoid glycoside treatment, suggesting an increase in male plant

JACOS: AI-based simulation system for man-machine system behavior in NPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshida, Kazuo; Yokobayashi, Masao; Tanabe, Fumiya [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Kawase, Katsumi [CSK Corp., Tokyo (Japan); Komiya, Akitoshi [Computer Associated Laboratory, Inc., Hitachinaka, Ibaraki (Japan)

2001-08-01

A prototype of a computer simulation system named JACOS (JAERI COgnitive Simulation system) has been developed at JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute) to simulate the man-machine system behavior in which both the cognitive behavior of a human operator and the plant behavior affect each other. The objectives of this system development is to provide man-machine system analysts with detailed information on the cognitive process of an operator and the plant behavior affected by operator's actions in accidental situations of a nuclear power plant. The simulation system consists of an operator model and a plant model which are coupled dynamically. The operator model simulates an operator's cognitive behavior in accidental situations based on the decision ladder model of Rasmussen, and is implemented using the AI-techniques of the distributed cooperative inference method with the so-called blackboard architecture. Rule-based behavior is simulated using knowledge representation with If-Then type of rules. Knowledge-based behavior is simulated using knowledge representation with MFM (Multilevel Flow Modeling) and qualitative reasoning method. Cognitive characteristics of attentional narrowing, limitation of short-term memory, and knowledge recalling from long-term memory are also taken into account. The plant model of a 3-loop PWR is also developed using a best estimate thermal-hydraulic analysis code RELAP5/MOD2. This report is prepared as User's Manual for JACOS. The first chapter of this report describes both operator and plant models in detail. The second chapter includes instructive descriptions for program installation, building of a knowledge base for operator model, execution of simulation and analysis of simulation results. The examples of simulation with JACOS are shown in the third chapter. (author)

Steady-State Plant Model to Predict Hydroden Levels in Power Plant Components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glatzmaier, Greg C.; Cable, Robert; Newmarker, Marc

2017-06-27

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Acciona Energy North America developed a full-plant steady-state computational model that estimates levels of hydrogen in parabolic trough power plant components. The model estimated dissolved hydrogen concentrations in the circulating heat transfer fluid (HTF), and corresponding partial pressures within each component. Additionally for collector field receivers, the model estimated hydrogen pressure in the receiver annuli. The model was developed to estimate long-term equilibrium hydrogen levels in power plant components, and to predict the benefit of hydrogen mitigation strategies for commercial power plants. Specifically, the model predicted reductions in hydrogen levels within the circulating HTF that result from purging hydrogen from the power plant expansion tanks at a specified target rate. Our model predicted hydrogen partial pressures from 8.3 mbar to 9.6 mbar in the power plant components when no mitigation treatment was employed at the expansion tanks. Hydrogen pressures in the receiver annuli were 8.3 to 8.4 mbar. When hydrogen partial pressure was reduced to 0.001 mbar in the expansion tanks, hydrogen pressures in the receiver annuli fell to a range of 0.001 mbar to 0.02 mbar. When hydrogen partial pressure was reduced to 0.3 mbar in the expansion tanks, hydrogen pressures in the receiver annuli fell to a range of 0.25 mbar to 0.28 mbar. Our results show that controlling hydrogen partial pressure in the expansion tanks allows us to reduce and maintain hydrogen pressures in the receiver annuli to any practical level.

Mathematical Modeling Approaches in Plant Metabolomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fürtauer, Lisa; Weiszmann, Jakob; Weckwerth, Wolfram; Nägele, Thomas

2018-01-01

The experimental analysis of a plant metabolome typically results in a comprehensive and multidimensional data set. To interpret metabolomics data in the context of biochemical regulation and environmental fluctuation, various approaches of mathematical modeling have been developed and have proven useful. In this chapter, a general introduction to mathematical modeling is presented and discussed in context of plant metabolism. A particular focus is laid on the suitability of mathematical approaches to functionally integrate plant metabolomics data in a metabolic network and combine it with other biochemical or physiological parameters.

An Introduction of Behavior-Based Safety Program in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Hee; Lim, Hyeon Kyo

2011-01-01

There are many methods and approaches for a human error assessment that is valuable for investigating the causes of undesirable events and counter-plans to prevent their recurrence in the nuclear power plants (NPPs). There is behavior-based safety refers to the process of using a proactive approach to safety and health management. It either focuses on risk of behaviors that can lead to an injury, or on safe behaviors that can contribute to injury prevention. Early applications of behavior based safety included the construction and manufacturing industries, but today behavior based safety is applied to a wide variety of industries and service lines. This behavior based safety program can offer a set of significant human error countermeasures to be considered for human error in NPPs as well as other fields of industry. The current methods for the human error prevention in NPPs are several techniques such as Self-Check, Peer Check, Concurrent Verification, 3-way Communication, etc. However, it is not enough to grasp the whole human error problems in operations because the things are needed in fields are a behavior technique not a simple knowledge. Therefore, we applied a behavior based safety program on the current methods

Predicting local distributions of erosion-corrosion wear sites for the piping in the nuclear power plant using CFD models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferng, Y.M.

2008-01-01

The erosion-corrosion (E/C) wear is an essential degradation mechanism for the piping in the nuclear power plant, which results in the oxide mass loss from the inside of piping, the wall thinning, and even the pipe break. The pipe break induced by the E/C wear may cause costly plant repairs and personal injures. The measurement of pipe wall thickness is a useful tool for the power plant to prevent this incident. In this paper, CFD models are proposed to predict the local distributions of E/C wear sites, which include both the two-phase hydrodynamic model and the E/C models. The impacts of centrifugal and gravitational forces on the liquid droplet behaviors within the piping can be reasonably captured by the two-phase model. Coupled with these calculated flow characteristics, the E/C models can predicted the wear site distributions that show satisfactory agreement with the plant measurements. Therefore, the models proposed herein can assist in the pipe wall monitoring program for the nuclear power plant by way of concentrating the measuring point on the possible sites of severe E/C wear for the piping and reducing the measurement labor works

Development of a virtual power market model to investigate strategic and collusive behavior of market players

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafie-khah, Miadreza; Parsa Moghaddam, Mohsen; Sheikh-El-Eslami, Mohamad Kazem

2013-01-01

In this paper, a virtual power market model is proposed to investigate the behavior of power market players from regulator's point of view. In this approach, strategic players are modeled in a multi-agent environment. These agents which are virtual representative of actual players forecast the prices and participate in the markets, exactly the same as real world situation. In addition, the role of ISO is encountered by using security constraint unit commitment (SCUC) and security constraint economic dispatch (SCED) solutions. Moreover, the interaction between market players is modeled using a heuristic dynamic game theory algorithm based on the supply function equilibria (SFE). In addition to the collusive behavior, using the proposed model, the short-term strategic behavior of players, which their effects will appear in long-term, can be simulated. The proposed model enables the market regulators to make decision before implementing new market rules with the confidence of their results. To represent the effectiveness of the proposed method, a case study including wind power plants is considered and the impact of various market rules on players’ behavior is simulated and discussed. Numerical studies indicate that simulating the strategic and collusive behavior prior to any change in the market rules is necessary. - Highlights: • A virtual power market model is proposed using a heuristic dynamic game theory. • The proposed model can simulate the behavior of market players in a certain period. • This model can evaluate the oligopoly, collusive and strategic behavior of players. • The price uncertainty and security constraint are considered. • Neglecting strategic behavior of players can cause adverse consequences

Plant architecture and prey distribution influence foraging behavior of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Gontijo, Lessando M; Nechols, James R; Margolies, David C; Cloyd, Raymond A

2012-01-01

The arrangement, number, and size of plant parts may influence predator foraging behavior, either directly, by altering the rate or pattern of predator movement, or, indirectly, by affecting the distribution and abundance of prey. We report on the effects of both plant architecture and prey distribution on foraging by the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae), on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Plants differed in leaf number (2- or 6-leafed), and there were associated differences in leaf size, plant height, and relative proportions of plant parts; but all had the same total surface area. The prey, the twospotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), were distributed either on the basal leaf or on all leaves. The effect of plant architecture on predator foraging behavior varied depending on prey distribution. The dimensions of individual plant parts affected time allocated to moving and feeding, but they did not appear to influence the frequency with which predators moved among different plant parts. Overall, P. persimilis moved less, and fed upon prey longer, on 6-leafed plants with prey on all leaves than on plants representing other treatment combinations. Our findings suggest that both plant architecture and pattern of prey distribution should be considered, along with other factors such as herbivore-induced plant volatiles, in augmentative biological control programs.

Dynamics of an ant-plant-pollinator model

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuanshi; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Nathaniel Holland, J.

2015-03-01

In this paper, we consider plant-pollinator-ant systems in which plant-pollinator interaction and plant-ant interaction are both mutualistic, but there also exists interference of pollinators by ants. The plant-pollinator interaction can be described by a Beddington-DeAngelis formula, so we extend the formula to characterize plant-pollinator mutualisms, including the interference by ants, and form a plant-pollinator-ant model. Using dynamical systems theory, we show uniform persistence of the model. Moreover, we demonstrate conditions under which boundary equilibria are globally asymptotically stable. The dynamics exhibit mechanisms by which the three species could coexist when ants interfere with pollinators. We define a threshold in ant interference. When ant interference is strong, it can drive plant-pollinator mutualisms to extinction. Furthermore, if the ants depend on pollination mutualism for their persistence, then sufficiently strong ant interference could lead to their own extinction as well. Yet, when ant interference is weak, plant-ant and plant-pollinator mutualisms can promote the persistence of one another.

Hazard identification based on plant functional modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, B.; Whetton, C.

1993-10-01

A major objective of the present work is to provide means for representing a process plant as a socio-technical system, so as to allow hazard identification at a high level. The method includes technical, human and organisational aspects and is intended to be used for plant level hazard identification so as to identify critical areas and the need for further analysis using existing methods. The first part of the method is the preparation of a plant functional model where a set of plant functions link together hardware, software, operations, work organisation and other safety related aspects of the plant. The basic principle of the functional modelling is that any aspect of the plant can be represented by an object (in the sense that this term is used in computer science) based upon an Intent (or goal); associated with each Intent are Methods, by which the Intent is realized, and Constraints, which limit the Intent. The Methods and Constraints can themselves be treated as objects and decomposed into lower-level Intents (hence the procedure is known as functional decomposition) so giving rise to a hierarchical, object-oriented structure. The plant level hazard identification is carried out on the plant functional model using the Concept Hazard Analysis method. In this, the user will be supported by checklists and keywords and the analysis is structured by pre-defined worksheets. The preparation of the plant functional model and the performance of the hazard identification can be carried out manually or with computer support. (au) (4 tabs., 10 ills., 7 refs.)

Application of flow network models of SINDA/FLUINT{sup TM} to a nuclear power plant system thermal hydraulic code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Ji Bum [Institute for Advanced Engineering, Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jong Woon [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-12-31

In order to enhance the dynamic and interactive simulation capability of a system thermal hydraulic code for nuclear power plant, applicability of flow network models in SINDA/FLUINT{sup TM} has been tested by modeling feedwater system and coupling to DSNP which is one of a system thermal hydraulic simulation code for a pressurized heavy water reactor. The feedwater system is selected since it is one of the most important balance of plant systems with a potential to greatly affect the behavior of nuclear steam supply system. The flow network model of this feedwater system consists of condenser, condensate pumps, low and high pressure heaters, deaerator, feedwater pumps, and control valves. This complicated flow network is modeled and coupled to DSNP and it is tested for several normal and abnormal transient conditions such turbine load maneuvering, turbine trip, and loss of class IV power. The results show reasonable behavior of the coupled code and also gives a good dynamic and interactive simulation capabilities for the several mild transient conditions. It has been found that coupling system thermal hydraulic code with a flow network code is a proper way of upgrading simulation capability of DSNP to mature nuclear plant analyzer (NPA). 5 refs., 10 figs. (Author)

Model for behavior observation training programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berghausen, P.E. Jr.

1987-01-01

Continued behavior observation is mandated by ANSI/ANS 3.3. This paper presents a model for behavior observation training that is in accordance with this standard and the recommendations contained in US NRC publications. The model includes seventeen major topics or activities. Ten of these are discussed: Pretesting of supervisor's knowledge of behavior observation requirements, explanation of the goals of behavior observation programs, why behavior observation training programs are needed (legal and psychological issues), early indicators of emotional instability, use of videotaped interviews to demonstrate significant psychopathology, practice recording behaviors, what to do when unusual behaviors are observed, supervisor rationalizations for noncompliance, when to be especially vigilant, and prevention of emotional instability

Power plant reliability calculation with Markov chain models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senegacnik, A.; Tuma, M.

1998-01-01

In the paper power plant operation is modelled using continuous time Markov chains with discrete state space. The model is used to compute the power plant reliability and the importance and influence of individual states, as well as the transition probabilities between states. For comparison the model is fitted to data for coal and nuclear power plants recorded over several years. (orig.) [de

Numerical and experimental analysis of the vibratory behavior of a nuclear power plant piping system excitated by a pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vatin, E.; Guillou, J.; Tephany, F.; Trollat, C.

1993-08-01

This paper presents a study on the dynamic response of piping systems installed in the French 1300 MWe Nuclear Power Plants. Variations in pressure are generated by a multi-staged centrifugal pump mounted on the piping system and provide a dynamic excitation of the pipe. This type of dynamic loading has led to nozzle cracks for some of the pipes, whereas, for other installations, it has not be found detrimental. This study presents an explanation of the different dynamic behavior observed at the various plants. To this end, a numerical model, calibrated with on-site measurements, is impleted. (authors). 8 figs., 1 tab., 5 refs

Plant lessons: exploring ABCB functionality through structural modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurélien eBailly

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In contrast to mammalian ABCB1 proteins, narrow substrate specificity has been extensively documented for plant orthologs shown to catalyze the transport of the plant hormone, auxin. Using the crystal structures of the multidrug exporters Sav1866 and MmABCB1 as templates, we have developed structural models of plant ABCB proteins with a common architecture. Comparisons of these structures identified kingdom-specific candidate substrate-binding regions within the translocation chamber formed by the transmembrane domains of ABCBs from the model plant Arabidopsis. These results suggest an early evolutionary divergence of plant and mammalian ABCBs. Validation of these models becomes a priority for efforts to elucidate ABCB function and manipulate this class of transporters to enhance plant productivity and quality.

Active Subspaces for Wind Plant Surrogate Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, Ryan N [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Quick, Julian [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dykes, Katherine L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Adcock, Christiane [Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2018-01-12

Understanding the uncertainty in wind plant performance is crucial to their cost-effective design and operation. However, conventional approaches to uncertainty quantification (UQ), such as Monte Carlo techniques or surrogate modeling, are often computationally intractable for utility-scale wind plants because of poor congergence rates or the curse of dimensionality. In this paper we demonstrate that wind plant power uncertainty can be well represented with a low-dimensional active subspace, thereby achieving a significant reduction in the dimension of the surrogate modeling problem. We apply the active sub-spaces technique to UQ of plant power output with respect to uncertainty in turbine axial induction factors, and find a single active subspace direction dominates the sensitivity in power output. When this single active subspace direction is used to construct a quadratic surrogate model, the number of model unknowns can be reduced by up to 3 orders of magnitude without compromising performance on unseen test data. We conclude that the dimension reduction achieved with active subspaces makes surrogate-based UQ approaches tractable for utility-scale wind plants.

Modeling Temporal Behavior in Large Networks: A Dynamic Mixed-Membership Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rossi, R; Gallagher, B; Neville, J; Henderson, K

2011-11-11

Given a large time-evolving network, how can we model and characterize the temporal behaviors of individual nodes (and network states)? How can we model the behavioral transition patterns of nodes? We propose a temporal behavior model that captures the 'roles' of nodes in the graph and how they evolve over time. The proposed dynamic behavioral mixed-membership model (DBMM) is scalable, fully automatic (no user-defined parameters), non-parametric/data-driven (no specific functional form or parameterization), interpretable (identifies explainable patterns), and flexible (applicable to dynamic and streaming networks). Moreover, the interpretable behavioral roles are generalizable, computationally efficient, and natively supports attributes. We applied our model for (a) identifying patterns and trends of nodes and network states based on the temporal behavior, (b) predicting future structural changes, and (c) detecting unusual temporal behavior transitions. We use eight large real-world datasets from different time-evolving settings (dynamic and streaming). In particular, we model the evolving mixed-memberships and the corresponding behavioral transitions of Twitter, Facebook, IP-Traces, Email (University), Internet AS, Enron, Reality, and IMDB. The experiments demonstrate the scalability, flexibility, and effectiveness of our model for identifying interesting patterns, detecting unusual structural transitions, and predicting the future structural changes of the network and individual nodes.

A predictive model of nuclear power plant crew decision-making and performance in a dynamic simulation environment

Science.gov (United States)

Coyne, Kevin Anthony

The safe operation of complex systems such as nuclear power plants requires close coordination between the human operators and plant systems. In order to maintain an adequate level of safety following an accident or other off-normal event, the operators often are called upon to perform complex tasks during dynamic situations with incomplete information. The safety of such complex systems can be greatly improved if the conditions that could lead operators to make poor decisions and commit erroneous actions during these situations can be predicted and mitigated. The primary goal of this research project was the development and validation of a cognitive model capable of simulating nuclear plant operator decision-making during accident conditions. Dynamic probabilistic risk assessment methods can improve the prediction of human error events by providing rich contextual information and an explicit consideration of feedback arising from man-machine interactions. The Accident Dynamics Simulator paired with the Information, Decision, and Action in a Crew context cognitive model (ADS-IDAC) shows promise for predicting situational contexts that might lead to human error events, particularly knowledge driven errors of commission. ADS-IDAC generates a discrete dynamic event tree (DDET) by applying simple branching rules that reflect variations in crew responses to plant events and system status changes. Branches can be generated to simulate slow or fast procedure execution speed, skipping of procedure steps, reliance on memorized information, activation of mental beliefs, variations in control inputs, and equipment failures. Complex operator mental models of plant behavior that guide crew actions can be represented within the ADS-IDAC mental belief framework and used to identify situational contexts that may lead to human error events. This research increased the capabilities of ADS-IDAC in several key areas. The ADS-IDAC computer code was improved to support additional

Linear modeling of nonlinear systems using artificial neural networks based on I/O data and its application in power plant boiler modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghaffari, A.; Nikkhah Bahrami, M.; Mohammadzaheri, M.

2005-01-01

In this paper a new method for linear modeling of nonlinear systems is presented. The method is based on the design of an artificial neural network with two layers. The network is trained only according to the input-output data of the system. The weights of connections in this network, represents the coefficients of the transfer function. For systems with linear behavior the method of least square error represents the best linear model of the system. However, for nonlinear systems, such as some subsystems in power plants boilers LSE does not represent the best linear approximation of the system, necessarily. In this paper a new linear modeling method is presented and applied to some subsystems in a power plant boiler. Comparison between the transfer function obtained in this way and by least square error method,shows that the neural network method gives better linear models for these nonlinear systems

An improved model to simulate pressurized water reactor iodine spiking behavior under power transient conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, J.C.

2004-01-01

Among those theories to interpret the PWR iodine spiking behaviors, the most accepted concept is based on steam formation and condensation in damaged fuel rods. Due to the complex nature of the phenomenon, a comprehensive model of the iodine behavior has not yet been successfully developed. In 1992 a new empirical model was introduced to establish a correlation with the operating parameters. The comparison results of the predicted iodine-131 equivalent activity value with the operating radiochemistry database was off by 23%. This paper presents an improved model. Although it is still an empirical model which also gives a first order estimation of the peak iodine spiking magnitude, the deviation between prediction and measurement was reduced to ∼7%. It is believed that this improved model can be used for better prediction and control of the iodine spiking magnitude resulted from failed fuel rods during power transients or plant shutdown. (author)

Plant balance model for RELAP/SCDAPSIM; Modelo de balance de planta para RELAP/SCDAPSIM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendoza M, R. [Consultor independiente, Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico); Filio L, C. [IPN, Escuela Superior de Fisica y Matematicas, Av. IPN s/n, 07738 Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico); Araiza M, E.; Ortiz V, J., E-mail: rafael_mendozam_esfm@live.com.mx [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Touca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2017-09-15

In this work we developed an integral model for a nuclear power plant and have a more general picture of what happens in both the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) and the Balance of Plant (Bop) system during abnormal events that are presented in operation. RELAP/SCDAPSIM (RSS) is a computation code of the type of best estimate that can simulate the transient and accident behavior of a nuclear installation. The development of a Bop model for RSS can result in the simulation of transients such as turbine trip due to loss of vacuum in the main steam condenser. This work shows the development of models of the Bop main components for the RSS code, such as the set of high and low pressure turbines, as well as their steam extractions to the feed water heaters, the main steam condenser, a feed water heater and the condensate and water feed pumps. This new model of the Plant Balance system was then coupled to the NSSS model that is already in RSS. First, results of the steady state with this new integral model are show, to later show results of the transients simulation: 1) turbine trip due to loss of vacuum in the main steam condenser; 2) loss of condensate pumps; and 3) failure of the feed water heater. (Author)

Design of XML-based plant data model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nair, Preetha M.; Padmini, S.; Gaur, Swati; Diwakar, M.P.

2013-01-01

XML has emerged as an open standard for exchanging structured data on various platforms to handle rich, nested, complex data structures. XML with its flexible tree-like data structure allows a more natural representation as compared to traditional databases. In this paper we present data model for plant data acquisition systems captured using XML technologies. Plant data acquisition systems in a typical Nuclear Power Plant consists of embedded nodes at the first tier and operator consoles at the second tier for operator operation, interaction and display of Plant parameters. This paper discusses a generic data model that was designed to capture process, network architecture, communication/interface protocol and diagnostics aspects required for a Nuclear Power Plant. (author)

The Application of Cyber Physical System for Thermal Power Plants: Data-Driven Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongping Yang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Optimal operation of energy systems plays an important role to enhance their lifetime security and efficiency. The determination of optimal operating strategies requires intelligent utilization of massive data accumulated during operation or prediction. The investigation of these data solely without combining physical models may run the risk that the established relationships between inputs and outputs, the models which reproduce the behavior of the considered system/component in a wide range of boundary conditions, are invalid for certain boundary conditions, which never occur in the database employed. Therefore, combining big data with physical models via cyber physical systems (CPS is of great importance to derive highly-reliable and -accurate models and becomes more and more popular in practical applications. In this paper, we focus on the description of a systematic method to apply CPS to the performance analysis and decision making of thermal power plants. We proposed a general procedure of CPS with both offline and online phases for its application to thermal power plants and discussed the corresponding methods employed to support each sub-procedure. As an example, a data-driven model of turbine island of an existing air-cooling based thermal power plant is established with the proposed procedure and demonstrates its practicality, validity and flexibility. To establish such model, the historical operating data are employed in the cyber layer for modeling and linking each physical component. The decision-making procedure of optimal frequency of air-cooling condenser is also illustrated to show its applicability of online use. It is concluded that the cyber physical system with the data mining technique is effective and promising to facilitate the real-time analysis and control of thermal power plants.

Safeguards and security modeling for electrochemical plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cipiti, B.B.; Duran, F.A.; Mendoza, L.A.; Parks, M.J.; Dominguez, D.; Le, T.D.

2013-01-01

Safeguards and security design for reprocessing plants can lead to excessive costs if not incorporated early in the design process. The design for electrochemical plants is somewhat uncertain since these plants have not been built at a commercial scale in the past. The Separation and Safeguards Performance Model (SSPM), developed at Sandia National Laboratories, has been used for safeguards design and evaluation for multiple reprocessing plant types. The SSPM includes the following capabilities: -) spent fuel source term library, -) mass tracking of elements 1-99 and bulk solid/liquids, -) tracking of heat load and activity, -) customisable measurement points, -) automated calculation of ID and error propagation, -) alarm conditions and statistical tests, and -) user-defined diversion scenarios. Materials accountancy and process monitoring data can provide more timely detection of material loss specifically to protect against the insider threat. While the SSPM is capable of determining detection probabilities and examining detection times for material loss scenarios, it does not model the operations or spatial effects for a plant design. The STAGE software was chosen to model the physical protection system. STAGE provides a framework to create end-to-end scalable force-on-force combat simulations. It allows for a complete 3D model of a facility to be designed along with the design of physical protection elements. This software, then, can be used to model operations and response for various material loss scenarios. The future integration of the SSPM model data with the STAGE software will provide a more complete analysis of diversion scenarios to assist plant designers

Safeguards and security modeling for electrochemical plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cipiti, B.B.; Duran, F.A.; Mendoza, L.A.; Parks, M.J.; Dominguez, D.; Le, T.D. [Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800 MS 0747, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States)

2013-07-01

Safeguards and security design for reprocessing plants can lead to excessive costs if not incorporated early in the design process. The design for electrochemical plants is somewhat uncertain since these plants have not been built at a commercial scale in the past. The Separation and Safeguards Performance Model (SSPM), developed at Sandia National Laboratories, has been used for safeguards design and evaluation for multiple reprocessing plant types. The SSPM includes the following capabilities: -) spent fuel source term library, -) mass tracking of elements 1-99 and bulk solid/liquids, -) tracking of heat load and activity, -) customisable measurement points, -) automated calculation of ID and error propagation, -) alarm conditions and statistical tests, and -) user-defined diversion scenarios. Materials accountancy and process monitoring data can provide more timely detection of material loss specifically to protect against the insider threat. While the SSPM is capable of determining detection probabilities and examining detection times for material loss scenarios, it does not model the operations or spatial effects for a plant design. The STAGE software was chosen to model the physical protection system. STAGE provides a framework to create end-to-end scalable force-on-force combat simulations. It allows for a complete 3D model of a facility to be designed along with the design of physical protection elements. This software, then, can be used to model operations and response for various material loss scenarios. The future integration of the SSPM model data with the STAGE software will provide a more complete analysis of diversion scenarios to assist plant designers.

Foraging behavioral of Phylloscartes ventralis (Aves, Tyrannidae in native and planted forests of southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André de Mendonça-Lima

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Few studies have related the effects of silviculture practices to the behavior of bird species in the Neotropics. The present study examined the foraging behavior of Phylloscartes ventralis (Temminck, 1824 in a native forest and in silviculture areas of Pinus elliotti and Araucaria angustifolia with different structures and ages. We tested two general hypotheses: (1 areas of commercial forest plantation change the foraging behavior of P. ventralis in relation to native forest, and (2 the foraging behavior of P. ventralis in silviculture areas with understories (complex structures is different from its behavior in areas without understory. The results showed that P. ventralis changed its foraging behavior depending on the type of forest, and on the presence of an understory in silviculture areas. Main changes involved the height and angle of substrate where the prey was captured. Phylloscartes ventralis showed the same set of attack maneuvers, with more maneuvers type in young Pinus planted without understory. The frequency of use of attack maneuvers was more similar in areas of silviculture with understory and in the native forest. The results highlight the importance of an understory structure and the utilization of native plant species in silviculture practices, to the foraging behavior of native bird species.

Simulation model of a PWR power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, N.

1987-03-01

A simulation model of a hypothetical PWR power plant is described. A large number of disturbances and failures in plant function can be simulated. The model is written as seven modules to the modular simulation system for continuous processes DYSIM and serves also as a user example of this system. The model runs in Fortran 77 on the IBM-PC-AT. (author)

Bayesian Belief Networks Approach for Modeling Irrigation Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Andriyas, S.; McKee, M.

