Engineering today 49

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Publication of the Chamber of Engineers December 2014 | Issue 49

Contents

Issue No.49 l Aeronautica ultural l Biomedical ral Agric iar Mine l Aeronauticaanical Chem ultura uter Nucle l Mech ical Civil are Comp Mineral Agricl Biomedica anical Chem inability autica nics Softw Nuclear l Mech Civil Susta ical ical ical Photoare Computer ultural Aeronl Biomedica n Electr ity Desig Electronics ral Agricl Aeronautica Softw Biomechan anical Chem l Mech and ms Systems Sustainabil Photonics Nuclear Mine ultura uter ical CivilDesign Electrical onics Systeical ral Agricautical Biomedica Electronics echanical l Chem ar Mine ity echan ical and Systems Biom Software Comp and Electr n Electr uter Nucle ultural Aeron l Mechanica nics Sustainabil n Electrical Systems Biom Software ity Desig and Electronics ical Photo nics Desig are CompMineral Agric l Biomedica ical Civil ar echan ical ar l Chem Sustainability and Electronics ical Photo uter Nucle autica Sustainabil nics Softw ral echan are Comp ical ical Civil ity Design Electr Systems Biomical Photo Computer Nucleultural Aeron l Mechanica Civil Mine Biom Electr ar ical n Chem ms l Softw uter Nucle are inabil Desig Syste l Chem ral Agric anica Biomedica Electronicsms Biomechan ultural l Mech autical l Mechanica Sustainability Electronics ical Photonics ar Mine nics Softw Civil Susta ical and Comp l Syste ral Agric Biomedica l ChemicalDesign Electr Electronics echanical Photo uter Nucle ultural Aeron SoftwareNuclear Mine l Aeronautica l ical Civil n Electrical and Biomedica Biomechan autical ity are Comp ral Agric l Chem uter ultura l Biomedica Biom Photonics autical ical and Systems l Aeron edical Mechanica ral Agric iSustainabil n Electr SystemsPhotonics SoftwNuclear Mineultural Aeron l Mechanica inability Desig echanicalSoftware Comp Biom Electronics Agricultura ar Mine l Aeronauticaanical Chem ical Civilinability Desig Electronics uter ms Biom autical Biomedicaical Civil Susta Mineral ical and ultura echanical are Comp ar Mineral Agric Photonics uter Nucle l Mech ical Civil Susta ical and autical 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Publication of the Chamber of Engineers

December 2014 www.coe.org.mt

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Cover Image

From the Editor

03

From the President

05

A Study on the Aerodynamics of Floating Wind Turbine Rotors

11

Potential of small to medium wind power plants

15

Broadcasting 3D Video

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Inorganic Thermal Energy Storage Salts

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The UoMRacing Story

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Renewable Energy Integration: Challenges and Solutions (Springer 2014)

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IEEE Region 8 Committee Meeting & Sections Congress 2014

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Launching of IEEE Malta Section Website

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Floating wind turbines are mounted on three different types of floating structures so that they can generate electricity in deeper waters where they are not able to mount them to the ocean floor.

Editor Dr. Inġġ. Brian Azzopardi Eur. Ing.

Editorial Board Inġ. Norman Zammit Eur. Ing. Inġġ. Pierre Ciantar Prof. Dr. Inġ. Robert Ghirlando Chamber of Engineers, Professional Centre, Sliema Road,Gzira, GZR 1633, Malta Tel: +356 2133 4858 Fax: +356 2134 7118 Email: info@coe.org.mt Web: www.coe.org.mt

© Chamber of Engineers 2014. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Chamber of Engineers - Malta.

Opinions expressed in Engineering Today are not necessarily those of the Chamber of Engineers Malta. All care has been taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the Editorial Board cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in the articles, pictographs or illustrations.

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From the editor Dear Readers The end of another year is approaching, and as we celebrate this holiday season, we look forward to probably the most important event in our calendar, the 2014 Malta Engineering Excellence Awards where our colleagues and technology companies and Malta produced products are elevated as role models within our profession and truly celebrated.

This year we overcame the challenge to continue with our regular Engineering Today magazine and we already introduced some more efficient processes for submission. A number of other initiatives will see their birth in 2015 to make Engineering Today more accessible and appealing. We are looking forward to receiving articles, book reviews and social articles for a stunning year ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite abstracts for the 2015 Chamber of Engineers Conference on Energy and Transport refer to page 6.

In this issue, the first two articles are related to wind energy from two different perspectives.

“A Study on the Aerodynamics of Floating Wind Turbine Rotors” by Mr. Russell Farrugia provides some light on the complexity of the wake of Offshore Floating Wind Turbines (OFWTs), a project carried out at the University of Malta under the Strategic Educational Pathways Scholarship (Malta).

The second article discusses the potential of small to medium wind power plants and reveals basic issues regarding their integration into urban areas, highlighting a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Lithuania and a recent research visit at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST).

In the third article Prof. Dr. Inġ. Carl James Debono explores the multi-disciplinary field of broadcast 3D video using the multi-view video format which provides a lot of challenges and will be very active in the coming years.

The fourth article “Inorganic Thermal Energy Storage Salts” by Mr. Darren Portelli evaluates

possible thermal energy storage solutions, with a focus on inorganic salts, which may ultimately be implemented in a Solar Energy Combined Heat and Power Plant.

The fifth article covers the success story of the University of Malta Racing. Every start is difficult but the vision of this young energy team shows the determination required in racing. We wish you all good luck in future competitions!

As a start to regular Book reviews, in this issue, Mr. Mark Zammit provides us with a book review entitled “Renewable Energy Integration: Challenges and Solutions”.

On the social aspect, we are covering the IEEE Region 8 Committee Meeting and the Launching of the IEEE Malta Section Website.

The IEEE Malta Section is in collaboration with the Chamber of Engineers.

As this is the year’s final issue, I want to express my gratitude to the Engineering Today Magazine Editorial Boards and to the Chamber of Engineers and the President Inġ. Norman Zammit for firm support. And in fact, I invite you to read the President’s address in this issue for the latest CoE council and committees updates. We have had an outstanding year, and for that I want to recognise this year’s contributors who made it possible. And to Dark Dragon Media who are the publishers and our sponsors. ET Warm wishes for this festive season, a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Dr. Inġ. Brian Azzopardi Eur. Ing. The Editor, Engineering Today, Chamber of Engineers

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From the President Dear Colleagues, This second edition of our flagship publication Engineering Today is being issued during the month of December. The Council this year has continued to meet twice a month with further ad hoc and sub-committees meetings taking place also involved members who are outside the Council but who are ready to contribute towards the work being done by the Chamber in favour of the profession.

