Engineering Commons^™

Structural Control Of Wind Turbines With Soil Structure Interaction Included, Breiffni Fitzgerald, Biswajit Basu

Articles

The importance of considering soil structure interaction in structural control of wind turbines is investigated in this paper. An Euler–Lagrangian wind turbine mathematical model based on an energy formulation was developed for this purpose which considers the structural dynamics of the system and the interaction between in-plane and out-of-plane blade vibrations. Also, the interaction between the blades and the tower including a tuned mass damper (TMD) is considered. The turbine is subject to turbulent aerodynamic loading simulated using a modification to the classic Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory with turbulence generated from rotationally sampled spectra. The turbine is also subject …

Biofilm Growth Kinetics And Nutrient (N/P) Adsorption In An Urban Lake Using Reclaimed Water: A Quantitative Baseline For Ecological Health Assessment, Tianzhi Wang, Zhenci Wu, Yunkai Li, Mingchao Liang, Zhenhua Wang, Paul Hynds

Articles

Reclaimed wastewater reuse represents an effective method for partial resolution of increasing urban water shortages; however, reclaimed water may be characterized by significant contaminant loading, potentially affecting receiving ecosystem (and potentially human) health. The current study examined biofilm growth and nutrient adsorption in Olympic Lake (Beijing), the largest artificial urban lake in the world supplied exclusively by reclaimed wastewater. Findings indicate that solid particulate, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and metal oxide (Al, Fe, Mn) constituent masses adhere to a bacterial growth curve during biofilm formation and growth. Peak values were observed after ≈30 days, arrived at dynamic stability after ≈50days …

Introduction To Making Futures, Pelle Ehn

Articles

No abstract provided.

Double Or Nothing: Reflections On Bridge Design, Hillary Brown

Articles

No abstract provided.

Positive Sum Design And The Economics Of Sharing, Ian Gonsher

Articles

No abstract provided.

Beyond Design Thinking, Ian Gonsher

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Method To Calculate Adherence To Inhaled Therapy That Reflects The Changes In Clinical Features Of Asthma, Imran Sulaiman, Jansen Seheult, Elaine Machale, Fiona Boland, Susan M. O’Dwyer, Viliam Rapcan, Shona D’Arcy, Breda Cushen, Matshediso Mokoka, Isabelle Killane, Sheila A. Ryder, Richard B. Reilly, Richard W. Costello

Articles

Electronic monitors are considered the gold standard for objectively quantifying adherence to inhaled therapy (1). Most studies using electronic recording devices have reported adherence as the mean adherence, or the mean daily dose, over the study period (2–4). However, this method does not reflect variations in the way that patients use their treatments. For example, the mean adherence is the same whether an individual took the medication according to the prescribed schedule or took all the doses in the first half of a dosing period, leaving none in the second half. Inhaler technique must …

Solar Thermal Systems: Towards A Systematic Characterization Of Building Integration, Laura Aelenei, Mervyn Smyth, Werner Platzer, Brian Norton, David Kennedy, Soteris Kalogirou, Christoph Maurer

Articles

Characterization is defined as the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features. In most solar thermal collecting systems the energy performance characterization is commonly used as the most important criteria by which the system (or component) is represented. Building Integrated Solar Thermal Systems (BISTS) however are typically classified across a range of operating parameters, system features and mounting configurations, and other criteria are similarly important to be considered. Therefore BISTS characterization should also account for the architectural and building physics integration based on structural, functional and aesthetical features. A comprehensive characterization of BISTS is necessary to give designers, installers …

Robust Fuzzy-Sliding Mode Based Upfc Controller For Transient Stability Analysis In Autonomous Wind-Diesel-Pv Hybrid System, Asit Mohanty, Sandipan Patra, Prakash K. Ray

Articles

This study presents a comparative study of transient stability and reactive power compensation issues in an autonomous wind–diesel-photovoltaic based hybrid system (HS) using robust fuzzy-sliding mode based unified power flow controller (UPFC). A linearised small-signal model of the different elements of the HS is considered for the transient stability analysis in the HS under varying loading conditions. An IEEE type 1 excitation system is considered for the synchronous generator in the HS, with negligible saturation characteristic, for detailed voltage stability analysis. It is noted from the simulation results that the performance of UPFC is superior to static VAR compensator and …

