Open Science @LCSB-ECI

Presentation (2021, June 17)

Opportunities and challenges of using blockchain technology in public administration – Insights from the FLORA project of Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees

Report (2022)

Optimal design of line replaceable units

in Naval Research Logistics (2023)

Optimal electrode coverage based on a new criterion for piezoelectric energy harvesters

in Energy Conversion and Management (2023), 284

Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are a promising alternative to conventional electrochemical batteries with the advantage of being self-powered and maintenance-free, but their application is ... [more ▼]

Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are a promising alternative to conventional electrochemical batteries with the advantage of being self-powered and maintenance-free, but their application is severely restricted by the low electric power output. It has been reported that the power output of PEHs can be enhanced by well-designed electrode coverage. A common design criterion for beam-like PEHs is based on the strain node to avoid electrode charge cancellation. This criterion, however, is not feasible for PEHs subject to complex spatio-temporal excitation patterns, where strain nodes change their position. This work proposes a new design criterion for optimal electrode coverage of beam-like PEHs based on the closed-form solution of the circuit equation that expresses voltage as a function of the beam’s dynamic response, specifically the cross-section rotation. The new criterion maximizes the averaged curvature of the beam segment covered by the electrode using data on the instantaneous rotation field. The improved physical significance and reliability of the presented criterion are discussed. The associated electrode optimization procedure is then exemplified for PEHs driven by fluid flow, which helps to realize a complex excitation pattern. Two numerical studies, both including a variety of combinations of fluid densities and inlet velocities, are performed to demonstrate that an optimal electrode configuration can be obtained with the proposed criterion. Comparison of different electrode configurations in above studies finally leads to useful conclusions on the power output and electrode configuration. [less ▲]

Optimal multi-line bus dispatching at terminals with electric charging scheduling constraints

Scientific Conference (2018, July)

We consider the problem of optimally determining the sequence of electric and conventional internal combustion buses departing from a multi-line bus terminal, considering both service constraints ... [more ▼]

We consider the problem of optimally determining the sequence of electric and conventional internal combustion buses departing from a multi-line bus terminal, considering both service constraints (schedule adherence) and energy constraints (electric bus charging status, bus recharging scheduling in capacitated facilities). The problem is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Program, with the objective of minimizing the total operational cost for the bus lines in question. System dynamics are captured by twenty sets of constraints, ranging from scheduling adherence to discharge-recharge dynamics. Individual operational costs at the bus level (cost of running an electric / non electric bus per km, cost of recharging) and at the trip level (penalty due to failed schedule adherence) are fully parametrised, allowing for extensive sensitivity analysis. We investigate a real-life case study based in the city of Luxembourg, where two charging stations have been installed in the central station’s bus terminal. Through the model we investigate: i) the minimum amount of electric buses necessary to perform a day’s schedule for two currently partially electrified lines, without resorting to conventional internal combustion alternatives; ii) the impact of electrifying two additional lines, specifically considering the trade-offs related to either adding new buses or new charging stations at the bus terminal. [less ▲]

Optimal output consensus control for systems of agents with continuous linear dynamics

in Proceedings of 18th IFAC World Congress (2011)

In this paper we study the output consensus problem for systems of agents with linear continuous, time invariant dynamics. We derive control laws with minimal energy that solves the problem, while using ... [more ▼]

In this paper we study the output consensus problem for systems of agents with linear continuous, time invariant dynamics. We derive control laws with minimal energy that solves the problem, while using only relative information. Instead of considering a fixed communication topology for the agents, and derive the optimal control for that topology, we derive the optimal control law for any communication topology between the agents. We show that the optimal control uses only relative information but requires the connectivity graph to be complete and in general requires measurements of the state errors. We identify the cases where the optimal control is only based on output errors, and show that in the infinite time horizon case, the optimal controller can always be expressed as a dynamic controller that is only based on the output errors. Regarding the theoretic contributions of this paper, the control laws are derived using methods from linear vector space optimization and are given in closed form. To the authors knowledge these methods have not been used within this context before. [less ▲]

Optimal Sensor Placement for Leak Location in Water Distribution Networks Using Genetic Algorithms

in Sensors (2013), 13(11), 14984-15005

This paper proposes a new sensor placement approach for leak location in water distribution networks (WDNs). The sensor placement problem is formulated as an integer optimization problem. The optimization ... [more ▼]

This paper proposes a new sensor placement approach for leak location in water distribution networks (WDNs). The sensor placement problem is formulated as an integer optimization problem. The optimization criterion consists in minimizing the number of non-isolable leaks according to the isolability criteria introduced. Because of the large size and non-linear integer nature of the resulting optimization problem, genetic algorithms (GAs) are used as the solution approach. The obtained results are compared with a semi-exhaustive search method with higher computational effort, proving that GA allows one to find near-optimal solutions with less computational load. Moreover, three ways of increasing the robustness of the GA-based sensor placement method have been proposed using a time horizon analysis, a distance-based scoring and considering different leaks sizes. A great advantage of the proposed methodology is that it does not depend on the isolation method chosen by the user, as long as it is based on leak sensitivity analysis. Experiments in two networks allow us to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. [less ▲]

Optimierung der Tragfähigkeit von antibiotikabeladenen PMMA-hüftinterimsprothesen

Doctoral thesis (2009)

An Optimization-Based Iterative Learning Method for Anticipatory Network Traffic Control

in Proceedings of the 16th COTA International Conference of Transportation Professionals (2016)

Overcoming Design Fixation: Design-by-Analogy Studies and Non-Intuitive Findings

in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing – AIEDAM (2016), 20(2), 185-199

Design fixation is a phenomenon with important significance to many fields of design due to the potential negative impacts it may have in design outcomes, especially during the ideation stage of the ... [more ▼]

Design fixation is a phenomenon with important significance to many fields of design due to the potential negative impacts it may have in design outcomes, especially during the ideation stage of the design process. The present study aims to provide a framework for understanding, or at least probing, design fixation by presenting a review of existing defixation approaches, as well as metrics that have been employed to understand and account for design fixation. This study also describes the results of two design by analogy (DbA) methods, WordTree and SCAMPER, to overcome design fixation in an experiment that involved 97 knowledge-domain experts. The study outcomes are at least twofold: a common framework of metrics and approaches to overcome design fixation in a wide range of design problems and nonintuitive results for DbA approaches in design fixation and other related creativity metrics. The application of WordTree and SCAMPER shows that both methods yield increased novelty compared to a control, where the SCAMPER results are significantly higher than WordTree. It is also found that WordTree mitigates design fixation whereas SCAMPER appears to be ineffective for this purpose but effective to generate an increased quantity of novel ideas. These results demonstrate that both DbA methods provide defixation capabilities and enhance designers’ creativity during idea generation. [less ▲]