Machine Learning in Computer Vision Software for Geomechanics Modeling

AI-GEM (Artificial Intelligence of Geomechanics Earth Modelling) tool aims to detect the geomechanical features, especially the elastic parameters and stresses. Characterizing the wellbore instability issues is one of the factors increases cost of drilling and creating an AI-based tool will enhance and present a real-time solution for wellbore instability. These features are usually interpreted manually, depending on the experience and usually impacted by inconsistencies due to biased or unexperienced interpreters. Therefore, there is a need for a robust automatic or semiautomatic approach to reduce time, manual efficiency and consistency. The range of Geomechanics issues is wide and interfaces with many other upstream disciplines (e.g., Petrophysics, Geophysics, Production Geology, Drilling and Reservoir Engineering). Safe and effective field operation is built on the understanding and implementation of the subsurface in-situ stress state throughout the life of the field; the quantification of key subsurface uncertainties through well thought-out data gathering and characterization programs. The integration with appropriate Geomechanics modelling and the field surveillance /monitoring strategy. There are two major aspects that must be addressed during the design phase of any Geomechanics project. The first and most important is developing a realistic estimate of the expected mechanical behaviour of the rocks and its potential response as a result of drilling. The second is to design an economic, safe well and support method for the determined rocks behaviour. The design process begins with the feasibility study followed by preliminary design, the detail design, tender design and throughout the construction. The design is constantly updated during each phase as more information becomes available and this requires the involvement of Geologists, Engineers and Subject Matter Expert throughout the phases of a project. A central concern for all geomechanical designs is the well-rock interaction, which is not only includes the final state but also the transient effects of the well processes as well as time and stress of the dependent rock properties. The end-to-end workflow to achieve the mechanical earth model is automated, guided and orchestrated with the help of machine learning framework such as recommendation engine for offset well data, prediction of well logs, and optimization for all calibration with existing test results, enabling end users to run sensitivity and scenario analysis so on and so forth.

Double Synchronous Unified Virtual Oscillator Control for Asymmetrical Fault Ride-Through in Grid-Forming Voltage Source Converters

A double synchronous unified virtual oscillator controller (dsUVOC) is proposed for grid-forming voltage source converters to achieve synchronization to the fundamental frequency positive- and negative-sequence components of unbalanced or distorted grids. The proposed controller leverages a positive- and a negative-sequence virtual oscillator, a double-sequence current reference generator, and a double-sequence vector limiter. Under fault conditions, the controller enables to clamp the converter output current below the maximum value limited by the converter hardware while retaining synchronization without a phase-locked-loop (PLL) regardless of the balanced or unbalanced nature of grid faults. Consequently, balanced and unbalanced fault ride-through can be achieved without the need for switching to a back-up controller. The paper presents the systematic development of the double-synchronous structure along with detail design and implementation guidelines. Validation of the proposed controller is provided through extensive control-hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) and laboratory hardware experiments.

Educational Blockchain: A Secure Degree Attestation and Verification Traceability Architecture for Higher Education Commission

Degree attestation verification and traceability are complex one-to-one processes between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and universities. The procedure shifted to the digitalized manner, but still, on a certain note, manual authentication is required. In the initial process, the university verified the degree and stamp seal first. Then, a physical channel of degree submission to the receiving ends is activated. After that, the degree is attested while properly examining and analyzing the tamper records related to degree credentials through e-communication with the university for verification and validation. This issue poses a serious challenge to educational information integrity and privacy. Potentially, blockchain technology could become a standardized platform to perform tasks including issuing, verifying, auditing, and tracing immutable records, which would enable the HEC, universities, and Federal Education Ministry (FEM) to quickly and easily get attested and investigate the forge proof versions of certificates. Besides, decentralized distributed data blocks in chronological order provide high security between distributed ledgers, consensus engine, digital signature, smart contracts, permissioned application, and private network node transactions that guarantee degree record validation and traceability. This paper presents an architecture (HEDU-Ledger) and detail design of blockchain-enabled hyperledger fabric applications implementation for degree attestation verification and traceable direct channel design between HEC and universities. The hyperledger fabric endorses attestation records first, and then validates (committer) the degree and maintains the secure chain of tracing between stakeholder peer nodes. Furthermore, this HEDU-Ledger architecture avoids language and administrative barriers. It also provides robustness in terms of security and privacy of records and maintains integrity with secure preservation as compared to that of the other state-of-the-art methods.

