Residential Buildings Complex Boundaries Generation Based on Spatial Grid System

The automatic generation of building boundaries in contemporary research and engineering projects and practices is dominantly characterized by interior functional constraints. As a basis for the automated generation of various building boundaries, the solution presented in this paper is a novel approach that ignores the internal (functional) and focuses only on the external (non-functional) impacts. The primary orientation on external impacts may be, at any instance, extended by suitable complementary traditional methodology. The applied research methodology and presented method rely on a developed extendible rule-based system that simplifies floor plan creation by the recursive application of a formulated spatial grid generation algorithm. Based on starting parameter values (mainly the lot and building area spaces) the algorithm tends to create a set of grids that satisfy initial constraints by marking the individual grid cells as a part of the building or empty. The presented conceptual framework model served as a foundation for creating a prototype software application that supports the experimental generation of grid arrays that are transformed into readable images of residential building boundaries. For the initial validation of the developed methodology, method, and algorithm, the concrete parametric resolution is set to 1 m. The comparative analysis has shown that the presented approach overcomes some of the limitations of previous related research that generate building boundaries in simple rectangular form or with limited variability. The proposed method, in its current stage, outperforms discussed existing methods concerning complex shape boundary building plan generation. Besides that, there is a broad space for further enhancement directions concerning the interoperability with other, independently developed, frameworks, and software tools.

SHIP-SHIP HYDRODYNAMIC INTERACTION IN CONFINED WATERS WITH COMPLEX BOUNDARIES BY A PANELLED MOVING PATCH METHOD

This paper presents a potential flow solution for online estimation of hydrodynamic interaction between ships moving in restricted waters with complex boundaries. Each ship in concern is linked with a moving patch representing the arbitrary bathymetry beneath it. The wetted surfaces of ship hulls are meshed and loaded prior to the simulation, while the moving patches are dynamically discretized by a fast and robust mesh generator. The proposed method is validated for the ship- ship interaction case in the shallow water case with a flat and horizontal seabed where the mirror image technique is applicable, and satisfactory agreement is obtained. The method is further applied to simulate two interaction scenarios involving arbitrary seabed topography, and the numerical results are obtained and discussed.

Modelling Three Dimensional Unsteady Turbulent HVAC Induced Flow

A three-dimensional numerical model for HVAC induced flow is presented. The nonlinear set of buoyancy driven incompressible flow equations, augmented with those of energy and turbulence model is solved. Various relevant are discussed. These challenges include avoiding expensive commercial packages, modeling complex boundaries, and capturing near wall gradients. Adaptive time stepping is employed to optimize computational effort. Three-dimensional simulation requirements are addressed using parallel computations. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional results are presented to clarify the model significance. Validation is done using full scale measurements. Good agreement with velocity and temperature profiles are illustrated.

The electronic origins of the “rare earth” texture effect in magnesium alloys

Although magnesium alloys are lightweight, recyclable and relatively cheap, they suffer from poor ductility. This can be improved by the addition of rare earth (RE) elements, and this is now a well-established criterion for wrought alloy design. It is notable that this behavior is largely restricted to the lanthanides, but no hypothesis is yet available to explain why other elements do not have the same effect. To answer this question, ab initio simulations of crystallographically complex boundaries have been undertaken to examine the electronic origin of the RE effect. While the electronic structure provided strong bonding between the RE elements and their Mg surroundings, local disruption in atomic arrangement at the grain boundaries was found to modify this effect. This work shows quantifiable changes in electronic structure of solutes resulting from grain boundary crystallography, and is suggested to be a contributing factor to the RE texture effect.

‘Fake news’ or trust in authorities? The problems of uncertainty at a time of medical crisis

This article examines the complex boundaries between ‘fake news’, speculation, hypothesis, gossip and whistleblowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows that apparently authoritative sources and experts gave information or policy recommendations that have turned out to be wrong, sometimes dangerously so, and explores the kinds of bias that enter medical advice and planning decisions. The article then diagnoses a WhatsApp voice-note from a young South African doctor that went viral and was denounced as ‘fake news’ because of obvious errors. This note, however, revealed behind the scenes medical thinking about subjects that professional bodies and authorities usually avoid discussing publicly. In highlighting what apparently authoritative sources omit and distort, the article suggests that journalists should report medical advice, even from authoritative sources, with caution and shows that apparently ‘fake’ news may reveal issues other news sources neglect.