ZHAW digitalcollection (Zurich Univ. of Applied Sciences)
Not a member yet
34342 research outputs found
Sort by
Bringing wind energy models up to speed : updated life cycle inventory data for on- and offshore wind energy generation
No full textIntroduction: Wind energy is playing an increasingly relevant role in the electricity mixes worldwide. In Europe, the installed capacity doubled from 148 GW to 285 GW in the last decade, covering 19% of the electricity demand in 2024. In addition, the average nominal capacity of newly installed wind turbines, both onshore and offshore, increased considerably. Despite these advancements, recent environmental assessments of wind energy still largely relied on outdated inventory data. This work therefore provides up-to-date inventories for wind energy for the Swiss Life Cycle Inventories database. The overall objective of the study was to provide up-to-date inventory for the European electricity mix from wind energy and the Swiss electricity from wind energy. These electricity datasets will serve to update national European electricity mixes and can be used for reliable comparisons within different energy technologies as well as for reliable background data for supply chain inventory. Outcomes of the work will feed into the IEA Wind Task 60 CYCLEWIND.
Methodology: The established life cycle inventory (LCI) data considers all life cycle stages of electricity produced from wind energy, including component manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance (O&M) and decommissioning & waste treatment (Figure 1). Separate infrastructure datasets were created for the wind turbines and the Electrical Balance of Plant (EBoP). Infrastructure datasets for wind turbines consist of a dataset for the moving parts (including blades, hub and nacelle), a dataset for the tower and a dataset for the foundation/substructure. The EBoP is divided into four separate infrastructure datasets in the case of offshore wind power, being array cable, export cable, land-based substation and offshore substation. In the case of onshore wind power, the EBoP consists of two infrastructure datasets being array and export cable combined and the substation. Each infrastructure dataset includes manufacturing transportation, installation, decommissioning and waste treatments for original and replaced components, according to their relative shares.
Environmental impacts:
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are dominated by the infrastructure of the wind turbine (moving parts, tower and foundation), with a contribution of between 77-93% to the overall GHG emissions (Figure 2).
• The higher environmental impacts of electricity produced by offshore wind farms can primarily be explained by the impacts from vessel activities.
• The Swiss and European wind electricity mix show GHG emissions of 18.1 and 15.0 g of CO2-eq/kWh, respectively.
• Total environmental impact and cumulative energy demand are 13-16% higher in the Swiss electricity mix compared to the European electricity mix.
Technology comparison:
• Total environmental impact of Swiss wind power is 8.8 times lower compared to the average consumer mix in Switzerland, while the total environmental impacts of European wind power are 19 times lower compared to the ENTSO-E mix.
• In comparison to the Swiss production mix, the GWP of Swiss wind power is 5.8 times lower, while the GWP of European wind power is 31 times lower than the GWP of the ENTSO-E mix.
Conclusion: Wind power, along with hydropower, is one of the electricity products with the lowest environmental impact
The role of uncertainty in anxiety disorders among young adults : a study in university students
No full textTeil des Forschungsprojekts "Gesund im Studium an der ZHAW (HES-Z)": https://www.zhaw.ch/de/gesundheit/forschung/forschung-public-health/projekte/gesund-im-studium-an-der-zha
From research to practice in manufacturing : interactive session I
No full textControl research has the potential to address longstanding challenges in automation, efficiency, and sustainability across various technological systems. Transitioning from academic to commercial environments brings new challenges that require specific skills and perspective shifts. This presentation explores the pathways in developing commercialized products based on control research. Commercialization begins with research results but quickly requires moving beyond scientific value to demonstrate commercial potential. We examine how to develop effective pitches that communicate both technological excellence and market viability, identify funding opportunities beyond traditional research grants, and understand evaluation criteria used by investors. We provide practical strategies on turning research into commercial applications, and explore how this process enables researchers to think of their work not only as pushing the field forward, but as a means to advance technology and influence society positively
Berufswahlfaktoren bei Jugendlichen : Einflussfaktoren auf die Wahl von Ausbildungsberufen bei Jugendlichen aus verschiedenen kulturellen Milieus
No full textDiese Masterarbeit untersucht die Einflussfaktoren auf die Berufswahl von Jugendlichen mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund in der Schweiz. Ziel ist es, zu analysieren, welche sozialen, familiären, schulischen und kulturellen Rahmenbedingungen den Entscheidungsprozess junger Menschen in der ersten Berufs- und Schulwahlphase beeinflussen.
Die Grundlage bildet eine quantitative Umfrage unter 60 Schülerinnen und Schülern aus unterschiedlichen Schulstufen im Kanton Aargau. Dabei zeigt sich: Jugendliche mit Migrationshintergrund sehen sich häufiger mit spezifischen Hürden konfrontiert, darunter ökonomischer Druck, geringere familiäre Unterstützung und strukturelle Barrieren. Familiäre Erwartungen, schulische Leistungen und der Zugang zu Informationen spielen bei beiden Gruppen eine zentrale Rolle, zeigen jedoch unterschiedliche Ausprägungen.
