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Lived experiences of the x-minute creative city: Front and back spaces of creative work
No full textHow do chronogeographies of creative work map onto, limit or exceed notions of the x-minute city? Prompted by this question, our paper draws on research examining lived experiences of creative work in Sydney, Australia. Through time-based spatial analysis of everyday spaces of diverse creative workers (musicians, theatre producers, actors, playwrights, visual artists, and studio managers), detailed geographies of work are revealed. Rather than rely upon single worksites, creative work involves multiple tasks undertaken across many worksites (av = 23 each). Attentive to the particulars of the creative labour process, we map sites of production, performance, networking, supplies, and inspiration. Qualitative GIS analysis confirms that centripetal effects associated with the creative sector cohere with x-minute city thinking. Yet, these centripetal effects were not universal, being most evident in the city's preeminent cluster, where “back spaces” of creativity—inconspicuous worksites of production, recording, and rehearsal—coalesced in mundane spaces. Concurrently, in a city beleaguered by merciless property markets, centrifugal effects associated with gentrification and loss of low-rent back spaces confront x-minute city potential. Aligning x-minute city concepts with the creative sectors requires more than precinct activation policies. It requires grounded qualitative-spatial research to reveal topologies of creative work, and the political-economic dynamics undermining them.</p
Political Influence, ESG, and Corporate M&As: Evidence in China
No full textGovernment intervention in the corporate sector is a prominent feature in emerging markets like China, indicating that government officials play an important role in shaping corporate behaviors. Recently, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has attracted extensive attention from policymakers and academics, extending the boundaries of traditional business operations and becoming one of the main objectives for firms' strategies. Existing studies have gradually shifted their focus on ESG and found that relevant ESG factors have two competing ways to affect corporate performance.1 Given the special nature of the Chinese institution, it is critical to understand the complex interaction in corporate capital allocation, sustainable performance, and political influence. Therefore, this thesis aims to investigate these key points in the Chinese setting in the following three chapters.First, Chapter 2 investigates the impact of politicians' industry visits on M&A activities. This chapter proposes that visits signify political endorsement, affirming the legitimacy and compliance of visited districts' business environments. This chapter finds that these visits boost a firm's likelihood of becoming a target while reducing its inclination towards acquisitions. This effect is more substantial if non-Big 4 auditors audit the target firms, have less analyst coverage or have a smaller size. Additionally, these M&As increase shareholder wealth for acquirers and are usually associated with lower premiums, more post-M&A cash flows, and quicker completion.Then Chapter 3 examines how political turnovers affect corporate green investments. By analyzing manually collected data on municipal government official turnovers in China from 2007 to 2020, this chapter discovers a notable increase in corporate green investments following these turnovers, aligning with resource dependency theory. The upswing in green investment results from both corporate initiatives and government influence. Companies that intensify green investments after political turnovers enjoy reduced taxes and increased subsidies. The impact of political turnovers on green investments becomes more pronounced amid economic and political uncertainties, particularly under externally appointed officials. This effect is particularly significant in the energy sector and non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs). Despite the observed surge in green investment activity post-turnovers, there is a tendency for these initiatives to subsequently decrease overall firm performance, likely due to the higher costs associated with green investments. This chapter contributes to our understanding of how political turnovers shape enterprises' sustainability practices and offers valuable insights for businesses navigating the implications of environmentally responsible development.Finally, Chapter 4 investigates the role of ESG performance in shaping shareholder value during M&A processes. This chapter demonstrates that firms with robust ESG performance exhibit a heightened ability to fulfil their commitment to maximizing shareholder value. These findings align with stakeholder theory, which posits that organizations prioritizing ESG considerations are more likely to generate greater shareholder returns. Moreover, these analyses reveal that the positive impact of high ESG performance on valuation is magnified in cases where the acquiring firm is either a non-family business or a state-owned enterprise (SOE). Additionally, this chapter finds that the influence of corporate ESG performance on value creation becomes more pronounced when the acquiring firm boasts higher levels of transparency and a favorable reputation. This chapter contributes to the limited body of literature exploring the connection between ESG initiatives and M&A practices, as well as enriches our understanding of firm investment behavior and value creation, particularly within emerging markets.</p
Examining the Long-Term Impacts of Psychotropic Drugs and Considerations for People Discontinuing Treatment.
