Search results for " Concept"
showing 10 items of 1144 documents
Modular, customisable, accomodation-friendly antenna system for satellite avionics: Development, prototyping and validation
2014
In the frame of ESA program AO/1- 6737/11/NL/MH, an innovative X-band antenna system for satellite avionics has been studied, demonstrated and validated at Proof of Concept Model level. The innovative contribution of such an antenna system relies on modularity, customizability and accommodation friendliness. The antenna concept is based on a Plug and Play architecture, where the basic module is a 2.7 cm-cube with a mass of 53 gr, which can be clustered in array configuration. A catalogue of predefined and ready-to-use clusters could be developed with the possibility of adapting the antenna systems to various platform types by tuning just a few control parameters. Different levels of customi…
Fifty Fuzzily Gone, Many More to Go: An Appreciation of Fuzziness’ Present and an Outlook on What May Come
2015
Fifty years of Fuzziness represents a good chance to look back on the rich history of the discipline and the scientists that were part of this history, and at the long and varied course of one of the few really innovative, disruptive ideas of the last century, including the development of its many applications. But instead we would like to take this interesting opportunity to discuss the present state of affairs, especially in relation to the application of Fuzziness to the cognitive domain. From such reflections a possible path is defined toward the evolution of Fuzziness, under the umbrella of computational intelligence, toward an all-encompassing experimental science of language, reasoni…
Proof of Concept of an Irradiance Estimation System for Reconfigurable Photovoltaic Arrays
2015
In order to reduce the mismatch effect caused by non-uniform shadows in PV arrays, reconfigurable interconnections approaches have been recently proposed in the literature. These systems usually require the knowledge of the solar radiation affecting every solar module. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of three irradiance estimation approaches in order to define which can be well suited for reconfigurable PV arrays. It is presented a real-time solar irradiance estimation device (IrradEst), implementing the three different estimation methods. The proposed system is based on mathematical models of PV modules enabling to estimate irradiation values by sensing a combination …
New Forms of Work in the Light of Globalization in Software Development
2009
Globalization in software development introduced significant changes in the way organizations operate today. Software is nowadays produced by team members from geographically, temporally and culturally remote sites. Organizations seek for benefits that global market offers and face new challenges. Naturally resistant to change, these organizations often do not realize necessity for tailoring existing methods for distributed collaboration. Our empirical investigation shows a great variety in the ways organizations distribute responsibilities across remote sites and conclude that these can be divided into two main categories: joint collaboration that requires investments in team building and …
Dynamic railroad inspection using the laser-air hybrid ultrasonic technique
2006
Laser-Air Hybrid Ultrasonic Technique (LAHUT) combines laser generation with air-coupled detection of ultrasound. The technique is non-contact and has the characteristic of operating from remote distances. Acoustic wave laser-generation apparatus can be metres away from the interrogated surface while air-coupled detection standoff can be on the order of several centimetres. The technique has the unique capability of interrogating structural materials in their true industrial environment. Dynamic tests are performed on parts with complex geometry, limited accessibility and curved surfaces. Also, dark and rough finish surfaces, which significantly reduce the efficiency of optical detection te…
Training in Sustainability as Essential for Future Employability
2014
Abstract This work studies the need for an education that will develop competences to successfully face the challenges posed by Sustainability and discusses current curricula and how the Competences for Sustainability have been included in them. It has analyzed the inclusion of general and specific competences relating to Sustainability, present in the teacher guides for all subjects of the new degree format at the University of Valencia and other Spanish universities. Among the conclusions, it is noted that as in the rest of the world, Spanish universities have begun to include competences for Sustainability as well as specific content to prepare their students for the construction of a su…
Laser-air hybrid ultrasonic technique for dynamic railroad inspection applications
2005
The Laser-Air Hybrid Ultrasonic Technique (LAHUT) combines laser generation with air-coupled detection of ultrasound. The technique is non-contact and has the characteristic of operating from remote distances. Acoustic wave laser-generation apparatus can be metres away from the interrogated surface, while air-coupled detection stand-off can be on the order of several centimetres. The technique has the unique capability of interrogating structural materials in their true industrial environment. Dynamic tests are performed on parts with complex geometry, limited accessibility and curved surfaces. Also, dark and rough finish surfaces, which significantly reduce the efficiency of optical detect…
Proof of concept of wayside railroad wheel inspection using a laser-air hybrid ultrasonic technique
2003
Non-destructive inspection of railroad wheels is performed in maintenance shops, where wheels are removed and inspected individually. No technique is yet available to the railroad industry to perform wayside inspections of wheels on a moving train. The characteristics of laser and air-coupled ultrasound are discussed to justify the use of a laser-air hybrid ultrasonic technique. Laser generation of ultrasound is combined with air-coupled detection to provide a flexible non-contact and remote technique that would enable the railroad industry to perform wayside inspections of moving railroad wheels. The present paper describes Proof of Concept set-up and results of the experiments performed a…
Beyond the Obvious
2015
There is a general tendency amongst policy and certain academic circles to assume that universities are simple strategic actors capable and willing to respond to a well-articulated set of regional demands. In reality, however, universities are extremely complex organizations that operate in highly institutionalized environments and are susceptible to regulative shifts, resource dependencies, and fluctuations in student numbers. Understanding universities' contributions—and capacities to contribute—to regional development and innovation requires understanding these internal dynamics and how they interact with external environmental agents. Based on a comparative study across various national…