Digital Commons Network^™

Wind Turbine Predictive Fault Diagnostics Based On A Novel Long Short-Term Memory Model, Shuo Zhang, Emma Robinson, Malabika Basu

Articles

The operation and maintenance (O&M) issues of offshore wind turbines (WTs) are more challenging because of the harsh operational environment and hard accessibility. As sudden component failures within WTs bring about durable downtimes and significant revenue losses, condition monitoring and predictive fault diagnostic approaches must be developed to detect faults before they occur, thus preventing durable downtimes and costly unplanned maintenance. Based primarily on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, thirty-three weighty features from operational data are extracted, and eight specific faults are categorised for fault predictions from status information. By providing a model-agnostic vector representation for time, Time2Vec …

Laser Structure Based On An Erbium-Doped Fiber Ring And A Whispering Gallery Mode Microbottle Resonator, Anuradha Rout, Zhe Wang, Zhuochen Wang, Yuliya Semenova

Articles

A novel fiber laser structure, to the best of our knowledge, based on an erbium-doped fiber ring (EDFR) and a silica microbottle resonator (MBR) is proposed and investigated experimentally. Two fiber laser samples based on MBRs with different geometries and diameters of 200 and 150 µm are fabricated, and their performance is studied experimentally. Periodic whispering gallery mode spectra of the MBRs are dependent on the position of the fiber taper used for coupling of light into the MBR, and this dependence is explored to achieve lasing at different wavelengths by moving the light coupling point along the axis of …

An Evaluation Study On The Analysis Of People's Domestic Routines Based On Spatial, Temporal And Sequential Aspects, Aitor Arribas Velasco, John Mcgrory, Damon Berry

Articles

The concept of collecting data on people's domestic routines is not novel. However, the methods and processes used to decipher these raw data and transform them into useful and appropriate information (i.e., sequence, duration, and timing derived from monitoring domestic routines) have presented challenges and are the focus of numerous research groups. But how are the results of the decoded transposition received, interpreted and used by the various professionals (e.g., occupational therapists and architects) who consume the information? This paper describes the inclusive evaluation process undertaken, which involved a selected group of stakeholders including health carers, engineers and end-users (not …

Use Of Insect-Derived Chitosan For The Removal Of Methylene Blue Dye From Wastewater: Process Optimization Using A Central Composite Design, Ilham Ben Amor, Hadia Hemmami, Salah Eddine Laouini, Soumeia Zeghoud, Mourad Benzina, Sami Achour, Abanoub Naseef, Ali Alsalme, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Insects are a readily available source of chitosan due to their high reproductive rates, ease of breeding, and resistance to changes in their ecosystem. This study aimed to extract chitosan from several widespread insects: Blaps lethifera (CS-BL), Pimelia fernandezlopezi (CS-PF), and Musca domestica (CS-MD). The study was also extended to using the obtained chitosans in removing methylene blue dye (MB) from wastewater. The source of the chitosan, the initial concentration of MB dye, and the reaction time were chosen as the working parameters. The experiments were designed using a central composite design (CCD) based on the dye removal efficiency as …

New Approach Methodologies (Nams) For Safety Testing Of Complex Food Matrices: A Review Of Status, Considerations, And Regulatory Adoption, Maame Ekua Manful, Lubna Ahmed, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Background: The conventional toxicological approach which primarily relies on animal testing has undergone several transformations in recent years due to limitations in translational relevance, ethical and reproducibility concerns, high costs, and time-consuming procedures. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) have emerged as alternative techniques that incorporate in silico, in chemico, and in vitro approaches to provide mechanism-based insights with improved ethics and human-relevant safety data. Scope and approach: The current landscape of NAMs employed for food risk assessments in research and regulatory settings is examined with a focus on their strengths, limitations, validation, standardisation, and regulatory status. Furthermore, the challenges associated with …

A-Eye Tech: Framework To Evaluate An Ai Construction Visibility Platform, Ahmed Hassan, Alan V. Hore, Mark Mulville

Conference Papers

The authors present the early stages of an Irish government-funded project, A-EYE. This disruptive technology seeks to create a construction visualisation platform that enables measurable productivity advantages through passive data capture and real-time delivery of mission-critical information in an accessible form. The authors outline how they will utilise data captured during construction site operations using camera and sensor equipment to monitor construction resources and processes. Moreover, the positive impact of easy access to visualised data on collaboration between construction stakeholders is discussed. Extensive user-experience research data will be captured after deploying the technology on live projects to create interactive dashboards …

Understanding Professional Skills In Engineering Education: A Phenomenographic Study Of Faculty Conceptions, Una Beagon, Brian Bowe

Articles

Abstract Background Globalization and socially complex problems will greatly affect the way engineers work in the future. Therefore, efforts to transform engineering education must focus on professional skills and engagement of faculty as key change agents.