Die Ergebnisse weisen auf die Notwendigkeit hin, Berufsberatungsangebote stärker zu differenzieren und kultursensibel zu gestalten. Konkrete Empfehlungen beinhalten die Einbindung von Eltern, den Ausbau von Informationsangeboten und die Förderung von Selbstwirksamkeit bei Jugendlichen.
Diese Arbeit bietet praxisrelevante Erkenntnisse für Fachpersonen in der Berufs-, Studien und Laufbahnberatung und leistet einen Beitrag zur chancengerechten beruflichen Integration junger Menschen in einem zunehmend multikulturellen Bildungskontext
Additive Fertigung als Wegbereiter zur Spannungshomogenisierung von Schraubendruckfedern
No full textDie additive Fertigung (AM) eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten zur Gestaltung mechanisch beanspruchter Bauteile, insbesondere bei Geometrien mit hohem Leichtbaupotenzial. In dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, wie sich die Gestaltung von Schraubendruckfedern durch den Einsatz des Selective-Laser-Melting (SLM) verändern lässt, um das Bauteilgewicht bei gleichbleibender Funktion zu reduzieren. Dabei werden konventionelle Federkonzepte hinsichtlich ihrer mechanischen Beanspruchung analysiert und verschiedene AM-optimierte Geometrieansätze entwickelt: Dabei stellt sich eine stehend hergestellte Feder mit einem tropfenförmigen Hohlquerschnitt sowie deren Parallelschaltung als vielversprechende Variante heraus. Die Konzepte werden mit Finite-Elemente-Analysen bewertet und in Hinblick auf ihre Herstellbarkeit im SLM-Prozess geprüft. Die beste Variante wurde prototypisch gefertigt und auf ihre Machbarkeit beurteilt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich bei vergleichbarem Bauraum eine signifikante Reduktion der Masse (bis zu 50 %) und deutliche Steigerung des Artnutzgrads realisieren lässt. Herausforderungen bestehen insbesondere in der Kostenoptimierung, der Entfernung notwendiger Supportstrukturen sowie in der Materialdefinition inkl. der Materialqualität. Insgesamt belegt die Studie das Potenzial additiv gefertigter Schraubendruckfedern für Anwendungen mit hohen Anforderungen an Gewicht und Funktion
AI, design, and homelessness : an exploration of ethics, innovation, and inclusion
No full textIf Generative AI cannot thoughtfully imagine anything new and only plagiarize what is already known, how can we trust the technology to to imagine a better future or solve issues like homelessness in a way not grounded in the status quo, stereotypes, and problems evident in the trends of the past? The Conversation - A roundtable with experts, educators, and practitioners to critically examine the ethical and practical implications of Generative AI’s role in design education to address societal challenges like homelessness. This international panel was hosted by the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape on March 20, 2025. The Conversation was guided by key provocations to foster open dialogue, reflection, and actionable insights. Attendees engaged in meaningful conversations and explore next steps for ethical AI use in design. This transcript of the conversation has been edited for clarity and length. The collages have been created by Craig Delean
Unpacking the middle-class worldview in occupational science using cultural-historical activity theory
No full textBackground: Occupational science continues to study occupation from a Westernised, Eurocentric, and middle-class perspective despite efforts to incorporate Global South perspectives. As such, this middle-class worldview is used as universal, following normative ways of thinking and doing while neglecting the socioeconomic, political, and historical conditions that shape class. This paper unpacks the middle-class perspective in occupational science by drawing attention to how this concept shapes occupational therapy practice.
Methods: Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) was utilised to problematise the concept of the middle-class in two activity systems through analysis of a collaboratively created case that connects social class to the authors’ experiences as professional occupational therapists. This analysis was supplemented by the theoretical perspectives of Latin-American Collective Health and Social Occupational Therapy to compare the existing literature for both activity systems.
Results: Using CHAT, the case portrays practitioners as subjects who reproduce and adopt a normative middle-class view in different contexts.
Findings: Analysis of the two activity systems resulted in the identification of a subject, object, tools, rules, community, division of labour, and outcome. The first contradiction entails knowing where the health problem lies: is it from the individual's diagnosis or from the limitations of institutions and social systems? The second contradiction refers to how do we design health interventions: do we develop individual abilities or do we also facilitate critical thinking skills of individuals and their families to contribute to institutional as well as structural transformation? The last contradiction focuses on the position of the care provider: do they acknowledge when they are positioned as ‘instruments’ that further institutionalise biomedical practices or as ‘subjects’ who are more in control of the work that they do allowing them to actuate their purpose of care and service?