2012-12-01

Canal operators need information to manage water deliveries to irrigators. Short-term irrigation demand forecasts can potentially valuable information for a canal operator who must manage an on-demand system. Such forecasts could be generated by using information about the decision-making processes of irrigators. Bayesian models of irrigation behavior can provide insight into the likely criteria which farmers use to make irrigation decisions. This paper develops a Bayesian belief network (BBN) to learn irrigation decision-making behavior of farmers and utilizes the resulting model to make forecasts of future irrigation decisions based on factor interaction and posterior probabilities. Models for studying irrigation behavior have been rarely explored in the past. The model discussed here was built from a combination of data about biotic, climatic, and edaphic conditions under which observed irrigation decisions were made. The paper includes a case study using data collected from the Canal B region of the Sevier River, near Delta, Utah. Alfalfa, barley and corn are the main crops of the location. The model has been tested with a portion of the data to affirm the model predictive capabilities. Irrigation rules were deduced in the process of learning and verified in the testing phase. It was found that most of the farmers used consistent rules throughout all years and across different types of crops. Soil moisture stress, which indicates the level of water available to the plant in the soil profile, was found to be one of the most significant likely driving forces for irrigation. Irrigations appeared to be triggered by a farmer's perception of soil stress, or by a perception of combined factors such as information about a neighbor irrigating or an apparent preference to irrigate on a weekend. Soil stress resulted in irrigation probabilities of 94.4% for alfalfa. With additional factors like weekend and irrigating when a neighbor irrigates, alfalfa irrigation

Model and control scheme for recirculation mode direct steam generation parabolic trough solar power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Su; Liu, Deyou; Chen, Xingying; Chu, Yinghao; Xu, Chang; Liu, Qunming; Zhou, Ling

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A nonlinear dynamic model of recirculation DSG parabolic trough is developed. •Collector row, water separator and spray attemperator are modeled, respectively. •The dynamic behaviors of the collector field are simulated and analyzed. •Transfer functions of water level and outlet fluid temperature are derived. •Multi-model switching generalized predictive control strategy is developed. -- Abstract: This work describes and evaluates a new nonlinear dynamic model, and a new generalized predictive control scheme for a collector field of direct steam generation parabolic troughs in recirculation mode. Modeling the dynamic behaviors of collector fields is essential to design, testing and validation of automatic control systems for direct steam generation parabolic troughs. However, the behaviors of two-phase heat transfer fluids impose challenges to simulating and developing process control schemes. In this work, a new nonlinear dynamic model is proposed, based on the nonlinear distributed parameter and the nonlinear lumped parameter methods. The proposed model is used to simulate and analyze the dynamic behaviors of the entire collector field for recirculation mode direct steam generation parabolic troughs under different weather conditions, without excessive computational costs. Based on the proposed model, transfer functions for both the water level of the separator and outlet steam temperatures are derived, and a new multi-model switching generalized predictive control scheme is developed for simulated control of the plant behaviors for a wide region of operational conditions. The proposed control scheme achieves excellent control performance and robustness for systems with long delay, large inertia and time-varying parameters, and efficiently solves the model mismatching problem in direct steam generation parabolic troughs. The performances of the model and control scheme are validated with design data from the project of Integration of Direct

Constructing a Bayesian network model for improving safety behavior of employees at workplaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadfam, Iraj; Ghasemi, Fakhradin; Kalatpour, Omid; Moghimbeigi, Abbas

2017-01-01

Unsafe behavior increases the risk of accident at workplaces and needs to be managed properly. The aim of the present study was to provide a model for managing and improving safety behavior of employees using the Bayesian networks approach. The study was conducted in several power plant construction projects in Iran. The data were collected using a questionnaire composed of nine factors, including management commitment, supporting environment, safety management system, employees' participation, safety knowledge, safety attitude, motivation, resource allocation, and work pressure. In order for measuring the score of each factor assigned by a responder, a measurement model was constructed for each of them. The Bayesian network was constructed using experts' opinions and Dempster-Shafer theory. Using belief updating, the best intervention strategies for improving safety behavior also were selected. The result of the present study demonstrated that the majority of employees do not tend to consider safety rules, regulation, procedures and norms in their behavior at the workplace. Safety attitude, safety knowledge, and supporting environment were the best predictor of safety behavior. Moreover, it was determined that instantaneous improvement of supporting environment and employee participation is the best strategy to reach a high proportion of safety behavior at the workplace. The lack of a comprehensive model that can be used for explaining safety behavior was one of the most problematic issues of the study. Furthermore, it can be concluded that belief updating is a unique feature of Bayesian networks that is very useful in comparing various intervention strategies and selecting the best one form them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrete dynamic event tree modeling and analysis of nuclear power plant crews for safety assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercurio, D.

2011-01-01

Current Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) and Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) methodologies model the evolution of accident sequences in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) mainly based on Logic Trees. The evolution of these sequences is a result of the interactions between the crew and plant; in current PRA methodologies, simplified models of these complex interactions are used. In this study, the Accident Dynamic Simulator (ADS), a modeling framework based on the Discrete Dynamic Event Tree (DDET), has been used for the simulation of crew-plant interactions during potential accident scenarios in NPPs. In addition, an operator/crew model has been developed to treat the response of the crew to the plant. The 'crew model' is made up of three operators whose behavior is guided by a set of rules-of-behavior (which represents the knowledge and training of the operators) coupled with written and mental procedures. In addition, an approach for addressing the crew timing variability in DDETs has been developed and implemented based on a set of HRA data from a simulator study. Finally, grouping techniques were developed and applied to the analysis of the scenarios generated by the crew-plant simulation. These techniques support the post-simulation analysis by grouping similar accident sequences, identifying the key contributing events, and quantifying the conditional probability of the groups. These techniques are used to characterize the context of the crew actions in order to obtain insights for HRA. The model has been applied for the analysis of a Small Loss Of Coolant Accident (SLOCA) event for a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). The simulation results support an improved characterization of the performance conditions or context of operator actions, which can be used in an HRA, in the analysis of the reliability of the actions. By providing information on the evolution of system indications, dynamic of cues, crew timing in performing procedure steps, situation

Plant control using embedded predictive models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godbole, S.S.; Gabler, W.E.; Eschbach, S.L.

1990-01-01

B and W recently undertook the design of an advanced light water reactor control system. A concept new to nuclear steam system (NSS) control was developed. The concept, which is called the Predictor-Corrector, uses mathematical models of portions of the controlled NSS to calculate, at various levels within the system, demand and control element position signals necessary to satisfy electrical demand. The models give the control system the ability to reduce overcooling and undercooling of the reactor coolant system during transients and upsets. Two types of mathematical models were developed for use in designing and testing the control system. One model was a conventional, comprehensive NSS model that responds to control system outputs and calculates the resultant changes in plant variables that are then used as inputs to the control system. Two other models, embedded in the control system, were less conventional, inverse models. These models accept as inputs plant variables, equipment states, and demand signals and predict plant operating conditions and control element states that will satisfy the demands. This paper reports preliminary results of closed-loop Reactor Coolant (RC) pump trip and normal load reduction testing of the advanced concept. Results of additional transient testing, and of open and closed loop stability analyses will be reported as they are available

Numerical Modeling for the Solute Uptake from Groundwater by Plants-Plant Uptake Package

OpenAIRE

El-Sayed, Amr A.

2006-01-01

A numerical model is presented to describe solute transport in groundwater coupled to sorption by plant roots, translocation into plant stems, and finally evapotranspiration. The conceptual model takes into account both Root Concentration Factor, RCF, and Transpiration Stream Concentration Factor, TSCF for chemicals which are a function of Kow. A similar technique used to simulate the solute transport in groundwater to simulate sorption and plant uptake is used. The mathematical equation is s...

Studies on plant dynamics of sodium-cooled fast breeder reactors - verification of a plant model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, B.

1988-01-01

For the analysis of sodium-cooled FBR safety and dynamics theoretical models are used, which have to be verified. In this report the verification of the plant model SSC-L is conducted by the comparison of calculated data with measurements of the experimental reactors KNK II and RAPSODIE. For this the plant model is extended and adapted. In general only small differences between calculated and measured data are recognized. The results are used to improve and complete the plant model. The extensions of the plant model applicability are used for the calculation of a loss of heat sink transient with reactor scram, considering pipes as passive heat sinks. (orig./HP) With 69 figs., 10 tabs [de

Soil-to-Plant Concentration Ratios for Assessing Food Chain Pathways in Biosphere Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Napier, Bruce A.; Fellows, Robert J.; Krupka, Kenneth M.

2007-10-01

This report describes work performed for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s project Assessment of Food Chain Pathway Parameters in Biosphere Models, which was established to assess and evaluate a number of key parameters used in the food-chain models used in performance assessments of radioactive waste disposal facilities. Section 2 of this report summarizes characteristics of samples of soils and groundwater from three geographical regions of the United States, the Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest, and analyses performed to characterize their physical and chemical properties. Because the uptake and behavior of radionuclides in plant roots, plant leaves, and animal products depends on the chemistry of the water and soil coming in contact with plants and animals, water and soil samples collected from these regions of the United States were used in experiments at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to determine radionuclide soil-to-plant concentration ratios. Crops and forage used in the experiments were grown in the soils, and long-lived radionuclides introduced into the groundwater provide the contaminated water used to water the grown plants. The radionuclides evaluated include 99Tc, 238Pu, and 241Am. Plant varieties include alfalfa, corn, onion, and potato. The radionuclide uptake results from this research study show how regional variations in water quality and soil chemistry affect radionuclide uptake. Section 3 summarizes the procedures and results of the uptake experiments, and relates the soil-to-plant uptake factors derived. In Section 4, the results found in this study are compared with similar values found in the biosphere modeling literature; the study’s results are generally in line with current literature, but soil- and plant-specific differences are noticeable. This food-chain pathway data may be used by the NRC staff to assess dose to persons in the reference biosphere (e.g., persons who live and work in an area potentially affected by

Modeling pedestrian shopping behavior using principles of bounded rationality: model comparison and validation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei; Timmermans, Harry

2011-06-01

Models of geographical choice behavior have been dominantly based on rational choice models, which assume that decision makers are utility-maximizers. Rational choice models may be less appropriate as behavioral models when modeling decisions in complex environments in which decision makers may simplify the decision problem using heuristics. Pedestrian behavior in shopping streets is an example. We therefore propose a modeling framework for pedestrian shopping behavior incorporating principles of bounded rationality. We extend three classical heuristic rules (conjunctive, disjunctive and lexicographic rule) by introducing threshold heterogeneity. The proposed models are implemented using data on pedestrian behavior in Wang Fujing Street, the city center of Beijing, China. The models are estimated and compared with multinomial logit models and mixed logit models. Results show that the heuristic models are the best for all the decisions that are modeled. Validation tests are carried out through multi-agent simulation by comparing simulated spatio-temporal agent behavior with the observed pedestrian behavior. The predictions of heuristic models are slightly better than those of the multinomial logit models.

Testing the Validity of a Cognitive Behavioral Model for Gambling Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Raylu, Namrata; Oei, Tian Po S; Loo, Jasmine M Y; Tsai, Jung-Shun

2016-06-01

Currently, cognitive behavioral therapies appear to be one of the most studied treatments for gambling problems and studies show it is effective in treating gambling problems. However, cognitive behavior models have not been widely tested using statistical means. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the validity of the pathways postulated in the cognitive behavioral theory of gambling behavior using structural equation modeling (AMOS 20). Several questionnaires assessing a range of gambling specific variables (e.g., gambling urges, cognitions and behaviors) and gambling correlates (e.g., psychological states, and coping styles) were distributed to 969 participants from the community. Results showed that negative psychological states (i.e., depression, anxiety and stress) only directly predicted gambling behavior, whereas gambling urges predicted gambling behavior directly as well as indirectly via gambling cognitions. Avoidance coping predicted gambling behavior only indirectly via gambling cognitions. Negative psychological states were significantly related to gambling cognitions as well as avoidance coping. In addition, significant gender differences were also found. The results provided confirmation for the validity of the pathways postulated in the cognitive behavioral theory of gambling behavior. It also highlighted the importance of gender differences in conceptualizing gambling behavior.

Multilevel flow modeling of Monju Nuclear Power Plant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lind, Morten; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu; Jørgensen, Sten Bay

2011-01-01

Multilevel Flow Modeling is a method for modeling complex processes on multiple levels of means-end and part-whole abstraction. The modeling method has been applied on a wide range of processes including power plants, chemical engineering plants and power systems. The modeling method is supported...... with reasoning tools for fault diagnosis and control and is proposed to be used as a central knowledge base giving integrated support in diagnosis and maintenance tasks. Recent developments of MFM include the introduction of concepts for representation of control functions and the relations between plant...... functions and structure. The paper will describe how MFM can be used to represent the goals and functions of the Japanese Monju Nuclear Power Plant. A detailed explanation will be given of the model describing the relations between levels of goal, function and structural. Furthermore, it will be explained...

Description of the power plant model BWR-plasim outlined for the Barsebaeck 2 plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen, P. la Cour.

1979-08-01

A description is given of a BWR power plant model outlined for the Barsebaeck 2 plant with data placed at our disposal by the Swedish Power Company Sydkraft A/B. The basic operations are derived and simplifications discussed. The model is implemented with a simulation system DYSYS which assures reliable solutions and easy programming. Emphasis has been placed on the models versatility and flexibility so new features are easy to incorporate. The model may be used for transient calculations for both normal plant conditions and for abnormal occurences as well as for control system studies. (author)

Professional, legal, and ethical issues raised by behavioral screening for unescorted access to nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurst, M.W.; Roiter, W.A.

1985-01-01

Potential professional, legal, and ethical liabilities are addressed concerning the overall process for unescorted access at nuclear power plants. The authors suggest means by which action can be taken to reduce liability on behalf of utilities, contractors, and behavioral evaluators. Three main points are discussed based on the authors' experience in conducting behavioral evaluations and defending those evaluations. The authors hope that the process of evaluation screening can become more professional and will be considered with the same quality controls as the selection of materials and the building of a nuclear power plant

Modeling a Consistent Behavior of PLC-Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. V. Kuzmin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article extends the cycle of papers dedicated to programming and verificatoin of PLC-programs by LTL-specification. This approach provides the availability of correctness analysis of PLC-programs by the model checking method.The model checking method needs to construct a finite model of a PLC program. For successful verification of required properties it is important to take into consideration that not all combinations of input signals from the sensors can occur while PLC works with a control object. This fact requires more advertence to the construction of the PLC-program model.In this paper we propose to describe a consistent behavior of sensors by three groups of LTL-formulas. They will affect the program model, approximating it to the actual behavior of the PLC program. The idea of LTL-requirements is shown by an example.A PLC program is a description of reactions on input signals from sensors, switches and buttons. In constructing a PLC-program model, the approach to modeling a consistent behavior of PLC sensors allows to focus on modeling precisely these reactions without an extension of the program model by additional structures for realization of a realistic behavior of sensors. The consistent behavior of sensors is taken into account only at the stage of checking a conformity of the programming model to required properties, i. e. a property satisfaction proof for the constructed model occurs with the condition that the model contains only such executions of the program that comply with the consistent behavior of sensors.

Plant Modeling for Human Supervisory Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lind, Morten

1999-01-01

This paper provides an overview of multilevel flow modelling (MFM) and its application for design of displays for the supervisory control of industrial plant. The problem of designing the inforrrzatian content of sacpervisory displays is discussed and plant representations like MFM using levels...

Development of a new steady state zero-dimensional simulation model for woody biomass gasification in a full scale plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Formica, Marco; Frigo, Stefano; Gabbrielli, Roberto

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A simulation model with Aspen Plus is created for a full scale biomass gasification plant. • Test results, equipment data and control logics are considered in the simulation model. • The simulation results are in agreement with the experimental data. • The gasifying air temperature affects largely the energy performance of the gasification plant. • Increasing the equivalent ratio implies a strong reduction of the gasification efficiency. - Abstract: A new steady state zero-dimensional simulation model for a full-scale woody biomass gasification plant with fixed-bed downdraft gasifier has been developed using Aspen Plus®. The model includes the technical characteristics of all the components (gasifier, cyclone, exchangers, piping, etc.) of the plant and works in accordance with its actual main control logics. Simulation results accord with those obtained during an extensive experimental activity. After the model validation, the influence of operating parameters such as the equivalent ratio, the biomass moisture content and the gasifying air temperature on syngas composition have been analyzed in order to assess the operative behavior and the energy performance of the experimental plant. By recovering the sensible heat of the syngas at the outlet of the gasifier, it is possible to obtain higher values of the gasifying air temperature and an improvement of the overall gasification performances.

Actant model of an extraction plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poulsen, Helle

1999-05-01

Facing a growing complexity of industrial plants, we recognise the need for qualitative modelling methods capturing functional and causal complexity in a human-centred way. The present paper presents actant modelling as a functional modelling method rooted in linguistics and semiotics. Actant modelling combines actant models from linguistics with multilevel flow modelling (MFM). Thus the semantics of MFM functions is developed further and given an interpretation in terms of actant functions. The present challenge is to provide coherence between seemingly different categories of knowledge. Yet the gap between functional and causal modelling methods can be bridged. Actant modelling provides an open and provisional, but in no way exhaustive or final answer as to how teleological concepts like goals and functions relate to causal concepts. As the main focus of the paper an actant model of an extraction plant is presented. It is shown how the actant model merges functional and causal knowledge in a natural way.

Actant model of an extraction plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poulsen, Helle

1999-01-01

Facing a growing complexity of industrial plants, we recognise the need for qualitative modelling methods capturing functional and causal complexity in a human-centred way. The present paper presents actant modelling as a functional modelling method rooted in linguistics and semiotics. Actant modelling combines actant models from linguistics with multilevel flow modelling (MFM). Thus the semantics of MFM functions is developed further and given an interpretation in terms of actant functions. The present challenge is to provide coherence between seemingly different categories of knowledge. Yet the gap between functional and causal modelling methods can be bridged. Actant modelling provides an open and provisional, but in no way exhaustive or final answer as to how teleological concepts like goals and functions relate to causal concepts. As the main focus of the paper an actant model of an extraction plant is presented. It is shown how the actant model merges functional and causal knowledge in a natural way

Towards a reference plant trait ontology for modeling knowledge of plant traits and phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

Ontology engineering and knowledge modeling for the plant sciences is expected to contribute to the understanding of the basis of plant traits that determine phenotypic expression in a given environment. Several crop- or clade-specific plant trait ontologies have been developed to describe plant tr...

A Method for Identification of the Equivalent Inductance and Resistance in the Plant Model of Current-Controlled Grid-Tied Converters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vidal, Ana; Yepes, Alejandro G.; Fernandez, Francisco Daniel Freijedo

2015-01-01

Precise knowledge of the plant time constant L=R is essential to perform a thorough analysis and design of the current control loop in voltage source converters (VSCs). From the perspective of the current controller dynamics in the low frequency range, such plant time constant is also suitable...... for most cases in which an LCL filter is used. As the loop behavior can be significantly influenced by the VSC working conditions, the effects associated to converter losses should be included in the model, through an equivalent series resistance. In addition, the plant inductance may also present...... important uncertainties with respect to the value of the VSC L/LCL interface filter measured at rated conditions. Thus, in this work, a method is presented to estimate both parameters of the plant time constant, i.e., the equivalent inductance and resistance in the plant model of current-controlled VSCs...

Modelling asymmetric growth in crowded plant communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Christian

2010-01-01

A class of models that may be used to quantify the effect of size-asymmetric competition in crowded plant communities by estimating a community specific degree of size-asymmetric growth for each species in the community is suggested. The model consists of two parts: an individual size......-asymmetric growth part, where growth is assumed to be proportional to a power function of the size of the individual, and a term that reduces the relative growth rate as a decreasing function of the individual plant size and the competitive interactions from other plants in the neighbourhood....

Investigations into the operating behavior of separation nozzle cascades for uranium-235 enrichment in a 10-stage pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bley, P.; Hein, H.; Linder, G.

1984-03-01

The separation nozzle method developed by the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center is based on the centrifugal force in a curved jet consisting of uranium hexafluoride and a light auxiliary gas. To determine in experiments the operating and controlling behavior of separation nozzle cascades a 10-stage pilot plant was erected some year ago. This plant was transferred to the Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN) in Belo Horizonte as a donation made within the framework of the German-Brazilian Agreement on scientific cooperation in the field of uranium enrichment. The plant previously equipped with single deflection systems was modified to operate with the double deflection system envisaged for commercial plants. A controlling concept meanwhile developed and improved for separation nozzle cascades equipped with single and double deflection systems was verified experimentally and optimized at the pilot plant of the CDTN. A comparison of the experimental operating behavior with the operating behavior calculated by simulation programs has confirmed the faithfulness of simulation of the computer codes developed to apply to cascades with double deflection systems as well. (orig.) [de

Conceptual Model of Iodine Behavior in the Subsurface at the Hanford Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truex, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lee, Brady D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Christian D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qafoku, Nikolla [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Szecsody, James E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kyle, Jennifer E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tfaily, Malak M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Snyder, Michelle MV [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Cantrell, Kirk J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Saunders, Danielle L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawter, Amanda R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Oostrom, Martijn L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tartakovsky, Guzel D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Leavy, Ian I. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); McElroy, Erin M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Appriou, Delphine [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sahajpal, Rahul [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Carroll, Matthew M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chu, Rosalie K. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Cordova, Elsa [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Last, George V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lee, Hope [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kaplan, Daniel I. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Garcia, Whitney L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kerisit, Sebastien N. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qafoku, Odeta [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bowden, Mark E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Smith, Frances N. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Toyoda, Jason G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Plymale, Andrew E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-09-01

Isotopes of iodine were generated during plutonium production within the nine production reactors at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The short half-life 131I that was released from the fuel into the atmosphere during the dissolution process (when the fuel was dissolved) in the Hanford Site 200 Area is no longer present at concentrations of concern in the environment. The long half-life 129I generated at the Hanford Site during reactor operations was (1) stored in single-shell and double-shell tanks, (2) discharged to liquid disposal sites (e.g., cribs and trenches), (3) released to the atmosphere during fuel reprocessing operations, or (4) captured by off-gas absorbent devices (silver reactors) at chemical separations plants (PUREX, B-Plant, T-Plant, and REDOX). Releases of 129I to the subsurface have resulted in several large, though dilute, plumes in the groundwater. There is also 129I remaining in the vadose zone beneath disposal or leak locations. The fate and transport of 129I in the environment and potential remediation technologies are currently being studied as part of environmental remediation activities at the Hanford Site. A conceptual model describing the nature and extent of subsurface contamination, factors that control plume behavior, and factors relevant to potential remediation processes is needed to support environmental remedy decisions. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited. In addition, its behavior in subsurface is different from that of other more common and important contaminants (e.g., U, Cr and Tc) in terms of sorption (adsorption and precipitation), and aqueous phase species transformation via redox reactions. Thus, the conceptual model also needs to both describe known contaminant and biogeochemical process information and identify aspects about which additional information is needed to effectively support remedy decisions.

Kainic Acid-Induced Excitotoxicity Experimental Model: Protective Merits of Natural Products and Plant Extracts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nur Shafika Mohd Sairazi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Excitotoxicity is well recognized as a major pathological process of neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases involving the central nervous system (CNS. In the animal models of neurodegeneration, excitotoxicity is commonly induced experimentally by chemical convulsants, particularly kainic acid (KA. KA-induced excitotoxicity in rodent models has been shown to result in seizures, behavioral changes, oxidative stress, glial activation, inflammatory mediator production, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and selective neurodegeneration in the brain upon KA administration. Recently, there is an emerging trend to search for natural sources to combat against excitotoxicity-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Natural products and plant extracts had attracted a considerable amount of attention because of their reported beneficial effects on the CNS, particularly their neuroprotective effect against excitotoxicity. They provide significant reduction and/or protection against the development and progression of acute and chronic neurodegeneration. This indicates that natural products and plants extracts may be useful in protecting against excitotoxicity-associated neurodegeneration. Thus, targeting of multiple pathways simultaneously may be the strategy to maximize the neuroprotection effect. This review summarizes the mechanisms involved in KA-induced excitotoxicity and attempts to collate the various researches related to the protective effect of natural products and plant extracts in the KA model of neurodegeneration.

Individualism in plant populations: using stochastic differential equations to model individual neighbourhood-dependent plant growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Qiming; Schneider, Manuel K; Pitchford, Jonathan W

2008-08-01

We study individual plant growth and size hierarchy formation in an experimental population of Arabidopsis thaliana, within an integrated analysis that explicitly accounts for size-dependent growth, size- and space-dependent competition, and environmental stochasticity. It is shown that a Gompertz-type stochastic differential equation (SDE) model, involving asymmetric competition kernels and a stochastic term which decreases with the logarithm of plant weight, efficiently describes individual plant growth, competition, and variability in the studied population. The model is evaluated within a Bayesian framework and compared to its deterministic counterpart, and to several simplified stochastic models, using distributional validation. We show that stochasticity is an important determinant of size hierarchy and that SDE models outperform the deterministic model if and only if structural components of competition (asymmetry; size- and space-dependence) are accounted for. Implications of these results are discussed in the context of plant ecology and in more general modelling situations.

Gas Turbine Engine Behavioral Modeling

OpenAIRE

Meyer, Richard T; DeCarlo, Raymond A.; Pekarek, Steve; Doktorcik, Chris

2014-01-01

This paper develops and validates a power flow behavioral model of a gas tur- bine engine with a gas generator and free power turbine. “Simple” mathematical expressions to describe the engine’s power flow are derived from an understand- ing of basic thermodynamic and mechanical interactions taking place within the engine. The engine behavioral model presented is suitable for developing a supervisory level controller of an electrical power system that contains the en- gine connected to a gener...

A proposal for operator team behavior model and operator's thinking mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, Seiichi; Takano, Kenichi; Sasou, Kunihide

1995-01-01

Operating environment in huge systems like nuclear power plants or airplanes is changing rapidly with the advance of computer technology. It is necessary to elucidate thinking process of operators and decision-making process of an operator team in abnormal situations, in order to prevent human errors under such environment. The Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry is promoting a research project to establish human error prevention countermeasures by modeling and simulating the thinking process of operators and decision-making process of an operator team. In the previous paper, application of multilevel flow modeling was proposed to a mental model which conducts future prediction and cause identification, and the characteristics were verified by experienced plant operators. In this paper, an operator team behavior model and a fundamental operator's thinking mechanism especially 'situation understanding' are proposed, and the proposals are evaluated by experiments using a full-scale simulator. The results reveal that some assumptions such as 'communication is done between a leader and a follower' are almost appropriate and that the situation understanding can be represented by 'probable candidates for cause, determination of a parameter which changes when an event occurs, determination of parameters which are influenced by the change of the previous parameter, determination of a principal parameter and future prediction of the principal parameter'. (author)

The eHealth Behavior Management Model: a stage-based approach to behavior change and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Bensley, Robert J; Mercer, Nelda; Brusk, John J; Underhile, Ric; Rivas, Jason; Anderson, Judith; Kelleher, Deanne; Lupella, Melissa; de Jager, André C

2004-10-01

Although the Internet has become an important avenue for disseminating health information, theory-driven strategies for aiding individuals in changing or managing health behaviors are lacking. The eHealth Behavior Management Model combines the Transtheoretical Model, the behavioral intent aspect of the Theory of Planned Behavior, and persuasive communication to assist individuals in negotiating the Web toward stage-specific information. It is here - at the point of stage-specific information - that behavioral intent in moving toward more active stages of change occurs. The eHealth Behavior Management Model is applied in three demonstration projects that focus on behavior management issues: parent-child nutrition education among participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; asthma management among university staff and students; and human immunodeficiency virus prevention among South African women. Preliminary results have found the eHealth Behavior Management Model to be promising as a model for Internet-based behavior change programming. Further application and evaluation among other behavior and disease management issues are needed.

Development of plant condition measurement - The Jimah Model

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Roy F.; Syuhaimi, Mohd; Mazli, Mohammad; Kamarudin, Nurliyana; Maniza Othman, Faiz

2012-05-01

The Jimah Model is an information management model. The model has been designed to facilitate analysis of machine condition by integrating diagnostic data with quantitative and qualitative information. The model treats data as a single strand of information - metaphorically a 'genome' of data. The 'Genome' is structured to be representative of plant function and identifies the condition of selected components (or genes) in each machine. To date in industry, computer aided work processes used with traditional industrial practices, have been unable to consistently deliver a standard of information suitable for holistic evaluation of machine condition and change. Significantly the reengineered site strategies necessary for implementation of this "data genome concept" have resulted in enhanced knowledge and management of plant condition. In large plant with high initial equipment cost and subsequent high maintenance costs, accurate measurement of major component condition becomes central to whole of life management and replacement decisions. A case study following implementation of the model at a major power station site in Malaysia (Jimah) shows that modeling of plant condition and wear (in real time) can be made a practical reality.

Development of plant condition measurement - The Jimah Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, Roy F; Syuhaimi, Mohd; Mazli, Mohammad; Kamarudin, Nurliyana; Othman, Faiz Maniza

2012-01-01

The Jimah Model is an information management model. The model has been designed to facilitate analysis of machine condition by integrating diagnostic data with quantitative and qualitative information. The model treats data as a single strand of information - metaphorically a 'genome' of data. The 'Genome' is structured to be representative of plant function and identifies the condition of selected components (or genes) in each machine. To date in industry, computer aided work processes used with traditional industrial practices, have been unable to consistently deliver a standard of information suitable for holistic evaluation of machine condition and change. Significantly the reengineered site strategies necessary for implementation of this 'data genome concept' have resulted in enhanced knowledge and management of plant condition. In large plant with high initial equipment cost and subsequent high maintenance costs, accurate measurement of major component condition becomes central to whole of life management and replacement decisions. A case study following implementation of the model at a major power station site in Malaysia (Jimah) shows that modeling of plant condition and wear (in real time) can be made a practical reality.

An evolutionary behavioral model for decision making

OpenAIRE

Romero Lopez, Dr Oscar Javier

2011-01-01

For autonomous agents the problem of deciding what to do next becomes increasingly complex when acting in unpredictable and dynamic environments pursuing multiple and possibly conflicting goals. One of the most relevant behavior-based model that tries to deal with this problem is the one proposed by Maes, the Bbehavior Network model. This model proposes a set of behaviors as purposive perception-action units which are linked in a nonhierarchical network, and whose behavior selection process i...

Efficiency of Trichome-Based Plant Defense in Phaseolus vulgaris Depends on Insect Behavior, Plant Ontogeny, and Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenlong Xing

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Plant trichomes often function as physical barriers in preventing arthropod feeding and oviposition. Even though insects are frequently reported being entrapped and killed by trichome traps, the actual trapping behavior has not yet been described in detail. Capture experiments showed that capture efficiency during the plant's vegetative stage was considerably higher than in the fruiting and cotyledon stages. The ventral surface of the leaf was more effective in trapping flies than other parts of the plant. Capture-events monitoring showed that the mouthparts, legs, and ovipositor of Liriomyza trifolii adults are the body parts involved in entrapment by surface trichomes on Phaseolus vulgaris plants, and subsequently, deter their ability to feed, walk, and oviposit. Of the three main body parts normally affected, mouthparts was found to be the body part most susceptible to the trichomes. Entrapments were most often caused by landing, followed by puncturing or feeding, and occasionally by walking or fighting. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and optical microscopy, we determined the susceptible positions of each body part and found that the flies were all trapped by hooked trichomes. This study revealed the process by which leafminer flies are entrapped by surface trichomes of the host plant and evaluated the capture efficiency. The results will contribute to our understanding of physical defenses against herbivores.

Analyzing the biomass filter behavior in an anaerobic wastewater treatment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlos-Hernandez, S.

