Engineering Commons^™

Training Module In Regional And Municipal Governance Of Public Private Partnerships, Louis Gunnigan

Conference papers

This module concentrates on the issues important to those who will be setting up PPPs and who are involved in government at a regional or municipal level.

The module is centred on five tasks, namely:

• How to identify PPP opportunities and to find the best private sector partners for a PPP;
• How to organize a PPP programme within a government by enhancing cooperation amongst the relevant departments and ministries, local, regional and national authorities;
• How to be an effective manager and leader in a dynamic PPP unit;
• How to engage public support for PPPs;
• How to use international instruments to …

Music Structure Segmentation Using The Azimugram In Conjunction With Principal Component Analysis, Dan Barry, Mikel Gainza, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

A novel method to segment stereo music recordings into formal musical structures such as verses and choruses is presented. The method performs dimensional reduction on a time-azimuth representation of audio which results in a set of time activation sequences, each of which corresponds to a repeating structural segment. This is based on the assumption that each segment type such as verse or chorus has a unique energy distribution across the stereo field. It can be shown that these unique energy distributions along with their time activation sequences are the latent principal components of the time-azimuth representation. It can be shown …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Water Savings And Rainwater Harvesting – Pilot Project In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Liam Mccarton, Jenny Pender, Niamh Mcntyre

Conference papers

A pilot project to harvest rainwater was set up in Ireland in 2005 to examine the potential of using rainwater harvesting systems to replace treated mains water, for non-potable uses. The Project has two strands to it. The agricultural application assessed the feasibility of incorporating rainwater supply to supplement/replace mains or other water supplies for farms. The second strand involves rural water supply to domestic dwellings. Here the project installed rainwater harvesting and water conservation devices as part of a pilot project to assess the reduction in domestic demand. This paper will examine the water use recorded on both sites. …

Analysis Of A Variable Speed Double-Fed Induction Generator Wind Turbine During Network Voltage Unbalance Conditions., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

The behaviour of Double-Fed Induction Generators to supply network voltage unbalance is investigated. The paper shows the effects that voltage unbalance can have on a DFIG, using Matlab/Simulink. The results from simulations show that voltage unbalance affects both the induction generator and the rotor converter, due to the high unbalanced currents generated. The ability to modify the control strategy of a DFIG to compensate for voltage unbalance is outlined and simulations show the improvements to the performance of the DFIG.

Video Frame Differentiation For Streamed Multimedia Over Heavilty Loaded Ieee 802.11e Wlan Using Txop, Nicola Cranley, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we perform an experimental investigation of using video frame differentiation in conjunction with the TXOP facility to enhance the transmission of parallel multimedia streaming sessions in IEEE 802.11e. The delay constraints associated with the audio and video streams that comprise a multimedia session pose the greatest challenge since real-time multimedia is particularly sensitive to delay as the packets require a strict bounded end-to-end delay. Video streaming applications are considered to be bursty. This burstiness is due to the frame rate of vide., the intrinsic hierarchical structure of the constituent video frame types. The TXOP facility is particularly …

Wideband Printed Monopole Design Using A Genetic Algorithm, Matthias John, Max Ammann

Articles

A method for the design and optimisation of wide-band printed planar monopoles using a genetic algorithm is presented. This novel technique employs overlapping sub-patches which ensures electrical contact in such constellations where two sub-patches are touching only at the corner, hence re-ducing losses. The method was usd optimisation of wide-band printed planar monopoles using a genetic algorithm is presented. This novel technique employs overlapping sub-patches which ensures electrical contact in such constellations where two sub-patches are touching only at the corner, hence re-ducing losses. The method was used to design a wideband monopole antenna with application in higher cellular, WLAN …

Resolution Investigation Of A Ratiometric Wavelength Measurement System, Qian Wang, Ginu Rajan, Pengfei Wang, Gerald Farrell

Articles

Theoretical analysis and experimental investigations are presented on the resolution of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system. Theoretical modeling indicates that the resolution of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio of the input signal and the noise of the photodetectors associated with optical-to-electronic conversion. For experimental verification, a ratiometric system employing a macrobending standard single-mode fiber is developed and corresponding results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.

