Monte Carlo simulations of electron dynamics in N2/CO2 mixtures

Motivated by experimental investigations of electrical discharges in N₂/CO₂/H₂O, Monte Carlo (MC) electron dynamics simulations in atmospheric N₂/CO₂ mixtures were performed. The goal was to obtain electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs), mean free path, drift velocity, collision frequency and mean energy of electrons, rate coefficients of electron-impact reactions, ionisation and attachment coefficients, as functions of the reduced electric field strength (E/N) and of the concentration of individual gas components. The results obtained by MC simulations were fitted with polynomials of up to the 3rd order with reasonable accuracy for E/N above 80 Td. The studied parameters below 80 Td were strongly non-linear as functions of E/N. This is mostly due to the influence of elastic collisions of electrons with CO₂ molecules prevailing in CO₂-dominant mixtures for E/N < 40 Td, and vibrational excitation collisions of N₂ species prevailing in N₂-dominant mixtures for E/N from 40 to 80 Td. The effect of these electron-impact processes was specific for each of the studied parameters.     

Phase and velocity distributions in vertically upward high-viscosity two-phase flow

The two-phase pressure drop in vertical industrial pipes is mainly determined by gravitation and acceleration of the fluid, which means that the void fraction is key an important parameter in any model to predict pressure drops. Typically, these models are applied in industry to size pumps and, e.g., emergency relief systems. There is a shortage of void fraction data in the literature for liquids with a dynamic viscosity above 1000 mPa s. Adiabatic experiments have been performed of mixtures of nitrogen and solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (Luviskol^®) in water with dynamic viscosities in the range 900–7000 mPa s. Inner tube diameter was 54.5 mm. Mass flux and quality were varied in a wide range: 8–3500 kg/m²/s and 0–82%, respectively. The corresponding superficial velocities were 0.005–3.4 m/s for the liquid and 0–30 m/s for the nitrogen. For comparison, reference measurements were taken of mixtures of nitrogen with water (1 mPa s). Care has been taken to measure only well-developed flows.     

Isometries of the space of distribution functions with respect to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov metric

In this paper we describe the general forms of surjective isometries of the space of all probability distribution functions on R with respect to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov metric.     

On the speed of a cookie random walk

We consider the model of the one-dimensional cookie random walk when the initial cookie distribution is spatially uniform and the number of cookies per site is finite. We give a criterion to decide whether the limiting speed of the walk is non-zero. In particular, we show that a positive speed may be obtained for just three cookies per site. We also prove a result on the continuity of the speed with respect to the initial cookie distribution.      

A memetic algorithm with dynamic population management for an integrated production–distribution problem

This paper studies an NP-hard multi-period production–distribution problem to minimize the sum of three costs: production setups, inventories and distribution. This problem is solved by a very recent form of metaheuristic called memetic algorithm with population management (MA∣PM). Contrary to classical two-phase methods (production planning, then distribution planning), the algorithm simultaneously tackles production and distribution decisions. Several versions with different population management strategies are evaluated and compared with a two-phase heuristic and a Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP), on 90 randomly generated instances with 20 periods and 50, 100 or 200 customers. The significant savings obtained compared to the two other methods confirm both the interest of integrating production and distribution decisions and of using the MA∣PM template.     

A genetic algorithm for the two-stage supply chain distribution problem associated with a fixed charge

This paper considers a two-stage distribution problem of a supply chain that is associated with a fixed charge. Two kinds of cost are involved in this problem: a continuous cost that linearly increases with the amount transported between a source and a destination, and secondly, a fixed charge, that incurs whenever there exists a transportation of a non-zero quantity between a source and a destination. The objective criterion is the minimisation of the total cost of distribution. A genetic algorithm (GA) that belongs to evolutionary search heuristics is proposed and illustrated. The proposed methodology is evaluated for its solution quality by comparing it with the approximate and lower bound solutions. Thus, the comparison reveals that the GA generates better solution than the approximation method and is capable of providing solution either equal or closer to the lower bound solution of the problem.     

Effective Relaxations and Partitioning Schemes for Solving Water Distribution Network Design Problems to Global Optimality

In this paper, we address the development of a global optimization procedure for the problem of designing a water distribution network, including the case of expanding an already existing system, that satisfies specified flow demands at stated pressure head requirements. The proposed approach significantly improves upon a previous method of Sherali et al. (1998) by way of adopting tighter polyhedral relaxations, and more effective partitioning strategies in concert with a maximal spanning tree-based branching variable selection procedure. Computational experience on three standard test problems from the literature is provided to evaluate the proposed procedure. For all these problems, proven global optimal solutions within a tolerance of 10^–4% and/or within 1$ of optimality are obtained. In particular, the two larger instances of the Hanoi and the New York test networks are solved to global optimality for the very first time in the literature. A new real network design test problem based on the Town of Blacksburg Water Distribution System is also offered to be included in the available library of test cases, and related computational results are presented.     

非合作n人投标报价服从N(μ,σ~2)分布时局中人投标报价策略的研究

推导了矩阵对策模型 ,对非合作 n人投标报价的分布进行 x2 检验。当非合作 n人投标报价服从N (μ,σ2 )分布时 ,根据参数区间公式 ,估计非合作 n人有效报价平均数的范围 ,局中人 最佳报价可根据矩阵对策模型来确定。该方法确定的报价与最佳标底的误差能控制在较小的范围内 ,适用于招标中合成标底的评标办法 ,对确定报价具有一定的实用价值。     

The LIL for <Emphasis Type="Italic">U</Emphasis>-Statistics in Hilbert Spaces

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the (bounded) law of the iterated logarithm for U-statistics in Hilbert spaces. As a tool we also develop moment and tail estimates for canonical Hilbert-space valued U-statistics of arbitrary order, which are of independent interest. R. Adamczak’s research partially supported by MEiN Grant 2 PO3A 019 30. R. Latała’s research partially supported by MEiN Grant 1 PO3A 012 29.     

A novel route to prepare pH- and temperature-sensitive nanogels via a semibatch process

A novel method via a semibatch process in the absence of surfactant has been adopted to prepare pH- and temperature-sensitive nanogels. The shape, charge distribution, temperature, and pH-induced volume phase transition behavior of the latexes were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy, zeta potentials, dynamic laser light scattering, and UV/vis spectroscopy. It was found that, in the absence of surfactant, with increasing the amount of AAc from 5 to 20 mol% of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), the hydrodynamic diameters (D_H) decrease from 230 to 60 nm. With increasing pH value from 3 to 11, the D_H values increase slightly, which is different than the dramatic increase seen when using a conventional batch method with a range from 680 to 1700 nm. However, at pH 3, the turbidity curves of these kinds of particles increase dramatically at temperatures between 33 and 37 °C, while remaining constant at first and then increasing directly at pH 11. Furthermore, the distribution of carboxylic groups located not only on the interior but also on the exterior of colloidal particles as a result of adoption of the semibatch method, other than simple surface distribution of poly(NIPAM-co-AAc) latexes via the batch method.