2009-01-01

Nowadays, waste emissions in air, water and soil must be reduced in order to reach the more and more strict environmental rules. In the case of wastewater, there exists a big interest to improve treatment plants performances. The paper deals with the analysis, via the phase protratis method, of a biomass filter behavior in a completely stirred tank reactor deals with the analysis. (Author)

Plant Growth Modeling Using L-System Approach and Its Visualization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atris Suyantohadi

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The visualizationof plant growth modeling using computer simulation has rarely been conducted with Lindenmayer System (L-System approach. L-System generally has been used as framework for improving and designing realistic modeling on plant growth. It is one kind of tools for representing plant growth based on grammar sintax and mathematic formulation. This research aimed to design modeling and visualizing plant growth structure generated using L-System. The environment on modeling design used three dimension graphic on standart OpenGL format. The visualization on system design has been developed by some of L-System grammar, and the output graphic on three dimension reflected on plant growth as a virtual plant growth system. Using some of samples on grammar L-System rules for describing of the charaterictics of plant growth, the visualization of structure on plant growth has been resulted and demonstrated.

Can current models of accommodation and vergence predict accommodative behavior in myopic children?

Science.gov (United States)

Sreenivasan, Vidhyapriya; Irving, Elizabeth L; Bobier, William R

2014-08-01

Investigations into the progression of myopia in children have long considered the role of accommodation as a cause and solution. Myopic children show high levels of accommodative adaptation, coupled with accommodative lag and high response AC/A (accommodative convergence per diopter of accommodation). This pattern differs from that predicted by current models of interaction between accommodation and vergence, where weakened reflex responses and a high AC/A would be associated with a low not high levels of accommodative adaptation. However, studies of young myopes were limited to only part of the accommodative vergence synkinesis and the reciprocal components of vergence adaptation and convergence accommodation were not studied in tandem. Accordingly, we test the hypothesis that the accommodative behavior of myopic children is not predicted by current models and whether that departure is explained by differences in the accommodative plant of the myopic child. Responses to incongruent stimuli (-2D, +2D adds, 10 prism diopter base-out prism) were investigated in 28 myopic and 25 non-myopic children aged 7-15 years. Subjects were divided into phoria groups - exo, ortho and eso based upon their near phoria. The school aged myopes showed high levels of accommodative adaptation but with reduced accommodation and high AC/A. This pattern is not explained by current adult models and could reflect a sluggish gain of the accommodative plant (ciliary muscle and lens), changes in near triad innervation or both. Further, vergence adaptation showed a predictable reciprocal relationship with the high accommodative adaptation, suggesting that departures from adult models were limited to accommodation not vergence behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling of radiocesium transport kinetics in system water-aquatic plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svadlenkova, M.

1988-01-01

Compartment models were used to describe the kinetics of the transport of radionuclides in the system water-biomass of aquatic plants. Briefly described are linear models and models with time variable parameters. The model was tested using data from a locality in the environs of the Bohunice nuclear power plant. Cladophora glomerata algae were the monitored plants, 137 Cs the monitored radionuclide. The models may be used when aquatic plants serve as bioindicators of the radioactive contamination of surface waters, for monitoring the transport of radionuclides in food chains. (M.D.). 10 refs

Research Models in Developmental Behavioral Toxicology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Kim N.; Pearson, Douglas T.

Developmental models currently used by child behavioral toxicologists and teratologists are inadequate to address current issues in these fields. Both child behavioral teratology and toxicology scientifically study the impact of exposure to toxic agents on behavior development: teratology focuses on prenatal exposure and postnatal behavior…

Coupling of Groundwater Transport and Plant Uptake Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rein, Arno; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter; Trapp, Stefan

2010-01-01

in environmental systems at different scale. Feedback mechanisms between plants and hydrological systems can play an important role, however having received little attention to date. Here, a new model concept for dynamic plant uptake models applying analytical matrix solutions is presented, which can be coupled...

Dynamic plant uptake modelling and mass flux estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rein, Arno; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter; Trapp, Stefan

2011-01-01

in environmental systems at different scales. Feedback mechanisms between plants and hydrological systems can play an important role. However, they have received little attention to date. Here, a new model concept for dynamic plant uptake models applying analytical matrix solutions is presented, which can...

A model of plant strategies in fluvial hydrosystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bornette, G.; Tabacchi, E.; Hupp, C.; Puijalon, S.; Rostan, J.C.

2008-01-01

1. We propose a model of plant strategies in temperate fluvial hydrosystems that considers the hydraulic and geomorphic features that control plant recruitment, establishment and growth in river floodplains. 2. The model describes first how the disturbance gradient and the grain-size of the river

Reliability and maintenance in European nuclear power plants: A structural analysis of a controlled stochastic process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sturm, R.

1991-01-01

Two aspects of performance are of main concern: plant availability and plant reliability (defined as the conditional probability of an unplanned shutdown). The goal of the research is a unified framework that combines behavioral models of optimizing agents with models of complex technical systems that take into account the dynamic and stochastic features of the system. In order to achieve this synthesis, two liens of work are necessary. One line requires a deeper understanding of complex production systems and the type of data they give rise to; the other line involves the specification and estimation of a rigorously specified behavioral model. Plant operations are modeled as a controlled stochastic process, and the sequence of up and downtime spells is analyzed during failure time and point process models. Similar to work on rational expectations and structural econometric models, the behavior model of how the plant process is controlled is formulated at the level of basic processes, i.e., the objective function of the plant manager, technical constraints, and stochastic disturbances

A survey on the technologies and cases for the cognitive models of nuclear power plant operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Hee; Chun, Se Woo; Seo, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul

1993-04-01

To enhance the safety and availability of nuclear power plants, it is necessary to develop the methodologies which can systematically analyze the interrelationships between plant operators and main process systems. Operator congnitive models enable to provide an explicit method to analyze how operator's congitive behavior reacts to the behavior of system changes. However, because no adequate model has been developed up to now, it is difficult to take an effective approach for the review, assessment and improvement of human factors. In this study, we have surveyed the techniques and the cases of operator model development, aiming to develop an operator's model as one of human engineering application methodologies. We have analyzed the cognitive characteristics of decision-making, which is one of the principal factors for modeling, and reviewed the methodologies and implementation thechniques used in the cases of the model development. We investigated the tendencies of the model developments by reviewing ten cases and especially CES, INTEROPS and COSIMO models which have been developed or are under development in nuclear fields. Also, we summarized the cognitive characteristics to be considered in the modeling for the purpose of modeling operator's decision-making. For modeling methodologies, we found a trend of the modeling that is software simulations based on the artificial intelligence technologies, especially focused in knowledge representation methods. Based on the results of our survey, we proposed a development approach and several urgent research subjects. We suggested the development simulation tools which can be applicable to the review, assessment and improvement of human factors, by implementing them as softwares using expert system development tools. The results of this study have been applied to our long-term project named 'The Development of Human Engineering Technologies.' (Author)

Modeling and simulation of pressurized water reactor power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S.J.

1983-01-01

Two kinds of balance of plant (BOP) models of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) system are developed in this work - the detailed BOP model and the simple BOP model. The detailed model is used to simulate the normal operational performance of a whole BOP system. The simple model is used to combine with the NSSS model for a whole plant simulation. The trends of the steady state values of the detailed model are correct and the dynamic responses are reasonable. The simple BOP model approach starts the modelling work from the overall point of view. The response of the normalized turbine power and the feedwater inlet temperature to the steam generator of the simple model are compared with those of the detailed model. Both the steady state values and the dynamic responses are close to those of the detailed model. The simple BOP model is found adequate to represent the main performance of the BOP system. The simple balance of plant model was coupled with a NSSS model for a whole plant simulation. The NSSS model consists of the reactor core model, the steam generator model, and the coolant temperature control system. A closed loop whole plant simulation for an electric load perturbation was performed. The results are plausible. The coupling effect between the NSSS system and the BOP system was analyzed. The feedback of the BOP system has little effect on the steam generator performance, while the performance of the BOP system is strongly affected by the steam flow rate from the NSSS

Simulation modeling and analysis of a complex system of a thermal power plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sorabh Gupta

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The present paper deals with the opportunities for the modeling of flue gas and air system of a thermal power plant by making the performance evaluation using probabilistic approach. The present system of thermal plant under study consists of four subsystems with three possible states: full working, reduced capacity working and failed. Failure and repair rates for all the subsystems are assumed to be constant. Formulation of the problem is carried out using Markov Birth-Death process using probabilistic approach and a transition diagram represents the operational behavior of the system. Interrelationship among the full working and reduced working has been developed. A probabilistic model has been developed, considering some assumptions. Data in feasible range are selected from a survey of thermal plant and the effect of each subsystem on the system availability is tabulated in the form of availability matrices, which provides various performance/availability levels for different combinations of failure and repair rates of all subsystems. Based upon various availability values obtained in availability matrices and graphs of failure/repair rates of different subsystems, performance and optimum values of failure/repair rates for maximum availability, of each subsystem is analyzed and then maintenance priorities are decided for all subsystems.

Development of a dynamical systems model of plant programmatic performance on nuclear power plant safety risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, Stephen M.; Albano, Alfonso M.; Gaertner, John P.

2005-01-01

Application of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques to model nuclear power plant accident sequences has provided a significant contribution to understanding the potential initiating events, equipment failures and operator errors that can lead to core damage accidents. Application of the lessons learned from these analyses has resulted in significant improvements in plant operation and safety. However, this approach has not been nearly as successful in addressing the impact of plant processes and management effectiveness on the risks of plant operation. The research described in this paper presents an alternative approach to addressing this issue. In this paper we propose a dynamical systems model that describes the interaction of important plant processes on nuclear safety risk. We discuss development of the mathematical model including the identification and interpretation of significant inter-process interactions. Next, we review the techniques applicable to analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems that are utilized in the characterization of the model. This is followed by a preliminary analysis of the model that demonstrates that its dynamical evolution displays features that have been observed at commercially operating plants. From this analysis, several significant insights are presented with respect to the effective control of nuclear safety risk. As an important example, analysis of the model dynamics indicates that significant benefits in effectively managing risk are obtained by integrating the plant operation and work management processes such that decisions are made utilizing a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach. We note that although the model was developed specifically to be applicable to nuclear power plants, many of the insights and conclusions obtained are likely applicable to other process industries

Behavior model for performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown-VanHoozer, S. A.

1999-01-01

Every individual channels information differently based on their preference of the sensory modality or representational system (visual auditory or kinesthetic) we tend to favor most (our primary representational system (PRS)). Therefore, some of us access and store our information primarily visually first, some auditorily, and others kinesthetically (through feel and touch); which in turn establishes our information processing patterns and strategies and external to internal (and subsequently vice versa) experiential language representation. Because of the different ways we channel our information, each of us will respond differently to a task--the way we gather and process the external information (input), our response time (process), and the outcome (behavior). Traditional human models of decision making and response time focus on perception, cognitive and motor systems stimulated and influenced by the three sensory modalities, visual, auditory and kinesthetic. For us, these are the building blocks to knowing how someone is thinking. Being aware of what is taking place and how to ask questions is essential in assessing performance toward reducing human errors. Existing models give predications based on time values or response times for a particular event, and may be summed and averaged for a generalization of behavior(s). However, by our not establishing a basic understanding of the foundation of how the behavior was predicated through a decision making strategy process, predicative models are overall inefficient in their analysis of the means by which behavior was generated. What is seen is the end result

Behavior model for performance assessment.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borwn-VanHoozer, S. A.

1999-07-23

Every individual channels information differently based on their preference of the sensory modality or representational system (visual auditory or kinesthetic) we tend to favor most (our primary representational system (PRS)). Therefore, some of us access and store our information primarily visually first, some auditorily, and others kinesthetically (through feel and touch); which in turn establishes our information processing patterns and strategies and external to internal (and subsequently vice versa) experiential language representation. Because of the different ways we channel our information, each of us will respond differently to a task--the way we gather and process the external information (input), our response time (process), and the outcome (behavior). Traditional human models of decision making and response time focus on perception, cognitive and motor systems stimulated and influenced by the three sensory modalities, visual, auditory and kinesthetic. For us, these are the building blocks to knowing how someone is thinking. Being aware of what is taking place and how to ask questions is essential in assessing performance toward reducing human errors. Existing models give predications based on time values or response times for a particular event, and may be summed and averaged for a generalization of behavior(s). However, by our not establishing a basic understanding of the foundation of how the behavior was predicated through a decision making strategy process, predicative models are overall inefficient in their analysis of the means by which behavior was generated. What is seen is the end result.

Plant Origin of Green Propolis: Bee Behavior, Plant Anatomy and Chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Érica Weinstein Teixeira

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Propolis, a honeybee product, has gained popularity as a food and alternative medicine. Its constituents have been shown to exert pharmacological effects, such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. Shoot apices of Baccharis dracunculifolia (alecrim plant, Asteraceae have been pointed out as sources of resin for green propolis. The present work aimed (i to observe the collecting behavior of bees, (ii to test the efficacy of histological analysis in studies of propolis botanical origin and (iii to compare the chemistries of alecrim apices, resin masses and green propolis. Bee behavior was observed, and resin and propolis were microscopically analyzed by inclusion in methacrylate. Ethanol extracts of shoot apices, resin and propolis were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Bees cut small fragments from alecrim apices, manipulate and place the resulting mass in the corbiculae. Fragments were detected in propolis and identified as alecrim vestiges by detection of alecrim structures. Prenylated and non-prenylated phenylpropanoids, terpenoids and compounds from other classes were identified. Compounds so far unreported for propolis were identified, including anthracene derivatives. Some compounds were found in propolis and resin mass, but not in shoot apices. Differences were detected between male and female apices and, among apices, resin and propolis. Alecrim apices are resin sources for green propolis. Chemical composition of alecrim apices seems to vary independently of season and phenology. Probably, green propolis composition is more complex and unpredictable than previously assumed.

Behavior of natural radionuclides in wastewater treatment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camacho, A.; Montaña, M.; Vallés, I.; Devesa, R.; Céspedes-Sánchez, R.; Serrano, I.; Blázquez, S.; Barjola, V.

2012-01-01

56 samples, including influent, primary effluent, secondary effluent and final effluent wastewater from two Spanish municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), were analyzed to assess both the occurrence and behavior of natural radioactivity during 12 sampling campaigns carried out over the period 2007–2010. Influent and final effluent wastewaters were sampled by taking into account the hydraulic residence time within the WWTP. A wide range of gross alpha activities (15–129 mBq/L) and gross beta activities (477–983 mBq/L) in liquid samples were obtained. A correlation analysis between radioactivity in liquid samples and the performance characteristics of the WWTPs was performed. The results in liquid samples showed that gross beta activities were not influenced by treatment in the studied WWTPs. However, gross alpha activities behave differently and an increase was detected in the effluent values compared with influent wastewater. This behavior was due to the increase in the total dissolved uranium produced during secondary treatment. The results indicate that the radiological characteristics of the effluents do not present a significant radiological risk and make them suitable for future applications. - Highlights: ► Liquids from WWTPs were analyzed to know the behavior of natural radionuclides. ► Gross beta activities were not influenced by treatment in the studied WWTPs. ► Increase in gross alpha activity was observed due to uranium desorption/solubilisation. ► Correlation between gross alpha activity and the chemical oxygen demand was found

Multilevel flow modelling of process plant for diagnosis and control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, M.

1982-08-01

The paper describes the multilevel flow modelling methodology which can be used to construct functional models of energy and material processing systems. The models describe mass and energy flow topology on different levels of abstraction and represent the hierarchical functional structure of complex systems. A model of a nuclear power plant (PWR) is presented in the paper for illustration. Due to the consistency of the method, multilevel flow models provide specifications of plant goals and functions and may be used as a basis for design of computer-based support systems for the plant operator. Plant control requirements can be derived from the models and due to independence of the actual controller implementation the method may be used as basic for design of control strategies and for the allocation of control tasks to the computer and the plant operator. (author)

Multilevel Flow Modelling of Process Plant for Diagnosis and Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lind, Morten

1982-01-01

The paper describes the multilevel flow modelling methodology which can be used to construct functional models of energy and material processing systems. The models describe mass and energy flow topology on different levels of abstraction and represent the hierarchical functional structure...... of complex systems. A model of a nuclear power plant (PWR) is presented in the paper for illustration. Due to the consistency of the method, multilevel flow models provide specifications of plant goals and functions and may be used as a basis for design of computer-based support systems for the plant...... operator. Plant control requirements can be derived from the models and due to independence of the actual controller implementation the method may be used as a basis for design of control strategies and for the allocation of control tasks to the computer and the plant operator....

Towards a characterization of behavior-disease models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Perra

Full Text Available The last decade saw the advent of increasingly realistic epidemic models that leverage on the availability of highly detailed census and human mobility data. Data-driven models aim at a granularity down to the level of households or single individuals. However, relatively little systematic work has been done to provide coupled behavior-disease models able to close the feedback loop between behavioral changes triggered in the population by an individual's perception of the disease spread and the actual disease spread itself. While models lacking this coupling can be extremely successful in mild epidemics, they obviously will be of limited use in situations where social disruption or behavioral alterations are induced in the population by knowledge of the disease. Here we propose a characterization of a set of prototypical mechanisms for self-initiated social distancing induced by local and non-local prevalence-based information available to individuals in the population. We characterize the effects of these mechanisms in the framework of a compartmental scheme that enlarges the basic SIR model by considering separate behavioral classes within the population. The transition of individuals in/out of behavioral classes is coupled with the spreading of the disease and provides a rich phase space with multiple epidemic peaks and tipping points. The class of models presented here can be used in the case of data-driven computational approaches to analyze scenarios of social adaptation and behavioral change.

Role of conceptual models in nuclear power plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.D.; Moran, T.P.; Brown, J.S.

1982-01-01

A crucial objective in plant operation (and perhaps licensing) ought to be to explicitly train operators to develop, perhaps with computer aids, robust conceptual models of the plants they control. The question is whether we are actually able to develop robust conceptual models and validate their robustness. Cognitive science is just beginning to come to grips with this problem. This paper describes some of the evolving technology for building conceptual models of physical mechanisms and some of the implications of such models in the context of nuclear power plant operation

Upgrading of PWR plant simulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Tomonori; Sasaki, Kazunori; Nakaishi, Hirokazu.

1989-01-01

For the education and training of operators in electric power plants, simulators have been employed, and it is well known that their effect is great. There are operation training simulators which simulate the dynamic characteristics of plants and all the machinery and equipment that operators handle, and train the procedure of restoration at the time of abnormality in plants, education simulators which can analyze the dynamic characteristics of plants efficiently in a short time, and offer information by visualizing phenomena with three-dimensional display and others so as to be easily understandable, and forecast simulators which do the analysis forecasting plant behavior at the time of abnormality in plants, and investigate the necessity of the guide for operation procedure and the countermeasures at the time of emergency. In this explanation, the upgrading of operation training simulators which have been put already in training is discussed. The constitution of simulator system and the instructor function, the outline of PWR plant simulation models comprising thermal flow model, pump model, leak model and so on, the techniques of increasing simulator speed, and the example of analysis using the NUPAC code are reported. (K.I.)

Three-Dimensional Modeling of Weed Plants Using Low-Cost Photogrammetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dionisio Andújar

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Sensing advances in plant phenotyping are of vital importance in basic and applied plant research. Plant phenotyping enables the modeling of complex shapes, which is useful, for example, in decision-making for agronomic management. In this sense, 3D processing algorithms for plant modeling is expanding rapidly with the emergence of new sensors and techniques designed to morphologically characterize. However, there are still some technical aspects to be improved, such as an accurate reconstruction of end-details. This study adapted low-cost techniques, Structure from Motion (SfM and MultiView Stereo (MVS, to create 3D models for reconstructing plants of three weed species with contrasting shape and plant structures. Plant reconstruction was developed by applying SfM algorithms to an input set of digital images acquired sequentially following a track that was concentric and equidistant with respect to the plant axis and using three different angles, from a perpendicular to top view, which guaranteed the necessary overlap between images to obtain high precision 3D models. With this information, a dense point cloud was created using MVS, from which a 3D polygon mesh representing every plants’ shape and geometry was generated. These 3D models were validated with ground truth values (e.g., plant height, leaf area (LA and plant dry biomass using regression methods. The results showed, in general, a good consistency in the correlation equations between the estimated values in the models and the actual values measured in the weed plants. Indeed, 3D modeling using SfM algorithms proved to be a valuable methodology for weed phenotyping, since it accurately estimated the actual values of plant height and LA. Additionally, image processing using the SfM method was relatively fast. Consequently, our results indicate the potential of this budget system for plant reconstruction at high detail, which may be usable in several scenarios, including outdoor

Modeling of solar polygeneration plant

Science.gov (United States)

Leiva, Roberto; Escobar, Rodrigo; Cardemil, José

2017-06-01

In this work, a exergoeconomic analysis of the joint production of electricity, fresh water, cooling and process heat for a simulated concentrated solar power (CSP) based on parabolic trough collector (PTC) with thermal energy storage (TES) and backup energy system (BS), a multi-effect distillation (MED) module, a refrigeration absorption module, and process heat module is carried out. Polygeneration plant is simulated in northern Chile in Crucero with a yearly total DNI of 3,389 kWh/m2/year. The methodology includes designing and modeling a polygeneration plant and applying exergoeconomic evaluations and calculating levelized cost. Solar polygeneration plant is simulated hourly, in a typical meteorological year, for different solar multiple and hour of storage. This study reveals that the total exergy cost rate of products (sum of exergy cost rate of electricity, water, cooling and heat process) is an alternative method to optimize a solar polygeneration plant.

Corrosion behavior of Haynes registered 230 registered nickel-based super-alloys for integrated coal gasification combined cycle syngas plants. A plant exposure study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sungkyu; Lee, Jieun; Kang, Suk-Hwan; Lee, Seung-Jong; Yun, Yongseung; Kim, Min Jung

2015-01-01

The corrosion behavior of commercially available Haynes registered 230 registered nickel-based alloy samples was investigated by exposure to coal-gasifying integrated coal gasification combined cycle pilot plant facilities affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Engineering (2.005 MPa and 160-300 C). The morphological and microstructural analyses of the exposed samples were conducted using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis on the external surface of the recovered corrosion test samples to obtain information of the corrosion scale. These analyses based on the pre- and post-exposure corrosion test samples combined with thermodynamic Ellingham-Pourbaix stability diagrams provided preliminary insight into the mechanism of the observed corrosion behavior prevailing in the piping materials that connected the particulate removal unit and water scrubber of the integrated coal gasification combined cycle pilot plant. Uniform material wastage was observed after 46 hours of operation, and a preliminary corrosion mechanism was suggested: the observed material waste and corrosion behavior of the Haynes registered 230 registered nickel-based alloy samples cut off from the coal syngas integrated coal gasification combined cycle plant were explained by the formation of discontinuous (complex) oxide phases and subsequent chlorine-induced active oxidation under the predominantly reducing environment encountered. This contribution continues the already published studies of the Fe-Ni-Cr-Co alloy Haynes registered 556 registered .

Bayesian calibration of power plant models for accurate performance prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boksteen, Sowande Z.; Buijtenen, Jos P. van; Pecnik, Rene; Vecht, Dick van der

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Bayesian calibration is applied to power plant performance prediction. • Measurements from a plant in operation are used for model calibration. • A gas turbine performance model and steam cycle model are calibrated. • An integrated plant model is derived. • Part load efficiency is accurately predicted as a function of ambient conditions. - Abstract: Gas turbine combined cycles are expected to play an increasingly important role in the balancing of supply and demand in future energy markets. Thermodynamic modeling of these energy systems is frequently applied to assist in decision making processes related to the management of plant operation and maintenance. In most cases, model inputs, parameters and outputs are treated as deterministic quantities and plant operators make decisions with limited or no regard of uncertainties. As the steady integration of wind and solar energy into the energy market induces extra uncertainties, part load operation and reliability are becoming increasingly important. In the current study, methods are proposed to not only quantify various types of uncertainties in measurements and plant model parameters using measured data, but to also assess their effect on various aspects of performance prediction. The authors aim to account for model parameter and measurement uncertainty, and for systematic discrepancy of models with respect to reality. For this purpose, the Bayesian calibration framework of Kennedy and O’Hagan is used, which is especially suitable for high-dimensional industrial problems. The article derives a calibrated model of the plant efficiency as a function of ambient conditions and operational parameters, which is also accurate in part load. The article shows that complete statistical modeling of power plants not only enhances process models, but can also increases confidence in operational decisions

Improvement of a wall thinning rate model for liquid droplet impingement erosion. Implementation of liquid film thickness model with consideration of film behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morita, Ryo

2014-01-01

Liquid droplet impingement erosion (LDI) is defined as an erosion phenomenon caused by high-speed droplet attack in a steam flow. Pipe wall thinning by LDI is sometimes observed in a steam piping system of a power plant. As LDI usually occurs very locally and is difficult to detect, predicting LDI location is required for safe operation of power plant systems. Therefore, we have involved in the research program to develop prediction tools that will be used easily in actual power plants. Our previous researches developed a thinning rate evaluation model due to LDI (LDI model) and the evaluation system of the thinning rate and the thinning shape within a practically acceptable time (LDI evaluation system). Though the LDI model can include a cushioning effect of liquid film which is generated on the material surface by droplet impingement as an empirical equation with fluid parameter, the liquid film thickness is not clarified due to complex flow condition. In this study, to improve the LDI model and the LDI evaluation system, an analytical model of the liquid film thickness was proposed with consideration of the liquid film flow behavior on the material surface. The mass balance of the liquid film was considered, and the results of CFD calculations and existing researches were applied to obtain the liquid film thickness in this model. As a result of the LDI evaluation of the new LDI model with liquid film model, improvement of the LDI model was achieved. (author)

Car-following Behavior Model Learning Using Timed Automata

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Yihuan; Lin, Q.; Wang, Jun; Verwer, S.E.; Dochain, D.; Henrion, D.; Peaucelle, D.

Learning driving behavior is fundamental for autonomous vehicles to “understand” traffic situations. This paper proposes a novel method for learning a behavioral model of car-following using automata learning algorithms. The model is interpretable for car-following behavior analysis. Frequent common

Behavioral modelling and predistortion of wideband wireless transmitters

CERN Document Server

Ghannouchi, Fadhel M; Helaoui, Mohamed

2015-01-01

Covers theoretical and practical aspects related to the behavioral modelling and predistortion of wireless transmitters and power amplifiers. It includes simulation software that enables the users to apply the theory presented in the book. In the first section, the reader is given the general background of nonlinear dynamic systems along with their behavioral modelling from all its aspects. In the second part, a comprehensive compilation of behavioral models formulations and structures is provided including memory polynomial based models, box oriented models such as Hammerstein-based and Wiene

Cognitive Modeling of Social Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhuis, Maarten; Damer. Bruce; Brodsky, Boris

2004-01-01

The driving theme of cognitive modeling for many decades has been that knowledge affects how and which goals are accomplished by an intelligent being (Newell 1991). But when one examines groups of people living and working together, one is forced to recognize that whose knowledge is called into play, at a particular time and location, directly affects what the group accomplishes. Indeed, constraints on participation, including roles, procedures, and norms, affect whether an individual is able to act at all (Lave & Wenger 1991; Jordan 1992; Scribner & Sachs 1991). To understand both individual cognition and collective activity, perhaps the greatest opportunity today is to integrate the cognitive modeling approach (which stresses how beliefs are formed and drive behavior) with social studies (which stress how relationships and informal practices drive behavior). The crucial insight is that norms are conceptualized in the individual &nd as ways of carrying out activities (Clancey 1997a, 2002b). This requires for the psychologist a shift from only modeling goals and tasks - why people do what they do - to modeling behavioral patterns-what people do-as they are engaged in purposeful activities. Instead of a model that exclusively deduces actions from goals, behaviors are also, if not primarily, driven by broader patterns of chronological and located activities (akin to scripts). This analysis is particular inspired by activity theory (Leont ev 1979). While acknowledging that knowledge (relating goals and operations) is fundamental for intelligent behavior, activity theory claims that a broader driver is the person s motives and conceptualization of activities. Such understanding of human interaction is normative (i.e., viewed with respect to social standards), affecting how knowledge is called into play and applied in practice. Put another way, how problems are discovered and framed, what methods are chosen, and indeed who even cares or has the authority to act, are all

Aids to determining fuel models for estimating fire behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Hal E. Anderson

1982-01-01

Presents photographs of wildland vegetation appropriate for the 13 fuel models used in mathematical models of fire behavior. Fuel model descriptions include fire behavior associated with each fuel and its physical characteristics. A similarity chart cross-references the 13 fire behavior fuel models to the 20 fuel models used in the National Fire Danger Rating System....

Preliminary Development of a Unified Viscoplastic Constitutive Model for Alloy 617 with Special Reference to Long Term Creep Behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sham, Sam; Walker, Kevin P.

