SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AS IT RELATES TO TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR IN SIDS: A CASE STUDY IN TRINIDAD

The objective of this research was to analyse the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and the travel behaviour of Trinidadians. Many studies have shown that a relationship exists between the socio-economic and sociodemographic characteristics of an individual and their travel patterns. A better understanding of this relationship can influence transportation policy decisions and therefore, aid in improvement to the overall transportation structure. This understanding of travel behaviour is of particular importance in developing countries and SIDS, where there is limited geographical space, economic constraints and an influx of competitive unregulated paratransit modes into the transportation system. Trinidad, like other developing countries and SIDS, has a public transportation system that is dominated by paratransit modes. More notably, there is increasing penetration of illegally operated paratransit modes, that are aggressively competing in the market and gaining a lot of traction. Data was collected in January 2018 using a revealed preference survey of commuters’ work-based tours in, Trincity, a middle-income housing area with good highway and public transportation access. Results showed that income, age, distance from workplace and gender all affect the likelihood of public transport usage as a primary mode of a work tour and there were gender-based differences in the incidence of walking as part of the tour. Additionally, although most public transportation users considered the government bus service as the safest and illegal paratransit services as the least safe, the usage of such services was more than five times that of the bus. The research points to important service and policy actions which need to be taken to encourage and support shifts to more sustainable modes.

APPLYING FUZZY QFD MCDM TO EVALUATE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

This paper exhibits a method to improve the quality of musical instruments with the application of two Multi-Criteria Decision Making models, Technique of Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Environment. A fuzzy analysis approach was also included to accommodate qualitative data in music. The QFD was constructed with literature based on optimizing the manufacture of musical instruments. At this phase of the research, the paper focused on the physical parameters and perceived qualities of musical instruments. The proposed modified QFD was developed to identify the product features chosen by the market and aid the manufacture of musical instruments. A standard QFD recognized and scored factors to develop and manufacture musical instruments. It accommodated some core engineering variables for the musical instruments but overlooked some feature stakeholder needs. For example, the musician may not have 100% gratification while playing the instrument as the manufacturer fails to capture acoustic features to psychologically satisfy the musician’s audience. Using fuzzy logic, QFD and MCDM increased the model performance by expanding the data set. It offered the manufacturer of musical instruments a mode to capture and analyse behavioural linguistic data covering more customer requirements. Hence, the approach increased the range to correlate the physical features and psychological behaviours of musical instruments. It allowed non-technical persons to provide an improved form of reliable information. This modified QFD can also be applied to develop other products involving linguistic data.

WAVE ANALYSIS OF A L-BEAM STRUCTURE WITH A BLOCKING MASS

The wave vibration approach regards the vibrations present within a structure as waves, whereby each wave flows along a structural member and upon meeting a discontinuity; portions of the incident wave are reflected and transmitted across the discontinuity. The reflected, transmitted and propagating wave transformations are represented mathematically by matrices, which are used to develop a set of wave relation equations at each discontinuity that can be used to describe the frequency response of the system holistically. This method creates a systematic approach of analysing structures by utilizing common cases as building blocks for a specific structure. The L-joint, described as two beams meeting at right angles; is a ubiquitous case for spatial portal and structural frames, which may become geometrically complex. Such structures are well suited to a wave vibration approach due to the large number of geometric changes and the prevalence as well as recurrence of specific cases. In this paper, the L-joint expanded to include a blocking mass, typically employed in structural systems and allows for the isolation and reflection of vibration away from contiguous structural elements. Included are; variance of transmission and reflection matrix components as the size of the blocking mass increases, numerical examples and comparison to a Finite Element Model developed in ANSYS.

Analysis of Nuclear Based Electric Power Generation System – AN LCA Approach

In a developing country like India with scarce hydrocarbon reserves and also due to variable nature of Renewables in terms of potential, penetration and technology, Coal must be relied upon as a source of energy in near future also, to meet the ever-growing demand for an instant form of energy i.e. Electricity. An alternative to not so clean source Coal appears to be Nuclear Power and this option can supplement and supplant our energy needs despite several concerns from various sources post-Fukushima Nuclear accident. This paper carries out a detailed LCA study of Nuclear based Electric Power Generation System with a wider scope that encompasses the waste disposal and spent fuel reprocessing phases, is modelled and run on SimaPro 9.0.0.48 LCA software with ECOINVENT 3.0 as database. This study also covers the all-important Inventory Analysis for the inputs used, raw material extracted and residuals consequently released to the environment. The results are expressed in terms of pre-defined energy metrics such as ERR and EPBT. Further, the study covers the environmental impact assessment category such as GWP and finally the results are presented with a kWh of electricity produced by this option as a functional unit. These investigations help energy planners and policymakers to compare various power generating options and justify the alternatives to meet future demand for electricity in a cleaner and more sustainable manner by keeping the spirit of Paris Climate Agreement in mind.

A STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF A LOCAL BOTTLE MANUFACTURING OPERATION: DEPLOYMENT OF LEAN PRINCIPLES AND DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION

Local manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SME) have faced continuous challenges in competing with manufacturing firms of scale on the global market. Factors such as the presence of a traditional organisational structure and inefficient utilisation of resources have contributed to the challenges faced by local SMEs in keeping up with regional and international competitors within the manufacturing sector. To investigate the aforementioned challenges, a case study was conducted on a local bottle manufacturing SME which sought to improve their system performance across their Plastic Injection Melding (PIM) operation. Using strategies in the form of lean manufacturing as well as ARENA® simulation software, the challenges identified within their operation were observed and mitigated using key performance indicators. Lean strategies such as Heijunka, Kanban and Six Sigma were utilised as possible methods of reducing waste within the existing simulation model. When comparing the key performance indicators from the simulation, findings highlighted improvements in the Work in Process (WIP) and Waiting Time (WT) by 84.78% and 98.03% for the entire operation. A cost-benefit analysis was carried out to identify the most financially feasible strategy in purchasing the resources that were required for the strategy’s integration into the actual system.

CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECTS: THEORY MEETS PRACTICE

This paper describes one example of an adjustable gooseneck trailer hitch assembly that was assigned as a senior capstone design project course at Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, USA to carry out their work from concept to testing phases of a real prototype – in short, following “Theory meets practice” concept. Typically at most other engineering colleges, students complete their capstone projects in one year, while at Kettering University, the students complete their capstone courses in one academic term that lasts only about 11 weeks. Using math and advanced Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tools for analysis is expected. Three different groups of students enrolled in three separate courses over 3 academic terms developed two different trailer hitch devices. The first gooseneck hitch system briefly described here was the effort of a group of four students of the capstone course. They designed a manually adjustable device. However, due to time constraints, their fabricated device ended up being a rigid frame. These students carried out all the different tasks of the project more or less equitably. The second trailer hitch system described in this paper was the effort of a single student of the capstone course who designed and fabricated a compliant (adjustable) hitch system. However, due to time constraints, detailed finite element analysis (FEA) or testing of the device could not be done. A third group of two students enrolled in Applied Finite Element Analysis course in another academic term chose the compliant hitch design carried by the single student for their final class project, and attempted analysis by MatLab and FEA. Preliminary results obtained for both of these gooseneck trailer hitch systems are presented and discussed briefly in the paper. Majority of the capstone course projects carried out at Kettering University represent uniqueness in terms of completing them in one academic term.

AUTONOMOUS DETECTION OF VEHICULAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT PARAMETERS

Vehicular technology has improved tremendously in the last few decades. Drivers and passengers are now being made more aware of their surroundings as well as the state of their cars, ergo becoming increasingly capable of making better decisions. These 'smart-vehicles' are directed by microcontrollers and microprocessors where a network of sensors and actuators provide contextual feedback for the user. Some of these features include parking and reverse assistance, collision avoidance and cruise control. In the coming years, this trend will undergo unprecedented growth as the technologies become cheaper to manufacture and implement. In fact, more advanced systems now alert the driver to realtime critical failures and problematic conditions while the simpler ones do so upon start-up. This paper provides a tested framework for a potential sensing system to alert the driver when the vehicle alignment is off. Vehicle misalignment can become an issue quickly as the following can result: Increased tire tread wear leading to reduced traction with the road's surface and ultimately higher chances of accidents as well as more frequent replacement of the tires becoming necessary. Uneven friction at contact between the road and tire can increase the resistance resulting in higher fuel consumption by the engine. Strain on multiple components within the braking system and suspension as misalignment can cause drift while in motion and additionally uneven braking. A damaged suspension is quite expensive to repair or replace. Early detection of the extent of misalignment can lead to decreased expenditure in the areas of maintenance and fuel consumption, contributing to an increase in reliability. Since many drivers, however experienced they are, may at times be ignorant of the degree of misalignment their vehicle possesses, adding this technology can serve as a potential remedy ultimately improving the user experience and vehicle longevity.