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Technical and practical innovations to reduce soil and water losses by improving soil physical properties
No full textRickson, R. Jane - Associate SupervisorSoil erosion is a significant environmental challenge that impacts agricultural
productivity, environmental sustainability, and food security. The aim of this
research is to better understand the processes of soil erosion by water and wind
under different tillage and agronomic measures, with a view to reduce soil and
water losses. The research is divided into three main studies. The first study
examines the effects of soil surface roughness (SSR) orientation and magnitude
on runoff, infiltration, and soil erosion under simulated rainfall conditions.
Treatments included up- and downslope, across-slope, random SSR, and a
smooth surface. The second study explores the combined effects of wind and
rainfall on soil erosion using a novel system comprising rainfall and wind
simulators. The study evaluates the role of wind-driven rain (WDR) with varying
wind velocities on surface runoff, infiltration, and soil loss, comparing smooth and
rough soil surfaces. The third study assesses the influence of different wheat lines
(wild type vs dwarf), water regimes (dry vs well-watered), and sowing densities
on plant traits, soil properties and predicted erosion rates. The outcome of this
research indicates that i) random SSR significantly increases runoff and soil loss,
while across-slope SSR does not consistently reduce erosion compared to up-
and downslope oriented SSR, ii) WDR significantly accelerates runoff generation
and increases soil loss compared to windless rain, with higher wind velocities
magnifying these effects, iii) initial SSR patterns change during rainfall events,
and WDR exacerbates these changes in SSR, iv) dwarf wheat, higher sowing
density and well-watered conditions significantly reduce erosion rates through
improved aboveground and belowground plant traits and soil properties,
particularly at the later stage of plant growth. In conclusion, this research
highlights the importance of considering SSR, wind effects, and plant traits in soil
erosion studies to develop effective soil conservation strategies and enhance
agricultural sustainability.PhD in Environment and Agrifoo
Driving operational excellence: the role of technology-organization-environment framework in Lean Six Sigma Integrated Industry 4.0 adoption
Get PDFAdopting technological innovations is crucial for organizations to survive in dynamic and competitive market scenarios. Moreover, it is essential to understand the customer needs and respond accordingly. The present research makes use of Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework for Lean Six Sigma Integrated Industry 4.0 (LSSI) adoption. Scholarly literature shows that adopting LSSI drastically reduces waste and variations while facilitating real-time data analysis. However, empirical studies on LSSI adoption are limited and therefore, this study was conducted, with data collected from 287 respondents employed in various industries. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze research model, and the results indicate that TOE dimensions significantly impact LSSI adoption, which in turn influences operational performance. Furthermore, strategic alignment toward sustainability initiatives partially mediates the relationship between LSSI and operational performance, and these results are highly useful for practitioners, managers, and researchers aiming to adopt LSSI.Engineering Management Journa
Automatic heterogeneous runtime using signal processing domain-specific and parallel patterns
Get PDFParallel and signal processing patterns for large-scale radio data applications have been captured with a new domain-specific language (DSL), OptiSDR. The intermediate representations (IR) of the code are optimized at the frontend with the Delite compiler targeted for heterogeneous computing architecture (HCA). The design flow begins at the abstract programming model and, at a later stage, addresses tuning of the domain applications to the target HCA comprising GPUs and MCPU, as well as scheduling and optimal memory access. For a variety of signal processing use cases, the framework has shown up to two orders of magnitude higher computational speed than MPI and C++ and comparable performance to architecture-specific CUDA. Additional gains are ease of use, scalable computing, and efficient runtime.This document is the result of the research funded by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), which is a facility of the National Research Foundation, an agency of the Department of Science and Technology.International Journal of Parallel Programmin
The role of behavioural and environmental economics in sustainable manufacturing
Get PDFSustainable manufacturing is a rapidly growing field that primarily seeks to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing processes. Although the three-lens approach of social, environmental, and economic aspects remain the primary focus in any sustainability study, the domains of behavioral, and environmental economics along with smart data technologies have not been used in a unified approach. Through a review of the state of the art, this paper establishes the individual cases for each one of these domains and underscores the research interest in their combinatorial application and possible complementary efficacy for advancing the development of sustainable manufacturing strategies. A research agenda involving comparative testing and the development of pertinent policies and interventions for sustainable manufacturing is proposed for the integration of behavioral economics and environmental economics, within the context of sustainable manufacturing.19th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing 2023 (GCSM 2023
Sustainable sandwich composites for automotive applications
Get PDFMills, Andrew - Associate SupervisorThe increasing regulation and demand are raising the pressure on
manufacturing automotive components towards lighter weight and more
recyclability. The commercial road transport industry, contributing a giant part of
emissions, is still significantly utilising wood panels as trucks’/ lorries’/ vans’/
buses’ floor or side walls (of boxes), which is cost-effective and used for a very
long time. However, with the increasing pressure on lighter weight and more
recyclability, the wood panels that could cause deforestation, become a bio-
degradable landfill at the end of life and have a relatively high density are no
longer the best-fit choice for the floor or side panels of such vehicles. The
challenge is to have a floor panel design that could satisfy the increasing
pressure and product requirements such as mechanical properties, price, and
durability.
