Engineering Commons^™

A Novel Approach Towards Investigating The Performance Of Different Pvt Configurations Integrated On Test Cells: An Experimental Study, Vivek Tomar, Brian Norton, G. N. Tiwari

Articles

This study elaborates the theoretical and experimental analysis for the effectiveness of different photovoltaic thermal (PVT) configurations along with their building implications. An experiment was performed on especially designed four identical prototype test cells emphasise the building integration photovoltaic thermal (BiPVT) systems. A comparative analysis of four different possible PVT configurations integrated on identical test cells namely; Case 1: Glass-to-glass PV with duct integrated on a test cell, Case 2: Glass-to -glass PV without duct integrated on a test cell, Case 3: Glass to tedlar PV with duct integrated on a test cell and Case 4: Glass to tedlar PV …

Fused Silica Capillary Interferometer With A Layer-By-Layer Functional Coating For The Analysis Of Chemicals Content In Aqueous Solutions, Arun Kumar Mallik, Gerald Farrell, Qiang Wu, Yuliya Semenova

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A simple fused silica capillary interferometric (FSCI) sensor has been proposed and investigated for the detection and analysis of multiple chemical compounds content in aqueous solutions. The sensor was fabricated by splicing a commercially available fused silica capillary (FSC) with two single mode fibers to create a 0.7 cm long air cavity. The fiber surface was functionalized with two different polymers: poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and sol-gel silica in sequence using a layer-by-layer deposition method. The operating principle of the sensor relies on light interference in the fused silica capillary cavity due to adhesion of the different chemical compounds on …

All Fibre Q-Switched Thulium-Doped Fibre Laser Incorporating Thulium–Holmium Co-Doped Fibre As A Saturable Absorber, Shi Li, Elfed Lewis, Gerald Farrell, Ahmad Haziq Aiman Rosol, A.A. Latiff, Sulaiman Wadi Harun, Bingang Guo, Pengfei Wang

Articles

A novel all fibre Q-switched Thulium-doped fibre laser (TDFL) is reported which includes a short length of a Thulium–Holmiumco-doped fibre (THDF) as a saturable absorber. A high repetition rate (27.26 kHz) coupled with a low pulse width (19.06μs) is obtained for single wavelength Q-switched pulse operation at an output wavelength of 1911.5 nm using a pump power of 200 mW. Increasing the pump power from 200 mW to 700 mW results in the repetition rate increasing from 27.26 kHz to 99.67 kHz and the pulse width decreasing from 19.06μs to 920 ns. The centre wavelength of the single Q-switched pulse …

Ultra-High-Resolution Detection Of Pb2+ Ions Using A Black Phosphorus Functionalized Microfiber Coil Resonator, Yu Yin, Shunbin Wang, Shijie Jia, Jing Ren, Gerald Farrell, Elfed Lewis, Pengfei Wang

Articles

A black phosphorus (BP) functionalized optical fiber sensor based on a microfiber coil resonator (MCR) for Pb2+ ion detection in an aquatic environment is presented and experimentally demonstrated. The MCR-BP sensor is manufactured by winding a tapered microfiber on a hollow rod composed of a low-refractive-index polycarbonate (PC) resin with the BP deposited on the internal wall of the rod. Based on the propagation properties of the MCR, the chemical interaction between the Pb2+ ions and the BP alters the refractive index of the ambient environment and thus results in a detectable shift in the transmission spectrum. The resonance wavelength …

In-Fiber Temperature Sensor Based On Green Up-Conversion Luminescence In An Er3+-Yb3+ Co-Doped Tellurite Glass Microsphere, Meng Zhang, Angzhen Li, Jibo Yu, Xiaosong Lu, Shunbin Wang, Elfed Lewis, Gerald Farrell, Libo Yuan, Pengfei Wang

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A novel, to the best of our knowledge, in-fiber temperature sensor based on green up-conversion (UC) luminescence in an Er3+-Yb3+" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: normal; word-spacing: normal; overflow-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; position: relative;">Er3+-Yb3+Er3+-Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glass microsphere is described. The tellurite glass microsphere is located firmly inside a suspended tri-core hollow-fiber (STCHF) structure. The pump light launched via a single-mode fiber (SMF) is passed through a section of multimode fiber, which is fusion spliced between the SMF …

Coastal Dune Vegetation Mapping Using A Multispectral Sensor Mounted On An Uas, Chen Suo, Eugene Mcgovern, Alan Gilmer

