Structural Analysis of Glulam Frame of a Modular Timber–Aluminium Hybrid Façade System in Nordic Climate

This article presents the results of mechanical testing and structural analysis of the glulam frame supporting novel external façade envelope elements made of aluminium, glass, and insulation. The glulam frame forms the basic structural support for the new modular hybrid façade system, an industrial product designed by STATICUS company with an aim at reducing environmental impact. The ultimate and serviceability limit states are considered to assess the durability of the design in terms of possible deformations affecting air and moisture tightness as well as the level of stresses leading to potential damage accumulations and fatigue. The analysis combines the horizontal environmental loads, that is, wind loads over 4 years of real wind speed data in 2021–2023 together with the permanent self-weight loads for the representative mid-rise building in different characteristic coastal locations in Norway: Oslo, Trondheim, and Tromsø. The constructed load models are applied to the geometrically non-linear numerical mechanical model of the glulam frame. Explicit modelling of the screw connections in the frame was validated by static mechanical testing in a laboratory set-up. Continuum elements with an orthotropic material model are used for wood. The stress level in reference to the ultimate strength was established for all wind loads and characteristic failure mode was identified as local compression perpendicular to grain in the screw connection. The mechanical fatigue life of the glulam frame is estimated at a minimum of 32 years (Tromsø) and a maximum of over 100 years (Oslo, Trondheim) based on the calculated stress level and real expected number of cycles of loading over the service life.publishedVersio

Hamlet – Limited laboratory study - In comparison with existing weathering properties of oils from neighbouring fields

A limited laboratory study of Hamlet crude oil (a re-check approach) has been conducted on Hamlet crude oil to compare the obtained data with the existing weathering properties of crude oils from the neighbouring field in the North Sea (Cerisa, Ofelia, Duva, and Gjøa). The limited laboratory study was performed at 13 °C.Hamlet – Limited laboratory study - In comparison with existing weathering properties of oils from neighbouring fieldspublishedVersio

Transition scenarios for conversion to net-carbon-neutral fishing vessels

SINTEF Ocean has conducted a review of published reports on transition scenarios for the conversion of fishing vessels to net-carbon-neutral vessels. The scenarios analysis concludes that the ultimate goal of carbon-neutral fishing vessels can be met, but that the direct use of hydrogen will play a neglectable role to obtain such ambitious targets. The memo explains basic constraints related to hydrogen properties and hydrogen fuel systems, as well as their impacts on costs and feasibility as a fuel for fishing vessels. These challenges explain why other carbon-neutral fuels are expected to be dominant in meeting future emission targets.publishedVersio

Value Chain Assessment - SusFeed

This report was made as Deliverable D3.3.3 in the SusFeed NFR project. It responds to the task objective to help in modelling value chains for the new feed solutions of Grass, Algae and Insects; their economic viability, logistics of a new and established chain, and impacts on other related chains. Mathematical optimisation was chosen as modelling tool, and the BROMo model was developed partly in this project. Result indicate Algae and Grass feed have good potential to be integrated into the system in an efficient manner, but incest-based feeds would require more effort to scale. The results should be seen together with other deliverables in the project, especially the Scenario Report in which more cases on import and global conditions are considered.publishedVersio

Emerging AI individualism: how young people integrate social AI into everyday life.

Social AI services like ChatGPT and My AI are increasingly integrated into the lives of young people. Despite this growing use, there is limited research on how youth perceive and engage with social AI in their everyday social lives, as well as the broader social implications of such engagement. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study with 166 Norwegian high school students, using a questionnaire that included open-ended questions. Our findings show that while most youths had not yet adopted social AI on a regular basis, those who had reported a wide range of experiences and perceived utilities, including personalized assistance, tailored emotional support, entertainment, and creative inspiration. These patterns suggest an emerging shift toward more autonomous, AI-mediated forms of social engagement, in which social AIs are increasingly used in personal decision-making processes. We use the novel concept of AI individualism to interpret these developments and discuss how social AI may contribute to the reconfiguration of social support systems and interpersonal dynamics. Finally, we reveal potential risks raised by the sample, including misinformation, reduced privacy, and emotional overdependence on AI which may also harm social connections in society. This study contributes new empirical insights into youth–AI interaction and reflects the value of AI individualism as a novel framework for understanding the complexity and evolving role of social AI in everyday social life.publishedVersio

