Digital Commons Network^™

Rating Requirements Of A Unified Power Quality Conditioner (Upqc) For Voltage Ride Through Capability Enhancement, N. G. Jayanti, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

The problem of voltage ride through capability of fixed speed wind generation as a result of voltage sags is examined by means of a simulation study. The role of a Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC), which provides both shunt and series compensation, in enhancing the ride through capability is investigated under both full and partial voltage restoration. Results of a study to identify the minimum rating requirements to ensure stability are presented.

Digital Signal Processing (Second Edition), Jonathan Blackledge

Books/Book chapters

This book provides an account of the mathematical background, computational methods and software engineering associated with digital signal processing. The aim has been to provide the reader with the mathematical methods required for signal analysis which are then used to develop models and algorithms for processing digital signals and finally to encourage the reader to design software solutions for Digital Signal Processing (DSP). In this way, the reader is invited to develop a small DSP library that can then be expanded further with a focus on his/her research interests and applications.

There are of course many excellent books and software …

Refinements In Using Historical Process Data To Optimize Tolerance Allocation, Kevin Delaney, Pat Phelan

Conference Papers

Tolerance allocation for new products calls for experience and judgment. Whenever products are manufactured using production processes that are similar to existing products it is likely that the trend in production tolerances for both the new and existing products will be similar. It must be assumed that there have been no improvements to the tooling, modifications to the machines being used, or a change in process stability. The data employed to understand and exploit these trends is commonly referred to as process capability data and it is stored in a Process Capability DataBase (PCDB). There are several challenges to be …

The Tromped, An In-Flight Exercise Device To Prevent Flight Related Deep Vein Thrombosis, Carolyn Collins, David Kennedy, Thomas Corrigan, Stephen Jerrams

Conference Papers

Medical and Engineering research studies have shown the potential risks of long haul flight travel and methods of preventing it occurring. The risk of serious health problems or even death is known to arise from lack of venous movement and increased coagulation (clotting) of the blood. These factors contribute to the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and this is more likely to occur in situations where people are seated for long periods during travel on land or in air. Currently long haul airlines have yet to be seen to introduce physical preventative measures against this syndrome.

A prototype design …

The Role And Future Of Nanotechnology In Research, Industry And Education, David Kennedy

Conference Papers

Major developments in Nanotechnology have taken place across the world
over the last few years. From a humble beginning, Ireland inc. became a leader in the Microelectronics industry and now has to face the challenge of developing a strategic plan to maintain its lead position in the nano field which in most cases will supersede the micro phase. Most countries are taking a similar path of development all be it alone or in collaboration with other countries. This process is expensive and requires market drivers and experts to lead and deliver demands from the industries of the future. The approach …

Characterization Of An Acrylaminde Based Photopolymer For Fabrication Of Liquid Crystal Devices, Pavani Kotakonda

Conference Papers

Photopolymers are increasingly interesting as new materials for the fabrication of electro optical liquid crystal devices. Photoinduced surface relief gratings in dry, self developing acrylamide based photopolymers can be used to align liquid crystals (LCs) as an alternative to the rubbing technique. These optically recorded surface relief patterns can be used to fabricate electro-optical switchable LC Bragg gratings. An investigation of the dependence of photoinduced surface relief gratings on recording intensity and thickness of the photopolymer layer is reported. The surface relief gratings were filled with E7 LCs and a switchable LC diffraction grating was fabricated.

Holographic Recording In Nanoparticle-Doped Photopolymer, Izabela Naydenova, Hosam Sherif, Svetlana Mintova, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

Conference Papers

A nanoparticle-doped acrylic photopolymer is characterised as a material for holographic recording. The influence of nanoparticles on the photopolymer dynamic range, dynamics of recording, temporal stability and mechanical stability in terms of shrinkage has been studied. The dynamics of recording and the temporal stability are investigated by real time monitoring of the build up of diffraction gratings of spatial frequencies of 200 to 2000 l/mm. The shrinkage has been characterised by recording slanted transmission gratings and observation of the change in the Bragg angle.