Purpose/Hypotheses For engineering programs to address the needs of society, graduates must have the skills to tackle future challenges. Transformation will only be successful if faculty fully engage in all curriculum design aspects; however, little is known about how faculty view professional skills. This understanding is critical if we wish to support and encourage their participation in the transformation effort. This novel study reveals …

Investigation Of Oleic Acid As A Dispersant For Hydroxyapatite Powders For Use In Ceramic Filled Photo-Curable Resins For Stereolithography, Brendan Kennedy, Eamonn De Barra, Stuart Hampshire, Maura Kelleher

Articles

Stereolithography allows production of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone regeneration but is limited by the challenging rheology of ceramic filled resins. Oleic acid, a natural fatty acid, was applied in concentrations of 0.0–0.3 wt% to improve the rheological properties of HAp resins for the fabrication of solid cylinders and scaffolds by digital light processing (DLP) printing in a wiperless system. Bonding by chemisorption was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The powders were then incorporated into a photo-curable resin of 1–6 hexanediol diacrylate at 18–30 vol%. The shear viscosity and sedimentation rates of photocurable resins containing HAp powder decreased with increasing concentration …

Thermodynamic Modelling Of Harsh Environments On The Solid Phase Assemblage Of Hydrating Cements Using Phreeqc, Niall Holmes Dr., Mark Tyrer, Denis Kelliher

Articles

Poor durability of reinforced concrete structures can lead to serious structural failures. An accurate model to observe the effects of aggressive agents like carbonation, sulfate ingress, and seawater solutions on the solid phase assemblagewill help designers and specifiers better understand howcement behaves in these environments. This paper presents the first steps in developing such a model using the PHREEQC geochemical software by accounting for alkali binding and dissolution. It also presents the use of discrete solid phases (DSPs) to account for the solid-solution behaviour of siliceous hydrogarnet and magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H). A new thermodynamic description of the vaterite phase …

Quantifying Farm-To-Fork Greenhouse Gas Emissions For Five Dietary Patterns Across Europe And North America: A Pooled Analysis From 2009 To 2020, Daniel Burke, Paul Hynds, Anushree Priyadarshini

Articles

Dietary patterns are inherently related to greenhouse (GHG) emissions via agricultural practices and food production systems. As the global population is predicted to increase from 8 billion (current) to 9.6 billion by 2050 added pressure will be placed on existing agricultural systems, resulting in increased GHG emissions thus exacerbating climate change. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand present-day dietary patterns to shift to sustainable and healthy diets to mitigate GHG emissions and meet future climate targets. However, no review or pooled analyses of dietary pattern emissions from a farm-to-fork perspective has been undertaken to date. The current study …

Groundwater Quality: Global Challenges, Emerging Threats And Novel Approaches, Dan Lapworth, Thomas Boving, Bentje Brauns, Jane Dottridge, Paul Hynds, Seifu Kebede, David Kreamer, Bruce Misstear, Abhijit Mukherjee, Abhijit Mukherjee, Viviana Re, James Sorensen, Claudia Ruz Vargas

Articles

Improving our understanding of groundwater quality threats to human health and the environment is essential to protect and manage groundwater resources effectively. This essay highlights some global groundwater quality challenges, describes key contaminant groups and threats of emerging concern, including antimicrobial resistance, and discusses novel approaches to assessing groundwater quality. Groundwater quality monitoring needs to improve significantly in order to effectively identify and mitigate threats to groundwater from historical, current and future pollution.