Utilising A Loop Structure To Allow A Microfiber Coupler With Larger Taper Diameters To Be Used For Sensing, Fangfang Wei, Gerald Farrell, Qiang Wu, Yuliya Semenova

Articles

This paper examines a technique that utilizes a Sagnac loop with a microfiber coupler (MFC) as a coupler which allows the MFC to operate effectively as a sensor but with larger than normal tapered fiber diameters. The proposed structure is found to be suitable for temperature and refractive index (RI) sensing. It is shown that a variation in the surrounding of the MFC RI results in a shift of the output spectrum, while a temperature variation leads to changes in the intensity of the interference dips. A decrease in the waist diameter of the MFC results in an increase in …

Gravity As An Ultra-Low Frequency Scattering Efect, Jonathan Blackledge

Articles

Under the weak gravitational field appromination and for the 00-component of the stress-energy tensor, Einstein's field equations for the gravitational potential. By considering Newton' field equation to be the result of an ultra-low frequency scattering effect (in the limiting) case, this work introduces a model where gravitational field is taken to be the result of an ultra-low frequency gravitational wave (propagating in a near-Cartesian Minkowski space) scattering from an object (a mass)

Design Of Procedures For Rare, New Or Complex Processes: Part 1 – An Iterative Risk-Based Approach And Case Study, Maria Chiara Leva, Nora Balfe, Marko Gerbek, Steve Prast

Articles

The paper describes a proposed approach for operationalizing the Common Operational Picture concept introduced in the EU FP 7 TOSCA (Total Operations Management for Safety Critical Activities) project, in order to jointly integrate and enhance safety, quality and productivity in the production environment. The approach combines different methods for the description and analysis of plant and operations, including Task Analysis, 4D process simulation, hazard analysis and Pareto optimization, and iterates through them to generate a final procedure. The proposed approach has been demonstrated on an industrial case study related to planning of infrequent cold water pressure testing of LPG storage …

Predicting Asthma Exacerbations Employing Remotely Monitored Adherence, Isabelle Killane, Imran Sulaiman, Elaine Mac Hale, Aoife Breathnach, Terrence Taylor, Martin Holmes, Richard B Reilly, Richard W Costello

Articles

This Letter investigated the efficacy of a decision-support system, designed for respiratory medicine, at predicting asthma exacerbations in a multi-site longitudinal randomised control trial. Adherence to inhaler medication was acquired over 3 months from patients with asthma employing a dose counter and a remote monitoring adherence device which recorded participant's inhaler use: n = 184 (23,656 audio files), 61% women, age (mean ± sd) 49.3 ± 16.4. Data on occurrence of exacerbations was collected at three clinical visits, 1 month apart. The relative risk of an asthma exacerbation for those with good and poor adherence was examined employing a univariate …

Biofilm Microbial Community Structure In An Urban Lake Utilizing Reclaimed Water, Tianzhi Wang, Yunkai Li, Tingwu Xu, Naiyang Wu, Mingchao Liang, Paul Hynds

Articles

Analyses of biofilm community structure may potentially be employed for aquatic ecosystem health assessment, however, to date, biofilm diversity within urban lakes using reclaimed water has not been examined. Accordingly, the microbial community diversity and structure of biofilms from the surface of multiple matrices with varying roughness (0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 μm) were characterized using a suite of molecular techniques including scanning electron microscopy, genetic fingerprinting and phospholipid-derived fatty acid analyses. Samples were largely comprised of inorganic particles, algae and numerous bacterial species; 12 phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA) types were identified, significantly less than typically associated with sewage. Both growth …

Integration Of Antennas With Sun-Tracking Solar Panels, Adam Narbudowicz

Articles

A low-cost solution for antennas integrated into solar cells, allowing their implementation in solar tracking installations is proposed. The proposed passive device autonomously adjusts the phase shift of a two-element array proportional to the panel rotation. Consequently, the main beam is steered to compensate for panel rotation and maintain a radio link. The proposed device operates for a rotation of ±45° with an amplitude variation of ≤0.4 dB at 2.51 GHz.

