THE OPTIMUM GATE LENGTH FOR THE TIME-VARYING DECONVOLUTION OPERATOR1

The time-varying deconvolution operator designed by dividing time-varying sequence has been extended to include an optimal division of the input data. A numerical example illustrates that the error energy is less in the case of optimally divided input in comparison with arbitrary division.     

Comparison of LLR,MLP, Elman,NNARX and ANFIS Models—with a case study in solar radiation estimation

Despite the widespread application of nonlinear mathematical models, comparative studies of different models are still a huge task for modellers. This is because a large number of trial and error processes are needed to develop each model, so the workload will be multiplied into an unmanageable level if many types of models are involved. This study presents an efficient approach by using the Gamma test (GT) to select the input variables and the training data length, so that the trial and error workload can be greatly reduced. The methodology is tested in estimating solar radiation at the Brue catchment, UK. Several nonlinear models have been developed efficiently with the aid of the GT, including local linear regression, multi-layer perceptron (MLP), Elman neural network, neural network auto-regressive model with exogenous inputs (NNARX) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). This work is only feasible within the time and resources constraint, due to the GT in reducing huge workload of the trial and error process.     

REALIZATION OF SHARP CUT-OFF FREQUENCY CHARACTERISTICS ON DIGITAL COMPUTERS*

Sharp cut-off frequency filtering is carried out in the discrete time domain on digital computers. A convolution of the digital filter impulse response with the sampled input yields the output. For practical reasons, the length of the filter inpulse response, corresponding to the number of filter coefficients, is limited, and consequently the resulting frequency characteristic will no longer be identical to that originally specified. This is analogous to synthesising some specified frequency characteristic with a finite number of resistive, capacitative and inductive components. In Part I of this paper, we examine the effect of approximating the sharp cut-off frequency characteristic best in a mean square sense by an impulse response of finite length. The resulting frequency characteristic corresponds to the truncated impulse response of the specified frequency characteristic. It has a cut-off slope proportional to, and a mean square error inversely proportional to, the length of the impulse response, and is a biassed odd function about the cut-off frequency point. Because of the Gibbs phenomenon for discontinuous functions, the resulting frequency characteristic will always have a maximum overshoot with respect to the specified characteristic of ± 9%, regardless of the length of the corresponding impulse response. Equal length truncated impulse responses of specified filters with different cut-off frequencies yield frequency characteristics which are almost identical about their respective cut-off points. Now on a log frequency scale (as against a linear frequency scale implied previously) such characteristics may be made almost identical about the respective cut-off points by having the truncated impulse responses composed of an equal number of zero crossings. Results for the low-pass filter are applicable to the high-pass and band-pass characteristics. In the latter case, the mean square error is double that for a single slope characteristic (low-pass or high-pass) and the slopes at both edges of the passband are approximately equal in magnitude to the length of the impulse response (linear frequency scale). Part II of this paper is concerned with reducing the ± 9% overshoot that results from the discontinuous nature of the sharp cut-off frequency characteristic and which is not dependent on the length of the truncated impulse response. The reduction is achieved, at the expense of the steepness of cut-off for the resulting frequency characteristic, by the use of functions which weight the truncated impulse response of the specified frequency characteristic. These functions are called apodising functions. Among other variables, the length of the truncated weighted impulse response will determine the amount of maximum overshoot since the effective frequency characteristic being approximated is no longer a discontinuous function. The digital realization of the finite length impulse responses of Parts I and II is discussed in Part III, together with the optimum partially specified digital filter approximation to the desired frequency characteristic.     