No full textPsychotropic drugs dominate the mental healthcare landscape. This is despite contention over their proposed mechanism of action, concerns for their adverse effects, and questionable effectiveness, especially over the long term. Mental health nurses are routinely involved in administering psychotropic drugs, observing for and managing adverse effects, and providing information and support to people prescribed these agents. This critique explores the current understanding of the mechanism of action for psychotropic drugs, evidence for their effectiveness, adverse effect burden and implications for long term use. The role of mental health nurses in deprescribing and supporting people to discontinue treatment is considered.</p
The effect of the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing and nursing care processes on in-patient mortality, hospital-acquired infections, pressure injuries and patient falls
No full textBackground: The relationship between structural elements of nursing, including the nursing practice environment and nurse staffing, and nursing-sensitive patient outcomes has been the subject of a substantial quantity of research. Efforts to enhance patient safety and evaluate the quality of healthcare have led to additional research that focuses on the relationship between the processes of nursing care and patient outcomes. Despite these research endeavours, studies simultaneously investigating the relationships between nursing structure variables, the processes of nursing care, and patient outcomes are limited. As a result, little is known about the relationships between the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing, nursing care processes, and nursing-sensitive patient outcomes.Aim: To investigate the association between the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing, and the processes of nursing care on four nursing-sensitive patient outcomes including 30-day inpatient mortality, hospital-acquired infections, pressure injuries and patient falls.Method: This multi-phase, multi-source, quantitative study was conducted at one large hospital in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Phase A involved a cross-sectional survey administered to nurses. Data were collected on nurse demographics, nursing practice environment, staffing levels, work patterns, and missed nursing care using validated instruments. In phase B, retrospective data were collected on the processes of care related to the four outcomes of interest from administrative data sources. Process of care measures included data on the escalation of patient care following deterioration, hand hygiene compliance, pressure injury prevention practices and falls prevention practices. In phase C, patient outcome measures were collected and included risk-adjusted 30-day inpatient mortality, hospital-acquired infections, pressure injuries and patient falls. Data for Phase C were sourced from the admitted patient databases for the period July 2018 to June 2021. To link these data from phase A, B and C, the nursing survey and processes of nursing care data were aggregated at the ward level. Using the ward-level data, variables were then derived for each episode of care based on ward movements. To do this, we applied weights based on the amount of time each patient spent in each ward. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise patient, admission and ward characteristics. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between the nursing structure variables and the process of nursing care variables. Multiple and mixed logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing, processes of nursing care and nursing-sensitive patient outcomes.Result: In Phase A of the study the nursing survey was completed by 361 nurses from 17 wards and included medical, surgical, intensive care and sub-acute units. In Phase B processes of nursing care were assessed, including 30,011 reported cases of patient deterioration, and 13,440 hand hygiene moments for the study period. Data on processes of nursing care related to pressure injury prevention were assessed from 633 patients and fall prevention practices for 601 patients who had experienced a fall were analysed. Data on pressure injury and fall prevention practices were only available for limited periods during the study. Phase C included data collection from 71,257 episodes of care for 40,455 patients in the three-year period. The episodes of care included 1617 episodes of 30-day inpatient mortality, 2,037 episodes with hospital-acquired infections, 312 episodes with hospital-acquired pressure injuries and 1,005 episodes of care with patient falls.Evidence of associations between some nursing structure and process of care variables with 30-day inpatient mortality were identified. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that nurse staffing was associated with 30-day inpatient mortality, with each additional patient per nurse the odds of patient mortality increased by 24%. For each 10% increase in missed care related to patient surveillance, the odds of 30-day inpatient mortality increased by 16%. Escalation of care from a rapid response call to a cardiopulmonary resuscitation event was associated with 30-day inpatient mortality. For every 10% increase in cardiopulmonary resuscitation events, the odds of 30-day inpatient mortality decreased by 16%.Evidence of associations between some nursing structure and process of care variables with hospital-acquired infections were identified. The odds of hospital-acquired infections decreased by 19% for every 10% increase in nurses' compliance with hand hygiene and decreased by 7% for each standard deviation increase in score on the nursing practice environment. An increase of one patient per nurse was associated with a 42% increased risk of hospital-acquired infections.The relationships between structure, process and outcome measures for pressure injuries and patient falls was impacted by data availability for process of care measures and the relatively rare nature of these outcomes during the study period. The odds of all stages of pressure injuries were 25% higher with a one