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Biodiesel has achieved worldwide recognition for many years due to its renewability, lubricating property, and environmental benefits. The abstract represents a summary of all the chapters of the thesis. The research chapters are defined as research phases in the abstract. The thesis starts with an introduction followed by literature review. In the literature review, all the necessary data were collected reviewing the literature. Then an artificial neural network model (ANN) was built based on the published research data to capture the general trends or to make predictions. Both catalyst properties and reaction conditions were trended and predicted using the network model. The review study revealed that esterification and transesterification required catalysts with slightly different properties. In the first phase of the study, biodiesel production using 12-Tungstophosphric acid (TPA) supported on SBA-15 as a solid acid catalyst was studied. In this phase of the study, a large number of 0-35% TPA on SBA-15 catalysts were synthesized by impregnation method and the effects of various operating conditions such as–catalyst wt.% and methanol to oil molar ratio on the transesterification of model feedstock Triolein were studied. A 25% TPA loading was found to be the optimum. A 4.15 wt.% catalysts (based on Triolein) and 39:1 methanol to Triolein molar ratio was found to be the optimum reaction parameter combination, when the reaction temperature was kept fixed at 200C, stirring speed of 600 rpm and 10 h reaction time. The biodiesel yield obtained using this condition was 97.2%. In the second phase of the study, a 12-Tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) was supported by using organic functional group (i.e. 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)) and was incorporated into the SBA-15 structure. A 45 wt.% TPA incorporated SBA-15 produced an ester with biodiesel yield of 97.3 wt.%, when 3 wt.% catalyst (based on the green seed canola (GSC) oil) and 25.8:1 methanol GSC oil molar ratio were used at 2000C for reaction time of 6.2 h. In the third phase, process sustainability (i.e. process economics, process safety, energy efficiency, environmental impact assessment) studies were conducted based on the results obtained in phase three. Based on the study, it was concluded that heterogeneous acid catalyzed process had higher profitability as compared to the homogeneous acid catalyzed process. Additionally, it was obtained that heterogeneous acid catalyzed process was safe, more energy efficient and more environment friendly than homogenous process. In the fourth phase, the catalytic activity of Tungsten oxide (WO3) and TPA supported (by impregnation) on H-Y, H-β and H-ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts were tested for biodiesel production from Green Seed Canola (GSC) oil. In this phase iii of the study, TPA/H-Y and TPA/H- zeolite were proved to be effective catalysts for esterification and transesterification, respectively. A 55% TPA/H- showed balanced catalytic activity for both esterification and transesterification. It yielded 99.3 wt.% ester, when 3.3 wt.% catalyst (based on GSC oil) and 21.3:1 methanol to GSC oil molar ratio were used at 200C, reaction pressure of 4.14 MPa and reaction time of 6.5 h. Additionally, this catalyst (55% TPA/H-) was experimented for etherification of pure glycerol, and maximum conversion of glycerol (100%) was achieved in 5 h at 120C, 1 MPa, 1:5 molar ratio (glycerol: (tert-butanol) TBA), 2.5% (w/v) catalyst loading. Later, these conditions were used to produce glycerol ether successfully from the glycerol derived after transesterification of green seed canola oil. A mixture of GSC derived biodiesel, and glycerol ether was defined as biofuels. In the fifth phase, catalytic activity of H-Y supported TPA (using different impregnation methods) was studied in details further for esterification of free fatty acid (FFA) of GSC oil. From the optimization study, 97.2% FFA (present in the GSC oil) conversion was achieved using 13.3 wt.% catalyst, 26:1 methanol to FFA molar ratio at 120C reaction temperature and 7.5 h of reaction time. In the sixth- and final phase, techno-economic and ecological impacts were compared between biodiesel and combined biofuel production processes based on the results obtained in phase four. Based on the study, it was concluded that, biodiesel production process had higher profitability as compared to that for combined biofuel production process. Additionally, biodiesel production process was more energy efficient than combined biofuel production process. However, combined biofuel production process was more environment-friendly as compared to that for biodiesel production process.

