The development of an advanced ship evacuation simulation software product and associated large scale testing facility for the collection of human shipboard behaviour data

When designing a new passenger ship or modifying an existing design, how do we ensure that the proposed design and crew emergency procedures are safe from an evacuation point of view? In the wake of major maritime disasters such as the Herald of Free Enterprise and the Estonia and in light of the growth in the numbers of high density, high-speed ferries and large capacity cruise ships, issues concerned with the evacuation of passengers and crew at sea are receiving renewed interest. In the maritime industry, ship evacuation models offer the promise to quickly and efficiently bring evacuation considerations into the design phase, while the ship is "on the drawing board". maritimeEXODUS-winner of the BCS, CITIS and RINA awards - is such a model. Features such as the ability to realistically simulate human response to fire, the capability to model human performance in heeled orientations, a virtual reality environment that produces realistic visualisations of the modelled scenarios and with an integrated abandonment model, make maritimeEXODUS a truly unique tool for assessing the evacuation capabilities of all types of vessels under a variety of conditions. This paper describes the maritimeEXODUS model, the SHEBA facility from which data concerning passenger/crew performance in conditions of heel is derived and an example application demonstrating the models use in performing an evacuation analysis for a large passenger ship partially based on the requirements of MSC circular 1033.

Risk mitigation framework for a robust design process

The increasing complexity of new manufacturing processes and the continuously growing range of fabrication options mean that critical decisions about the insertion of new technologies must be made as early as possible in the design process. Mitigating the technology risks under limited knowledge is a key factor and major requirement to secure a successful development of the new technologies. In order to address this challenge, a risk mitigation methodology that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative analysis is required. This paper outlines the methodology being developed under a major UK grand challenge project - 3D-Mintegration. The main focus is on identifying the risks through identification of the product key characteristics using a product breakdown approach. The assessment of the identified risks uses quantification and prioritisation techniques to evaluate and rank the risks. Traditional statistical process control based on process capability and six sigma concepts are applied to measure the process capability as a result of the risks that have been identified. This paper also details a numerical approach that can be used to undertake risk analysis. This methodology is based on computational framework where modelling and statistical techniques are integrated. Also, an example of modeling and simulation technique is given using focused ion beam which is among the investigated in the project manufacturing processes.

Engineering design knowledge management in de-centralised virtual enterprises

The problems of collaborative engineering design and knowledge management at the conceptual stage in a network of dissimilar enterprises was investigated. This issue in engineering design is a result of the supply chain and virtual enterprise (VE) oriented industry that demands faster time to market and accurate cost/manufacturing analysis from conception. The solution consisted of a de-centralised super-peer net architecture to establish and maintain communications between enterprises in a VE. In the solution outlined below, the enterprises are able to share knowledge in a common format and nomenclature via the building-block shareable super-ontology that can be tailored on a project by project basis, whilst maintaining the common nomenclature of the ‘super-ontology’ eliminating knowledge interpretation issues. The two-tier architecture layout of the solution glues together the peer-peer and super-ontologies to form a coherent system for both internal and virtual enterprise knowledge management and product development.

A framework to integrate design knowledge reuse and requirements management in engineering design

This paper presents a framework to integrate requirements management and design knowledge reuse. The research approach begins with a literature review in design reuse and requirements management to identify appropriate methods within each domain. A framework is proposed based on the identified requirements. The framework is then demonstrated using a case study example: vacuum pump design. Requirements are presented as a component of the integrated design knowledge framework. The proposed framework enables the application of requirements management as a dynamic process, including capture, analysis and recording of requirements. It takes account of the evolving requirements and the dynamic nature of the interaction between requirements and product structure through the various stages of product development.

