An Evaluation of Surface Urban Heat Islands in Two Contrasting Cities

This thesis presents a comparative study on surface urban heat islands effects in Baghdad and Perth. The first part evaluates expansion of built-up areas and quantifies its effects on land surface temperature patterns. The second part examines the extent to which the urban thermal environment is influenced by spatial patterns of land use and land cover (LULC) categories. The final part investigates the thermophysical behaviour of various urban LULC categories using albedo and LST parameters

Numerical simulation of microclimate in courtyard

It is widely accepted that the courtyard concept can modify the climate and with moderating the extreme hot or cold climate condition is considered as one of the old passive design strategies. However, despite the effect of the courtyard on climatic variables, the heat loss calculation methods mostly consider the weather file of the courtyard the same as the ambient weather file. Regarding the low thermal resistance of the courtyard surrounding glass envelopes against heat conduction, these façades are more sensitive in front of the environmental parameters and this simplification in the calculation can overestimate the heat load for the surrounding rooms of the courtyard. This study seeks to understand the effect of the courtyard and its various configurations on the environmental parameters and to suggest appropriate adjustment factors to consider the courtyard’s special microclimate in the calculation of the heat loss through the building’s envelope. In this way, the parametric analysis was implemented using the three-dimensional computational microclimate model “ENVI-met”. Hence as a first step of the research processes, the numerical simulations were validated by experimental in-situ investigations and the accuracy of the computational model in predicting air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and mean radiant temperature inside the courtyard was evaluated. The next steps following the linking the climatic variables inside the courtyard in the thermal balance of surrounding building envelopes and the heat loss calculation. Since the biggest advantage of the courtyard semi-closed space related to the wind protection offered by the courtyard and its heat island during the winter, this study was focused on the effect of the courtyard and its configuration on two building physics parameters including the convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC) and temperature adjustment factor (Fx, heat load). The outcomes of the research, which were calculated for the experimental case in the Hanover climate region, showed that the CHTC through the façade inside the courtyard is less than exposed building envelopes. This decrease is particularly noticeable at higher ambient wind speeds. In addition, the aspect ratio of the courtyard has a great effect on wind speed inside it. So that, inside the deep courtyards (H/W ≥ 2.67) the wind speed is almost zero at low levels of the courtyard and CHTC can be considered with the minimum value and is about 4 (W m-2K-1) according to DIN EN ISO 6946. Investigating the air temperature difference between the courtyard and outside standard temperature for Hanover also proposes an Fx, heat load between 0.9 and 2.2 for courtyard semi-closed space, which varies depending on the courtyard aspect ratio and glazing percentage of the surrounding envelopes

The Built Environment in a Changing Climate

The papers included in this Special Issue tackle multiple aspects of how cities, districts, and buildings could evolve along with climate change and how this would impact our way of conceiving and applying design criteria, policies, and urban plans. Despite the multidisciplinary nature of the collection, some transversal take-home messages emerge: • Today’s energy-efficient paradigms may lose their virtuosity in the future unless accurate estimates of future scenarios are used to design modelling platforms and to inform legislative frameworks; • Acting at the local scale is key. Future climate change adaptation will be implemented at the local level. Overlooking regional and local specificities will contribute to inaccurate and inefficient action plans. As such, the smaller scale will become vital in predicting future urban metabolic rates and corresponding comfort-driven strategies; • Energy poverty, heat vulnerability, and social injustice are emerging as critical factors for planning and acting for future-proof cities on par of micro- and meso-climatological factors; • Given that the impacts of climate change will persist for many years, adaptation to this phenomenon should be prioritized by removing any prominent barrier and by enabling combinations of different mitigation technologies. These topics will receive a global reach in few decades, since also developing and underdeveloped countries are starting their fight against local climate change, with cities at the forefront

The Compton Observatory Science Workshop

The Compton Observatory Science Workshop was held in Annapolis, Maryland on September 23-25, 1991. The primary purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among scientists with interests in various areas of high energy astrophysics, with emphasis on the scientific capabilities of the Compton Observatory. Early scientific results, as well as reports on in-flight instrument performance and calibrations are presented. Guest investigator data products, analysis techniques, and associated software were discussed. Scientific topics covered included active galaxies, cosmic gamma ray bursts, solar physics, pulsars, novae, supernovae, galactic binary sources, and diffuse galactic and extragalactic emission

Smart rhetoric: dumb city

This research concerns the densest city in the world, Mumbai, and the environmental impact of the proposed redevelopment proposals that are likely to increase densities from about 3,500persons per hectare to about 5,000, achieved by demolition of existing 3-5 storey height buildings and replacing them with towers averaging 40 floors. What has become known in Mumbai as ‘vertical with a vengeance’ (Rathod, 2012). The study investigates the environmental impact of a proposed redevelopment of a 16.5-acre site. Of the many redevelopment proposals in Mumbai, this is in the most advanced stage and is an exemplar for both Mumbai in its ambition to become a ‘global city’ and the Indian Government who have identified it as a key development in their proposal to achieve 100 ‘smart’ cities that are claimed to be sustainable, environmentally friendly and ‘smart’ (Government of India, 2015). The study uses the extended urban metabolism (Newman et al, 1996) model as a basis of analysis and predicts the flows of water supply (reticulated and rainwater harvesting), drainage, solid waste, electricity supply, potential for solar energy, fuel for transport, carbon dioxide production and sequestration. From the results of the sample site, the analysis is then extrapolated to the overall impact if similar developments were to be carried out, as is proposed, across all of the Island city of Mumbai

