Thermal control for planetary probes

Thermal control of planetary probes during the descent phase of a mission is examined. Emphasis was placed on the problems of atmospheric uncertainties to be encountered by the probes, insulation performance, and equipment temperature limits

Things that grew while I looked at the ground

Broadly speaking, I am interested in the role of fine arts in translating the complexities of natural systems. This particular body of work explores the relationship between printmaking and soil science—just one of the many possible relationships between arts and sciences—with a focus on salt marsh soil systems. Generating public interest soil systems and other hidden ecological systems can be difficult due to the opaqueness of language and concepts surrounding these systems and a perceived distance (physically or conceptually) from the general public. Printmaking—with its inherent multiplicity, mediation, and readability—offers opportunities for making the seeming abstraction of soils evocative and relatable. The prints, artist books and installations presented here reflect on ten months of artistic and scientific experiences at Jacob’s Point, a salt marsh in Warren, Rhode Island. The vastly different scales—immersive installation and intimate bookwork—offer viewer experiences that are both expansive and intimate. My hope is that this work encompasses the physical experience of place, and evokes the power of an environment to inspire play, care, community and generosity

Pre-Victorian origins of modern architectural theory

Modern architectural theory was a product of the encounter between the classical tradition, formed on Greek and Roman ideas in the Italian Renaissance, and the subjective aesthetics of eighteenth century Britain. Resulting ideas and buildings of the early nineteenth century were the precursors of the architecture and theories of the 1920's and 30's. The development of classical architectural theory is studied in the writings of the philosophers and architects who contributed its leading ideas. The relative importance of the two basic themes, 'reason' and 'experience', was established by Plato and Aristotle. The consequences of their ideas and priorities for architecture can be seen in the treatises of Vitruvius and Alberti. 'Reason' as the way to absolute beauty became the cornerstone of Renaissance theory, while 'experience', subjective and therefore relative, was rejected as leading only to inconsistent and erroneous opinion. In the seventeenth century the critical heritage of the Greeks bore new fruit in the rationalism of Descartes and his successors, and particularly the British 'empirical' philosophers of the eighteenth century. Criticism of classical theory by Perrault, Cordemoy and Laugier in France led to a more rigorous 'rational' theory, still essentially classical in its emphasis on the absolute qualities of building forms. In Britain rational analysis of subjective 'experience' led to a comprehensive aesthetic theory based on the association of ideas and most expounded by Archibald Alison in 1790. Further consequences of the rationalism of this period were the revolutionary economic and political changes which shook France and Britain and had far-reaching consequences for architecture. Most advanced in Britain, these changes together with the new aesthetic theories had their most direct architectural effects on the design of smaller houses. The many books of cottage and villa designs published around 1800 record both the architecture of the period and the ideas on which it was based. Particular attention is given to the writings of J.C. Loudon as the most comprehensive exposition of advanced pre-Victorian theory. The development of architectural ideas in Victorian and modern times shows both continuity with earlier streams of thought, and significant changes in particular as the failure of traditional theory to cope with social change became critical. The writings of Pugin, Ruskin, Fergusson, and Morris reveal the scope of Victorian theory and its contribution to modern thought. The transition from Victorian to modern architecture is shown in a comparison of Lethaby and Muthesius that also exposes a significant divergence in the tendency of their ideas. Their ideas led directly to the architecture of the early modern period. A final comparison of early modern and pre-Victorian ideas and buildings exposes the limitations of modern architectural theory

Intended and actual outcomes of hostel accommodation use for single homeless people : a critical realist explanation