Conclusions: Class is a social category constituted and reproduced through occupations. It is argued that professional practice is performative, and therapists ‘doing’ practice need to consider class assumptions and the imposition of these assumptions on groups/individuals. Critical reflexivity is needed to problematise further how normative interpretations of middle-class shape and are shaped by doing practice, perpetuating dominant views while neglecting other experiences
Balancing reality, meaning, and play - the case of a digital game about the Swiss food system : a reflection on Foodscape’s design journey and its lessons for future serious games
No full textSerious games are attractive educational tools for introducing students, and a broader audience, to complex sustainability challenges. How to design a serious game that continues to be used in practice is a common question. Here, we share the lessons we learned during the interdisciplinary design process.
How to design an educational, serious game on sustainable development that continues to be used after its release? In this article, we reflect on the design of such a serious game, namely Foodscape. We used the Triadic Game Design framework to structure our reflections. We formulate key lessons for the future design of serious games with subject-matter experts, game designers, and education experts. We emphasize the importance of team members being willing to compromise in situations where they have conflicting views, and of building a mutual understanding of the game’s purpose and each participant’s roles in the design process. Finally, placing the user at the center of the development contributes to the promotion of the game. Future teams designing a serious game might benefit from the awareness of the trilemma that can occur in the design process
Nachhaltige Energiegewinnung in den Schaffhauser Rebbergen : Entwicklung von Grundlagen für die Implementierung einer Agri-PV-Anlage
No full textDer steigende Energiebedarf und die Anforderungen an eine nachhaltige Landwirtschaft führen zu Nutzungskonflikten auf begrenzten Flächen. Die Bachelorarbeit "Nachhaltige Energiegewinnung in den Schaffhauser Rebbergen" untersucht die Implementierung einer Agri-Photovoltaik-Anlage (APA) im Weinbaugebiet von Trasadingen, Kanton Schaffhausen. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, die Grundlagen für die erfolgreiche Planung und Umsetzung einer APA zu entwickeln und dabei ökonomische, ökologische, soziale, rechtliche, raumplanerische und technische Aspekte zu berücksichtigen.
Die Methodik umfasst eine umfangreiche Literaturrecherche zu bestehenden APA in Rebbergen sowie die Entwicklung eines detaillierten Prozessablaufs von der Projektidee bis zur Umsetzung. Dieser Prozess wird anhand eines realen Projekts in Trasadingen angewendet und dokumentiert.
Zu den Hauptergebnissen zählen:
- Eine Übersicht und Analyse der Auswirkungen von APA auf Weinbau und Umwelt
- Ein ausführlicher Prozessablauf für die Planung und Implementierung einer APA, der als Leitfaden für zukünftige Projekte dienen kann
- Die Dokumentation der Projektentwicklung in Trasadingen, einschliesslich Standortanalyse, rechtlicher und raumplanerischer Prüfung sowie technischer Vorplanung
- Die Vorbereitung des Baugesuchs für die APA in Trasadingen
Die Arbeit zeigt, dass die Integration von APA in Weinbergen technisch machbar ist und potenzielle Vorteile für die nachhaltige Energiegewinnung und den Weinbau bietet. Allerdings erfordert die Umsetzung eine sorgfältige Planung und Berücksichtigung verschiedener Faktoren, insbesondere im Bereich Raumplanung und Naturschutz. Schlussfolgernd liefert die Bachelorarbeit wichtige Erkenntnisse für die Entwicklung von APA in Weinbaugebieten und bietet einen praxisnahen Leitfaden für zukünftige Projekte. Sie unterstreicht die Bedeutung interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit und frühzeitiger Stakeholder-Einbindung für den Erfolg solcher innovativen Energiegewinnungskonzepte im landwirtschaftlichen Kontext
How is expert practice at a family systems care unit best described? A framework for reporting
No full textBackground and Purpose: Expert practice in therapeutic family conversations has been established at the Family Systems Care Unit (FSCU), a real-world clinical lab at a university of applied sciences. The FSCU supports families facing health-related challenges by fostering family strengths through therapeutic conversations. The FSCU invites students and professionals to observe and to engage in these expert-led therapeutic conversations as well as in clinical reasoning about this experience. As the unit moves towards formal reporting, the question arises: How can expert practice at the FSCU best be described from a practical perspective? The goal is to develop a framework.
Models: The Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Model, the Illness Beliefs Model and the Trinity Model are the clinical models implemented at the FSCU.
Method: The clinical team at FSCU adopted an action research approach, drawing on data from family conversations, conversation records and internal team discussions.
Results: The emerging framework organizes various elements, including family data, descriptions of expert practice, and additional outputs such as educational materials and collaborative efforts with the research team. For the clinical team, it is essential that the framework extends beyond family conversations themselves: Initial findings suggest that expert practice at FSCU is best understood as a reflexive practice - one that enhances systemic thinking and conceptualization. The framework is further enriched by considerations the diversity in families, family situations and the impact the conversations at the FSCU had on families’ everyday life.
Conclusions and Implications: The development of this framework has allowed the team to clearly define and agree on the key concepts guiding the reporting and description of expert practice from a practice perspective. This framework invites reporting and is encouraging further exploration of practice-based approaches and expert practice to promote family strength globally