Coastal vulnerability assessment based on video wave run-up observations at a mesotidal,steep-sloped beach

Coastal imagery obtained from a coastal video monitoring station installed at Faro Beach, S. Portugal, was combined with topographic data from 40 surveys to generate a total of 456 timestack images. The timestack images were processed in an open-access, freely available graphical user interface (GUI) software, developed to extract and process time series of the cross-shore position of the swash extrema. The generated dataset of 2% wave run-up exceedence values R ₂ was used to form empirical formulas, using as input typical hydrodynamic and coastal morphological parameters, generating a best-fit case RMS error of 0.39 m. The R ₂ prediction capacity was improved when the shore-normal wind speed component and/or the tidal elevation η _tide were included in the parameterizations, further reducing the RMS errors to 0.364 m. Introducing the tidal level appeared to allow a more accurate representation of the increased wave energy dissipation during low tides, while the negative trend between R ₂ and the shore-normal wind speed component is probably related to the wind effect on wave breaking. The ratio of the infragravity-to-incident frequency energy contributions to the total swash spectra was in general lower than the ones reported in the literature E _infra/E _inci > 0.8, since low-frequency contributions at the steep, reflective Faro Beach become more significant mainly during storm conditions. An additional parameterization for the total run-up elevation was derived considering only 222 measurements for which η _total,2 exceeded 2 m above MSL and the best-fit case resulted in RMS error of 0.41 m. The equation was applied to predict overwash along Faro Beach for four extreme storm scenarios and the predicted overwash beach sections, corresponded to a percentage of the total length ranging from 36% to 75%.     

Seasonal formation and movement of the thermocline in lakes

Summary The work described deals with the formation and movement of the thermocline on a lake during the summer season. The formation requires an input of mechanical energy from the wind stress as well as an input of heat from solar radiation or from the air. The depth of the thermocline is shown to be nearly proportional to the ratio of the energy input to the heat input and the thermocline sinks or ascends as one input is greater or less than the other. Formulae are found for the variation of the energyE with the cumulative effect of the wind speed, the temperature difference between the water and air if positive, and the depth of the thermocline. A similar formula is obtained forQ the heat input against the total number of hours of sunshine and the positive water-air temperature difference. From these two formulae it is possible to derive a formula for the thermocline depth entirely in terms of meteorological data and surface temperatures of the water for the season.     

Regional-scale nitrogen and phosphorus budgets for the northern (14°S) and central (17°S) Great Barrier Reef shelf ecosystem

Seasonally averaged N and P box model budgets were constructed for two regional-scale sections of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) shelf, one in the near-pristine far-northern GBR (13.5–14.5°S) and the other in the central GBR (17–18°S) adjacent to more intensively farmed wet tropics watersheds. We were unable to simultaneously balance shelf-scale N and P budgets within seasonal or annual time frames, indicating that magnitudes of a number of key input and, especially, loss processes are still poorly constrained. In most cases, current estimates of system-level N and P sources (rainfall, runoff, upwelling, N-fixation) are less than estimated loss processes (denitrification, cross-shelfbreak mixing and burial). Nutrient dynamics in both shelf sections are dominated by the tightly coupled uptake and mineralization of soluble N and P in the water column and the sedimentation–resuspension of particulate detritus. On an area-averaged basis, internal cycling fluxes are an order of magnitude greater than input–output fluxes. Denitrification in shelf sediments is a significant sink for N while lateral mixing is both a source and sink for P.     

PREDICTION ERROR FILTERS,WHITE NOISE AND ORTHOGONAL COORDINATES*

Optimum filters can be computed using orthogonal coordinates obtained from the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the autocorrelation matrix. The method is used to obtain unit distance prediction error filters. The output of a unit distance prediction error filter when applied to the input wavelet is an impulse at zero time. The effect on the output of added white noise is easily obtained using the approach through the orthogonal coordinates. The added white noise results in output wavelets which are no longer impulses at zero time. The decrease in time resolution gives a filter that does not increase undesirable high frequency noise as much as filters computed without white noise. Orthogonal coordinates with little signal energy can be omitted from the filter computation resulting in output wavelets resembling those computed using added white noise.     