Corrigendum To “Energy Savings Across Eu Domestic Building Stock By Optimizing Hydraulic Distribution In Domestic Space Heating Systems”, Ciara Ahern, Brian Norton

Articles

No abstract.

Self-Powered Microfluidic Device For Rapid Assay Of Antiplatelet Drugs, Bincy Jose, Peter Mccluskey, Niamh Gilmartin, Martin Somers, Dermot Kenny, Antonio J. Ricco, Nigel Kent, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts

Articles

We report the development of a microfluidic device for the rapid assay in whole blood of platelet-protein interactions indicative of the efficacy of antiplatelet drugs—e.g., aspirin and Plavix, two of the world’s most widely used drugs—in cardiovascular patients. Because platelet adhesion to surface-confined protein matrices is modulated by fluid shear rates at the blood/protein interface, and because such binding is a better indicator of platelet function than platelet self-aggregation, we designed, fabricated, and characterized the performance of a family of disposable, self-powered microfluidic chips with well-defined flow and interfacial shear rates suitable for small blood volumes (≤ 200 µL). We …

Resolving The Policy Paradox: The Case Of Biofuel Production In Ireland, Alan Gilmer, Mark J. Mcgarrity, Vivienne Byers

Articles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the status of policy design and policy implementation in the biofuel sector in Ireland. The focus of the work addresses the overarching operational context of the biofuel sector in Ireland and the role of different actors in shaping and resolving inconsistencies in policy outlook and practice. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a qualitative research approach involving a series of semi-structured interviews with members of the relevant sub-groups concerned. This study sought to address two questions – whether current or proposed policy is likely to affect consumption of indigenous biofuel feedstocks …

Equi-Biaxial Fatigue Behaviour Of Magnetorheological Elastomers In Magnetic Fields, Yanfen Zhou, Mark Johnson, Shipeng Wen, Tony Betts, Stephen Jerrams

Articles

The equi-biaxial fatigue behaviour of silicone based magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) in external magnetic fields was studied. Wöhler curves relating fatigue life to stress amplitude and dynamic stored energy for MREs with a range of magnetic particle contents were derived. It was found that the fatigue life of MREs in magnetic fields was higher than that without magnetic fields. Under constant stress amplitude conditions, the presence of magnetic fields resulted in longer times for the samples to undergo large deformations and thus complex modulus (E*) decreased at a slower rate during the fatigue process, especially for low stress amplitudes. MRE samples …

Reconfigurable Axial Ratio In Compact Gnss Antennas, Adam Narbudowicz

Articles

A new adaptive technique for steering the direction of minimum axial ratio (AR) (

Performance Of Masonry Blocks Containing Different Proportions Of Incinator Bottom Ash, Niall Holmes, Hugh O'Malley, Paul Cribbin, Henry Mullen, Garrett Keane

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Literature Review Of The Evolution Of British Prefabricated Low-Rise Housing, Daniel O'Neill, Samantha Organ

Articles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore academic papers and reports and present a chronology of the evolution of British low-rise prefabricated housing. The paper provides chronological information for construction and surveying researchers undertaking research in associated areas.

Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative literature review, providing an exploration and analysis of academic papers and reports on low-rise prefabricated housing.

