Evaluation of some renewable energy technologies

Purpose. The study aims to outline and compare various renewable energy alternatives in view of the global warming crisis and depletion of fossil fuels which cause emissions of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a major source of pollution and is an absorbent for radiation. Methods. Literature surveys and analysis of benefits and drawbacks of the competing technologies should include the capital costs, running costs and carbon footprint. Liquid fuels have high energy to weight ratio compare to say solar panels or thermal absorbers, but what is neglected is the large refinery and other processing machinery behind the liquid fuel which is adding to the carbon footprint. Findings. Producer gas and bacterial engines are suggested as possible pollution reducing and cost effective methods for power generation. Coal, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric have the lowest running cost, but carbon footprint cost is neglected. Solar chimneys, with low mechanical efficiency have low running costs, and no pollution. Modification of internal combustion engines to use producer gas and alcohol may reduce overall carbon footprint. Originality. Many researches focus on energy and mechanical efficiency. Bacterial engines have yet to be fully developed, and these are wonderful chemical factories but not understood in terms of classical thermodynamics. For all technologies, return on investment is more appropriate since capital costs are also included, which are neglected in mechanical efficiency calculations. Practical implications. Depletion of forest cover which acts as a greenhouse gas sink contributes to global warming. Worldwide, million of cars with internal combustion engines consuming petroleum, if converted to alternative fuels, can help in reducing the carbon gas emissions and ultimately to a slowdown in the global warming rate.Мета. Надати і порівняти різні види відновлюваної енергії з урахуванням енергетичної кризи, пов'язаної з глобальним потеплінням і виснаженням викопних джерел палива, що призводить до викидів вуглекислого газу, який є головним джерелом забруднення атмосфери й поглинання радіації. Методика. При огляді літературних джерел та аналізі переваг і недоліків конкуруючих технологій необхідно враховувати капітальні й експлуатаційні витрати, а також вуглецевий слід. Рідкі види палива відрізняються більш високою питомою енергією по масі в порівнянні з сонячними панелями або термокомпенсаторами. Не можна недооцінювати той факт, що виробництво рідкого палива передбачає наявність громіздкого очисного й переробного обладнання, робота якого збільшує вуглецевий слід. Результати. Генераторний газ і бактеріальні двигуни пропонуються в якості способу зменшення забруднення та економічного отримання електричної енергії. Отримання електроенергії на геотермальних і гідроелектростанціях, а також на станціях, що працюють на вугіллі чи біомасі, передбачає низькі витрати на експлуатацію. Однак, при цьому не враховуються витрати на боротьбу з вуглецевими викидами. Сонячні електростанції аеродинамічного типу при малому механічному ККД відрізняються низькими експлуатаційними витратами і практично не забруднюють навколишнє середовище. Модифіковані двигуни внутрішнього згоряння, що дозволяють отримувати генераторний газ і спирт, можуть сприяти зменшенню вуглецевих викидів. Наукова новизна. Багато вчених розглядають проблеми отримання енергії й підвищення механічного ККД. Необхідно вдосконалювати бактеріальні двигуни, свого роду хімічні фабрики, робота яких ще не до кінця зрозуміла з точки зору класичної термодинаміки. Оцінюючи різні технології, слід виходити з окупності інвестицій, оскільки вона включає капітальні витрати, які зазвичай не враховуються при розрахунках механічного ККД. Практична значимість. Скорочення лісового покриву планети, який є поглиначем парникових газів, призводить до глобального потепління. Якщо двигуни мільйонів машин по всьому світу перевести з бензину на альтернативні види палива, скоротяться парникові викиди й сповільняться темпи глобального потепління.Цель. Представить и сравнить различные виды возобновляемой энергии с учетом энергетического кризиса, связанного с глобальным потеплением и истощением ископаемых источников топлива, что приводит к выбросам углекислого газа, который является главным источником загрязнения атмосферы и поглощения радиации. Методика. При обзоре литературных источников и анализе преимуществ и недостатков конкурирующих технологий необходимо учитывать капитальные и эксплуатационные затраты, а также углеродный след. Жидкие виды топлива отличаются более высокой удельной энергией по массе по сравнению с солнечными панелями или термокомпенсаторами. Нельзя недооценивать тот факт, что производство жидкого топлива предполагает наличие громоздкого очистного и перерабатывающего оборудования, работа которого увеличивает углеродный след. Результаты. Генераторный газ и бактериальные двигатели предлагаются в качестве способа уменьшения загрязнения и экономичного получения электрической энергии. Получение электроэнергии на геотермальных и гидроэлектростанциях, а также на станциях, работающих на угле или биомассе, предполагает низкие расходы на эксплуатацию. Однако, при этом не учитываются расходы на борьбу с углеродистыми выбросами. Солнечные электростанции аэродинамического типа при малом механическом КПД отличаются низкими эксплуатационными расходами и практически не загрязняют окружающую среду. Модифицированные двигатели внутреннего сгорания, позволяющие получать генераторный газ и спирт, могут способствовать уменьшению углеродистых выбросов. Научная новизна. Многие ученые рассматривают проблемы получения энергии и повышения механического КПД. Необходимо совершенствовать бактериальные двигатели, своего рода химические фабрики, работа которых еще не до конца понятна с точки зрения классической термодинамики. Оценивая различные технологии, следует исходить из окупаемости инвестиций, поскольку она включает капитальные затраты, которые обычно не учитываются при расчетах механического КПД. Практическая значимость. Сокращение лесного покрова планеты, который является поглотителем парниковых газов, приводит к глобальному потеплению. Если двигатели миллионов машин по всему миру перевести с бензина на альтернативные виды топлива, сократятся парниковые выбросы и замедлятся темпы глобального потепления.This work was presented at the International Conference on Environmental Design and Innovation, Amman Jordan in May 2016. The author thanks the organizers and Al-Zaytoona University for local hospitality