The month also meant the launch of one of the most important events in the Calendar of the Chamber and this being the Malta Engineering Excellence Awards (MEEA).

MEEA: Malta Engineering Excellence Awards Ceremony is to take place on the 5th December at St. John’s Cavalier in Valletta under the patronage of H.E. the President of Malta Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.

The awards are given in three categories:

The Maurice Debono Lifetime Achievement Award Industrial Excellence Award Start-up Entrepreneur Award

This year was also the first time that the Chamber is giving the awards for the best projects from Final Year Engineering Students of the University of Malta during this ceremony.

A more detailed account of the ceremony will be given in the next issue.

Ethics and the engineering profession: Ethics remains one of the top items on the agenda for the Council.

As mentioned during my opening speech in the MEEA ceremony, the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee has worked on a questionnaire to investigate better the present scenarios within Industry with regards to ethics and the perception amongst fellow engineers of this

notion which is fundamental to our professional life governing our way of working.

The questionnaire is planned to be launched in the new year and I encourage all members to contribute to it.

As a Council we solicit the attention of our members to ensure compliance with the Code of Ethics at all times and if ever in doubt on issues, to refer these issues in confidentiality to the Committee or to the Council.

The Engineer has to be regarded as the guardian and promoter to the establishment of quality and safe work practices within Industry and Society at large. We therefore cannot afford to give the wrong perceptions with regards to the importance of the involvement of Engineers just because some of our colleagues might decide to certify equipment from home without actually carrying out the inspections or maybe closing even both eyes when it comes to pointing out deficiencies or non-conformances. Retaining once credibility is of poromout importance and we should not let anything compromise our professional integrity.. The truth will always be on your side and that is why the Chamber has set up this committee to support our members in these critical situations requiring harsh decisions to be taken.

The Engineering Board and issuance of new degrees in the Engineering fields from MCAST and other Institutions: In my Presidential note of the previous edition I had announced that a meeting was held with the Engineering Board where the Chamber was closely following the ongoing discussions between MCAST and the Engineering Board with regards to the recognition of the degrees issued by MCAST for the purpose of qualification to the engineering warrant.

The MCAST detailed syllabi of the degrees are still undergoing evaluation. Given the urgency of this matter we strongly urge the Minister

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and the Chairman of the Engineering Board to deploy the necessary recourse for a completion of this process in the reasonably shortest time possible.

and present proposals on how to improve Governance in our areas of competence or where the role of the Engineer could enhance the provision of services or products.

This process then needs to be continued in the evaluation of degrees from other Institutions including the University of Malta to finally arrive to a mechanism where the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) could act as the Board for accreditation of degrees in line with EUR-ACE.

In this process we shall require the valuable input of our members without whom we will cease to exist as an organisation.

EUR-ACE® is a framework and accreditation system that provides a set of standards that identifies high quality engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad.

The EUR-ACE® label is a certificate awarded by an authorised agency to a Higher Education Institution in respect of each engineering degree programme which it has accredited.

Professional development of Engineers: In the coming year the Chamber of Engineers is planning to issue a white paper in relation to the implementation and promotion of Continuous Professional Development in our profession in line with the initial guidance document issued by the Federation of Professional Associations following the introduction of the Services Directive by the EU. This white paper will set up the framework to be implemented by the Chamber as regards CPD for its members.

Approach towards relevant Authorities and hence the contribution of Engineers in Society: As stated in my note of the previous edition, next year the Council shall work to increase the presence of Engineers in relevant Authorities and the requirements to have Engineers in key roles within Society as the guarantor of quality and integrity.

The Chamber shall approach Government on all levels to promote this concept further

Annual Business Meeting of FEANI: The Annual Business Meeting of FEANI (European Federation of Engineering Associations) was organised in Gdansk Poland between the 8th - 10th October 2014. Since the Chamber of Engineers is the National Monitoring Committee for FEANI in Malta, the event was attended by myself and Prof Dr Inġ Paul Micallef as the Secretary for International Affairs.

1. On Wednesday 8th October the delegation attended the Educational Conference entitled: “Education of Engineers - Key Task for the successful European Future”.

In one of the key speeches the President of FEAN In his opening statement stated that:‘Engineers require, apart from experience, a good academic foundation on which to build their experience.’

He went on to state further that ‘Innovation/CPD and a quality academic background are the base that make a good Engineer’.

2. Thursday 9th October morning session opened again at the Gdansk University of Technology where a number of speakers gave talks regarding Accreditation of Engineering qualifications.

The main speakers were: Prof. B. REMAUD - ENAEE President Prof. J. VIEIRA - Ordem dos Engenheiros Ms. K. TURFF - Engineering Council Prof. Bohdan MACUKOW - KAUT

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From the President (cont.)

Each presenter gave a view of the accreditation body that one works in, and its relation to the general accreditation system used in Europe as well as other mutual recognition accreditation agreements in place with entities in America and in Asia.

In the afternoon, the Maltese delegation attended a meeting regarding the EngineerING card. In this meeting Malta raised its concerns with regards to the adoption of the EngineerING card in lieu of the EPC (European Professional Card).

The afternoon session continued with an informal national members’ forum with the member states present and where the General Secretary went through the presentation prepared for the General Assembly explaining what the matters where and what votes were expected to be taken during the General Assembly.

In this forum Malta has once again expressed its concerns with regards to the ‘requirements’ emanating out of the EngineerING card.

3. Friday 10th October was the day of the General Assembly.

The General Assembly started with the routine reporting by the President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer of FEANI.

In his report, the General Secretary analysed the replies of the FEANI survey that was issued to all National Members, which Malta also participated in.

During the Assembly, each Chairman of the four task force committees set up by FEANI gave a report on the work carried out by the respective committees.

The task forces relate to: 1. EU Projects 2. Business Development 3. Status of the Professional Engineer 4. EPC/ENG Card In a comment, after the presentation from the Chairman of the EPC/ENG card task force, we stated that although Malta was in favour of the concept of the EngineerING card, the Chamber of Engineers had serious reservations about the format whilst we explained to the General Assembly what the reservations were. As a consequence of the observations (also noted in the National Members’ Forum of the day before), we declared that this leaves Malta no option but to abstain from the vote on this issue as a sign of its disagreement on the format of the card but not on the principle.

Various other countries expressed reservation on the EngineerING card.

their

When the vote was called, Malta, Spain, Italy and Cyprus abstained.