Advanced product development integration architecture: an out-of-box solution to support distributed production networks

This paper presents novel collaboration methods implemented using a centralized client/server product development integration architecture, and a decentralized peer-to-peer network for smaller and larger companies using open source solutions. The product development integration architecture has been developed for the integration of disparate technologies and software systems for the benefit of collaborative work teams in design and manufacturing. This will facilitate the communication of early design and product development within a distributed and collaborative environment. The novelty of this work is the introduction of an‘out-of-box’ concept which provides a standard framework and deploys this utilizing a proprietary state-of-the-art product lifecycle management system (PLM). The term ‘out-of-box’ means to modify the product development and business processes to suit the technologies rather than vice versa. The key business benefits of adopting such an approach are a rapidly reconfigurable network and minimal requirements for software customization to avoid systems instability

Design process knowledge reuse challenges and issues

Product knowledge support needs are compared in two companies with different production volumes and product complexity. Knowledge support requirements identified include: function, performance data, requirements data, common parts, regulatory guidelines and layout data. A process based data driven knowledge reuse method is evaluated in light of the identified product knowledge needs. The evaluation takes place through developing a pilot case with each company. It is found that the method provides more benefit to the high complexity design domain, in which a significant amount of work takes place at the conceptual design stages, relying on a conceptual product representation. There is not such a clear value proposition in a design environment whose main challenge is layout design and the application of standard parts and features. The method supports the requirement for conceptual product representation but does not fully support a standard parts library.

Design of a silicone reservoir intravaginal ring for the delivery of oxybutynin.

Oxybutynin, a drug of choice in the treatment of urinary incontinence, has low oral bioavailability due to extensive first-pass metabolism. A toxic metabolite, N-desethyloxybutynin, has been linked to adverse reactions to oral oxybutynin. This study, therefore, reports on the design of an oxybutynin intravaginal ring (IVR) of reservoir design, comprising an oxybutynin silicone elastomer core encased in a non-medicated silicone sheath, manufactured by reaction injection moulding at 50oC. An unusually high initial burst release of oxybutynin (42.7 mg in 24 h) was observed in vitro with a full length core (100 mg drug loading), with subsequent non-zero order drug release. Use of fractional segment cores substantially reduced the burst effect, yielding linear cumulative drug release versus time plots from days 2 to 14. Thus, a 1/8 fractional segment core gave a 24 h burst of 11.28 mg oxybutynin and, thereafter, zero order release at the target dose of 5 mg/day over 14 days. Two oxybutynin cores, each 1/16 of full length, gave a greater release than a single 1/8 core, due to core segment end effects resulting in an increased surface area for release. The burst release was investigated by determining drug solubilities in the propan-1-ol product of elastomer condensation cure (390 mg/ml) and in the elastomer itself (13.9-20.21 mg/ml, by direct extraction and indirect thermal methods). These high oxybutynin solubilities were considered the major contributors to the burst effect. It was concluded that use of a fractional segment core would allow development of a suitable oxybutynin reservoir IVR.

Design, characterisation and preliminary clinical evaluation of a novel mucoadhesive topical formulation containing tetracycline for the treatment of periodontal disease

This study describes the formulation, characterisation and preliminary clinical evaluation of mucoadhesive, semi-solid formulations containing hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC, 1-5%, w/w), polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP, 2 or 3%, w/w), poly carbophil (PC, 1 or 3%, w/w) and tetracycline (5%, w/w, as the hydrochloride). Each formulation was characterised in terms of drug release, hardness, compressibility, adhesiveness (using a texture analyser in texture profile analysis mode), syringeability (using a texture analyser in compression mode) and adhesion to a mucin disc (measured as a detachment force using the texture analyser in tensile mode). The release exponent for the formulations ranged from 0.78+/-0.02 to 1.27+/-0.07, indicating that drug release was non-diffusion controlled. Increasing the concentrations of each polymeric component significantly increased the time required for 10 and 30% release of the original mass of tetracycline, due to both increased viscosity and, additionally, the unique swelling properties of the formulations. Increasing concentrations of each polymeric component also increased the hardness, compressibility, adhesiveness, syringeability and mucoadhesion of the formulations. The effects on product hardness, compressibility and syringeability may be due to increased product viscosity and, hence, increased resistance to compression. Similarly, the effects of these polymers on adhesiveness/mucoadhesion highlight their mucoadhesive nature and, importantly, the effects of polymer state (particularly PC) on these properties. Thus, in formulations where the neutralisation of PC was maximally suppressed, adhesiveness and mucoadhesion were also maximal. Interestingly, statistical interactions were primarily observed between the effects of HEC and PC on drug release, mechanical and mucoadhesive properties. These were explained by the effects of HEC on the physical state of PC, namely swollen or unswollen. In the preliminary clinical evaluation, a formulation was selected that offered an appropriate balance of the above physical properties and contained 3% HEC, 3% PVP and 1% PC, in addition to tetracycline 5% (as the hydrochloride). The clinical efficacy of this (test) formulation was compared to an identical tetracycline-devoid (control) formulation in nine periodontal pockets (greater than or equal to 5 mm depth). One week following administration of the test formulation, there was a significant improvement in periodontal health as identified by reduced numbers of sub-gingival microbial pathogens. Therefore, it can be concluded that, when used in combination with mechanical plaque removal, the tetracycline-containing semi-solid systems described in this study would augment such therapy by enhancing the removal of pathogens, thus improving periodontal health. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of plug design in determining wall thickness distribution in thermoforming