Identifying Novel Data-Driven Dietary Patterns Via Dimensionality Reduction And Associations With Socioeconomic Profile And Health Outcomes In Ireland, Daniel Burke, Annemarie E. Bennett, Paul Hynds, Anushree Priyadarshini

Articles

Dietary patterns and body mass index (BMI) play a significant role in the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, including Ireland. A cross-sectional survey was conducted across Ireland to collate respondents’ socioeconomic profiles, health status, and dietary patterns with a representative sample size of 957 adult respondents. Principal component analysis (PCA) and statistical analyses were subsequently employed. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to use recent (2021) nationally representative data to characterise dietary patterns in Ireland via dimensionality reduction. Five distinct dietary patterns (“meat-focused”, “dairy/ovo-focused”, “vegetable-focused”, “seafood-focused”, and “potatofocused”) were …

Energy-Aware Ai-Driven Framework For Edge-Computing-Based Iot Applications, Muhammad Zawish, Nouman Ashraf, Rafay Iqbal Ansari, Steven Davy

Conference papers

The significant growth in the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has given impetus to the idea of edge computing for several applications. In addition, energy harvestable or wireless-powered wearable devices are envisioned to empower the edge intelligence in IoT applications. However, the intermittent energy supply and network connectivity of such devices in scenarios including remote areas and hard-to-reach regions such as in-body applications can limit the performance of edge computing-based IoT applications. Hence, deploying state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNNs) on such energy-constrained devices is not feasible due to their computational cost. Existing model compression methods, such as network …

Wind Energy Harvesting And Conversion Systems: A Technical Review, Sinhara M. H. D. Perera, Ghanim Putrus, Michael Conlon, Mahinsasa Narayana, Keith Sunderland

Articles

Wind energy harvesting for electricity generation has a significant role in overcoming the challenges involved with climate change and the energy resource implications involved with population growth and political unrest. Indeed, there has been significant growth in wind energy capacity worldwide with turbine capacity growing significantly over the last two decades. This confidence is echoed in the wind power market and global wind energy statistics. However, wind energy capture and utilisation has always been challenging. Appreciation of the wind as a resource makes for difficulties in modelling and the sensitivities of how the wind resource maps to energy production results …

Impact Of Distributed Energy Resources In Smart Homes And Community-Based Electricity Market, Aziz Saif, Shafi K. Khadem, Michael Conlon, Brian Norton

Articles

Toward the achievement of decarbonised European smart grid network by 2050, the European Commission (EC) has given high importance to its “Clean Energy for all Europeans Package (CEP)” by empowering individuals and groups of consumers to participate in this energy transition. Such energy transition demands residential households to transform the energy-positive smart homes into energy-active smart homes, thus building a smart community. This transformation will expedite if the residential customers are provided with a better choice of supply, access to reliable energy prices, possibility to produce and sell their own electricity with increased transparency and better regulation for more involvement …

Fostering Spatial Ability Development In And For Authentic Stem Learning, Caiwei Zhu, Chloe Oi-Ying Leung, Eleni Lagoudaki, Mariana Velho, Natalia Segura-Caballero, Dietsje Jolles, Gavin Duffy, Gunter Maresch, Marianna Pagkratidou, Remke Klapwijk

Articles

Empirical interdisciplinary research has explored the role of spatial ability in STEM learning and achievement. While most of this research indicates that fostering spatial thinking in educational contexts has the potential to positively impact students’ enrollment and performance in STEM subjects, there is less agreement on the best approach to do so. This article provides an overview of various types of effective spatial interventions and practices in formal or informal educational contexts, including targeted training of STEM-relevant spatial skills, spatialized curricula embedded in schools, integrated STEM practices addressing students’ use of spatial skills, and spatial activities in informal STEM education. …

Simulation And Analysis Of Synthetic Aperture Radar Images, Jonathan Blackledge

Books/Book chapters

The principal model for an image, generated by the interaction of an incident wave field with an inhomogeneous medium, is based on the ‘weak scattering approximation’. This approximation forms the basis for image processing, analysis and image understanding associated with applications over a broad range of frequencies. The physical limitations of such a model are typically overcome by introducing an additional stochastic field term that takes into account those effects that do not conform to the weak scattering approximation, coupled with background ‘system noise’. In this chapter, a solution to the scattering problem is presented, which is based on an …

An Experimental-Numerical Study Of Heat Transfer Enhancement In A Minichannel Using Asymmetric Pulsating Flows, Parth S. Kumavat, Sajad Alimohammad, Seamus M. O'Sullivan

Articles

The development of current and next-generation high-performance electronic devices has led to miniaturization in more densely packed spaces. The increasing power levels have resulted in ever-increasing heat flux densities which necessitates the evolution of new liquid-based heat exchange technologies. Implementation of single-phase cooling systems using pulsating flow is viewed as a potential solution to the problems involving high energy density electronics. This work involves a combined experimental and numerical analysis of pulsating flows in a rectangular mini channel undergoing asymmetric sinusoidal flow pulsation formats. The mini channel design includes a heated bottom section approximated as a constant heat flux boundary …

