Search results for "CEDU"
showing 10 items of 2453 documents
Hydraulic Models and Finite Elements for Monitoring of an Earth Dam, by Using GNSS Techniques
2016
This work gives a comparison between different mathematicalmodels for the evaluation of the movements of an earthendam situated between Bivona and Alessandria della Rocca, inthe province of Agrigento (AG), Italy. The models selected areof a hydraulic nature, already tested on concrete dams, andfinite elements models which, on the contrary, exploit geotechnicalparameters. The results obtained from the comparisonof the displacement planimetric components and the relativetime series of data over a period of two years appear to befully satisfactory, in fact using both models of a hydraulic andgeotechnical nature, we reach residues of just mm. To supportthis work, a monitoring procedure using GN…
Quality Assurance and Support Measures for Solar Cooling on System Level
2016
Abstract Within the IEA SHC Task 48 “Quality assurance and support measures for Solar Cooling” the analysis and evaluation of the systems has been one of the four main focuses. Here the activities are including the lab- and field-based characterization of the systems, the definition and application of performance figures, a guideline for a reliable monitoring procedure including methods for automated error detection and an updated overview on worldwide installed DEC systems including hints and good practice examples. They are furthermore leading to three different easy-to-use tools for solar cooling systems: The LCA tool considers environmental and energetic values for the evaluation, the P…
Increasing the Capacity of Existing Bridges by Using Unbonded Prestressing Technology: A Case Study
2014
External posttensioning or unbonded prestressing was found to be a powerful tool for retrofitting and for increasing the life extension of existing structures. Since the 1950s, this technique of reinforcement was applied with success to bridge structures in many countries, and was found to provide an efficient and economic solution for a wide range of bridge types and conditions. Unbonded prestressing is defined as a system in which the post-tensioning tendons or bars are located outside the concrete cross-section and the prestressing forces are transmitted to the girder through the end anchorages, deviators, or saddles. In response to the demand for a faster and more efficient transportati…
Multi-objective optimization of nitinol stent design.
2017
Nitinol stents continuously experience loadings due to pulsatile pressure, thus a given stent design should possess an adequate fatigue strength and, at the same time, it should guarantee a sufficient vessel scaffolding. The present study proposes an optimization framework aiming at increasing the fatigue life reducing the maximum strut strain along the structure through a local modification of the strut profile.The adopted computational framework relies on nonlinear structural finite element analysis combined with a Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm, based on Kriging response surfaces. In particular, such an approach is used to investigate the design optimization of planar stent cell.The r…
A GRASP algorithm for the container stowage slot planning problem
2016
This work presents a generalization of the Slot Planning Problem which raises when the liner shipping industry needs to plan the placement of containers within a vessel (stowage planning). State-of-the-art stowage planning relies on a heuristic decomposition where containers are first distributed in clusters along the vessel. For each of those clusters a specific position for each container must be found. Compared to previous studies, we have introduced two new features: the explicit handling of rolled out containers and the inclusion of separations rules for dangerous cargo. We present a novel integer programming formulation and a Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) to solv…
Application of the Morris method for screening the influential parameters of fuzzy controllers applied to wastewater treatment plants
2011
In this paper,we evaluate the application of a sensitivity analysis to help fine-tuning a fuzzy controller for a biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal (BNPR) plant. TheMorris Screeningmethod is proposed and evaluated as a prior step to obtain the parameter significance ranking. First, an iterative procedure has been performed in order to find out the proper repetition number of the elementary effects (r) of the method. The optimal repetition number found in this study (r = 60) is in direct contrast to previous applications of the Morris method, which usually use low repetition number, e.g. r = 10 ~ 20. Working with a non-proper repetition number (r) could lead to Type I error (identify…
Immunity of a Virtual Instrument to conducted electromagnetic disturbances
2004
In the paper the performances of the Virtual Instruments under conducted electromagnetic disturbances are investigated, in order to find out if and how their metrological characteristics change with respect to the ones measured in absence of electromagnetic threats. The analysis is carried out by means of experimental tests, subjecting the AC power port of the systems under test to the conducted disturbances considered by the IEC-61326 standard and following the test procedures prescribed in the IEC-61000-4-series standards. The results show that the tested measurements instruments are sufficiently immune to these disturbances, since no variations of the distinctive parameters have been obs…
Class Actions or Collective Redress: The Need for an Efficient European Tool
2014
Collective redress makes sense both in court-based litigation and in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Yet while the courts generally have a good sense of collective redress (though arguably there is room for improvements), in the second framework, there are some contradictions from a dogmatic point of view. When collective interests come up in conflict, judicial coercion and a judicial structure are often needed to resolve the conflict. In addition, the absence of a voluntary agreement, especially from the abuser’s side, makes it more difficult to resolve conflicts using ADR. The future EU Directive in Consumer Collective Redress aims to bring a new era to the field. In this paper, I s…
Guarding, guiding, gate opening: Prison officer work in a Norwegian welfare context
2017
Anne A is a prison officer, and for years, she has been working behind the walls—in low-security and high-security wings, with remand and sentenced prisoners. She says: We are there fifty per cent in order to keep an eye on them, to ensure that they stay here [in prison]. The other fifty per cent we are trying to help them. They may be drug users or have other problems, and it’s just as much our duty to help them as to watch them. And when we help, this contributes to security just as much as a locked door or an alarm.