Ventilation strategies for road tunnels in different countries and consequences using Fixed Fire Fighting System (FFFS)

A study is carried out on the ventilation strategies for road tunnels in different countries and consequences using fixed fire fighting systems (FFFS). The type of ventilation strategy for road tunnels can ensure the safety of people during the evacuation stages and protection of the rescue services during their intervention of the fire. Ventilation strategies vary from country to country and therefore it is important to get a suitable strategy which can be applied in these countries [1]. FFFS in road tunnels are defined as fire fighting equipment, which is permanently installed in the tunnel with a pipe system that water or other extinguishing agents. Usually FFFS are water spray systems and can be either high pressure or low pressure systems. Such systems will be able to fight fires that are relatively large and thereby potentially prevent a major disaster. In a tunnel without a fire suppression system, a slightly lower ventilation velocity is preferred to slow down the fire growth at the initial stage of evacuation. At the fire fighting stage the ventilation velocity can be adjusted up to critical velocity. In order to explore the effects of FFFS during different ventilation conditions, an analysis will be conducted on a large scale Runehamar and model scale tunnel fire experiments conducted at SP. The analysis show that the longitudinal ventilation system and FFFS will provide a tenable environment for safe evacuation.A study is carried out on the ventilation strategies for road tunnels and consequences using fixed fire fighting systems (FFFS) in different countries. The type of ventilation strategy used for road tunnels can ensure the safety of people during the evacuation stages and protection of the rescue services during their intervention of the fire. Ventilation strategies vary from country to country and therefore it is important to get a suitable strategy which can be applied in these countries. The commonly used types in tunnels include longitudinal, transverse and semi-transverse, with and without air and smoke dampers. This study focuses on longitudinal systems. In such systems, the longitudinal ventilation velocity selected is important to prevent the smoke back flow (backlayering) and can affect the fire in the tunnel in a positive or negative way depending on the stages of the fire. FFFS in road tunnels are defined as fire fighting equipment, which is permanently installed in the tunnel with a pipe system that water or other extinguishing agents. Usually FFFS are water spray systems and can be either high pressure (water mist) or low pressure systems (deluge system) shown in Figure 1 . Such systems will be able to fight fires that are relatively large and thereby potentially prevent a major disaster. In a tunnel without a fire suppression system, a slightly lower ventilation velocity is preferred to slow down the fire growth at the initial stage of evacuation. Figure 1 FFFS after activation of the system In order to explore the effects of FFFS during different ventilation conditions, an analysis will be conducted on a large scale Runehamar and model scale tunnel fire experiments conducted at SP (Statens Provningsanstalt) Technical Research Institute of Sweden. The analysis shows that the longitudinal ventilation system and FFFS will provide a tenable environment for safe evacuation. This project aims to explore the effects of the conditions inside the road tunnel with and without FFFS on evacuees form experimental data found from scale models and fullscale SP data. The thesis recommends a realistic longitudinal ventilation strategy with and without FFFS. By calculating and analyzing the concentration of the fractional effective dose or fractional incapacitating dose (FED/FID) for a free burn test and a test with a FFFS, the results at a certain distance from the fire is analyzed. The study will propose a ventilation strategy to use together with the FFFS system. The study of the test data shows that the use of FFFS decreased the temperatures in the tunnels and was not affected by the different velocities. In the experiments, the longitudinal ventilation velocity was set at 3 m/s, which prevented backlayering of smoke during the test, thus proving effective during the evacuation process. The longitudinal ventilation velocity of 2 m/s used in the Runehamar tunnel 2016 test can be used to prevent long backlayering. The study confirmed that at the initial stages of the fire that a velocity of 2 m/s be used and after the FFFS is initiated the velocity can be increased to 3 m/s. At a distance of 42 m away from the fire, the model scale test showed that the longitudinal ventilation velocities can increase the temperature in the free burn test. However, FED heat conv will not affect the people. The study of the test show in the cases of the Runehamar test it can be concluded that people at a distance of 1000 m away from the fire will be safe with and without FFFS for test conducted 2016, however in the full scale test of 2013 due to failure of the FFFS people are affected by the concentration of FED asphyxia of 0.3 is obtained after 44.95 minutes of exposure time. This will although be dependent on the type of material burning. The calculated concentration for FED heat conv. of 0.3741 was obtained after 30 minutes of exposure time was found in the model scale. The early activation of the FFFS reduces the concentration significantly. The different longitudinal ventilation velocities used in the test namely: 2 m/s, 3 m/s and 6 m/s has shown to be effective in controlling the fire at both distances and providing a safe environment for people. It was shown that the most effective of the three velocities was 3m/s when FFFS is operating. The early activation of the FFFS made a difference in controlling the fire thus it’s recommended for use in road tunnels. The results of the study support the idea that although people will be safe in the road tunnels, the first few minutes are important during a tunnel fire for the ability of people in the tunnel to escape