Investigation Into The Possible Use Of An Oxygen Ion Transport Membrane Combustion Unit In An Oxyfired Power Plant, Kirsten Foy

Doctoral

It is generally recognised that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions damage the environment. Carbon capture and storage offers the possibility of using fossil fuels for power production without releasing C02. In the proposed ZEITMOP power plant cycle hydrocarbon fuel is burned in a mixture of oxygen and C02, allowing easy separation of combustion products to capture the C02 for sequestration. Oxygen ion transport membranes (OTMs) provide oxygen. The original configuration of the cycle requires an OTM air separation unit, in which oxygen is separated from air and mixed with CO2, and a separate combustion chamber, in which fuel is burned in …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Tuning Of Aifsn And Cwmin Parameters To Prioritize Voice Over Data Transmission In 802.11e Wlan Networks, Miroslaw Narbutt, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we experimentally study the impact of two EDCA parameters, namely AIFSN and CWmin, on a mixed voice/data wireless transmission. In particular we investigate how the tuning of these parameters affects both the voice transmission quality and background data throughput. We predict end-to-end voice transmission quality from time varying transmission impairments using the latest Appendix to the ITU-T E-model. Our experimental results show that the tuning of the EDCA parameters can be used to successfully prioritize voice transmission over data in real 802.11e networks. We also demonstrate that the AIFSN parameter more effectively protects voice calls against background …

Experimental Tuning Of The Aifsn Parameter To Prioritize Voice Over Data Transmission In 802.11e Wlan Networks, Miroslaw Narbutt, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we experimentally study the impact of one EDCA parameter, namely AIFSN on a mixed voice/data wireless transmission. In particular we investigate how the tuning of this parameter affects both the voice transmission quality and background data throughput. We predict end-to-end voice transmission quality from time varying transmission impairements using the latest Appendix to the ITU-T E-model. Our experiemental results show that the tuning of the AIFSN parameter can successfully prioritize voice transmission over data in a real 802.11e network. To the best of our knowledge this is the first experimental investigation on tuning of MAC layer parameters …

Treating Water Contamination Using Ultraviolet Radiation To Control Cryptosporidium And E.Coli, Michael O'Hehir, David Kennedy, Thomas Dunphy

Articles

Concerns about the quality of drinking water in Ireland have come into sharp focus with the recent Cryptosporidium outbreak in Galway City. This article looks at how ultraviolet radiation can offer a potential solution in the control of Cryptosporidium contamination.

An Investigation Of A Gis-Based Methodology For The Sustainable, Participative Management Of Walking Routes In Ireland, Helen Farrell

Doctoral

This thesis has identified and tested a methodology for the sustainable planning, development, auditing and routing of Waymarked Ways (walking routes). In testing and comparing the methodology on two routes in Ireland, a range of results have been gathered. Findings suggest that the approach is appropriate and effective in managing waling routes in the context of the study and in including community participation in the management process. Two study sites with different landscapes and infrastructures and varying levels of attractiveness for walking were used during research, and they were found to be quite different in their route management procedures. The …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Comparative Embodied Energy Analysis Of A Steel And Concrete Structural System In Ireland, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Conference Papers

Engineering building design focuses on optimising operational energy use and ignores the energy required to procure and construct a building. This energy, termed ‘embodied energy’, can be very significant when compared to operational energy. Therefore, it is important to minimise the embodied in buildings; this must be done at the design stage. This paper presents a comparative embodied energy analysis of two structural design solutions for a modern office building: one in concrete and one in steel. Process analysis is used to determine production, transport and construction energy requirements for all system components. Results indicate that the steel solution has …

An Experimental Investigation Of Parallel Multimedia Streams Over Ieee 802.11e Wlan Networks Using Txop, Nicola Cranley, Tanmoy Debnath, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we perform an experimental investigation of the IEEE 802.11 TXOP facility to enhance the transmission of parallel multimedia streaming sessions through efficient bandwidth reservation and explicitly consider both the audio and video streams. The delay constraints associated with the audio and video streams that comprise a multimedia session pose the greatest challenge since real-time multimedia is particularly sensitive to delay as the packets require a strict bounded end-to-end delay. We show how the TXOPlimit parameter can be efficiently dimensioned to reduce the tranmission delay for the video frames. Due to tis frame-based nature, video applications are considered …

Rare: Resource Aware Routing For Mesh, Karol Kowalik, Brian Keegan, Mark Davis

Conference papers

An important element of any routing protocol used for Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) is the link cost function used to represent the radio link characteristic. The majority of the routing protocols for WMNs attempt to accurately characterise the radio link quality by constructing the link cost function from the measurements obtained using active probing techniques, which introduces overhead. In this paper we propose a new approach called Resource Aware Routing for mEsh (RARE) which instead employs passive monitoring to gather radio link information. This results in a smaller overhead than the other methods that require active network probing, and is …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Rationales For Collaboration; Implications For The Irish Road Freight Industry, Eoin Plant, Jim Mcgovern

