The Physical Context of Creativity

Creative processes are complex and consist of sub‐processes, e.g. value creation, scaffolding, imagination and materialization. Creativity takes place in a physical context, i.e. in a confined space. Such space restricts and enables the free flow of sensory experiences and proximity of other people. The confinements may make certain sensory experiences available, e.g. vision of source material, sight and sound (including noise). This framing allows certain cognitive processes and restricts others. This may induce emotions that, in turn, facilitate or reduce the enhancement of creativity. Physical space affects the well‐being of people, the channels of information, the availability of knowledge tools and sets the stage for coherence and continuity, which may contribute to competitive advantages.     

Data reconciliation and optimal operation of a catalytic naphtha reformer

The naphtha reforming process converts low-octane gasoline blending components to high-octane components for use in high-performance gasoline fuels. The reformer also has an important function as the producer of hydrogen to the refinery hydrotreaters. A process model based on a unit model structure, is used for estimation of the process condition using data reconciliation. Measurements are classified as redundant or non-redundant and the model variables are classified as observable, barely observable or unobservable. The computed uncertainty of the measured and unmeasured variables shows that even if a variable is observable it may have a very large uncertainty and may thereby be practically unobservable. The process condition at 21 data points, sampled from two years of operation, was reconciled and used to optimize the process operation. There are large seasonal variations in the reformer product price and two operational cases are studied. In case 1, the product price is high and throughput is maximized with respect to process and product quality constraints. In case 2, the product price is low and the throughput is minimized with respect to a low constraint on the hydrogen production. Based on the characteristics of the optimal operation, a “self optimizing” control structure is suggested for each of the two operational cases.     

Will musculoskeletal and visual stress change when Visual Display Unit (VDU) operators move from small offices to an ergonomically optimized office landscape?

This study investigated the effect of moving from small offices to a landscape environment for 19 Visual Display Unit (VDU) operators at Alcatel Denmark AS. The operators reported significantly improved lighting condition and glare situation. Further, visual discomfort was also significantly reduced on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). There was no significant correlation between lighting condition and visual discomfort neither in the small offices nor in the office landscape. However, visual discomfort correlated significantly with glare in small offices i.e. more glare is related to more visual discomfort. This correlation disappeared after the lighting system in the office landscape had been improved. There was also a significant correlation between glare and itching of the eyes as well as blurred vision in the small offices, i.e. more glare more visual symptoms. Experience of pain was found to reduce the subjective assessment of work capacity during VDU tasks. There was a significant correlation between visual discomfort and reduced work capacity in small offices and in the office landscape. When moving from the small offices to the office landscape, there was a significant reduction in headache as well as back pain. No significant changes in pain intensity in the neck, shoulder, forearm, and wrist/hand were observed.The pain levels in different body areas were significantly correlated with subjective assessment of reduced work capacity in small offices and in the office landscape.By careful design and construction of an office landscape with regard to lighting and visual conditions, transfer from small offices may be acceptable from a visual-ergonomic point of view.     

Functional Query Optimization over Object-Oriented Views for Data Integration

AMOS is a mediator system that supports passive (non-intrusive) integration of data from heterogeneous and autonomous data sources. It is based on a functional data model and a declarative functional query language AMOSQL. Foreign data sources, e.g., relational databases, text files, or other types of data sources can be wrapped with AMOS mediators, making them accessible through AMOSQL. AMOS mediators can communicate among each other through the multi-database constructs of AMOSQL that allow definition of functional queries and OO views accessing other AMOS servers. The integrated views can contain both functions and types derived from the data sources. Furthermore, local data associated with these view definitions may be stored in the mediator database. This paper describes AMOS' multi-database query facilities and their optimization techniques. Calculus-based function transformations are used to generate minimal query expressions before the query decomposition and cost-based algebraic optimization steps take place. Object identifier (OID) generation is used for correctly representing derived objects in the mediators. A selective OID generation mechanism avoids overhead by generating in the mediator OIDs only for those derived objects that are either needed during the processing of a query or have associated local data in the mediator database. The validity of the derived objects that are assigned OIDs and the completeness of queries to the views are guaranteed by system generated predicates added to the queries.     

An assessment of the ability of computational fluid dynamic models to predict reactive gas–solid flows in a fluidized bed

Fine grid, two dimensional simulations of reactive gas–solid flows occurring in a fluidized bed reactor were carried out using the Eulerian multi-fluid kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF) approach in the commercial flow solver, ANSYS FLUENT 12.1. The fuel reactor of a pilot scale Chemical Looping Combustion rig, operated in the bubbling fluidization regime at the Vienna University of Technology, was simulated. Grid dependence studies were carried out as well as sensitivity studies to the fuel inlet condition and the inclusion of gas phase turbulence. Simulations could not accurately reproduce the experimental trend for the case when highly reactive nickel oxide was used as the oxygen carrier material, but in general satisfactory quantitative agreement was observed. The failure to correctly capture the experimental trend was primarily attributed to the fine length-scales at the feed gas inlets not being adequately resolved even at the finest grid investigated. The trend quickly worsened when coarser grids were used, indicating that the generality of the model is lost when grid dependence effects are present. A number of possible dimensional effects were also discussed. Subsequently, the model was used to successfully capture another experimental trend obtained with a much less reactive ilmenite oxygen carrier material. The model captured this trend correctly because the reaction was now limited by the reaction rate and not by species transfer to the large scale gas-emulsion interfaces. Results were therefore not as sensitive to the correct hydrodynamic modelling of the interface, especially near the gas inlets, and the model retained its generality over a wide range of operating conditions.     