This research aimed to complete such a challenge by designing sandwich
composite structures with fibre-reinforced plastics and foam materials (foam is
used in case thermal resistance is needed, and honeycomb materials could be
applied when thermal insulating is unnecessary). A fully recyclable sandwich
composite achieved using recycled carbon fibre, polypropylene, and recycled
PET foam underwent various tests to evaluate its applicability as a commercial
transport vehicle floor or side panel. Single fibre tensile tests were operated to
understand the behaviour of the RCF mats. Composite mechanical properties
were estimated from tensile and three-point bending results, and impact
behaviour was analysed after drop tower impact testing. Fibre embedding and
sandwich bonding were verified under SEM, and the resulting sandwich
composite product properties were also tested using three-point bending.
The novelty of such sandwich composite is using RCF with PP to achieve a fully
recycled composite skin, while RCF were used mainly with thermoset resin (in
the same ways as virgin carbon fibre fabrics). Also, thermoplastic materials
such as PP were hard to process with fibre fabrics to form suitable composites
due to their non-polar constitution and high viscosity. Fibre fabric would be
squeezed together and create a layered structure with fibre rich zone at a very
high fibre volume fraction, while the intermedia zone mostly has resins.
However, when RCF and PP are mixed, the randomly oriented fibre could also
hinder the load from the viscose melt and reduce the amount of fabric pressed
closely, forcing some of the melt to pass through inter-fibre areas to create a
better filling. Different forms of PP (sheet, powder) were used, and their effect
on the compression moulding process and the final product were studied in this
research. A faster-pressing cycle was achieved, and a lower pressing pressure
was needed for the powder PP process, but disadvantages came from the
emission and cost side.PhD in Manufacturin
Appropriate technologies or appropriating technologies? Technopolitics within artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana
Get PDFThis article contributes to the discourse on the significance of “appropriate” technologies in formalising artisanal and small-scale gold miners' activities. By raising the question of what or who defines what is “appropriate” for artisanal miners, the paper engages critically with the ignored and complicated spatial and temporal dynamics that underpin miners’ decisions regarding technologies and the impact of these choices on the political ecology of artisanal gold mining. Until recently, technologies used by small and artisanal miners have been known to be crude and rudimentary, with deleterious impacts on the natural environment. Hence, the policy drive to formalise illegal miners has emphasised the essence of appropriate technologies, depoliticizing the complex underpinning factors that shape technology adoption and rejection. Thus, the paper focuses on two technologies that have become prevalent in the artisanal mining scene in Ghana, i.e. the Chinese Changfa and the Trommel, to demonstrate the complex and myriad ways miners determine which technology is appropriate. Appropriate technologies, the paper argues, are determined based on a multifaceted combination of socio-political, economic, ecological, biophysical and cultural factors. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these observations on the formalisation of artisanal miners amid the increasing demand for energy transition minerals in developing economies.Resources Polic
Prostate microcalcification crystallography as a marker of pathology
No full textProstate cancer remains the most common male cancer; however, treatment regimens remain unclear in some cases due to a lack of agreement in current testing methods. Therefore, there is an increasing need to identify novel biomarkers to better counsel patients about their treatment options. Microcalcifications offer one such avenue of exploration. Microfocus spectroscopy at the i18 beamline at Diamond Light Source was utilised to measure X-ray diffraction and fluorescence maps of calcifications in 10 µm thick formalin fixed paraffin embedded prostate sections. Calcifications predominantly consisted of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and whitlockite (WH). Kendall’s Tau statistics showed weak correlations of ‘a’ and ‘c’ lattice parameters in HAP with GG (rτ = − 0.323, p = 3.43 × 10–4 and rτ = 0.227, p = 0.011 respectively), and a negative correlation of relative zinc levels in soft tissue (rτ = − 0.240, p = 0.022) with GG. Negative correlations of the HAP ‘a’ axis (rτ = − 0.284, p = 2.17 × 10–3) and WH ‘c’ axis (rτ = − 0.543, p = 2.83 × 10–4) with pathological stage were also demonstrated. Prostate calcification chemistry has been revealed for the first time to correlate with clinical markers, highlighting the potential of calcifications as biomarkers of prostate cancer.This work was supported by Cancer Research UK [EDDPMA-May21\100010].Scientific Report
Pinewood and wheat straw bio-oil aqueous phase electrochemical hydrogenation utilising a PtRu/ACC catalyst
