Engineering Commons^™

Pepblock Builder Vr – An Open-Source Tool For Gaming-Based Bio-Edutainment In Interactive Protein Design, Venkata V. B. Yallapragada, Tianshu Xu, Sidney P. Walker, Sabin Tabirca, Mark Tangney

Cappa Publications

Proteins mediate and perform various fundamental functions of life. This versatility of protein function is an attribute of its 3D structure. In recent years, our understanding of protein 3D structure has been complemented with advances in computational and mathematical tools for protein modelling and protein design. 3D molecular visualisation is an essential part in every protein design and protein modelling workflow. Over the years, stand-alone and web-based molecular visualisation tools have been used to emulate three-dimensional view on computers. The advent of virtual reality provided the scope for immersive control of molecular visualisation. While these technologies have significantly improved our …

Influences Of Catchment And River Channel Characteristics On The Magnitude And Dynamics Of Storage And Re-Suspension Of Fine Sediments In River Beds, Jungsu Park, Ramon J. Batalla, François Bírgand, Michel Esteves, Francesco Gentile, Joseph R. Harrington, Oldrich Navratil, José Andres López-Tarazón, Damiá Vericant

Publications

Fine particles or sediments are one of the important variables that should be considered for the proper management of water quality and aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, the effect of catchment characteristics on the performance of an already developed model for the estimation of fine sediments dynamics between the water column and sediment bed was tested, using 13 catchments distributed worldwide. The model was calibrated to determine two optimal model parameters. The first is the filtration parameter, which represents the filtration of fine sediments through pores of the stream bed during the recession period of a flood event. The …

Low-Loss, Compact, Spot-Size-Converter Based Vertical Couplers For Photonic Integrated Circuits, Praveen K.J. Singaravelu, G.C.R. Devarapu, Sebastian A. Schulz, Quentin Wilmart, Stéphane Malhouitre, Ségolène Olivier, Liam O’Faolain

Cappa Publications

In recent years, the monolithic integration of new materials such as SiN, Ge and LiNbO3 on silicon (Si) has become important to the Si photonics community due to the possibility of combining the advantages of both material systems. However, efficient coupling between the two different layers is challenging. In this work, we present a spot size converter based on a two-tier taper structure to couple the optical mode adiabatically between Si and SiN. The fabricated devices show a coupling loss as low as 0.058 dB  ±  0.01 dB per transition at 1525 nm. The low coupling loss between the Si …

Mid-Infrared Optical Sensing Using Sub-Wavelength Gratings, Brian Hogan, Liam Lewis, Michael Mcauliffe, Stephen P. Hegarty

Cappa Publications

Optical sensing has shown great potential for both quantitative and qualitative analysis of compounds. In particular sensors which are capable of detecting changes in refractive index at a surface as well as in bulk material have received much attention. Much of the recent research has focused on developing technologies that enable such sensors to be deployed in an integrated photonic device. In this work we demonstrate experimentally, using a sub-wavelength grating the detection of ethanol in aqueous solution by interrogating its large absorption band at 9.54 µm. Theoretical investigation of the operating principle of our grating sensor shows that in …

Mean Curvature Flow Of Compact Spacelike Submanifolds In Higher Codimension, Brendan Guilfoyle, Wilhelm Klingenberg

Publications

We prove long-time existence for mean curvature flow of a smooth n-dimensional spacelike submanifold of an n + m dimensional manifold whose metric satisfies the timelike curvature condition.

Mitigating The Structural Vibrations Of Wind Turbines Using Tuned Liquid Column Damper Considering Soil-Structure Interaction, Tadhg Buckley, Phoebe Watson, Paul Cahill, Vesna Jaksic, Vikram Pakrashi

Publications

This paper considers the potential of using a Tuned Liquid Column Damper (TLCD) to reduce structural vibrations of a wind turbine tower. The effect of TLCD on wind turbine towers, including the soil-structure interactions for a monopile foundation was modelled theoretically and scaled laboratory experiments were carried out to validate these results. The tower of the turbine is represented as a Euler beam with a set of springs at the boundary to simulate the soil-structure interaction. TLCD design was carried out using such a model and the reduction in tower vibrations due to the deployment of TLCD was then examined …

A Decision Support Tool For Building Integrated Renewable Energy Microgrids Connected To A Smart Grid, Damilola A. Asaleye, Michael D. Murphy, Michael Breen

Publications

The objective of this study was to create a tool that will enable renewable energy microgrid (REμG) facility users to make informed decisions on the utilization of electrical power output from a building integrated REμG connected to a smart grid. A decision support tool for renewable energy microgrids (DSTREM) capable of predicting photovoltaic array and wind turbine power outputs was developed. The tool simulated users’ daily electricity consumption costs, avoided CO₂ emissions and incurred monetary income relative to the usage of the building integrated REμG connected to the national electricity smart grid. DSTREM forecasted climate variables, which were used …

Economic Modelling Of The Management Of Dredged Marine Sediments, Joseph R. Harrington, Jimmy Murphy, Mary Coleman, Declan Jordan, Tristan Debuigne, Gabor Szacsuri

