Including design in e-manufacturing

This paper reviews major issues in the implementation of e-manufacturing, particularly the design aspects. It will examine recent progress, drawing out particular issues that are being addressed. Use will be made of the work by the author and colleagues to devise rule-based design and Internet-based control of machines to illustrate how these developments affect the integrated e-manufacturing environment. A dynamic Simulink model of the way e-manufacture is affected by overall design delays is used to evaluate general solutions for partial and complete e-based companies. These models show how changing to improved designs reduces WI

Development of a reconfigurable protective system for multi-rotor UAS

The purpose of this study is to illustrate how the design and deployment of a minimal protective system for multi-rotorcraft can cater for changes in legislation and provide for greater use both in and outdoors. A methodology is presented to evaluate the design and development of a system which protects both single axial and co-axial rotorcraft. The key emphasis of the development presented is the scenario in which the multi-rotorcraft can fly with increased speed including the capability of flying through windows and doors without the fear of system failure due to rotor disruption. Discussed as well is the degree of autonomy the reconfigurable system should feature as well as the effects of drag and added component mass to the performance of the system

Industrial ecology and carbon property rights

This paper examines the potential for property rights in carbon to affect industrial ecology opportunities. Given that emissions trading schemes for greenhouse gases are becoming more widely implemented, the definition of the carbon property right can affect barriers and opportunities for industrial ecology, alongside other factors. The paper uses legislation for emissions trading in Australia and two possible scenarios for the future of energy generation in the Latrobe Valley, Australia in 2050 as an illustrative case study to identify issues for industrial ecology arising from ill-defined carbon property rights. Currently, electricity generation in the region is reliant on coal-based generators. Scenario one focuses on bio-industries and renewables with no coal usage; and scenario two focuses on electricity from coal with carbon capture and storage resulting in moderate to high coal use. If a carbon property right for soil carbon emerges before a property right for subterranean carbon, then bio-based industrial ecology opportunities could be enabled ahead of a regional symbiosis involving carbon capture and storage. A generalised framework for considering the intersection of industrial ecology and carbon property rights is presented with a focus on tensions in: contributing to sustainable development, system boundaries and finally exchange mechanisms. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

An accident waiting to happen.

This piece was exhibited at the Kinetic Art Fair 2011 in London

Future Latrobe Valley scenarios for a carbon-constrained world: industrial ecology, environmental impacts and property rights

The Latrobe Valley has substantial brown coal deposits which are currently mined for use in coal-fired power stations which supply 85% of Victoriaâs electricity. This paper considers the role that industrial ecology could play in underpinning the future structure (2050-2100) of the Latrobe valley industry base in a carbon-constrained world. Potential future scenarios for industry clusters were developed around three themes: bio-industries and renewables (no coal usage); electricity from coal with carbon capture and storage (low to high coal use options exist within this scenario); coal to products (e.g. hydrogen, ammonia, diesel, methanol, plastics, char with medium to high overall coal use relative to current levels). This research uses life cycle thinking to characterise the potential water, greenhouse gas and property rights impacts across life cycle stages

Synthesis and antibacterial effects of cobalt–cellulose magnetic nanocomposites

© The Royal Society of Chemistry. Green synthesis is employed to prepare cobalt/cellulose nanocomposites with cubic (α-cobalt) cobalt as a main component with antibacterial and magnetic properties. An in situ reduction of aqueous solutions of cobalt ions on a model cellulose substrate surface using hydrogen gas affords spherical, cellulose-stabilised cobalt nanoclusters with magnetic properties and an average diameter of 7 nm that are distributed evenly over the surface of the cellulose fibres. These cobalt/cellulose nanocomposites exhibit good antibacterial action against opportunistic pathogens both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli, A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa), with zones of inhibition up to 15 mm, thereby encouraging the deployment of these advanced materials for the treatment of wastewater or within medical dressings. This method of preparation is compared with the analogous in situ reduction of cobalt ions on a cellulose surface using sodium borohydride as reducing agent

Transport enhancement from incoherent coupling between one-dimensional quantum conductors

We study the non-equilibrium transport properties of a highly anisotropic two-dimensional lattice of spin-1/2 particles governed by a Heisenberg XXZ Hamiltonian. The anisotropy of the lattice allows us to approximate the system at finite temperature as an array of incoherently coupled one-dimensional chains. We show that in the regime of strong intrachain interactions, the weak interchain coupling considerably boosts spin transport in the driven system. Interestingly, we show that this enhancement increases with the length of the chains, which is related to superdiffusive spin transport. We describe the mechanism behind this effect, compare it to a similar phenomenon in single chains induced by dephasing, and explain why the former is much stronger

Reconfigurable unmanned aerial vehicles.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been developing dramatically due to wars and miniaturisation of technology, which has made the UAV industry a very lucrative business. Research organisations have been funded by various research committees or military groups to push UAV developments at a very fast pace. Although these UAVs are high in capability, they are limited to a single use application or mission. This paper will analyse current UAV systems to determine how the use of a novel reconfigurable UAV could benefit the end user

The future of battlefield micro air vehicle systems.

The most recent survey of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) adoption rates shows that the area of small, man-portable systems (generally defined as Micro Air Vehicles or MAVs of maximum take-off weight between 1-5 kg) has one of the highest growth rates of any of the market sectors. There is a growing realisation by military planners that to win the insurgency wars of the present and future, forward units will have to operate within the close confines of urban conurbations and for prolonged periods of time without support. Real-time information and intelligence on enemy strength, dispositions and tactics is therefore essential for battlefield success

Investigating the use of the coanda effect to create novel unmanned aerial vehicles.

In recent years the demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV's) has increased rapidly across many different industries and they are used for various applications. Such systems have the ability to enter dangerous or inaccessible environments and allow vital information to be collected without human risk. In order to carry out a task, a UAV has to face many different challenges. This has led to the development of novel platforms that move away from traditional aircraft design in order to make them more capable. A good example of this type of craft is one which uses the Coanda Effect to assist propulsion. This effect was discovered in 1930 by Henri-Marie Coanda who found that if a thin film of air is directed over a curved body, then the air follows the curve. When used to propel a UAV, the Coanda Effect also entrains air from above and lowers the air pressure in this region, which in turn generates more lift. Many organizations have attempted to use this phenomenon to aid the lift of various unusual air vehicles