Software-Intensive Cyber-Physical Systems (siCPS) are modular, open-ended, networked, large-scale embedded Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems that are increasingly depending on software. They need to be both dependable and flexible to adapt to changes in their dynamic environments. This combination poses challenges in their design and development, as traditional model-driven design and development techniques cannot account for both dependability and self-adaptivity. The thesis proposes (1) a new, model-based design process for siCPS, which comprises both appropriate methods and models and deals with dependability and self-adaptivity, and (2) a mapping of the design models to implementation-level abstractions, which allows for model-driven development and early experimentations in siCPS. Specifically, the thesis delivers (1) by introducing and elaborating on the Invariant Refinement Method (IRM), and its extension for self-adaptivity, for the design of siCPS based on the ensemble paradigm. IRM was integrated into the ensemble development life cycle, a methodology for the development of autonomic ensemble-based systems. Contributing to (2), the thesis provides a mapping of the IRM concepts to the concepts of the DEECo components model. The mapping is supported by prototype...

abstract: Digital Fabrication has played a pivotal role in providing reality to industrial designers' ideas since its first commercial use in late 80's. Making the final prototype of a design project has been the initial assumed use for these technologies in the design process. However, new technology advances in this area offer further opportunities for designers. In this research these opportunities have been carefully explored. This research will be conceptualized through discussing the findings of a case study and theories in the areas of Industrial Design methodology, digital fabrication, and design pedagogy. Considering the span of digital fabrication capabilities, this research intends to look into the design-fabrication relation from a methodology perspective and attempts to answer the question of how the digital fabrication methods can be integrated into the Industrial Design process to increase the tangibility of the design process in very first steps. It will be argued that the above is achievable in certain design topics - i.e. those with known components but unknown architecture. This will be studied through the development of series of hypothetical design processes emphasizing the role of digital fabrication as an ideation tool rather than a presentation tool. In this case study, two differing processes have been developed and given to Industrial Design students to design specific power tools. One of them is developed based on the precedence of digital fabrication. Then the outcome of the two processes is compared and evaluated. This research will introduce the advantages of using the digital fabrication techniques as a powerful ideation tool, which overcomes the imagination problems in many of complicated design topics. More importantly, this study suggests the criteria of selecting the proposed design methodology. It is hoped that these findings along with the advances in the area of additive and subtractive fabrication will assist industrial designers to create unique methodologies to deal with complicated needs both in practice and design education. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Design 2012