Publications

This paper presents and applies an economic model developed for the management of dredged marine sediments. The model predicts direct project costs and direct, indirect and induced economic impacts. The model is applied to analyse the economic aspect of the specific potential beneficial use of dredged sediment for land rec-lamation in an Irish context. The model results show the potential economic benefits to land reclamation of using dredged sediment including its value as a potential substitute for quarry based material and as an alternative to traditional offshore dredged sediment disposal, where appropriate. Analysis of other sediment management ap-proaches including wetland …

Financial Modelling And Analysis Of The Management Of Dredged Marine Sediments – Development Of A Decision Support Tool, Joseph R. Harrington, J. Murphy, M. Coleman, D. Jordan, G. Szacsuri

Publications

Objective

The management of dredged sediments is a major challenge for many ports and harbours who need to maintain navigable access. Sediment volumes produced may be significant and expensive to manage. This paper presents financial modelling and analysis for the management of dredged marine sediment using a financial model developed which has the potential to be used as decision support tool by stakeholders in the Sector including Ports, Engineering Consultancies and Regulators.

Data/Methodology

A decision support tool has been developed to assess the financial aspect of a range of management uses for dredged marine sediments for a range of different …

Dynamics Of Suspended Sediment Flux On The Rivers Bandon And Owenabue, Ireland, S. T. Harrington, Joseph R. Harrington

Publications

Monitoring, analysis and modelling of suspended sediment transport in riverine systems has received much attention in recent decades. Quantitive analysis techniques have been applied to allow river basin managers to assess suspended sediment transport and its importance in transporting a range of pollutants including excess metals and nutrients, which negatively impact on aquatic systems. In this paper, an analysis of the suspended sediment fl ux (SSF) dynamics is presented for the small and medium sized catchments of the River Owenabue and the River Bandon, respectively. The results contribute to the fi lling of a research gap in an Irish context …

Heat Transfer Characteristics Of Ggbs Concrete In Fire, Ted Mckenna, Mark G. Richardson, Brian O’Rourke

Publications

Partial replacement of high clinker content cements by Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS) can reduce the carbon footprint of concrete, with consequent benefits in respect of sustainable construction. Furthermore a state-of-the-art report indicated that use of GGBS as a binder replacement may increase the fire resistance of concrete. If so this could lead to thinner sections in fire compartment elements, especially non-loadbearing walls, leading to further gains in respect of sustainable development. Concrete is considered an effective material in protecting against the detrimental effects of fire in structures. However, exposure to high temperatures can degrade concrete performance. Fire resistance performance …

Dissolved And Particulate Nutrient Transport Dynamics Of A Small Irish Catchment: The River Owenabue, S. T. Harrington, Joseph R. Harrington

Publications

The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between water and sediment discharge on the transport of nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorus. Water discharge, suspended sediment concentration and dissolved and particulate forms of nitrogen and phosphorus were monitored on the 105 km2 River Owenabue catchment in Ireland. Water discharge was found to have an influence on both particulate and dissolved nutrient transport, but more so for particulate nutrients. The particulate portion of N and P in collected samples was found to be 24 and 39 %, respectively. Increased particulate nitrogen concentrations were found at the onset of high discharge …

Stock Aggregation Model And Virtual Archetype For Large Scale Retrofit Modelling Of Local Authority Housing In Ireland, James Pittam, Paul D. O’Sullivan, Garrett O’Sullivan

Conference Papers

Developing representative archetypes using a bottom up approach for stock modelling is an excellent tool for evaluating the overall performance of the building stock; however it requires detailed analysis of the various building types. Currently there is no detailed housing data base for Local Authority housing in Cork City, Ireland that catalogues the housing stocks geometric properties and thermal characteristics for each typology. This study details a methodology to catalogue the LAH stock and build a detailed housing data base. The GIS web based mapping application Google Street View is used to identify 20 house typologies across 36 LAH developments; …

A Modified Surface On Titanium Deposited By A Blasting Process, Caroline O' Sullivan, Peter O'Hare, Greg Byrne, Liam O'Neill, Katie B. Ryan, Abina M. Crean

Publications

Abstract

: Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating of hard tissue implants is widely employed for its biocompatible and osteoconductive properties as well as its improved mechanical properties. Plasma technology is the principal deposition process for coating HA on bioactive metals for this application. However, thermal decomposition of HA can occur during the plasma deposition process, resulting in coating variability in terms of purity, uniformity and crystallinity, which can lead to implant failure caused by aseptic loosening. In this study, CoBlast™, a novel blasting process has been used to successfully modify a titanium (V) substrate with a HA treatment using a dopant/abrasive regime. …

Dredging And Dredged Material Beneficial Use In Ireland, Colm Sheehan, Joseph R. Harrington, Jerry Murphy

Publications

This article provides an overview of the dredging industry in Ireland which may be small by international standards but is of critical importance to the nation’s Ports and Harbours. Open sea disposal of dredged material is most common, but a range of beneficial uses for the coarser fraction of dredged material has been practiced. Details on different aspects of dredging in Ireland are presented including a review of current beneficial uses. A specific site at Fenit Harbour in Tralee Bay is examined to assess the potential for a specific beneficial use of dredged material using geotubes in breakwater and revetment …