Conference Papers

The European Union has made a commitment to promoting sustainable mobility through advanced transport logistics. One of the principal areas yet to be addressed is that of the potential barriers to advanced transport logistics and the attitudes of industry to this advancement. This paper addresses some of these concerns and argues that competition for high-value contracts can be very tough, especially where the contracts are from large organisations that often prefer to develop a relationship with only one transport service provider. The paper attempts to put the research into a theoretical framework of Resource-Advantage Theory. Empirical evidence is presented from …

Effect Of Snr Of Input Signal On The Accuracy Of A Ratiometric Wavelength Measurement System, Ginu Rajan, Qian Wang, Gerald Farrell, Yuliya Semenova, Pengfei Wang

Articles

The impact of a change in SNR of the input signal on the accuracy of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system is studied. The variation of the output ratio of the system due to the change in SNR of the input signal is modeled and the experimental investigation has been carried out, and both indicate that the accuracy is influenced significantly by variations in the SNR of the input signal. The demonstration example shows a wavelength shift of 0.055 nm when the SNR of the input signal varies from 47 dB to 42 dB (the measurable range is from 1500 nm …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

User Quality Of Experience-Aware Multimedia Streaming Over Wireless Home Area Network, Gabriel-Miro Muntean, Nicola Cranley

Conference papers

For multimedia streaming over wireless networks, there is a trade-off between the capacity of the wireless links and the end-user perceived-quality, which can be affected by the compression scheme used, content characteristics and adaptation algorithm (if any). In this paper, this trade-off is investigated for streaming various motion content multimedia over an IEEE 802.11b-based Wireless-Home Area Network using the Quality-Oriented Adaptation Scheme (QOAS). QOAS performance is compared to that of a non-adaptive scheme when using MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 encoding in terms of average end-user perceived quality, number of streaming sessions concurrently supported, loss rate, delay, jitter and total throughput. Simulation …

Polarization Dependence Of Bend Loss For A Standard Singlemode Fiber, Qian Wang, Ginu Rajan, Pengfei Wang, Gerald Farrell

Articles

Polarization dependence of bend loss caused by the polymer coating layer for a standard singlemode fiber (SMF28) is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Bend loss for SMF28 for both the TE and TM mode is calculated separately. Normalized polarization dependent loss is proposed for the characterization of the polarization sensitivity of bend loss for different bend radii. Corresponding experimental tests are presented, which agree with the theoretical results. Both the theoretical and experimental results show that the polymer coating layer has a significant influence on the polarization dependence of bend loss.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Time For Real Values On Commercial Property, Lorcan Sirr

Media

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Stent Designs Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Jonathan Murphy, Fergal Boyle

Conference Papers

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death in the developed world. CAD occurs due to the build up of plaque in the coronary arteries which supply fresh blood to the constantly active heart muscle. Several methods exist to alleviate CAD such as coronary artery bypass grafting, balloon angioplasty and coronary stenting. A coronary stent is a small tubular prosthesis which can improve blood flow by acting as a scaffold to prop the diseased artery open. However, stent restenosis (re-blockage) remains a common problem with different stent designs leading to different restenosis rates. This work investigates …

Performance Characteristics Of A Therapeutic Ultrasound Wire Waveguide, Graham Gavin, Garrett Mcguinness, Finbar Dolan, M.S. Hashmi

Articles

Therapeutic ultrasound angioplasty has been investigated, clinically, by a number of researchers and represents a potentially promising therapy for the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions. To date, there has been no detailed analysis of the effect of mechanical design parameters, such as wire geometry or damping characteristics, on wire waveguide performance. An apparatus capable of delivering therapeutic ultrasound down small diameter nickel–titanium (NiTi) wire waveguides is described. The output peak-to-peak (p–p) displacements at the distal tip of a 1.0mm diameter waveguide were measured experimentally, by means of an optical microscope and image analysis software. The output was measured for a range …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Oil Swelling On The Fatigue Life Of Elastomers Subjected To Cyclic Bubble Inflation, Niall Murphy, John Hanley, Stephen Jerrams, Ali Hassan

Conference Papers

This paper describes the behaviour of rubber in multi-axial fatigue, with respect to oil resistance. A series of tests were carried out on EPDM specimens subjected to varying degrees of swelling. The control methodology and the loading mechanism employed in the testing of elastomers using dynamic multi-axial bubble inflation are outlined. Swollen specimens were prepared by immersing them in reference mineral oil. Specimens were cycled to failure and the results were analysed. The number of cycles to failure for a given engineering stress amplitude was plotted for both dry (unswollen) and swollen specimens. Fracture surfaces for each set of specimens …