The Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, volume 2

These 92 papers comprise a peer-reviewed selection of presentations by authors from NASA, the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), industry, and academia at the Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century. These papers go into more technical depth than did those published from the first NASA-sponsored symposium on the topic, held in 1984. Session topics included the following: (1) design and operation of transportation systems to, in orbit around, and on the Moon; (2) lunar base site selection; (3) design, architecture, construction, and operation of lunar bases and human habitats; (4) lunar-based scientific research and experimentation in astronomy, exobiology, and lunar geology; (5) recovery and use of lunar resources; (6) environmental and human factors of and life support technology for human presence on the Moon; and (7) program management of human exploration of the Moon and space

Architectures for a space-based information network with shared on-orbit processing

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2005.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 335-343).This dissertation provides a top level assessment of technology design choices for the architecture of a space-based information network with shared on-orbit processing. Networking is an efficient method of sharing communications and lowering the cost of communications, providing better interoperability and data integration for multiple satellites. The current space communications architecture sets a critical limitation on the collection of raw data sent to the ground. By introducing powerful space-borne processing, compression of raw data can alleviate the need for expensive and expansive downlinks. Moreover, distribution of processed data directly from space sensors to the end-users may be more easily realized. A space-based information network backbone can act as the transport network for mission satellites as well as enable the concept of decoupled, shared, and perhaps distributed space-borne processing for space-based assets. Optical crosslinks are the enabling technology for creating a cost-effective network capable of supporting high data rates. In this dissertation, the space-based network backbone is designed to meet a number of mission requirements by optimizing over constellation topologies under different traffic models. With high network capacity availability, space-borne processing can be accessible by any mission satellite attached to the network. Space-borne processing capabilities can be enhanced with commercial processors that are tolerant of radiation and replenished periodically (as frequently as every two years).(cont.) Additionally, innovative ways of using a space-based information network can revolutionize satellite communications and space missions. Applications include distributed computing in space, interoperable space communications, multiplatform distributed satellite communications, coherent distributed space sensing, multisensor data fusion, and restoration of disconnected global terrestrial networks after a disaster. Lastly, the consolidation of all the different communications assets into a horizontally integrated space-based network infrastructure calls for a space-based network backbone to be designed with a generic nature. A coherent infrastructure can satisfy the goals of interoperability, flexibility, scalability, and allows the system to be evolutionary. This transformational vision of a generic space-based information network allows for growth to accommodate civilian demands, lowers the price of entry for the commercial sector, and makes way for innovation to enhance and provide additional value to military systems.by Serena Chan.Ph.D

The application of artificial neural networks to interpret acoustic emissions from submerged arc welding

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Automated fusion welding processes play a fundamental role in modern manufacturing industries. The proliferation of joint geometries together with the large permutation of associated process variable configurations has given rise to research into complex system modelling and control strategies. Many of these techniques have involved monitoring of not only the electrical characteristics of the process but visual and acoustic information. Acoustic information derived from certain welding processes is well documented as it is an established fact that skilled manual welders utilise such information as an aid to creating an optimum weld. The experimental investigation presented in this thesis is dedicated to the feasibility of monitoring airborne acoustic emissions of Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) for diagnostic and real time control purposes. The experimental method adopted for this research takes a cybernetic approach to data processing and interpretation in an attempt to replicate the robustness of human biological functions. A custom designed audio hardware system was used to analyse signals obtained from bead on mild steel plate fusion welds. Time and frequency domains were used in an attempt to establish salient characteristics or identify the signatures associated with changes of the process variables. The featured parameters were voltage / current and weld travel speed, due to their ease of validation. However, consideration has also been given to weld defect prediction due to process instabilities. As the data proved to be highly correlated and erratic when subjected to off line statistical analysis, extensive investigation was given to the application of artificial neural networks to signal processing and real time control scenarios. As a consequence, a dedicated neural based software system was developed, utilising supervised and unsupervised neural techniques to monitor the process. The research was aimed at proving the feasibility of monitoring the electrical process parameters and stability of the welding process in real time. It was shown to be possible, by the exploitation of artificial neural networks, to generate a number of monitoring parameters indicative of the welding process state. The limitations of the present neural method and proposed developments are discussed, together with an overview of applied neural network technology and its impact on artificial intelligence and robotic control. Further developments are considered together with recommendations for future areas of research

ECOS 2012

The 8-volume set contains the Proceedings of the 25th ECOS 2012 International Conference, Perugia, Italy, June 26th to June 29th, 2012. ECOS is an acronym for Efficiency, Cost, Optimization and Simulation (of energy conversion systems and processes), summarizing the topics covered in ECOS: Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Exergy and Second Law Analysis, Process Integration and Heat Exchanger Networks, Fluid Dynamics and Power Plant Components, Fuel Cells, Simulation of Energy Conversion Systems, Renewable Energies, Thermo-Economic Analysis and Optimisation, Combustion, Chemical Reactors, Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Building/Urban/Complex Energy Systems, Water Desalination and Use of Water Resources, Energy Systems- Environmental and Sustainability Issues, System Operation/ Control/Diagnosis and Prognosis, Industrial Ecology

Play Among Books

How does coding change the way we think about architecture? Miro Roman and his AI Alice_ch3n81 develop a playful scenario in which they propose coding as the new literacy of information. They convey knowledge in the form of a project model that links the fields of architecture and information through two interwoven narrative strands in an “infinite flow” of real books

Business Law and the Legal Environment

https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/opentexts/1000/thumbnail.jp

Volume II Acquisition Research Creating Synergy for Informed Change, Thursday 19th Annual Acquisition Research Proceedings

ProceedingsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Covid-19 and Capitalism

This open access book provides a comprehensive analysis of the socioeconomic determinants of Covid-19. From the end of 2019 until presently, the world has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the cause of this is (obviously) a virus, the extent to which this virus spread, and therefore the number of infections and deaths, was largely determined by socio-economic factors. From this, it follows that the course of the pandemic varies greatly from one country to another. This observation applies both to countries’ resilience to such a pandemic (which is mainly rooted in the period preceding the outbreak of the virus) and to the way in which countries have reacted to the virus (including the political choices on how to respond). Meanwhile, research has made it clear that the nature of this response (e.g., elimination policy, mitigation policy, and proceeding herd immunity) was, on the one hand, strongly determined by political and ideological factors and, on the other hand, was highly influential in the factors of success or failure in combating the pandemic. The book focuses on the situation in a number of Western regions (notably the USA, the UK, and the EU and its Member States). The author addresses the reasons why in many Western countries both pandemic prevention and response policies to Covid-19 have failed. The book concludes with recommendations concerning the rearrangement of the socio-economic order that could increase the resilience of (Western) societies against such pandemics

Occupational health and safety for informal sector workers: the case of street traders in Nigeria

This study examined two important types of occupational hazards in the street trading activities in Nigeria which are (i) injuries sustained from road traffic accident and (ii) harassment of traders through indiscriminate arrest, seizure and confiscation of merchandise and occasional incarceration of sellers in police cells without trials. The data for the study was generated from a 2011 national survey of 3,873 street traders in Nigeria which was made possible through a research grant provided by the Covenant University’s Centre for Research and Development. In addition to the descriptive statistics used in profiling the street traders, the binary logistic regression approach was also used to estimate the log of odds of experiencing occupational hazards in street trading activities. The study found out that 25% of the traders have suffered injury, while 49.1% have experienced harassment from public authority officials. Given these findings, policy measures that are capable of enhancing the safety of street traders, and stem urban-ward migration have been proposed