Associations between driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,speeding and seatbelt use among fatally injured car drivers in Norway

Since 2005, all fatal road traffic crashes in Norway have been analyzed in-depth by multidisciplinary investigation teams organized by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). During the period 2005–2010, 608 drivers of cars or vans were killed in road traffic crashes. Blood samples were collected from 372 (61%) of the drivers and analyzed for alcohol and a large number of psychoactive drugs at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). After coupling the analytical results with the NPRA crash database, 369 drivers with a fatal outcome were identified and included. Alcohol or drug concentrations in blood above the legal limits were found in 39.8% of the drivers who were investigated for alcohol or drug impairment; 33.9% had blood alcohol concentrations above 0.5 g/L or concentrations of drugs above the equivalent Norwegian legal impairment limits or concentrations of amphetamines above 200 μg/L. Among drivers with a fatal outcome who had been impaired by alcohol or drugs, 64.6% were unbelted and 71.7% were speeding when the crash occurred; whereas 24.2% and 33.2% of the sober drivers were unbelted or speeding, respectively. Statistically significant associations were found between impairment by alcohol or amphetamines and driving unbelted or speeding. Excessive speeding is one of the main reasons for road traffic crashes and together with being unbelted the main reasons for a fatal outcome. This behavior might in many cases be due to increased risk-taking or negligence of safety measures as a result of alcohol or drug use.     

Electrical characterization of individual metal‐coated polymer spheres used in isotropic conductive adhesives

Isotropic conductive adhesives (ICAs) filled with metal‐coated polymer spheres (MPS) have been proposed to improve the mechanical reliability compared to conventional ICAs filled with silver flakes. The electrical properties of MPS play an important role in the electrical performance of macroscopic MPS‐based ICAs. This article deals with the electrical characterization of individual MPS using a nanoindentation‐based flat punch method, in which the resistance and the deformation of single MPS were monitored simultaneously. Four groups of silver‐coated polymer spheres (AgPS) with identical polymer cores but different silver coating thicknesses were tested. The resistance of AgPS decreases gradually with increasing deformation degree of particles, and increases when the deformation of particles is reduced. In addition, the resistance of individual AgPS is dependent on the physical properties of the silver coating, such as thickness, uniformity, and porosity. The thicker the silver coating is, the lower and more stable the resistance of AgPS is. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43764.     

Two potential energetic compounds: Ammonium superoxide and ammonium ozonide

Abstract

Two proposed ionic compounds, NH₄O₂ and NH₄O₃, are discussed in terms of several properties related to energetic performance. These include oxygen content, moles of gas produced and heat released upon decomposition, and specific impulse. The heat release was calculated in each instance using the predicted lattice energy, which was obtained from the computed electrostatic potential on the surface of the negative ion. NH₄O₂ is found to be superior to HMX in each property considered, while NH₄O₃ is better than HMX in some and comparable in the others.     

CFL-Violating Numerical Schemes for a Two-Fluid Model

In this paper we propose a class of linearly implicit numerical schemes for a two-phase flow model, allowing for violation of the CFL-criterion for all waves. Based on the Weakly Implixit Mixture Flux (WIMF) approach [SIAM J. Sci. Comput., 26 (2005), pp. 1449–1484], we here develop an extension denoted as Strongly Implicit Mixture Flux (SIMF). Whereas the WIMF schemes are restricted by a weak CFL condition which relates time steps to the fluid velocity, the SIMF schemes are able to break the CFL conditions corresponding to both the sonic and advective velocities. The schemes possess some desirable features compared to current industrial pressure-based codes. They allow for sequential updating of the momentum and mass variables on a nonstaggered grid by solving two sparse linear systems. The schemes are conservative in all convective fluxes and consistency between the mass variables and pressure is formally maintained. Numerical experiments are presented to shed light on the inherent differences between the WIMF and SIMF families of schemes. In particular, we demonstrate that the WIMF scheme is able to give an exact resolution of a moving contact discontinuity. The SIMF schemes do not possess the “exact resolution” property of WIMF, however, the ability to take larger time steps can be exploited so that more efficient calculations can be made when accurate resolution of sharp fronts is not essential, e.g. to calculate steady state solutions.