Álvaro Cunha

Bio: Álvaro Cunha is an academic researcher from University of Porto. The author has contributed to research in topics: Operational Modal Analysis & Modal. The author has an hindex of 33, co-authored 217 publications receiving 4526 citations. Previous affiliations of Álvaro Cunha include University of Minho & Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto.

Vanadium redox flow batteries: a technology review

Abstract: Summary Flow batteries have unique characteristics that make them especially attractive when compared with conventional batteries, such as their ability to decouple rated maximum power from rated energy capacity, as well as their greater design flexibility. The vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) seem to have several advantages among the existing types of flow batteries as they use the same material (in liquid form) in both half-cells, eliminating the risk of cross contamination and resulting in electrolytes with a potentially unlimited life. Given their low energy density (when compared with conventional batteries), VRFB are especially suited for large stationary energy storage, situations where volume and weight are not limiting factors. This includes applications such as electrical peak shaving, load levelling, UPS, and in conjunction with renewable energies (e.g. wind and solar). The present work thoroughly reviews the VRFB technology detailing their genesis, the basic operation of the various existing designs and the current and future prospects of their application. The main original contribution of the work was the addressing of a still missing in-depth review and comparison of existing, but dispersed, peer reviewed publications on this technology, with several original and insightful comparison tables, as well as an economic analysis of an application for storing excess energy of a wind farm and sell it during peak demand. The authors have also benefited from their background in electric mobility to carry out original and insightful discussions on the present and future prospects of flow batteries in mobile (e.g. vehicle) and stationary (e.g. fast charging stations) applications related to this field, including a case study. Vanadium redox flow batteries are currently not suitable for most mobile applications, but they are among the technologies which may enable, when mature, the mass adoption of intermittent renewable energy sources which still struggle with stability of supply and lack of flexibility issues.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Linear systems

Abstract: Most of the signal processing that we will study in this course involves local operations on a signal, namely transforming the signal by applying linear combinations of values in the neighborhood of each sample point. You are familiar with such operations from Calculus, namely, taking derivatives and you are also familiar with this from optics namely blurring a signal. We will be looking at sampled signals only. Let's start with a few basic examples. Local difference Suppose we have a 1D image and we take the local difference of intensities, DI(x) = 1 2 (I(x + 1) − I(x − 1)) which give a discrete approximation to a partial derivative. (We compute this for each x in the image.) What is the effect of such a transformation? One key idea is that such a derivative would be useful for marking positions where the intensity changes. Such a change is called an edge. It is important to detect edges in images because they often mark locations at which object properties change. These can include changes in illumination along a surface due to a shadow boundary, or a material (pigment) change, or a change in depth as when one object ends and another begins. The computational problem of finding intensity edges in images is called edge detection. We could look for positions at which DI(x) has a large negative or positive value. Large positive values indicate an edge that goes from low to high intensity, and large negative values indicate an edge that goes from high to low intensity. Example Suppose the image consists of a single (slightly sloped) edge:

Stochastic System Identification for Operational Modal Analysis: A Review

Abstract: This paper reviews stochastic system identification methods that have been used to estimate the modal parameters of vibrating structures in operational conditions. It is found that many classical input-output methods havean output-only counterpart. For instance, the Complex Mode Indication Function (CMIF) can be applied both to Frequency Response Functions and output power and cross spectra. The Polyreference Time Domain (PTD) method applied to impulse responses is similar to the Instrumental Variable (IV) method applied to output covariances. The Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) is equivalent to stochastic subspace identification.

Correction: Review of electrical energy storage technologies, materials and systems: challenges and prospects for large-scale grid storage

Abstract: Correction for ‘Review of electrical energy storage technologies, materials and systems: challenges and prospects for large-scale grid storage’ by Turgut M. Gur, Energy Environ. Sci., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8ee01419a.

A review of distributed optical fiber sensors for civil engineering applications

Abstract: The application of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems to civil engineering structures has been a developing studied and practiced topic, that has allowed for a better understanding of structures’ conditions and increasingly lead to a more cost-effective management of those infrastructures In this field, the use of fiber optic sensors has been studied, discussed and practiced with encouraging results The possibility of understanding and monitor the distributed behavior of extensive stretches of critical structures it’s an enormous advantage that distributed fiber optic sensing provides to SHM systems In the past decade, several R & D studies have been performed with the goal of improving the knowledge and developing new techniques associated with the application of distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) in order to widen the range of applications of these sensors and also to obtain more correct and reliable data This paper presents, after a brief introduction to the theoretical background of DOFS, the latest developments related with the improvement of these products by presenting a wide range of laboratory experiments as well as an extended review of their diverse applications in civil engineering structures