As this edition is being issued in December, on behalf of the Council I wanted to wish you all and your families a Blessed Christmas and a successful New Year 2015. ET

Inġ. Norman Zammit Eur. Ing. President, Chamber of Engineers

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A Study on the Aerodynamics of Floating Wind Turbine Rotors

by Russell Farrugia

ABSTRACT Understanding the impact of waveinduced dynamic effects on the aerodynamic performance of Offshore Floating Wind Turbines (OFWTs) is crucial towards developing cost-effective floating wind turbines to harness wind energy in deep water sites. The complexity of the wake of an OFWT has not yet been fully understood. Measurements and numerical simulations are essential. An experiment to investigate the aerodynamics of a model OFWT was undertaken at the University of Malta.

The effects of wave induced motions on the rotor aerodynamic variables were analysed in detail. An open source free-wake vortex code wasalso used to examine whether certain phenomena observed in the experiments could be reproduced numerically by the lifting line method. Results from hot wire measurements and free-wake vortex simulations have shown that for OFWTs surge-induced torque fluctuations are evident. At high tip speed ratios a discrepancy in the mean CP between the fixed and floating conditions was found from measurements and numerical simulations.

Keywords offshore floating windturbine, freewake vortex model, model OFWT experiment 1 INTRODUCTION Beyond our shores, wind energy is a well-proven concept and for a number of countries it has become an integral part of their environment.

Denmark, for instance, is one of those countries which have invested heavily in wind energy generation and by 2013 it was contributing around 33% of the total electrical power consumption[1]. While industry is pushing towards developing higher and larger diameter wind turbines, persistent problems threaten the rate of development of onshore wind farms.

Physically such structures require large tracts of undeveloped land, a particular concern for countries like Malta. Land based wind turbines have also received public criticism due to their

social and environmental impacts in the form of visual and noise pollution.

Figure 1: Hywind: the world's first full-scale OFWT developed by Statoil [2]

Out at sea these problems can be surpassed.

Additionally, an offshore wind turbine is exposed to higher wind speeds with lower turbulence compared to a land-based wind turbine at the same height. However fixed bottom offshore wind turbines do not remain commercially viable atsea depths greater than 50m. At these depths, offshore floating technologies (Figure 1) become more suitable and when considering that the local scenario is marked by relatively deep coastal waters, offshorefloatingwind turbines may offer a viable solution towards achieving large-scale renewable energy generation in Malta.

2 RESEARCH IN OFWT AERODYNAMICS Recently, there has been an increase in interest among industry and academia to develop and commercialise floating wind turbine technologies. Lowering the life cycle costs of OFWTs is crucial and this can only be achieved if the entire system design is optimised.

However studies on the operating and failure design conditions which are unique to OFWTs have not yet been carried out with a high level of detail [3]. Such studies are crucial in determining whether conventional methods used to predict the performance of ďŹ xedbottom offshore and onshore wind turbines could be reliably adapted to model OFWTs.

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A Study on the Aerodynamics of Floating Wind Turbine Rotors (cont.)

Research on OFWTs is currentlyfocussed more on the hydrodynamics aspects, namely the influence of the wave motion on the mooringline and platform dynamics. On the other hand detailed measurements on the aerodynamic characteristics of OFWTs have, until recently, not been carried out. Furthermore models used to predict the aerodynamic performance of conventional wind turbines are being applied to OFWTs. According to Dr. Thomas Sebastian from the University of Massachussets, such conventional models do not describe the effect of platform motion on floating wind turbine aerodynamics in a physically realistic manner[3].

During the last couple of years the University of Malta has undertaken intensive research in the field of floating wind turbine aerodynamics.

In 2012, detailedmeasurements on the power performance and wake characteristics of a small scale OFWT were carried out by David Bonnici using a dedicated wind-wave generating facility (Figure 2) located in the fluids laboratory of the University of Malta. As part of my dissertation for the completion of an M.Sc degree in Mechanical Engineering, an in-depth study was carried out to determine whether and how the power performance and wake characteristics of an OFWT differ from a fixed-bottom wind turbine under the influence of one-dimensional surging wave motions.

3 METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS Apart from measurements obtained from the UoM model OFWT experiment, advanced numerical aerodynamic modelling techniques: free-wake lifting line vortex models, were also made use of in this study. From the experiment, evidence of aerodynamic torque fluctuations induced by platform motions was not found.

However hot-wire measurements revealed that the vortex emanating from the tip of the wind turbine blade undergoes periodic oscillations along the platform surge direction. A free-wake

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vortex model of the UoM rotor was developed in order to obtain experimental validation of the code. Modifications to the code were also

Figure 2: Wind/Wave generating facility at UoM

After verifying and validating the free-wake code, a vortex model of a typical full-scale 5 MW offshore wind turbine was subsequently developed and compared against results from a commercial Blade Element Momentum (BEM) model under no-wave conditions. The free-wake vortex simulations showed the existence of aerodynamic loading(torque and thrust)fluctuations under one-dimensional platform surge motions. The amplitude of the aerodynamic loading response fluctuations was found to increase with tip speed ratio (ratio of wind speed against rotor rotational speed) and positive blade tip pitch angle. Furthermore a linear relationship is obtained between aerodynamic loading response amplitude and the surge velocity amplitude.

Similar to the experimental results the difference between the mean power coefficient (CP) under surge conditions and the steady CPincreases with tip speed ratio. This would not be predicted by the conventional Blade Element Momentum theory. From the NREL OFWT freewake model it was found that the difference in the mean CP varies with surge

speed ratios. The applicationof a realistic surge frequency and amplitude may induce the onset of complex interactions (pairing) between adjacent tip vortices at sufficiently high tip speed ratios as shown in Figure 3b.

Figure 3: Contour plots of the axial wake velocity against z/D and x/D at λ=9.63, U=7m/s (a) fixed platform(b) floating platform with surge frequency of 0.2 Hz and amplitude of 0.916 m

frequency and this variation in turn depends on the wind turbine rotor operating condition.

Compared to the steady CPthe mean power coefficient under floating conditions was found to increase with surge frequency at high tip speed ratios and decrease with surge frequency at low tip speed ratios.

The floating wind turbine vortex models described above were subsequently used to analyse wake aerodynamic phenomena which may describe the increase in the aerodynamic power and thrust fluctuations with tip speed ratio. The aerodynamic loading fluctuations were found to be highly dependent on the percentage of the blade experiencing stalled flow which decreases with increased tip speed ratio. Furthermore a higher wake expansion and a lower tip vortex pitch characterise the wake of a wind turbine operating at high tip

4 CONCLUSIONS The design of future OFWTs should be geared towards preventing operation in the high tip speed ratio regime in order to reduce fluctuations in torque which could lead to fatigue problems. As an alternative, this can be done by improving the design of the floating platform in order to dampen the surge motion.

