Micro-generation technologies and consumption of resources: A complex systems’ exploration

This study is motivated by a research gap in the systemic implications that wider adoption of multiple micro-generation technologies may bring to interdependent infrastructures. It explores how the adoption of battery electric vehicles, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal water heating, rain water harvesting, grey water recycling, and waste heat recovery affect system-level consumption of water, gas, gasoline, electricity, CO2 emissions, and electricity generation cost. The simulations based on a new agent-based model show that grey water recycling and rain water harvesting reduce water and solar thermal water heating and rain water harvesting reduce gas demand respectively. A wider adoption of battery electric vehicle and solar photovoltaics have no effect while a reduction in the number of gasoline cars and gas users leads to higher electricity consumption, CO2 emissions, and electricity generation cost. The following policy implications are identified: grey water recycling and rain water harvesting should be actively promoted; improvements in the design and use of gas boilers may be better options than solar thermal water heating and rain water harvesting; battery electric vehicle should be adopted together with solar photovoltaics; solar photovoltaics should not be supported with feed-in-tariffs. If the last two implications are not addressed, then a more complementary electricity generation mix is necessary otherwise policies that promote replacement of gasoline cars by battery electric vehicles may result in negative systemic impacts

Metaphor and theory: a case study of astronomy

Metaphors enable the understanding of one thing in terms of another. Although central to reasoning and theorizing, there is limited understanding about their role in theory development. This paper presents a process of metaphorical reasoning that addresses the question of how metaphors support theory development. The process is applied to the case of astronomy, which helps explain why metaphors create reality and why their reality-creating side cannot be separated from their creative side. The paradoxical nature of metaphors means that metaphorical reasoning is an open-ended process. The paper also shows that emergence – a fundamental property of metaphors – explains their paradoxical nature. This same property makes metaphor a compressed interpretation of the world, characterized by the discarding of information. Finally, it is argued that metaphors are abstract intermediaries between senses and experiences. Given that metaphors are central to reasoning and theorizing, it is not surprising that these findings are consonant with what we know about theory (creative, reality-creating, sparse, abstract and open-ended). What is surprising, though, is that the discarding of information seems to be essential for the building of theory. The paper concludes by exploring what this entails for our understanding of theory

Micro-generation technologies and consumption of resources: A complex systems’ exploration

This study is motivated by a research gap in the systemic implications that wider adoption of multiple micro-generation technologies may bring to interdependent infrastructures. It explores how the adoption of battery electric vehicles, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal water heating, rain water harvesting, grey water recycling, and waste heat recovery affect system-level consumption of water, gas, gasoline, electricity, CO2 emissions, and electricity generation cost. The simulations based on a new agent-based model show that grey water recycling and rain water harvesting reduce water and solar thermal water heating and rain water harvesting reduce gas demand respectively. A wider adoption of battery electric vehicle and solar photovoltaics have no effect while a reduction in the number of gasoline cars and gas users leads to higher electricity consumption, CO2 emissions, and electricity generation cost. The following policy implications are identified: grey water recycling and rain water harvesting should be actively promoted; improvements in the design and use of gas boilers may be better options than solar thermal water heating and rain water harvesting; battery electric vehicle should be adopted together with solar photovoltaics; solar photovoltaics should not be supported with feed-in-tariffs. If the last two implications are not addressed, then a more complementary electricity generation mix is necessary otherwise policies that promote replacement of gasoline cars by battery electric vehicles may result in negative systemic impacts

Turn-turn short circuit fault management in permanent magnet machines

This paper presents a systematic study on turn-turn short circuit fault and ways to manage them to provide a basis for comparison of the various options available. The possible methods to reduce the likelihood of the winding SC fault and the fault mitigation techniques related to such faults are discussed. A Finite Element (FE) analysis of a surface-mount Permanent Magnet (PM) machine under application of different mitigation techniques during a turn-turn fault is presented. Both machine and drive structural adaptations for different fault mitigation techniques are addressed. Amongst the investigated fault mitigation techniques, the most promising solution is identified and validated experimentally. It is shown that the shorting terminal method adopting vertical winding arrangement is an effective method in terms of the implementation, reliability and weight

Condition monitoring approach for permanent magnet synchronous motor drives based on the INFORM method

This paper proposes a monitoring scheme based on saliency tracking to assess the health condition of PMSM drives operating under non stationary conditions. The evaluated scheme is based on the INFORM methodology, which is associated to the accurate sensorless control of PM drives without zero speed limitation. The result is a monitoring scheme that is able to detect faults that would be very difficult to evaluate under nonstationary conditions. A relevant aspect of the proposed scheme is that it remains valid for full speed range, and can be used for standstill operation. Additionally, the approach is insensitive to the inverter nonlinearities which enhance the detection capabilities further respect to similar topologies. In this work the proposed approach is evaluated numerically and experimentally in the presence of incipient winding faults and inter-turn short circuits in a PM conventional drive. The obtained results show quick response and excellent detection capabilities not only in the detection of faults, but to determine their magnitude which is vital to avoid further degradation