2008-01-01

The expected service life of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant is 60 years. Structural analyses of the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) will require the development of unified viscoplastic constitutive models that address the material behavior of Alloy 617, a construction material of choice, over a wide range of strain rates. Many unified constitutive models employ a yield stress state variable which is used to account for cyclic hardening and softening of the material. For low stress values below the yield stress state variable these constitutive models predict that no inelastic deformation takes place which is contrary to experimental results. The ability to model creep deformation at low stresses for the IHX application is very important as the IHX operational stresses are restricted to very small values due to the low creep strengths at elevated temperatures and long design lifetime. This paper presents some preliminary work in modeling the unified viscoplastic constitutive behavior of Alloy 617 which accounts for the long term, low stress, creep behavior and the hysteretic behavior of the material at elevated temperatures. The preliminary model is presented in one-dimensional form for ease of understanding, but the intent of the present work is to produce a three-dimensional model suitable for inclusion in the user subroutines UMAT and USERPL of the ABAQUS and ANSYS nonlinear finite element codes. Further experiments and constitutive modeling efforts are planned to model the material behavior of Alloy 617 in more detail

Sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica hiding time depends on individual and state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Reed-Guy

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The decisions animals make to adjust their antipredator behavior to rapidly changing conditions have been well studied. Inducible defenses in plants are an antipredator behavior that acts on a longer time scale, but sensitive plants, Mimosa pudica, have a much more rapid antipredator response; they temporarily close their leaves when touched. The time they remain closed is defined as hiding time. We studied hiding time in sensitive plants and found that individual plants differed significantly in their hiding times. We then showed that the effect of individual explained substantial variation in hiding time on a short time scale. Finally, on a longer time scale, individuality persisted but the amount of variation attributed to individual decreased. We hypothesized that variation in plant condition might explain this change. We therefore manipulated sunlight availability and quantified hiding time. When deprived of light for 6 h, sensitive plants significantly shortened their hiding times. But when only half a plant was deprived of light, hiding times on the deprived half and light exposed half were not significantly different. This suggests that overall condition best explains variation in sensitive plant antipredator behavior. Just like in animals, sensitive plant antipredator behavior is condition dependent, and, just like in animals, a substantial amount of the remaining variation is explained by individual differences between plants. Thus, models designed to predict plasticity in animal behavior may be successfully applied to understand behavior in other organisms, including plants.

Transuranic behavior in soils and plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wildung, R.E.; Garland, T.R.; Cataldo, D.A.; Rogers, J.E.; McFadden, K.M.; Jenne, E.A.; Schreckhise, R.G.

1981-01-01

The principal objective of this study is to gather information about soil, plant, and foliar interaction factors that influence the availability of transuranics to agricultural plants and animals. This paper discusses plant processes which influence transport across the plant root membrane and foliar surfaces, and the form and sites of deposition of transuranic elements in mature plants

Modeling of a combined cycle power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faridah Mohamad Idris

2001-01-01

The combined cycle power plant is a non-linear, closed loop system, which consists of high-pressure (HP) superheater, HP evaporator, HP economizer, low-pressure (LP) evaporator, HP drum, HP deaerator, condenser, HP and LP steam turbine and gas turbine. The two types of turbines in the plant for example the gas turbine and the HP and LP steam turbines operate concurrently to generate power to the plant. The exhaust gas which originate from the combustion chamber drives the gas turbine, after which it flows into the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to generate superheated steam to be used in driving the HP and LP steam turbines. In this thesis, the combined cycle power plant is modeled at component level using the physical method. Assuming that there is delay in transport, except for the gas turbine system, the mass and heat balances are applied on the components of the plant to derive the governing equations of the components. These time dependent equations, which are of first order differential types, are then solved for the mass and enthalpy of the components. The solutions were simulated using Matlab Simulink using measured plant data. Where necessary there is no plant data available, approximated data were used. The generalized regression neural networks are also used to generate extra sets of simulation data for the HRSG system. Comparisons of the simulation results with its corresponding plant data showed good agreements between the two and indicated that the models developed for the components could be used to represent the combined cycle power plant under study. (author)

Sorption behavior of congo red on different plant leaves (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.I.; Mirza, M.L.; Zafar, S.; Khalid, N.

2011-01-01

Batch adsorption studies were carried out to evaluate the potential of different plant leaves (Bougainvillaea Glabra and Citrus Sinensis) for the removal of Congo red dye from aqueous solution by optimizing different parameters such as effect of shaking time, adsorbent dose, initial adsorbate concentration, temperature etc. The experimental data was subjected to different types of isotherm models such as Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated and was comparable for both the leaves through Freundlich isotherm by using the optimized parameters of weight and time at room temperature. The sorption mean free energy from Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm was also determined and compared. Pseudo-first and Pseudo-second order kinetics models were tested for the adsorption of Congo red on plant leaves powder. The experimental data fitted well for Pseudo-second order model. The uptake of Congo red was also studied with the variation of temperature. Thermodynamic parameters have been calculated. The results indicate that the plant leaves of Bougainvilia Glabra and Citrus Sinensis are efficient adsorbents for Congo red dye from aqueous solutions and can be used for wastewater management. (author)

A simplified model of choice behavior under uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Hung Lin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT has been standardized as a clinical assessment tool (Bechara, 2007. Nonetheless, numerous research groups have attempted to modify IGT models to optimize parameters for predicting the choice behavior of normal controls and patients. A decade ago, most researchers considered the expected utility (EU model (Busemeyer and Stout, 2002 to be the optimal model for predicting choice behavior under uncertainty. However, in recent years, studies have demonstrated the prospect utility (PU models (Ahn et al., 2008 to be more effective than the EU models in the IGT. Nevertheless, after some preliminary tests, we propose that Ahn et al. (2008 PU model is not optimal due to some incompatible results between our behavioral and modeling data. This study aims to modify Ahn et al. (2008 PU model to a simplified model and collected 145 subjects’ IGT performance as the benchmark data for comparison. In our simplified PU model, the best goodness-of-fit was found mostly while α approaching zero. More specifically, we retested the key parameters α, λ , and A in the PU model. Notably, the power of influence of the parameters α, λ, and A has a hierarchical order in terms of manipulating the goodness-of-fit in the PU model. Additionally, we found that the parameters λ and A may be ineffective when the parameter α is close to zero in the PU model. The present simplified model demonstrated that decision makers mostly adopted the strategy of gain-stay-loss-shift rather than foreseeing the long-term outcome. However, there still have other behavioral variables that are not well revealed under these dynamic uncertainty situations. Therefore, the optimal behavioral models may not have been found. In short, the best model for predicting choice behavior under dynamic-uncertainty situations should be further evaluated.

Modeling Architectural Patterns’ Behavior Using Architectural Primitives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waqas Kamal, Ahmad; Avgeriou, Paris

2008-01-01

Architectural patterns have an impact on both the structure and the behavior of a system at the architecture design level. However, it is challenging to model patterns’ behavior in a systematic way because modeling languages do not provide the appropriate abstractions and because each pattern

Invasive plant architecture alters trophic interactions by changing predator abundance and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Dean E

2009-03-01

As primary producers, plants are known to influence higher trophic interactions by initiating food chains. However, as architects, plants may bypass consumers to directly affect predators with important but underappreciated trophic ramifications. Invasion of western North American grasslands by the perennial forb, spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), has fundamentally altered the architecture of native grassland vegetation. Here, I use long-term monitoring, observational studies, and field experiments to document how changes in vegetation architecture have affected native web spider populations and predation rates. Native spiders that use vegetation as web substrates were collectively 38 times more abundant in C. maculosa-invaded grasslands than in uninvaded grasslands. This increase in spider abundance was accompanied by a large shift in web spider community structure, driven primarily by the strong response of Dictyna spiders to C. maculosa invasion. Dictyna densities were 46-74 times higher in C. maculosa-invaded than native grasslands, a pattern that persisted over 6 years of monitoring. C. maculosa also altered Dictyna web building behavior and foraging success. Dictyna webs on C. maculosa were 2.9-4.0 times larger and generated 2.0-2.3 times higher total prey captures than webs on Achillea millefolium, their primary native substrate. Dictyna webs on C. maculosa also captured 4.2 times more large prey items, which are crucial for reproduction. As a result, Dictyna were nearly twice as likely to reproduce on C. maculosa substrates compared to native substrates. The overall outcome of C. maculosa invasion and its transformative effects on vegetation architecture on Dictyna density and web building behavior were to increase Dictyna predation on invertebrate prey >/=89 fold. These results indicate that invasive plants that change the architecture of native vegetation can substantially impact native food webs via nontraditional plant --> predator --> consumer

Tritium behavior pattern in some soil-plant systems in a tropical environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soman, S.D.; Iyengar, T.S.; Sadarangani, S.H.; Vaze, P.K.

1975-01-01

A study of the distribution pattern of tritium in the soil/plant environment gives valuable ecological information on the natural water balance. The results of such a study for the conditions obtaining in India are given in this paper. Field studies are carried out by injection of tritium into some soil/plant systems and following the transfer pathways. The method of extraction for tissue-free-water-tritium (TFWT) is based on the vacuum freeze-drying technique while the tissue-bound-tritium (TBT) is estimated by a modified version of the Shoniger method. The determination of residence time of tritium in aqueous and organic phase in a number of tropical trees has been carried out both for stem-injection as well as intake from the soil. From the results of this study the tree biomass and transpiration rates have been determined. The tritium profile over time, for an acute exposure in certain trees such as Morinda Tinetoria, Achras Sapota etc. shows significantly different patterns compared to the normal pattern shown by Mangifera Indica, Terminalia Catappa, Ficus Glomerata etc. The period of investigation in each case varied from 400 to 1000 h. In most of the cases, the TBT fractions were very low compared to TFWT fractions in the initial stages. The tritium behavior in the tree reflects significant characteristics of the tritium behavior in the soil system. The authors have found that the leaf sampling can be used as an indicator of total environmental tritium behavior. (author)

Strategies of modeling the cognitive tasks of human operators for accident scenarios in nuclear power plant control rooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheon, Se Woo; Sur, Sang Moon; Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Jeong Wun

1993-01-01

This paper presents the development strategies of cognitive task network modeling for accident scenarios in nuclear power plant control rooms. Task network modeling is used to provide useful predictions of operator's performance times and error rates, based upon plant procedures and/or control room changes. Two accident scenarios, small-break loss of coolant accident (LOCA) and steam generator tube rupture (SGTR), are selected for task simulation. To obtain the input data for the model, task elements are extracted by the task analysis of emergency operating procedures. The input data include task performance time, communication ink, panel location, component operating mode, and data for performance shaping factors (PSFs). Operator's verbs are categorized according to the elements of cognitive behavior. The simulation of the task network for the small-break LOCA scenario is presented in this paper. (Author)

Behavior genetics: Bees as model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nates Parra, Guiomar

2011-01-01

The honeybee Apis mellifera (Apidae) is a model widely used in behavior because of its elaborate social life requiring coordinate actions among the members of the society. Within a colony, division of labor, the performance of tasks by different individuals, follows genetically determined physiological changes that go along with aging. Modern advances in tools of molecular biology and genomics, as well as the sequentiation of A. mellifera genome, have enabled a better understanding of honeybee behavior, in particular social behavior. Numerous studies show that aspects of worker behavior are genetically determined, including defensive, hygienic, reproductive and foraging behavior. For example, genetic diversity is associated with specialization to collect water, nectar and pollen. Also, control of worker reproduction is associated with genetic differences. In this paper, I review the methods and the main results from the study of the genetic and genomic basis of some behaviors in bees.

Modeling gravity effects on water retention and gas transport characteristics in plant growth substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deepagoda Thuduwe Kankanamge Kelum, Chamindu; Jones, Scott B.; Tuller, Markus

2014-01-01

utilization to conserve energy and to limit transport costs, native materials mined on Moon or Mars are of primary interest for plant growth media in a future outpost, while terrestrial porous substrates with optimal growth media characteristics will be useful for onboard plant growth during space missions....... Due to limited experimental opportunities and prohibitive costs, liquid and gas behavior in porous substrates under reduced gravity conditions has been less studied and hence remains poorly understood. Based on ground-based measurements, this study examined water retention, oxygen diffusivity and air...... that estimates the gas percolation threshold based on the pore size distribution. The model successfully captured measured data for all investigated media and demonstrated the implications of the poorly-understood shift in gas percolation threshold with improved gas percolation in reduced gravity. Finally, using...

Modeling pedestrian shopping behavior using principles of bounded rationality: model comparison and validation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, W.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

2011-01-01

Models of geographical choice behavior have been dominantly based on rational choice models, which assume that decision makers are utility-maximizers. Rational choice models may be less appropriate as behavioral models when modeling decisions in complex environments in which decision makers may

PLUTONIUM UPTAKE AND BEHAVIOR IN PLANTS OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST: A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caldwell, E.; Duff, M.; Ferguson, C.

2011-03-01

Eight species of desert vegetation and associated soils were collected from the Nevada National Security Site (N2S2) and analyzed for 238Pu and 239+240Pu concentrations. Amongst the plant species sampled were: atmospheric elemental accumulators (moss and lichen), the very slow growing, long-lived creosote bush and the rapidly growing, short-lived cheatgrass brome. The diversity of growth strategies provided insight into the geochemical behavior and bio-availability of Pu at the N2S2. The highest concentrations of Pu were measured in the onion moss (24.27 Bq kg-1 238Pu and 52.78 Bq kg-1 239+240Pu) followed by the rimmed navel lichen (8.18 Bq kg-1 and 18.4 Bq kg-1 respectively), pointing to the importance of eolian transport of Pu. Brome and desert globemallow accumulated between 3 and 9 times higher concentrations of Pu than creosote and sage brush species. These results support the importance of species specific elemental accumulation strategies rather than exposure duration as the dominant variable influencing Pu concentrations in these plants. Total vegetation elemental concentrations of Ce, Fe, Al, Sm and others were also analyzed. Strong correlations were observed between Fe and Pu. This supports the conclusion that Pu was accumulated as a consequence of the active accumulation of Fe and other plant required nutrients. Cerium and Pu are considered to be chemical analogs. Strong correlations observed in plants support the conclusion that these elements displayed similar geochemical behavior in the environment as it related to the biochemical uptake process of vegetation. Soils were also sampled in association with vegetation samples. This allowed for the calculation of a concentration ratio (CR). The CR values for Pu in plants were highly influenced by the heterogeneity of Pu distribution among sites. Results from the naturally occurring elements of concern were more evenly distributed between sample sites. This allowed for the development of a pattern of plant

Gambling and the Reasoned Action Model: Predicting Past Behavior, Intentions, and Future Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahl, Ethan; Tagler, Michael J; Hohman, Zachary P

2018-03-01

Gambling is a serious concern for society because it is highly addictive and is associated with a myriad of negative outcomes. The current study applied the Reasoned Action Model (RAM) to understand and predict gambling intentions and behavior. Although prior studies have taken a reasoned action approach to understand gambling, no prior study has fully applied the RAM or used the RAM to predict future gambling. Across two studies the RAM was used to predict intentions to gamble, past gambling behavior, and future gambling behavior. In study 1 the model significantly predicted intentions and past behavior in both a college student and Amazon Mechanical Turk sample. In study 2 the model predicted future gambling behavior, measured 2 weeks after initial measurement of the RAM constructs. This study stands as the first to show the utility of the RAM in predicting future gambling behavior. Across both studies, attitudes and perceived normative pressure were the strongest predictors of intentions to gamble. These findings provide increased understanding of gambling and inform the development of gambling interventions based on the RAM.

Understanding selected trace elements behavior in a coal-fired power plant in Malaysia for assessment of abatement technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtar, Mutahharah M; Taib, Rozainee M; Hassim, Mimi H

2014-08-01

The Proposed New Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulation 201X (Draft), which replaces the Malaysia Environmental Quality (Clean Air) 1978, specifies limits to additional pollutants from power generation using fossil fuel. The new pollutants include Hg, HCl, and HF with limits of 0.03, 100, and 15 mg/N-m3 at 6% O2, respectively. These pollutants are normally present in very small concentrations (known as trace elements [TEs]), and hence are often neglected in environmental air quality monitoring in Malaysia. Following the enactment of the new regulation, it is now imperative to understand the TEs behavior and to assess the capability of the existing abatement technologies to comply with the new emission limits. This paper presents the comparison of TEs behavior of the most volatile (Hg, Cl, F) and less volatile (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Ni, Se, Pb) elements in subbituminous and bituminous coal and coal combustion products (CCP) (i.e., fly ash and bottom ash) from separate firing of subbituminous and bituminous coal in a coal-fired power plant in Malaysia. The effect of air pollution control devices configuration in removal of TEs was also investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of abatement technologies used in the plant. This study showed that subbituminous and bituminous coals and their CCPs have different TEs behavior. It is speculated that ash content could be a factor for such diverse behavior In addition, the type of coal and the concentrations of TEs in feed coal were to some extent influenced by the emission of TEs in flue gas. The electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and seawater flue gas desulfurization (FGD) used in the studied coal-fired power plant were found effective in removing TEs in particulate and vapor form, respectively, as well as complying with the new specified emission limits. Implications: Coals used by power plants in Peninsular Malaysia come from the same supplier (Tenaga Nasional Berhad Fuel Services), which is a subsidiary of the Malaysia

Detailed modelling of a flue-gas desulfurisation plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomez, A.; Fueyo, N.; Tomas, A. [University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza (Spain)

2007-11-15

This paper presents a CFD model for a flue-gas desulfurisation plant, and its application to an operating plant. The FGD plant is of the wet-scrubber type, with co-current and counter-current sections. The sorbent used is limestone, and, after cleaning the flue gases, the limestone slurry is collected in an oxidation tank for the production of gypsum. The model uses an Eulerian-Eulerian treatment of the multiphase flow in the absorber and the tank. The essential mass-transfer mechanisms (such as SO{sub 2} and O{sub 2} absorption and CO{sub 2} desorption) are accounted for, as are also the main chemical kinetics leading to the formation of gypsum. Given the different nature of the flow in the absorber and tank, two separate simulations are conducted for each of these domains, and the solutions are iteratively coupled through boundary conditions during the calculations. The model is applied to the FGD plant of the Teruel powerstation located in Andorra (Teruel, Spain). The powerstation is fired with a high-sulfur coal (up to 4.5 percent), and the FGD system has been designed for a desulfurisation capacity of 1.4 million N m{sup 3}/hr for a desulfurisation efficiency in excess of 90 percent. Validation of the model is conducted by comparison with available plant data for two design coals and two desulfurisation efficiencies. The model accuracy is reasonable, given the complexity of the aero/hydrodynamical and thermo-chemical phenomena involved.

Environmental Behavior and Fate of Explosives in Groundwater from the Milan Army Ammunition Plant in Aquatic and Wetland Plants. Fate of TNT and RDX

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Best, Elly

1998-01-01

The present study was performed to elucidate the environmental behavior and fate of TNT and RDX in aquatic and wetland plants collected from a field-scale wetland demonstration deployed at Milan Army...

A Conceptual Model of Leisure-Time Choice Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergier, Michel J.

1981-01-01

Methods of studying the gap between predisposition and actual behavior of consumers of spectator sports is discussed. A model is drawn from the areas of behavioral sciences, consumer behavior, and leisure research. The model is constructed around the premise that choice is primarily a function of personal, product, and environmental factors. (JN)

Understanding Dynamic Model Validation of a Wind Turbine Generator and a Wind Power Plant: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muljadi, Eduard; Zhang, Ying Chen; Gevorgian, Vahan; Kosterev, Dmitry

2016-09-01

Regional reliability organizations require power plants to validate the dynamic models that represent them to ensure that power systems studies are performed to the best representation of the components installed. In the process of validating a wind power plant (WPP), one must be cognizant of the parameter settings of the wind turbine generators (WTGs) and the operational settings of the WPP. Validating the dynamic model of a WPP is required to be performed periodically. This is because the control parameters of the WTGs and the other supporting components within a WPP may be modified to comply with new grid codes or upgrades to the WTG controller with new capabilities developed by the turbine manufacturers or requested by the plant owners or operators. The diversity within a WPP affects the way we represent it in a model. Diversity within a WPP may be found in the way the WTGs are controlled, the wind resource, the layout of the WPP (electrical diversity), and the type of WTGs used. Each group of WTGs constitutes a significant portion of the output power of the WPP, and their unique and salient behaviors should be represented individually. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the process of dynamic model validations of WTGs and WPPs, the available data recorded that must be screened before it is used for the dynamic validations, and the assumptions made in the dynamic models of the WTG and WPP that must be understood. Without understanding the correct process, the validations may lead to the wrong representations of the WTG and WPP modeled.

Polymer models with optimal good-solvent behavior

Science.gov (United States)

D'Adamo, Giuseppe; Pelissetto, Andrea

2017-11-01

We consider three different continuum polymer models, which all depend on a tunable parameter r that determines the strength of the excluded-volume interactions. In the first model, chains are obtained by concatenating hard spherocylinders of height b and diameter rb (we call them thick self-avoiding chains). The other two models are generalizations of the tangent hard-sphere and of the Kremer-Grest models. We show that for a specific value r* , all models show optimal behavior: asymptotic long-chain behavior is observed for relatively short chains. For r < r* , instead, the behavior can be parametrized by using the two-parameter model, which also describes the thermal crossover close to the θ point. The bonds of the thick self-avoiding chains cannot cross each other, and therefore the model is suited for the investigation of topological properties and for dynamical studies. Such a model also provides a coarse-grained description of double-stranded DNA, so that we can use our results to discuss under which conditions DNA can be considered as a model good-solvent polymer.

Using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction to Understand College Students' STI Testing Beliefs, Intentions, and Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wombacher, Kevin; Dai, Minhao; Matig, Jacob J; Harrington, Nancy Grant

2018-03-22

To identify salient behavioral determinants related to STI testing among college students by testing a model based on the integrative model of behavioral (IMBP) prediction. 265 undergraduate students from a large university in the Southeastern US. Formative and survey research to test an IMBP-based model that explores the relationships between determinants and STI testing intention and behavior. Results of path analyses supported a model in which attitudinal beliefs predicted intention and intention predicted behavior. Normative beliefs and behavioral control beliefs were not significant in the model; however, select individual normative and control beliefs were significantly correlated with intention and behavior. Attitudinal beliefs are the strongest predictor of STI testing intention and behavior. Future efforts to increase STI testing rates should identify and target salient attitudinal beliefs.

Model of Collective Fish Behavior with Hydrodynamic Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Filella, Audrey; Nadal, François; Sire, Clément; Kanso, Eva; Eloy, Christophe

2018-05-01

Fish schooling is often modeled with self-propelled particles subject to phenomenological behavioral rules. Although fish are known to sense and exploit flow features, these models usually neglect hydrodynamics. Here, we propose a novel model that couples behavioral rules with far-field hydrodynamic interactions. We show that (1) a new "collective turning" phase emerges, (2) on average, individuals swim faster thanks to the fluid, and (3) the flow enhances behavioral noise. The results of this model suggest that hydrodynamic effects should be considered to fully understand the collective dynamics of fish.

Construction of scales to measure leadership behavior at nuclear power plants. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misumi, Jyuji; Yamada, Akira; Shinohara, Shinobu

1994-01-01

In order to construct scales to measure leadership behavior of managers and supervisors at nuclear power plants, we prepared questionnaire covering all the leadership behaviors of leaders and then had their subordinates fill out the questionnaire. We selected questionnaire items for use in measuring leadership behaviors, analyzing the responses by means of factor analysis, etc. For the section chiefs, five factors were named, i.e., 'consideration' and 'self-righteousness' that belong to group maintenance behavior and 'thorough dissemination of information', 'specialty, planning' and 'pressure' that belong to goal achievement behavior. For the maintenance subsection chiefs were found seven factors, i.e., 'example setting', 'appropriate handling of work', 'planning', 'rigidity', 'educational guidance' that belong to goal achievement behavior and 'consideration for work' and 'personal consideration' that belong to group maintenance behavior. For maintenance and repair foremen were named six factors, i.e., 'consideration' that belongs to group maintenance behavior and 'specialty, planning', 'reporting, liaison', 'adjustment, rigidity', 'paper work confirmation', and 'example setting' that belong to goal achievement behavior. For subcontractors' field leaders were named seven factors, i.e., 'example setting, specialty and planning', 'careful guidance', 'rigidity', 'observance of rules' and 'paper work handling' that belong to goal achievement behavior and, 'consideration', 'frank communication'. In order to examine the validity of these items, we analyzed relationship between the 'morale'-(satisfaction, etc.) variables of the company's regular employees and subcontractors' employees and their leadership. It was found that the three leadership behavior scales for the section chiefs, maintenance and repair subsection chiefs and subcontractor leaders were very much the same as those found in private sector. (J.P.N.)

Construction of scales to measure leadership behavior at nuclear power plants. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Misumi, Jyuji; Yamada, Akira [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Kyoto (Japan); Shinohara, Shinobu [and others

1994-05-01

In order to construct scales to measure leadership behavior of managers and supervisors at nuclear power plants, we prepared questionnaire covering all the leadership behaviors of leaders and then had their subordinates fill out the questionnaire. We selected questionnaire items for use in measuring leadership behaviors, analyzing the responses by means of factor analysis, etc. For the section chiefs, five factors were named, i.e., `consideration` and `self-righteousness` that belong to group maintenance behavior and `thorough dissemination of information`, `specialty, planning` and `pressure` that belong to goal achievement behavior. For the maintenance subsection chiefs were found seven factors, i.e., `example setting`, `appropriate handling of work`, `planning`, `rigidity`, `educational guidance` that belong to goal achievement behavior and `consideration for work` and `personal consideration` that belong to group maintenance behavior. For maintenance and repair foremen were named six factors, i.e., `consideration` that belongs to group maintenance behavior and `specialty, planning`, `reporting, liaison`, `adjustment, rigidity`, `paper work confirmation`, and `example setting` that belong to goal achievement behavior. For subcontractors` field leaders were named seven factors, i.e., `example setting, specialty and planning`, `careful guidance`, `rigidity`, `observance of rules` and `paper work handling` that belong to goal achievement behavior and, `consideration`, `frank communication`. In order to examine the validity of these items, we analyzed relationship between the `morale`-(satisfaction, etc.) variables of the company`s regular employees and subcontractors` employees and their leadership. It was found that the three leadership behavior scales for the section chiefs, maintenance and repair subsection chiefs and subcontractor leaders were very much the same as those found in private sector. (J.P.N.)

The SEM Risk Behavior (SRB) Model: A New Conceptual Model of how Pornography Influences the Sexual Intentions and HIV Risk Behavior of MSM.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkerson, J Michael; Iantaffi, Alex; Smolenski, Derek J; Brady, Sonya S; Horvath, Keith J; Grey, Jeremy A; Rosser, B R Simon

2012-01-01

While the effects of sexually explicit media (SEM) on heterosexuals' sexual intentions and behaviors have been studied, little is known about the consumption and possible influence of SEM among men who have sex with men (MSM). Importantly, conceptual models of how Internet-based SEM influences behavior are lacking. Seventy-nine MSM participated in online focus groups about their SEM viewing preferences and sexual behavior. Twenty-three participants reported recent exposure to a new behavior via SEM. Whether participants modified their sexual intentions and/or engaged in the new behavior depended on three factors: arousal when imagining the behavior, pleasure when attempting the behavior, and trust between sex partners. Based on MSM's experience, we advance a model of how viewing a new sexual behavior in SEM influences sexual intentions and behaviors. The model includes five paths. Three paths result in the maintenance of sexual intentions and behaviors. One path results in a modification of sexual intentions while maintaining previous sexual behaviors, and one path results in a modification of both sexual intentions and behaviors. With this model, researchers have a framework to test associations between SEM consumption and sexual intentions and behavior, and public health programs have a framework to conceptualize SEM-based HIV/STI prevention programs.

Plant-Level Modeling and Simulation of Used Nuclear Fuel Dissolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

de Almeida, Valmor F. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2012-09-07

Plant-level modeling and simulation of a used nuclear fuel prototype dissolver is presented. Emphasis is given in developing a modeling and simulation approach to be explored by other processes involved in the recycle of used fuel. The commonality concepts presented in a previous communication were used to create a model and realize its software module. An initial model was established based on a theory of chemical thermomechanical network transport outlined previously. A software module prototype was developed with the required external behavior and internal mathematical structure. Results obtained demonstrate the generality of the design approach and establish an extensible mathematical model with its corresponding software module for a wide range of dissolvers. Scale up numerical tests were made varying the type of used fuel (breeder and light-water reactors) and the capacity of dissolution (0.5 t/d to 1.7 t/d). These tests were motivated by user requirements in the area of nuclear materials safeguards. A computer module written in high-level programing languages (MATLAB and Octave) was developed, tested, and provided as open-source code (MATLAB) for integration into the Separations and Safeguards Performance Model application in development at Sandia National Laboratories. The modeling approach presented here is intended to serve as a template for a rational modeling of all plant-level modules. This will facilitate the practical application of the commonality features underlying the unifying network transport theory proposed recently. In addition, by example, this model describes, explicitly, the needed data from sub-scale models, and logical extensions for future model development. For example, from thermodynamics, an off-line simulation of molecular dynamics could quantify partial molar volumes for the species in the liquid phase; this simulation is currently at reach for high-performance computing. From fluid mechanics, a hold-up capacity function is needed

Modeling detour behavior of pedestrian dynamics under different conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Yunchao; Xiao, Yao; Wu, Jianjun; Tang, Tao; Gao, Ziyou

2018-02-01

Pedestrian simulation approach has been widely used to reveal the human behavior and evaluate the performance of crowd evacuation. In the existing pedestrian simulation models, the social force model is capable of predicting many collective phenomena. Detour behavior occurs in many cases, and the important behavior is a dominate factor of the crowd evacuation efficiency. However, limited attention has been attracted for analyzing and modeling the characteristics of detour behavior. In this paper, a modified social force model integrated by Voronoi diagram is proposed to calculate the detour direction and preferred velocity. Besides, with the consideration of locations and velocities of neighbor pedestrians, a Logit-based choice model is built to describe the detour direction choice. The proposed model is applied to analyze pedestrian dynamics in a corridor scenario with either unidirectional or bidirectional flow, and a building scenario in real-world. Simulation results show that the modified social force model including detour behavior could reduce the frequency of collision and deadlock, increase the average speed of the crowd, and predict more practical crowd dynamics with detour behavior. This model can also be potentially applied to understand the pedestrian dynamics and design emergent management strategies for crowd evacuations.