standard deviation increase in the nursing practice environment. There was no evidence of an association between the nursing practice environment and patient falls.Conclusion: This study has provided new knowledge on the important relationship between the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing, and the processes of care on four nursing-sensitive patient outcomes in a hospital setting. Findings from this study have identified the importance of nurse staffing, a supportive nursing practice environment, timely escalation of care and strict hand hygiene compliance in ensuring patient safety and reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Findings from this Doctoral study can be used by nurse leaders, healthcare institutions and policy makers to implement effective nursing care practices to enhance the overall safety and quality of patient care in acute care hospitals. This has the potential to contribute to improving patient outcomes and creating safer healthcare environments.</p
Future directions for early career researchers in planetary health equity
No full textAchieving social and health equity on a healthy planet requires attending to the structural drivers of intersecting crises of global environmental change, social inequities, and health inequities. A diverse group of early career researchers have formed a new network aligned in advancing work that promotes planetary health equity. This Perspective articulates proposed future research directions emerging from shared understandings of intersecting governance and policy challenges, including sections on transdisciplinary and co-productive knowledge paradigms; political economy and governance; policy integration; and opportunities to advance planetary health equity. We present this agenda with reference to a range of substantive environmental- and health-related domains, including food systems governance, trade policy, energy policy, urban planning, and education. As early career researchers in the emerging field of planetary health equity, these future directions for research are intended to offer novel avenues towards the goals of social and health equity in a stable Earth system.</p
Enhancing Verification and Validation of Process Mining Models under Uncertainty by Quantitative Model Checking Techniques
No full textProcess mining is an important sub-field of business process analysis and optimisation and has attracted significant scholarly interest in the recent past. Its purpose is extracting knowledge and insights from event logs of information systems, thereby discovering process models and identifying process-related issues, such as deviations from the standard process, performance bottlenecks, and opportunities for process improvement.The quality of discovered models is crucial for the reliability of process mining in real-world scenarios. The four basic quality criteria fitness, precision, generalisation and simplicity, are used to evaluate how well the models align with the observed processes. Conformance checking is a more sophisticate process to validate whether the event logs conform to the model. Model checking, as an extrinsic approach to process mining, has also been utilised to formally verify the correctness of the discovered models as well as their compliance with pre-defined requirements. Model checking can confirm whether the model satisfies a broad range of temporal properties, for example, “in a loan application every invoice received must be followed by a payment process initiation within 30 days”.Real-world business operations are surrounded by uncertainty. The discovered models from process mining inherently exhibit stochastic characteristics since they are derived from event logs of business operations. Therefore, it is essential to understand the model performance in stochastic environments. This motivates the employment of quantitative model checking (QMC), a collection of techniques extending the classical model checking, to verify the models against temporal properties, such as “what is the probability that every invoice received is followed by a payment process initiation within 30 days?”.</p
From model to measurement: Development of a digital twin of the Dingo thermal neutron imaging beamline and real-time wide-band neutron beam-monitoring devices
No full textThis Thesis presents the development and validation of a comprehensive Monte Carlo model of the Dingo thermal neutron imaging beamline, Australia’s sole thermal neutron source, located at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The model, constructed using CAD drawings of the entire beam transport path and shielding structures, is designed to precisely predict the in-beam neutron field at the sample irradiation stage positions.The research demonstrates methods for importing complex CAD structures into Geant4 and modelling neutron interactions with a sapphire crystal thermal neutron filter using an external package. The model’s performance was validated using multiple techniques, including Bonner sphere spectroscopy (BSS), neutron activation analysis (NAA) and microdosimetry. A methodology to model and validate the neutron spectrum was developed, rather than relying solely on unfolding from spectroscopic results.Characterisation of different beam configurations available at Dingo are presented, including neutron planar distribution, fluxes, and spectrum. The research reveals that the Dingo neutron beam consists of approximately 63.5% thermal neutrons, 16.3% epithermal neutrons, and 20.2% fast neutrons. The spatial distribution of the beam was mapped with high resolution, showing good agreement between simulated and experimental results within 2.3% for most data points at the centre of the field.This thesis also presents the computational design and optimisation of novel instrumentation for real-time quality control of high-intensity mixed gamma/neutron fields. Specifically, a quad-MOSFET device and an array of planar diodes were developed for the real-time measurement of individual beam components. Preliminary experimental validation of these devices at Dingo demonstrates their potential for enhancing beam monitoring capabilities.The developed model provides a platform for for virtual optimisation of experimental parameters, computational design and testing of new instrumentation, shielding materials, neutron filters, and beamline upgrades. It also enables estimation of sample activation and offers insights into phenomena that are challenging to measure experimentally. This work contributes to the establishment of a framework for detector research and development and radiological research in Australia, expanding the capabilities and applications of the Dingo beamline.</p
Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Drug Response Profiling, Development of Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Models, and Factors Governing Response to Immunotherapy
No full textCutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer and is a disease with globally rising incidence. Approximately 3–5% of patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma develop advanced disease, accounting for roughly 1% of all cancer deaths in Australia. Advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma comprises locally advanced cSCC (lacSCC) and metastatic cSCC (mcSCC), and includes large primary tumors, tumors with regional nodal metastasis, as well as distant metastatic disease. Due to the mortality and morbidity associated with advanced cSCC, proper risk stratification and early intervention are paramount. Additionally, novel treatment approaches are required for patients unresponsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) or with innately resistant de novo primary skin cancers (DPSCs). A detailed overview of the current state of cSCC research and the context of this work is provided in Chapter I.Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a driver of metastasis in many carcinomas, though its role as a potential biomarker for metastasis and therapeutic target remains unclear in cSCC. In Chapter II, a systematic overview of the clinical and experimental evidence for the role of EMT in cSCC is provided, with critical appraisal of type and quality of the methodology used. This information was then used as rationale for potential drug targets against advanced cSCC. All primary literature encompassing clinical and cell-based or xenograft experimental studies reporting on the role of EMT markers or related signaling pathways in the progression of cSCC were considered. From the clinical studies, a timeline illustrating the alteration of EMT markers and related signaling was evident based on clinical progression of the disease. The experimental studies reveal connections of EMT with a multitude of factors such as genetic disorders, cancerassociated fibroblasts (CAFs), and matrix remodeling via matrix metalloproteinases and urokinase plasminogen activator. Additionally, EMT was found to be closely tied to environmental factors as well as to stemness in cSCC via NFκB and β-catenin. It was concluded that EGFR, TGF-βR, PI3K/AKT and NFκB signaling are the four canonical signaling pillars that induce EMT in cSCC and could be valuable therapeutic targets.In Chapter III, the use of small molecule PI3K inhibitors (PI3Ki) in combination with CDK inhibitors (CDKi) as well as the impact of PI3Ki on EMT markers was investigated against in-house cell line models of mcSCC. The use of this drug combination is based on the frequent dysregulation of cell cycle and PI3K signaling in lacSCC and mcSCC and the role of PI3K in governing EMT (Chapter II). A combination drug approach might overcome the underwhelming clinical performance of inhibitors targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR or cell cycle signaling pathways. Cell viability, migration, cell signaling, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis were assessed using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D, spheroid) culture models of our mcSCC cell lines, UW-CSCC1 and UW-CSCC2. Distinct advantages of 3D cell culture models include recapitulation oxygen, nutrient and drug diffusion which result in higher physiological relevance compared to 2D cell culture models. Some synergistic cytotoxic behavior of the combination was observed against 2D cell culture models of UW‑CSCC2, but not UW‑CSCC1; a relationship inverted in spheroid models. Synergistic combinations of CDKi and PI3Ki caused increased cell cycle arrest in G1 and G2, reduced motility, and efficiently induced apoptotic cell death. The differential responses correlated with driver gene mutation profiles of the cell lines. Overall, we provide sufficient evidence to support continued investigation of CDKi and PI3Ki drug combinations, particularly for tumors with mutations in cell cycle control genes.In Chapter III, the differential drug responses in 3D spheroid compared to 2D models highlighted a need for more physiologically relevant cell culture models. Additionally, the literature review conducted in Chapter II yielded cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as another factor contributing to EMT in cSCC. Multi-cellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) have found widespread use in pre-clinical research. However, their complex 3D structure makes immunofluorescent staining and imaging challenging. Moreover, MCTS have not been established for la/mcSCC models. Thus, a methodology for reproducibly establishing such complex co-culture models for subsequent characterization was required. Chapter IV comprises a protocol that was developed for whole spheroid staining and automated imaging using laser-scanning confocal microscopy including detailed steps for cell culture, seeding of spheroids, transfer of MCTS for adhesion to multi-well chamber slides and fixation. Immunofluorescent staining based on optimized reagent concentrations and incubation times, and confocal imaging facilitated by glycerol-based optical clearing are then described. This methodology was then employed to investigate the potential effect CAF subtype has on cSCC EMT and invasion. For this purpose, MCTS containing mcSCC cell lines (which differed in EMT phenotype) and either dermal or lymph node-derived fibroblasts were utilized. The imaging technology developed and described