Experimental Investigation Of Heat Transfer To A Dual Jet Flow With Varying Velocity Ratio, Paula J. Murphy, Sajad Alimohammadi, Seamus M. O'Shaughnessy

Conference Papers

Dual jet flow is a topical area of research due to their wide range of current and potential uses in industry. Despite this, there is still a lack of published studies which focus on the characterization of dual jet flow, particularly regarding their heat transfer capabilities. The objective of this investigation is to therefore build upon the available dual jet data and conduct an experimental study which focusses on the effect of the jet velocity ratio on heat transfer to a dual jet flow for a constant offset ratio of 3, where air is used as the working fluid. The …

Embodying Arts Festivals As Infrastructural Transformation Of Places, Bernadette Quinn

Books/Book chapters

Arts festivals are important forms of cultural production and consumption (Négrier 2015). Irrespective of genre (e.g., visual arts, music or film) and whether single or multidisciplinary, their primary endeavour is to engage people in the making, showcasing and performance of art. Yet arts festivals do not necessarily receive recognition or attention based on their cultural attributes alone. Festivals and events have become “central to entrepreneurial cities’ efforts to generate commerce, regenerate place and stand out on the highly competitive global stage” (Quinn et al. 2020, 1875). Along with arts and cultural activities more generally, recent decades have seen cities use …

Does Self-View Mode Generate Video Conferencing Fatigue? An Experiment Using Eeg Signals, Jin Xu, Eoin Whelan, Ann O'Brien, Denis O’Hora

Conference papers

The ability to see or hide one’s own image is a typical feature of video conferencing platforms. This study will conduct an EEG-based neurobiological experiment to determine if the self-view mode generates video conference fatigue and if this differs between males and females. 40 volunteers will participate in a simulated video conference meeting with the self-view mode on and off at different times. In addition, an EEG-based fatigue monitor will be proposed to demonstrate the level of human mental fatigue. The experimental insights will provide direct biological evidence of the impact of video conferencing features on the user experience and …

Synergising Bim And Real-Time Data For Improved Efficiency: An Irish Case Study, Ahmed Hassan, Ankur Mitra, Alan Hore, Mark Mulville

Conference papers

The evolution of 3D visualisation and the Internet of Things (IoT) presents a substantial opportunity for integrating real-time data with Building Information Models (BIM) to improve its functionality and construction workflow efficiency. Integrating real-time data with BIM can enhance the digital representation of construction buildings’ physical and functional characteristics and provide recordable status of on-site operations. Nevertheless, the integration between Visualisation and IoT technologies with BIM remains in its preliminary stages and faces a myriad of technical and operational challenges. Furthermore, developing advanced solutions to facilitate this complex integration requires a considerable understanding of the viability and feasibility of merging …

Challenges And Opportunities For Automating Physical Compliance On Construction Sites, Ankur Mitra, Mark Mulville

Conference papers

The construction project lifecycle includes several compliance requirements that need to be checked at multiple levels and at different phases of the project. Inability to comply with these regulations due to lack of time and resources or human oversight can affect the project throughout its service lifecycle with the potential for severe outcomes. Following a number of high-profile failings and owing to the high stakes nature of compliance, digitalisation has been introduced in this field of construction over the past few decades to reduce mistakes and neglect. Although the compliance checking process in the design phase has seen significant digital …

Medical Concept Mention Identification In Social Media Posts Using A Small Number Of Sample References, Vasudevan Nedumpozhimana, Sneha Rautmare, Meegan Gower, Maja Popovic, Nishtha Jain, Patricia Buffini, John Kelleher

Conference papers

Identification of mentions of medical concepts in social media text can provide useful information for caseload prediction of diseases like Covid-19 and Measles. We propose a simple model for the automatic identification of the medical concept mentions in the social media text. We validate the effectiveness of the proposed model on Twitter, Reddit, and News/Media datasets.

