The trend and need of shifting towards renewable energy sources for electricity generation, has attracted researchers towards photovoltaic (PV) systems for last few decades. Since PV generator has nonlinear behavior, and its output power is a function of solar irradiance and ambient temperature, therefore need of developing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques remains the interest. Among various MPPT techniques, Perturb & Observe (P&O) and Incremental-Conductance (IC) are dominant. This paper describes these two algorithms and compares them in terms of their computational complexity and oscillations near maximum power point (MPP) using MATLAB ® & Simulink ® . Also testing conditions are based on the real environmental data collected at NED University, Karachi.
This article explores how conventional military doctrines shape U.S.-China military engagement in the West Pacific under varying degrees of cooperation, competition and potential conflicts. Although military doctrines possess a certain level of influence on the ways and means of engaging each other in military terms, such engagement is not confined to using deadly force with a clear aim to destroy the other party. Instead, these doctrines can act as an instrument to forestall conflicts by maintaining credible deterrence. As rational actors that follow clear rules of military engagement, both the United States and China are fully aware of the defensive, offensive and deterrent value of their respective military doctrines, as well as the consequences of a potential conflict; and they have tried to expand cooperation on a number of non-traditional security issues. However, given their forward deployment-oriented military doctrines and the rising role of non-state actors, the United States and China are very likely to be engaged in an unintended escalation of conflicts if each holds a rigid view toward the other’s military doctrine and fails to maintain stable military ties based on timely communication and constructive interaction.
Alliances remain at the heart of history, since they serve states in achieving geopolitical needs and securing grand strategic necessities. Apart from strategic considerations, the article aspires to highlight the psychological motivation for conceiving and forming alliances. It argues alliances to be the basic instrument in ensuring survival and elaborates the psychological efficacy and utility in employing the same device in gaining and sustaining the status of a functional great power. This article addresses the most significant development in modern times, i.e. rising China and its pursuit to become a pro-active great power, whilst greatly drawing from its strategic history in such endeavours. It explores the ‘China Threat’, and argues that China is likely to enter into alliances based on its geopolitical necessities by engaging its armed forces regionally, most likely in its near abroad. The article interprets China’s Belt and Road Initiative as a soft alliance and predicts the precursors of a military alliance.
In developing countries like Pakistan, economic instability, improper planning, non-optimal design, delays in construction, and unsustainability during the operations of transportation megaprojects cause an unnecessary burden on the national exchequer. Recently, several Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects have been initiated in Pakistan. The detailed evaluation of the cost and capacity of BRT projects in Pakistan revealed that their cost could have been optimized. This research evaluated the first BRT project in Karachi for potential cost optimization through proper alignment of the BRT. One of the major segments of the Green-Line BRT from Surjani to Nagan was evaluated, which is presently designed as an elevated section. Other possible options such as curb-side, two-way side, and median alignments were explored in detail. The study showed that the cost of this section could have been reduced from the existing USD 75 million to USD 61 million by providing a two-way side aligned or curb-side aligned BRT infrastructure without affecting existing capacity. This case study shows that it is necessary to critically evaluate all the possible options while planning and designing transportation megaprojects.
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