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / The âMinha Casa Minha Vidaâ (MCMV), which aims to reduce the housing deficit, launched its second phase, with a bold goal to hire two million housing units by the year 2014. While this economic environment encouraged companies in the Construction Industry, they were not adequately prepared to absorb the new demands. To reach them, we need to implement innovations in traditional processes of design and construction of this type of housing, increasing productivity, but without loss of quality of the products generated. The projects related to housing construction have become increasingly complex, and has increased the number of projects needed to better execution of the work, causing serious problems of compatibility and rework. In view of the peculiar characteristics of the enterprises of Social Housing (HIS), the profit margins offered by these are greatly reduced, forcing companies to pursue lower production costs and execution time of compression, in order to minimize the incidence of fixed costs. It is worth noting that the initial stages of development, such as program and project are those that present the greatest opportunities for intervention and value. In some countries, especially the United States, these problems have been minimized through approaches such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and the use of design tools such as the Building Information Modeling (BIM). In turn, the vast majority of projects in Brazil, especially the HIS, are not designed with this in mind integration. Within this context, the aim of this work is to propose guidelines for increasing the level of integrated management for design firms that operate in MCMV (range 0-3 minimum wages), based on the principles of IPD. This is a qualitative study with an exploratory-descriptive and research strategy used was the multiple case study, divided into four phases: literature review, exploratory stage, stage of conducting case studies and step analyzes and propositions . Therefore, we carried out a survey to contextualize the partial results of the program and analyze the role of each of the major players involved. There was a peculiarity in the state of CearÃ: the Sinduscon-Ce provides companies affiliated three types of architectural design, installations and structures (reference projects). We investigated how was the design process of these types and the level of integration between professionals. The main tool for data collection were semi-structured interviews with the designers, with the representative of Box and Sinduscon. Based on these data, we carried out a cross-sectional analysis of business and design, as well as a diagnosis of these assumptions with respect to the IPD. We also propose an adaptation of the principles of IPD directed to designers Finally, the main contribution of this work is to propose guidelines for increasing the level of integrated management between designers working in MCMV, relating them to the principles of IPD . / O Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV), que tem por finalidade reduzir o dÃficit habitacional brasileiro, lanÃou sua segunda fase, com uma meta ousada de contratar dois milhÃes de unidades habitacionais atà o ano de 2014. Ao mesmo tempo em que este cenÃrio econÃmico incentivava as empresas da IndÃstria da ConstruÃÃo Civil, estas nÃo estavam adequadamente preparadas para absorver as novas demandas. Para alcanÃÃ-las, à preciso implementar inovaÃÃes nos processos tradicionais de projeto e construÃÃo deste tipo de moradia, aumentando a produtividade, porÃm sem prejuÃzo de qualidade dos produtos gerados. Os projetos ligados à construÃÃo habitacional tÃm se tornado cada vez mais complexos, bem como tem aumentado a quantidade de projetos necessÃrios a uma melhor execuÃÃo da obra, provocando sÃrios problemas de compatibilizaÃÃo e retrabalho. Em face das caracterÃsticas peculiares dos empreendimentos de HabitaÃÃo de Interesse Social (HIS), as margens de lucro proporcionadas por estes sÃo bastante reduzidas, forÃando as empresas a perseguirem menores custos de produÃÃo e a compressÃo dos prazos de execuÃÃo, como forma de minimizar a incidÃncia de custos fixos. Cabe ressaltar ainda que as etapas iniciais do empreendimento, tais como o programa e o projeto, sÃo as que apresentam as maiores oportunidades de intervenÃÃo e agregaÃÃo de valor. Em alguns paÃses, principalmente nos Estados Unidos, estes problemas tÃm sido minimizados atravÃs de abordagens como o Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) e do uso de ferramentas de projeto tais como o Building Information Modeling (BIM). Por sua vez, a grande maioria dos empreendimentos brasileiros, especialmente os de HIS, nÃo sÃo desenvolvidos dentro deste espÃrito de integraÃÃo. Dentro deste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho à propor diretrizes para aumentar o nÃvel de gestÃo integrada em empresas de projeto que atuam no programa MCMV (faixa de 0-3 salÃrios mÃnimos), com base nos princÃpios do IPD. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, com carÃter exploratÃrio-descritivo, e a estratÃgia de pesquisa utilizada foi o estudo de caso mÃltiplo, dividida em quatro fases: pesquisa bibliogrÃfica, etapa exploratÃria, etapa de conduÃÃo dos estudos de caso e etapa de anÃlises e proposiÃÃes. Para tanto, realizou-se um levantamento para contextualizar os resultados parciais do referido programa e analisar o papel de cada um dos principais agentes envolvidos. Verificou-se uma particularidade no estado do CearÃ: o Sinduscon-Ce disponibiliza Ãs empresas filiadas trÃs tipologias de projeto de arquitetura, instalaÃÃes e estruturas (projetos de referÃncia). Investigou-se como se deu o processo de projeto destas tipologias e qual o nÃvel de integraÃÃo entre os profissionais. A principal ferramenta para a coleta de dados foram as entrevistas semiestruturadas com os projetistas, com representante da Caixa e do Sinduscon. Com base nesses dados, realizou-se uma anÃlise cruzada das empresas e projeto, assim como um diagnÃstico destas com relaÃÃo aos postulados do IPD. PropÃe-se ainda uma adaptaÃÃo dos princÃpios do IPD direcionada para os projetistas Por fim, a principal contribuiÃÃo deste trabalho à a proposiÃÃo de diretrizes para aumentar o nÃvel de gestÃo integrada entre os projetistas que atuam no programa MCMV, relacionando-as aos princÃpios do IPD.

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This diploma thesis summarizes the principles of augmented reality and the possibilities how this technology could be used in the work of designers. The thesis also describes the possibilities of realizing an augmented reality (AR) program and compares specific AR devices. The process of the designer's work is also analyzed, and concepts how AR could be used during the work process were designed. One concept of use has been implemented. It was a visual-ization of new constructed parts of autonomous robot, developed in project "FOLLOWme". The designers will use this program to detect collisions between parts and verify overall design of the robot.

No Abstract Available / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmchunu2014 / Visual Arts / unrestricted

This study was framed by the question, How is creativity integrated into the design process of apparel textile designers? A qualitative approach was used to explore the integration of creativity in the design process of two designers in the field of clothing and textiles. The personal experiences of a weaver and a costume designer were shared with the researcher through interviews, participant observation, logs, and document/visuals. Data were analyzed by a method of coding and categorizing. Comparative analysis was conducted on the studies of the weaver and the costume designer. A comparative analysis was done among the findings of the two apparel textile designers and from the review of the literature. First, steps of the design process as related to creativity were explored. The design process model stated by Koberg and Bagnall (1981) was used to analyze and discuss the findings. It was found that the apparel textile designers' process included the steps of acceptance, analysis, definition, ideation, idea selection, implementation, and evaluation. Many themes emerged from the data for each of the steps of design. Amabile's (1996) three components of creative performance (domain-revelant skills, creative-revelant skills, and task motivation) were used to examine and discuss the creativity of the weaver and the costume designer. It was found that the design process acted as a framework, and creativity allowed for the generation of new ideas and outcomes in the designer's work. The study of apparel textile designers, their individual design processes, and creativity serves to expand the body of knowledge of the design process and creativity related directly to the textile arts and to aid in the development of methods in design education. / Master of Science

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