Further analysis on the wake development of an OFWT using more state of the art flow measurement techniques such as Particle Image Velocitimetry would prove to be useful in validating the results from the full-scale OFWT free-wake lifting line model. ET 5 REFERENCES

[1] “2013 was a record-setting year for Danish wind power” http://energinet.dk/EN/El/Nyheder/Sider/2013- var-et-rekordaar-for-dansk-vindkraft.aspx, 2014, Accessed: 2014-09-08 [2] “Hywind-the world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine”, http://www.statoil.com/en/NewsAndMedia/ News/2008/Downloads/hywind04.jpg, 2009, Accessed: 2014-09-08.

[3] T. Sebastian and M. Lackner, “Analysis of the Induction and Wake Evolution of anOffshore Floating Wind Turbine”, Energies, vol. 5, pp. 968–1000, April 2012.

6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This research work was carried out as part of a Master of Science degree funded by the Strategic Educational Pathways Scholarship (Malta). The scholarship is partfinanced by the European Union - European Social Fund.

Russell Farrugia

Research Support Officer II University of Malta

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Potential of small to medium wind power plants

by AgnÄ— BertaĹĄienÄ— and Brian Azzopardi

ABSTRACT Many tasks regarding wind energy harvesting are still open and the most crucial is the overcome of fluctuation manner in wind and electricity dispatch. The relevant aspect is the approach of wind energy to the single and remote consumer. With the augmentation of renewable energy part in energy system, independent sites and small communities turn to have the energy easier achievable. The paper reveal basic issues towards the small to medium scale wind turbines and their integration into urban areas highlighting the project initiated.

The demand and average yield present the capability of wind to be utilised in the country in modest conditions.

Keywords wind assessment, urban sites 1 INTRODUCTION Wind power transmission into energy consumed by the nations is well-known from ancient times when the windmills were applied for pumping water or rotation of wheels used to mill the grains. Nowadays, wind energy coming into electricity form penetrates into the market, as clean and safe technology for huge demand of electricity needs to overcome.

Different technologies of manufacturing and operation, control and harvesting of wind made the market of wind turbines very miscellaneous.

Many scientists gathered to investigate the form of blades to make wind energy more efficient; the quality of electrical, mechanical and communication system operation; the advances towards prediction, control and maintenance; the losses management and in general systematic optimisation during operation, transmission and integration processes.

Moreover, many tasks regarding wind energy harvesting are still open and the most crucial is the overcome of fluctuation manner in wind and electricity dispatch. The relevant aspect is

the approach of wind energy to the single and remote consumer.

2 NEW TRENDS IN WIND ENERGY PENETRATION Large scale and size wind turbines and the farms are under concern due to its capability to harvest as much energy as possible but used at specific high altitude sites and offshore.

Large energy demand of industry and citizens through the existing transmission lines from these parks is the easiest way to meet.

However, many challenges should be accepted to manage different expectations such as high energy harvesting, unstable energy infiltration into the systems, that are not very well prepared technically, and transmission of uncertain and unexpected electricity amount to the consumers.

Two trends are evident in wind-energy market penetration. The increase of wind turbine size with leading innovations mostly used for offshore applications and new technologies for small-to-medium scale wind turbines.

Regarding the augmentation of renewable energy part in energy system, independent sites and small communities turn to have the energy easier achievable and of more competitive price. Many homes, farms, enterprises and communities are already powered by local resources and are independent on fluctuation of energy prices and supply. Many attractive and prospective financial incentives developed by the EU are encouraging local society to turn into use of the clean and safe energy. Despite the arguments that small to medium- scale wind turbines are inefficient and low competitive there are a number of sites and houses fed via these type of energy suppliers fully fulfilling the requested amounts.

Containing the state of the art technologies, principles and methods wind turbines ensure

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Potential of small to medium wind power plants (cont.)

the more stable energy supply to use it on site, to store or to feed it into the local grids. Many international projects contain different issues and involve a multiple aspects as well as means to assess the wind power efficiency, lifetime of the systems but more dedicated for large-scale energy units and systems.

Recently many projects have been finished and initiated further. In RELIAWIND, the reliability research was focused on optimisation of wind energy systems design, operation and maintenance. In SAFEWIND, multi-scale data assimilation, advanced wind modelling and forecasting were applied to extreme weather situations regarding a secure large-scale wind power integration. During the INTELWIND, it was sought to decrease the number of failures of components in wind turbines, minimise the need for maintenance by developing and successfully implementing an intelligent condition monitoring system. In the HIGHWIND the simulation, optimisation and control of highaltitude wind power generators were pursued.

The OPTIWIND was even developed for the optimum power extraction of wind energy by small to medium scale wind turbines. Lately ongoing researches are in close relation with smart and sustainable buildings. WINERCOST, the COST action TU1304 was aimed to promote wind energy technology for urban/suburban application, to adopt new technologies for smart city consideration. Thereby small-tomedium-scale wind energy penetration is prospective and timely emerged.

Generally, many projects and proposals have been dedicated for high altitude and offshore wind turbines with the objectives of optimisation, the use of state of the art technologies and innovative smart concepts, or single individual objectives approaches. Studies from the experimental to simulation means, from small to high wind speeds had revealed

many urgent tasks to be developed into very specific constructional and methodological aspects to overcome individual subjects.

The analysis of key tasks and restrictions regarding small-to-medium-scale wind turbines thereby raises. Great diversity of the projects, tasks and concepts for high-scale wind energy harvesting and small issues for small energy units initiated the idea for the project and investigation of „Small to medium scale wind turbines‘ integration“. Main criteria related the integration of this scale of wind turbines into urban sites characterized by specific features such as fluctuation manner of environment, obstacles, wakes, higher intermittency, lower wind speed ranges, lower altitude and smaller sizes.

3 ELECTRICITY MARKET STATE AND GENERATION POTENTIAL IN LITHUANIA Lithuania is a small country same and is a region of very moderate winds. Nevertheless, it has a clear potential of wind to be used for individual purposes or for the small-tomedium enterprises.

In 2013, the electricity was produced by 9.7 % less compared to the 2012. The production volume of electricity amounted to 5.112 GWh in 2013 and 5.662 GWh in 2012. 1.424 GWh of electricity was produced from power stations consuming renewable energy resources (RES) in 2013 that is 23.2 % more than in 2012 (1.156 GWh) (Figure 1). In 2013, electricity produced from RES accounted for 32.4 % (2012 - 24.6 %) of the total electricity supplied to the grid.