Data Gained from Smart Services in SMEs–Pilot Study

Nowadays, manufacturing companies increasingly invest in servitization by adopting ‘smart services’ enabled by connected product-service systems enabling data exchange between the customer and the service provider. Managing the transition toward smart services is not easy, especially among SMEs as many businesses struggle with lack of money, insufficient digital technologies, unskilled employees or gathering and using the proper data. The research presented in this paper is divided into two parts. The quantitative part focuses on researching possible correlations between business performance and the use of company IT systems among sixty Czech electrotechnical SMEs. The other part consists of a qualitative multi-case study and was conducted among seven Czech electrotechnical SMEs which have already started with smart service development. The findings indicate that companies gather and use the data in very different ways. They provide information to their customers, but also use information for themselves. The study is unique in highlighting the problems of smart services in small and medium manufacturers. Moreover, it investigates the gathering and the data usage gained from smart services in SMEs.Nowadays, manufacturing companies increasingly invest in servitization by adopting ‘smart services’ enabled by connected product-service systems enabling data exchange between the customer and the service provider. Managing the transition toward smart services is not easy, especially among SMEs as many businesses struggle with lack of money, insufficient digital technologies, unskilled employees or gathering and using the proper data. The research presented in this paper is divided into two parts. The quantitative part focuses on researching possible correlations between business performance and the use of company IT systems among sixty Czech electrotechnical SMEs. The other part consists of a qualitative multi-case study and was conducted among seven Czech electrotechnical SMEs which have already started with smart service development. The findings indicate that companies gather and use the data in very different ways. They provide information to their customers, but also use information for themselves. The study is unique in highlighting the problems of smart services in small and medium manufacturers. Moreover, it investigates the gathering and the data usage gained from smart services in SMEs

Acetilkolinesteraza u eritrocitima i butirilkolinesteraza u plazmi - Važni pokazatelji za liječenje osoba otrovanih organofosfornim spojevima

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is regarded as the primary toxic mechanism of organophosphorus compounds (OP). Therapeutic strategies are directed to antagonise overstimulation of muscarinic receptors with atropine and to reactivate inhibited AChE with oximes. Reactivation is crucial within the neuromuscular synapse, where atropine is ineffective, since peripheral neuromuscular block eventually leads to respiratory failure. Patients with OP intoxication have to be identified as early as possible. During an international NBC-defence exercise anesthetised pigs were poisoned with sarin, followed by treatment with atropine and oxime. Blood samples were drawn and red blood cell (RBC)-AChE activity determined with a fielded test system on-site. Within a few minutes the poisoning was verified. After administration of HI-6, RBC-AChE activity increased rapidly. Blood samples were reanalysed in our laboratory in Munich. Almost identical course of the AChE activities was recorded by both systems. The more comprehensive cholinesterase status was determined in Munich. Oxime administration can be stopped when AChE is aged completely, but has to be continued as long as poison is present in the body and reactivation is possible. To aid the on-site physician in optimising diagnosis and treatment, a fielded test system should be available to allow rapid determination of the complete cholinesterase status.Inhibicija acetilkolinesteraze (AChE) smatra se primarnim mehanizmom toksičnoga djelovanja organofosfornih spojeva (OP). Strategije liječenja idu za zaustavljanjem prekomjerne stimulacije muskarinskih receptora atropinom i reaktiviranjem inhibiranog AChE oksimima. Ključna je reaktivacija u neuromuskularnoj sinapsi, u kojoj atropin nije djelotvoran, budući da neuromuskularna blokada u konačnici vodi do prestanka disanja. Važno je što ranije prepoznati otrovanje organofosfornim spojem. U jednoj međunarodnoj vježbi zaštite od nuklearnog, biološkog i kemijskog napada svinje pod anestezijom otrovane su sarinom te liječene atropinom i oksimom. Uzeti su im uzorci krvi te s pomoću terenskoga testa na licu mjesta određena aktivnost AChE u eritrocitima. Otrovanje je potvrđeno za nekoliko minuta. Nakon primjene HI-6, aktivnost AChE brzo je porasla. Isti su uzorci krvi ponovno analizirani u našem laboratoriju u Münchenu. Oba su testa zabilježila gotovo istovjetan tijek aktivnosti AChE. U Münchenu je međutim napravljen potpuniji nalaz kolinesteraza. Liječenje oksimima može se prekinuti kada AChE potpuno “ostari” (tj. dealkilira), ali ga valja nastaviti dokle god je otrov u tijelu, a reaktivacija moguća. Liječnici na terenu trebali bi raspolagati terenskim testovima radi brzoga i potpunog utvrđivanja statusa kolinesteraza, a time i kvalitetnije dijagnoze

An ontology supported risk assessment approach for the intelligent configuration of supply networks

As progress towards globalisation continues, organisations seek ever better ways with which to configure and reconfigure their global production networks so as to better understand and be able to deal with risk. Such networks are complex arrangements of different organisations from potentially diverse and divergent domains and geographical locations. Moreover, greater focus is being put upon global production network systems and how these can be better coordinated, controlled and assessed for risk, so that they are flexible and competitive advantage can be gained from them within the market place. This paper puts forward a reference ontology to support risk assessment for product-service systems applied to the domain of global production networks. The aim behind this is to help accelerate the development of information systems by way of developing a common foundation to improve interoperability and the seamless exchange of information between systems and organisations. A formal common logic based approach has been used to develop the reference ontology, utilising end user information and knowledge from three separate industrial domains. Results are presented which illustrate the ability of the approach, together with areas for further work

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201