Transition UGent: a bottom-up initiative towards a more sustainable university

The vibrant think-tank ‘Transition UGent’ engaged over 250 academics, students and people from the university management in suggesting objectives and actions for the Sustainability Policy of Ghent University (Belgium). Founded in 2012, this bottom-up initiative succeeded to place sustainability high on the policy agenda of our university. Through discussions within 9 working groups and using the transition management method, Transition UGent developed system analyses, sustainability visions and transition paths on 9 fields of Ghent University: mobility, energy, food, waste, nature and green, water, art, education and research. At the moment, many visions and ideas find their way into concrete actions and policies. In our presentation we focused on the broad participative process, on the most remarkable structural results (e.g. a formal and ambitious Sustainability Vision and a student-led Sustainability Office) and on recent actions and experiments (e.g. a sustainability assessment on food supply in student restaurants, artistic COP21 activities, ambitious mobility plans, food leftovers projects, an education network on sustainability controversies, a transdisciplinary platform on Sustainable Cities). We concluded with some recommendations and reflections on this transition approach, on the important role of ‘policy entrepreneurs’ and student involvement, on lock-ins and bottlenecks, and on convincing skeptical leaders

Local authorities planning for urban sustainability - towards implementing energy conservation policies in development plan

This study aims to examine lessons learned from local authorities in United Kingdom on how policies on energy conservation can be incorporated in their development plan. Two` cases of different levels of urban development and population size are chosen as case studies to understand the feasibilities of implementation of energy conservation policies in development plan. Since urban planning in Malaysia is based on British model of development plan and development control system, this study may provide directions and guidance in the implementation of energy conservation in a local planning authority area

From Idea to Implementation: Driving Energy Conservation on the Small College Campus

Summarizes outcomes and lessons learned from an initiative to help small colleges assess their energy usage and institute policies, capital improvements, and programs to improve conservation and efficiency. Emphasizes the need for strong leadership

Learning through prefabrication

The use of prefabrication in design exemplar houses has escalated in Australia in the past decade. The same level of design quality has not been applied to the design of prefabricated school buildings. As CADCAM technology becomes more prevalent within the construction industry and greener, smarter materials are developed, new opportunities arise in the design of learning spaces. What can be learnt from bespoke prefabrication techniques being developed in other industries and overseas in order to advance the design and delivery of learning spaces within Australia? This research investigates whether industrial design methodologies might be strategically adopted into architectural design in order to incorporate mass production techniques. Learning environments need to be designed to be environmentally efficient, place specific and better suited to user needs. By including both macro and micro oriented scenarios, the research aims to clarify the challenges for using prefabrication in the design of learning environments. While this ambitious research is in its infancy, the complex framework and support from industry is relevant for other researchers who are seeking to have an impact on design practice using an action research methodology. The research is timely. Following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom, Australian state and federal governments have committed to reinvigorate our aging school stock. This research led by an interdisciplinary team is being developed in partnership with Departments of Education in three Australian states. The aim is to align designers with experts in prefabricated construction and delivery. The research proposal is positioned within current knowledge as demonstrated through a literature review. Its focus is in response to needs expressed by providers of school buildings in three Australian states. The key innovation is to undertake research concurrently as micro and macro scale in order to capture the potential for industry wide change. Keywords: Learning spaces, school design, bespoke prefabrication, prefabrication in architecture, design research, CADCAM.</p

GAELS Project Final Report: Information environment for engineering

The GAELS project was a collaboration commenced in 1999 between Glasgow University Library and Strathclyde University Library with two main aims:· to develop collaborative information services in support of engineering research at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde· to develop a CAL (computer-aided learning package) package in advanced information skills for engineering research students and staff The project was funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) from their Strategic Change Initiative funding stream, and funding was awarded initially for one year, with an extension of the grant for a further year. The project ended in June 2001.The funding from SHEFC paid for two research assistants, one based at Glasgow University Library working on collaborative information services and one based at Strathclyde University Library developing courseware. Latterly, after these two research assistants left to take up other posts, there has been a single researcher based at Glasgow University Library.The project was funded to investigate the feasibility of new services to the Engineering Faculties at both Universities, with a view to making recommendations for service provision that can be developed for other subject areas

Energy Saving In Data Centers

Globally CO2 emissions attributable to Information Technology are on par with those resulting from aviation. Recent growth in cloud service demand has elevated energy efficiency of data centers to a critical area within green computing. Cloud computing represents a backbone of IT services and recently there has been an increase in high-definition multimedia delivery, which has placed new burdens on energy resources. Hardware innovations together with energy-efficient techniques and algorithms are key to controlling power usage in an ever-expanding IT landscape. This special issue contains a number of contributions that show that data center energy efficiency should be addressed from diverse vantage points. © 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Development of a Variable Roller Pump and Evaluation of its Power Saving Potential as a Charge Pump in Hydrostatic Drivetrains

