CLIC Muon Sweeper Design

There are several background sources which may affect the analysis of data and detector performans at the CLIC project. One of the important background source is halo muons, which are generated along the beam delivery system (BDS), for the detector performance. In order to reduce muon background, magnetized muon sweepers have been used as a shielding material that is already described in a previous study for CLIC [1]. The realistic muon sweeper has been designed with OPERA. The design parameters of muon sweeper have also been used to estimate muon background reduction with BDSIM Monte Carlo simulation code [2, 3].Comment: Talk presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS15), Whistler, Canada, 2-6 November 2015, 7 pages, 6 figure

Selected Papers from the 10th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions (SAHC 2016)

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nanoparticle characterization: What to measure?

What to measure? is a key question in nanoscience, and it is not straightforward to address as different physicochemical properties define a nanoparticle sample. Most prominent among these properties are size, shape, surface charge, and porosity. Today researchers have an unprecedented variety of measurement techniques at their disposal to assign precise numerical values to those parameters. However, methods based on different physical principles probe different aspects, not only of the particles themselves, but also of their preparation history and their environment at the time of measurement. Understanding these connections can be of great value for interpreting characterization results and ultimately controlling the nanoparticle structure–function relationship. Here, the current techniques that enable the precise measurement of these fundamental nanoparticle properties are presented and their practical advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Some recommendations of how the physicochemical parameters of nanoparticles should be investigated and how to fully characterize these properties in different environments according to the intended nanoparticle use are proposed. The intention is to improve comparability of nanoparticle properties and performance to ensure the successful transfer of scientific knowledge to industrial real‐world applications

Dynamic identification of the Qutb Minar, New Delhi, India

Eu-India Economic Cross Cultural Programme “Improving the Seismic Resistance of Cultural Heritage Buildings” - Contract ALA-95-23-2003-077-122.Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India.Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.Archaeological Survey of India

Reducing the seismic vulnerability of cultural heritage buildings

European-Indian Economic Cross Cultural Programme - contract n.º ALA-95-23-2003-077-122

Investigations techniques carried out on the Qutb Minar, New Delhi, India

In the framework of the Eu-India Economic Cross Cultural Programme “Improving the Seismic Resistance of Cultural Heritage Buildings”, aimed at the preservation of ancient masonry structures with regard to the seismic risk, different NDT were applied to the Qutb Minar, New Delhi, India, in September 2005. The paper describes the different investigation techniques applied (Ambient Vibration and Pulse Sonic Velocity Tests), intended to define the dynamic response of the tower and to qualitatively define the masonry conditions. For the dynamic modal identification analysis different test equipments were used, in order to compare the data and to have more reliable results. The dynamic parameters resulted from the acquisition campaigns will be used to estimate the mechanical properties of the masonry walls and the boundary conditions of the structure, to be considered in successive seismic nonlinear analyses of the Qutb Minar, aimed at the assessment of the safety level of the construction

Analysis of Tapial structures for modern use and conservation

Tapial is an ancient form of rammed earth wall construction found in many parts of the world. In medieval Spain, Tapial was used in the construction of some large and complex structures, some many-storied. That these buildings remain standing (many remaining in use) is an indication of the durability of this form of construction, and is perhaps related to the climatic conditions found in central Spain. This paper describes an engineering study into an important structure in the Aragon region, significant parts of which are constructed in medieval Tapial, as well as other forms of construction. The aim of the study is both to improve understanding of the nature of this structure and to provide guidance on methods of preservation and new construction

Simplified indexes for the seismic assessment of masonry buildings : international database and validation

Heritage masonry buildings are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because they are deteriorated and damaged, they were built with materials with low resistance, they are heavy and the connections between the various structural components are often insufficient. The present work details a simplified method of seismic assessment of large span masonry structures that was applied to a database of forty-four monuments in Italy, Portugal and Spain, providing lower bound formulas for different simplified geometrical indexes. Subsequently, the proposed thresholds are validated with data from the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes, which includes forty-eight stone and clay brick masonry churches. Finally, fragility curves that can be used to estimate the damage as a function of the peak ground acceleration (PGA) are also provided

Experimental evaluation of a solid oxide fuel cell system exposed to inclinations and accelerations by ship motions

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems have the potential to reduce emissions from seagoing vessels. However, it is unknown whether ship motions influence the system's operation. In this research, a 1.5 kW SOFC module is operated on an inclination platform that emulates ship motions, to evaluate the influence of static and dynamic inclinations on the system's safety, operation, and lifetime. The test campaign consists of a static inclination test, a dynamic test, a degradation test, and a high acceleration test. There were no interruptions in the power supply during the different tests, and no detectable gas leakages or safety hazards. Although the SOFC does not fail in any test condition, dynamic inclinations result in forced oscillations in the fuel regulation, which propagate through the system by different feedback loops in the control architecture, leading to significant deviations in the operational parameters of the system. Additionally, for motion periods from 16 to 26 s, reoccurring exceedance of the fuel utilisation results in a gradual reduction of the power supply. Several enhancements are recommended to improve the design of SOFCs and marine fuel cell regulations to ensure their safe operation on ships.</p

PICKING THE BEST NOVEL ORAL ANTICOAGULANT FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: EVIDENCE FROM A WARFARIN-CONTROLLED NETWORK META-ANALYSIS

Warfarin is a mainstay atrial ibrillation (AF) treatment, yet it has a narrow therapeutic window. Novel agents have been successfully tested against warfarin, yet no direct comparison among them is available. We thus performed a pair-wise and warfarin-adjusted network metaanalyses of novel oral anticoagulants for AF