Other Engineering Commons^™

Universities Changing In Response To A Volatile Environment: A Case Study From Ireland, Kevin Kelly

Books/Book chapters

This paper is a short summary of a research thesis submitted for a doctoral degree in education in late 2008. The substantive issue investigated was the response of a large higher education institute (HEI) in Ireland, the Dublin Institute of Technology and hereafter referred to as the Institute, to the demands for change. The research was undertaken by an experienced academic from inside the organisation. What is happening in this institute may be significant to others because change in higher education is a key debate throughout the world at present. The research study shows that stakeholders in the Institute acknowledge …

Modelling Behavioural Antecedents Of Inter-Firm Linkages In The Irish Road Freight Industry: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour, Eoin Plant

Doctoral

The Irish road haulage industry exhibits a structure dominated by singlevehicle owner-managed operators. This has implications for the Irish economy through reduced efficiency. It is crucial that Ireland’s transport policies sustain its trade-dependent economy and this study can help inform those policies. The European Union has made a commitment to promoting sustainable mobility through advanced transport logistics. One of the principal areas not previously addressed is that of barriers to ollaboration. This thesis initially examines economies of scale within the road freight industry and argues that collaborative networks can aid sustainable transport and increase efficiencies in logistics. It addresses the …

Response Of Academics To Demands For Change In Engineering Education, Kevin Kelly

Conference papers

This paper attempts to show what academics and other stakeholders think about academic change in an Institute of Technology in Ireland as this HEI attempts to respond to a rapidly changing external s becoming a university and moving to a new campus on a green field site. It is a summary of aspects of a doctoral thesis undertaken by an experienced academic that set out to explore how the unprecedented challenges now facing higher education internationally might best be met in the Dublin Institute of Technology. It is insider research and this paper identifies and examines barriers and enablers to …

Optimization Of Lifeguard Towers, Equipment, And Sign Placement With Human Factors Considerations For The Cal Poly Recreation Center Expansion, Brian J. Henrikson

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Cal Poly’s Recreation Center serves many faculty, students and alumni by providing them with a safe and fun environment to work out and swim. An overwhelming majority of students voted for a Recreation Center expansion to handle the increased usage of the Center over the past few years. The focus of this report is the safe and effective operations of the pool deck and the lifeguard staff. Three surveys were created to see what the lifeguard staff, as well as pool users, thought about the current pool deck and what they would like to see in the new pool deck …

Detection Of An So2 Plume Over Sapporo, Japan From The Eruption Of Mt. Kasatochi Using A Balloon Sounding Technique, Gary A. Morris, Jun Hirokawa, Masatomo Fujiwara, Fumio Hasebe, Keisuke Ishida, Nicholay Krotkov, Mark R. Schoeberl, Walter Komhyr, Barry Lefer, James Flynn

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Presentations

During the month of August 2008, 10 ozonesondes were launched from Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan as part of a study to examine regional pollution during the Olympic period. Seven of these soundings included a second instrument with a filter designed to remove SO2 from the intake air stream. SO2 interferes with the normal chemistry of the electrochemical cell (ECC) method for ozone detection, with the net result being that each molecule of SO2 registers as minus one molecule of O3. Thus the unfiltered sonde reports [O3] - [SO2] while the filtered sonde reports [O3]. Laboratory tests prior to launch …

Incorporating Spatial Data And Gis To Improve Sea Of Land Use Plans: Opportunities And Limitations: Case Studies In The Republic Of Ireland, Ainhoa Gonzalez Del Campo

Doctoral

This research aimed at establishing whether spatial data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can contribute to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). To achieve this, an integrated GISEA approach was developed and applied to a number of spatial planning SEAs in the Republic of Ireland. The practical applicability of the approach was examined, evaluating the potential benefits derived from using spatial data and GIS in SEA and assessing the potential barriers to an effective GIS use. The implementation of the SEA Directive incorporated a new dimension into plan-making by calling for the assessment of potential environmental effects that may derive from implementing …

Developing Effective, Sustainable, Mutually Beneficial International Collaborations In Engineering And Technology, Mike Murphy

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Pedagogy In Bioengineering Classrooms: Quantifying Elements Of The “How People Learn” Model Using The Vanth Observation System (Vos), Monica F. Cox, David S. Cordray

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

One goal of the VaNTH Engineering Research Center is to estimate the effects of the “value added” to bioengineering student learning as a result of “How People Learn” (HPL) framework interventions. A necessary step in that process is to assess pedagogical differences in both lecture-based and HPL-oriented courses. Data from 28 bioengineering courses, over five semesters, were analyzed using a newly developed HPL Index. This index, developed from the Classroom Interaction Observation portion of the VaNTH Observation System, reports levels of HPL-inspired pedagogy, traditional pedagogy, and classroom organization within a class using codes for different types of faculty and student …

The Role Of 3pls Internet Technology In Supporting Extended Enterprise: An Exploratory Survey, Pietro Evangelista, Emilio Esposito, Edward Sweeney, Erica Staller