Tyrving – Weathering properties and behaviour at sea - In relation to oil spill response

A standardized bench-scale weathering study has been conducted on Tyrving crude oil located in the North Sea. The dispersibility testing was included to estimate the viscosity limits and the time window for dispersant use. The laboratory data were used as input to the SINTEF Oil Weathering Model (OWM) for weathering predictions from a surface release of Tyrving at sea at 5 and 15 °C, reflecting winter and summer conditions. The weathering properties of Tyrving are also discussed in relation to oil spill response.Aker BP ASApublishedVersio

Main characteristics of selected polymer material streams, waste handling and recyclability scenarios in Norway

This report outlines the main characteristics of selected plastic material streams, serving as deliverable D3.1 for the Plasticene project. It focuses on the most common, high-volume plastic material streams used in five industry sectors in Norway: construction, Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), automotive, aquaculture and fisheries, and packaging. The plastic material streams with the highest volume in Norway are EPS in the construction sector, PP in the EEE and automotive sectors, PE in the aquaculture and fisheries sector, and LDPE in the packaging sector. The properties of these selected materials are described, along with examples of their applications in each sector. Additionally, the current state of waste handling and recyclability of these material streams in Norway is discussed.publishedVersio

A data driven approach using local measurements to locate turbine governors causing forced oscillations

This paper presents a method based on residual analysis and system identification techniques to localize the source of forced oscillations in power systems due to turbine governors in power plants. The method identifies the closed loop dynamics of power plants described by the swing equation. When forced oscillations are detected, they are located by finding the transfer functions that describe the behaviour of the corresponding plant the worst. The method presented in this paper locates the source of forced oscillations based only on local measurements at each plant. This may represent an inherent advantage since it may reduce the need of data measurement and communication. We investigate how the method performs under different process noise levels and also the common assumption that frequency measurements are a sufficient approximation of the machine’s rotational speed. The performance of the method is demonstrated with an hardware-in-the-loop approach on an experimental setup including a real time simulator and phasor measurement units. Sensitivities of the method to different forced oscillations and assumptions are analysed using numerical simulations.A data driven approach using local measurements to locate turbine governors causing forced oscillationspublishedVersio

European energy vision 2050 and beyond: Designing scenarios for Europe’s energy transition

Europe is warming at the fastest rate of all continents, experiencing a temperature increase of about 1 C higher than the corresponding global increase. Aiming to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 under the European Green Deal, Europe requires an in-depth understanding of the potential energy transition pathways. In this paper, we develop four qualitative long-term scenarios covering the European energy landscape until 2060, considering key uncertainty pillars— categorised under social, technological, economic, political, and geopolitical dimensions. First, we place the scenarios in a three-dimensional space defined by Social dynamics, Innovation, and Geopolitical instabilities. These scenarios are brought to life by defining their narratives and focus areas according to their location in this three-dimensional space. The scenarios envision diverse futures and include distinct features. The EU Trinity scenario pictures how internal divisions among EU member states, in the context of global geopolitical instability, affect the EU climate targets. The REPowerEU++ scenario outlines the steps needed for a self-sufficient, independent European energy system by 2050. The Go RES scenario examines the feasibility of achieving carbon neutrality earlier than 2050 given favourable uncertain factors. The NECP Essentials scenario extends current national energy and climate plans until 2060 to assess their role in realising climate neutrality. The scenarios are extended by incorporating policies and economic factors. They are then detailed in a Qualitative to Quantitative (Q2Q) matrix, linking narratives to quantification. Finally, two scenarios (Go RES and REPowerEU++) are quantified using the open-source energy system model GENeSYS-MOD to illustrate the quantification process.European energy vision 2050 and beyond: Designing scenarios for Europe’s energy transitionpublishedVersio

Flexibility in electricity distribution grids : white paper (CINELDI report 02:2025)

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