Prediction of coarse particle movement with adaptive neuro‐fuzzy inference systems

The use of a neuro‐fuzzy approach is proposed to model the dynamics of entrainment of a coarse particle by rolling. It is hypothesized that near‐bed turbulent flow structures of different magnitude and duration or frequency and energy content are responsible for the particle displacement. A number of Adaptive Neuro‐Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) architectures are proposed and developed to link the hydrodynamic forcing exerted on a solid particle to its response, and model the underlying nonlinear dynamics of the system. ANFIS combines the advantages of fuzzy inference (If‐Then) rules with the power of learning and adaptation of the neural networks. The model components and forecasting procedure are discussed in detail. To demonstrate the model's applicability for near‐threshold flow conditions an example is provided, where flow velocity and particle displacement data from flume experiments are used as input and output for the training and testing of the ANFIS models. In particular, a Laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) is employed to obtain long records of local streamwise velocity components upstream of a mobile exposed particle. These measurements are acquired synchronously with the time history of the particle's position detected by a setup including a He‐Ne laser and a photodetector. The representation of the input signal in the time and frequency domain is implemented and the best performing models are found capable of reproducing the complex dynamics of particle response. Following a trial and error approach the different models are compared in terms of their efficiency and forecast accuracy using a number of performance indices. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of different gap filling methods and land surface energy balance closure on annual net ecosystem exchange in a semiarid area of China

Based on eddy covariance measurements over two kinds of land surfaces(a degraded grassland and a maize cropland)in a semiarid area of China in 2005 and 2008,the effects of different gap filling methods,energy balance closure and friction velocity threshold(u*)on annual net ecosystem exchange(NEE)were analyzed.Six gap filling methods,including mean diurnal variation(MDV),marginal distribution sampling(MDS),and nonlinear regressions method,were investigated by generating secondary datasets with four different artificial gap lengths(ranging in length from single half-hours to 12 consecutive days).The MDS generally showed a good overall performance especially for long gaps,with an annual sum bias error less than 5 g C m-2 yr-1.There was a large positive annual sum bias error for nonlinear regressions,indicating an overestimate on net ecosystem respiration.The offset in the annual sum NEE for four nonlinear regressions was from 8.0 to 30.8 g C m-2 yr-1.As soil water content was a limiting factor in the semiarid area,the nonlinear regressions considering both soil temperature and soil water content as controlling variables had a better performance than others.The performance of MDV was better in daytime than in nighttime,with an annual sum bias error falling between-2.6 and-13.4 g C m-2 yr-1.Overall,the accuracy of the gap filling method was dependent on the type of the land surface,gap length,and the time of day when the data gap occurred.The energy balance ratio for the two ecosystems was nearly 80%.Turbulent intensity had a large impact on energy balance ratio.Low energy balance ratio was observed under low friction velocity during the night.When there was a large fetch distance in a wind direction,a low energy balance ratio was caused by mismatch of the footprints between the available energy and turbulent fluxes.The effect of energy balance correction on CO2 flux was evaluated by assuming the imbalance caused by the underestimation of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux.The results showed an average increase of 10 g C m-2 yr-1 for annual NEE in both ecosystems with an energy balance correction.On the other hand,the u*threshold also have a large impact on annual sum NEE.Net carbon emission increased 37.5 g C m-2 yr-1 as u*threshold increased from 0.1 to 0.2 m s-1,indicating a large impact of imposing u*threshold on net ecosystem carbon exchange.     

Testing the Ephemeral Gully Erosion Model (EGEM) for two Mediterranean environments

Few models can predict ephemeral gully erosion rates (e.g. CREAMS, EGEM). The Ephemeral Gully Erosion Model (EGEM) was specifically developed to predict soil loss by ephemeral gully erosion. Although EGEM claims to have a great potential in predicting soil losses by ephemeral gully erosion, it has never been thoroughly tested. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of EGEM for predicting ephemeral gully erosion rates in Mediterranean environments. An EGEM‐input data set for 86 ephemeral gullies was collected: detailed measurements of 46 ephemeral gullies were made in intensively cultivated land in southeast Spain (Guadalentin study area) and another 40 ephemeral gullies were measured in both intensively cultivated land and abandoned land in southeast Portugal (Alentejo study area). Together with the assessment of all EGEM‐input parameters, the actual eroded volume for each ephemeral gully was also determined in the field. A very good relationship between predicted and measured ephemeral gully volumes was found (R² = 0·88). But as ephemeral gully length is an EGEM input parameter, both predicted and measured ephemeral gully volumes have to be divided by this ephemeral gully length in order to test the predictive capability of EGEM. The resulting relationship between predicted and measured ephemeral gully cross‐sections is rather weak (R² = 0·27). Therefore it can be concluded that EGEM is not capable of predicting ephemeral gully erosion for the given Mediterranean areas. A second conclusion is that ephemeral gully length is a key parameter in determining the ephemeral gully volume. Regression analysis shows that a very significant relation between ephemeral gully length and ephemeral gully volume exists (R² = 0·91). Accurate prediction of ephemeral gully length is therefore crucial for assessing ephemeral gully erosion rates. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Frequency domain modal analysis of earthquake input energy to highly damped passive control structures