Despite an expanding body of research documenting the harms associated with hostel accommodation, it continues to play a central role in response to homelessness across the United Kingdom and Ireland. While few would deny the existence of harmful hostels, many continue to extol the impact of ‘good’ hostels, arguing that they play a unique and important role in resolving homelessness and associated support needs; a role that some argue cannot be replicated in Housing First, housing led, or rapid rehousing models, despite a growing consensus regarding the efficacy of these approaches. This study takes as its starting point this contested terrain, with a particular focus on identifying and understanding the outcomes of hostel accommodation. Utilising a conceptual framework rooted in critical realism, the study seeks, first, to bring conceptual clarity to bear on what is signified by the term ‘hostel accommodation’. It aims to do so by setting out the constituent components of hostels, both necessary and contingent, with a view to understanding what it is about these components that sets a hostel apart from other responses. The thesis continues to draw on critical realism to distinguish between three ontological domains of reality – the real, the actual, and the empirical - with this stratified ontology then allowing for a close exploration of the divergence between the intended and actual outcomes of hostel accommodation. Drawing on the testimony of national key informants – spanning hostel providers, commissioners, academics, and hostel sector representatives - the thesis identifies four ‘tensions’ arising between that which is intended and that which is actualised in hostel accommodation. These are the safety-harm tension, the independence-dependence tension, and the inclusion-exclusion tension, with these three tensions then functioning collectively as a fourth (meta)tension, namely the progress-entrenchment tension. The thesis is structured around these tensions which are expressed as hypotheses and then interrogated through a qualitative multiple case study design. The study design pursued cases of maximum difference across a range of hostel components – such as hostel size, support model, and target group – allowing for the perspective of hostel managers, staff, and residents to be explored across a broad gamut of hostel types. The thesis concludes that the intended outcomes of hostel accommodation - safety, independence, and social inclusion – are vital to human wellbeing and that living environments that enable the actualisation of these outcome ought to be valued. The necessary tendencies of hostel accommodation are, however, strongly oriented against the actualisation of these outcomes, toward their anthesis (in the form of harm, dependence, and exclusion). While hostels can (sometimes) generate intended outcomes, doing so requires purposeful and resource intensive efforts. Even with clear intent, consistent effort, and optimal conditions, hostels often actualise outcomes that are not only contrary to those intended but are (at least in part) generative of the need and demand that informs the basis of that intention. This means that hostel accommodation is not only ill-suited to generating its intended outcomes but is also generative of illusory and contingent versions of the need it seeks to address

Proprioception Based Behavioral Advances in a Hexapod Robot

We report on our progress in extending the behavioral repertoire of RHex, a compliant leg hexapod robot. We introduce two new controllers, one for climbing constant slope inclinations and one for achieving higher speeds via pronking, a gait that incorporates a, substantial aerial phase. In both cases, we make use of an underlying open-loop control strategy, combined with low bandwidth feedback to modulate its parameters. The inclination behavior arises from our initial alternating tripod walking controller and adjusts the angle offsets of individual leg motion profiles based on inertial sensing of the average surface slope. Similarly, the pronking controller makes use of a virtual leg touchdown sensing mechanism to adjust the frequency of the open-loop pronking, effectively synchronizing the controller with the natural oscillations of the mechanical system. Experimental results demonstrate good performance on slopes inclined up to /spl sim/250 and pronking up to speeds approaching 2 body lengths per second (/spl sim/1.0 m/s)

Y-12 National Security Complex Water Assessment

The Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) sponsored a water assessment at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y 12) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Driven by mandated water reduction goals of Executive Orders 13423 and 13514, the objective of the water assessment is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the current water-consuming applications and equipment at Y-12 and to identify key areas for water efficiency improvements that could be applied not only at Y-12 but at other Federal facilities as well. FEMP selected Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to coordinate and manage the water assessment. PNNL contracted Water Savers, LLC to lead the technical aspects of the water assessment. Water Savers provided key technical expertise in water auditing, metering, and cooling systems. This is the report of that effort, which concluded that the Y-12 facility could realize considerable water savings by implementing the recommended water efficiency opportunities

Reverse Osmosis Optimization

This technology evaluation was prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). ¬The technology evaluation assesses techniques for optimizing reverse osmosis (RO) systems to increase RO system performance and water efficiency. This evaluation provides a general description of RO systems, the influence of RO systems on water use, and key areas where RO systems can be optimized to reduce water and energy consumption. The evaluation is intended to help facility managers at Federal sites understand the basic concepts of the RO process and system optimization options, enabling them to make informed decisions during the system design process for either new projects or recommissioning of existing equipment. This evaluation is focused on commercial-sized RO systems generally treating more than 80 gallons per hour.