An experimental investigation has been carried out into the effects of changes in plug design on the wall thickness distribution of thermoformed products. Plugs were machined with a series of geometrical variations and their effects on the process were measured. The overall results show that the plug has a crucial role in controlling the wall thickness distribution in thermoforming. Larger plugs tend to distribute more material to the base of the product, but the introduction of a small sidewall taper, base radius, or a reduction in plug diameter tend to lead to more balanced distributions. However, larger changes in any of the variables tend to destroy these benefits. It has also been demonstrated that the frictional and thermal properties of the plug are important in determining the deformation response of the sheet material. There is a clear evidence of slip in the sheet during plug contact and, although the cooling effect of the plug appears to be minimal, cooling in the highly deformed regions away from the plug appears to be a significant factor.

Performance projections and design optimization of planar double gate SOI MOSFETs for logic technology applications

In this paper, by investigating the influence of source/drain extension region engineering (also known as gate-source/drain underlap) in nanoscale planar double gate (DG) SOI MOSFETs, we offer new insights into the design of future nanoscale gate-underlap DG devices to achieve ITRS projections for high performance (HP), low standby power (LSTP) and low operating power (LOP) logic technologies. The impact of high-kappa gate dielectric, silicon film thickness, together with parameters associated with the lateral source/drain doping profile, is investigated in detail. The results show that spacer width along with lateral straggle can not only effectively control short-channel effects, thus presenting low off-current in a gate underlap device, but can also be optimized to achieve lower intrinsic delay and higher on-off current ratio (I-on/I-off). Based on the investigation of on-current (I-on), off-current (I-off), I-on/I-off, intrinsic delay (tau), energy delay product and static power dissipation, we present design guidelines to select key device parameters to achieve ITRS projections. Using nominal gate lengths for different technologies, as recommended from ITRS specification, optimally designed gate-underlap DG MOSFETs with a spacer-to-straggle (s/sigma) ratio of 2.3 for HP/LOP and 3.2 for LSTP logic technologies will meet ITRS projection. However, a relatively narrow range of lateral straggle lying between 7 to 8 nm is recommended. A sensitivity analysis of intrinsic delay, on-current and off-current to important parameters allows a comparative analysis of the various design options and shows that gate workfunction appears to be the most crucial parameter in the design of DG devices for all three technologies. The impact of back gate misalignment on I-on, I-off and tau is also investigated for optimized underlap devices.

The Design Process- Making It Relevant For Students

Within the ever-changing arenas of architectural design and education, the core element of architectural education remains: that of the design process. The consideration of how to design in addition to what to design presents architectural educators with that most constant and demanding challenge of how do we best teach the design process?

This challenge is arguably most acute at a student's early stages of their architectural education. In their first years in architecture, students will commonly concentrate on the end product rather than the process. This is, in many ways, understandable. A great deal of time, money and effort go into their final presentations. They believe that it is what is on the wall that is going to be assessed. Armed with new computer skills, they want to produce eye-catching graphics that are often no more than a celebration of a CAD package. In an era of increasing speed, immediacy of information and powerful advertising it is unsurprising that students want to race quickly to presenting an end-product.

