Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 166 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 130-140).

Internet applications have been extended to various aspects of everyday life and offer services of high reliability and security. In the Academia, Internet applications offer useful tools for the remote creation of simulation models and real-time conduction of control experiments. The aim of this study was the design of a reliable, safe and secure software system for real time operation of a remote aero gas turbine, with the use of standard Internet technology at very low cost. The gas turbine used in this application was an AMT Netherlands Olympus micro gas turbine. The project presented three prototypes: operation from an adjacent computer station, operation within the Local Area Netwok (LAN) of Cranfield University and finally, remotely through the Internet. The gas turbine is a safety critical component, thus the project was driven by risk assessment at all the stages of the software process, which adhered to the Spiral Model. Elements of safety critical systems design were applied, with risk assessment present in every round of the software process. For the implementation, various software tools were used, with the majority to be open source API’s. LabVIEW with compatible hardware from National Instruments was used to interface the gas turbine with an adjacent computer work station. The main interaction has been established between the computer and the ECU of the engine, with additional instrumentation installed, wherever required. The Internet user interface web page implements AJAX technology in order to facilitate asynchronous update of the individual fields that present the indications of the operating gas turbine. The parameters of the gas turbine were acquired with high accuracy, with most attention given to the most critical indications, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and rotational speed (RPM). These are provided to a designed real-time monitoring application, which automatically triggers actions when necessary. The acceptance validation was accomplished with a formal validation method – Model Checking. The final web application was inspired by the RESTful architecture and allows the user to operate the remote gas turbine through a standard browser, without requiring any additional downloading or local data processing. The web application was designed with provisions for generic applications. It can be configured to function with multiple different gas turbines and also integrated with external performance simulation or diagnostics Internet platforms. Also, an analytical proposal is presented, to integrate this application with the TURBOMATCH WebEngine web application, for gas turbine performance simulation, developed by Cranfield University.

As sustainability becomes an increasingly critical consideration for businesses, the need for effective sustainability assessment tools and software has grown substantially. This master thesis aims to address this problem by exploring various available tools on the market which are used to measure the sustainability impact of packaging solutions and materials used in their production. The primary objective of the current work is to develop a comprehensive framework that evaluates sustainability assessment solutions based on the level of comprehensiveness and usability they possess by applying the context of small and medium-sized businesses. The findings reveal four distinct clusters within the framework: Good output, Best practice, Easy-to-use, and Best avoided. Each cluster represents a combination of comprehensiveness and usability characteristics, offering insights into the strengths and limitations of various tools. Additionally, the study identifies key factors that contribute to the comprehensiveness and usability of these tools, such as data requirements, user involvement, and assessment functionalities. The study can be used to assist organizations in making informed decisions when selecting sustainability assessment tools, while the taxonomy and the proposed framework would allow businesses to choose tools which align with their specific needs and goals, thereby facilitating effective assessments and driving sustainable change forward. Lastly, the study highlights the importance of considering the trade-off between usability and comprehensiveness, helping organizations find a balance in the software that aligns with their strategic objectives. / I takt med att hållbarhet blir ett allt viktigare övervägande för företag har behovet av effektiva verktyg och mjukvara för hållbarhetsbedömning ökat avsevärt. Denna masteruppsats syftar till att ta itu med detta problem genom att utforska olika tillgängliga verktyg på marknaden som används för att mäta hållbarhetseffekten av förpackningslösningar och material som används i deras produktion. Det primära målet med det pågående arbetet är att utveckla ett omfattande ramverk som utvärderar hållbarhetsbedömningslösningar baserat på graden av övergripande och användbarhet de har genom att tillämpa sammanhanget för små och medelstora företag. Resultaten avslöjar fyra distinkta kluster inom ramen: Bra resultat, Bästa praxis, Lätt att använda och Bäst undvikas. Varje kluster representerar en kombination av heltäckande och användbarhetsegenskaper, vilket ger insikter om styrkorna och begränsningarna hos olika verktyg. Dessutom identifierar studien nyckelfaktorer som bidrar till dessa verktygs heltäckande och användbarhet, såsom datakrav, användarmedverkan och bedömningsfunktioner. Studien kan användas för att hjälpa organisationer att fatta välgrundade beslut när de väljer verktyg för hållbarhetsbedömning, medan taxonomin och det föreslagna ramverket skulle göra det möjligt för företag att välja verktyg som är anpassade till deras specifika behov och mål, och därigenom underlätta effektiva bedömningar och driva hållbar förändring framåt. Slutligen understryker studien vikten av att överväga avvägningen mellan användbarhet och heltäckande, vilket hjälper organisationer att hitta en balans i programvaran som är i linje med deras strategiska mål.

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