Optimisation of a mini horizontal axis wind turbine to increase energy yield during short duration wind variations

The typical methodology for analytically designing a wind turbine blade is by means of blade element momentum (BEM) theory, whereby the aerofoil angle of attack is optimized to achieve a maximum lift-to-drag ratio. This research aims to show that an alternative optimisation methodology could yield better results, especially in gusty and turbulent wind conditions. This alternative method looks at increasing the aerofoil Reynolds number by increasing the aerofoil chord length. The increased Reynolds number generally increases the e_ectiveness of the aerofoil which would result in a higher or similar lift-to-drag ratio (even at the decreased angle of attacked require to maintain the turbine thrust coe_cient). The bene_t of this design is a atter power curve which causes the turbine to be less sensitive to uctuating winds. Also, the turbine has more torque at startup, allowing for operatation in lower wind speeds. This research is assumed to only be applicable to small wind turbines which operated in a low Reynolds number regime (<500 000), where Reynolds number manipulation is most advantageous

African Cities Reader I: Pan-African Practices

Compiles writing and art in multiple genres from across Africa and the Diaspora that reflect the rich pluralism, cosmopolitanism, and diversity of emergent urbanisms across the continent and challenge current depictions

The UFO controller: Gestural music performance

This thesis introduces The UFO Controller, a free-space gestural controller for performing electronic music. It documents the design process and the main features of the UFO, analyses my experiences of performing with the controller and compares the UFO to other known free-space control instruments. The thesis also examines the domain of electronic music, critically analyzes the live performances in that field and investigates the importance of body gestures for the performances. The UFO is a MIDI controller that uses ultrasonic rangefinder sensors for detecting the hand gestures of a performer. It is a non-tactile controller that is played without physically touching the device. The sensors measure the distance of the performer's hands moving on top of the device and convert that into control data, which can be mapped to any music software or synthesizer. The use of body gestures, which is commonly reported lacking from the live performances of electronic music, is crucially important for engaging live music performances. The laptop computer has become the de-facto instrument of the concert stages where electronic music is performed. The UFO can help the electronic music performances to become more interesting by moving them towards a more gestural direction. This thesis aims to validate the following claims. Firstly, a novelty free-space controller makes electronic music performances more compelling both for the audience and the performer. Secondly, the use of body gestures is important for the largely disembodied electronic music performances. The UFO has been seen and heard on concert stages all around the world with my band Phantom. The audiences have been excited and thrilled about it and the UFO has become a subject of wondering for many. Without a doubt, the UFO has raised the bar of my own live performances and helped Phantom to stand out amongst the masses of new electronic indie bands. Furthermore, the UFO has got the attention of various online technology and music blogs (e.g., TechCrunch, Create Digital Music, Synthtopia, NME and The Line Of Best Fit)

Personality and cognitive factors in the assessment of multimodal stimuli in immersive virtual environments

Literature in the study of human response to immersive virtual reality systems often deals with the phenomenon of presence. It can be shown that audio and imagery with spatial information can interact to affect presence in users of immersive virtual reality. It has also been shown that there is variation between individuals in the experience of presence in VR. The relationship between these effects has hitherto not been fully explored. This thesis aims to identify and evaluate the relation- ships between spatial audio rendering and spatial relationships between audio and visual objects and cognitive and personality differences which account for variation in the experience of presence in VR with spatial audio. This thesis compares mea- sures of audiovisual quality of experience with an existing model of presence in a factor-analytical paradigm. Scores on these dimensions were compared between en- vironments which are similar or dissimilar to pre-exposure conditions and compared between when participants believed they were listening to real-world or headphone rendered audio events. Differences between audiovisual treatments, including au- dio rendering methods and audiovisual spatial relationships, were compared with differences attributed to cognitive and personality factors identified as significant predictors using hierarchical modelling. It was found that audiovisual quality of experience relates to subscales of presence by being independent of reported visual realism and involvement, but combines linearly with these factors to contribute to ’spatial presence’, a dimension of overall presence which is identified as the largest component in the construct. It was also found that, although manipulation of the spatial information content of audiovisual stimuli was a predictor of audiovisual quality of experience, this effect is overshadowed by inter-participant variation. In- teractive effects between extraversion, empathy, ease of resolving visual detail, and systematisation and are better predictors of quality of experience and spatial pres- ence than the changes to spatial information content investigated in this work. An- choring biases are also identified which suggest that novel environments are rated higher on audiovisual quality than those geometrically similar to the pre-exposure environment. These findings constitute support for a novel framework for assessing propensity for presence in terms of an information-processing model

The Moving Page

This paper investigates transitional states of spaces between images, moving images, and the use of sketchbook/page works through a questioning and auto-ethnographic approach to research and practice. Viewing illustration as a refexive space, the investigations demonstrate exchangesbetween authorship, interaction, narrative, time, and space. Valuing the ‘in-between’ states that exist between the unfnished and fnished, the research questions notions of in-fux, moving, nebulous states. Through alternative publishing forms, the research concerns dissemination through emerging digital platforms

The Moving Page

This paper investigates transitional states of spaces between images, moving images, and the use of sketchbook/page works through a questioning and auto-ethnographic approach to research and practice. Viewing illustration as a refexive space, the investigations demonstrate exchangesbetween authorship, interaction, narrative, time, and space. Valuing the ‘in-between’ states that exist between the unfnished and fnished, the research questions notions of in-fux, moving, nebulous states. Through alternative publishing forms, the research concerns dissemination through emerging digital platforms

Association of Architecture Schools in Australasia

"Techniques and Technologies: Transfer and Transformation", proceedings of the 2007 AASA Conference held September 27-29, 2007, at the School of Architecture, UTS