NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Performance Analysis of Charging Infrastructure Sharing in UAV and EV-Involved Networks
No full textElectric vehicles (EVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) show great potential in modern transportation and communication networks, respectively. However, with growing demands for such technologies, the limited energy infrastructure becomes the bottleneck for their future growth. It might be of high cost and low energy efficiency for all the operators to each have their own dedicated energy infrastructure, such as charging stations. In this paper, we analyze a wireless charging infrastructure sharing strategy in UAV and EV-involved networks. We consider a scenario where UAVs can charge in EV charging stations and pay for the sharing fee. On the EVs' side, sharing infrastructure can earn extra profit but their service quality, such as waiting time, might slightly reduce. On the UAVs' side, if renting EV charging stations can achieve an acceptable system performance, say high coverage probability, while considering the cost, they may not need to build their dedicated charging stations. In this case, we use tools from stochastic geometry to model the locations and propose an optimization problem that captures the aforementioned trade-offs between cost or profit and quality of service. Our numerical results show that sharing infrastructure slightly increases the waiting time of EVs, say within 5 min, but dramatically decreases the waiting time of drones, say more than 50 min, and deploying more charging stations do achieve better performances, but all these better performances are expected to cost more
Control co-design of power take-off and bypass valve for OWC-based wave energy conversion systems
No full textWave energy is a significant source of renewable energy harnessed by wave energy converters (WECs).
However, due to the relatively high levelised cost of energy (LCoE), wave energy has not attained a commercial
stage yet. To minimise the LCoE, since the optimum (uncontrolled) WEC design typically differs from the
optimum controlled WEC design, control co-design (CCD) techniques are essential. With CCD, the WEC
control-related aspects are taken into account from the start of the WEC design phase and, ideally, the best
control-informed WEC design is then achieved. This paper specifically focuses on CCD for an oscillating-watercolumn (OWC) WEC, equipped with a Wells turbine and a bypass valve. In essence, a parametric CCD approach
is devised to find the optimum (control-informed) turbine rotor diameter, and bypass valve diameter, for the
considered OWC WEC. In particular, the optimum design parameters minimise a ‘simplified’ LCoE, which is
chosen as a suitable performance function. Despite the LCoE is primarily sensitive to the power take-off size,
rather than to the bypass valve size, peak-shaving control with a bypass valve potentially increases the capacity
factor and, consequently, can minimise the LCoE for small-to-medium sized turbines
Stability Analysis of an Active Mechanical Motion Rectifier for Wave Energy Conversion Systems
No full textRecent literature proposes a novel Active Mechanical Motion Rectifier (AMMR) based power take-off system. The
primary objective of mechanical rectification in wave energy
conversion schemes is to ensure controlled unidirectional rotation
speed in the generator, aiming to mitigate losses caused by low
rotational speed and enhance overall system efficiency. Despite
the promising potential of this proposal, ensuring the stability
and controllability of the entire system remains an unresolved
challenge. In that regard, this work addresses the former issue
by providing a preliminary assessment of the stability of a flap
operating with the proposed AMMR-based power take-off. The
studies conducted in this work set the fundamental basis to
facilitate the design of an effective controller for this novel power
take-off system. The obtained results are validated through insilico evaluations, modelling the system as piecewise linear
The sigma Accessibility Special Interest Group: Resources Update
No full textThis article contains a short update on the work of the sigma Accessibility Special Interest Group. We announce the release of resources to assist mathematics tutors and coordinators with the support of mature students and those with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. We provide a brief background to the development of these resources and describe their pilot in two institutions, one in England and the other in Ireland. We close with a description of the next stages of work for the special interest group and a call for additional people to get involved
The determinants of Black quarterback pay in the National Football League
No full textThis paper seeks to econometrically determine differences in salary returns to attributes of quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL), by race. We analyse salary determination of 215 White and Black quarterbacks over 2006 through 2020 with separate equations estimated for each group. Our analysis indicates that top draft pick evaluations persist into future pay setting for each group. However, there is a faster rate of decay of early draft round salary premium for Black quarterbacks. This is found to be robust across different estimations. This result is indicative of differential treatment in pay setting for Black quarterbacks
The Drafting of the Constitution of the Union of Burma in 1947: Dominion Status, Indo–Burmese Relations, and the Irish Example