above was used to showcase the unique spatial architecture of these MCTS, investigate the expression of EMT and CAF markers, and investigate the invasion of MCTS embedded in a collagen matrix. This showed for the first time that mcSCC/CAF-derived MCTS self-organize to form unique spatial architectures for each cell line combination according to the EMT phenotype of the cancer cell line used.While the development of novel therapies against cSCC (Chapter III) and the expansion of in vivo models (Chapter IV) are important, gaining a better understanding of established therapies such as immunotherapy is warranted to ensure proper patient selection for optimal therapeutic outcome. Immunotherapy has demonstrated significant clinical benefit in advanced cSCC. However, there are limited data for patients treated outside of clinical trials which is particularly relevant in advanced cSCC most often seen in elderly patients with significant comorbidities. In Chapter V, we describe our experience with immunotherapy comprising immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) Pembrolizumab and Cemiplimab in a cohort of patients with advanced cSCC in Australia. Among the 51 patients treated with immunotherapy, there was an objective response rate of 53% and disease control rate of 67%. The most significant predictor of response for this cohort was sex, with male patients more likely to have better responses compared to female patients as well as improved progression-free survival and overall survival. Differential expression analysis of immune-related genes demonstrated an impaired CD8 T-cell response in female patients proposing a potential mechanism for the worse patient outcome observed in female patients. Curiously, while receiving ICIs as part of the study, four patients developed new (up to 3) primary cSCC tumors (de novo primary skin cancers (DPSCs)) unrelated to the initial lesion. The DPSCs were analyzed for their expression of immune-related genes compared to a cohort of non-metastatic primary cSCC with similar clinicopathological characteristics. These investigations found evidence for significant changes in the immune-related transcriptome DPSCs when compared to treatment naïve primary cSCC that have never metastasized. Consequently, we propose further investigations on incidence and biological drivers of skin-associated DSPCs.In conclusion, the work presented in this thesis consolidates previous research on EMT in cSCC (Chapter II), investigates PI3Ki as modulators of EMT in our patient-derived cell line models and presents a novel drug combination (of PI3Ki and CDKi) for further development (Chapter III). Additionally, a novel methodology for the characterization of MCTS was developed, utilized to show how CAFs impact EMT status of cSCC cells, and to resolve the unique spatial architecture of MCTS (Chapter IV). Lastly, the outcome of female patients with advanced cSCC treated with ICI is worse potentially due to a perturbed T-cell response (Chapter V). Overall, the findings presented as part of this work highlight the complexity of the disease and rationalize the need for further investigation to gain a better understanding of disease progression, improve existing treatment options, and develop effective novel treatments.</p
Exploring Strategy Formation Patterns in Manufacturing Firms - Role of Middle Managers and Decision-making Dynamics
No full textAmidst an age marked by profound change, middle managers have risen to prominence as key actors in the dynamic arena of strategic decision-making. Research on the involvement of middle managers in this space remains a rich context for exploring strategizing. This study focuses on the multifaceted roles that middle managers assume in strategy formation and examines the personal characteristics and contextual factors that influence these roles.Despite the recognition of middle managers’ involvement in strategy, there is a notable absence of a systematic literature review (SLR) that comprehensively summarizes all the roles, characteristics, and contextual factors associated with their involvement. This gap in the literature means that there is no comprehensive source that aggregates existing knowledge about the diverse yet overlapping contributions of middle managers and the various internal and external factors influencing their roles.Moreover, there is a lack of studies that detail the specific roles middle managers play at different stages of the strategy formation. Current research does not sufficiently address how middle managers' roles evolve or how they contribute during the distinct phases of strategy development, such as initiation, consolidation, commitment, and realization. This oversight highlights the need for research that not only compiles and synthesizes current insights but also provides a detailed examination of middle managers' contributions across the entire strategy formation process. Such research would offer valuable insights into the dynamic and complex nature of middle manager involvement in strategic initiatives, to inform both theory and practice.The study utilized Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 to conduct the SLR. To ensure breadth of the review, all publications from 1982 to 2022 were included in the SLR. This period captures key developments in strategy and middle managers' roles in decision-making, encompassing foundational theories and empirical studies. It aligns with shifts in organizational structures and strategic management, providing a robust basis for analysis. To guide the study, the alternative strategy formation patterns model developed by Kiridena, Hasan, and Kerr (2009) was employed, that serves as a robust framework to explore the deeper structures of strategy formation in manufacturing organizations. The empirical part of the study used a qualitative methodology that used semi-structured interviews from 14 middle managers across six manufacturing organizations. Three of the organizations were from Australia, one from Canada, one from the UK and one from Pakistan. These interviews explored the middle managers’ involvement in the different stages of strategy formation and the personal