Conference papers

It is well accepted that ICT and Internet technology have the potential to facilitate firms’ innovation processes as it offers new and more effective support to conduct business operations. This is particularly true in the context of Extended Enterprise (EE) concept where new technologies are critical in ensuring the effective integration of physical and information flows among participating companies (Dresner et al., 1999). The role of third party logistics providers (3PLs) in logistics outsourcing has evolved along the last few years (McKinnon, 1999). Such companies are transforming their business configuration from simple transport service providers to supply chain integrators. Internet …

The Application Of Web 2.0 Technologies As An Experimental Method Of Teaching Remote Sensing At Dit, Ireland, Avril Behan

Conference Papers

This paper describes the implementation of an experimental method of delivery for a module of remote sensing material to second year students on the BSc (Hons) in Geomatics at the Dublin Institute of Technology. The project began as a reaction to poor levels of student engagement and unsatisfactory grades, as well as the requirement to focus more on real-world type problems due to the implementation of a work-placement semester for third year students. Both pedagogical considerations (movement towards formative feedback, interactivity and group-based work) and the effect of technological drivers, such as the popularity of the internet in general and …

Metrology And Proportion In The Ecclesiastical Architecture Of Medieval Ireland, Avril Behan, Rachel Moss

Conference Papers

The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which detailed empirical analysis of the metrology and proportional systems used in the design of Irish ecclesiastical architecture can be analysed to provide historical information not otherwise available. Focussing on a relatively limited sample of window tracery designs as a case study, it will first set out to establish what, if any, systems were in use, and then what light these might shed on the background, training and work practices of the masons, and, by association, the patrons responsible for employing them.

Ice Nucleation And Overseeding Of Ice In Volcanic Clouds, Adam J. Durant, R. A. Shaw, William I. Rose, Y. Mi, G. G. J. Ernst

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Publications

Water is the dominant component of volcanic gas emissions, and water phase transformations, including the formation of ice, can be significant in the dynamics of volcanic clouds. The effectiveness of volcanic ash particles as ice-forming nuclei (IN) is poorly understood and the sparse data that exist for volcanic ash IN have been interpreted in the context of meteorological, rather than volcanic clouds. In this study, single-particle freezing experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of ash particle composition and surface area on water drop freezing temperature. Measured freezing temperatures show only weak correlations with ash IN composition and surface …

High-Rise As Only Answer Is Tall Tale, Lorcan Sirr, Conor Skehan

Media

No abstract provided.

Proactive Planning Will Make Most Of Regional Differences, Lorcan Sirr, Conor Skehan

Media

No abstract provided.

Planning For A Future That Is Going To Happen, Not Against It, Lorcan Sirr, Conor Skehan

Media

No abstract provided.

Look After The Risks, Ask The Right Questions – And Know How To Get Out, Lorcan Sirr

Media

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Approach To The Teaching Of Numerical Methods To Engineering Students, Garrett Keane, Michael Carr, Patrick Carroll

Conference papers

In Technological University Dublin, historically, numerical methods were taught to engineering students using a format of traditional mathematics lectures, to a large class group consisting of students from five different engineering disciplines, complemented by small class tutorials. Assessment was by a single, written exam only.

In order to improve the overall effectiveness of the students’ learning experience, it was deemed beneficial to also introduce practical computing classes in which the students would be required to apply the general mathematical methods covered in lectures to discipline-specific examples.

Three different practical computing assignments were devised for the students to undertake, and 20% …

An Assessment Of The Use Of Structural Deformation As A Method Of Determining Area Of Fire Origin, Andrew T. Tinsley, David J. Icove

Safety, Security and Emergency Management Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Current methodologies of origin investigation have yet to include the structural deformations seen in steel buildings as a viable indicator of the area of origin of a given fire. As many steel structures are of relatively large size, it is often difficult to determine the area of origin using the typical dig and sift methods advocated in NFPA 921, especially if the extent of the fire was large and there were no witnesses as to the origin of the fire. As has been investigated for years, the performance of steel is highly affected by the application of heat. The science …

Extended Nonnegative Tensor Factorisation Models For Musical Sound Source Separation, Derry Fitzgerald, Matt Cranitch, Eugene Coyle

Articles

Recently, shift-invariant tensor factorisation algorithms have been proposed for the purposes of sound souce separation of pitched musical instruments. However, in practice, existing alogorithsm require the use of log-frequency spectrograms to allow shift invariance in frequency which causes problems when attempting to resynthesise the separated sources. Further, it is difficult to impose harmonicity constraints on the recovered basis functions. This paper proposes a new additive synthesis-based approach which allows the use of linear-frequency spectrograms as well as imposing strict harmonic constraints, resulting in an improved model. Futher, these additional constraints allow the addition of a source filter model to the …

Musical Source Separation Using Generalised Non-Negative Tensor Factorisation Models, Eugene Coyle, Derry Fitzgerald, Matt Cranitch

Conference papers

A shift-invariant non-negative tensor factorisation algorithm for musical source separation is proposed which generalises previous work by allowing each source to have its own parameters rather a fixed set of parameters for all sources. This allows independent control of the number of allowable notes, number of harmonics and shifts in time for each source. This increased flexibility allows the incorporation of further information about the sources and results in improved separation and resynthesis of the separated sources.