The imports amounted to 7.538 GWh, export - 783 GWh. Most electricity was imported from Russia (3.343 GWh, or 44.3 % of total imports of electricity), mainly exported to Latvia (373 GWh, or 47.6 % of total exports of electricity).

Total country demand annually exceeds 10.00011.000 TWh.

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Potential of small to medium wind power plants (cont.)

Investment in the electricity sector in 2013 amounted to 765 million LTL (223.3 mln. EUR), 37.4 % less than in 2012 (354.2 mln.). Installed capacity of power plants in 2013, compared to the 2012, grew by 2.3 %, from 4254 to 4352 MW. Finally, in 2013 the power sector revenues grew by 2.7 % from 7.45 to 7.65 billion LTL (from 2.16 to 2.21 billion EUR) compared to the 2012.

Wind energy market has a moderate but growing tendency as seen in Figure 2 despite annual mean wind speed of 4.5-5.5 m/s. Wind power density for this range is 55-102 W/m2.

Nevertheless, it significantly depends on the height where the wind is captured.

Figure 1: Amount of electricity from RES in 2011-2013

In the end of 2013, Lithuania had 116 power plants, 17 wind parks of total capacity 279 MW producing 599 GWh of electricity (6 % annually of total electricity amount) and already counted many proposals for new plants’ projects that overstepped the quota (500 MW) in the country.

According to the up to date information, by the end of September 2014, the capacity grew up to 282 MW producing 366.4 GWh. The amount of production in comparison during the same period last year increased by 19.3 %. Wind energy has already produced 2.756 mlrd. of kWh, saved from 1.627 mln. of tons of CO2 emissions and 350 mln.m3 of natural gas thus saving 0.6 mlrd. LTL (0.17 mlrd. EUR) and attracted more than 1.865 mlrd. LTL (0.54 mlrd.

EUR) of investments.

18

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Figure 2: Installed capacity and electricity yield in 2006-2013 in Lithuania

By the end of 2020, according commitments to EU Lithuania made a scenario in national incentive program with the forecasted capacity of 400 MW and generation of 920 GWh. European wind energy association makes a remark to enhance the quota up to 1000 MW producing up to 2400 GWh. In this case, 17.3 % of electricity would be manufactured from wind only. According to the experts, Lithuania may easily gain the commitments of EU (23 % from RES, including 10 % of renewable energy in transport) with the help of wind and solar, though restrictions and too less incentives towards them stop the progress and leave a great doubt of EU conditions to be fulfilled. Energy demand and usage have changed in essence after 2009 when Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) was closed according the commitments of EU. In 2009, electricity amounted to 15.000 GWh from INPP. Afterwards electricity generation turned from nuclear energy towards the renewables and other local resources. Recently the distribution of renewable energy sources is as follows: the capacity of wind power plants constitute the biggest part in whole energy system, amounting in 50.7 % (in 2013) of the market while others like hydro, solar and biomass share 22.9, 12.3 and 11.2 %, respectively. Biogas share only ~3 %.

Recently, wind parks and individual plans are located onshore in Lithuania. A very great opportunity is offshore parks and stand-alone

wind turbines for enterprises’ or inhabitants’ needs to satisfy. Offshore case has to overcome a huge bureaucracy but has already reached a valuable step. Baltic Sea near Lithuanian borderline has been investigated for the potential sites of wind farms to incorporate.

The defined six areas have been affirmed without contradictions with environmental, social and economic affairs. The potential wind parks distributed 12-40 km from the shore would have a possibility to gain up to 40-50 % efficiency while other wind power plants have an average efficiency of 27-31 % in the country.

In the conclusion, wind energy has a remarkable potential in the country and reasonable feed-in tariffs (107.2 €/MWh). Exist key support elements and instruments from feed-in tariffs to incentives for building plants Small to medium scale wind turbines differ from high altitude wind turbines by size and configurations, operation and control schemes technically. Adopted and well-known control and forecasting mechanism appropriate for large-scale wind turbines are rarely suitable in this case. Innovative instruments, technical development of construction and management required for small wind turbines integration into locality and grid. A multiplex assessment of operation and energy conversion is realized via state-of-the-art prediction technologies, supervision and control schemes. Intelligent logics let to make assumptions and evaluation of systematic operation reliability, perform multiobjective optimisation procedures that are completely different in comparison wind large wind turbines. Data mining algorithms are used to find optimal solutions based on different aspects but in the case of small wind energy, optimization is very questionable. Integration of different factors into smart technologies make grid participants active and enable to monitor the system from faults and sharp deviations. Active network participants recently

changes the energy generation-transmission mechanism and prevent from responsibility lack. Smart metering, smart grids and cities, sustainable buildings enhance renewable energy impact on change of energy policy and energy distribution by resources in the country and world itself. and discounts in connection into the grids. Support and concessions exist for the plants not exceeding the capacity of 30 kW being a very favorable to individual cases.

Price of building new power plant is counted approximately 1800-1900 €/kW. However the procedures are still very long lasting. This is the field for country to develop.

4 URBAN SITES AND WIND ENERGY Urbanized sites are not very welcome with conditions for efficient energy capture by wind turbine due to various obstacles that lower the speed of wind and create wake - eddies resulting in fluctuation of flow around. For efficient wind capture, laminar flow must be enabled.

However, in urbanized territories it turns to be of very turbulent and intermittent manner.

Thus decreasing the efficiency of energy amount captured from wind and converted into electricity. Flow aerodynamics in such a sites is very dependent of boundary layer formation that is dependent on buildings around. Relatively low speeds in such environment affect energy harvesting significantly. That is the reason why such a different types, configurations and designs of wind turbines suitable for intense locality are under consideration, investigations and improvement. In addition, there is a task to find not only best winds place but also the best mounting place for wind turbine, the best configuration and type as well. Key features and means towards wind energy integration is depicted in figure 3.

Small to medium scale wind turbines differ from high altitude wind turbines by size and configurations, operation and control schemes

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Potential of small to medium wind power plants (cont.)

technically. Adopted and well-known control and forecasting mechanism appropriate for large-scale wind turbines are rarely suitable in this case. Innovative instruments, technical development of construction and management required for small wind turbines integration into locality and grid. A multiplex assessment of operation and energy conversion is realized via state-of-the-art prediction technologies, supervision and control schemes. Intelligent logics let to make assumptions and evaluation of systematic operation reliability, perform multi-objective optimization procedures that are completely different in comparison wind

Basic configurations in Lithuania are horizontal (Kingspan Environmental, downwind type) but some application have been adopted of vertical wind turbines (TASSA, Darrieus type).