Contribution to the simulation of the behavior of containment buildings in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jason, Ludovic

2016-01-01

In this document, containment buildings of nuclear power plants in reinforced and prestressed concrete are studied. The mechanical behavior is first investigated. It includes studies at different scales, from the industrial scale at which it is difficult to obtain detailed information about the crack openings, to the structural scale at which it becomes possible to develop more refined approaches (steel-concrete bond, modeling of the different heterogeneities, constitutive models for concrete,...). When it is possible, the developments are based on the combination between modeling, simulation and experiments. A new steel-concrete bond model is especially developed. Its interest, compared to the classical 'perfect bond' hypothesis is particularly discussed. An adaptive condensation technique is finally proposed to bridge the gap between the scale of the containment and the scale of Structural Representative Volumes. As the tightness of the containment buildings is related to the fluid flow through concrete, two approaches are proposed and compared. The first one is based on a chained hydro mechanical simulation and tends to show that the mechanical damage is only influent when it crosses the whole concrete section. In this case, a localized approach is preferred from which a reference crack opening is defined. (author) [fr

Is running away right? The behavioral activation-behavioral inhibition model of anterior asymmetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wacker, Jan; Chavanon, Mira-Lynn; Leue, Anja; Stemmler, Gerhard

2008-04-01

The measurement of anterior electroencephalograph (EEG) asymmetries has become an important standard paradigm for the investigation of affective states and traits. Findings in this area are typically interpreted within the motivational direction model, which suggests a lateralization of approach and withdrawal motivational systems to the left and right anterior region, respectively. However, efforts to compare this widely adopted model with an alternative account-which relates the left anterior region to behavioral activation independent of the direction of behavior (approach or withdrawal) and the right anterior region to goal conflict-induced behavioral inhibition-are rare and inconclusive. Therefore, the authors measured the EEG in a sample of 93 young men during emotional imagery designed to provide a critical test between the 2 models. The results (e.g., a correlation between left anterior activation and withdrawal motivation) favor the alternative model on the basis of the concepts of behavioral activation and behavioral inhibition. In addition, the present study also supports an association of right parietal activation with physiological arousal and the conceptualization of parietal EEG asymmetry as a mediator of emotion-related physiological arousal. (Copyright) 2008 APA.

Development and validation of a heuristic model for evaluation of the team performance of operators in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sa Kil; Byun, Seong Nam; Lee, Dhong Hoon

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We develop an estimation model for evaluation of the team performance of MCR. → To build the model, we extract team performance factors through reviewing literatures and identifying behavior markers. → We validate that the model is adaptable to the advanced MCR of nuclear power plants. → As a result, we find that the model is a systematic and objective to measure team performance. - Abstract: The global concerns about safety in the digital technology of the main control room (MCR) are growing as domestic and foreign nuclear power plants are developed with computerized control facilities and human-system interfaces. In a narrow space, the digital technology contributes to a control room environment, which can facilitate the acquisition of all the information needed for operation. Thus, although an individual performance of the advanced MCR can be further improved; there is a limit in expecting an improvement in team performance. The team performance depends on organic coherence as a whole team rather than on the knowledge and skill of an individual operator. Moreover, a good team performance improves communication between and within teams in an efficient manner, and then it can be conducive to addressing unsafe conditions. Respecting this, it is important and necessary to develop methodological technology for the evaluation of operators' teamwork or collaboration, thus enhancing operational performance in nuclear power plant at the MCR. The objectives of this research are twofold: to develop a systematic methodology for evaluation of the team performance of MCR operators in consideration of advanced MCR characteristics, and to validate that the methodology is adaptable to the advanced MCR of nuclear power plants. In order to achieve these two objectives, first, team performance factors were extracted through literature reviews and methodological study concerning team performance theories. Second, the team performance factors were identified and

Development of Behavioral Indicators of Competences for Safety Culture of Nuclear Power Plants: A Preliminary Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Kwangsu; Kim, Sa Kil; Oh, Yeon Ju; Shin, Youmin; Lee, Yong-Hee; Jang, Tong Il

2015-01-01

The term of safety competency in nuclear field was presented in the OECD/NEA workshop held in 1999. A model of the safety culture competencies in nuclear power plants was developed by KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). In general, a competency (competence) is defined as 'cluster of employee's attribute, knowledge, skill, ability or other characteristic that contributes to successful job performance'. We also defined safety culture competency as 'cluster of various internal characteristics (e.g., knowledge, skill, ability, motive, attitude and etc.) of employee that contribute to perform job safely and shape a healthy and strong safety culture.' By this definition, the safety culture competency is the broader construct including job competency. An employee having high level of safety culture competency shows extra discretionary effort to improve safety of peer, team and organization in addition to the individual's successful and safe job accomplishment. The behavioral indicators for each of the competencies are focal points of conversations on progress and are monitored continuously by self-assessment and managers or supervisors' intervention. Deficiencies in any of these indicators can point to coaching, training or other learning opportunities that employees may be required in order to improve. The purpose of this study was to derive a model of safety competencies for improving safety culture of NPPs and develop a set of behavioral indicators of each competency. In addition, the method of measuring behavioral indicators was suggested. For the application of developed safety culture competences and behavioral indicators, the most suitable measuring method for behavioral indicators must be developed. In the case of behavioral observations, behavioral dimensions (frequency, persistence and latency), observation possibility, occurrence basis of behavior (daily job performance, situational dependent) are considered to

Development of Behavioral Indicators of Competences for Safety Culture of Nuclear Power Plants: A Preliminary Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Kwangsu; Kim, Sa Kil; Oh, Yeon Ju; Shin, Youmin; Lee, Yong-Hee; Jang, Tong Il [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The term of safety competency in nuclear field was presented in the OECD/NEA workshop held in 1999. A model of the safety culture competencies in nuclear power plants was developed by KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). In general, a competency (competence) is defined as 'cluster of employee's attribute, knowledge, skill, ability or other characteristic that contributes to successful job performance'. We also defined safety culture competency as 'cluster of various internal characteristics (e.g., knowledge, skill, ability, motive, attitude and etc.) of employee that contribute to perform job safely and shape a healthy and strong safety culture.' By this definition, the safety culture competency is the broader construct including job competency. An employee having high level of safety culture competency shows extra discretionary effort to improve safety of peer, team and organization in addition to the individual's successful and safe job accomplishment. The behavioral indicators for each of the competencies are focal points of conversations on progress and are monitored continuously by self-assessment and managers or supervisors' intervention. Deficiencies in any of these indicators can point to coaching, training or other learning opportunities that employees may be required in order to improve. The purpose of this study was to derive a model of safety competencies for improving safety culture of NPPs and develop a set of behavioral indicators of each competency. In addition, the method of measuring behavioral indicators was suggested. For the application of developed safety culture competences and behavioral indicators, the most suitable measuring method for behavioral indicators must be developed. In the case of behavioral observations, behavioral dimensions (frequency, persistence and latency), observation possibility, occurrence basis of behavior (daily job performance, situational dependent) are considered to

A Conceptual Model of Investor Behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Lovric (Milan); U. Kaymak (Uzay); J. Spronk (Jaap)

2008-01-01

textabstractBased on a survey of behavioral finance literature, this paper presents a descriptive model of individual investor behavior in which investment decisions are seen as an iterative process of interactions between the investor and the investment environment. This investment process is

Stochastic models of cellular circadian rhythms in plants help to understand the impact of noise on robustness and clock structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Luisa eGuerriero

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Rhythmic behavior is essential for plants; for example, daily (circadian rhythms control photosynthesis and seasonal rhythms regulate their life cycle. The core of the circadian clock is a genetic network that coordinates the expression of specific clock genes in a circadian rhythm reflecting the 24-hour day/night cycle.Circadian clocks exhibit stochastic noise due to the low copy numbers of clock genes and the consequent cell-to-cell variation: this intrinsic noise plays a major role in circadian clocks by inducing more robust oscillatory behavior. Another source of noise is the environment, which causes variation in temperature and light intensity: this extrinsic noise is part of the requirement for the structural complexity of clock networks.Advances in experimental techniques now permit single-cell measurements and the development of single-cell models. Here we present some modeling studies showing the importance of considering both types of noise in understanding how plants adapt to regular and irregular light variations. Stochastic models have proven useful for understanding the effect of regular variations. By contrast, the impact of irregular variations and the interaction of different noise sources are less studied.

Models of iodine behavior in reactor containments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, C.F.; Beahm, E.C.; Kress, T.S.

1992-10-01

Models are developed for many phenomena of interest concerning iodine behavior in reactor containments during severe accidents. Processes include speciation in both gas and liquid phases, reactions with surfaces, airborne aerosols, and other materials, and gas-liquid interface behavior. Although some models are largely empirical formulations, every effort has been made to construct mechanistic and rigorous descriptions of relevant chemical processes. All are based on actual experimental data generated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) or elsewhere, and, hence, considerable data evaluation and parameter estimation are contained in this study. No application or encoding is attempted, but each model is stated in terms of rate processes, with the intention of allowing mechanistic simulation. Taken together, this collection of models represents a best estimate iodine behavior and transport in reactor accidents.

Models of iodine behavior in reactor containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, C.F.; Beahm, E.C.; Kress, T.S.

1992-10-01

Models are developed for many phenomena of interest concerning iodine behavior in reactor containments during severe accidents. Processes include speciation in both gas and liquid phases, reactions with surfaces, airborne aerosols, and other materials, and gas-liquid interface behavior. Although some models are largely empirical formulations, every effort has been made to construct mechanistic and rigorous descriptions of relevant chemical processes. All are based on actual experimental data generated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) or elsewhere, and, hence, considerable data evaluation and parameter estimation are contained in this study. No application or encoding is attempted, but each model is stated in terms of rate processes, with the intention of allowing mechanistic simulation. Taken together, this collection of models represents a best estimate iodine behavior and transport in reactor accidents

Application of 3-dimensional CAD modeling system in nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suwa, Minoru; Saito, Shunji; Nobuhiro, Minoru

1990-01-01

Until now, the preliminary work for mutual components in nuclear plant were readied by using plastic models. Recently with the development of computer graphic techniques, we can display the components on the graphics terminal, better than with use of plastic model and actual plants. The computer model can be handled, both telescopically and microscopically. A computer technique called 3-dimensional CAD modeling system was used as the preliminary work and design system. Through application of this system, database for nuclear plants was completed in arrangement step. The data can be used for piping design, stress analysis, shop production, testing and site construction, in all steps. In addition, the data can be used for various planning works, even after starting operation of plant. This paper describes the outline of the 3-dimensional CAD modeling system. (author)

Dynamic plant uptake model applied for drip irrigation of an insecticide to pepper fruit plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Legind, Charlotte N; Kennedy, Coleen M; Rein, Arno; Snyder, Nathan; Trapp, Stefan

2011-05-01

Drip application of insecticides is an effective way to deliver the chemical to the plant that avoids off-site movement via spray drift and minimizes applicator exposure. The aim of this paper is to present a cascade model for the uptake of pesticide into plants following drip irrigation, its application for a soil-applied insecticide and a sensitivity analysis of the model parameters. The model predicted the measured increase and decline of residues following two soil applications of an insecticide to peppers, with an absolute error between model and measurement ranging from 0.002 to 0.034 mg kg fw(-1). Maximum measured concentrations in pepper fruit were approximately 0.22 mg kg fw(-1). Temperature was the most sensitive component for predicting the peak and final concentration in pepper fruit, through its influence on soil and plant degradation rates. Repeated simulations of pulse inputs with the cascade model adequately describe soil pesticide applications to an actual cropped system and reasonably mimic it. The model has the potential to be used for the optimization of practical features, such as application rates and waiting times between applications and before harvest, through the integrated accounting of soil, plant and environmental influences. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Logic-based hierarchies for modeling behavior of complex dynamic systems with applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Y.S.; Modarres, M.

2000-01-01

Most complex systems are best represented in the form of a hierarchy. The Goal Tree Success Tree and Master Logic Diagram (GTST-MLD) are proven powerful hierarchic methods to represent complex snap-shot of plant knowledge. To represent dynamic behaviors of complex systems, fuzzy logic is applied to replace binary logic to extend the power of GTST-MLD. Such a fuzzy-logic-based hierarchy is called Dynamic Master Logic Diagram (DMLD). This chapter discusses comparison of the use of GTST-DMLD when applied as a modeling tool for systems whose relationships are modeled by either physical, binary logical or fuzzy logical relationships. This is shown by applying GTST-DMLD to the Direct Containment Heating (DCH) phenomenon at pressurized water reactors which is an important safety issue being addressed by the nuclear industry. (orig.)

An integrative model of organizational safety behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Lin; Fan, Di; Fu, Gui; Zhu, Cherrie Jiuhua

2013-06-01

This study develops an integrative model of safety management based on social cognitive theory and the total safety culture triadic framework. The purpose of the model is to reveal the causal linkages between a hazardous environment, safety climate, and individual safety behaviors. Based on primary survey data from 209 front-line workers in one of the largest state-owned coal mining corporations in China, the model is tested using structural equation modeling techniques. An employee's perception of a hazardous environment is found to have a statistically significant impact on employee safety behaviors through a psychological process mediated by the perception of management commitment to safety and individual beliefs about safety. The integrative model developed here leads to a comprehensive solution that takes into consideration the environmental, organizational and employees' psychological and behavioral aspects of safety management. Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Basic study of the plant maintenance model considering plant improvement/modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsumaya, Akira; Inoue, Kazuya; Mochizuki, Masahito; Wakamatsu, Hidefumi; Arai, Eiji

2007-01-01

This paper proposes a maintenance activity model that considers not only routine maintenance activity but also functional maintenance including improvement/modification. Required maintenance types are categorized, and limitation of Activity Domain Integration Diagram (ADID) proposed by ISO18435 are discussed based on framework for life cycle maintenance management of manufacturing assets. Then, we proposed extension ADID model for plant maintenance activity model considering functional improvement/modification. (author)

Host Selection Behavior and the Fecundity of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on Multiple Host Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bin; Shi, Zhanghong; Hou, Youming

2014-01-01

Abstract Insect herbivores often have higher densities on host plants grown in monocultures than those in diverse environments. The underlying mechanisms are thought to be that polyphagous insects have difficulty in selecting food or oviposition sites when multiple host plants exist. However, this hypothesis needs to be extensively investigated. Our field experiments revealed that the population of the diamondback moths, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), significantly decreased in a mixed cropping field compared with a monoculture. To determine the reasons for the reduction in population in the mixed cropping field, the takeoff behavior and fecundity of females in no-choice and free-choice laboratory environments were compared by video recordings of host selection by P. xylostella . Adults displayed a significantly higher takeoff frequency in free-choice environments than those in no-choice treatments and preferred landing on Brassica campestris (L.) or Brassica juncea (Coss) plants in contrast with Brassica oleracea (L.). Female adults in the free-choice environment also laid fewer eggs compared with the monoculture. Olfaction experiments demonstrated orientation by P. xylostella to host volatiles when presented with a choice between plant odors and clean air, but females showed no preference when odors from three Brassicaceae species were presented simultaneously. We conclude that mixed cropping alters the host-finding behavior of P. xylostella resulting in reduced oviposition. PMID:25527573

A multiple-compartment model for biokinetics studies in plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Fermin; Pietrobron, Flavio; Fonseca, Agnes M.F.; Mol, Anderson W.; Rodriguez, Oscar; Guzman, Fernando

2001-01-01

In the present work is used the system of linear equations based in the general Assimakopoulos's GMCM model , for the development of a new method that will determine the flow's parameters and transfer coefficients in plants. The need of mathematical models to quantify the penetration of a trace substance in animals and plants, has often been stressed in the literature. Usually, in radiological environment studies, it is used the mean value of contaminant concentrations on whole or edible part plant body, without taking in account vegetable physiology regularities. In this work concepts and mathematical formulation of a Vegetable Multi-compartment Model (VMCM), taking into account the plant's physiology regularities is presented. The model based in general ideas of the GMCM , and statistical Square Minimum Method STATFLUX is proposed to use in inverse sense: the experimental time dependence of concentration in each compartment, should be input, and the parameters should be determined from this data in a statistical approach. The case of Uranium metabolism is discussed. (author)

Functional diversity of microbial decomposers facilitates plant coexistence in a plant-microbe-soil feedback model.

Science.gov (United States)

Miki, Takeshi; Ushio, Masayuki; Fukui, Shin; Kondoh, Michio

2010-08-10

Theory and empirical evidence suggest that plant-soil feedback (PSF) determines the structure of a plant community and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The plant community alters the nutrient pool size in soil by affecting litter decomposition processes, which in turn shapes the plant community, forming a PSF system. However, the role of microbial decomposers in PSF function is often overlooked, and it remains unclear whether decomposers reinforce or weaken litter-mediated plant control over nutrient cycling. Here, we present a theoretical model incorporating the functional diversity of both plants and microbial decomposers. Two fundamental microbial processes are included that control nutrient mineralization from plant litter: (i) assimilation of mineralized nutrient into the microbial biomass (microbial immobilization), and (ii) release of the microbial nutrients into the inorganic nutrient pool (net mineralization). With this model, we show that microbial diversity may act as a buffer that weakens plant control over the soil nutrient pool, reversing the sign of PSF from positive to negative and facilitating plant coexistence. This is explained by the decoupling of litter decomposability and nutrient pool size arising from a flexible change in the microbial community composition and decomposition processes in response to variations in plant litter decomposability. Our results suggest that the microbial community plays a central role in PSF function and the plant community structure. Furthermore, the results strongly imply that the plant-centered view of nutrient cycling should be changed to a plant-microbe-soil feedback system, by incorporating the community ecology of microbial decomposers and their functional diversity.

Wind Plant Models in IEC 61400-27-2 and WECC - latest developments in international standards on wind turbine and wind plant modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fortmann, Jens; Miller, Nicholas; Kazachkov, Yuri

2015-01-01

This paper describes the latest developments in the standardization of wind plant and wind plant controller models. As a first step IEC TC88 WG 27 and WECC jointly developed generic wind turbine models which have been published by WECC in 2014 and IEC in 2015 as IEC 61400-27-1, which also include...

Economical analyses of build-operate-transfer model in establishing alternative power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yumurtaci, Zehra [Yildiz Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Y.T.U. Mak. Fak. Mak. Muh. Bolumu, Besiktas, 34349 Istanbul (Turkey)]. E-mail: zyumur@yildiz.edu.tr; Erdem, Hasan Hueseyin [Yildiz Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Y.T.U. Mak. Fak. Mak. Muh. Bolumu, Besiktas, 34349 Istanbul (Turkey)

2007-01-15

The most widely employed method to meet the increasing electricity demand is building new power plants. The most important issue in building new power plants is to find financial funds. Various models are employed, especially in developing countries, in order to overcome this problem and to find a financial source. One of these models is the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. In this model, the investor raises all the funds for mandatory expenses and provides financing, builds the plant and, after a certain plant operation period, transfers the plant to the national power organization. In this model, the object is to decrease the burden of power plants on the state budget. The most important issue in the BOT model is the dependence of the unit electricity cost on the transfer period. In this study, the model giving the unit electricity cost depending on the transfer of the plants established according to the BOT model, has been discussed. Unit electricity investment cost and unit electricity cost in relation to transfer period for plant types have been determined. Furthermore, unit electricity cost change depending on load factor, which is one of the parameters affecting annual electricity production, has been determined, and the results have been analyzed. This method can be employed for comparing the production costs of different plants that are planned to be established according to the BOT model, or it can be employed to determine the appropriateness of the BOT model.

Economical analyses of build-operate-transfer model in establishing alternative power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yumurtaci, Zehra; Erdem, Hasan Hueseyin

2007-01-01

The most widely employed method to meet the increasing electricity demand is building new power plants. The most important issue in building new power plants is to find financial funds. Various models are employed, especially in developing countries, in order to overcome this problem and to find a financial source. One of these models is the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. In this model, the investor raises all the funds for mandatory expenses and provides financing, builds the plant and, after a certain plant operation period, transfers the plant to the national power organization. In this model, the object is to decrease the burden of power plants on the state budget. The most important issue in the BOT model is the dependence of the unit electricity cost on the transfer period. In this study, the model giving the unit electricity cost depending on the transfer of the plants established according to the BOT model, has been discussed. Unit electricity investment cost and unit electricity cost in relation to transfer period for plant types have been determined. Furthermore, unit electricity cost change depending on load factor, which is one of the parameters affecting annual electricity production, has been determined, and the results have been analyzed. This method can be employed for comparing the production costs of different plants that are planned to be established according to the BOT model, or it can be employed to determine the appropriateness of the BOT model

Experiment research on cognition reliability model of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Bingquan; Fang Xiang

1999-01-01

The objective of the paper is to improve the reliability of operation on real nuclear power plant of operators through the simulation research to the cognition reliability of nuclear power plant operators. The research method of the paper is to make use of simulator of nuclear power plant as research platform, to take present international research model of reliability of human cognition based on three-parameter Weibull distribution for reference, to develop and get the research model of Chinese nuclear power plant operators based on two-parameter Weibull distribution. By making use of two-parameter Weibull distribution research model of cognition reliability, the experiments about the cognition reliability of nuclear power plant operators have been done. Compared with the results of other countries such USA and Hungary, the same results can be obtained, which can do good to the safety operation of nuclear power plant

Model-based plant-wide optimization of large-scale lignocellulosic bioethanol plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prunescu, Remus Mihail; Blanke, Mogens; Jakobsen, Jon Geest

2017-01-01

Second generation biorefineries transform lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals with higher added value following a conversion mechanism that consists of: pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and purification. The objective of this study is to identify the optimal operational point...... with respect to maximum economic profit of a large scale biorefinery plant using a systematic model-based plantwide optimization methodology. The following key process parameters are identified as decision variables: pretreatment temperature, enzyme dosage in enzymatic hydrolysis, and yeast loading per batch...... in fermentation. The plant is treated in an integrated manner taking into account the interactions and trade-offs between the conversion steps. A sensitivity and uncertainty analysis follows at the optimal solution considering both model and feed parameters. It is found that the optimal point is more sensitive...

Gap Acceptance Behavior Model for Non-signalized

OpenAIRE

Fajaruddin Bin Mustakim

2015-01-01

The paper proposes field studies that were performed to determine the critical gap on the multiple rural roadways Malaysia, at non-signalized T-intersection by using The Raff and Logic Method. Critical gap between passenger car and motorcycle have been determined.   There are quite number of studied doing gap acceptance behavior model for passenger car however still few research on gap acceptance behavior model for motorcycle. Thus in this paper, logistic regression models were developed to p...

eSPEM - A SPEM Extension for Enactable Behavior Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Ellner, Ralf; Al-Hilank, Samir; Drexler, Johannes; Jung, Martin; Kips, Detlef; Philippsen, Michael

OMG's SPEM - by means of its (semi-)formal notation - allows for a detailed description of development processes and methodologies, but can only be used for a rather coarse description of their behavior. Concepts for a more fine-grained behavior model are considered out of scope of the SPEM standard and have to be provided by other standards like BPDM/BPMN or UML. However, a coarse granularity of the behavior model often impedes a computer-aided enactment of a process model. Therefore, in this paper we present eSPEM, an extension of SPEM, that is based on the UML meta-model and focused on fine-grained behavior and life-cycle modeling and thereby supports automated enactment of development processes.

Higher plant modelling for life support applications: first results of a simple mechanistic model

Science.gov (United States)

Hezard, Pauline; Dussap, Claude-Gilles; Sasidharan L, Swathy

2012-07-01

In the case of closed ecological life support systems, the air and water regeneration and food production are performed using microorganisms and higher plants. Wheat, rice, soybean, lettuce, tomato or other types of eatable annual plants produce fresh food while recycling CO2 into breathable oxygen. Additionally, they evaporate a large quantity of water, which can be condensed and used as potable water. This shows that recycling functions of air revitalization and food production are completely linked. Consequently, the control of a growth chamber for higher plant production has to be performed with efficient mechanistic models, in order to ensure a realistic prediction of plant behaviour, water and gas recycling whatever the environmental conditions. Purely mechanistic models of plant production in controlled environments are not available yet. This is the reason why new models must be developed and validated. This work concerns the design and test of a simplified version of a mathematical model coupling plant architecture and mass balance purposes in order to compare its results with available data of lettuce grown in closed and controlled chambers. The carbon exchange rate, water absorption and evaporation rate, biomass fresh weight as well as leaf surface are modelled and compared with available data. The model consists of four modules. The first one evaluates plant architecture, like total leaf surface, leaf area index and stem length data. The second one calculates the rate of matter and energy exchange depending on architectural and environmental data: light absorption in the canopy, CO2 uptake or release, water uptake and evapotranspiration. The third module evaluates which of the previous rates is limiting overall biomass growth; and the last one calculates biomass growth rate depending on matter exchange rates, using a global stoichiometric equation. All these rates are a set of differential equations, which are integrated with time in order to provide

A Conceptual Model of Investor Behavior

OpenAIRE

Lovric, M.; Kaymak, U.; Spronk, J.

2008-01-01

textabstractBased on a survey of behavioral finance literature, this paper presents a descriptive model of individual investor behavior in which investment decisions are seen as an iterative process of interactions between the investor and the investment environment. This investment process is influenced by a number of interdependent variables and driven by dual mental systems, the interplay of which contributes to boundedly rational behavior where investors use various heuristics and may exh...

Corrosion behavior of Haynes {sup registered} 230 {sup registered} nickel-based super-alloys for integrated coal gasification combined cycle syngas plants. A plant exposure study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sungkyu; Lee, Jieun; Kang, Suk-Hwan; Lee, Seung-Jong; Yun, Yongseung [Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE), Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of). Plant Engineering Center; Kim, Min Jung [Sungkyunkwan Univ, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of). Advanced Materials Technology Research Center

2015-07-01

The corrosion behavior of commercially available Haynes {sup registered} 230 {sup registered} nickel-based alloy samples was investigated by exposure to coal-gasifying integrated coal gasification combined cycle pilot plant facilities affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Engineering (2.005 MPa and 160-300 C). The morphological and microstructural analyses of the exposed samples were conducted using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis on the external surface of the recovered corrosion test samples to obtain information of the corrosion scale. These analyses based on the pre- and post-exposure corrosion test samples combined with thermodynamic Ellingham-Pourbaix stability diagrams provided preliminary insight into the mechanism of the observed corrosion behavior prevailing in the piping materials that connected the particulate removal unit and water scrubber of the integrated coal gasification combined cycle pilot plant. Uniform material wastage was observed after 46 hours of operation, and a preliminary corrosion mechanism was suggested: the observed material waste and corrosion behavior of the Haynes {sup registered} 230 {sup registered} nickel-based alloy samples cut off from the coal syngas integrated coal gasification combined cycle plant were explained by the formation of discontinuous (complex) oxide phases and subsequent chlorine-induced active oxidation under the predominantly reducing environment encountered. This contribution continues the already published studies of the Fe-Ni-Cr-Co alloy Haynes {sup registered} 556 {sup registered}.

Fire models for assessment of nuclear power plant fires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolette, V.F.; Nowlen, S.P.

1989-01-01

This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in available fire models for the assessment of nuclear power plants fires. The advantages and disadvantages of three basic types of fire models (zone, field, and control volume) and Sandia's experience with these models will be discussed. It is shown that the type of fire model selected to solve a particular problem should be based on the information that is required. Areas of concern which relate to all nuclear power plant fire models are identified. 17 refs., 6 figs

Dynamic Models for Wind Turbines and Wind Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, M.; Santoso, S.

2011-10-01

The primary objective of this report was to develop universal manufacturer-independent wind turbine and wind power plant models that can be shared, used, and improved without any restrictions by project developers, manufacturers, and engineers. Manufacturer-specific models of wind turbines are favored for use in wind power interconnection studies. While they are detailed and accurate, their usages are limited to the terms of the non-disclosure agreement, thus stifling model sharing. The primary objective of the work proposed is to develop universal manufacturer-independent wind power plant models that can be shared, used, and improved without any restrictions by project developers, manufacturers, and engineers. Each of these models includes representations of general turbine aerodynamics, the mechanical drive-train, and the electrical characteristics of the generator and converter, as well as the control systems typically used. To determine how realistic model performance is, the performance of one of the models (doubly-fed induction generator model) has been validated using real-world wind power plant data. This work also documents selected applications of these models.

Modeling emergent border-crossing behaviors during pandemics

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Eunice E.; Santos, Eugene; Korah, John; Thompson, Jeremy E.; Gu, Qi; Kim, Keum Joo; Li, Deqing; Russell, Jacob; Subramanian, Suresh; Zhang, Yuxi; Zhao, Yan

2013-06-01

Modeling real-world scenarios is a challenge for traditional social science researchers, as it is often hard to capture the intricacies and dynamisms of real-world situations without making simplistic assumptions. This imposes severe limitations on the capabilities of such models and frameworks. Complex population dynamics during natural disasters such as pandemics is an area where computational social science can provide useful insights and explanations. In this paper, we employ a novel intent-driven modeling paradigm for such real-world scenarios by causally mapping beliefs, goals, and actions of individuals and groups to overall behavior using a probabilistic representation called Bayesian Knowledge Bases (BKBs). To validate our framework we examine emergent behavior occurring near a national border during pandemics, specifically the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in Mexico. The novelty of the work in this paper lies in representing the dynamism at multiple scales by including both coarse-grained (events at the national level) and finegrained (events at two separate border locations) information. This is especially useful for analysts in disaster management and first responder organizations who need to be able to understand both macro-level behavior and changes in the immediate vicinity, to help with planning, prevention, and mitigation. We demonstrate the capabilities of our framework in uncovering previously hidden connections and explanations by comparing independent models of the border locations with their fused model to identify emergent behaviors not found in either independent location models nor in a simple linear combination of those models.