Two Way Diffusion Model For The Recording Mechanism In A Self-Developing Dry Acrylamide Photopolymer, Suzanne Martin, Izabela Naydenova, Raghavendra Jallapuram, Robert Howard, Vincent Toal

Conference Papers

In our most recent study [1] diffusion constants were measured in the simplified monoacrylamide version of a dry acrylamide based photopolymer holographic recording material developed in the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics. In this paper we report diffusion constants for the commonly used photopolymer formulation, which also contains the crosslinker bisacrylamide. A physical model for the recording mechanism is proposed which explains the two way diffusion observed in both systems, and is in agreement with much of the previously observed behaviour of the material, particularly in regard to dependence of diffraction efficiency growth on spatial frequency and persistence of …

The Quality Movement Discourse In The Higher Education Sector: A General Review, Aidan Kenny

Level 3

This paper – the first of a series of three – describes some of the macro milestones in the evolution of the Quality Movement in the industrial environment. The emphasis then shifts to reviewing the discourse relating to quality in the higher education sector in the UK. Attention is given to Quality Assessment, Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement models. The interface or tension lines between quality as a controlling mechanism or as a tool for development are outlined. Predominant concerns and issues as expressed by academics are clustered into macro questions, the answers to which will require further longitudinal research. …

The Application Of Learning Skills In An Engineering Programme, Leslie Shoemaker

Level 3

At the Dublin Institute of Technology, an engineering programme in the School of Control Systems and Electrical Engineering has successfully incorporated a study skills module into the core curriculum. The module, titled Academic Development and Key Skills, is part of the first year of the programme and has a two-fold purpose. Primarily the goal is to assist the students with the transition from second level education to third level by teaching them a more competent learning style. This, in turn, helps to create a positive impact with respect to the retention of this student group within the programme. The second …

Outsourcing: An Irish Perspective, Aoife O'Riordan, Edward Sweeney

Conference papers

This paper investigates three case studies with regards their outsourcing initiatives from an Irish perspective, the benefits and problems they encountered, the contracts they have constructed, and where they have outsourced and the reasons behind them. The research took place over a period of two years, and the information for the case studies was gleaned from a number of sources including: published papers about the companies, the company websites, annual financial reports, the questionnaire they filled out, and interviews with key decision making personnel in the company. Follow up interviews were conducted where it was felt they were required. Key …

Can Blending Face-To-Face Teaching With E-Learning Support The Development Of Phase 4 Apprentices In Mathematics? A Formative Evaluation Research Study., Peter Hinch

Theses

This thesis is a formative evaluation research study. Its purpose is to establish if blending face-to-face and e-learning delivery methods can support the development of Phase 4 apprentice plumbers in mathematics in the Department of Construction Skills in the Technologicl University Dublin. The study also included the design, development and evaluation of a mathematics web site called Plumatics 4 U which is grounded in established theoretical criteria for effective blended delivery within third level education. This web site is currently in use by Phase 4 apprentice plumbers and is delivered through WebCT. The CD accompanying this thesis contains a short …

Using Sketches And Knowledge Bases For Geo-Spatial Image Retrieval, Michela Bertolotto, James Carswell, E Mcloughlin, D O'Sullivan, C Wilson

Articles

This paper presents research in the field of knowledge management for geo-spatial imagery including scanned aerial photos and satellite images. We have developed a web-based system that allows users to query a database of images not only using metadata, but also drawing sketches of configurations of objects they are interested in as well as inputting textual descriptions of their intended task. Our system integrates case-based reasoning techniques to form a knowledge base from previously issued queries that can be exploited to improve future query processing and to build organizational memory through experience capture. The effective design and implementation of a …

Musical Pattern Design Using Contour Icons, Charlie Cullen, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper considers the use of Contour Icons in the design and implementation of musical patterns, for the purposes of detection and recognition. Research work had endeavoured to deliver musical patterns that were both distinct and memorable, and to this end a set of basic melodic shapes were introduced using a Sonification application called TrioSon that had been designed for the purpose. Existing work in the field (such as that concerning Earcon design) has considered the mechanisms by which patterns may be made distinctive, but it is argued that separate consideration must be given to the method of making such …

