Study of Civil Markets for Heavy-Lift Airships

The civil markets for heavy lift airships (HLAs) were defined by first identifying areas of most likely application. The operational suitability of HLAs for the applications identified were then assessed. The operating economics of HLAs were established and the market size for HLA services estimated by comparing HLA operating and economic characteristics with those of competing modes. The sensitivities of the market size to HLA characteristics were evaluated and the number and sizes of the vehicles required to service the more promising markets were defined. Important characteristics for future HLAs are discussed that were derived from the study of each application, including operational requirements, features enhancing profitability, military compatibility, improved design requirements, approach to entry into service, and institutional implications for design and operation

A cable-suspended intelligent crane assist device for the intuitive manipulation of large payloads

This paper presents a cable-suspended crane system to assist operators in moving and lifting large payloads. The main objective of this work is to develop a simple and reliable system to help operators in industry to be more productive while preventing injuries. The system is based on the development of a precise and reliable cable angle sensor and a complete dynamic model of the system. Adaptive horizontal and vertical controllers designed for direct physical human-robot interaction are then proposed. Different techniques are then proposed to estimate the payload acceleration in order to increase the controller performances. Finally, experiments performed on a full-scale industrial system are presented

Community rotorcraft air transportation benefits and opportunities

Information about rotorcraft that will assist community planners in assessing and planning for the use of rotorcraft transportation in their communities is provided. Information useful to helicopter researchers, manufacturers, and operators concerning helicopter opportunities and benefits is also given. Three primary topics are discussed: the current status and future projections of rotorcraft technology, and the comparison of that technology with other transportation vehicles; the community benefits of promising rotorcraft transportation opportunities; and the integration and interfacing considerations between rotorcraft and other transportation vehicles. Helicopter applications in a number of business and public service fields are examined in various geographical settings

Concept design of a fast sail assisted feeder container ship

A fast sail assisted feeder container ship concept has been developed for the 2020 container market in the South East Asian and Caribbean regions.The design presented has met the requirements of an initial economic study, with a cargo capacity of 1270 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers, meeting the predictions of container throughput derived from historical data. In determining suitable vessel dimensions, account has also been taken for port and berthing restrictions, and considering hydrodynamic performance. The vessel has been designed for a maximum speed of 25 knots, allowing it to meet the demand for trade whilst reducing the number of ships operating on the routes considered.The design development of the fast feeder concept has involved rigorous analyses in a number of areas to improve the robustness of the final design. Model testing has been key to the development of the concept, by increasing confidence in the final result. This is due to the fact that other analysis techniques are not always appropriate or accurate. Two hull forms have been developed to meet requirements whilst utilising different propulsor combinations. This has enabled evaluation of efficiency gains resulting from different hydrodynamic phenomena for each design. This includes an evaluation of the hydrodynamic performance when utilising the sail system. This has been done using a combination of model test results and data from regression analysis. The final propulsor chosen is a contra-rotating podded drive arrangement. Wind tunnel testing has been used to maximise the performance of a Multi-wing sail system by investigating the effects of wing spacing, stagger and sail-container interactions. This has led to an increase in lift coefficient of 32% from initial predictions. The savings in power requirement due to the sail system are lower than initially predicted. However, another benefit of their installation, motion damping, has been identified. Whilst this has not been fully investigated, additional fuel savings are possible as well as improved seakeeping performance.The design is shown to be environmentally sustainable when compared to existing vessels operating on the proposed routes. This is largely due to the use of low-carbon and zero-sulphur fuel (liquefied natural gas) and improvements in efficiency regarding operation. This especially relates to cargo handling and scheduling. Green house gas emissions have been predicted to fall by 42% and 40% in the two regions should the design be adopted. These savings are also due to the use of the Multi-wing sail system, which contributes to reductions in power requirement of up to 6% when the vessel operates at its lower speed of 15 knots. It is demonstrated that the fast feeder is also economically feasible, with predicted daily cost savings of 27% and 33% in the South East Asian and Caribbean regions respectively. Thus the fast feeder container ship concept is a viable solution for the future of container transhipment. <br/

Multi-criteria decision analysis for benchmarking human-free lifting solutions in the offshorewind energy environment

With single components weighing up to hundreds of tonnes and lifted to heights of approximately 100 m, offshore wind turbines can pose risks to personnel, assets, and the environment during installation and maintenance interventions. Guidelines and standards for health and safety in lifting operations exist; however, having people directly beneath the load is still common practice in offshore wind turbine installations. Concepts for human-free offshore lifting operations in the categories of guidance and control, connections, and assembly are studied in this work. This paper documents the process of applying Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), using experts' opinions for the importance of defined criteria obtained by conducting an industry survey, to benchmark the suitability of the concepts at two stages. Stage one streamlined possible options and stage two ranked the remaining suite of options after further development. The survey results showed that criteria such as 'reduction of risk', 'handling improvement' and 'reliability of operation' were most important. The most viable options, weighted by industry opinion, to remove personnel from areas of high risk are: Boom Lock and tag lines, a camera system with mechanical guidance, and automated bolt installation/fastening for seafastening. The decision analysis framework developed can be applied to similar problems to inform choices subject to multiple criteria

Energy efficient drill cuttings treatment plant designed by Norwegian-Group AS A feasibility study