Factors Influencing the Selection of an Adaptive Learning Technology within University and K-12

Technology continues to shape the landscape of higher education, universities and K-12, therefore, need to design programs that accommodate the diverse needs of their students. As universities and K-12 consider pathways for meeting these needs, it will be fundamental that consideration is given to sound pedagogical principles for teaching and learning within these changing landscapes. This position paper reports on the key principles and factors influencing the selection of an adaptive learning system within universities. An extensive literature review demonstrates the benefits when an adaptive learning system gives equal consideration to technology and pedagogical issues

Factors Influencing the Selection of an Adaptive Learning Technology within University and K-12

Technology continues to shape the landscape of higher education, universities and K-12, therefore, need to design programs that accommodate the diverse needs of their students. As universities and K-12 consider pathways for meeting these needs, it will be fundamental that consideration is given to sound pedagogical principles for teaching and learning within these changing landscapes. This position paper reports on the key principles and factors influencing the selection of an adaptive learning system within universities. An extensive literature review demonstrates the benefits when an adaptive learning system gives equal consideration to technology and pedagogical issues

ExploroBOT: Rapid Exploration with Chart Automation

General-purpose visualization tools are used by people with varying degrees of data literacy. Often the user is not a professional analyst or data scientist and uses the tool infrequently, to support an aspect of their job. This can present difficulties as the user’s unfamiliarity with visualization practice and infrequent use of the tool can result in long processing time, inaccurate data representations or inappropriate visual encodings. To address this problem, we developed a visual analytics application called exploroBOT. The exploroBOT automatically generates visualizations and the exploration guidance path (an associated network of decision points, mapping nodes where visualizations change). These combined approaches enable users to explore visualizations based on a degree of “interestingness”. The user-driven approach draws on the browse/explore metaphor commonly applied in social media applications and is supported by guided navigation. In this paper we describe exploroBOT and present an evaluation of the tool

Zincate-free, electroless nickel deposition on aluminum bond pads

A zincate-free electroless nickel deposition on aluminum bond pads is investigated. A three-step, etch, rinse, and electroless plating, is demonstrated for deposition on aluminum bond pads patterned with polyimide. The chemicals used are compatible with this dielectric material. The deposition has been achieved with good selectivity, uniformity, and deposition rate at 40 × 40   μ m aluminum bond pads. The adhesion and contact resistance were also determined and improved through anneals in the range 200-400°C for 1 h. The optimized condition for adhesion and contact resistance was an anneal at 400°C. The combination of a nickel hypophosphite reducing agent and the additives used leads to an active plating bath in the early stages of deposition, by comparison with commercial solutions, and hence, good coverage of the aluminum bond pad using the simplified process

Small RNA regulation of neural gene expression in response to environmental exposure associated with neuropsychiatric syndromes

Postmortem molecular analysis of the human brain during development and aging suggests there are epigenetic changes reflecting early life experiences. This includes changes in the expression of non-coding RNAs such as microRNA. These molecules alter the regulation of gene expression and can interact with underlying genetic risk factors, contributing to neurological and neuropsychiatric syndromes such as schizophrenia. Recent evidence suggests that these dynamic and influential molecules play an important role in both brain development and the cellular response to stress. In our recent studies, we investigate the role of microRNA in the brains’ response to maternal immune activation and adolescent cannabinoid exposure, alone and in combination, as both have been identified as environmental risk factors for this disorder. We found that combined exposure to significantly altered microRNA expression in the left hemisphere of the entorhinal cortex as compared to the right. These changes were dominated by a large subgroup of microRNA transcribed from a single imprinted locus on chromosome 6q32 that is associated with schizophrenia. These changes correlated with altered gene expression in the combined treatment group, with microRNA-gene interactions predicted to regulate neuronal growth and differentiation; development of specific cortical layers; synaptic plasticity and transmission; axonogenesis; gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter system; and learning and memory formation. These findings suggested that the interaction of both an early and late environmental insult enhances changes in offspring microRNA expression in the brain with possible outcomes relevant to neurological disorders in adulthood

Compression Device for 3D Spheroids in Microgravity

ME450 Capstone Design and Manufacturing Experience: Winter 2021As space travel and space colonization become increasingly feasible, there is recent interest in the physiological impacts of changes in cellular systems induced by micro gravity. The Liu group is in collaboration with the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to examine cellular mechanotransduction of human osteoblasts on the International Space Station. Part of this project aims to develop a device that can apply a compressive load in microgravity to 3D spheroids (aggregates of cells) embedded in hydrogel. This project aims to design a compressive device compatible with microgravity condition that would provide pre-defined strains to the 3D spheroids.Grace Cai, Allen Liu: Liu Lab, Space Tangohttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167656/1/Team_14-Compression_Device_for_3D_Spheroids_in_Microgravity.pd