Search

This paper will provide an overview of an advanced satellite based metering system used in conjunction with data collection services to perform monitoring and/or control on large scale power grids and, particularly, facilitate integration of renewable energy resources (RES) in such smart grids. The development of “Smart Grids” is one of present and global priorities which has to be supported with proper ICT infrastructures and platforms. The paper outlines how utilities or private companies can benefit from the candidate architecture adopting this satellite based solution as a highly scalable communication infrastructure to support the development of a large scale data acquisition systems. A unique case study in Europe is presented, the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) satellite metering network, a metering application focused on production forecasts for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) which aims to optimize energy market management in Italy. The project is also contributing to the development of European policies to support renewable energy sources and has a major role in the creation of a competitive electricity market.

Trabajo presentado como comunicación a la Conferencia "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2008: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray" celebrada en Francia el 23 de Junio del 2008., The EURECA (EURopean-JapanEse Calorimeter Array) project aims to demonstrate the science performance and technological readiness of an imaging X-ray spectrometer based on a micro-calorimeter array for application in future X-ray astronomy missions, like Constellation-X and XEUS. The prototype instrument consists of a 5 x 5 pixel array of TES-based micro-calorimeters read out by by two SQUID-amplifier channels using frequency-domain-multiplexing (FDM). The SQUID-amplifiers are linearized by digital base-band feedback. The detector array is cooled in a cryogenfree cryostat consisting of a pulse tube cooler and a two stage ADR. A European-Japanese consortium designs, fabricates, and tests this prototype instrument. This paper describes the instrument concept, and shows the design and status of the various sub-units, like the TES detector array, LC-filters, SQUID-amplifiers, AC-bias sources, digital electronics, etc. Initial tests of the system at the PTB beam line of the BESSY synchrotron showed stable performance and an X-ray energy resolution of 1.58 eV at 250 eV and 2.5 eV @ 5.9 keV for the read-out of one TES-pixel only. Next step is deployment of FDM to read-out the full array. Full performance demonstration is expected mid 2009., The authors acknowledge an ESA Technological Research Program contract for the development of TES-arrays and SQUIDs, being a significant support to the EURECA program. Also the recent ESA TRP contract for the development of SQUID-based electronics is of crucial importance for this work.

This chapter discusses the experimental comparison of two reading techniques, comparing their effectiveness and detection rates with respect to inspecting high-level UML diagrams for defects. Artifact-related checklists drive one technique, and application use cases drive the other. Our initial idea was that the latter is more effective than the former. This experiment was developed at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. It was conducted with junior and senior students of object-oriented analysis and design in the university’s Department of Informatics, Systems and Production. The data collected shows that techniques performed differently. Specifically, for effectiveness, CBR in the average performed + 41.6% better than UCDR. CBR detected 15.6% more seeded defects, and +149.3% more new faults, than UCDR. The latter provided 11.6% less false positives than CBR. For detection rate, the checklist-based reading technique’s peak value occurred 25% later, and was 66.7% greater, than the use-case driven reading’s peak value. However, the results were not statistically significant. Because the use-case-driven script turned out to be much more complex than the checklist-driven one, we decided to restructure the former in multiple layers and hence conducted further experiments, the results of which are forthcoming.