Predložená doktorandská dizertačná práca (ďalej len práca) sa zaoberá rozsiahlou analýzou valčekového hydrogenerátora s premenlivým geometrickým objemom a predikciou výkonových úspor dosiahnutých aplikáciou navrhnutého valčekového hydrogenerátora s premenlivým geometrickým objemom v hydrostatickom pohone vybraných mobilných pracovných strojov. Teoretický rozbor princípov fungovania valčekového hydrogenerátora a teória jednorozmerného simulačného modelu sú popísané v prvej časti práce. Na základe odvodenej teórie je vytvorený simulačný model, ktorý je vhodný na predikciu priebehu tlaku v komorách valčekového hydrogenerátora, síl pôsobiacich na valček a na predikciu vnútorných únikov vzniknutých skratovaním rozvodovej dosky, ktoré majú priamy vplyv na objemovú účinnosť valčekového hydrogenerátora. Simulačný model bol úspešne použitý pre optimalizáciu rozvodových dosiek valčekového hydrogenerátora a vhodnosť simulačného modelu potvrdili následné merania Práca obsahuje aj analýzu síl pôsobiacich na vodiaci prstenec, ktorej výsledky boli taktiež potvrdené meraním. Analýza týchto síl môže vylepšiť v konečnom dôsledku parametre budúcich tlakových regulácii. Práca ďalej obsahuje základné porovnanie použitých tlakových regulácii. Všetky uskutočnené merania potvrdili, že valčekový hydrogenerátor s premenlivým geometrickým objemom s testovanými tlakovými reguláciami je schopný úspešne pracovať v hydrostatickej prevodovke. Druhá časť práce analyzuje potenciál výkonových úspor valčekového hydrogenerátora s premenlivým geometrickým objemom pre dve mobilné aplikácie - teleskopický nakladač s hmotnosťou 9 ton a kombajn s hmotnosťou 20 ton. Analýza vyžaduje jednorozmerný simulačný model hydrostatického pohonu s teplotnou predikciou hydrostatickej prevodovky. Dva rozdielne koncepty variabilného doplňovacieho systému hydrostatickej prevodovky sú porovnané so štandardným doplňovacím systémom pre pracovný a transportný režim oboch vybraných typov vozidiel. Simulácia pohonu vozidla s valčekovým hydrogenerátorom s premenlivým geometrickým objemom vo funkcii doplňovacieho hydrogenerátora a obtokovou clonou potvrdili vyššie úspory iba v prípadoch, kedy rýchlosť doplňovacieho hydrogenerátora bola výrazne vyššia a prietok cez obtokovú clonu do skrine hlavného hydrogenerátora zabezpečil dostatočné chladenie. Najvyššie výkonové úspory boli dosiahnuté s premenlivým preplachovacím systémom, ktorého prietok sa menil podľa požiadaviek hydrostatickej prevodovky. Záver druhej časti práce sa zaoberá metodikou dimenzovania veľkosti doplňovacieho hydrogenerátora.Presented doctoral thesis deals with an extensive hydraulic variable roller pump analysis and the power saving prediction of hydrostatic drivetrains in the mobile machines achieved with a variable roller charge pump implementation. At the first part of the work, the roller pump functionality was described and the theory of a 1-D simulation model was developed. Based on this developed simulation model is suitable for pressure profile prediction, roller force prediction and cross port leakage prediction which has a direct impact on the total volumetric efficiency. The simulation model was successfully used as a tool for optimization of the port plates, which was confirmed by measurements. The first part of the work includes the pump control force analysis validated by measurements and also the basic pressure compensator controls comparison. Developed control force prediction could help to improve the control performance. The measurements confirmed that the variable roller charge pump is able to successfully work in transmissions with measured types of the control. The second part of the work analyzed the power saving potential of a variable charge pump for two selected typical mobile applications: telehandler (9 ton) and combine harvester (20 ton). This part required a 1-D drivetrain simulation model together with thermal behaviour of the hydrostatic transmission. Two different modifications of the charging systems were compared with the conventional charging system in simulations performed for the working and transporting mode. The drivetrain simulation of the variable roller charge pump with a bypass orifice confirms higher power savings only in cases when the pump speed was significantly higher than normal speeds and a relatively constant flushing flow through the bypass orifice to the pump case still ensures suitable cooling. The highest power savings were achieved with variable flushing flows, where the demand for charging flow was adjusted according to the hydrostatic transmission cooling requirements. At the end of the second part, this thesis deals with a variable charge pump sizing.

Options for Climate-Smart Agriculture at Kaptumo Site in Kenya

This report identifies and assesses climate-smart agricultural practices through participatory appraisal tools with experts and farmers, as part of the MICCA pilot project in Kaptumo, Kenya. The aim is to highlight and add climate-smart practices within the ongoing development programme which aims to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation with improving livelihoods and productivity of the dairy farming system

Encouraging New Hires to Save for Retirement

This project examines the impact of employer-provided financial education for newly hired workers on contributions to voluntary retirement savings plans. Using administrative data from five large employers, the researchers assess the impact of information and delivery methods on the choice to participate in the plans and the deferral amount selected. The researchers collected additional data from one employer-partner covering the two years before and after their automatic enrollment policy was implemented. Average participation rates increased sharply, while the same fraction of workers took advantage of the full employer match once eligible. The researchers also conducted a survey of newly hired workers. The survey measured employees’ understanding of their company’s voluntary retirement savings plan, their assessment of the employer-provided information, and their reasons for limited or non-participation. Nonparticipants demonstrated lower overall financial literacy relative to participants, and many respondents felt that the information provided by their employers was not sufficient. Finally, the largest employer-partner, BB&T, implemented a field experiment where an on-line mailing was sent to a random subset of non-participating newly hired workers. Younger workers receiving the flyer were significantly more likely to enroll in the 401(k) plan, while older workers actually had lower initiation rates relative to their control group. The research presented provides insights into the efficacy and importance of financial education provided by employers to newly hired workers and how it impacts their retirement saving decisions.