Towards Odor-Sensitive Mobile Robots

J. Monroy, J. Gonzalez-Jimenez, "Towards Odor-Sensitive Mobile Robots", Electronic Nose Technologies and Advances in Machine Olfaction, IGI Global, pp. 244--263, 2018, doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-3862-2.ch012 Versión preprint, con permiso del editorOut of all the components of a mobile robot, its sensorial system is undoubtedly among the most critical ones when operating in real environments. Until now, these sensorial systems mostly relied on range sensors (laser scanner, sonar, active triangulation) and cameras. While electronic noses have barely been employed, they can provide a complementary sensory information, vital for some applications, as with humans. This chapter analyzes the motivation of providing a robot with gas-sensing capabilities and also reviews some of the hurdles that are preventing smell from achieving the importance of other sensing modalities in robotics. The achievements made so far are reviewed to illustrate the current status on the three main fields within robotics olfaction: the classification of volatile substances, the spatial estimation of the gas dispersion from sparse measurements, and the localization of the gas source within a known environment

Peculiarities of geological and thermobaric conditions for the gas hydrate deposits occurence in the Black Sea and the prospects for their development

The actuality has been revealed of the necessity to attract the gas hydrate deposits of the Black Sea into industrial development as an alternative to traditional gas fields. This should be preceded by the identification and synthesis of geological and thermobaric peculiarities of their existence. It was noted that the gas hydrates formation occurs under certain thermobaric conditions, with the availability of a gas hydrate-forming agent, which is capable of hydrate formation, as well as a sufficient amount of water necessary to start the crystallization process. The gas hydrate accumulation typically does not occur in free space – in sea water, but in the massif of the sea bed rocks. The important role in the process of natural gas hydrates formation is assigned to thermobaric parameters, as well as to the properties and features of the geological environment, in which, actually, the process of hydrate formation and further hydrate accumulation occurs. It was noted that the source of formation and accumulation of the Black Sea gas hydrates is mainly catagenetic (deep) gas, but diagenetic gas also takes part in the process of gas hydrate deposits formation. The main component of natural gas hydrate deposits is methane and its homologs – ethane, propane, isobutane. The analysis has been made of geological and geophysical data and literature materials devoted to the study of the offshore area and the bottom of the Black Sea, as well as to the identification of gas hydrate deposits. It was established that in the offshore area the gas hydrate deposits with a heterogeneous structure dominate, that is, which comprises a certain proportion of aluminosilicate inclusions. It was noted that the Black Sea bottom sediments, beginning with the depths of 500 – 600 m, are gassy with methane, and a large sea part is favourable for hydrate formation at temperatures of +8...+9ºC and pressures from 7 to 20 MPa at different depths. The characteristics of gas hydrate deposits are provided, as well as requirements and aspects with regard to their industrialization and development. It is recommended to use the method of thermal influence on gas hydrate deposits, since, from an ecological point of view, it is the safest method which does not require additional water resources for its implementation, because water intake is carried out directly from the upper sea layers. A new classification of gas hydrate deposits with a heterogeneous structure has been developed, which is based on the content of rocks inclusions in gas hydrate, the classification feature of which is the amount of heat spent on the dissociation process

Hydrogeological challenges in a low carbon economy

Hydrogeology has traditionally been regarded as the province of the water industry, but it is increasingly finding novel applications in the energy sector. Hydrogeology has a longstanding role in geothermal energy exploration and management. Although aquifer management methods can be directly applied to most high-enthalpy geothermal reservoirs, hydrogeochemical inference techniques differ somewhat owing to peculiarities of high-temperature processes. Hydrogeological involvement in the development of ground-coupled heating and cooling systems using heat pumps has led to the emergence of the sub-discipline now known as thermogeology. The patterns of groundwater flow and heat transport are closely analogous and can thus be analysed using very similar techniques. Without resort to heat pumps, groundwater is increasingly being pumped to provide cooling for large buildings; the renewability of such systems relies on accurate prediction and management of thermal breakthrough from reinjection to production boreholes. Hydrogeological analysis can contribute to quantification of accidental carbon emissions arising from disturbance of groundwater-fed peatland ecosystems during wind farm construction. Beyond renewables, key applications of hydrogeology are to be found in the nuclear sector, and in the sunrise industries of unconventional gas and carbon capture and storage, with high temperatures attained during underground coal gasification requiring geothermal technology transfer

Water Emissions Trading in Europe: A Literature Overview and Discussion of Opportunities

This report is about Water Emissions Trading (WET or Water Quality Trading) in Europe. The goal is to inform about the basic principles, provide an overview of studies done in Europe, and suggest some future opportunities for WET in Europe

Transportation Life Cycle Assessment Synthesis: Life Cycle Assessment Learning Module Series

