Yacht Digital Design: Technologies toward a Computational Morphology System

The huge transformation fostered by the current industrial revolution is changing each side of our society. In the design field, the use of digital and connected technologies improves not only the representation but also the formal references and the creative process itself. The research investigates the role of the digitally enabled technologies in modifying the disciplinary approaches to yacht design, a particular field of industrial design in which engineering and design approaches are mixed and overlapped. Through case studies and forecasting workshops, the research proposes a journey toward a more digitally conscious and virtually collaborative environment, highlighting as the traditional process of the yacht design discipline is no more valid. The research results, presented in the form of three roadmaps, show as 4.0 digital technologies are deeply transforming not only the representation of a design project but also its formal references and tools. For this reason, the three possible shifts in the yacht design practices are highlighted—input data are moving from analogic to digital reframing the focus from the measuring to inferring, the use of parametric and generative tools is shifting the “digital doing” from drafting to logic, digital twins are modifying the approach to communication media toward more collaborative strategies

THE EVALUATION OF TWO MASTER PROGRAMS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY: IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND POLITECNICO DI MILANO

This paper evaluates yacht design master programs in Izmir University of Economics (IUE) and Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) in terms of where each institution is in the partnership with the industry. Therefore, vision and educational structure of both programs are summarized and projects as the cases are exhibited to understand in which ways each contributes to the development of yacht industry. A table of university - industry links typology prepared by The Innovation Policy Platform is used as a tool for evaluation and both programs are considered as two institutions in collaboration not only to the industry, but also to each other as an example of a collaborative development vision

An Evaluation of Furniture Making Methods for Yachts

There are mainly three different methods of furniture making for yachts as on-site method, mock-up method and computerized method. On-site method is the oldest and traditional way which has been developed by old talented wooden boat builders. In fact, the method is still alive in many small boatyards where the artisans apply the techniques learned by their masters. Mock-up method separates the construction process into two: boat building and furniture making. Hull, bulkheads, engines installation, mechanical and electrical infrastructure, all are made by a boatyard and furnitures are made by a sub- contractor, which indicates the furniture making is a specialization. Computerized method is the advanced way, developed in the last decade. All furnitures are drawn phase by phase by the sub-contractor's design team in detail and after the drawings are approved, production starts. Time planning, a clear definition of work sharing and responsibility are the key issues of this contemporary system. Within the scope of this study, all methods are explained widely. This study depends on an empirical research realized in furniture making companies and boatyards. Knowledge gained by both unstructured observations of making processes and interviews with responsible persons. Data is evaluated by qualitative methods. It is an attempt to understand the case and in line with its complementary understanding approach, a deductions set is given together with the observations and interviews in each making method. Then, four variables are determined to evaluate the furniture making methods: a. boat size and purpose of use, b. equipment and organizational capacity of furniture company, c. making time, and d. tolerance for decision changes. As a conclusion, three different methods of furniture makingdemonstrate three different work scales, but not the quality of end product

Hydrogen-based technologies in maritime sector: technical analysis and prospective

The maritime transportation sector is one of the main contributors to global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a strategy to reduce these emissions from international shipping >50% by 2050, compared to 2008’s emissions. Therefore, ship owners need to adopt solutions to bring emissions within these and other future limits by means of environmentally friendly fuels (hydrogen or hydrogen carriers) and high efficiency propulsion technologies (fuel cells). This paper focuses on the replacement of the conventional Diesel genset installed on a hybrid small-size ferry, with an innovative system based on PEMFC technology. A real case scenario is investigated: the total energy/power demand of the vessel is determined basing on a typical operational profile. Then, a preliminary redesign of its powertrain configuration is proposed along with an energy management strategy. The analysis has allowed to define the hydrogen consumption for a daily operation. Finally, different storage technologies involving both compressed and liquefied hydrogen have been considered and compared, in order to identify ship’s weight and space requirements

Genomic variability of Cirneco dell’Etna and the genetic distance with other dog breeds

Cirneco dell’Etna is an old Italian breed of scent hunting dogs. Commonly used genomic measures such as heterozygosity, fixation indexes, and runs of homozygosity can help to improve knowledge about its genetic diversity. This study aimed to: (i) investigate Cirneco’s genomic background, (ii) quantify its genomic inbreeding, and (iii) detect genomic regions differentiating the Cirneco’s two allowed coat colours, self-coloured fawn and tan and white. Canine 230K SNP BeadChips was used to investigate 24 Cirneco (19 self-coloured fawn, and 5 tan and white) and other 106 dogs from eight phylogenetically and historically related breeds. The genetic distance, ancestry, and relationship among breeds were explored by multidimensional scaling, Reynolds distances, phylogenetic tree, and admixture analysis. The genomic inbreeding (FROH) was calculated for each breed. Averaged Wright’s fixation index FST was used to identify the genes that most differentiated the two groups of Cirneco. All analyses highlighted that Segugio Italiano and Kelb tal Fenek are the closest breeds to Cirneco. Within the breed, tan and white subjects showed a more heterogeneous genetic background and a lower inbreeding in comparison with self-coloured fawn ones, even though more than half of the latter presented a superimposable admixture. The gene that most differentiated these two groups is Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor (MITF), previously associated with white spotting in other breeds. Given the small size of the Cirneco population and its open registry, its management should carefully combine morphological and genealogical evaluations with genetic tools to identify the best breeders while maintaining an acceptable genetic pool.peer-reviewe