No full textThis paper aims to consider four elements of Burmese constitutional history between 1946 and 1948. The first section considers the negotiations between Burma and the United Kingdom and argues that the debate about whether Burma wanted Dominion status has overlooked the crucial transitional government period. The second section gives a brief overview of the drafting process, paying particular attention to the links between the Indian Constituent Assembly in Delhi and Rangoon. The third section outlines the comparative influences on the Burmese Constitution using the digital humanities and illustrates that the biggest foreign influence was the Irish Constitution of 1937. The final section looks at the Burmese political leadership after World War II along two dimensions—at a nationalist level and at an elite level—and traces some of the links between Burma and Ireland
The International Education Index: A global approach to education policy analysis, performance and sustainable development
No full textBefore the COVID‐19 pandemic, the world struggled to address growing educational inequalities and fulfil the commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The pandemic has exacerbated these inequalities and changed how education functions, moving to online and hybrid methods. The challenges in global education highlighted and worsened by the pandemic make it necessary to re‐evaluate education systems and the policies in place to support access, quality and equal opportunity. This article focuses on analysing education policies at a national level. It tests a pilot policy analysis tool, the International Education Index (IEI), developed as a starting point to begin this reconsideration and create an accessible and comprehensive way to evaluate national education systems to inform decision‐making and policies in the new context. This research uses Ireland and Northern Ireland to test the IEI pilot tool. The IEI consists of 54 questions across nine indicators, including institutional frameworks, education strategies, digital skills and infrastructure, twenty‐first century skills, access to basic social services, adherence to international standards, legal frameworks, data gathering and availability and international partnerships. Countries can score 108 points to be categorised as having developed, emerging or nascent national education systems. Ireland scored 94 and Northern Ireland 81, indicating that they have developed national education systems
Development of a video-based evidence synthesis knowledge translation resource: Drawing on a user-centred design approach
No full textObjectives
We aimed to develop a video animation knowledge translation (KT) resource to explain the purpose, use and importance of evidence synthesis to the public regarding healthcare decision-making.
Methods
We drew on a user-centred design approach to develop a spoken animated video (SAV) by conducting two cycles of idea generation, prototyping, user testing, analysis, and refinement. Six researchers identified the initial key messages of the SAV and informed the first draft of the storyboard and script. Seven members of the public provided input on this draft and the key messages through think-aloud interviews, which we used to develop an SAV prototype. Seven additional members of the public participated in think-aloud interviews while watching the video prototype. All members of the public also completed a questionnaire on perceived usefulness, desirability, clarity and credibility. We subsequently synthesised all data to develop the final SAV.
Results
Researchers identified the initial key messages as 1) the importance of evidence synthesis, 2) what an evidence synthesis is and 3) how evidence synthesis can impact healthcare decision-making. Members of the public rated the initial video prototype as 9/10 for usefulness, 8/10 for desirability, 8/10 for clarity and 9/10 for credibility. Using their guidance and feedback, we produced a three-and-a-half-minute video animation. The video was uploaded on YouTube, has since been translated into two languages, and viewed over 12,000 times to date.
Conclusions
Drawing on user-centred design methods provided a structured and transparent approach to the development of our SAV. Involving members of the public enhanced the credibility and usefulness of the resource. Future work could explore involving the public from the outset to identify key messages in developing KT resources explaining methodological topics. This study describes the systematic development of a KT resource with limited resources and provides transferrable learnings for others wishing to do similar
Banging Interaction: A Ubimus-Design Strategy for the Musical Internet
No full textWe introduce a new perspective for musical interaction tailored to a specific class of sonic resources: impact sounds. Our work is informed by the field of ubiquitous music (ubimus) and engages with the demands of artistic practices. Through a series of deployments of a low-cost and highly flexible network-based prototype, the Dynamic Drum Collective, we exemplify the limitations and specific contributions of banging interaction. Three components of this new design strategy—adaptive interaction, mid-air techniques and timbre-led design—target the development of creative-action metaphors that make use of resources available in everyday settings. The techniques involving the use of sonic gridworks yielded positive outcomes. The subjects tended to choose sonic materials that—when combined with their actions on the prototype—approached a full rendition of the proposed soundtrack. The results of the study highlighted the subjects’ reliance on visual feedback as a non-exclusive strategy to handle both temporal organization and collaboration. The results show a methodological shift from device-centric and instrumental-centric methods to designs that target the dynamic relational properties of ubimus ecosystems