Masters Thesis in Environmental technologyThe cuttings produced by the oil and gas industry must be handled according to legislations. According to OSPAR, drill cuttings should contain less than 1 percent oil by weigh before discharged. There is several cuttings waste handling options. Treating the drill cuttings offshore is considered economically favorable. Some offshore treatment technologies are able to meet the legislation requirements. Norwegian-Group AS provides a treatment plant concept intended for treating cuttings offshore. The treatment plant is based on three separation technologies. The first separation stage is a steam assisted cuttings dryer. The cuttings are then transported to the thermal separation. The thermal separation chamber is fitted with steam assistance combined with a heat source. Oil and water vapor from the cuttings dryer and thermal separation chamber is separated by a membrane. Clean steam is recirculated and reused. This thesis evaluates the following topics. Potential steam supply systems for the cuttings dryer. Potential heat sources that can be combined with steam assistance in the thermal separation chamber. The feasibility of separating oil and water by membranes to reduce the energy consumption and cuttings handling cost. Potential advantages and limitations that the treatment plant may feature. Increased the separation degree by utilizing steam in combination with the cuttings dryer is considered feasible. The recommended heat source to be combined with steam in the thermal separation chamber is microwave radiation due to its energy efficiency and unique ability to desorb capillary bond water and oil. On the other hand, the idea of using a membrane to reduce the energy consumption and cuttings handling costs is considered not attractive. As it cannot satisfy the aim of cost reduction. The treatment plant may serve great advantages over the current cuttings handling options suited for offshore treatment. The potential advantages are related to treatment capacity, energy consumption and handling costs. Potential limitations are related to reaching the legislation of various cuttings characteristics

A reference architecture for cloud-edge meta-operating systems enabling cross-domain, data-intensive, ML-assisted applications: architectural overview and key concepts

Future data-intensive intelligent applications are required to traverse across the cloudto-edge-to-IoT continuum, where cloud and edge resources elegantly coordinate, alongside sensor networks and data. However, current technical solutions can only partially handle the data outburst associated with the IoT proliferation experienced in recent years, mainly due to their hierarchical architectures. In this context, this paper presents a reference architecture of a meta-operating system (RAMOS), targeted to enable a dynamic, distributed and trusted continuum which will be capable of facilitating the next-generation smart applications at the edge. RAMOS is domain-agnostic, capable of supporting heterogeneous devices in various network environments. Furthermore, the proposed architecture possesses the ability to place the data at the origin in a secure and trusted manner. Based on a layered structure, the building blocks of RAMOS are thoroughly described, and the interconnection and coordination between them is fully presented. Furthermore, illustration of how the proposed reference architecture and its characteristics could fit in potential key industrial and societal applications, which in the future will require more power at the edge, is provided in five practical scenarios, focusing on the distributed intelligence and privacy preservation principles promoted by RAMOS, as well as the concept of environmental footprint minimization. Finally, the business potential of an open edge ecosystem and the societal impacts of climate net neutrality are also illustrated.For UPC authors: this research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and FEDER, grant number PID2021-124463OB-100.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Proyecto de rehabilitación, ampliación y cambio de uso del hospital de Sant Boi a centro asistencial geriátrico

Nuestro proyecto trata de la rehabilitación, ampliación y cambio de uso del antiguo hospital de Sant Boi que dejo de dar servicio el 11 de junio de 2010. En principio el proyecto iba destinado a hacer una rehabilitación del edificio utilizando las mismas estancias del antiguo hospital. Pero en el transcurso del análisis del edificio descubrimos que el edificio estaba diseñado y dimensionado para ampliar dos plantas más en altura, cumpliendo con el plan municipal general de la zona. De hecho el hospital se había intentado ampliar en varias ocasiones, pero todo quedó truncado a raíz del nuevo hospital. Viendo que la estructura estaba en buen estado, decidimos hacer una ampliación de una planta en vertical. Pero entonces se nos presentó otra cuestión, debíamos decidir el uso que se iba a dar a ese edificio después de rehabilitarlo y ampliarlo, en aquel momento la planificación urbanística nos obligaba a construir equipamientos, así que pensamos en buscar un equipamiento que tuviera demanda en la zona, e investigando un poco vimos que había una alta demanda de residencias geriátricas, además se estima que la tendencia, cada vez más, vaya al alza, por lo que entendimos que en 1 o 2 años de estar abierta la residencia tendría un alto número de ocupantes. Poco después la calificación urbanística cambió ya que la propiedad y el ayuntamiento llegaron a un acuerdo por el que si el edificio era derribado el terreno pasaba a ser calificación residencial, de las cuales 50% serían para vivienda de protección oficial y el otro 50% viviendas normales, pero en cambio si se mantiene el edificio se puede considerar que todavía es equipamiento. En cuanto a las decisiones que hemos ido tomando acerca del la conformación del nuevo edificio debemos tener en cuenta que hubo un factor condicionante que truncó nuestros planes iniciales de aprovechar las estancias, pavimentos y falsos techos. En el mes de Octubre, después de contactar con la propietaria del edificio, pudimos hacer la visita para conocer el estado real en el que se encontraba el antiguo hospital o lo que quedaba de él, porque en los cuatro meses que llevaba cerrado había sido desvalijado varias veces ya que mucha gente se llevaba las piezas o cables que pudieran tener algún valor. Encontramos falsos techos, paredes, instalaciones, carpintería y mobiliario destrozado, este hecho provocó que nos replanteáramos el tipo de rehabilitación que queríamos hacer, decidimos desmontar cubiertas, instalaciones, carpintería, etc. y derribar paredes y fachada para dejar sólo la estructura, la cual se reforzó con una capa de compresión de 5 cm. Se podría decir que entramos en una rehabilitación integral. Para concluir resaltar que el proyecto es casi como hacer un edificio nuevo pero ahorrándonos la cimentación y gran parte de la estructura