The Life Cycle Assessment Learning Module Series is a set of narrated, self-advancing slideshows on various topics related to environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This research project produced the first 27 of such modules, which are freely available for download on the CESTiCC website http://cem.uaf.edu/cesticc/publications/lca.aspx. Each module is roughly 15- 20 minutes in length and is intended for various uses such as course components, as the main lecture material in a dedicated LCA course, or for independent learning in support of research projects. The series is organized into four overall topical areas, each of which contain a group of overview modules and a group of detailed modules. The A and α groups cover the international standards that define LCA. The B and β groups focus on environmental impact categories. The G and γ groups identify software tools for LCA and provide some tutorials for their use. The T and τ groups introduce topics of interest in the field of transportation LCA. This includes overviews of how LCA is frequently applied in that sector, literature reviews, specific considerations, and software tutorials. Future modules in this category will feature methodological developments and case studies specific to the transportation sector

3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios. GIS Pilot Applications

The project 3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios: GIS Pilot Applications has been devised with the intention to deal with the demand for research, innovation and applicative methodology on the part of the international programme, requiring concrete results to increase the capacity to know, anticipate and respond to a natural disaster. This project therefore sets out to develop an experimental methodology, a wide geodatabase, a connected performant GIS platform and multifunctional scenarios able to profitably relate the added values deriving from different geotechnologies, aimed at a series of crucial steps regarding landscape reconstruction, event simulation, damage evaluation, emergency management, multi-temporal analysis. The Vesuvius area has been chosen for the pilot application owing to such an impressive number of people and buildings subject to volcanic risk that one could speak in terms of a possible national disaster. The steps of the project move around the following core elements: creation of models that reproduce the territorial and anthropic structure of the past periods, and reconstruction of the urbanized area, with temporal distinctions; three-dimensional representation of the Vesuvius area in terms of infrastructuralresidential aspects; GIS simulation of the expected event; first examination of the healthcareepidemiological consequences; educational proposals. This paper represents a proactive contribution which describes the aims of the project, the steps which constitute a set of specific procedures for the methodology which we are experimenting, and some thoughts regarding the geodatabase useful to “package” illustrative elaborations. Since the involvement of the population and adequate hazard preparedness are very important aspects, some educational and communicational considerations are presented in connection with the use of geotechnologies to promote the knowledge of risk

Patents as a Measure for Eco-Innovation

This paper examines the usefulness of patent analysis for measuring eco-innovation. The overall conclusion is that patents are a useful means for measuring environmentally motivated innovations, such as pollution control technologies and green energy technologies, and for general purpose technologies with environmental benefits. For these types of innovations it is acceptable to use patent analysis, provided they are carefully screened. Patent analysis may be used for measuring five attributes of eco-innovation: (1) eco-inventive activities in specific technology fields, (2) international technological diffusion, (3) research and technical capabilities of companies, (4) institutional knowledge sources of eco-innovation, and (5) technological spillovers and knowledge flows. Up until now it is mainly used for measuring eco-inventive activity.Eco-innovation, patents

Energy efficiency parametric design tool in the framework of holistic ship design optimization

Recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) decisions with respect to measures to reduce the emissions from maritime greenhouse gases (GHGs) suggest that the collaboration of all major stakeholders of shipbuilding and ship operations is required to address this complex techno-economical and highly political problem efficiently. This calls eventually for the development of proper design, operational knowledge, and assessment tools for the energy-efficient design and operation of ships, as suggested by the Second IMO GHG Study (2009). This type of coordination of the efforts of many maritime stakeholders, with often conflicting professional interests but ultimately commonly aiming at optimal ship design and operation solutions, has been addressed within a methodology developed in the EU-funded Logistics-Based (LOGBASED) Design Project (2004–2007). Based on the knowledge base developed within this project, a new parametric design software tool (PDT) has been developed by the National Technical University of Athens, Ship Design Laboratory (NTUA-SDL), for implementing an energy efficiency design and management procedure. The PDT is an integral part of an earlier developed holistic ship design optimization approach by NTUA-SDL that addresses the multi-objective ship design optimization problem. It provides Pareto-optimum solutions and a complete mapping of the design space in a comprehensive way for the final assessment and decision by all the involved stakeholders. The application of the tool to the design of a large oil tanker and alternatively to container ships is elaborated in the presented paper

Selecting the method of gas hydrate deposits development in terms of the regularities of their formation

