Digital Commons Network^™

Government Institutions And Infrastructure Skills Development, Michael Regan, Jim Smith, Peter Love

Michael Regan

The capacity of state institutions is central to the efficient delivery and management of infrastructure. The paper examines two models for improving the skills of managers in central and line agencies of government for infrastructure procurement and management in emerging economies. The first examines the role of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) unit, a specialist agency equipped with the technical capabilities, transactional experience and budget to provide training and assistance to line agencies for the effective delivery of infrastructure projects. Integrated into this model, and used by several nations, is the use of trained relationship managers to manage service contracts …

Microengineering The Neural Tube, Christopher Demers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early embryonic development is a complex and highly regulated orchestra of instructive cues that collectively guide naïve stem cells towards progressively more specialized fates. In the neural tube, the precursor structure to the brain and spinal cord, these signals emanate from ‘organizing centers’ surrounding the neural tube. These organizing centers send out soluble cues or morphogens that diffuse tens to hundreds of microns to recipient cells residing in the neural tube. Re-creating this dynamic landscape of cues in vitro is impossible using standard cell culture tools and techniques. However, microfluidics is perfectly suited to fill this gap, allowing precise control …

Learning From Cinara: Exploring The Depths Of Participatory Water Engagement In Cali, Colombia, Zachary T. Strickland

Honors College Theses

Located within the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, CINARA is an academic institution, comprised of both engineers and social scientists, that has almost three decades of experience regarding participatory approaches to water supply and environmental sanitation. In this paper, I argue that CINARA’s work is important due to its emphasis on meaningful community participation that significantly involves communities in decisions on technical matters that are usually allocated exclusively to “experts.” Furthermore, the valuation of social considerations and non-technical knowledge found amongst CINARA’s engineers stands in distinct contrast to traditional development practices and engineering mindsets. This paper will go on …

Social And Economic Sustainability, Jason Sargent, Khanjan Mehta, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

But what about long-term stability in developing nations? For example, as we strive to mainstream alternate energy sources and make them accessible in resource poor communities [ ], how do we think beyond the technological and economic dimensions and ensure respect for social, political and environmental imperatives? Computers, including the tiny but powerful ones on cell phones can be game-changers, but they will not save lives directly. They cannot be eaten by a starving population. And then, they need to be serviced and maintained. Jason, along with Katina’s husband Michael, visited and taught Karen refugee students in camps and remote …

Development Of A Fundamental Rating System For Identifying Sprawl: A Case Study Utilizing Small Cities In Michigan, Jonathan T. Riehl

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Urban sprawl research generally fits into one or more of four realms including definitions, causes, components, and consequences. Although research on consequences continues to thrive, research on components is in its adolescence, primarily due a lack of consensus on definition. Recent studies such as Ewing et al. 2014 have narrowed the list of sprawl metrics to about 20 within four factors including development density, land use mix, activity centering, and street accessibility.

This main product of this research is a Sprawl Scorecard for small Michigan cities varying in size from Traverse City, nearly 50,000 people in the urban cluster, down …

Development And Optimization Of An Innovative Hvac System With Integrated Pvt And Pcm Thermal Storage For A Net-Zero Energy Retrofitted House, Massimo Fiorentini, Paul Cooper, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This paper describes a novel solar-assisted HVAC system developed for the Team UOW 'Illawarra Flame' Solar Decathlon house, the winner of the Solar Decathlon China 2013 competition. This HVAC system consists of an air-based photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collector and a phase change material (PCM) thermal storage unit integrated with a reverse cycle heat pump, in a ducted system. The system was designed for operation during both winter and summer using daytime solar radiation and night-time sky radiative cooling, respectively. The PVT collector heats or cools fresh air from ambient and thereby provides heating or cooling either directly to the indoor space, …

Development Of Electrospun Photocatalytic Tio2-Polyamide-12 Nanocomposites, E Cossich, R Bergamasco, M T. Pessoa De Amorim, P M. Martins, J Marques, Carlos J. Tavares, Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez, Vitor Sencadas

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) in different forms such as films, fibers or particles are being extensively studied for removal of contaminants from aquatic environments due to its outstanding photocatalytic activity. This work reports the development of TiO₂-polyamide 12 electrospun fiber mats. A systematic study on the influence of electrospun processing parameters on polymer fiber morphology was performed. It was observed that the average fiber diameter is mainly influenced by polymer concentration and average fiber diameters between 404 ± 82 nm and 1442 ± 360 nm were obtained. Polyamide-12 (PA-12) was used as a polymer matrix and electrospun with 0, …

Dependence Of Texture Development On The Grain Size Of Tertiary Oxide Scales Formed On A Microalloyed Steel, Xianglong Yu, Zhengyi Jiang, Jingwei Zhao, Dongbin Wei, Ji Zhou, Cunlong Zhou, Qingxue Huang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Both orientational and geometrical characteristics of grains in tertiary oxide scales have been quantitatively investigated using the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Phase and orientation mappings demonstrate that the {001} planes of magnetite and the {0001} planes of hematite are parallel to the direction of oxide growth. Pole figures (PFs) as scattering plots clearly display the direct correlation between the orientations and microstructure sites of magnetite grains. Magnetite grains develop a strong rotated cube texture component that shifts to the {100} component, whereas those with the grain size of 1-5. μm develop the {001} cube texture component. The refined magnetite …