Recognising that trend, new teaching methods and models were introduced into the second year undergraduate studio over the past two years at Queen's University Belfast, aimed at promoting student self-reflection and making the design process more relevant to the students. This paper will first generate a critical discussion on the difficulties associated with the design process before outlining some of the methods employed to help promote the following; an understanding of concept, personalisation of the design process for the individual student; adding realism and value to the design process and finally, getting he students to play to their strengths in illustrating their design process like an element of product. Frameworks, examples, outcomes and student feedback will all be presented to help illustrate the effectiveness of the new strategies employed in making the design process firstly, more relevant and therefore secondly, of greater value, to the architecture student.

The determinants of knowledge transfer within collaborative new product development projects

Purpose – This paper explores the factors which determine the degree of knowledge transfer in inter-firm new product development projects. We test a theoretical model exploring how inter-firm knowledge transfer is enabled or hindered by a buyer’s learning intent, the degree of supplier protectiveness, inter-firm knowledge ambiguity, and absorptive capacity. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 153 R&D intensive manufacturing firms in the UK automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, electrical, chemical, and general manufacturing industries were used to test the framework. Two-step structural equation modeling in AMOS 7.0 was used to analyse the data. Findings – Our results indicate that a buyer’s learning intent increases inter-firm knowledge transfer, but also acts as an incentive for suppliers to protect their knowledge. Such defensive measures increase the degree of inter-firm knowledge ambiguity, encouraging buyer firms to invest in absorptive capacity as a means to interpret supplier knowledge, but also increase the degree of knowledge transfer. Practical implications – Our paper illustrates the effects of focusing on acquisition, rather than accessing, supplier technological knowledge. We show that an overt learning strategy can be detrimental to knowledge transfer between buyer-supplier, as supplier’s react by restricting the flow of information. Organisations are encouraged to consider this dynamic when engaging in multi-organisational new product development projects. Originality/value – This paper examines the dynamics of knowledge transfer within inter-firm NPD projects, showing how transfer is influenced by the buyer firm’s learning intention, supplier’s response, characteristics of the relationship and knowledge to be transferred.

Understanding New Product Project Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize the accumulated body of knowledge on the performance of new product projects and provide directions for further research. Design/methodology/approach – Using a refined classification of antecedents of new product project performance the research results are meta-analyzed in the literature in order to identify the strength and stability of predictor-performance relationships. Findings – The results reveal that 22 variables have a significant relationship with new product project performance, of which only 12 variables have a sizable relationship. In order of importance these factors are the degree of organizational interaction, R&D and marketing interface, general product development proficiency, product advantage, financial/business analysis, technical proficiency, management skill, marketing proficiency, market orientation, technology synergy, project manager competency and launch activities. Of the 34 variables 16 predictors show potential for moderator effects. Research limitations/implications – The validity of the results is constrained by publication bias and heterogeneity of performance measures, and directions for the presentation of data in future empirical publications are provided. Practical implications – This study helps new product project managers in understanding and managing the performance of new product development projects. Originality/value – This paper provides unique insights into the importance of predictors of new product performance at the project level. Furthermore, it identifies which predictor-performance relations are contingent on other factors.

Non Classical Design in MOSFETs for Improving OTA gain-bandwidth trade off

In this paper, gain-bandwidth (GB) trade-off associated with analog device/circuit design due to conflicting requirements for enhancing gain and cutoff frequency is examined. It is demonstrated that the use of a nonclassical source/drain (S/D) profile (also known as underlap channel) can alleviate the GB trade-off associated with analog design. Operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with 60 nm underlap S/D MOSFETs achieve 15 dB higher open loop voltage gain along with three times higher cutoff frequency as compared to OTA with classical nonunderlap S/D regions. Underlap design provides a methodology for scaling analog devices into the sub-100 nm regime and is advantageous for high temperature applications with OTA, preserving functionality up to 540 K. Advantages of underlap architecture over graded channel (GC) or laterally asymmetric channel (LAC) design in terms of GB behavior are demonstrated. Impact of transistor structural parameters on the performance of OTA is also analyzed. Results show that underlap OTAs designed with spacer-to-straggle ratio of 3.2 and operated below a bias current of 80 microamps demonstrate optimum performance. The present work provides new opportunities for realizing future ultra wide band OTA design with underlap DG MOSFETs in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. Index Terms—Analog/RF, double gate, gain-bandwidth product, .