Findings – A substantial literature was discovered. However, there are gaps in the available literature. The history of British construction technology is a rich research area but is under-researched. Prefabricated housing has a long history dating back …

Book Reviews: Robert Hensey, First Light: The Origins Of Newgrange. Oxford: Oxbow Books, Series: Oxbow Insights In Archaeology, 2015, Frank Prendergast

Articles

N/A

Enhanced Corrosion Protection And Biocompatibility Of A Plga-Silane Coating On Az31 Mg Alloy For Orthopaedic Applications, Sankalp Agarwal, Muhammad Morshed, Marie-Noelle Labour, David Hoey, Brendan Duffy, James Curtin, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

This paper reports a multi-step procedure to fabricate a novel corrosion resistant and biocompatible PLGA-silane coating on the magnesium (Mg) alloy AZ31. The first step involves alkaline passivation followed by dip coating in a methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) mixture to produce a cross-linked siloxane coating. The second step is to impart an amine functionalization to the silane modified surface by using 3-aminopropyl-triethoxy silane (APTES) for promoting adhesion of the acid terminated poly-(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) as a final coating step. Static contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed the successful assembly of coatings on …

Unique Characterization Of Materials With Memory, John Murrough Golden

Articles

In general, materials with linear memory constitutive relations are characterized by a relaxation function. This leads to a situation where the free energy for most materials with memory is not unique. There is a convex set of free energy functionals with a minimum and a maximum element. An alternative procedure is proposed which characterizes a material by the kernel of the rate of dissipation functional. Using some recent results, we find that a unique free energy and relaxation function may then be deduced. An example is given for discrete spectrum materials. Also, the new results are used to show that …

Human Factors Issues And The Risk Of High Voltage Equipment: Are Standards Sufficient To Ensure Safety By Design?, Maria Chiara Leva, Roberta Pirani, Micaela De Michela, Luke Clancy

Articles

High voltage equipment is mostly designed according to technically prescriptive standards requirements based on electrical engineering safety principles. However a more risk-based approach to standards and regulation may be advisable to enable designer and user to take an active role in establishing that their installation is inherently safe. The use of Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) for instance is enabling the new substation to be housed indoors and condensed into around one quarter of the space. The manufacturers argue that design improvements in GIS make it virtually “maintenance free”, comply with all the relevant standards. However some of these improvements have …

Human Factors At The Core Of Total Safety Management: The Need To Establish A Common Operational Picture, Maria Chiara Leva, Tom Kontogiannis, Nora Balfe, Micaela Demichela, Emmanuel Plot

Articles

The Total Operations Management for Safety Critical Activities (TOSCA) project is aimed at developing a safety management framework that integrates best practices, tools and methods for functional analysis, risk assessment, interactive emergency scenarios analysis, performance monitoring, design review, training and knowledge management. The TOSCA approach is described by a T-model based around a central ‘Common Operational Picture’ (COP) that holds information regarding the operational system, and is used to support risk assessment and management. The information held in the COP may be represented in different ways but should be accessible to all stakeholders in order to analyse and communicate risk, …

Maximizing The Spatial Representativeness Of No2 Monitoring Data Using A Combination Of Local Wind-Based Sectoral Division And Seasonal And Diurnal Correction Factors, Aoife Donnelly, Owen Naughton, Bruce Misstear, Brian Broderick

Articles

This article describes a new methodology for increasing the spatial representativeness of individual monitoring sites. Air pollution levels at a given point are influenced by emission sources in the immediate vicinity. Since emission sources are rarely uniformly distributed around a site, concentration levels will inevitably be most affected by the sources in the prevailing upwind direction. The methodology provides a means of capturing this effect and providing additional information regarding source/pollution relationships. The methodology allows for the division of the air quality data from a given monitoring site into a number of sectors or wedges based on wind direction and …

Monitoring Voip Speech Quality For Chopped And Clipped Speech, Andrew Hines, Jan Skoglund, Anil C. Kokaram, Naomi Harte

Articles

No abstract provided.

A New Educational Mobile Devices Platform For Social Inclusion In Tanzania, Fredrick Mtenzi

Articles

Abstract— It is evident that advances in technology has led to improvement in societal wellbeing. In this paper we demonstrate how mobile phones are used in providing reliable and quality education to students in disadvantaged areas of Tanzania. The main contribution is on leveraging on the success that Tanzania has had on using mobile banking to the un-banked population. These lessons are adapted to the education sector, where clever/smart integration of existing disruptive technologies such as mobile phones and social networks are be used to provide access to high quality educational contents. Further, the paper shows how educational content can …