Historia, evolución y perspectivas de futuro en la utilización de técnicas de simulación en la gestión portuaria: aplicaciones en el análisis de operaciones, estrategia y planificación portuaria

Programa Oficial de Doutoramento en Análise Económica e Estratexia Empresarial. 5033V0[Resumen] Las técnicas de simulación, tal y como hoy las conocemos, comenzaron a mediados del siglo XX; primero con la aparición del primer computador y el desarrollo del método Monte Carlo, y más tarde con el desarrollo del primer simulador de propósito específico conocido como GPS y desarrollado por Geoffrey Gordon en IBM y la publicación del primer texto completo dedicado a esta materia y llamado the Art of Simulation (K.D. Tocher, 1963). Estás técnicas han evolucionado de una manera extraordinaria y hoy en día están plenamente implementadas en diversos campos de actividad. Las instalaciones portuarias no han escapado de esta tendencia, especialmente las dedicadas al tráfico de contenedores. Efectivamente, las características intrínsecas de este sector económico, le hacen un candidato idóneo para la implementación de modelos de simulación con propósitos y alcances muy diversos. No existe, sin embargo y hasta lo que conocemos, un trabajo científico que compile y analice pormenorizadamente tanto la historia como la evolución de simulación en ambientes portuarios, ayudando a clasificar los mismos y determinar cómo estos pueden ayudar en el análisis económico de estas instalaciones y en la formulación de las oportunas estrategias empresariales. Este es el objetivo último de la presente tesis doctoral.[Resumo] As técnicas de simulación, tal e como hoxe as coñecemos, comezaron a mediados do século XX; primeiro coa aparición do computador e o desenvolvemento do método Monte Carlo e máis tarde co desenvolvemento do primeiro simulador de propósito específico coñecido como GPS e desenvolvido por Geoffrey Gordon en IBM e a publicación do primeiro texto completo dedicado a este tema chamado “A Arte da Simulación” (K.D. Tocher, 1963). Estas técnicas evolucionaron dun xeito extraordinario e hoxe en día están plenamente implementadas en diversos campos de actividade. As instalacións portuarias non escaparon desta tendencia, especialmente as dedicadas ao tráfico de contenedores. Efectivamente, as características intrínsecas deste sector económico, fanlle un candidato idóneo para a implementación de modelos de simulación con propósitos e alcances moi variados. Con todo, e ata o que coñecemos, non existe un traballo científico que compila e analiza de forma detallada tanto a historia como a evolución da simulación en estes ambientes portuarios, clasificando os mesmos e determinando como estes poden axudar na análise económica destas instalacións e na formulación das oportunas estratexias empresariais. Este é o último obxectivo da presente tese doutoral.[Abstract] Simulation, to the extend that we understand it nowadays, began in the middle of the 20th century; first with the appearance of the computer and the development of the Monte Carlo method, and later with the development of the first specific purpose simulator known as GPS developed by Geoffrey Gordon in IBM. This author published the first full text devoted to this subject “The Art of Simulation” in 1963. These techniques have evolved in an extraordinary way and nowadays they are fully implemented in different fields of activity. Port facilities have not escaped this trend, especially those dedicated to container traffic. Indeed, the intrinsic characteristics of this economic sector, make it a suitable candidate for the implementation of simulation with very different purposes and scope. However, to the best of our knowelegde, there is not a scientific work that compiles and analyzes in detail both, the history and the evolution of simulation in port environments, contributing to classify them and determine how they can help in the economic analysis of these facilities and in the formulation of different business strategies. This is the ultimate goal of this doctoral thesis

Proceedings of the University of Cambridge Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference 2010

Second, revised edition of the Proceedings, originally published on CD-Rom as ISBN 978-0-9566139-0-5.Proceedings of the third annual Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference at the University of Cambridge

Computational Intelligence in Electromyography Analysis

Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG may be used clinically for the diagnosis of neuromuscular problems and for assessing biomechanical and motor control deficits and other functional disorders. Furthermore, it can be used as a control signal for interfacing with orthotic and/or prosthetic devices or other rehabilitation assists. This book presents an updated overview of signal processing applications and recent developments in EMG from a number of diverse aspects and various applications in clinical and experimental research. It will provide readers with a detailed introduction to EMG signal processing techniques and applications, while presenting several new results and explanation of existing algorithms. This book is organized into 18 chapters, covering the current theoretical and practical approaches of EMG research