Purpose. To establish and show regularities of gas hydrates fields distribution in the World Ocean for the development of flow diagrams of methane extraction depending on genetic structures and the composition of the host rocks. Methods. The analysis of the existing fields of gas hydrates is made and, in view of impossibility to carry out detailed investigation, an opportunity to develop them is proved, a theoretical approach to a preliminary estimation of mining-and-geological conditions of such fields’ excavation is developed. Findings. On the basis of the data obtained in the suggested way, it becomes possible to calculate the necessary technological parameters of processes related to deposits’ opening and gas production from the bottom of the World Ocean. Originality. At the present stage of the research into a new alternative and the most promising source of energy, in the total absence of experience in the gas hydrates fields development, great practical significance is attached to the classification of fields by mining-and-geological conditions of their occurrence, as well as to the methodological approach to their development and calculation of technological parameters of methane extraction process from the bottom of the World Ocean with minimum effect onto the Earth’s hydrosphere. Practical implications. Types of gas hydrates fields are determined for the first time in terms of mining-and-geological conditions of their development on the basis of genetic origin and structure of the host rocks. A theoretical approach to the description of the processes taking place in the seam during gas hydrates fields development is elaborated.Мета. Виявлення закономірностей поширення родовищ газових гідратів у Світовому океані для розробки технологічних схем вилучення метану залежно від генетичних структур і складу вміщуючих порід. Методика. Для досягнення поставленої мети в роботі виконано комплексний аналіз, зіставлення й накладення карт аерофотознімків виявлених газогідратних родовищ у Світовому океані, карт тектонічних плит і зон глобальних тектонічних розломів для виявлення відношення більшості даних родовищ до цих зон. Для вибору схеми розробки родовища газових гідратів на основі розрахунку швидкості нагрівання покладу застосовано закон Дарсі для опису процесу фільтрації води і газу, та закон Фур’є – для процесу теплопереносу. Результати. Розроблено теоретичний підхід до попередньої оцінки гірничо-геологічних умов залягання родовищ газових гідратів до розробки. На підставі запропонованого підходу є можливим виконання необхідних розрахунків технологічних параметрів розкриття газогідратних покладів і видобутку газу з дна Світового океану. Аналітичним способом визначені основні технологічні параметри та швидкість нагрівання покладу газових гідратів в умовах Північного Льодовитого океану. Наукова новизна. Вперше виділені типи родовищ газових гідратів за гірничо-геологічними умовами розробки на основі їх генетичного походження і складу вміщуючих порід. Розроблено новий теоретичний підхід до опису процесів, що відбуваються у пласті при розробці родовищ газових гідратів. Практична значимість. Розподіл родовищ газових гідратів за генетичним походженням дозволить більш точно підходити до оцінки раціональних технологічних схем їх розробки. Створено методологічний підхід до розробки газових гідратів і розрахунку технологічних параметрів процесу вилучення метану з дна Світового океану з мінімальним впливом на гідросферу Землі.Цель. Выявление закономерностей распространения месторождений газовых гидратов в Мировом океане для разработки технологических схем извлечения метана в зависимости от генетических структур и состава вмещающих пород. Методика. Для достижения поставленной цели в работе выполнен комплексный анализ, сопоставление и наложение карт аэрофотосъемок обнаруженных газогидратных месторождений в Мировом океане, карт тектонических плит и зон глобальных тектонических разломов для выявления приуроченности большинства данных месторождений к этим зонам. Для выбора схемы разработки месторождения газовых гидратов на основе расчета скорости нагревания залежи применен закон Дарси для описания процесса фильтрации воды и газа, и закон Фурье – для процесса теплопереноса. Результаты. Разработан теоретический подход к предварительной оценке горно-геологических условий залегания месторождений газовых гидратов к разработке. На основании предложенного подхода представляется возможным выполнять необходимые расчеты технологических параметров вскрытия газогидратных залежей и добычи газа со дна Мирового океана. Аналитическим способом определены основные технологические параметры и скорость нагревания залежи газовых гидратов в условиях Северного Ледовитого океана. Научная новизна. Впервые выделены типы месторождений газовых гидратов по горно-геологическим условиям разработки на основе их генетического происхождения и состава вмещающих пород. Разработан новый теоретический подход к описанию процессов, происходящих в пласте при разработке месторождений газовых гидратов. Практическая значимость. Разделение месторождений газовых гидратов по генетическому происхождению позволит более точно подходить к оценке рациональных технологических схем их разработки. Создан методологический подход к разработке газовых гидратов и расчету технологических параметров процесса извлечения метана со дна Мирового океана с минимальным воздействием на гидросферу Земли.The work is performed at the National Mining University in the Underground Mining Department, in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On priority directions of science and technology” from 12.10.2010 No.2519-17, within the framework of the Integrated Program “Development of methods and technologies for extracting gas from natural gas hydrates and creation of artificial hydrates to optimize production processes” (GP-467, GP-473), under the supervision of Professor Volodymyr Bondarenko, to whom the author expresses deep gratitude for the constant and comprehensive support