The contradictory discussions arise judging the advantages and disadvantages of both vertical and horizontal turbines highlighting low noise, threshold of vertical ones and higher efficiency of horizontal ones. The emphasis is definitely made on use of small-to-mediums scale wind turbines for individual, enterprises and farm needs though a possibility to share the excess is viable.

Figure 3: Key features and actions towards wind turbine integration in the urban/suburban environment

large wind turbines. Data mining algorithms are used to find optimal solutions based on different aspects but in the case of small wind energy, optimisation is very questionable.

Integration of different factors into smart technologies make grid participants active and enable to monitor the system from faults and sharp deviations. Active network participants recently changes the energy generationtransmission mechanism and prevent from responsibility lack. Smart metering, smart grids and cities, sustainable buildings enhance renewable energy impact on change of energy policy and energy distribution by resources in the country and world itself.

According to the statistics of association of electricity producers in Lithuania, mean electricity inland consumption is -3500 kWh excluding distribution losses. Single resident from block of flats consume about 1000 less, households’ consumption is likely the average inland consumption or less. The price is approximately 6000 LTL (1740 EUR) of simple 1 kW wind turbine producing at 4-6 m/s 150400 W; mean annual amount is 2500 kWh. Preliminary data with basic parameters of wind turbines and their yield is given in Table 1 and 2.

With the annual mean velocity, value of annual yield in the country is not as promising as from manufacturers’ data.

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BEST

Potential of small to medium wind power plants (cont.)

Table 1: Main parameters of wind turbines

100

P,W EI.amount, kWh D, m RPM

0 250 3 300

3000 7500 4 250

5000 1250 4.5 200

Table 2: Wind turbine mean yield per velocity value and mean annual yield according it v, m/s\ Pm,W

4

5

6

7 mean

1000W

3000W

5000W

90 200 400 680

160 350 420 720

190 500 800 1500

eI., kWh

1756.8

3074.4

4392

It is a clear evidence for wind turbine to be used for single purposes. Small-to-medium scale wind energy will not act as a business case but is able to be close to consumer needs and with appropriate support and incentives would lead to more sustainable country. This approach justify the idea of the project to go deeply in integration of this energy branch. ET BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Energy Charter Secretariat, “In-depth review of the investment climate and market structure in the energy sector of LITHUANIA,” 2013.

[Online]. Available: http://www.encharter.org/fileadmin/ user_upload/Publications/Lithuania_ICMS2013_ENG.pdf.

[2] http://www.litgrid.eu/index.php/energetikos-sistema/ elektros-energetikos-sistemos-informacija/elektros- gamybos-ir-vartojimo-balanso-duomenys/2287 [3] A. Bertasiene, B. Azzopardi. Aspects of Small Scale Wind Turbine Integration into the Grid in Lithuania.

Proceedings of the 1st South East Europe Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, SEESDEWES2014.0078, 1-13 (2014).

[4] V. Katinas Investigation of wind flow parameters IN THE Lithuanian coastal region. Energetics. 2010. Vol. 56. No. 3–4. P. 193–201.

SUMMARY OF THESE NOTES

• There is a great diversity of clean energy resources but wind is still the most efficient and capable.

• Urbanized territories make wind energy capture more complicated but viable.

• Integration of wind turbines in buildings and urban areas deal with a huge complex of subjects from social acceptance,

•

legislation to technical challenges, control and efficiency towards the distribution and effects on grid.

Lithuanian case is a site of very moderate wind speeds but capable to integrate small to medium scale wind turbines to harvest energy for local single consumers or to feed it into local grids.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors wish to thank the Lithuania Research Council "Postdoctoral Fellowship Implementation in Lithuania" under Grant No. SF-PD-2013-06-28-0492 European Union Structural Funds and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) for hosting the Internship Postdoc opportunity and Kaunas University of Technology for hosting the project.

Dr. Agnė Bertašienė

is a postdoc research fellow at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania.

She holds a bachelor and master degrees of theoretical physics from Lithuania Vytautas Magnus University.

Since 2006, she is also a Junior Research Fellow at the Lithuanian Energy Institute. Her research interest is in Energy and Thermal Engineering including biomass, fluid mechanics and dynamics, the theoretical, experimental ones and CFD.

Dr. Inġ. Brian Azzopardi

Eur. Inġ. is Senior Lecturer II at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST). He currently holds visiting senior research fellow at Oxford Brookes University and visiting associate professor at Kaunas University of Technology. He has held various other faculty, honorary and visiting posts in UK and Lithuania. His research interest is in electricity grids, decision making and renewable and alternative technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of Malta, a PhD from The University of Manchester, two certificates in further and higher education, and four professional engineering titles and currently is a member and senior member of five professional organisations.

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Broadcasting 3D Video

by Carl James Debono

ABSTRACT Recent years have seen an increase in the generation of 3D video content and its transmission. Technology advancements allow stereoscopic video to be transmitted over satellite systems, shared on Blu-RayTM disks, or downloaded using Internet. This content is displayed on stereoscopic displays, which demand that the viewer wears special glasses to filter the content to the correct human eye. More advanced displays, such as autostereoscopic displays and light field displays, do not require any glasses but these demand the transmission of much more content making transmission in bandwidth-limited channels very challenging.

This article focuses on broadcasting of 3D video for autostereoscopic displays.

Keywords 3D broadcasting

video

coding,

3D

video

1 INTRODUCTION Multimedia communication is becoming the major means of communications over the Internet. The recent survey by CISCO forecasts that video traffic will have 79% of the share of all the consumer generated traffic by 2018 [1].

This puts pressure on the telecommunication network operators that have to constantly upgrade their networks to keep up with the demands and provide adequate quality of service. With the availability of broadband infrastructure in both wired and wireless networks, transmission of 3D video is becoming feasible, where stereoscopic video is already being transmitted for home entertainment over satellite, on Blu-RayTM disks, and through Internet technologies [2].

To experience the 3D effect with stereoscopic video, the user has to wear special glasses that filter the content presented by the display to the correct eye of the viewer. Presented with this data the human visual system gets the depth perception and hence the illusion of 3D.

The use of these glasses is an inhibiter to the quality of experience of the user and the use of the technology, and therefore better ways to present 3D video are necessary. A solution is to present more camera views of the scene and the filtering done directly at the display.