A new complex modal analysis‐based method is developed in the frequency domain for efficient computation of the earthquake input energy to a highly damped linear elastic passive control structure. The input energy to the structure during an earthquake is an important measure of seismic demand. Because of generality and applicability to non‐linear structures, the earthquake input energy has usually been computed in the time domain. It is shown here that the formulation of the earthquake input energy in the frequency domain is essential for deriving a bound on the earthquake input energy for a class of ground motions and for understanding the robustness of passively controlled structures to disturbances with various frequency contents. From the viewpoint of computational efficiency, a modal analysis‐based method is developed. The importance of overdamped modes in the energy computation of specific non‐proportionally damped models is demonstrated by comparing the energy transfer functions and the displacement transfer functions. Through numerical examinations for four recorded ground motions, it is shown that the modal analysis‐based method in the frequency domain is very efficient in the computation of the earthquake input energy. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study on using wide‐flange section web under out‐of‐plane flexure for passive energy dissipation

It is not common to purposely subject the web of wide‐flange or I‐sections to out‐of‐plane bending. However, yielding the web under this loading condition can be a stable source of energy dissipation as the transition at the corner from the web to the flanges is smooth and weld‐free; this prevents stress concentrations causing premature failure and eliminates uncertainties and imperfections associated with welding. Further, short segments of wide‐flange or I‐sections constitute a simple and inexpensive energy dissipating device as minimum manufacturing is required and leftovers not useful for other structural purposes can be re‐utilized. This paper proposes a new type of seismic damper in the form of braces based on yielding the web of short length segments of wide‐flange or I‐shaped steel sections under out‐of‐plane bending. The hysteretic behavior and ultimate energy dissipation capacity is investigated via component tests under cyclic loads. The experimental results indicate that the damping device has stable restoring force characteristics and a high energy dissipation capacity. Based on these results, a simple hysteretic model for predicting the load–displacement curve of the seismic damper is proposed, along with a procedure for predicting its ultimate energy dissipation capacity and anticipating its failure under arbitrarily applied cyclic loads. The procedure considers the influence of the loading path on the ultimate energy dissipation capacity. Finally, shaking table tests on half‐scale structures are conducted to further verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the new damper, and to assess the accuracy of the hysteretic model and the procedure for predicting its failure. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of seismic energy demand

In this paper, a method is proposed in order to obtain a simplified representation of hysteretic and input energy spectra. The method is based on the evaluation of the equivalent number of cycles correlated to the earthquake characteristics by the proposed seismic index I_D. This procedure allows us to obtain peak values of the hysteretic and input energy that depend on the demanded ductility, on the seismic index I_D and on the peak pseudo‐velocity. The assessment of the input energy represents a first step towards the definition of a damage potential index capable of taking into account the effect of the duration of the ground motions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on comparison between absolute and relative input energy spectra and effects of ductility factor

Introduction Estimation of an attenuation relationship for strong ground motion parameters has been an interesting research subject in the field of engineering seismology and has played a very important role in seismic safety evaluation, seismic zoning, seismic hazard evaluation of major constructions, etc. At present, the generally used parameters include peak acceleration, peak velocity and elastic response spectrum. Such parameters mentioned above are essentially independent of the duration…     

Bound of earthquake input energy to soil–structure interaction systems

A new critical excitation method is developed for soil–structure interaction systems. In contrast to previous studies considering amplitude nonstationarity only, no special constraint of input motions is needed on nonstationarity. The input energy to the soil–structure interaction system during an earthquake is introduced as a new measure of criticality. It is demonstrated that the input energy expression can be of a compact form via the frequency integration of the product between the input component (Fourier amplitude spectrum) and the structural model component (so-called energy transfer function). With the help of this compact form, it is shown that the formulation of earthquake input energy in the frequency domain is essential for solving the critical excitation problem and deriving a bound on the earthquake input energy for a class of ground motions. The extension of the concept to MDOF systems is also presented.     