The Effect Of Process Parameters On The Properties Of Elastic Melt Blown Nonwovens: Air Pressure And Dcd, Li Change, Yanfen Zhou, Stephen Jerrams, Jianwei Ma, Shaojuan Chen

Articles

An elastic masterbatch and elastic melt blown nonwovens are prepared based successively on styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) and polypropylene (PP) blend. The phase separation morphology, rheological properties and crystal structure of the elastic masterbatch are investigated. The results show that a compatible and stable structure is obtained in molten SEBS and PP blend with excellent mobility in the temperature range of 210–230C. The crystallization of PP slows down resulting in a finer structure due to the restriction of the SEBS network structure with rarely change of crystalline structure. The relationship between process parameters and properties of the elastic nonwoven is also studied …

Highly Stretchable And Sensitive Sbs/Gr/Cnts Fibers With Hierarchical Structure For Strain Sensors, Mengsui Liu, Yaping Sheng, Chenggang Huang, Chenggang Huang, Yanfen Zhou, Liang Jiang, Mingwei Tian, Shaojuan Chen, Stephen Jerrams, Fenglei Zhou, Jianyong Yu

Articles

Most of the reported flexible strain sensors can only normally sense external stretch in a quite narrow working range and with low sensitivity. In order to overcome these drawbacks, elastomeric fiber based strain sensors incorporating graphene (Gr) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were initially fabricated via coaxial wet spinning. The solution etching method was employed for forming a 1D@2D@1D hierarchical structure, with pores and microcracks on fibers, to reconstruct their conductive networks. The solution etched fiber based strain sensors achieved a significant improvement in obtaining a high maximum gauge factor of 1667 and capability of working over a wide strain range …

Color-Changing Reflection Hologram For Quality Assurance Of Therapeutic Ultrasound Systems, Tatsiana Mikulchyk, John Walsh, Jacinta Browne, Izabela Naydenova, Dervil Cody

Articles

The acoustic output of clinical therapeutic ultrasound equipment requires regular quality assurance (QA) testing to ensure the safety and efficacy of the treatment and that any potentially harmful deviations from the expected output power density are detected as soon as possible. A hologram, consisting of a reflection grating fabricated in an acrylate photopolymer film, has been developed to produce an immediate, visible, and permanent change in the color of the reconstructed hologram from red to green in response to incident ultrasound energy. The influence of the therapeutic ultrasound insonation parameters (exposure time, ultrasound power density, and proximity to the point …

The Development Of Optomechanical Sensors—Integrating Diffractive Optical Structures For Enhanced Sensitivity, Faolan Radford Mcgovern, Aleksandra Hernik, Catherine M. Grogan, George Amarandei, Izabela Naydenova

Conference Papers

The term optomechanical sensors describes devices based on coupling the optical and mechanical sensing principles. The presence of a target analyte leads to a mechanical change, which, in turn, determines an alteration in the light propagation. Having higher sensitivity in comparison with the individual technologies upon which they are based, the optomechanical devices are used in biosensing, humidity, temperature, and gases detection. This perspective focuses on a particular class, namely on devices based on diffractive optical structures (DOS). Many configurations have been developed, including cantilever- and MEMS-type devices, fiber Bragg grating sensors, and cavity optomechanical sensing devices. These state-of-the-art sensors …

Consulting Staff On Change Management Initiatives Takes A Lot Of Valuable Time And Effort - Why Not Just Let The Decision Makers Get On With The Task?, Gerard Glynn, Kevin Byrne, Edward Sweeney

Conference proceedings

Purpose: The disciplines of organisation development (OD), organisational behaviour (OB) and supply chain management (SCM) share much in terms of the ongoing occurrence of change and how it is facilitated and managed. This paper utilises scenario foresight planning as an instrument of change management through the lens of OD, OB, and SCM. It gives particular emphasis on how the involvement and engagement of the people dimension [human supply chain continuum], contributes to the achievement of satisfactory outcomes. It seeks to outline progression in terms of both research into the fields and business process improvement. Design/Methodology/approach: The authors commenced an assessment …

Detecting Patches On Road Pavement Images Acquired With 3d Laser Sensors Using Object Detection And Deep Learning, Ibrahim Hassan Syed, Dympna O'Sullivan, Susan Mckeever, David Power, Ray Mcgowan, Kieran Feighan

Academic Posters Collection

Regular pavement inspections are key to good road maintenance and road defect corrections. Advanced pavement inspection systems such as LCMS (Laser Crack Measurement System) can automatically detect the presence of different defects using 3D lasers. However, such systems still require manual involvement to complete the detection of pavement defects. This work proposes an automatic patch detection system using an object detection technique. Results show that the object detection model can successfully detect patches inside LCMS images and suggest that the proposed approach could be integrated into the existing pavement inspection systems.