attributes and contextual factors that impact on this involvement. Data analysis followed both inductive and deductive reasoning to identify core themes and develop conceptual schemas, aided by the qualitative data analysis software, NVivo 14.Middle managers are identified to play a variety of roles in different stages of strategy processes. These roles include leadership and influencing, information management, facilitating action, execution and implementation, emotion work, and cross-functional collaboration. The nature and effectiveness of these roles are impacted by diverse personal characteristics of middle managers, such as their background and experience, along with personal attributes like working style, personality type and decision-making style. Additionally, contextual factors that influence middle managers' involvement in strategy include their networks and relationships, support from top management, organizational culture, and the availability of appropriate technology and training.Overall, the study's findings align with the SLR that identified middle manager roles, personal attributes, and certain contextual factors. However, some distinctions emerged between the SLR and interview results. For instance, roles such as championing and advocating, facilitating adaptability, and passive non-compliance, highlighted in the SLR, did not surface in the interviews. Conversely, the interviews revealed a new role: facilitating action, which middle managers play in ensuring the completion of strategic initiatives.For the personal characteristics, while the SLR emphasized the impact of perceptions and attitudes on middle managers' involvement in strategy, this aspect did not prominently emerge from the interviews. This difference could stem from the participants’ inclination to discuss practical aspects that influence their involvement in strategy, rather than underlying motivations.For the contextual factors, the interviews did not explicitly highlight organizational procedures and support as critical for middle managers' involvement in strategy. This gap may be attributed to participants’ responses that focused more on cultural influences and personal experiences rather than detailed discussions on procedural support. However, interview participants highlighted the role of technology in enhancing middle managers' strategic involvement through improved communication, knowledge sharing, and training, whereas the SLR underrepresented technology as a contextual factor.The findings from this study can help feed future research, leading to an increased understanding of middle manager involvement in strategy in different stages, and the impact of personal attributes and certain contextual factors on these roles. It will also help organizations and practicing managers to better understand and manage the middle manager involvement in strategy and to identify and nurture appropriate roles within specific organizational contexts, as well as the personal attributes of middle managers.</p
Development of a Low-Cost Data Aggregation and Visualisation System for Microgrid Operational Awareness and Control
No full textThe trend in microgrid research and installation has risen recently, most notably due to the incentive to decarbonise the energy industry. This can be attributed to a microgrid’s ability to embed local distributed energy resources (DER) while maintaining good power quality and stability for both the microgrid system and external grid. Although they offer enhanced energy resilience, the operation of a microgrid requires a complex level of control and infrastructure. It is therefore crucial that system insight is well established and that control has adequate communication infrastructure. Presently, most industry released packages are specialised and costly, raising the question whether microgrid data aggregation and control can be achieved through low-cost and prevalent methods.Ubiquitous data aggregation is an important aspect when operating a microgrid, for both control and supervisory functions. Interfacing with multiple devices is complicated and can involve costly infrastructure. This thesis presents the design, construction and commission of a low-cost, ubiquitous data aggregation, visualisation (LDAV) prototype and power management control system for a generic microgrid. It was designed to interface with an operating microgrid at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) as a demonstration case. The LDAV system includes a power management system, designed to interface with an existing microgrid within the SBRC’s building, with design informed by existing literature. Visualisation dashboards prototypes are demonstrated and discussions with professionals critiquing their design are included.The functionality of the system has been assessed through in-field testing and simulation. To close the loop with the hardware developed, the LDAV system was utilized to apply control of power flows within the SBRC microgrid, with the main goals being the employment of a power balancing algorithm to maintain system stability during islanding. This was done using the developed communication channels and device interfaces established. Before implementing control, a comprehensive model of the microgrid was created using MATLAB Simulink. Through development and validation of the microgrid model, it was found that current functionality and hardware specifications of the LDAV system were insufficient in implementing the high-speed control functions of a generic microgrid. The main reason being the communication latency between the different devices in the system. However, the system has been able to control the lower speed nominal energy flows. This was further confirmed via practical testing at the SBRC.Although proven to have restricted control applications due to the communication speed, it was found that the LDAV was able to balance the energy of the SBRC to near net zero. A latency threshold was also determined for microgrid operation, which was found to be within the capabilities of most communication methods and could be applied to future work with the LDAV system designed for this thesis.</p