Get PDFBio-oil from biomass pyrolysis contains a wide range of oxygenated compounds, limiting its direct use as a fuel due to chemical instability and low energy density. This study investigates the application of electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) as an alternative to the conventional hydrogenation process to upgrade bio-oil derived from wheat straw and pinewood. Experiments were conducted in a two-chamber electrochemical cell, with ECH conditions optimised based on prior research. Platinum–ruthenium on activated carbon cloth (PtRu/ACC) was selected as the catalyst for ECH reactions. The process preferentially reduced phenolic and carbonyl compounds while increasing the concentration of alcohols, as confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The ECH study revealed substantial reductions in phenolic compounds, notably p-cresol (62.1%) and phenol (29.3%), alongside an increase in alcohol content from 49.3% to 56.5% in pinewood-derived bio-oil. These chemical transformations demonstrate ECH's potential as a milder, more sustainable alternative to traditional hydrodeoxygenation processes. This study provides insights into the ECH process and suggests future directions for optimising bio-oil upgrading and supporting the development of renewable fuels.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)The authors are grateful for the pyrolysis liquid supplied for this research from the Biochar CleanTech Accelerator project. Innovate UK Project No. 10055261. The authors also wish to thank UK EPSRC (EP/T518104/1) for supporting the work published in the paper through an EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership Funding.Sustainable Energy & Fuel
Farmland trees and integrated pest management: a review of current knowledge and developing strategies for sustainable systems
Get PDFThe initial report compiled to disseminate the stakeholder-elicitationresults and comments to contributing participants is available in the supporting information (Data S1)1. Climate change and the withdrawal of several classes of agrochemicals from use are intensifying the challenges faced by food producers in controlling pests in crop systems. Integrated pest management (IPM), which uses a combination of pest control approaches, is therefore a focus in international initiatives to improve the resilience of food production.
2. Integrating the greater use of trees and shrubs on farms within IPM frameworks offers a biodiversity‐positive contribution to crop protection. For example, trees can modulate the prevalence and impacts of agricultural pests and their natural antagonists through direct and indirect interactions. The beneficial impact of farmland trees and shrubs on pest management in arable or grassland fields can be enhanced from an analysis of variables such as tree species and their spatial distribution on farms, insect‐plant dynamics, population behaviours and soil management practices.
3. The aim of this study is to synthesise existing knowledge and to assess the benefits and trade‐offs between farmland trees and IPM strategies, building on gaps in knowledge identified by a stakeholder survey. Through this targeted review, we delineate the future evidence required to define and quantify the advantages that farmland trees offer as an element of IPM strategies.
4. Practical implication. The development of regional biodiversity monitoring tools, which integrate landscape features such as trees, shows promise for shaping national policies to increase the adoption of IPM. There is a demand for user‐friendly on‐farm tools, adaptable to changing crop and pest priorities, that can support the alignment of the management of farm trees with IPM. However, basic and applied biological and ecological research are needed to inform and validate these decision‐support tools and the capability to inform landscape‐scale models.Defra Future Proofing Plant Health Programme, Grant/Award Number:TH2_31Ecological Solutions and Evidenc
A methodology for modelling organisational governance : building the ‘Good Regulator’ model for organisations through the application of multiple systems methods
Get PDFHealy, Matthew - Associate SupervisorIt is not disputed that organisations require good governance and management to be successful. However, identifying the factors that lead to successful organisational outcomes is not so straightforward. Indeed, enabling an organisation to be resilient to environmental turbulence requires a complete and coherent appreciation of organisational operations and the interdependencies between the organisation and its environment.
The purpose of this doctoral thesis is twofold. Firstly, to determine the requirements for a set of systems methods to appropriately model the multidimensional complexity of an organisation. Secondly, to develop a bespoke Reference Model of Governance for a Specific Organisation with multiple systems approaches and a methodology with which to inform a systemic structure for organisational governance and management.
By applying the ‘Good Regulator’ model as a foundation, this thesis initially explores the complexity of an organisation and its interaction with its environment to determine the requirements for a set of systems methods. Recent approaches to multi-methodology design and application are reviewed. A set of candidate systems approaches is reviewed. Angyal’s systems framework is used to guide the selection of systems methods to ensure relevant human factors are incorporated. The resulting arrangement is mapped to the requirements set and used to instantiate a Reference Model of Governance for GroundsWell, a research consortium. Drawing on the literature, a tailored approach to validation is developed and successfully applied to the GroundsWell Reference Model of Governance.
The primary novel contribution to knowledge is the development of a methodology for the arrangement of multiple systems methods and their application to build a Reference Model of Governance for a Specific Organisation, including validation, for organisational governance and management. Other novel contributions include the layered application of methods to better reflect the hierarchy of purpose within an organisational context and an approach to Validation. In its application, I have successfully demonstrated the instantiated Reference Model of Governance for a Specific Organisation is sufficient to identify the factors that need regulating to ensure desired organisational outcomes and enable the organisation to be resilient to external and internal impacts