Development Of A Construction Sub-Sector Embodied Energy Hybrid Analysis, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan P. Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Working papers

Embodied energy analysis is used to evaluate the total energy consumed by any product during all the stages leading up to its manufacture and delivery and can also be used to determine the energy-related environmental impacts such as CO2 emissions of buildings and other built infrastructure. In the wake of increase global awareness on climate change and the strong link between global warming and CO2 emissions, the role of new and improved analytical models to evaluate the energy embodied in products and its associated environmental impacts therefore takes an important role in environmental research studies. The development of a new …

Violin Timbre Space Features, Jane Charles, Derry Fitzgerald, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

Signal processing techniques, from which the quality of a violinist's playing can be assessed by a computer are presented in this paper

Detect: Developing Sustainable Pathways Towards Innovative, Sustainable Collaboration Between Four Engineering, Design And Technology Education Institutions, Michael Dyrenfurth, Mike Murphy, Donal Mchale, Richard Hayes, Robert Herrick, Dhushy Sathianathan, Heinz Schmidt-Walter, Eugene Coyle, Robert Simpson

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Philosophy Matters In Engineering Studies, William Grimson, Mike Murphy, Steen Hyldgaard Christensen, Erik Erno-Kjolhede

Conference papers

This article explores the rationale for including in an integrated five-years Masters Engineering programme liberal arts subjects, in particular Philosophy and the History of Science and Technology. We argue that the tools of philosophy should be used to provide additional insight into how engineering was and is 'performed'. We first review the challenge, next we present some results of an empirical case study carried out at AU-IBT in Denmark. The purpose of the case study was to examine a sample of engineering teachers´ attitudes towards the relevance and scope of liberal arts subjects for engineering students. Finally we conclude with …

Preparation And Accreditation Of Level 7 Engineering Programmes, Mark Mcgrath

Conference Papers

Accreditation of 3^rd level educational programmes by a suitably recognised professional body is of particular relevance in relation to engineering. The completion of a sequence of modules which leads to the attainment of this professionally recognised award is viewed as integral to the undertaking. The engineering technology fields are developing and expanding rapidly and the third level sector must keep abreast of these changes. This is essential if the third level institutions wish to continue delivering programmes which produce graduates who can successfully complete the transition from 3rd. Level to the various engineering sectors.

This paper outlines various aspects …

Evaluation Of A Virtual Refrigerant Charge Sensor, Woohyun Kim, James E. Braun, Haorong Li

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a thorough evaluation of a method for determining refrigerant charge that employs low-cost, non-invasive measurements (i.e., surface mounted temperature measurements). The method could be used as part of a protocol for verified service providers (VSPs) in AC diagnostic tune-up or refrigerant charge, air flow (RCA) verification programs. Ultimately, the method could be embedded within a portable virtual refrigerant charge gauge for a technician’s use or permanently installed on the AC unit. The accuracy of the virtual refrigerant charge sensor method is evaluated in this paper using laboratory data for a number of different systems and over a …

Responses Of Engineering Students To Lectures Using Powerpoint, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution reports on, reflects on and evaluates engineering students responses to the use of PowerPoint in a lecture environment, compared to a more traditional lecturing approach. The contribution concludes that, on average, students value PowerPoint based lectures both as a means of better understanding the material and for the mediums structural and organisational advantages. Students also strongly favour the PowerPoint lectures being available on-line and that a paper copy of the PowerPoint presentation be distributed at the lecture.

An Investigation Of Block Searching Algorithms For Video Frame Codecs, Jerome Casey

Other Resources

Block matching is the most computationally demanding aspect of the video encoding process. In many applications real-time video encoding is desired and therefore it is important that the encoding is fast. Also where handheld devices such as a PDA or mobile phone are concerned a less computationally intensive algorithm means a simpler processor can be used which saves on hardware costs and also extends battery life. An optimised algorithm also allows these devices to be used in low bandwidth wireless networks. The challenge is to decrease the computational load on the system without compromising the quality of the video stream …

The New Engineer: Between Employability And Social Responsibility, Eddie Conlon

Articles

The reasons behind the demand for what is sometimes called the New Engineer are critically examined and it is argued that a focus on employability alone is not sufficient to prepare socially responsible engineers. By examining issues around work organisation and sustainability it is proposed that engineers need to understand the wider social context in which they work. It is argued that the focus of ethics education should be broadened to focus on the social structure and the way it both enables and constrains socially responsible conduct. There is a call to refocus engineers’ attitudes towards the systems of regulation …

Integrating Engineering Ethics And Research Skills In A First Year Programme, Eddie Conlon

Conference papers

A first year module which introduces students to the social dimension of engineering is described. The key teaching tool is the use of group projects to develop students’ learning skills. The importance of addressing the motivation for engineering students studying non-technical modules is emphasised. Data used to evaluate the module is presented. It is shown that the nature of the project undertaken affects the attainment of learning outcomes. The conclusion focuses on some shortcomings of the module and highlights the importance of appropriately structuring the learning environment to facilitate self-directed learning by early year students.