A Comparison Of Ensemble And Case-Base Maintenance Techniques For Handling Concept Drift In Spam Filtering, Sarah Jane Delany, Padraig Cunningham, Alexey Tsymbal

Conference papers

The problem of concept drift has recently received con- siderable attention in machine learning research. One important practical problem where concept drift needs to be addressed is spam filtering. The literature on con- cept drift shows that among the most promising ap- proaches are ensembles and a variety of techniques for ensemble construction has been proposed. In this pa- per we compare the ensemble approach to an alternative lazy learning approach to concept drift whereby a sin- gle case-based classifier for spam filtering keeps itself up-to-date through a case-base maintenance protocol. We present an evaluation that shows that the case-base …

The History Of Seafood In Irish Cuisine And Culture, Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire

Conference papers

Fish is one of the most abundant wild foods available to a small island nation. Certain species of seafood have moved from being ‘poor man’s food’ to ‘luxury food’ over time. It may be said that the Irish do not behave as island people since we have little or no history of exploiting the sea compared to our European partners. Ireland was late developing its fishing industry and now suffers reduced EU fish quotas, the unfortunate but necessary result of decades of over-fishing on European waters. This paper investigates the historical role seafood has played in Irish cuisine and culture …

Requirements Gathering For Simulation, John Ryan, Cathal Heavey

Conference papers

This paper discusses the current shortfalls in support for the pre-coding phases of a discrete event simulation project. The paper then presents a process modelling technique, Simulation Activity Diagrams (SADs), developed to specifically support the initial requirements gathering phases of a simulation project. The paper concludes with an outline of proposed future developments to the modelling technique.

Irish Marketing Review, Vol. 18, No. 1 & 2, 2006, The Marketing Institute

Issues

The Irish Marketing Review deals with issues, developments, research and practise in marketing. This is a special issue on " the island view of relationship marketing and networks".

Effect Of Step Sintering On Breakdown Voltage Of Varistors Prepared From Nanomaterials, Suresh Pillai, Declan Mccormack, John Kelly, Ramesh Raghavendra

Articles

No abstract provided.

Cbc.Ca - Broadcast Sovereignity In A Digital Environment, Brian O'Neill

Articles

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), like many public broadcasters, has identified the value of branding their services on the world wide web as a crucial element in the strategy to bring radio into the digital era. Their approach highlights a number of strategically important issues facing broadcasters in the current environment. The internet, in Canadian terms, is an unregulated space and a not particularly Canadian space. Just as in the terrestrial environment, broadcasters like CBC have to operate in an environment dominated by United States-based interests. The regulatory solutions that Canada has previously pursued in order to preserve cultural sovereignty may …

Access To Buildings For People With Disabilities, Myles Keaveney

Articles

No abstract provided.

Towards An Inverse Constant Q Transform, Derry Fitzgerald, Matt Cranitch, Marcin T. Cychowski

Conference papers

The Constant Q transform has found use in the analysis of musical signals due to its logarithmic frequency resolution. Unfortunately, a considerable drawback of the Constant Q Transform is that there is no inverse transform. Here we show it is possible to obtain a good quality approximate inverse to the Constant Q transform provided that the signal to be inverted has a sparse representation in the Discrete Fourier transform domain. This inverse is obtained through the use of lo and l1 minimisation approaches to project the signal from the constant Q domain back to the Discrete Fourier Transform domain. Once …

A Comparison Of Time-Domain Time-Scale Modification Algorithms, David Dorran, Robert Lawlor, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

Time-domain appraoches to time-scale modification are popular due to their ability to produce high quality results at a relatively low computational cost. Within the category of time-domain implementations quite a number of alternatives exist, each with their own computational requirements and associated output quality. This paper provides a computational and objective output quality assessment of a number of popular time-domain time-scaling implmentations; thus providing a means for developers to identify a suitable algorithm for their application of interest. In addition, the issues that should be considered in developing time-domain algorithms are outlines, purely in the context of a waveform editing …

Reflection On Contemporary Issues In Relationship Marketing: Evidence From A Longitudinal Case Study In The Building Materials Industry, Aidan O'Driscoll