Building new computational models to support health behavior change and maintenance: new opportunities in behavioral research.

Science.gov (United States)

Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Hekler, Eric; Saranummi, Niilo; Intille, Stephen; Korhonen, Ilkka; Nilsen, Wendy; Rivera, Daniel E; Spring, Bonnie; Michie, Susan; Asch, David A; Sanna, Alberto; Salcedo, Vicente Traver; Kukakfa, Rita; Pavel, Misha

2015-09-01

Adverse and suboptimal health behaviors and habits are responsible for approximately 40 % of preventable deaths, in addition to their unfavorable effects on quality of life and economics. Our current understanding of human behavior is largely based on static "snapshots" of human behavior, rather than ongoing, dynamic feedback loops of behavior in response to ever-changing biological, social, personal, and environmental states. This paper first discusses how new technologies (i.e., mobile sensors, smartphones, ubiquitous computing, and cloud-enabled processing/computing) and emerging systems modeling techniques enable the development of new, dynamic, and empirical models of human behavior that could facilitate just-in-time adaptive, scalable interventions. The paper then describes concrete steps to the creation of robust dynamic mathematical models of behavior including: (1) establishing "gold standard" measures, (2) the creation of a behavioral ontology for shared language and understanding tools that both enable dynamic theorizing across disciplines, (3) the development of data sharing resources, and (4) facilitating improved sharing of mathematical models and tools to support rapid aggregation of the models. We conclude with the discussion of what might be incorporated into a "knowledge commons," which could help to bring together these disparate activities into a unified system and structure for organizing knowledge about behavior.

Modeling and simulating human teamwork behaviors using intelligent agents

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xiaocong; Yen, John

2004-12-01

Among researchers in multi-agent systems there has been growing interest in using intelligent agents to model and simulate human teamwork behaviors. Teamwork modeling is important for training humans in gaining collaborative skills, for supporting humans in making critical decisions by proactively gathering, fusing, and sharing information, and for building coherent teams with both humans and agents working effectively on intelligence-intensive problems. Teamwork modeling is also challenging because the research has spanned diverse disciplines from business management to cognitive science, human discourse, and distributed artificial intelligence. This article presents an extensive, but not exhaustive, list of work in the field, where the taxonomy is organized along two main dimensions: team social structure and social behaviors. Along the dimension of social structure, we consider agent-only teams and mixed human-agent teams. Along the dimension of social behaviors, we consider collaborative behaviors, communicative behaviors, helping behaviors, and the underpinning of effective teamwork-shared mental models. The contribution of this article is that it presents an organizational framework for analyzing a variety of teamwork simulation systems and for further studying simulated teamwork behaviors.

Driver's Behavior Modeling Using Fuzzy Logic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sehraneh Ghaemi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we propose a hierarchical fuzzy system for human in a driver-vehicle-environment system to model takeover by different drivers. The driver's behavior is affected by the environment. The climate, road and car conditions are included in fuzzy modeling. For obtaining fuzzy rules, experts' opinions are benefited by means of questionnaires on effects of parameters such as climate, road and car conditions on driving capabilities. Also the precision, age and driving individuality are used to model the driver's behavior. Three different positions are considered for driving and decision making. A fuzzy model called Model I is presented for modeling the change of steering angle and speed control by considering time distances with existing cars in these three positions, the information about the speed and direction of car, and the steering angle of car. Also we obtained two other models based on fuzzy rules called Model II and Model III by using Sugeno fuzzy inference. Model II and Model III have less linguistic terms than Model I for the steering angle and direction of car. The results of three models are compared for a driver who drives based on driving laws.

Interfacing high-fidelity core neutronics models to whole plant models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEllin, M.

1999-01-01

Until recently available computer power dictated that whole-plant models of nuclear power stations have typically employed simple models of the reactor core which can not match the fidelity of safety-qualified 2-group, 3D neutronics models. As a result the treatment of situations involving strong coupling between the core and the rest of the plant has inevitably been somewhat approximate, requiring conservative modelling assumptions, or manual iteration between cases, to bound worse case scenarios. Such techniques not only place heavy demands on the engineers involved, they may also result in potentially unnecessary operational constraints. Hardware is today no longer the limiting factor, but the cost of developing and validating high-quality software is now such that it appears attractive to build new systems with a wider simulation scope by using existing stand-alone codes as sub-components. This is not always as straightforward as it might at first appear. This paper illustrates some of the pitfalls, and discusses more sophisticated and robust strategies. (author)

Plant functional modelling as a basis for assessing the impact of management on plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, Birgitte; Petersen, Kurt E.

1999-01-01

A major objective of the present work is to provide means for representing a chemical process plant as a socio-technical system, so as to allow hazard identification at a high level in order to identify major targets for safety development. The main phases of the methodology are: (1) preparation of a plant functional model where a set of plant functions describes coherently hardware, software, operations, work organization and other safety related aspects. The basic principle is that any aspect of the plant can be represented by an object based upon an Intent and associated with each Intent are Methods, by which the Intent is realized, and Constraints, which limit the Intent. (2) Plant level hazard identification based on keywords/checklists and the functional model. (3) Development of incident scenarios and selection of hazardous situation with different safety characteristics. (4) Evaluation of the impact of management on plant safety through interviews. (5) Identification of safety critical ways of action in the management system, i.e. identification of possible error- and violation-producing conditions

Serial grey-box model of a stratified thermal tank for hierarchical control of a solar plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arahal, Manuel R. [Universidad de Sevilla, Dpto. de Ingenieria de Sistemas y Automatica, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Sevilla (Spain); Cirre, Cristina M. [Convenio Universidad de Almeria-Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Ctra. Senes s/n, 04200 Tabernas, Almeria (Spain); Berenguel, Manuel [Universidad de Almeria, Dpto. Lenguajes y Computacion, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almeria (Spain)

2008-05-15

The ACUREX collector field together with a thermal storage tank and a power conversion system forms the Small Solar Power Systems plant of the Plataforma Solar de Almeria, a facility that has been used for research for the last 25 years. A simulator of the collector field produced by the last author has been available to and used as a test-bed for control strategies. Up to now, however, there is not a model for the whole plant. Such model is needed for hierarchical control schemes also proposed by the authors. In this paper a model of the thermal storage tank is derived using the Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation technique to adjust the parameters of a serial grey-box model structure. The benefits of the proposed approach are discussed in the context of the intended use, requiring a model capable of simulating the behavior of the storage tank with low computational load and low error over medium to large horizons. The model is tested against real data in a variety of situations showing its performance in terms of simulation error in the temperature profile and in the usable energy stored in the tank. The results obtained demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach. (author)

Modeling generator power plant portfolios and pollution taxes in electric power supply chain networks: a transportation network equilibrium transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kai Wu; Nagurney, A.; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA; Zugang Liu; Stranlund, J.K.

2006-01-01

Global climate change and fuel security risks have encouraged international and regional adoption of pollution/carbon taxes. A major portion of such policy interventions is directed at the electric power industry with taxes applied according to the type of fuel used by the power generators in their power plants. This paper proposes an electric power supply chain network model that captures the behavior of power generators faced with a portfolio of power plant options and subject to pollution taxes. We demonstrate that this general model can be reformulated as a transportation network equilibrium model with elastic demands and qualitatively analyzed and solved as such. The connections between these two different modeling schemas is done through finite-dimensional variational inequality theory. The numerical examples illustrate how changes in the pollution/carbon taxes affect the equilibrium electric power supply chain network production outputs, the transactions between the various decision-makers the demand market prices, as well as the total amount of carbon emissions generated. (author)

Creys-Malville nuclear plant. Simulation of the cold plenum thermal-hydraulics. 12 zone model presentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faulot, J.P.

1990-05-01

The CRUSIFI code has been developed by SEPTEN (Engineering and Construction Division) with SICLE software during 1983-1985 in order to study the CREYS-MALVILLE dynamic behavior. At the time, the version was based on project data (version 2.3). It includes a 2 zones model for the cold plenum thermal-hydraulics, modelling which does not allow to reproduce accurately dissymetries apt to occur as well in usual operating (hydraulic dissymetries bound to one or many systems out of order), as during incidentally operating (hydraulic dissymetries bound to primary pump working back or thermal dissymetries after a transient on one or many secondary loops). Moreover, a 2 zones model cannot simulate axial temperature gradients which appear during double stratification phenomenon (upper and lower part of the plenum) produced by alternating thermal shock. A 12 zones model (4 sectors with 3 axial zones each) such as model developed by R$DD (Research and Development Division) allows to satisfy correctly these problems. This report is a specification of the chosen modelling. This model is now operational after qualifying with experimental transients on mockup and reactor. It is to-day connected with the EDF general operating code CRUSIFI (calibrating version 3.0). It could be easily integrated in a four loops plant modelling such as the CREYS-MALVILLE simulator in a four loops plant modelling such as the CREYS-MALVILLE simulator under construction at the present time by THOMSON

Simulation and modeling of the crushing behavior of structural members

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, Yutaka

1986-01-01

The analysis of the crushing behavior (the behavior of compressive breakdown accompanied by super large deformation) of structural members is an important subject which becomes the base of the ultimate strength design of the structures which may cause collision accident such as automobiles, ships and aircrafts, and of those which are feared to be collided such as offshore structures, bridge piers and nuclear power plants. However, since it is a phenomenon of very strong nonlinearity, its analysis is accompanied by large difficulty. In this report, three kinds of the approach for this problem, that is, rigid-plastic theoretical analysis, the simulation using a rigid body and spring model and nonlinear finite element analysis, are explained, referring to the example of calculation by the authors on the non-axisymmetric crushing problem of cylindrical shells. In crushing problem, the matters of concern are the amount of collision energy which can be absorbed by the plastic deformation of structures and the amount of deformation. It can be said that the increase of calculation cost brings about the heightening of calculation accuracy. The nonlinear finite element analysis is promising because its calculation cost is expected to lower in future. (Kako, I.)

Physical and financial virtual power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willems, Bert

2005-01-01

Regulators in Belgium and the Netherlands use different mechanisms to mitigate generation market power. In Belgium, antitrust authorities oblige the incumbent to sell financial Virtual Power Plants, while in the Netherlands regulators have been discussing the use of physical Virtual Power Plants. This paper uses a numerical game theoretic model to simulate the behavior of the generation firms and to compare the effects of both systems on the market power of the generators. It shows that financial Virtual Power Plants are better for society. (Author)

Behavior of iodine in the atmosphere-soil-plant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muramatsu, Yasuyuki; Yoshida, Satoshi; Uchida, Shigeo

1996-01-01

Levels and behavior of radioactive and stable iodine in the environment have been studied to obtain parameter values for the assessment of 129 I released from nuclear facilities. The deposition velocity (V D ) of gaseous iodine from the atmosphere to rice grains (rough rice) was 0.00048 cm 3 g -1 s -1 for CH 3 I and 0.15 cm 3 g -1 s -1 for I 2 . The ratio of the iodine distribution in a grain exposed to CH 3 I was as follows, rough rice : brown rice (hulled rice) : polished rice = 1.0 : 0.49 : 0.38. The distribution ratio in polished rice for CH 3 I was about 20 times higher than that for I 2 . The soil-solution distribution coefficient (K d ) for both I - and IO 3 - varied very widely, i.e. -1 . High values were found in soils having high concentrations of total organic carbon, active-Al and active-Fe (Al and Fe extracted by a mixture of oxalic acid and ammonium oxalate). Andosol, one of the most typical Japanese soils derived from deposits of volcanic ash, showed specifically high K d values. The soil-to-plant transfer factors (or concentration ratio) in the edible parts of crops were in the range 0.0002-0.016. The transfer factors for tomato, sweet potato, carrot, soybeans and rice were significantly lower than their leaf values. The value for rice (polished) was 0.002. Iodine was found to be evaporated from the soil-plant system as CH 3 I. The emission of CH 3 I from rice plants grown on flooded soil was much higher than that from oat plants grown on unflooded soil. The 129 I levels in environmental samples collected in and around Tokai-mura, where a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant is located, have been determined by neutron activation analysis. The concentrations of 129 I in surface soils ranged from -1 . The 129 I concentrations in forest soil tended to be higher than those in field soils. Most of the 129 I was retained in the first 10 cm of the surface soil collected from forests in Tokai-mura. (author)

Tax Compliance Models: From Economic to Behavioral Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larissa Margareta BĂTRÂNCEA

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The paper reviews the models of tax compliance with an emphasis on economic and behavioral perspectives. Although the standard tax evasion model of Allingham and Sandmo and other similar economic models capture some important aspects of tax compliance (i.e., taxpayers’ response to increases in tax rate, audit probability, penalty rate they do not suffice the need for an accurate prediction of taxpayers’ behavior. The reason is that they do not offer a comprehensive perspective on the sociological and psychological factors which shape compliance (i.e., attitudes, beliefs, norms, perceptions, motivations. Therefore, the researchers have considered examining taxpayers’ inner motivations, beliefs, perceptions, attitudes in order to accurately predict taxpayers’ behavior. As a response to their quest, behavioral models of tax compliance have emerged. Among the sociological and psychological factors which shape tax compliance, the ‘slippery slope’ framework singles out trust in authorities and the perception of the power of authorities. The aim of the paper is to contribute to the understanding of the reasons for which there is a need for a tax compliance model which incorporates both economic and behavioral features and why governments and tax authorities should consider these models when designing fiscal policies.

Trojan detection model based on network behavior analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Junrong; Liu Baoxu; Wang Wenjin

2012-01-01

Based on the analysis of existing Trojan detection technology, this paper presents a Trojan detection model based on network behavior analysis. First of all, we abstract description of the Trojan network behavior, then according to certain rules to establish the characteristic behavior library, and then use the support vector machine algorithm to determine whether a Trojan invasion. Finally, through the intrusion detection experiments, shows that this model can effectively detect Trojans. (authors)

The Development of a Fault Tree Model for Balance of Plant System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Mee Jeong; Park, Jin Hee; Lim, Ho Gon

2011-01-01

In this paper, we propose a fault tree modeling method for BOP (balance of plant) system to develop a combined risk model and trip model, and the application plans of the developed model. Where, the trip means the reactor trip and turbine and generator trip. We have usually modeled the safety-related systems and their supporting systems to assess the risk analysis of a nuclear power plant. However, the BOP system.s condition change induces the risk change. That is, the BOP system.s condition is relevant to plants. performance and affects to the plant risk. The existing model for BOP systems is a simplified system model or SPV (Single-point vulnerability) evaluation model. However, these models are not effective enough to use for the plant's performance evaluation. Also, lately an integrated decision-making framework is required for risk-informed applications. The methods for monitoring the performance of a nuclear power plant differ from the purpose. For example, MSPI (mitigating system performance index) and MR (maintenance rule) use different methods and indexes to monitor the performance. Therefore, for consistent decision-making, it is necessary to develop a risk assessment model including a systems model inducing reactor trip. The system.s model inducing reactor trip and turbine/generator trip is defined as the 'trip model'

Modelling aerosol behavior in reactor cooling systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, B.H.

1990-01-01

This paper presents an overview of some of the areas of concern in using computer codes to model fission-product aerosol behavior in the reactor cooling system (RCS) of a water-cooled nuclear reactor during a loss-of-coolant accident. The basic physical processes that require modelling include: fission product release and aerosol formation in the reactor core, aerosol transport and deposition in the reactor core and throughout the rest of the RCS, and the interaction between aerosol transport processes and the thermalhydraulics. In addition to these basic physical processes, chemical reactions can have a large influence on the nature of the aerosol and its behavior in the RCS. The focus is on the physics and the implications of numerical methods used in the computer codes to model aerosol behavior in the RCS

Novel Low Cost 3D Surface Model Reconstruction System for Plant Phenotyping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suxing Liu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Accurate high-resolution three-dimensional (3D models are essential for a non-invasive analysis of phenotypic characteristics of plants. Previous limitations in 3D computer vision algorithms have led to a reliance on volumetric methods or expensive hardware to record plant structure. We present an image-based 3D plant reconstruction system that can be achieved by using a single camera and a rotation stand. Our method is based on the structure from motion method, with a SIFT image feature descriptor. In order to improve the quality of the 3D models, we segmented the plant objects based on the PlantCV platform. We also deducted the optimal number of images needed for reconstructing a high-quality model. Experiments showed that an accurate 3D model of the plant was successfully could be reconstructed by our approach. This 3D surface model reconstruction system provides a simple and accurate computational platform for non-destructive, plant phenotyping.

An Update on Modifications to Water Treatment Plant Model

Science.gov (United States)

Water treatment plant (WTP) model is an EPA tool for informing regulatory options. WTP has a few versions: 1). WTP2.2 can help in regulatory analysis. An updated version (WTP3.0) will allow plant-specific analysis (WTP-ccam) and thus help meet plant-specific treatment objectives...

Dynamic analysis of Boushehr Nuclear Power Plant in connected to grid system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karimi Fard, A.

1999-01-01

Models of generating with the pressurized water reactor (PWR) have been developed for simulating. the plant dynamics under system disturbances. These models include power plant, energy sources, turbine, transmission system and control system such as Avr and govern and other local control devices. Simulink toolbox of Matlab software is used for simulations. The study is mainly based on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plants (BNPP) parameters. Assuming that BNPP is connected to infinite bus with double tie line. Four cases are studied to examine the internal dynamic behavior of BNPP. First and second cases are used to load following studies in nuclear power plant. Another cases are used to study the dynamic behavior after short circuit fault and line outages in transmission systems. The results discussed in the thesis

Uncertain and multi-objective programming models for crop planting structure optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mo LI,Ping GUO,Liudong ZHANG,Chenglong ZHANG

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Crop planting structure optimization is a significant way to increase agricultural economic benefits and improve agricultural water management. The complexities of fluctuating stream conditions, varying economic profits, and uncertainties and errors in estimated modeling parameters, as well as the complexities among economic, social, natural resources and environmental aspects, have led to the necessity of developing optimization models for crop planting structure which consider uncertainty and multi-objectives elements. In this study, three single-objective programming models under uncertainty for crop planting structure optimization were developed, including an interval linear programming model, an inexact fuzzy chance-constrained programming (IFCCP model and an inexact fuzzy linear programming (IFLP model. Each of the three models takes grayness into account. Moreover, the IFCCP model considers fuzzy uncertainty of parameters/variables and stochastic characteristics of constraints, while the IFLP model takes into account the fuzzy uncertainty of both constraints and objective functions. To satisfy the sustainable development of crop planting structure planning, a fuzzy-optimization-theory-based fuzzy linear multi-objective programming model was developed, which is capable of reflecting both uncertainties and multi-objective. In addition, a multi-objective fractional programming model for crop structure optimization was also developed to quantitatively express the multi-objective in one optimization model with the numerator representing maximum economic benefits and the denominator representing minimum crop planting area allocation. These models better reflect actual situations, considering the uncertainties and multi-objectives of crop planting structure optimization systems. The five models developed were then applied to a real case study in Minqin County, north-west China. The advantages, the applicable conditions and the solution methods

An integrated translation of design data of a nuclear power plant from a specification-driven plant design system to neutral model data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mun, Duhwan; Yang, Jeongsam

2010-01-01

How to efficiently integrate and manage lifecycle data of a nuclear power plant has gradually become an important object of study. Because plants usually have a very long period of operation and maintenance, the plant design data need to be presented in a computer-interpretable form and to be independent of any commercial systems. The conversion of plant design data from various design systems into neutral model data is therefore an important technology for the effective operation and maintenance of plants. In this study, a neutral model for the efficient integration of plant design data is chosen from among the currently available options and extended in order to cover the information model requirements of nuclear power plants in Korea. After the mapping of the neutral model and the data model of a specification-driven plant design system, a plant data translator is also implemented in accordance with the schema mapping results.

An integrated translation of design data of a nuclear power plant from a specification-driven plant design system to neutral model data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mun, Duhwan, E-mail: dhmun@moeri.re.k [Marine Safety and Pollution Response Research Department, Maritime and Ocean Engineering Research Institute, KORDI, 171 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Jeongsam, E-mail: jyang@ajou.ac.k [Division of Industrial and Information Systems Engineering, Ajou University, San 5, Wonchun-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-03-15

How to efficiently integrate and manage lifecycle data of a nuclear power plant has gradually become an important object of study. Because plants usually have a very long period of operation and maintenance, the plant design data need to be presented in a computer-interpretable form and to be independent of any commercial systems. The conversion of plant design data from various design systems into neutral model data is therefore an important technology for the effective operation and maintenance of plants. In this study, a neutral model for the efficient integration of plant design data is chosen from among the currently available options and extended in order to cover the information model requirements of nuclear power plants in Korea. After the mapping of the neutral model and the data model of a specification-driven plant design system, a plant data translator is also implemented in accordance with the schema mapping results.

Systems Modeling For The Laser Fusion-Fission Energy (LIFE) Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, W.R.; Abbott, R.; Beach, R.; Blink, J.; Caird, J.; Erlandson, A.; Farmer, J.; Halsey, W.; Ladran, T.; Latkowski, J.; MacIntyre, A.; Miles, R.; Storm, E.

2008-01-01

A systems model has been developed for the Laser Inertial Fusion-Fission Energy (LIFE) power plant. It combines cost-performance scaling models for the major subsystems of the plant including the laser, inertial fusion target factory, engine (i.e., the chamber including the fission and tritium breeding blankets), energy conversion systems and balance of plant. The LIFE plant model is being used to evaluate design trade-offs and to identify high-leverage R and D. At this point, we are focused more on doing self consistent design trades and optimization as opposed to trying to predict a cost of electricity with a high degree of certainty. Key results show the advantage of large scale (>1000 MWe) plants and the importance of minimizing the cost of diodes and balance of plant cost

Modeling of plant in vitro cultures: overview and estimation of biotechnological processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maschke, Rüdiger W; Geipel, Katja; Bley, Thomas

2015-01-01

Plant cell and tissue cultivations are of growing interest for the production of structurally complex and expensive plant-derived products, especially in pharmaceutical production. Problems with up-scaling, low yields, and high-priced process conditions result in an increased demand for models to provide comprehension, simulation, and optimization of production processes. In the last 25 years, many models have evolved in plant biotechnology; the majority of them are specialized models for a few selected products or nutritional conditions. In this article we review, delineate, and discuss the concepts and characteristics of the most commonly used models. Therefore, the authors focus on models for plant suspension and submerged hairy root cultures. The article includes a short overview of modeling and mathematics and integrated parameters, as well as the application scope for each model. The review is meant to help researchers better understand and utilize the numerous models published for plant cultures, and to select the most suitable model for their purposes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Explaining clinical behaviors using multiple theoretical models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eccles Martin P

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the field of implementation research, there is an increased interest in use of theory when designing implementation research studies involving behavior change. In 2003, we initiated a series of five studies to establish a scientific rationale for interventions to translate research findings into clinical practice by exploring the performance of a number of different, commonly used, overlapping behavioral theories and models. We reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the methods, the performance of the theories, and consider where these methods sit alongside the range of methods for studying healthcare professional behavior change. Methods These were five studies of the theory-based cognitions and clinical behaviors (taking dental radiographs, performing dental restorations, placing fissure sealants, managing upper respiratory tract infections without prescribing antibiotics, managing low back pain without ordering lumbar spine x-rays of random samples of primary care dentists and physicians. Measures were derived for the explanatory theoretical constructs in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB, Social Cognitive Theory (SCT, and Illness Representations specified by the Common Sense Self Regulation Model (CSSRM. We constructed self-report measures of two constructs from Learning Theory (LT, a measure of Implementation Intentions (II, and the Precaution Adoption Process. We collected data on theory-based cognitions (explanatory measures and two interim outcome measures (stated behavioral intention and simulated behavior by postal questionnaire survey during the 12-month period to which objective measures of behavior (collected from routine administrative sources were related. Planned analyses explored the predictive value of theories in explaining variance in intention, behavioral simulation and behavior. Results Response rates across the five surveys ranged from 21% to 48%; we achieved the target sample size for three of

Explaining clinical behaviors using multiple theoretical models.

Science.gov (United States)

Eccles, Martin P; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; MacLennan, Graeme; Bonetti, Debbie; Glidewell, Liz; Pitts, Nigel B; Steen, Nick; Thomas, Ruth; Walker, Anne; Johnston, Marie

2012-10-17

In the field of implementation research, there is an increased interest in use of theory when designing implementation research studies involving behavior change. In 2003, we initiated a series of five studies to establish a scientific rationale for interventions to translate research findings into clinical practice by exploring the performance of a number of different, commonly used, overlapping behavioral theories and models. We reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the methods, the performance of the theories, and consider where these methods sit alongside the range of methods for studying healthcare professional behavior change. These were five studies of the theory-based cognitions and clinical behaviors (taking dental radiographs, performing dental restorations, placing fissure sealants, managing upper respiratory tract infections without prescribing antibiotics, managing low back pain without ordering lumbar spine x-rays) of random samples of primary care dentists and physicians. Measures were derived for the explanatory theoretical constructs in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and Illness Representations specified by the Common Sense Self Regulation Model (CSSRM). We constructed self-report measures of two constructs from Learning Theory (LT), a measure of Implementation Intentions (II), and the Precaution Adoption Process. We collected data on theory-based cognitions (explanatory measures) and two interim outcome measures (stated behavioral intention and simulated behavior) by postal questionnaire survey during the 12-month period to which objective measures of behavior (collected from routine administrative sources) were related. Planned analyses explored the predictive value of theories in explaining variance in intention, behavioral simulation and behavior. Response rates across the five surveys ranged from 21% to 48%; we achieved the target sample size for three of the five surveys. For the predictor variables

Approximating Behavioral Equivalence of Models Using Top-K Policy Paths

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeng, Yifeng; Chen, Yingke; Prashant, Doshi

2011-01-01

Decision making and game play in multiagent settings must often contend with behavioral models of other agents in order to predict their actions. One approach that reduces the complexity of the unconstrained model space is to group models that tend to be behaviorally equivalent. In this paper, we...... seek to further compress the model space by introducing an approximate measure of behavioral equivalence and using it to group models....

Virtual medical plant modeling based on L-system | Ding | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... aid of graphics and PlantVR, we implemented the plant shape and 3-D structure's reconstruction. Conclusion: Three-dimensional structure virtual plant growth model based on time- controlled L-system has been successfully established. Keywords: Drug R&D, toxicity, medical plants, fractals; L-system; quasi binary-trees.

Model-based reasoning and the control of process plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaelisuo, Heikki

1993-02-01

In addition to feedback control, safe and economic operation of industrial process plants requires discrete-event type logic control like for example automatic control sequences, interlocks, etc. A lot of complex routine reasoning is involved in the design and verification and validation (VandV) of such automatics. Similar reasoning tasks are encountered during plant operation in action planning and fault diagnosis. The low-level part of the required problem solving is so straightforward that it could be accomplished by a computer if only there were plant models which allow versatile mechanised reasoning. Such plant models and corresponding inference algorithms are the main subject of this report. Deep knowledge and qualitative modelling play an essential role in this work. Deep knowledge refers to mechanised reasoning based on the first principles of the phenomena in the problem domain. Qualitative modelling refers to knowledge representation formalism and related reasoning methods which allow solving problems on an abstraction level higher than for example traditional simulation and optimisation. Prolog is a commonly used platform for artificial intelligence (Al) applications. Constraint logic languages like CLP(R) and Prolog-III extend the scope of logic programming to numeric problem solving. In addition they allow a programming style which often reduces the computational complexity significantly. An approach to model-based reasoning implemented in constraint logic programming language CLP(R) is presented. The approach is based on some of the principles of QSIM, an algorithm for qualitative simulation. It is discussed how model-based reasoning can be applied in the design and VandV of plant automatics and in action planning during plant operation. A prototype tool called ISIR is discussed and some initial results obtained during the development of the tool are presented. The results presented originate from preliminary test results of the prototype obtained

Swarms, swarming and entanglements of fungal hyphae and of plant roots

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, Peter W.; Fisahn, Joachim

2013-01-01

There has been recent interest in the possibility that plant roots can show oriented collective motion, or swarming behavior. We examine the evidence supportive of root swarming and we also present new observations on this topic. Seven criteria are proposed for the definition of a swarm, whose application can help identify putative swarming behavior in plants. Examples where these criteria are fulfilled, at many levels of organization, are presented in relation to plant roots and root systems, as well as to the root-like mycelial cords (rhizomorphs) of fungi. The ideas of both an “active” swarming, directed by a signal which imposes a common vector on swarm element aggregation, and a “passive” swarming, where aggregation results from external constraint, are introduced. Active swarming is a pattern of cooperative behavior peculiar to the sporophyte generation of vascular plants and is the antithesis of the competitive behavior shown by the gametophyte generation of such plants, where passive swarming may be found. Fungal mycelial cords could serve as a model example of swarming in a multi-cellular, non-animal system. PMID:24255743

Linking empowering leadership to safety participation in nuclear power plants: a structural equation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Córcoles, Mario; Schöbel, Markus; Gracia, Francisco J; Tomás, Inés; Peiró, José M

2012-07-01

Safety participation is of paramount importance in guaranteeing the safe running of nuclear power plants. The present study examined the effects of empowering leadership on safety participation. Based on a sample of 495 employees from two Spanish nuclear power plants, structural equation modeling showed that empowering leadership has a significant relationship with safety participation, which is mediated by collaborative team learning. In addition, the results revealed that the relationship between empowering leadership and collaborative learning is partially mediated by the promotion of dialogue and open communication. The implications of these findings for safety research and their practical applications are outlined. An empowering leadership style enhances workers' safety performance, particularly safety participation behaviors. Safety participation is recommended to detect possible rule inconsistencies or misunderstood procedures and make workers aware of critical safety information and issues. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New model concepts for dynamic plant uptake and mass flux estimates in the soil-plant-air system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rein, Arno; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter; Trapp, Stefan

2010-01-01

in environmental systems at different scales. Feedback mechanisms between plants and hydrological systems can play an important role. However, they have received little attention to date. Here, a new model concept for dynamic plant uptake models applying analytical matrix solutions is presented, which can...