This is the concept behind autostereoscopic displays, which presents a viewing angle that is proportional to the number of views available. The larger the number of views available, the more viewing angles that can be accommodated. However, increasing the number of views means more bandwidth, a limited resource in most networks. Furthermore, legacy delivery mechanisms, such as MPEG-2 transport systems and the Real-time Protocol (RTP), have difficulties in meeting flexible streaming adaptation demands and dynamic network scenarios. A possible technique to reduce the amount of data transmitted is through the transmission of depth data with the multi-view stream. Using the depth, the display can generate virtual views in between the actual camera views through a process known as Depth-Image-Based Rendering (DIBR) [3].

The data generated is still much larger than single-view video, and thus broadcasting of 3D content needs adequate coding techniques.

The strategy used has to meet broadcasting demands where a feedback channel is generally not available.

2 MULTI-VIEW VIDEO CODING 2.1 The standard Encoding of multi-view video was first standardised as Annex H of the h.264/AVC (Advanced Video Coding) standard [4]. This standard, known as h.264/MVC, allows also the removal of inter-view redundancies. That is, since the multiple-cameras are capturing the same scene, there is a lot of common information and therefore macroblocks can be compensated from an already encoded viewpoint. This

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Broadcasting 3D Video (cont.)

adds to the spatial and temporal redundancy removal of h.264/AVC. This means that other than motion estimation and compensation, the codec has to also perform disparity estimation and compensation, making the encoder much more complex. This complexity increases even further with the new coding standard, h.265, whose multi-view extension is still being standardized. Two extensions are currently being studied, the multi-view extension similar to h.264/MVC and a joint version where both the texture and the depth videos are encoded in a way that they exploit common redundancies.

The latter should give better coding efficiency at the expense of higher complexity. The advantage of h.265 is that it provides much higher compression and thus needs less bandwidth than h.264. However, it will take time for h.265 to be commonly available in consumer devices which makes h.264/MVC the choice of encoder for broadcasting today. Furthermore, one of the views, known as the base view, is compatible with h.264/AVC, which is already in use for the broadcast of High Definition (HD) television content. This implies that the content can be viewed either in 3D, if the display uses an h.264/MVC decoder, or in 2D, using h.264/ AVC decoders. The standard is also compatible with the MPEG-Transport stream (TS) used in current broadcast networks for video delivery [5].

2.2 Multi-view video representation and coding To provide the views needed by autostereoscopic displays, the scene must be captured using multiple cameras. These cameras are commonly set up either in a line or on an arc. Tight synchronization of the cameras is also needed to avoid timing artifacts at the display. The data captured is huge and grows in proportion to the number of cameras used to capture the scene. Thus, for transmission this data has to be reduced to provide better scalability. Multi-view

video coding uses spatial, temporal and interview predictions for this allowing for a drastic reduction in data compared to transmitting each view using H.264/AVC. The basic structures for encoding frames using multi-view video are shown in figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 represents the low latency structure where the dependencies of each frame are on previously encoded frames. Figure 2 shows the hierarchical bi-prediction scheme where future frames are also used during coding, providing better compression. This need of future frames demands a larger buffer at the decoder and the whole group of pictures has be received before decoding can start, introducing a delay.

Figure 1: Low latency structure using 3 camera views.

I frames are Intra coded frame, P frames are predicted from a previous one, and B frames are bi-predicted frames.

Figure 2: Hierarchical bi-prediction structure using 3 camera views.

The amount of views transmitted can be reduced if the depth information is transmitted together with the respective texture. The depth contains geometry information that can be used

by DIBR algorithms at the display to generate virtual views in between the transmitted views.

The depth videos contain a lot of homogenous areas and therefore can be compressed much more than the texture. The limitation is that, to obtain good rendering quality, the edges

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Broadcasting 3D Video (cont.)

present in the depth images are maintained and therefore ideally these regions are better protected from distortions generated during compression. That is, these areas are less compressed compared to the homogeneous areas. The depth videos can also be compressed using h.264/MVC given that they present similar redundancies as the texture. This representation is known as Multi-view Videoplus-Depth (MVD) [6].

The texture video and the depth video share similar data and thus have some common redundancy. Therefore, effort is currently devoted to joint coding of these streams. This leads to increased coding efficiency, however this comes at the expense of longer encoding and decoding times as the search space for optimal motion and disparity vectors increases.

The 3DVC coding extension of h.265 is currently being considered by the standardization bodies, together with a similar extension for h.264, to exploit these similarities. The base view will still need to be compatible with the single-view decoder for backward compatibility.

3 3D VIDEO TRANSMISSION 3D video can be transmitted using broadcasting networks or the Internet. The 3D video streams are encapsulated in MPEG-2 transport streams for broadcasting services. On the other hand, the Real-Time Protocol (RTP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) are used to provide 3D IPTV streaming services. HTTP adaptive streaming is also becoming important in Internet implementations due to its flexibility, scalability, and shifting of the adaptation functions to the clients. One example of this is the use of MPEG Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEGDASH) that allows adaptive bit rate streaming of high quality content [7]. MPEG-DASH divides the video into HTTP-based file segments which are encoded at different bit rates. Depending on the current network condition, the client will

then select the highest possible bit rate for the next segment to download. This allows for high quality playback without annoying stalling or re-buffering events.

3.1 Protocol stack The Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standard, which includes satellite, terrestrial and cable networks, can be used to broadcast 3D video.

The protocol layers of interest are shown in figure 3. The legacy MPEG-2 Systems were extended to support multi-view video, where the views can be combined in different Packetised Elementary Streams (PES). This allows different clients to decode the needed streams.

Multi-view video + audio encoding PES MPEG-2 TS DVB

Figure 3: Protocol stack for broadcasting

The general protocol stack used for broadcasting of 3D IPTV and/or streaming is shown in figure 4. The real-time protocol is used to carry the media streams, where single or multiple RTP flows are needed depending on the multi-view encoding strategy, and packets are transmitted using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). To improve quality of service over Internet, the Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP) can be utilised. When using DCCP, the MPEG-2 TS layer is optional. The Internet Protocol (IP) layer allows for the networking functions. The packets can be routed on any network (example cable, cellular (4G), satellite, etc.) and thus the underlying network is not defined.

Multi-view video + audio encoding Real Time Protocol UDP DCCP IP MPEG-2 TS Infrastructure

Figure 4: Protocol stack for 3D IPTV broadcasting and streaming

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Broadcasting 3D Video (cont.)

3.2 3D video quality Quality of service parameters, such as available bandwidth, transmission errors, jitter, end-toend delay, congestion and link failures, affect the delivery of the 3D content. Since we have more dependencies on the received data, compared to single-view video, these impairments can have drastic quality degradations lowering the quality of experience of the viewers.