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Vegetation mapping, identifying the type and distribution of plant species, is important for analysing vegetation dynamics, quantifying spatial patterns of vegetation evolution, analysing the effectsof environmental changes and predicting spatial patterns of species diversity. Such analysis can contribute to the development of targeted land management actions that maintain biodiversity and ecological functions. This paper presents a methodology for 3D vegetation mapping of a coastal dune complex using a multispectral camera mounted on an unmanned aerial system with particular reference to the Buckroney dune complex in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or …

The Role Of Role-Play In Student Awareness Of The Social Dimension Of The Engineering Profession, Diana Adela Martin, Eddie Conlon, Brian Bowe

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The article aims to expand upon traditional case based instruction through role-play and to explore the effectiveness of the approach in raising students’ awareness of the social dimension of the engineering profession. For this purpose, we added a contextual description to the case study Cutting Roadside Trees driven by a macroethical outlook. Our contribution draws on an exercise based on the contextualised case study in which 80 students at Technological University Dublin participated. The results gathered show that role-playing contributed to complex student responses to the scenario and an awareness of the social factors that are part of engineering practice …

The Effect Of Using A Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Approach To Improve Engineering Students' Understanding Of Statistics, Fionnuala Farrell, Michael Carr

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Over the last number of years we have gradually been introducing a project based learning approach to the teaching of engineering mathematics inDublin Institute of Technology. Several projects are now in existence for the teaching of both second-order differential equations and first order differential equations.We intend to incrementally extend this approach acrossmore of the engineering mathematics curriculum. As part of this ongoing process, practical realworld projects in statistics were incorporated into a second year ordinary degree mathematics module. This paper provides an overview of these projects and their implementation. As a means to measure the success of this initiative, we …

Calculation Methods Of Radon-222 Radiological Activity For Norm Plant With Ventilation, Pedro M. Dieguez-Elizondo, Paul G. O'Donohoe, Tomas Gil-Lopez, Juan Castejon-Navas, Miguel A. Gálvez-Huerta

Articles

A procedure is proposed to determine the radiological activity of air present in the working area of a NORM (Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials) plant. This NORM plant is located in the United Arab Emirates and is dedicated to the recycling of material and equipment used in oil extraction facilities. Substantial quantities of NORM waste will be present inside the enclosed plant facilities and will exhale significant amounts of Radon-222 into the working environment. The continued inhalation of this gas and its progeny has been shown to cause lung cancer. In order to reduce the concentration level of the aforementioned gas to …

Air Diffusion System Design In Large Assembly Halls. Case Study Of The Congress Of Deputies Parliament Building, Madrid, Spain, Paul G. O'Donohoe, Miguel A. Gálvez-Huerta, Tomas Gil-Lopez, Pedro M. Dieguez-Elizondo, Juan Castejon-Navas

Articles

The paper describes and analyses the air distribution solution adopted in the refurbishment of the Spanish Congress of Deputies assembly hall. A new approach is proposed for the design of displacement ventilation systems. The system performance is methodically validated both with laboratory tests, computational fluid dynamics analysis and experimental field measurements related to the environmental performance of the built environment. In assembly halls, microclimate and displacement ventilation systems, which supply air by means of floor mounted outlets, have been shown to perform adequately. In this case study floor air supply is not feasible. The solution adapted uses parapet mounted diffusers, …

Evaluation Of Hydrometric Network Efficacy And User Requirements In The Republic Of Ireland Via Expert Opinion And Statistical Analysis, Paul Hynds, Ahmed Nasr, Jean O'Dwyer

Articles

Decreased funding and shifting governmental priorities have resulted in a contraction of hydrometric measurement in many regions over the past two decades. Moreover, concerns exist with respect to appropriate data usage and (transboundary) exchange, in addition to the compatibility and extent of existing hydrometric datasets. These issues are undoubtedly magnified due to enhanced data demands and increased financial pressures on network managers, thus requiring new approaches to optimising the societal benefits and overall efficacy of hydrometric information for future socio-hydrological resilience. The current study employed a quantitative cross-sectional expert elicitation of 203 respondents to collate, analyse and assess hydrometric network …

Sns Optical Fiber Structure Sensor For Direct Detection Of The Phase Transition In C18h38 N-Alkane Material, Wei Han, Marek Rebow, Xiaokang Lian, Dejun Liu, Gerald Farrell, Qiang Wu, Yuliya Semenova

Articles

A singlemode-no-core-singlemode (SNS) fiber structure optical sensor for detecting the solid-liquid phase change in a phase change material: C18H38 n-alkane material (n-octadecane) is proposed and demonstrated. The transmission-type sensor probe consists of a short section of no-core fiber sandwiched between two sections of a singlemode fiber. Phase changes in n-octadecane are accompanied by large step-like variations of its refractive index (RI). Such a large discontinuous change of the n-octadecane’s RI during its phase transition, leads to the corresponding step-like change in the transmitted optical power that can reliably indicate the phase change of the sample in the vicinity of the …

