7,299 research outputs found
Vacuum probe sampler removes micron-sized particles from surfaces
Vacuum probe sampler removes micron-sized particles from sensitive surfaces, without damage to the surface. The probe has a critical orifice to ensure an optimum airflow rate that disturbs the boundary layer of air and raises bacteria from the surface into the probe with the moving air stream
The North Cyprus Conference Sector: Establishing a Competitive Advantage
North Cyprus had recently positioned itself as a conference destination. Given external and internal factors such as political isolation and the over dependency on casino tourism, policymakers have recognised the importance of the conference sector in creating sustainable growth for North Cyprusās tourism driven economy. Increasingly, Turkish conference organisers are choosing North Cyprus as a destination to host conferences. As such, Turkish conference organisers were questioned via an internet based questionnaire to determine attributes considered important within the conference destination selection process. An Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) was performed, the findings identified that North Cyprus was perceived as a high performer with reference to; ease of accessibility, distance of destination, conference venue and accommodation price, safety and security, climate, hospitality, quality, quantity and availability of hotel rooms. However, in relation to North Cyprus, a unique application of IPA identified macro- and micro-destination attributes that North Cyprus should improve on; transportation within destination, availability of technological resources, the range of conference venues, conference staff training, destinations marketing activities and quality of local restaurants. The findings provided implications for destination managers in terms of branding, as well as conference venue and accommodation providers in terms of targeting conference organisers more effectively and promoting North Cyprus to conference sector stakeholders
A collaborative platform for integrating and optimising Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis requests
A Virtual Integration Platform (VIP) is described which provides support for the integration of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis tools into an environment that supports the use of these tools in a distributed collaborative manner. The VIP has evolved through previous EU research conducted within the VRShips-ROPAX 2000 (VRShips) project and the current version discussed here was developed predominantly within the VIRTUE project but also within the SAFEDOR project. The VIP is described with respect to the support it provides to designers and analysts in coordinating and optimising CFD analysis requests. Two case studies are provided that illustrate the application of the VIP within HSVA: the use of a panel code for the evaluation of geometry variations in order to improve propeller efficiency; and, the use of a dedicated maritime RANS code (FreSCo) to improve the wake distribution for the VIRTUE tanker. A discussion is included detailing the background, application and results from the use of the VIP within these two case studies as well as how the platform was of benefit during the development and a consideration of how it can benefit HSVA in the future
Ground State Spin Logic
Designing and optimizing cost functions and energy landscapes is a problem
encountered in many fields of science and engineering. These landscapes and
cost functions can be embedded and annealed in experimentally controllable spin
Hamiltonians. Using an approach based on group theory and symmetries, we
examine the embedding of Boolean logic gates into the ground state subspace of
such spin systems. We describe parameterized families of diagonal Hamiltonians
and symmetry operations which preserve the ground state subspace encoding the
truth tables of Boolean formulas. The ground state embeddings of adder circuits
are used to illustrate how gates are combined and simplified using symmetry.
Our work is relevant for experimental demonstrations of ground state embeddings
found in both classical optimization as well as adiabatic quantum optimization.Comment: 6 pages + 3 pages appendix, 7 figures, 1 tabl
A demonstration of the utility of fractional experimental design for finding optimal genetic algorithm parameter settings
This paper demonstrates that the use of sparse experimental design in the development of the structure for genetic algorithms, and hence other computer programs, is a particularly effective and efficient strategy. Despite widespread knowledge of the existence of these systematic experimental plans, they have seen limited application in the investigation of advanced computer programs. This paper attempts to address this missed opportunity and encourage others to take advantage of the power of these plans. Using data generated from a full factorial experimental design, involving 27 experimental runs that was used to assess the optimum operating settings of the parameters of a special genetic algorithm (GA), we show that similar results could have been obtained using as few as nine runs. The GA was used to find minimum cost schedules for a complex component assembly operation with many sub-processes
Development of an Increased Sampling Rate Monitoring System
Sampling rate system for monitoring clean room
Solidification under zero gravity: A Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experiment for an early space shuttle mission
The preliminary design of two series of simple experiments the objectives of which are to determine the effect of an absence of gravity on (1) the general morphology of the structure, (2) location of ullage space, and (3) magnitude of surface tension driven convection, during the solidification of several metallic and nonmetallic systems is described. Details of the investigative approach, experimental procedure, experimental hardware, data reduction and analysis, and anticipated results are given
Advanced 3-D viscous SSME turbine rotor stator CFD algorithms
Current Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) high pressure fuel turbopump problems have generated a desire to analyze the flow field of rotating machinery. The status of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has reached the point that soon the capability to solve unsteady three-dimensional viscous flow fields will be at hand. The work presented involves upgrading the computational efficiency of an operational three-dimensional algorithm. The modifications include algorithm development, algorithm approximation and acceleration, and special coding optimizations. The overall result of these modifications has reduced processing time by nearly 80%
An overview of the VRS virtual platform
This paper provides an overview of the development of the virtual platform within the European Commission funded VRShips-ROPAX (VRS) project. This project is a major collaboration of approximately 40 industrial, regulatory, consultancy and academic partners with the objective of producing two novel platforms. A physical platform will be designed and produced representing a scale model of a novel ROPAX vessel with the following criteria: 2000 passengers; 400 cabins; 2000 nautical mile range, and a service speed of 38 knots. The aim of the virtual platform is to demonstrate that vessels may be designed to meet these criteria, which was not previously possible using individual tools and conventional design approaches. To achieve this objective requires the integration of design and simulation tools representing concept, embodiment, detail, production, and operation life-phases into the virtual platform, to enable distributed design activity to be undertaken. The main objectives for the development of the virtual platform are described, followed by the discussion of the techniques chosen to address the objectives, and finally a description of a use-case for the platform. Whilst the focus of the VRS virtual platform was to facilitate the design of ROPAX vessels, the components within the platform are entirely generic and may be applied to the distributed design of any type of vessel, or other complex made-to-order products
Microbiological studies relating to clean environments. Part I - Evaluation of the efficiency of a class 100 laminar-flow clean room for viable contamination cleanup
Laminar flow clean room efficiency for viable contamination cleanu
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