Search results for "202"

Building integrated solar thermal design: assessment of performances of a low cost solar wall in a typical Italian building

2016

Abstract Present work deals with the topic of building integration of solar thermal collector (BIST) as a refurbishment measure. Such equipment, more than its main function as heating generator, plays a specific role as a building component (envelope finishes, thermal insulation layer, roof cover etc). Consequently, from a heat transfer point of view, an integrated component affects twice the global building balance: supporting the thermal plant (i.e. providing heat for final uses) and modifying the wall heat-transfer pattern (i.e. reducing thermal losses). In turn, the collector performance itself is influenced by the wall structure (back losses reduction). Present work proposes a method f…

Understanding the crowdfunding phenomenon and its implications for sustainability

2019

Abstract Nonetheless the large body of knowledge rapidly accumulated on crowdfunding as well as the growing relevance of this phenomenon for sustainability, there are very few studies on the role of crowdfunding for sustainability-oriented projects, and many related issues are still far from being fully understood. This signalises a clear need for unveiling the main dynamics of the relationship between crowdfunding and sustainability, and also opening up useful directions for future research on this relationship. To conceptualize the implications of crowdfunding for sustainability, we propose and use a framework, encompassing five dimensions, namely the project creator, the backers, the cam…

Probabilities of conditionals and previsions of iterated conditionals

2019

Abstract We analyze selected iterated conditionals in the framework of conditional random quantities. We point out that it is instructive to examine Lewis's triviality result, which shows the conditions a conditional must satisfy for its probability to be the conditional probability. In our approach, however, we avoid triviality because the import-export principle is invalid. We then analyze an example of reasoning under partial knowledge where, given a conditional if A then C as information, the probability of A should intuitively increase. We explain this intuition by making some implicit background information explicit. We consider several (generalized) iterated conditionals, which allow…

Low Latency Ambient Backscatter Communications with Deep Q-Learning for Beyond 5G Applications

2020

Low latency is a critical requirement of beyond 5G services. Previously, the aspect of latency has been extensively analyzed in conventional and modern wireless networks. With the rapidly growing research interest in wireless-powered ambient backscatter communications, it has become ever more important to meet the delay constraints, while maximizing the achievable data rate. Therefore, to address the issue of latency in backscatter networks, this paper provides a deep Q-learning based framework for delay constrained ambient backscatter networks. To do so, a Q-learning model for ambient backscatter scenario has been developed. In addition, an algorithm has been proposed that employ deep neur…

Constrained consistency enforcement in AHP

2020

Abstract Decision-making in the presence of intangible elements must be based on a robust, but subtle, balance between expert know-how and judgment consistency when eliciting that know-how. This balance is frequently achieved as a trade-off reached after a feedback process softens the tension frequently found between one force steadily pulling towards (full) consistency, and another force driven by expert feeling and opinion. The linearization method, developed by the authors in the framework of the analytic hierarchy process, is a pull-towards-consistency mechanism that shows the path from an inconsistent body of judgment elicited from an expert towards consistency, by suggesting optimal c…

Digital image analysis technique for measuring railway track defects and ballast gradation

2018

Abstract In order to guarantee safety and driving comfort and to maintain an efficient railway infrastructure, the first step is to carefully monitor the track geometry and wear level of the materials constituting the superstructure. To that end diagnostic trains are widely used on main lines, in that they can detect several geometric track parameters and rail wear, but under no circumstances they can yet detect ballast gradation. Due to the practical implications for the planning of maintenance operations on the railway network, this article presents a “DIP” digital image processing technique for measuring the transverse profile and corrugations of the rails as well as ballast gradation. T…

Lepori, Maria: Bande, fazioni, trame. La nobiltà rurale tra violenza e giustizia nella Sardegna del Settecento

2021

Multi-Resource Management for Multi-Tier Space Information Networks: A Cooperative Game

2019

With the drastic increase of space information network (SIN) traffic and the diversity of network traffic types, the optimal allocation of the scarce network resources is of great significance for optimizing the SIN system capability. In this paper, we propose a multi-resource management method for multi-tier SIN using the cooperative Nash bargaining solution. Since the original problem is a non-convex problem, we firstly make logarithmic transition, and then find a tightest lower bound function to convert the initial problem into a convex one. In order to carry out the optimal bandwidth and power allocation in SIN, we construct a joint bandwidth and power allocation (JBPA) algorithm. Simul…

Durability assessment of basalt fiber polymer as reinforcement to expanded clay concrete in harsh environment

2021

Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer composites are receiving considerable attention as they represent a low-cost green source of raw materials. In most cases, fiber-reinforced polymer composites face harsh environments, such as chloride ions in coastal marine environments or cold regions with salt deicing. The resistance of fiber-reinforced polymers subjected to the above environments is critical for the safe design and application of such composites. This research aims to develop a framework to investigate the durability properties of the lightweight expanded clay basalt fiber polymer reinforced concrete exposed to the NaCl environment. The specified quantity of concrete structural elements wa…

Reflectance-based surface saliency

2017

In this paper, we propose an original methodology allowing the computation of the saliency maps for high dimensional RTI data (Reflectance Transformation Imaging). Unlike most of the classical methods, our approach aims at devising an intrinsic visual saliency of the surface, independent of the sensor (image) and the geometry of the scene (light-object-camera). From RTI data, we use the DMD (Discrete Modal Decomposition) technique for the angular reflectance reconstruction, which we extend by a new transformation on the modal basis enabling a rotation-invariant representation of reconstructed reflectances. This orientation-invariance of the resulting reflectance shapes fosters a robust esti…