Face recognition technologies for evidential evaluation of video traces

Human recognition from video traces is an important task in forensic investigations and evidence evaluations. Compared with other biometric traits, face is one of the most popularly used modalities for human recognition due to the fact that its collection is non-intrusive and requires less cooperation from the subjects. Moreover, face images taken at a long distance can still provide reasonable resolution, while most biometric modalities, such as iris and fingerprint, do not have this merit. In this chapter, we discuss automatic face recognition technologies for evidential evaluations of video traces. We first introduce the general concepts in both forensic and automatic face recognition , then analyse the difficulties in face recognition from videos . We summarise and categorise the approaches for handling different uncontrollable factors in difficult recognition conditions. Finally we discuss some challenges and trends in face recognition research in both forensics and biometrics . Given its merits tested in many deployed systems and great potential in other emerging applications, considerable research and development efforts are expected to be devoted in face recognition in the near future

Learning technologies and the lifelong learner: Armament or disarmament?

Educators at all levels are underpressure to produce ‘lifelong learners’. Their task is to ‘arm’ the student with knowledge and skills that will enable them to be creative and enterprising scholars. One possible way of arming the lifelong learner is through the use of learning technologies. Learning technologies can offer armament by widening access and participation and offering flexible delivery. This paper will use the results of two evaluation studies to explore the argument that learning technologies have the capacity to both arm and disarm students. Results from an evaluation of an email discussion list will be presented to highlight how the way a learning technology is used may arm a learner by giving them information but disarm them by promoting a lack of confidence and a low valuation of discussion. Results from an evaluation of a Microcosm application will be presented to highlight how the way a learning technology is used may arm a learner by helping them to apply knowledge but disarm them by placing restrictions on their self‐directed learning. These results will be discussed in order to argue that the ‘disarmament’ of students through the use of learning technologies may place obstacles in the way of lifelong learning

A Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Data from a Formative Usability Evaluation of an Augmented Reality Learning Scenario

The proliferation of augmented reality (AR) technologies creates opportunities for the devel-opment of new learning scenarios. More recently, the advances in the design and implementation of desktop AR systems make it possible the deployment of such scenarios in primary and secondary schools. Usability evaluation is a precondition for the pedagogical effectiveness of these new technologies and requires a systematic approach for finding and fixing usability problems. In this paper we present an approach to a formative usability evaluation based on heuristic evaluation and user testing. The basic idea is to compare and integrate quantitative and qualitative measures in order to increase confidence in results and enhance the descriptive power of the usability evaluation report.augmented reality, multimodal interaction, e-learning, formative usability evaluation, user testing, heuristic evaluation

Evaluation of components, subsystems, and networks for high rate, high frequency space communications