Low-temperature behavior of core-softened models: Water and silica behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagla, E. A.

2001-01-01

A core-softened model of a glass forming fluid is numerically studied in the limit of very low temperatures. The model shows two qualitatively different behaviors depending on the strength of the attraction between particles. For no or low attraction, the changes of density as a function of pressure are smooth, although hysteretic due to mechanical metastabilities. For larger attraction, sudden changes of density upon compressing and decompressing occur. This global mechanical instability is correlated to the existence of a thermodynamic first-order amorphous-amorphous transition. The two different behaviors obtained correspond qualitatively to the different phenomenology observed in silica and water

Soil to plant transfer factor in the vicinity of coal fired power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolic, J.; Todorovic, D.; Jankovic, M.; Radenkovic, M.; Joksic, J.

2009-01-01

In this paper, the monitoring of working and living environment results in 5 coal fired powered plants, for the period from 2004. to 2009. are presented. Soil-plant transfer factor, suitable for estimation of possible contamination of food chain was chosen, as a measure of influence of power plants on the environment. The results gathered over the years of monitoring of working and living environment in the vicinity of the coal fired power plant were analyzed, and it was determined that no significant discrepancy exists comparing to the results reported in world literature. Also, the basic mathematical analysis was conducted, in order to assess the model of the behavior of the results in respect to the frequency count. (author) [sr

Relevance of behavioral and social models to the study of consumer energy decision making and behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burns, B.A.

1980-11-01

This report reviews social and behavioral science models and techniques for their possible use in understanding and predicting consumer energy decision making and behaviors. A number of models and techniques have been developed that address different aspects of the decision process, use different theoretical bases and approaches, and have been aimed at different audiences. Three major areas of discussion were selected: (1) models of adaptation to social change, (2) decision making and choice, and (3) diffusion of innovation. Within these three areas, the contributions of psychologists, sociologists, economists, marketing researchers, and others were reviewed. Five primary components of the models were identified and compared. The components are: (1) situational characteristics, (2) product characteristics, (3) individual characteristics, (4) social influences, and (5) the interaction or decision rules. The explicit use of behavioral and social science models in energy decision-making and behavior studies has been limited. Examples are given of a small number of energy studies which applied and tested existing models in studying the adoption of energy conservation behaviors and technologies, and solar technology.

Modeling irrigation behavior in groundwater systems

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Timothy; Brozović, Nicholas; Butler, Adrian P.

2014-08-01

Integrated hydro-economic models have been widely applied to water management problems in regions of intensive groundwater-fed irrigation. However, policy interpretations may be limited as most existing models do not explicitly consider two important aspects of observed irrigation decision making, namely the limits on instantaneous irrigation rates imposed by well yield and the intraseasonal structure of irrigation planning. We develop a new modeling approach for determining irrigation demand that is based on observed farmer behavior and captures the impacts on production and water use of both well yield and climate. Through a case study of irrigated corn production in the Texas High Plains region of the United States we predict optimal irrigation strategies under variable levels of groundwater supply, and assess the limits of existing models for predicting land and groundwater use decisions by farmers. Our results show that irrigation behavior exhibits complex nonlinear responses to changes in groundwater availability. Declining well yields induce large reductions in the optimal size of irrigated area and irrigation use as constraints on instantaneous application rates limit the ability to maintain sufficient soil moisture to avoid negative impacts on crop yield. We demonstrate that this important behavioral response to limited groundwater availability is not captured by existing modeling approaches, which therefore may be unreliable predictors of irrigation demand, agricultural profitability, and resilience to climate change and aquifer depletion.

How plant architecture affects light absorption and photosynthesis in tomato: towards an ideotype for plant architecture using a functional-structural plant model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarlikioti, V.; Visser, de P.H.B.; Buck-Sorlin, G.H.; Marcelis, L.F.M.

2011-01-01

Background and Aims - Manipulation of plant structure can strongly affect light distribution in the canopy and photosynthesis. The aim of this paper is to find a plant ideotype for optimization of light absorption and canopy photosynthesis. Using a static functional structural plant model (FSPM), a

Plant Secondary Metabolites Modulate Insect Behavior-Steps Toward Addiction?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Wink

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Plants produce a diversity of secondary metabolites (PSMs that serve as defense compounds against herbivores and microorganisms. In addition, some PSMs attract animals for pollination and seed dispersal. In case of pollinating insects, PSMs with colors or terpenoids with fragrant odors attract pollinators in the first place, but when they arrive at a flower, they are rewarded with nectar, so that the pollinators do not feed on flowers. In order to be effective as defense chemicals, PSMs evolved as bioactive substances, that can interfere with a large number of molecular targets in cells, tissues and organs of animals or of microbes. The known functions of PSMs are summarized in this review. A number of PSMs evolved as agonists or antagonists of neuronal signal transduction. Many of these PSMs are alkaloids. Several of them share structural similarities to neurotransmitters. Evidence for neuroactive and psychoactive PSMs in animals will be reviewed. Some of the neuroactive PSMs can cause addiction in humans and other vertrebrates. Why should a defense compound be addictive and thus attract more herbivores? Some insects are food specialists that can feed on plants that are normally toxic to other herbivores. These specialists can tolerate the toxins and many are stored in the insect body as acquired defense chemicals against predators. A special case are pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs that are neurotoxic and mutagenic in vertebrates. PAs are actively sequestered by moths of the family Arctiidae and a few other groups of arthropods. In arctiids, PAs are not only used for defense, but also serve as morphogens for the induction of male coremata and as precursors for male pheromones. Caterpillars even feed on filter paper impregnated with pure PAs (that modulate serotonin receptors in vertebrates and maybe even in insects and thus show of behavior with has similarities to addiction in vertebrates. Not only PA specialists, but also many monophagous

A modelling framework to simulate foliar fungal epidemics using functional-structural plant models.

Science.gov (United States)

Garin, Guillaume; Fournier, Christian; Andrieu, Bruno; Houlès, Vianney; Robert, Corinne; Pradal, Christophe

2014-09-01

Sustainable agriculture requires the identification of new, environmentally responsible strategies of crop protection. Modelling of pathosystems can allow a better understanding of the major interactions inside these dynamic systems and may lead to innovative protection strategies. In particular, functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) have been identified as a means to optimize the use of architecture-related traits. A current limitation lies in the inherent complexity of this type of modelling, and thus the purpose of this paper is to provide a framework to both extend and simplify the modelling of pathosystems using FSPMs. Different entities and interactions occurring in pathosystems were formalized in a conceptual model. A framework based on these concepts was then implemented within the open-source OpenAlea modelling platform, using the platform's general strategy of modelling plant-environment interactions and extending it to handle plant interactions with pathogens. New developments include a generic data structure for representing lesions and dispersal units, and a series of generic protocols to communicate with objects representing the canopy and its microenvironment in the OpenAlea platform. Another development is the addition of a library of elementary models involved in pathosystem modelling. Several plant and physical models are already available in OpenAlea and can be combined in models of pathosystems using this framework approach. Two contrasting pathosystems are implemented using the framework and illustrate its generic utility. Simulations demonstrate the framework's ability to simulate multiscaled interactions within pathosystems, and also show that models are modular components within the framework and can be extended. This is illustrated by testing the impact of canopy architectural traits on fungal dispersal. This study provides a framework for modelling a large number of pathosystems using FSPMs. This structure can accommodate both

Preaccident modeling of an LMFBR plant for SSC-L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrawal, A.K.

1976-12-01

Physical models for various processes in preaccident or steady-state calculations for the entire liquid metal fast breeder reactor plant are described in this report. A computer program for this initialization phase was written to serve as the starting point for the transient version of the SSC-L code. All of the models and programming are applicable to the ''loop'' type plants

Cognitive-Behavioral Grief Therapy: The ABC Model of Rational-Emotion Behavior Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Malkinson

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The article briefly reviews the changes that occurred in the field of grief and bereavement, viewing it as a process of searching for a "rational" meaning to life without the deceased in line with the concept of continuing bonds and thus replacing that of Fred’s concept of decathexis. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT evidenced-based studies for PTSD and complicated grief and the Cognitive-behavioral therapy − Rational-emotion behavior therapy (CBT-REBT model for grief are reviewed. The focus of intervention based on CBT-REBT is to facilitate a healthy adaptation to loss following death. A distinction is made between rational (adaptive and irrational (maladaptive grief processes. Case example illustrating the application of the model specifically a dialogue with repetitive thoughts, are presented.

Developing robotic behavior using a genetic programming model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pryor, R.J.

1998-01-01

This report describes the methodology for using a genetic programming model to develop tracking behaviors for autonomous, microscale robotic vehicles. The use of such vehicles for surveillance and detection operations has become increasingly important in defense and humanitarian applications. Through an evolutionary process similar to that found in nature, the genetic programming model generates a computer program that when downloaded onto a robotic vehicle's on-board computer will guide the robot to successfully accomplish its task. Simulations of multiple robots engaged in problem-solving tasks have demonstrated cooperative behaviors. This report also discusses the behavior model produced by genetic programming and presents some results achieved during the study

A phenomenological memristor model for synaptic memory and learning behaviors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Nan Shao; Sheng-Bing Zhang; Shu-Yuan Shao

2017-01-01

Properties that are similar to the memory and learning functions in biological systems have been observed and reported in the experimental studies of memristors fabricated by different materials.These properties include the forgetting effect,the transition from short-term memory (STM) to long-term memory (LTM),learning-experience behavior,etc.The mathematical model of this kind of memristor would be very important for its theoretical analysis and application design.In our analysis of the existing memristor model with these properties,we find that some behaviors of the model are inconsistent with the reported experimental observations.A phenomenological memristor model is proposed for this kind of memristor.The model design is based on the forgetting effect and STM-to-LTM transition since these behaviors are two typical properties of these memristors.Further analyses of this model show that this model can also be used directly or modified to describe other experimentally observed behaviors.Simulations show that the proposed model can give a better description of the reported memory and learning behaviors of this kind of memristor than the existing model.

Theoretical models of drivers behavior on the road

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Piotr Biernacki

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding of mechanisms and factors responsible for the driver behavior on the road is the subject of ongoing interest to transportation psychologists, occupational doctors and engineers. Models of driver behavior are a key point for the understanding the mechanisms and factors which may cause limitations to the optimal functioning on the road. They also systematize knowledge about the factors responsible for the behavior of the driver and thus constitute a starting point for formulating empirical or diagnostic hypotheses. The aim of this study is to present models of driver behavior from the descriptive and functional perspectives. Med Pr 2017;68(3:401–411

Development of cesium 137 plant uptake predicting model using geographical information systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomonos, O.V.

2002-01-01

Soil-plant system is a critical component of food chain in processes of Cs 137 migration. In this component it is possible to decrease greatly Cs 137 uptake in food chain. Development of Cs 137 migration model in soil-plant system enable to determine amount of Cs 137 in plant uptake and evaluate agricultural produce accordance with modern ecological requirements. Also this model can help with management of agricultural production. Geographical information systems (GIS) have a wide propagation in radioecology at present time. Models using GIS have several advantages: relative simplicity of evaluation, visualization of evaluated results etc. As a result, plots with possible Cs 137 uptake increasing could be easily discovered. Physical decay, Cs 137 sorption and fixation by soil, Cs 137 vertical migration in soil profile and plant uptake are the main components of the Cs 137 migration model in soil-plant system. Content of biologically available Cs 137 calculated taking into account all of these components. Using GIS with Cs 137 migration model in soil-plant system lets efficiently discover those factors that have major influence on Cs 137 plant uptake increasing. This model improves agricultural production on territories, which polluted by Cs 137

Transuranic Behavior in Soils and Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wildung, R.E.; Garland, T.R.; Cataldo, D.A.; Rogers, J.E.; McFadden, K.M.; McNair, V.M.; Schreckhise, R.G.

1980-01-01

The principal objectives of these investigations are to determine (1) the potential for alteration of transuranic solubility through formation of transuranic complexes in soil and the role of the soil microflora in this process, (2) the extent of uptake nd translocation by plants and the sites of plant deposition of transuranics or their complexes, (3) the bond types and chemical forms of transuranics or their metabolites in microbes, plant tissues and soils, (4) the influence of soil properties, environmental conditions and cropping on these processes, and (5) the retention of airborne pollutants by plant foliage and their subsequent absorption by leaves and transport to seeds and roots

Scanpath Based N-Gram Models for Predicting Reading Behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mishra, Abhijit; Bhattacharyya, Pushpak; Carl, Michael

2013-01-01

Predicting reading behavior is a difficult task. Reading behavior depends on various linguistic factors (e.g. sentence length, structural complexity etc.) and other factors (e.g individual's reading style, age etc.). Ideally, a reading model should be similar to a language model where the model i...

Effects of temperature on the feeding behavior of Alabama argillacea (Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae on Bt and non-Bt cotton plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FRANCISCO S. RAMALHO

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The host acceptance behavior and environmental factors as temperature affect the feeding behavior of Lepidoptera pests. Thus, they must be considered in studies about the risk potential of resistance evolution. The current study sets the differences in the feeding behavior of neonate Alabama argillacea (Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae larvae exposed to Bt and non-Bt cotton plants, under different temperatures and time gap after hatching. Two cotton cultivars were used: the Bt (DP 404 BG - bollgard and the non-transformed isoline, DP 4049. We found that the feeding behavior of neonate A. argillacea is significantly different between Bt and non-Bt cotton. Based on the number of larvae with vegetal tissue in their gut found on the plant and in the organza as well as on the amount of vegetal tissue ingested by the larvae. A. argillacea shows feeding preference for non-Bt cotton plants, in comparison to that on the Bt. However, factors such as temperature and exposure time may affect detection capacity and plant abandonment by the larvae and it results in lower ingestion of vegetal tissue. Such results are relevant to handle the resistance of Bt cotton cultivars to A. argillacea and they also enable determining how the cotton seeds mix will be a feasible handling option to hold back resistance evolution in A. argillacea populations on Bt cotton, when it is compared to other refuge strategies. The results can also be useful to determine which refuge distribution of plants is more effective for handling Bt cotton resistance to A. argillacea.

Model plant Key Measurement Points

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, R.A.

1984-01-01

For IAEA safeguards a Key Measurement Point is defined as the location where nuclear material appears in such a form that it may be measured to determine material flow or inventory. This presentation describes in an introductory manner the key measurement points and associated measurements for the model plant used in this training course

Balance of plant modeling in TRAC-BD1/MOD1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weaver, W.L.; Giles, M.M.; Mohr, C.M.

1983-01-01

The mission of the TRAC-BD1/MOD1 code is to provide a best-estimate analysis capability for Boiling Water Reactor systems and related experimental facilities for the full range of accidents from large and small break Loss-of-Coolant accidents to operational transients including anticipated transients without scram (ATWS), for which point reactor kinetics is adequate (as a first approximation). Recent model developments allow a complete reactor system including the containment and the balance of plant to be modeled. This paper describes the balance of plant models and presents the results of a simulation of a loss-of-feedwater heater transients which was used to assess the performance of the balance of plant models

The development of Arabidopsis as a plant model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koornneef, M.; Meinke, D.W.

2010-01-01

Twenty-five years ago, Arabidopsis thaliana emerged as the model organism of choice for research in plant biology. A consensus was reached about the need to focus on a single organism to integrate the classical disciplines of plant science with the expanding fields of genetics and molecular biology.

Behavioral change theories can inform the prediction of young adults' adoption of a plant-based diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyker, Brett A; Davison, Kirsten K

2010-01-01

Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), this study (1) examines links between stages of change for following a plant-based diet (PBD) and consuming more fruits and vegetables (FV); (2) tests an integrated theoretical model predicting intention to follow a PBD; and (3) identifies associated salient beliefs. Cross-sectional. Large public university in the northeastern United States. 204 college students. TPB and TTM constructs were assessed using validated scales. Outcome, normative, and control beliefs were measured using open-ended questions. The overlap between stages of change for FV consumption and adopting a PBD was assessed using Spearman rank correlation analysis and cross-tab comparisons. The proposed model predicting adoption of a PBD was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Salient beliefs were coded using automatic response coding software. No association was found between stages of change for FV consumption and following a PBD. Results from SEM analyses provided support for the proposed model predicting intention to follow a PBD. Gender differences in salient beliefs for following a PBD were found. Results demonstrate the potential for effective theory-driven and stage-tailored public health interventions to promote PBDs. Copyright 2010 Society for Nutrition Education. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary results of Physiological plant growth modelling for human life support in space

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidharan L, Swathy; Dussap, Claude-Gilles; Hezard, Pauline

2012-07-01

Human life support is fundamental and crucial in any kind of space explorations. MELiSSA project of European Space Agency aims at developing a closed, artificial ecological life support system involving human, plants and micro organisms. Consuming carbon dioxide and water from the life support system, plants grow in one of the chambers and convert it into food and oxygen along with potable water. The environmental conditions, nutrient availability and its consumption of plants should be studied and necessarily modeled to predict the amount of food, oxygen and water with respect to the environmental changes and limitations. The reliability of a completely closed system mainly depends on the control laws and strategies used. An efficient control can occur, only if the system to control is itself well known, described and ideally if the responses of the system to environmental changes are predictable. In this aspect, the general structure of plant growth model has been designed together with physiological modelling.The physiological model consists of metabolic models of leaves, stem and roots, of which concern specific metabolisms of the associated plant parts. On the basis of the carbon source transport (eg. sucrose) through stem, the metabolic models (leaf and root) can be interconnected to each other and finally coupled to obtain the entire plant model. For the first step, leaf metabolic model network was built using stoichiometric, mass and energy balanced metabolic equations under steady state approach considering all necessary plant pathways for growth and maintenance of leaves. As the experimental data for lettuce plants grown in closed and controlled environmental chambers were available, the leaf metabolic model has been established for lettuce leaves. The constructed metabolic network is analyzed using known stoichiometric metabolic technique called metabolic flux analysis (MFA). Though, the leaf metabolic model alone is not sufficient to achieve the

Behavioral phenotypes of genetic mouse models of autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazdoba, T M; Leach, P T; Crawley, J N

2016-01-01

More than a hundred de novo single gene mutations and copy-number variants have been implicated in autism, each occurring in a small subset of cases. Mutant mouse models with syntenic mutations offer research tools to gain an understanding of the role of each gene in modulating biological and behavioral phenotypes relevant to autism. Knockout, knockin and transgenic mice incorporating risk gene mutations detected in autism spectrum disorder and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders are now widely available. At present, autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed solely by behavioral criteria. We developed a constellation of mouse behavioral assays designed to maximize face validity to the types of social deficits and repetitive behaviors that are central to an autism diagnosis. Mouse behavioral assays for associated symptoms of autism, which include cognitive inflexibility, anxiety, hyperactivity, and unusual reactivity to sensory stimuli, are frequently included in the phenotypic analyses. Over the past 10 years, we and many other laboratories around the world have employed these and additional behavioral tests to phenotype a large number of mutant mouse models of autism. In this review, we highlight mouse models with mutations in genes that have been identified as risk genes for autism, which work through synaptic mechanisms and through the mTOR signaling pathway. Robust, replicated autism-relevant behavioral outcomes in a genetic mouse model lend credence to a causal role for specific gene contributions and downstream biological mechanisms in the etiology of autism. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Drosophila melanogaster "a potential model organism" for identification of pharmacological properties of plants/plant-derived components.

Science.gov (United States)

Panchal, Komal; Tiwari, Anand K

2017-05-01

Plants/plant-derived components have been used from ancient times to treat/cure several human diseases. Plants and their parts possess several chemical components that play the vital role in the improvement of human health and their life expectancy. Allopathic medicines have been playing a key role in the treatment of several diseases. Though allopathic medicines provide fast relief, long time consumption cause serious health concerns such as hyperallergic reactions, liver damage, etc. So, the study of medicinal plants which rarely cause any side effect is very important to mankind. Plants contain many health benefit properties like antioxidant, anti-aging, neuroprotective, anti-genotoxic, anti-mutagenic and bioinsecticidal activity. Thus, identification of pharmacological properties of plants/plant-derived components are of utmost importance to be explored. Several model organisms have been used to identify the pharmacological properties of the different plants or active components therein and Drosophila is one of them. Drosophila melanogaster "fruit fly" is a well understood, high-throughput model organism being used more than 110 years to study the different biological aspects related to the development and diseases. Most of the developmental and cell signaling pathways and ∼75% human disease-related genes are conserved between human and Drosophila. Using Drosophila, one can easily analyze the pharmacological properties of plants/plant-derived components by performing several assays available with flies such as survivorship, locomotor, antioxidant, cell death, etc. The current review focuses on the potential of Drosophila melanogaster for the identification of medicinal/pharmacological properties associated with plants/plant-derived components. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear Fuzzy Model Predictive Control for a PWR Nuclear Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangjie Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Reliable power and temperature control in pressurized water reactor (PWR nuclear power plant is necessary to guarantee high efficiency and plant safety. Since the nuclear plants are quite nonlinear, the paper presents nonlinear fuzzy model predictive control (MPC, by incorporating the realistic constraints, to realize the plant optimization. T-S fuzzy modeling on nuclear power plant is utilized to approximate the nonlinear plant, based on which the nonlinear MPC controller is devised via parallel distributed compensation (PDC scheme in order to solve the nonlinear constraint optimization problem. Improved performance compared to the traditional PID controller for a TMI-type PWR is obtained in the simulation.

Modeling electric bicycle's lane-changing and retrograde behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Tie-Qiao; Luo, Xiao-Feng; Zhang, Jian; Chen, Liang

2018-01-01

Recently, electric bicycle (EB) has been one important traffic tool due to its own merits. However, EB's motion behaviors (especially at a signalized/non-signalized intersection) are more complex than those of vehicle since it always has lane-changing and retrograde behaviors. In this paper, we propose a model to explore EB's lane-changing and retrograde behaviors on a road with a signalized intersection. The numerical results indicate that the proposed model can qualitatively describe each EB's lane-changing and retrograde behaviors near a signalized intersection, and that lane-changing and retrograde behaviors have prominent impacts on the signalized intersection (i.e., prominent jams and congestions occur). The above results show that EB should be controlled as a vehicle, i.e., lane-changing and retrograde behaviors at a signalized intersection should strictly be prohibited to improve the operational efficiency and traffic safety at the signalized intersection.

A Culture-Behavior-Brain Loop Model of Human Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Shihui; Ma, Yina

2015-11-01

Increasing evidence suggests that cultural influences on brain activity are associated with multiple cognitive and affective processes. These findings prompt an integrative framework to account for dynamic interactions between culture, behavior, and the brain. We put forward a culture-behavior-brain (CBB) loop model of human development that proposes that culture shapes the brain by contextualizing behavior, and the brain fits and modifies culture via behavioral influences. Genes provide a fundamental basis for, and interact with, the CBB loop at both individual and population levels. The CBB loop model advances our understanding of the dynamic relationships between culture, behavior, and the brain, which are crucial for human phylogeny and ontogeny. Future brain changes due to cultural influences are discussed based on the CBB loop model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ontology and modeling patterns for state-based behavior representation

Science.gov (United States)

Castet, Jean-Francois; Rozek, Matthew L.; Ingham, Michel D.; Rouquette, Nicolas F.; Chung, Seung H.; Kerzhner, Aleksandr A.; Donahue, Kenneth M.; Jenkins, J. Steven; Wagner, David A.; Dvorak, Daniel L.;

Optimized CO2-flue gas separation model for a coal fired power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arachchige, Udara S.P.R. [Telemark University College, Porsgrunn (Norway); Mohsin, Muhammad [Telemark University College, Porsgrunn (Norway); Melaaen, Morten C. [Telemark University College, Porsgrunn (Norway); Tel-Tek, Porsgrunn (Norway)

2013-07-01

The detailed description of the CO2 removal process using mono-ethylamine (MEA) as a solvent for coal-fired power plant is present in this paper. The rate based Electrolyte NRTL activity coefficient model was used in the Aspen Plus. The complete removal process with re-circulating solvent back to the absorber was implemented with the sequential modular method in Aspen Plus. The most significant cost related to CO2 capture is the energy requirement for re-generating solvent, i.e. re-boiler duty. Parameters’ effects on re-boiler duty were studied, resulting decreased re-boiler duty with the packing height and absorber packing diameter, absorber pressure, solvent temperature, stripper packing height and diameter. On the other hand, with the flue gas temperature, re-boiler duty is increased. The temperature profiles and CO2 loading profiles were used to check the model behavior.

NONLINEAR PLANT PIECEWISE-CONTINUOUS MODEL MATRIX PARAMETERS ESTIMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman L. Leibov

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a nonlinear plant piecewise-continuous model matrix parameters estimation technique using nonlinear model time responses and random search method. One of piecewise-continuous model application areas is defined. The results of proposed approach application for aircraft turbofan engine piecewisecontinuous model formation are presented

The use of plant models in deep learning: an application to leaf counting in rosette plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ubbens, Jordan; Cieslak, Mikolaj; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Stavness, Ian

2018-01-01

Deep learning presents many opportunities for image-based plant phenotyping. Here we consider the capability of deep convolutional neural networks to perform the leaf counting task. Deep learning techniques typically require large and diverse datasets to learn generalizable models without providing a priori an engineered algorithm for performing the task. This requirement is challenging, however, for applications in the plant phenotyping field, where available datasets are often small and the costs associated with generating new data are high. In this work we propose a new method for augmenting plant phenotyping datasets using rendered images of synthetic plants. We demonstrate that the use of high-quality 3D synthetic plants to augment a dataset can improve performance on the leaf counting task. We also show that the ability of the model to generate an arbitrary distribution of phenotypes mitigates the problem of dataset shift when training and testing on different datasets. Finally, we show that real and synthetic plants are significantly interchangeable when training a neural network on the leaf counting task.

Dietary options and behavior suggested by plant biomarker evidence in an early human habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Magill, Clayton R.; Ashley, Gail M.; Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Freeman, Katherine H.

2016-03-01

The availability of plants and freshwater shapes the diets and social behavior of chimpanzees, our closest living relative. However, limited evidence about the spatial relationships shared between ancestral human (hominin) remains, edible resources, refuge, and freshwater leaves the influence of local resources on our species' evolution open to debate. Exceptionally well-preserved organic geochemical fossils-biomarkers-preserved in a soil horizon resolve different plant communities at meter scales across a contiguous 25,000 m2 archaeological land surface at Olduvai Gorge from about 2 Ma. Biomarkers reveal hominins had access to aquatic plants and protective woods in a patchwork landscape, which included a spring-fed wetland near a woodland that both were surrounded by open grassland. Numerous cut-marked animal bones are located within the wooded area, and within meters of wetland vegetation delineated by biomarkers for ferns and sedges. Taken together, plant biomarkers, clustered bone debris, and hominin remains define a clear spatial pattern that places animal butchery amid the refuge of an isolated forest patch and near freshwater with diverse edible resources.

Performance of fire behavior fuel models developed for the Rothermel Surface Fire Spread Model

Science.gov (United States)

Robert Ziel; W. Matt Jolly

2009-01-01

In 2005, 40 new fire behavior fuel models were published for use with the Rothermel Surface Fire Spread Model. These new models are intended to augment the original 13 developed in 1972 and 1976. As a compiled set of quantitative fuel descriptions that serve as input to the Rothermel model, the selected fire behavior fuel model has always been critical to the resulting...