Qoe Enhancement In Next Generation Wireless Ecosystems: A Machine Learning Approach, Eva Ibarrola, Mark Davis, Camille Voisin, Ciara Close, Leire Cristobo

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Next-generation wireless ecosystems are expected to comprise heterogeneous technologies and diverse deployment scenarios. Ensuring quality of service (QoS) will be one of the major challenges on account of a variety of factors that are beyond the control of network and service providers in these environments. In this context, ITU-T is working on defining new Recommendations related to QoS and users' quality of experience (QoE) for the 5G era. Considering the new ITU-T QoS framework, we propose a methodology to develop a global QoS management model for next generation wireless ecosystems taking advantage of big data and machine learning (ML). The …

Double Deadbeat Plus Repetitive Control Scheme For Microgrid System, Sreedhar Madichetty, Malabika Basu, Sukumar Mishra, Josep M. Guerrero

Articles

Parallel connection of converters is a convenient choice when system capacity is to be increased. Parallel-connected voltage source converters, especially neutral point clamped converters, are one of the best choices for its range. However, with the parallel connectivity, the converter possesses a circulating current in its legs, which consequently threatens the safe operation of the system. To alleviate this circulating current problem, in this paper, a double deadbeat (DD) plus repetitive control (RC) scheme is proposed. The RC scheme is employed to mitigate the circulating currents and the DD loop control scheme is employed to achieve a high operating bandwidth …

Influence Of The Local Field And Dipole-Dipole Interactions On The Spectral Characteristics Of Simple Metals And Their Nanoparticles, I. I. Shaganov, Kevin Berwick, T. S. Perova

Articles

The effect of dipole-dipole interactions of free electrons on the spectral characteristics of simple metals and their nanoparticles is analyzed using Drude theory and the model of the Lorentz local field. It is established that accounting for the dispersion of a local field under conditions of one-dimensional (1D) confinement based on the optical constants of the bulk metal allows the determination of its spectral micro-characteristics in the frequency region of the longitudinal collective motions of the free electrons. This corresponds to the spectra of the dielectric losses of bulk plasma oscillations. A similar procedure for three-dimensional (3D) confinement produces the …

Development Of Poly-Vinyl Alcohol Stabilized Silver Nanofluids For Solar Thermal Applications, James Walshe, George Amarandei, Hind Ahmed, Sarah Mccormack, John Doran

Articles

Nanofluids offer the potential to address the low thermal conductivities found in conventional heat transfer fluids, through their unique electrical, optical and thermal properties, but their implementation remains restricted due to absorption and stability limitations. Here, we characterize and exploit the distinctive plasmonic properties exhibited by polyvinyl-alcohol stabilized silver nanostructures by tuning their absorption and thermal properties through controlling the nanoparticle size, morphology and particle-size distribution configuration at the synthesis stage. The photo-thermal efficiency of different water-based silver nanofluids under a standard AM1.5G weighted solar spectrum were explored, the influence of each of these components on the resulting fluids performance …

A New Era For Reuse Social Enterprises In Ireland? The Capacities Required For Achieving Sustainability, Gerard Doyle

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The conventional linear relationship between production and consumption is no longer sustainable. A key component of the transition towards a more sustainable society is the continuation in use of products for longer and the development of a repair and reuse culture. Reuse social enterprises contribute to addressing a range of environmental, economic and social issues facing urban areas. This paper is concerned with, firstly, the motivations for citizens to establish reuse social enterprises in Ireland. Secondly, the paper examines the factors that contribute to reuse social enterprises in Ireland becoming sustainable.

The research points to the necessity of reuse social …

Ultrabroadband Mid-Infrared Emission From Cr 2+ -Doped Infrared Transparent Chalcogenide Glass Ceramics Embedded With Thermally Grown Zns Nanorods, Xiaosong Lu, Zhiqiang Lai, Runan Zhang, Haitao Guo, Jing Ren, Lukas Strizik, Tomas Wagner, Gerald Farrell, Pengfei Wang

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We report, for the first time to our knowledge, an ultrabroadband mid-infrared (MIR) emission in the range of 1800–2800 nm at room temperature from a Cr2+-doped chalcogenide glass ceramic embedded with pure hexagonal (wurtzite) β-ZnS nanorods and study the emission-dependent properties on the doping concentration of Cr2+. A new family of chalcogenide glasses based on (100 − x) Ge1.5As2S6.5 – x ZnSe (in mol.%) was prepared by melt-quenching method. The Cr2+: β-ZnS nanorods of ˜150 nm in diameter and ˜1 μm in length were grown in the Cr2+-doped glass after thermal annealing. The compositional variations of glass structures and optical …