The development of new space communications technologies by NASA has included both commercial applications and space science requirements. NASA's Systems Integration, Test and Evaluation (SITE) Space Communication System Simulator is a hardware based laboratory simulator for evaluating space communications technologies at the component, subsystem, system, and network level, geared toward high frequency, high data rate systems. The SITE facility is well-suited for evaluation of the new technologies required for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and advanced commercial systems. Described here are the technology developments and evaluation requirements for current and planned commercial and space science programs. Also examined are the capabilities of SITE, the past, present and planned future configurations of the SITE facility, and applications of SITE to evaluation of SEI technology

Application of Web 2.0 technologies in e-government: A United Kingdom case study

Electronic government (e-Government) has endured significant transformation over the last decade and currently, it is making further leaps by incorporating modern technologies such as second generation web (Web 2.0) technologies. However, since the development and use of this kind of technology is still at its early stages in the public sector, research about the use of Web 2.0 in this domain is still highly tentative and lacks theoretical underpinning. This paper reports the preliminary findings of an in-depth case study in the United Kingdom (UK) public sector, which explore the application of Web 2.0 technologies in the local government authority (LGA). The findings elicited from the case study offer an insight into information systems (IS) evaluation criterions and impact factors of Web 2.0 from both a practical setting and an internal organisational perspective. This paper concludes that a combined analysis of the evaluation and impact factors rather than a singular approach would better assist the decision making process that leads to effective application of Web 2.0 technologies. It also highlights the significant impact and perceived effect of adoption of such technologies

Healthcare technologies and professional vision

This paper presents some details from an observational evaluation of a computer assisted detection tool in mammography. The use of the tool, its strengths and weaknesses, are documented and its impact on reader's 'professional vision' (Goodwin 1994) considered. The paper suggests issues for the design, use and, importantly, evaluation of new technologies in everyday medical work, pointing to general issues concerning trust – users’ perception of the dependability of the evidence generated by such tools and suggesting that evaluations require an emphasis on the complex issue of what technologies afford their users in everyday work

User interaction and uptake challenges to successfully deploying Semantic Web technologies

The Semantic Web community could benefit greatly from 'eating its own dog food' in order to better understand the challenges and opportunities of a Semantic Web from the user perspective. In this paper we describe the deployment of Semantic Web applications and services at the 3rd European Semantic Web Conference (ESWC2006), before presenting results of an evaluation into how these technologies were experienced by delegates. Based on themes identified in the evaluation we highlight seven user interaction and uptake challenges raised by the conference experience, and discuss how these may generalize to the widespread deployment of Semantic Web technologies

Evaluating the integration of supply chain information systems: A case study

Supply chain management (SCM) is the integrated management of business links, information flows and people. It is with this frame of reference that information systems integration from both intra- and inter-organisational levels becomes significant. Enterprise application integration (EAI) has emerged as software technologies to address the issue of integrating the portfolio of SCM components both within organisations and through cross-enterprises. EAI is based on a diversity of integration technologies (e.g. message brokers, ebXML) that differ in the type and level of integration they offer. However, none of these technologies claim to be a panacea to overcoming all integration problems but rather, need to be pieced together to support the linking of diverse applications that often exist within supply chains. In exploring the evaluation of supply chain integration, the authors propose a framework for evaluating the portfolio of integration technologies that are used to unify inter-organisational and intra-organisational information systems. The authors define and classify the permutations of information systems available according to their characteristics and integration requirements. These, classifications of system types are then adopted as part of the evaluation framework and empirically tested within a case study

Detection of the Security Vulnerabilities in Web Applications

The contemporary organizations develop business processes in a very complex environment. The IT&C technologies are used by organizations to improve their competitive advantages. But, the IT&C technologies are not perfect. They are developed in an iterative process and their quality is the result of the lifecycle activities. The audit and evaluation processes are required by the increased complexity of the business processes supported by IT&C technologies. In order to organize and develop a high-quality audit process, the evaluation team must analyze the risks, threats and vulnerabilities of the information system. The paper highlights the security vulnerabilities in web applications and the processes of their detection. The web applications are used as IT&C tools to support the distributed information processes. They are a major component of the distributed information systems. The audit and evaluation processes are carried out in accordance with the international standards developed for information system security assurance.security, vulnerability, web application, audit