Protocol refinement for a diabetes pragmatic trial using the PRECIS-2 framework

Background This report describes how we refined a protocol for a pragmatic comparative effectiveness study of two models of an evidence-based diabetes shared medical appointment intervention and used the PRECIS-2 rating system to evaluate these adaptations. Methods We report primary data collected between June and August 2019, and protocol refinements completed between 2018 and 2020. Twenty-two members of the study team collaborated in protocol refinement and completed the PRECIS-2 ratings of study pragmatism. We discuss study design refinements made to achieve the desired level of pragmatism vs. experimental control for each of the nine PRECIS-2 dimensions. Study team members received training on PRECIS-2 scoring and were asked to rate the study protocol on the nine PRECIS-2 dimensions. Ratings were compared using descriptive statistics. Results In general, the PRECIS-2 ratings revealed high levels of pragmatism, but somewhat less pragmatic ratings on the categories of Delivery and Organization (costs and resources). This variation was purposeful, and we provide the rationale for and steps taken to obtain the targeted level of pragmatism on each PRECIS-2 dimension, as well as detail design changes made to a) make the design more pragmatic and b) address COVID-19 issues. There was general agreement among team members and across different types of stakeholders on PRECIS-2 ratings. Conclusions We discuss lessons learned from use of PRECIS-2 and experiences in refining the study to be maximally pragmatic on some dimensions and less so on other dimensions. This paper expands on prior research by describing actions to achieve higher levels of pragmatism and revise our protocol fit to the changed context. We make recommendations for future use of PRECIS-2 to help address changing context and other strategies for the planning of and transparent reporting on pragmatic research and comparative effectiveness research. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Registration ID: NCT03590041.

The Aesthetics of Making

<p><b>As the architectural design process evolves and embraces new techniques and technologies and mass production is more readily available, the relationship between designer and craftsman has become more distant. As we look to produce more and more architecture every year on a larger production scale, the craft and detail of the architecture begin to fall at the wayside. As we lose this relationship, the culture and identity of a place are also lost as these technologies are not responding to specific site and cultural implications.</b></p> <p>One such site where this is applicable is the small coastal town of Onemana in the Coromandel, a town of slightly more than 300 homes constructed as a single development in the 1980s. The rush to produce more homes and on a larger scale has meant the town’s architecture does not reflect the community culture or coastal identity of the place or the people who live there. </p> <p>This thesis argues that there is an existing relationship between craftsperson and designer and explores how this relationship and detail design can generate and inform architectural design. Understanding this relationship will generate detail design that has a more powerful outcome on the spatial qualities of the architecture and generates my own detail design language. It also argues that there exists a relationship between detail design and the urban environment, which is not fully utilised in the industry.</p> <p>The thesis proposes that this can be achieved by testing and evaluating this hypothesis across three scales and three types of urban context. The three test sites identified are a small scale private dwelling, a mid-scale cultural installation and a large scale town centre. Using the process of beginning with detail design, architectural installations will be implemented and evaluated before moving to the following location. As result the method will be proven to work across multiple scales and reflect a variety of cultural inputs.</p>

The Aesthetics of Making

<p><b>As the architectural design process evolves and embraces new techniques and technologies and mass production is more readily available, the relationship between designer and craftsman has become more distant. As we look to produce more and more architecture every year on a larger production scale, the craft and detail of the architecture begin to fall at the wayside. As we lose this relationship, the culture and identity of a place are also lost as these technologies are not responding to specific site and cultural implications.</b></p> <p>One such site where this is applicable is the small coastal town of Onemana in the Coromandel, a town of slightly more than 300 homes constructed as a single development in the 1980s. The rush to produce more homes and on a larger scale has meant the town’s architecture does not reflect the community culture or coastal identity of the place or the people who live there. </p> <p>This thesis argues that there is an existing relationship between craftsperson and designer and explores how this relationship and detail design can generate and inform architectural design. Understanding this relationship will generate detail design that has a more powerful outcome on the spatial qualities of the architecture and generates my own detail design language. It also argues that there exists a relationship between detail design and the urban environment, which is not fully utilised in the industry.</p> <p>The thesis proposes that this can be achieved by testing and evaluating this hypothesis across three scales and three types of urban context. The three test sites identified are a small scale private dwelling, a mid-scale cultural installation and a large scale town centre. Using the process of beginning with detail design, architectural installations will be implemented and evaluated before moving to the following location. As result the method will be proven to work across multiple scales and reflect a variety of cultural inputs.</p>

Energy Production and vapor condensating in Desalination of seawater by successive heating of thin layers of water using solar radiations from a Fresnel concentrator"

This paper aims to present the outline of two additional process for "Desalination of seawater by successive heating of thin layers of water using solar radiations from a Fresnel concentrator"[1]. For more detail information refer to the article "Desalination of seawater by successive heating of thin layers of water using solar radiations from a Fresnel concentrator"[1], the preprint "Detail Design - Linear Fresnel concentrator Steam Generator"[2] , the preprint Steam Flow formulation of the Linear Fresnel concentrator Steam Generator[3] and the preprint ‘Solar Heat Transfer formulation for the Steam generation from seawater based on Linear Fresnel Concentrator’[4].The first process is the condensation process which reuse an existing process. We recommend to use the HeatSink technology combined to cooling plate. For more information about this condensation process we can refer to this article ‘Improvement of condensation step of water vapor in solar desalination of seawater and the development of three-ply membrane system’[5]. The second process, which the innovation aspect for this paper, is to generate hydro-electrical energy from the condensate water in the first process.