Design And Development Of Artificial Spinal Ligaments For Paediatric Synthetic Spine, Nor Amalina Muhayudin, Khairul Salleh Basaruddin, Fiona Mcevoy, Anthony Tansey

Articles

A synthetic spine is a model fabricated from artificial materials consisting of the vertebrae, intervertebral discs and ligaments for spinal testing. The synthetic spine overcomes many difficulties associated with biological specimens such as handling, biohazard concerns, high costs, and limited availability of specimens, quality and large inter-specimen variability. This paper presents the design and development of spinal ligaments to mimic the stiffness of the paediatric ligaments for use in the synthetic spine. Spinal ligaments are uniaxial structures in the spine that carry tensile loads along the direction of the fibres. Early in the research, silicone materials were used to cover …

Evaluation Of Skin-Mounted Sensor For Head Impact Measurement, Stephen Tiernan, Gary Byrne, David Michael O’Sullivan

Articles

Background: The requirement to measure the number and severity of head impacts in sports has led to the development of wearable sensors.

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and accuracy of a wearable head impact sensor: xPatch, X2Biosystems Inc.

Methods: The skin mounted sensor, xPatch, was fixed onto a Hybrid III headform, and dropped using an impact test rig. Four hundred impacts were performed, ranging from 20 to 200g linear acceleration, and impact velocities of 1.2m/s to 3.9m/s. During each impact, the peak linear acceleration, angular velocity and angular acceleration, were recorded and compared to …

Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers In Diamond For Nanoscale Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications, Alberto Boretti, Lorenzo Rosa, Jonathan Blackledge, Stefania Castelletto

Articles

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center is a point defect in diamond with unique properties for use in ultra-sensitive, high-resolution magnetometry. One of the most interesting and challenging applications is nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging (nano-MRI). While many review papers have covered other NV centers in diamond applications, there is no survey targeting the specific development of nano-MRI devices based on NV centers in diamond. Several different nano-MRI methods based on NV centers have been proposed with the goal of improving the spatial and temporal resolution, but without any coordinated effort. After summarizing the main NV magnetic imaging methods, this review presents a …

Assessment Of Physicochemical Characteristics, Thermal Stability And Release Profile Of Ascorbic Acid Microcapsules Obtained By Complex Coacervation, Michele Cristina Rodrigues Da Cruz, João Luiz Andreotti Dagostin, Camila Augusto Perussello, Maria Lúcia Masson

Articles

The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical characteristics, thermal stability and release profile of ascorbic acid (AA) microcapsules obtained by complex coacervation. Gelatin and gum arabic were used as wall materials in concentrations of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 g% (w/v). The coacervate microcapsules were freeze-dried and assessed for physicochemical characteristics, thermal behavior and stability during 60 days of storage. The release profile was evaluated at different pH values (1.1, 2.2, 5.4, 7.4, 9.6 and 12). The encapsulation efficiency ranged from 27.3 to 93.8%. The microcapsules of AA presented good characteristics for application in food matrices, such as …

Harnessing Smart Technology For Private Well Risk Assessment And Communication, Tanner Hoffman, Paul Hynds, Corinne Schuster-Wallace, Sarah Dickson-Anderson, Anna Majury

Articles

Unregulated, privately owned water supplies, including groundwater wells, are relied upon extensively, particularly in rural and remote regions. While adequate stewardship behaviors (water testing, treatment, and maintenance) have been shown to decrease the incidence and frequency of faecal indicator organism (FIO) presence and, by extension, the risk of pathogenic ingress, contaminated private water supplies continue to constitute a significant public health risk. Recognizing that innovative approaches are needed to bolster well stewardship, this paper identifies and assesses 35 tools (smartphone and web-based applications) to better understand components, functionality, strengths, and weaknesses. Applications for both data collection and risk communication were …

Rapid Fabrication Of Silver Nanoparticle/Polydopamine Functionalized Polyester Fibers, Yanfen Zhou, Liang Jiang, Ya Guo, Zhenhua Sun, Zhiqing Jiang, Shaojuan Chen, Jianwei Ma, Stephen Jerrams

Articles

In this paper, silver nanoparticles functionalized poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers with antimicrobial activity, electrical conductivity and good coating stability are reported. Firstly, silver plated PET fibers were fabricated by rapid polydopamine (PDA) modification followed by electroless plating. Secondly, the surface morphologies and compositions of PDA modified and silver coated PET fibers were characterized by employing scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectrometry. Finally, the antimicrobial properties and electrical conductivity of the silver plated PET fibers were investigated. The results showed that the silver coated PET fibers exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity to both Escherichia coli and …

