The main asset of this paper is among the uses of fuzzy logic in the engineering sector and especially in the renewable energies as a large alternate of fossil energies, in this paper a PSO-based optimization is used to find the optimal scaling parameters, of a fuzzy logic-based MPPT controller, that maximize the efficiency of a photovoltaic pumping system. The tuning of input and output parame...

We present a simulation/optimization model combining optimization with BIOPLUME II simulation for optimizing in-situ bioremediation system design. In-situ bioremediation of contaminated groundwater has become widely accepted because of its cost-effective ability to achieve satisfactory cleanup. We use parallel recombinative simulated annealing to search for an optimal design and apply the BIOPL...

A long-duration pumping test performed in the conduit of a mixed flow karst system (MFKS) is analyzed and interpreted. It constitutes a unique experiment of catchment wide response of a karst system, with drawdowns measured both in the pumped conduit and in the matrix. A modeling approach is proposed for this interpretation. The developed double continuum model consists of two reservoirs karst ...

Abdominal pumping in caterpillars has only been documented during molting. Using synchrotron X-ray imaging in conjunction with high-speed flow-through respirometry, we show that Manduca sexta caterpillars cyclically contract their bodies in response to hypoxia, resulting in significant compressions of the tracheal system. Compression of tracheae induced by abdominal pumping drives external gas ...

A USGS investigation into the transport of contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs) in four distinctly different aquifers demonstrates how differences in the chemistry of water produced by PSWs and nearby monitoring wells can reveal where and how contamination-susceptible water enters PSWs. This knowledge can be translated into improved monitoring strategies and protection plans. Samples were...

Wellfield management is a multiobjective optimization problem. One important objective has been energy efficiency in terms of minimizing the energy footprint (EFP) of delivered water (MWh/m(3) ). However, power systems in most countries are moving in the direction of deregulated markets and price variability is increasing in many markets because of increased penetration of intermittent renewabl...

The gapless energy spectrum of electrons and holes in single graphene layers (SGLs), graphene bilayers (GBLs), and non-Bernal stacked multiple graphene layers (MGLs) opens up prospects of creating graphene-based terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) lasers. The interband population inversion in such lasers can be achieved, for instance, by optical pumping [1]. However, the excess energy received by...

An experimental study of a pilot scale passive solar hot ~ater heating system utilizing a boiling collector is presented. The self-pumping system alternates between two modes of operation. During the run . cycle, vapor pressure drives the evaporated refr1gerant downward from the collector to the condenser. Once a preset quantity of refrigerant is condensed, vapor pressure is again used to force...

The pumping of water from a sand box with a finer layer on the top was studied theoretically and experimentally. The sand box, saturated at its lower portion and initially in hydrostatic equilibrium, was pumped at constant rate. The results show that significant negative air pressure can be generated in the vadose zone during pumping. The negative air pressure increases quickly in the earlier s...