Development Of A Linear Damper Working With Magnetorheological Shear Thickening Fluids, Jian Yang, Shuaishuai Sun, Weihua Li, Haiping Du, Gursel Alici, Masami Nakano

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Magnetorheological shear thickening fluid is a smart material that exhibits both magnetorheological and shear thickening effects. This study focuses on the design and development of a novel magnetorheological shear thickening fluid-based linear damper. First, micron-sized carbonyl iron particles, at a 20% and 80% weight fraction, were immersed among the shear thickening fluid base and thoroughly mixed under a high shear condition to produce the magnetorheological shear thickening fluid. Then, a monotube damper with a bypass was designed and fabricated. The testing results using an MTS machine show that the influence of incorporating shear thickening fluid allows the 20% magnetorheological shear …

Development Of A Novel Variable Stiffness And Damping Magnetorheological Fluid Damper, Shuaishuai Sun, Jian Yang, Weihua Li, Huaxia Deng, Haiping Du, Gursel Alici

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This paper reports a novel magnetorheological fluid (MRF)-based damper, which synergizes the attributes of variable stiffness and damping through the compact assembly of two MRF damping units and a spring. The magnetic field densities of the two damping units were analyzed. After the prototype of the new MRF damper, a hydraulically actuated MTS machine was used to test the damper's performance, including stiffness variability and damping variability, amplitudedependent responses and frequency-dependent responses. A new mathematical model was developed to describe the variable stiffness and damping MRF damper. The successful development, experimental testing and modeling of this innovative variable stiffness and …

Development Of Servo-Type Micro-Hydromechanical Deep-Drawing Apparatus And Micro Deep-Drawing Experiments Of Circular Cups, Hideki Sato, Kenichi Manabe, Kikukatsu Ito, Dongbin Wei, Zhengyi Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A micro-hydromechanical deep-drawing (MHDD) apparatus for manufacturing a micro-complex-shape components and increasing of drawn cup accuracy has been developed in this study. This apparatus with simple tooling structure and forming process can achieve high dimensional accuracy using servo press mechanics with a double-action type, one-stroke forming process without transferring and positioning, force control, and fine flow rate control of the pressure medium. The developed MHDD apparatus can prevent wrinkling by applying an appropriate constant gap and Stably generate the counterpressure. Micro drawn cups of 0.8 mm diameter are successfully fabricated. Also, the effects of counterpressure on drawability and dimensional accuracy …

Development Of An Mre Adaptive Tuned Vibration Absorber With Self-Sensing Capability, Shuaishuai Sun, Jian Yang, Weihua Li, Huaxia Deng, Haiping Du, Gursel Alici

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In this paper, self-sensing technology was introduced into an adaptive tuned vibration absorber, incorporating a laminated magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) structure, a hybrid magnetic system and a self-sensing component. The adoption of the laminated MRE structure and the hybrid magnetic system enables the absorber to have higher lateral flexibility and a wider effective frequency range. The integration of the self-sensing capability allows the absorber to operate without sensors and, at the same time, greatly reduces costs, required space and maintenance. A series of experiments were conducted to measure the frequency shift property, to verify the self-sensing capability and to evaluate its …

Development And Implementation Of A Flipped-Classroom Delivery In Engineering Computing And Analysis For First Year Engineering Students, David B. Hastie, Montserrat Ros, Brad Stappenbelt, Senevi Kiridena

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

University of Wollongong recently undertook a major restructure of its academic and professional units, after the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor in 2012. As a result, the previous 11 faculties have been merged and rationalised into five new faculties. The Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Informatics merged to become the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences (EIS), consisting of six schools representing a total of 13 disciplines. Following the restructuring, EIS made the decision to develop a new common first year curriculum for all engineering undergraduate programs, spanning nine disciplines, they being; civil, mining, environmental, electrical, computer, …

Optimal Urban Development Density Along A Multi-Modal Linear Travel Corridor With Time-Distance Toll Scheme, David Wang, Bo Du

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Consider a travel corridor with a multi-modal transport system (i.e., highway and railway) that connects a continuum of residential locations to a point of CBD. Both highway and railway are subject to congestion effects. All commuters travel along the corridor from home to work in the morning peak hour. The travel costs include travel time, schedule delay and monetary cost. The spatial dynamics of the traffic congestion on both transportation systems are determined by the trip-timing condition, that no traveler will experience a lower travel cost by departing at a different time or switching to a different mode. The flow …

Development And Characterization Of Novel Hybrid Hydrogel Fibers, Azadeh Mirabedini, Javad Foroughi, Anthony C. Romeo, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Biopolymeric continuous core-sheath fibres, with an inner core of chitosan and alginate as the sheath, were fabricated for the first time without using a template. Hereby, the necessary conditions to achieve chitosan-alginate core-sheath fibre via a wet-spinning process are presented. SEM micrographs show the cylinder-shaped monofilament structure of the chitosan core surrounded by the alginate sheath. The coaxial fibres exhibit a 260% increase in ultimate stress and more than 300% enhancement in the Young's modulus compared to the alginate counterpart. Release profiles from the coaxial fibre were determined using a model component. The obtained results suggest that the fibres are …