Study On Spinnability Of Pp/Pu Blends And Preparation Of Pp/Pu Bi-Component Melt Blown Nonwovens, Yanfen Zhou, Liang Jiang, Huiying Jia, Xiaolu Xing, Zhenhua Sun, Shaojuan Chen, Jianwei Ma, Stephen Jerrams

Articles

Melt blown polymer blends offers a good way to combine two polymers in the same fiber generating nonwovens with new and novel properties. In this study, polypropylene (PP) and polyurethane (PU) were blended to prepare PP/PU bicomponent melt blown nonwovens. The spinnability of PP/PU composites was investigated and PP/PU bi-component nonwovens with compositions of 95/5, 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30 were prepared by using the melt blowing technique. The melt blown fibers exhibited a ‘sea-island’ structure with PP as the continuous phase and PU as the dispersed phase. When the content of PU in the blend was above 40 %, PP/PU …

Guest Editorial Special Issue On Using Enquiry-And-Design-Based Learning To Spur Epistemological And Identity Development Of Engineering Students, Shannon Chance, Bill Williams, Tom Goldfinch, Robin S. Adams, Lorraine N. Fleming

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This Special Issue of the IEEE Transactions on Education focuses on using enquiry-based design projects to spur engineering students’ development, so as to increase understanding and application of the relevant theories, foster higher rates of student development and achieve this in healthy and productive ways.

A Twelve-Wavelength Thulium-Doped Fibre Laser Based On A Microfibre Coil Resonator Incorporating Black Phosphorus, Shi Li, Yu Yin, Elfed Lewis, Gerald Farrell, Pengfei Wang

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A novel multi-wavelength continuous Thulium-doped fibre laser incorporating a microfibre coil resonator based on black phosphorus (MCR-BP) material has been successfully fabricated and demonstrated. A twelve-wavelength spectrum with 0.54 nm channel spacing has been achieved by simply adjusting the pump source power. A single peak extinction ratio of more than 40 dB was observed. The superior performance of the MCR-BP described in this article compared to conventional MCR based fibre lasers can be attributed the inclusion of the Black Phosphorous Material. The enhanced lasing is primarily due to the twin properties of the MCR-BP device combining a comb-like filter effect …

Daylight: What Makes A Difference, M. Knoop, O. Stefani, B. Bueno, B. Matusiak, R. Hobday, A. Wirz-Justice, K. Martiny, T. Kantermann, M. Aarts, N. Zemmouri, S. Appelt, Brian Norton

Articles

Light is necessary for vision; it enables us to sense and perceive our surroundings and in many direct and indirect ways, via eye and skin, affects our physiological and psychological health. The use of light in built environments has comfort, behavioural, economic and environmental consequences. Daylight has many particular benefits including excellent visual performance, permitting good eyesight, effective entrainment of the circadian system as well as a number of acute non-image forming effects and the important role of vitamin D production. Some human responses to daylight seem to be well defined whilst others require more research to be adequately understood. …

Optimization Of Pv Powered Spd Switchable Glazing To Minimise Probability Of Loss Of Power Supply, Aritra Ghosh, Brian Norton

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Suspended particle device (SPD) glazing is an electrically actuated switchable glazing. It requires alternate current (AC) power supply to switch from opaque to transparent state. To power this glazing using PV device requires inverter. Optimization of AC powered switchable SPD glazing using photovoltaic (PV) device has been evaluated using loss of power supply probability (LPSP). Electrically switchable direct current (DC) powered electrochromic glazing was also considered in this investigation as it doesn't need any inverter to couple with PV. It is concluded that behaviour of these glazings is the dominant factor in performance optimization outweighting than azimuthal orientation and inclination …

The Study Of Grit In Engineering Education Research: A Systematic Literature Review, Shannon Chance, Inês Direito, Manish Malik

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Researchontheroleofgrit–definedasbothperseveranceandpassionfor long-termgoals–onhumanperformancehasbeenconductedforthepast decade. It has been suggested that this non-cognitive factor is a better predictor of students’ retention than traditional academic measures. These findings hold relevance for engineering education research but studies on this area are still scarce. This paper provides a systematic review of the current state of research on grit and its correlates in engineering higher education research. Publications were identified using three types of databases specific to engineering education; a final set of 31 relevant records was analysed by type of population, methods, research topics and main results. Most of the reviewed studies implemented quantitative methodologies to …