Articles

This article examines a number of issues in relationship marketing through the perspective of the competence based view of the firm. It draws on data from a 53-year case history of a firm in the Irish building materials industry. Relationship marketing emerges from this data as a significant market-related competence helping the firm to enjoy a preeminent position in the marketplace over five decades. Discussion focuses on the dynamic nature of relationship marketing in the company − how the intent, thrust and characteristics of relationship marketing evolved over 53 years and five eras of the firm’s history. In this context, …

Serious Gordon: Using Serious Games To Teach Food Safety In The Kitchen., Brian Mac Namee, Pauline Rooney, Patrick Lindstrom, Andrew Ritchie, Frances Boylan, Greg Burke

Conference papers

This paper will describe the development of Serious Gordon, an interactive digital game developed to tech the basics of kitchen food safety to workers in industries dealing with food. The motivations driving the development of the game will be described as will the development process itself. An initial evaluation of the game, from both a technical and pedagogical point of view, will be presented as will conclusions on the viability of using a commercial game engine for the purpose of developing educational games.

Ecue: A Spam Filter That Uses Machine Learning To Track Concept Drift, Sarah Jane Delany, Padraig Cunningham, Barry Smyth

Conference papers

While text classification has been identified for some time as a promising application area for Artificial Intelligence, so far few deployed applications have been described. In this paper we present a spam filtering system that uses example-based machine learning techniques to train a classifier from examples of spam and legitimate email. This approach has the advantage that it can personalise to the specifics of the user’s filtering preferences. This classifier can also automatically adjust over time to account for the changing nature of spam (and indeed changes in the profile of legitimate email). A significant software engineering challenge in developing …

Learning Traditional Irish Music Using A Pda, Bryan Duggan

Conference papers

A common problem experienced by musicians in traditional music sessions is that of recalling tunes on demand from a large repertoire. Traditional music is largely an oral medium and musicians may recall a name or player of a tune or set, but require hearing the first few notes to start the tune. In this paper, we present our work developing TunePal, a tool that can be used by musicians for the storage and retrieval of traditional music melodies for learning purposes. TunePal is specifically desiged to be used by musicians playing Irish traditional music in sessions as it supports the …

Preaching To The Converted?:Knowledge-Based Management Of Higher Education Institutes., Deirdre Lillis

Conference papers

Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble. Samuel Johnson. The organisational culture of higher education institutes has been described in the literature as a professional bureaucracy where change creeps in not sweeps in (Mintzberg 1996). Operating within the constraints of public sector leglislation higher education institutes typically have a largely autonomous workforce with a highly compartmentalised organizational structure. The difficulties involved in providing a central steering core present some unique challenges to its management (Clark 1996). When faced with mounting external pressures for accountability, quality assurance, flexible delivery and others the unique …

Bar Raising Or Navel-Gazing?:The Effectiveness Of Self-Study Programmes In Eading To Improvements In Institutional Performance, Deirdre Lillis

Conference papers

Higher Education Institutes worldwide are investing significant resources in self study programmes to improve institutional performance, to enhance quality and to meet external stakeholder demands. The institutional impacts of both internally and externally mandated self study programmes is an area where little empirical research exists. A key question is whether self study programmes are effective (or otherwise) in leading to improvements in institutional performance and the reasons why. Covering an eight year period, from 1997–2006, this paper reports on the use of systematic evaluation methodology (Rossi et al., 2003) to evaluate the effectiveness of three self study programmes in leading …

Structural Descriptions In Human-Assisted Robot Visual Learning, Geert-Jan Kruijff, John D. Kelleher, Gregor Berginc, Ales Leonardis

Conference papers

The paper presents an approach to using structural descriptions, obtained through a human-robot tutoring dialogue, as labels for the visual ob ject models a robot learns. The paper shows how structural descriptions can relate models for different aspects of one and the same object, and how relating descriptions for visual models and discourse referents enables incremental updating of model descriptions through dialogue (either robot- or human-initiated). The approach has been implemented in an integrated architecture for human-assisted robot visual learning.