Spatially Informed Plant PRA Models for Security Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeler, Timothy A.; Thomas, Willard; Thornsbury, Eric

2006-01-01

Traditional risk models can be adapted to evaluate plant response for situations where plant systems and structures are intentionally damaged, such as from sabotage or terrorism. This paper describes a process by which traditional risk models can be spatially informed to analyze the effects of compound and widespread harsh environments through the use of 'damage footprints'. A 'damage footprint' is a spatial map of regions of the plant (zones) where equipment could be physically destroyed or disabled as a direct consequence of an intentional act. The use of 'damage footprints' requires that the basic events from the traditional probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) be spatially transformed so that the failure of individual components can be linked to the destruction of or damage to specific spatial zones within the plant. Given the nature of intentional acts, extensive modifications must be made to the risk models to account for the special nature of the 'initiating events' associated with deliberate adversary actions. Intentional acts might produce harsh environments that in turn could subject components and structures to one or more insults, such as structural, fire, flood, and/or vibration and shock damage. Furthermore, the potential for widespread damage from some of these insults requires an approach that addresses the impacts of these potentially severe insults even when they occur in locations distant from the actual physical location of a component or structure modeled in the traditional PRA. (authors)

Identification of plant configurations maximizing radiation capture in relay strip cotton using a functional-structural plant model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mao, Lili; Zhang, Lizhen; Evers, J.B.; Henke, M.; Werf, van der W.; Liu, Shaodong; Zhang, Siping; Zhao, Xinhua; Wang, Baomin; Li, Zhaohu

2016-01-01

One of the key decisions in crop production is the choice of row distance and plant density. The choice of these planting pattern parameters is especially challenging in heterogeneous systems, such as systems containing alternating strips. Here we use functional-structural plant modelling to

A modeling method for hybrid energy behaviors in flexible machining systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yufeng; He, Yan; Wang, Yan; Wang, Yulin; Yan, Ping; Lin, Shenlong

2015-01-01

Increasingly environmental and economic pressures have led to great concerns regarding the energy consumption of machining systems. Understanding energy behaviors of flexible machining systems is a prerequisite for improving energy efficiency of these systems. This paper proposes a modeling method to predict energy behaviors in flexible machining systems. The hybrid energy behaviors not only depend on the technical specification related of machine tools and workpieces, but are significantly affected by individual production scenarios. In the method, hybrid energy behaviors are decomposed into Structure-related energy behaviors, State-related energy behaviors, Process-related energy behaviors and Assignment-related energy behaviors. The modeling method for the hybrid energy behaviors is proposed based on Colored Timed Object-oriented Petri Net (CTOPN). The former two types of energy behaviors are modeled by constructing the structure of CTOPN, whist the latter two types of behaviors are simulated by applying colored tokens and associated attributes. Machining on two workpieces in the experimental workshop were undertaken to verify the proposed modeling method. The results showed that the method can provide multi-perspective transparency on energy consumption related to machine tools, workpieces as well as production management, and is particularly suitable for flexible manufacturing system when frequent changes in machining systems are often encountered. - Highlights: • Energy behaviors in flexible machining systems are modeled in this paper. • Hybrid characteristics of energy behaviors are examined from multiple viewpoints. • Flexible modeling method CTOPN is used to predict the hybrid energy behaviors. • This work offers a multi-perspective transparency on energy consumption

Transient behaviour and control of the ACACIA plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikstra, J.F.; Heek, A.I. van; Verkooijen, A.H.M.

2001-01-01

This article deals with dynamic modelling and control of the ACACIA plant. A one-dimensional flow model describing the helium flow and the two-phase water flow is used through the whole plant, with different source terms in different pieces of equipment. A stage-by-stage model is produced for the radial compressor and axial turbine. Other models include the recuperator, water/helium heat exchangers, a natural convection evaporator, valves, etc. The models have been checked by comparison of the transient behavior with several other models, e.g. produced in RELAP. The dynamic behavior of this plant is analysed and a control structure is designed. First the requirements and options for a control system design are investigated. A number of possible control valve positions in the flowsheet are tested with transients in order to make an argued choice. The model is subsequently used to determine the optimal working conditions for different heat and power demands, these are used as set-points for the control system. Then the interaction between manipulated and controlled variables is mapped and based on this information a choice for coupling them in decentralised feedback control loops is made. This control structure is then tuned and tested. It can be concluded that both heat and power demand can be followed with acceptable performance over a wide range. (author)

C.A.S.H. - a transient integrated plant model for a HTR-module power plant. User manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biesenbach, R.; Lauer, A.; Struth, S.

1997-07-01

The computer code C.A.S.H. has been developed as an integrated plant model for the HTR-Module reactor, in order to treat safety related questions about this type of power plant which require a detailed numeric simulation of the transient behaviour of the integrated plant. The present report contains the user manual for this plant model. It consists of three parts: In the first part, the code structure and functions, the course of the simulation calculations, and important code parts are described. The second part is devoted to the practical application and explains extensively the handling of the complex code system with several sample calculations. These computing cases comprise load-follow transients and the shutdown procedure of the HTR-Module and are presented and discussed with the full input data, job patterns, and numerous computer graphics. The third part contains the input manual of C.A.S.H. and is rather extensive as it includes the complete inputs of several reactor component computer codes along with the control program of the integrated plant model. (orig./DG) [de

Modeling the behavioral substrates of associate learning and memory - Adaptive neural models

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chuen-Chien

1991-01-01

Three adaptive single-neuron models based on neural analogies of behavior modification episodes are proposed, which attempt to bridge the gap between psychology and neurophysiology. The proposed models capture the predictive nature of Pavlovian conditioning, which is essential to the theory of adaptive/learning systems. The models learn to anticipate the occurrence of a conditioned response before the presence of a reinforcing stimulus when training is complete. Furthermore, each model can find the most nonredundant and earliest predictor of reinforcement. The behavior of the models accounts for several aspects of basic animal learning phenomena in Pavlovian conditioning beyond previous related models. Computer simulations show how well the models fit empirical data from various animal learning paradigms.

Analysis and modelling of the energy consumption of chemical batch plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bieler, P.S.

2004-07-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) describes two different approaches for the energy analysis and modelling of chemical batch plants. A top-down model consisting of a linear equation based on the specific energy consumption per ton of production output and the base consumption of the plant is postulated. The model is shown to be applicable to single and multi-product batches for batch plants with constant production mix and multi-purpose batch plants in which only similar chemicals are produced. For multipurpose batch plants with highly varying production processes and changing production mix, the top-down model produced inaccurate results. A bottom-up model is postulated for such plants. The results obtained are discussed that show that the electricity consumption for infrastructure equipment was significant and responsible for about 50% of total electricity consumption. The specific energy consumption for the different buildings was related to the degree of automation and the production processes. Analyses of the results of modelling are presented. More detailed analyses of the energy consumption of this apparatus group show that about 30 to 40% of steam energy is lost and thus a large potential for optimisation exists. Various potentials for making savings, ranging from elimination of reflux conditions to the development of a new heating/cooling-system for a generic batch reactor, are identified.

A model for continuous improvement at a South African minerals benefication plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ras, Eugene Ras

2015-05-01

Full Text Available South Africa has a variety of mineral resources, and several minerals beneficiation plants are currently in operation. These plants must be operated effectively to ensure that the end-users of its products remain internationally competitive. To achieve this objective, plants need a sustainable continuous improvement programme. Several frameworks for continuous improvement are used, with variable success rates, in beneficiation plants around the world. However, none of these models specifically addresses continuous improvement from a minerals-processing point of view. The objective of this research study was to determine which factors are important for a continuous improvement model at a minerals beneficiation plant, and to propose a new model using lean manufacturing, six sigma, and the theory of constraints. A survey indicated that managers in the industry prefer a model that combines various continuous improvement models.

Modeling of the wind power plant using software DIgSILENT Power factory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mladenovski, Ljubisha; Iliev, Atanas; Fushtikj, Vangel

2004-01-01

This paper presents a method for creating a model of the wind power plant NORDEX N-60 in the DIgSILENT Power factory software. At the beginning, the characteristics of the wind power plant and the used software are shortly described. The next step is modeling the part of the power system where the wind power plant will be connected to the grid The modeling of the turbine part and the generator part of the wind power plant is made with blocks, which are part of the machine block of the composite model. Finally, the results obtained from performed practically oriented simulations are presented in graphical form. Design of the model of the wind power plant NORDEX N-60 was performed at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, at the University of Rostock, Germany, as a part of the DYSIMAC project. (Author)

Rasmussen's model of human behavior in laparoscopy training.

Science.gov (United States)

Wentink, M; Stassen, L P S; Alwayn, I; Hosman, R J A W; Stassen, H G

2003-08-01

Compared to aviation, where virtual reality (VR) training has been standardized and simulators have proven their benefits, the objectives, needs, and means of VR training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) still have to be established. The aim of the study presented is to introduce Rasmussen's model of human behavior as a practical framework for the definition of the training objectives, needs, and means in MIS. Rasmussen distinguishes three levels of human behavior: skill-, rule-, and knowledge-based behaviour. The training needs of a laparoscopic novice can be determined by identifying the specific skill-, rule-, and knowledge-based behavior that is required for performing safe laparoscopy. Future objectives of VR laparoscopy trainers should address all three levels of behavior. Although most commercially available simulators for laparoscopy aim at training skill-based behavior, especially the training of knowledge-based behavior during complications in surgery will improve safety levels. However, the cost and complexity of a training means increases when the training objectives proceed from the training of skill-based behavior to the training of complex knowledge-based behavior. In aviation, human behavior models have been used successfully to integrate the training of skill-, rule-, and knowledge-based behavior in a full flight simulator. Understanding surgeon behavior is one of the first steps towards a future full-scale laparoscopy simulator.

A versatile model for tritium transfer from atmosphere to plant and soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melintescu, A.; Galeriu, D.

2004-01-01

The need to increase the predictive power of risk assessment for large tritium releases implies a process level approach for model development. Tritium transfer for atmosphere to plant and the conversion in organically bound tritium depend strongly on plant characteristics, season, and meteorological conditions.In order to cope with this large variability and to avoid also, expensive calibration experiments, we developed a model using knowledge of plant physiology, agro-meteorology, soil sciences, hydrology, and climatology. The transfer of tritiated water to plant is modelled with resistance approach including sparse canopy. The canopy resistance is modelled using Jarvis-Calvet approach modified in order to directly use the canopy photosynthesis rate.The crop growth model WOFOST is used for photosynthesis rate both for canopy resistance and formation of organically bound tritium, also. Using this formalism, the tritium transfer parameters are directly linked to known processes and parameters from agricultural sciences. The model predictions for tritium in wheat are closed to a factor two to experimental data without any calibration. The model also is tested for rice and soya bean and can be applied for various plants and environmental conditions. For sparse canopy the model uses coupled equations between soil and plants. (author)

A new framework to increase the efficiency of large-scale solar power plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Alimohammadi, Shahrouz; Kleissl, Jan P.

2015-11-01

A new framework to estimate the spatio-temporal behavior of solar power is introduced, which predicts the statistical behavior of power output at utility scale Photo-Voltaic (PV) power plants. The framework is based on spatio-temporal Gaussian Processes Regression (Kriging) models, which incorporates satellite data with the UCSD version of the Weather and Research Forecasting model. This framework is designed to improve the efficiency of the large-scale solar power plants. The results are also validated from measurements of the local pyranometer sensors, and some improvements in different scenarios are observed. Solar energy.

Short-Circuit Modeling of a Wind Power Plant: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muljadi, E.; Gevorgian, V.

2011-03-01

This paper investigates the short-circuit behavior of a WPP for different types of wind turbines. The short-circuit behavior will be presented. Both the simplified models and detailed models are used in the simulations and both symmetrical faults and unsymmetrical faults are discussed.

Auxin and plant morphogenesis - a model of regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Zajączkowski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the presented model cells of the plant body form a spatial medium in which three-dimensional morphogenic waves of auxin are propagated. Points in the same phase of oscillation form isophasic surfaces and the vectors of wave propagation form a three-dimensional vector field. The vectors in the case of local inhomogeneities of the medium deviate from organ polarity, providing positional information recognized by cells. Models of functioning of such a supracellular oscillatory system in regulation of tissue differentiation, tropic responses and plant form are discussed.

Simplified simulation of an experimental fast reactor plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Masaaki; Fujita, Minoru.

1978-01-01

Purposes of the simulation are to study the dynamic behavior of a liquid metal-cooled experimental fast breeder reactor plant and to design the control system of the reactor plant by modified-RAPID (Reactor and Plant Integrated Dynamics) computer program. As for the plant model, the Japan Experimental Fast Reactor ''Joyo'' was referred to approximately. This computer program is designed for the calculation of steady-state and transient temperatures in a FBR plant; which is described by a model consisting of the core, upper and lower plenums, an intermediate heat exchanger, an air dump heat exchanger, primary-secondary and tertiary coolant systems and connecting pipes. The basic equations are solved numerically by finite difference approximation. The mathematical model for an experimental FBR plant is useful for the design of the control system of FBR plants. The results of numerical simulation showed that the proportional change in the flow rates of the primary and secondary coolant loops provides good performance in relation to the stepped change in the power level. (J.P.N.)

Simulation of nuclear plant operation into a stochastic energy production model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacheco, R.L.

1983-04-01

A simulation model of nuclear plant operation is developed to fit into a stochastic energy production model. In order to improve the stochastic model used, and also reduce its computational time burdened by the aggregation of the model of nuclear plant operation, a study of tail truncation of the unsupplied demand distribution function has been performed. (E.G.) [pt

Modelling and Simulation of VSC-HVDC Connection for Wind Power Plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaudhary, Sanjay Kumar; Teodorescu, Remus; Rodriguez, Pedro

2009-01-01

This paper describes the modelling and simulation of offshore wind power plants (WPP) connected to the onshore power system grid by VSC based HVDC transmission. Offshore wind power plant is modelled with several wind turbine generators connected to two separate collector buses with their own plant...... wind turbines. Simulation of power ramping up and down as well as steady state operation has been demonstrated. As an additional case, the primary reserve control logic has been implemented and simulated in PSCAD model....

Multiaxial behavior of foams - Experiments and modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Maheo, Laurent; Guérard, Sandra; Rio, Gérard; Donnard, Adrien; Viot, Philippe

2015-09-01

Cellular materials are strongly related to pressure level inside the material. It is therefore important to use experiments which can highlight (i) the pressure-volume behavior, (ii) the shear-shape behavior for different pressure level. Authors propose to use hydrostatic compressive, shear and combined pressure-shear tests to determine cellular materials behavior. Finite Element Modeling must take into account these behavior specificities. Authors chose to use a behavior law with a Hyperelastic, a Viscous and a Hysteretic contributions. Specific developments has been performed on the Hyperelastic one by separating the spherical and the deviatoric part to take into account volume change and shape change characteristics of cellular materials.

Cognitive-Behavioral Grief Therapy: The ABC Model of Rational-Emotion Behavior Therapy

OpenAIRE

Malkinson, Ruth

2010-01-01

The article briefly reviews the changes that occurred in the field of grief and bereavement, viewing it as a process of searching for a "rational" meaning to life without the deceased in line with the concept of continuing bonds and thus replacing that of Fred’s concept of decathexis. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) evidenced-based studies for PTSD and complicated grief and the Cognitive-behavioral therapy − Rational-emotion behavior therapy (CBT-REBT) model for grief are reviewed. The foc...

Interaction of Plant Extracts with Central Nervous System Receptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth Lundstrom

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Plant extracts have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various maladies including neurological diseases. Several central nervous system receptors have been demonstrated to interact with plant extracts and components affecting the pharmacology and thereby potentially playing a role in human disease and treatment. For instance, extracts from Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort targeted several CNS receptors. Similarly, extracts from Piper nigrum, Stephania cambodica, and Styphnolobium japonicum exerted inhibition of agonist-induced activity of the human neurokinin-1 receptor. Methods: Different methods have been established for receptor binding and functional assays based on radioactive and fluorescence-labeled ligands in cell lines and primary cell cultures. Behavioral studies of the effect of plant extracts have been conducted in rodents. Plant extracts have further been subjected to mood and cognition studies in humans. Results: Mechanisms of action at molecular and cellular levels have been elucidated for medicinal plants in support of standardization of herbal products and identification of active extract compounds. In several studies, plant extracts demonstrated affinity to a number of CNS receptors in parallel indicating the complexity of this interaction. In vivo studies showed modifications of CNS receptor affinity and behavioral responses in animal models after treatment with medicinal herbs. Certain plant extracts demonstrated neuroprotection and enhanced cognitive performance, respectively, when evaluated in humans. Noteworthy, the penetration of plant extracts and their protective effect on the blood-brain-barrier are discussed. Conclusion: The affinity of plant extracts and their isolated compounds for CNS receptors indicates an important role for medicinal plants in the treatment of neurological disorders. Moreover, studies in animal and human models have confirmed a scientific basis for the

Multi-objective stochastic scheduling optimization model for connecting a virtual power plant to wind-photovoltaic-electric vehicles considering uncertainties and demand response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, Liwei; Li, Huanhuan; Zhao, Junwei; Chen, Kangting; Tan, Qingkun; Tan, Zhongfu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Our research focuses on virtual power plant. • Electric vehicle group and demand response are integrated into virtual power plant. • Stochastic chance constraint planning is applied to overcome uncertainties. • A multi-objective stochastic scheduling model is proposed for virtual power plant. • A three-stage hybrid intelligent solution algorithm is proposed for solving the model. - Abstract: A stochastic chance-constrained planning method is applied to build a multi-objective optimization model for virtual power plant scheduling. Firstly, the implementation cost of demand response is calculated using the system income difference. Secondly, a wind power plant, photovoltaic power, an electric vehicle group and a conventional power plant are aggregated into a virtual power plant. A stochastic scheduling model is proposed for the virtual power plant, considering uncertainties under three objective functions. Thirdly, a three-stage hybrid intelligent solution algorithm is proposed, featuring the particle swarm optimization algorithm, the entropy weight method and the fuzzy satisfaction theory. Finally, the Yunnan distributed power demonstration project in China is utilized for example analysis. Simulation results demonstrate that when considering uncertainties, the system will reduce the grid connection of the wind power plant and photovoltaic power to decrease the power shortage punishment cost. The average reduction of the system power shortage punishment cost and the operation revenue of virtual power plant are 61.5% and 1.76%, respectively, while the average increase of the system abandoned energy cost is 40.4%. The output of the virtual power plant exhibits a reverse distribution with the confidence degree of the uncertainty variable. The proposed algorithm rapidly calculates a global optimal set. The electric vehicle group could provide spinning reserve to ensure stability of the output of the virtual power plant. Demand response could

Modelling maintenance practice of production plant using the delay-time concept

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Christer, A.H.; Wang, Wenbin; Baker, R.D.; Sharp, J.

1995-01-01

In this paper we present a study carried out for a copper products manufacturing company, developing and applying the delay-time modelling technique to model and thus optimize preventive maintenance (PM) of the plant. A key machine in the plant is used to illustrate the modelling process and

Interaction of mathematical modeling and social and behavioral HIV/AIDS research.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassels, Susan; Goodreau, Steven M

2011-03-01

HIV is transmitted within complex biobehavioral systems. Mathematical modeling can provide insight to complex population-level outcomes of various behaviors measured at an individual level. HIV models in the social and behavioral sciences can be categorized in a number of ways; here, we consider two classes of applications common in the field generally, and in the past year in particular: those models that explore significant behavioral determinants of HIV disparities within and between populations; and those models that seek to evaluate the potential impact of specific social and behavioral interventions. We discuss two overarching issues we see in the field: the need to further systematize effectiveness models of behavioral interventions, and the need for increasing investigation of the use of behavioral data in epidemic models. We believe that a recent initiative by the National Institutes of Health will qualitatively change the relationships between epidemic modeling and sociobehavioral prevention research in the coming years.

Sensitivity Studies on Revised PSA Model of KHNP Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyun-Gyo; Hwang, Seok-Won; Shin, Tae-Young

2016-01-01

Korea also performed safety revaluation for all nuclear power plants led by Korean regulatory and elicited 49 improvement factor for plants. One of those factors is Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMG) development, KHNP decided to develop Low Power and Shutdown(LPSD) Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) models and upgrade full power PSA models of all operating plants for enhancement of guideline quality. In this paper we discuss about the effectiveness of post Fukushima equipment and improvements of each plant based on the results of revised full power PSA and newly developed LPSD PSA. Through sensitivity analysis based on revised PSA models we confirmed that the facilities installed or planned to installation as follow-up measures of Fukushima accident helped to enhance the safety of nuclear power plants. These results will provide various technical insights to scheduled studies which evaluate effectiveness of Fukushima post action items and develop accident management guideline. Also it will contribute to improve nuclear power plants safety

Sensitivity Studies on Revised PSA Model of KHNP Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyun-Gyo; Hwang, Seok-Won; Shin, Tae-Young [KHNP, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Korea also performed safety revaluation for all nuclear power plants led by Korean regulatory and elicited 49 improvement factor for plants. One of those factors is Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMG) development, KHNP decided to develop Low Power and Shutdown(LPSD) Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) models and upgrade full power PSA models of all operating plants for enhancement of guideline quality. In this paper we discuss about the effectiveness of post Fukushima equipment and improvements of each plant based on the results of revised full power PSA and newly developed LPSD PSA. Through sensitivity analysis based on revised PSA models we confirmed that the facilities installed or planned to installation as follow-up measures of Fukushima accident helped to enhance the safety of nuclear power plants. These results will provide various technical insights to scheduled studies which evaluate effectiveness of Fukushima post action items and develop accident management guideline. Also it will contribute to improve nuclear power plants safety.

Nonlinear transfer of elements from soil to plants: impact on radioecological modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuovinen, Tiina S.; Kolehmainen, Mikko; Roivainen, Paeivi; Kumlin, Timo; Makkonen, Sari; Holopainen, Toini; Juutilainen, Jukka [University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 1627, Kuopio (Finland)

2016-08-15

In radioecology, transfer of radionuclides from soil to plants is typically described by a concentration ratio (CR), which assumes linearity of transfer with soil concentration. Nonlinear uptake is evidenced in many studies, but it is unclear how it should be taken into account in radioecological modeling. In this study, a conventional CR-based linear model, a nonlinear model derived from observed uptake into plants, and a new simple model based on the observation that nonlinear uptake leads to a practically constant concentration in plant tissues are compared. The three models were used to predict transfer of {sup 234}U, {sup 59}Ni and {sup 210}Pb into spruce needles. The predictions of the nonlinear and the new model were essentially similar. In contrast, plant radionuclide concentration was underestimated by the linear model when the total element concentration in soil was relatively low, but within the range commonly observed in nature. It is concluded that the linear modeling could easily be replaced by a new approach that more realistically reflects the true processes involved in the uptake of elements into plants. The new modeling approach does not increase the complexity of modeling in comparison with CR-based linear models, and data needed for model parameters (element concentrations) are widely available. (orig.)

Organizational buying behavior: An integrated model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakić Beba

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Organizational buying behavior is decision making process by which formal organizations establish the need for purchased products and services, and identify, evaluate, and choose among alternative brands and suppliers. Understanding the buying decision processes is essential to developing the marketing programs of companies that sell to organizations, or to 'industrial customers'. In business (industrial marketing, exchange relationships between the organizational selling center and the organizational buying center are crucial. Integrative model of organizational buying behavior offers a systematic framework in analyzing the complementary factors and what effect they have on the behavior of those involved in making buying decisions.

Signalling network construction for modelling plant defence response.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragana Miljkovic

Full Text Available Plant defence signalling response against various pathogens, including viruses, is a complex phenomenon. In resistant interaction a plant cell perceives the pathogen signal, transduces it within the cell and performs a reprogramming of the cell metabolism leading to the pathogen replication arrest. This work focuses on signalling pathways crucial for the plant defence response, i.e., the salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene signal transduction pathways, in the Arabidopsis thaliana model plant. The initial signalling network topology was constructed manually by defining the representation formalism, encoding the information from public databases and literature, and composing a pathway diagram. The manually constructed network structure consists of 175 components and 387 reactions. In order to complement the network topology with possibly missing relations, a new approach to automated information extraction from biological literature was developed. This approach, named Bio3graph, allows for automated extraction of biological relations from the literature, resulting in a set of (component1, reaction, component2 triplets and composing a graph structure which can be visualised, compared to the manually constructed topology and examined by the experts. Using a plant defence response vocabulary of components and reaction types, Bio3graph was applied to a set of 9,586 relevant full text articles, resulting in 137 newly detected reactions between the components. Finally, the manually constructed topology and the new reactions were merged to form a network structure consisting of 175 components and 524 reactions. The resulting pathway diagram of plant defence signalling represents a valuable source for further computational modelling and interpretation of omics data. The developed Bio3graph approach, implemented as an executable language processing and graph visualisation workflow, is publically available at http://ropot.ijs.si/bio3graph/and can be

Model parameters for representative wetland plant functional groups

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Amber S.; Kiniry, James R.; Mushet, David M.; Smith, Loren M.; McMurry, Scott T.; Attebury, Kelly; Lang, Megan; McCarty, Gregory W.; Shaffer, Jill A.; Effland, William R.; Johnson, Mari-Vaughn V.

2017-01-01

Wetlands provide a wide variety of ecosystem services including water quality remediation, biodiversity refugia, groundwater recharge, and floodwater storage. Realistic estimation of ecosystem service benefits associated with wetlands requires reasonable simulation of the hydrology of each site and realistic simulation of the upland and wetland plant growth cycles. Objectives of this study were to quantify leaf area index (LAI), light extinction coefficient (k), and plant nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations in natural stands of representative plant species for some major plant functional groups in the United States. Functional groups in this study were based on these parameters and plant growth types to enable process-based modeling. We collected data at four locations representing some of the main wetland regions of the United States. At each site, we collected on-the-ground measurements of fraction of light intercepted, LAI, and dry matter within the 2013–2015 growing seasons. Maximum LAI and k variables showed noticeable variations among sites and years, while overall averages and functional group averages give useful estimates for multisite simulation modeling. Variation within each species gives an indication of what can be expected in such natural ecosystems. For P and K, the concentrations from highest to lowest were spikerush (Eleocharis macrostachya), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), smartweed (Polygonum spp.), cattail (Typha spp.), and hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus). Spikerush had the highest N concentration, followed by smartweed, bulrush, reed canary grass, and then cattail. These parameters will be useful for the actual wetland species measured and for the wetland plant functional groups they represent. These parameters and the associated process-based models offer promise as valuable tools for evaluating environmental benefits of wetlands and for evaluating impacts of various agronomic practices in

Plant model of KIPT neutron source facility simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Yan; Wei, Thomas Y.; Grelle, Austin L.; Gohar, Yousry

2016-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) of the United States and Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) of Ukraine are collaborating on constructing a neutron source facility at KIPT, Kharkov, Ukraine. The facility has 100-kW electron beam driving a subcritical assembly (SCA). The electron beam interacts with a natural uranium target or a tungsten target to generate neutrons, and deposits its power in the target zone. The total fission power generated in SCA is about 300 kW. Two primary cooling loops are designed to remove 100-kW and 300-kW from the target zone and the SCA, respectively. A secondary cooling system is coupled with the primary cooling system to dispose of the generated heat outside the facility buildings to the atmosphere. In addition, the electron accelerator has a low efficiency for generating the electron beam, which uses another secondary cooling loop to remove the generated heat from the accelerator primary cooling loop. One of the main functions the KIPT neutron source facility is to train young nuclear specialists; therefore, ANL has developed the KIPT Neutron Source Facility Simulator for this function. In this simulator, a Plant Control System and a Plant Protection System were developed to perform proper control and to provide automatic protection against unsafe and improper operation of the facility during the steady-state and the transient states using a facility plant model. This report focuses on describing the physics of the plant model and provides several test cases to demonstrate its capabilities. The plant facility model uses the PYTHON script language. It is consistent with the computer language of the plant control system. It is easy to integrate with the simulator without an additional interface, and it is able to simulate the transients of the cooling systems with system control variables changing on real-time.

Plant model of KIPT neutron source facility simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Yan [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wei, Thomas Y. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Grelle, Austin L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Gohar, Yousry [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-02-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) of the United States and Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) of Ukraine are collaborating on constructing a neutron source facility at KIPT, Kharkov, Ukraine. The facility has 100-kW electron beam driving a subcritical assembly (SCA). The electron beam interacts with a natural uranium target or a tungsten target to generate neutrons, and deposits its power in the target zone. The total fission power generated in SCA is about 300 kW. Two primary cooling loops are designed to remove 100-kW and 300-kW from the target zone and the SCA, respectively. A secondary cooling system is coupled with the primary cooling system to dispose of the generated heat outside the facility buildings to the atmosphere. In addition, the electron accelerator has a low efficiency for generating the electron beam, which uses another secondary cooling loop to remove the generated heat from the accelerator primary cooling loop. One of the main functions the KIPT neutron source facility is to train young nuclear specialists; therefore, ANL has developed the KIPT Neutron Source Facility Simulator for this function. In this simulator, a Plant Control System and a Plant Protection System were developed to perform proper control and to provide automatic protection against unsafe and improper operation of the facility during the steady-state and the transient states using a facility plant model. This report focuses on describing the physics of the plant model and provides several test cases to demonstrate its capabilities. The plant facility model uses the PYTHON script language. It is consistent with the computer language of the plant control system. It is easy to integrate with the simulator without an additional interface, and it is able to simulate the transients of the cooling systems with system control variables changing on real-time.

Chaos in long-term behavior of some Bianchi-type VIII models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halpern, P

1987-01-01

The long-term behavior of Bianchi-type VIII models with three different types of stress-energy tensors are examined and compared. The vacuum model, a matter-filled model, and a model with an electromagnetic field are considered. In each case the existence of chaotic behavior and transitions to chaotic behavior are discussed.

Geometry of behavioral spaces: A computational approach to analysis and understanding of agent based models and agent behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Cenek, Martin; Dahl, Spencer K.

2016-11-01

Systems with non-linear dynamics frequently exhibit emergent system behavior, which is important to find and specify rigorously to understand the nature of the modeled phenomena. Through this analysis, it is possible to characterize phenomena such as how systems assemble or dissipate and what behaviors lead to specific final system configurations. Agent Based Modeling (ABM) is one of the modeling techniques used to study the interaction dynamics between a system's agents and its environment. Although the methodology of ABM construction is well understood and practiced, there are no computational, statistically rigorous, comprehensive tools to evaluate an ABM's execution. Often, a human has to observe an ABM's execution in order to analyze how the ABM functions, identify the emergent processes in the agent's behavior, or study a parameter's effect on the system-wide behavior. This paper introduces a new statistically based framework to automatically analyze agents' behavior, identify common system-wide patterns, and record the probability of agents changing their behavior from one pattern of behavior to another. We use network based techniques to analyze the landscape of common behaviors in an ABM's execution. Finally, we test the proposed framework with a series of experiments featuring increasingly emergent behavior. The proposed framework will allow computational comparison of ABM executions, exploration of a model's parameter configuration space, and identification of the behavioral building blocks in a model's dynamics.

Short-Term Power Plant GHG Emissions Forecasting Model