Effects of dietary enrichment with olive cake on the thyroid and adrenocortical responses in growing beef calves

Agro-industrial by-products incorporated into livestock feed formulations can positively impact feed costs and promote a circular bio-economy. Italy produces significant amounts of olive cake (OC), a by-product of olive oil extraction, with the potential for incorporation into bovine diets. However, information on its effects on endocrine responses in growing beef calves is lacking. Forty-eight Limousines randomly allocated to dietary treatment (control or 10%-OC or 15%-OC inclusion) were segregated according to sex and body weight. Serum concentrations of TSH, thyroid hormones, and cortisol were measured on day 0, day 56, and at the end of the trial on day 147. Circulating TSH, total (T3 , T4 ) and free (fT3 , fT4 ) iodothyronines, and cortisol concentrations were all within the normal physiological ranges, with no significant effect imparted by diet. However, the diet × time interaction was significant for T3 . The cortisol, T3 , T4 , and fT4 registered on day 147 were higher than those of day 56, and cortisol was higher in heifers than bulls. Final body weight was positively correlated with TSH and T3 and negatively with cortisol concentration. These findings suggest that the inclusion of OC at levels up to 15% in growing/finishing beef diets had no adverse effects on the calves’ thyroid and cortical status.peer-reviewe

Runs of homozygosity in the Italian goat breeds: impact of management practices in low‑input systems

Background Climate and farming systems, several of which are considered as low-input agricultural systems, vary between goat populations from Northern and Southern Italy and have led to different management practices. These processes have impacted genome shaping in terms of inbreeding and regions under selection and resulted in differences between the northern and southern populations. Both inbreeding and signatures of selection can be pinpointed by the analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH), which provides useful information to assist the management of this species in different rural areas. Results We analyzed the ROH distribution and inbreeding (FROH) in 902 goats from the Italian Goat Consortium2 dataset. We evaluated the differences in individual ROH number and length between goat breeds from Northern (NRD) and Central-southern (CSD) Italy. Then, we identified the signatures of selection that differentiate these two groups using three methods: ROH, ΔROH, and averaged FST. ROH analyses showed that some Italian goat breeds have a lower inbreeding coefficient, which is attributable to their management and history. ROH are longer in breeds that are undergoing non-optimal management or with small population size. In several small breeds, the ROH length classes are balanced, reflecting more accurate mating planning. The differences in climate and management between the NRD and CSD groups have resulted in different ROH lengths and numbers: the NRD populations bred in isolated valleys present more and shorter ROH segments, while the CSD populations have fewer and longer ROH, which is likely due to the fact that they have undergone more admixture events during the horizontal transhumance practice followed by a more recent standardization. We identified four genes within signatures of selection on chromosome 11 related to fertility in the NRD group, and 23 genes on chromosomes 5 and 6 related to growth in the CSD group. Finally, we identified 17 genes on chromosome 12 related to environmental adaptation and body size with high homozygosity in both groups. Conclusions These results show how different management practices have impacted the level of genomic inbreeding in two Italian goat groups and could be useful to assist management in a low-input system while safeguarding the diversity of small populations

Toward a Yacht Design 4.0. How the new manufacturing models and digital technologies [could] affect yacht design practices

In the field of design, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things and intelligent products are profoundly transforming not only the representation of a design project but also formal references, input data, communication strategy and the design process itself. In this scene, the doctoral research estimates the role of the new digital technologies of Industry 4.0 and the new manufacturing models in the transformation of yacht design practices. The main research results – the Yachting 4.0 Forecasting Framework and the Yacht Design 4.0 Roadmaps – came from a systematic and comprehensive study of future alternatives to answer the research questions: How could Industry 4.0 digitally-enabled technologies be better implemented in a Yacht Industry 4.0 scenario? How could these scenarios modify disciplinary approaches to the yacht design project? The study results contain a reflection on novel yacht design practices – in particular on data input, design processes, design tools, and communication media – positioning the study achievement on a conceptual level that still needs to be pragmatically tested and verified by applied research projects both in shipyards and in design studios