An energy-based methodology for the assessment of seismic demand

A methodology for the assessment of the seismic energy demands imposed on structures is proposed. The research was carried out through two consecutive phases. Inelastic design input energy spectra for systems with a prescribed displacement ductility ratio were first developed. The study of the inelastic behavior of energy factors and the evaluation of the response modification in comparison with the elastic case were performed by introducing two new parameters, namely: (1) the Response Modification Factor of the earthquake input energy (R_E), representing the ratio of the elastic to inelastic input energy spectral values and (2) the ratio α of the area enclosed by the inelastic input energy spectrum in the range of periods between 0.05 and 4.0 s to the corresponding elastic value. The proposed design inelastic energy spectra, resulting from the study of a large set of strong motion records, were obtained as a function of ductility, soil type, source-to-site distance and magnitude.Subsequently, with reference to single degree of freedom systems, the spectra of the hysteretic to input energy ratio were evaluated, for different soil types and target ductility ratios. These spectra, defined to evaluate the hysteretic energy demand of structures, were described by a piecewise linear idealization that allows to distinguish three distinct regions as a function of the vibration period. In this manner, once the inelastic design input energy spectra were determined, the definition of the energy dissipated by means of inelastic deformations followed directly from the knowledge of hysteretic to input energy ratio.The design spectra of both input energy and hysteretic to input energy ratio were defined considering an elasto-plastic behavior. Nevertheless, other constitutive models were taken into account for comparison purposes.     

Formulation of elastic earthquake input energy spectra

The object of this paper is to introduce a procedure for the determination of elastic design earthquake input energy spectra taking into account the influence of magnitude, soil type and distance from the surface projection of the fault. Firstly, an accurate selection of a large set of representative records has been realized. Secondly, the construction of the design input energy spectra has required determining the spectral shapes and a normalization factor which measures seismic hazard in terms of energy. This factor, denoted as the seismic hazard energy factor, has been defined as the area under the earthquake input energy spectrum in the period interval between 0·05 and 4·0 s. Finally, due to the importance of the source-to-site distance in the evaluation of the input energy, an investigation into the attenuation of the seismic hazard energy factor has been carried out. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

绝对和相对输入能量谱对比及延性系数的影响研究

利用266条强震记录,在研究绝对输入能量谱和相对输入能量谱衰减规律的基础上,对由衰减关系所确立的两种输入能量谱进行对比分析,讨论了延性系数对这两种输入能量谱的影响. 研究发现,在弹性情况下,两种输入能量谱在周期0.5~1.0 s范围内相差不大; 在非弹性情况下 两种输入能量谱在周期0.5 s处相差不大. 周期较小时,绝对输入能量谱要大于相对输入能量谱;周期较大时,绝对输入能量谱小于相对输入能量谱. 延性系数对这两种输入能量谱影响均比较大, 对绝对输入能量谱而言,周期小于0.3 s时,随着延性系数的增大, 能量谱升高;周期大于0.3 s时,随着延性系数的增大能量谱降低. 不同延性系数的绝对输入能量谱在分界点0.3 s左右相等. 相对输入能量谱受延性系数影响与绝对输入能量谱相似, 但分界点在0.5 s左右. 与绝对输入能量谱相比, 相对输入能量谱在短周期段受延性系数的影响较大, 特别是当场地较软时更为明显.      

地震动输入能量衰减规律的研究

对所收集到的266条强震记录，将其按场地条件分类，计算了不同场地条件、不同延性系数下的“绝对”和“相对”输入能量反应谱，然后利用两步回归法，得出了不同场地条件下地震动“绝对”和“相对”两种输入能量的衰减规律，分析了场地条件、延性系数、震级及距离等参数对地震动能量谱的影响，并对两种输入能量衰减规律进行了比较。