This means that robust coding solutions are needed to protect the bit stream from transmission errors. Furthermore, concealment methods are needed as a post-process after decoding to fill any missing pixels by interpolating from available data [8].

The use of adaptive streaming techniques helps in dealing with congestion, delays and jitter by selecting the bit rates that guarantee on time delivery. This means that the quality of the 3D video degrades gracefully with loss in quality of the channel. Other solutions like peer-to-peer networking can also be used to supply a client with missing packets from the neighbouring nodes.

4 Conclusion This article provides an overview of the technology that can be used to broadcast 3D video using the multi-view video format. A lot of research effort is being placed in this field to move the technology forward such that singleview high definition video quality can be matched by the 3D video solutions. This will need improvements in all the broadcasting chain, from the capturing of the content to the display. This multi-disciplinary field provides a lot of challenges and will be very active in the coming years. ET 5 References

[1] CISCO. “Cisco visual networking index: forecast and methodology, 2013-2018.” White Paper, 2014.

[2] A. Vetro, A. Tourapis, K. Müller, T. Chen. “3D-TV content storage and transmission.” IEEE Transactions

on Broadcasting, Special Issue on 3D-TV Horizon: Contents, Systems, and Visual Perception, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 384-394, 2011.

[3] Y.S. Ho, K.J. Oh. “Overview of multi-view video coding.”

Proceedings of the 14th International Workshop on Systems, Signals and Image Processing and 6th EURASIP Conference Focused on Speech and Image Processing, Multimedia Communications and Services, pp. 5 – 12, 2007.

[4] ISO/IEC IS 14496-10. “Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services.” ITU-T Rec. H.264, March 2009.

[5] C. Hellge, E.G. Torre, D.G. Barquero, T. Schierl, T. Wiegand. “HDTV and 3DTV services over DVB-T2 using multiple PLPs with SVC and MVC.” Proceedings of the 61st Annual IEEE Broadcast Symposium, October 2011.

[6] ISO/IEC MPEG and ITU-T VCEG. “Multi-view video plus depth (MVD) format for advanced 3D video systems.”

Doc. JVT-W100, April 2007.

[7] ISO/IEC “Information technology – Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH)” May 2014.

[8] B.W. Micallef, C.J. Debono. “Error concealment techniques for multi-view video.” Proceedings of the IFIP 2010 Wireless Days, October 2010.

Prof. Dr. Inġ. Carl James Debono

Received his B.Enġ. (Hons.) degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Malta in 1997 and the Ph.D. degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Pavia, Italy in 2000. Between 1997 and 2001 he was employed as a Research Engineer in the area of Integrated Circuit Design with the Department of Microelectronics at the University of Malta. In 2000 he also spent four months at Texas A&M University, Texas, USA, as a Research Associate. In 2001 he was appointed Lecturer with the Department of Communications and Computer Engineering and is now an Associate Professor. He currently also holds the office of Deputy Dean of the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta. Prof. Debono is a senior member of the IEEE and a member of the Chamber of Engineers. He forms part of the management committee of the COST Action IC1105-3D Content Creation, Coding and Transmission over Future Media Networks (3D-ConTourNet) where he chairs the 3D Media Coding Working Group. His research interests are in multi-view video coding, resilient multimedia transmission, and wireless system design and applications.

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Inorganic Thermal Energy Storage Salts

by Darren Portelli

INTRODUCTION The shift to renewable energy sources is inevitable. However sources such as wind and solar energy are susceptible to fluctuations from the source. The aim of this paper to evaluate possible thermal energy storage solutions, with a focus on inorganic salts, which would ultimately be implemented in a Solar Energy Combined Heat and Power Plant. The potential of thermal energy storage (TES) systems is to improve the reliability and availability of the source by acting as a ‘thermal battery’, as shown in Figure 1. The paper is part of a thesis presented in fulfillment of an MCAST Bachelor of Engineering degree.

Figure 1: TES Concept

LITERATURE

Figure 2: Thermal Energy Storage classification

Sensible heat storage materials are widely used in architectural structures to store energy in bulk material such as concrete or water as shown in Figure 2. They rely on temperature gradients created to absorb and deliver heat to the surroundings. Such systems tend to be

bulky with limited capacities amalgamated with the disadvantage of lowered potential as the stored energy is released. The focus shifted on the latent energy storage branch where absorption and release occurs during phase change of said compounds. During phase change, that is theoretically an isothermal process, all the heat energy supplied is used to change the state of the compound rather than increasing sensible temperature. The Phase Change Material (PCM) integration in the solar energy combined heat and power plant offered a solution for improved performance and smoothening effect of fluctuations caused by cloud cover and off-peak hours.

Organic salts and their mixtures tend to be susceptible to a higher degree of supercooling during latent heat of freeze. They also suffer from incongruent melting and a higher degree of material degradation. Such setbacks could be controlled by the addition of thickening and nucleating agents. Inorganic salts are less likely to suffer from said setbacks and tend to have higher melting points, better suited for the operating parameters of the plant’s steam generator (3bar at 144 degrees celcius ).

DISCUSSION Several compounds and mixtures were researched depending on their performance and in turn compared to the set specifications of the plant. The research considered the melting temperature, heat of fusion (in terms of kJ/kg of heat absorbed during phase change) as well as other properties of each compound. The latter included corrosivity, hygroscopic properties, cyclic deterioration, volumetric change during phase change and availability.

The study of nitrates parameters was carried

converged on a binary mixture which properties matched the of the boiler. Lab sample testing out to compare the performance

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Inorganic Thermal Energy Storage Salts (cont.)

stated by literature to actual results so as to ensure proper operation when installed in the plant.

Necessary alterations to the final mixtures to be tested in the actual boiler were noted following the small sample tests to achieve the needed wt% ratio of the mixtures.

Figure 3: Stainless steel heat enhancement profile

The encapsulation vessel for the compounds, within the TES system, is fundamental as it needs to compromise between safe containment and enhanced heat transfer. The

structure was made entirely of stainless steel that offers great corrosion resistance to the chosen nitrates (0.025mm/year). However the thermal conductivity left much to be desired especiallycompared to other alternatives such as aluminium. Therefore heat transfer was improved with the use of heat transfer oil between the encapsulation chamber and boiler core and a stainless steel structure was manufactured and inserted within the cylindrical shell of the container to increase surface area within the material, Figure 3.

The encapsulation chamber was designed to be lowered inside the plants’ steam generator when the latter reached optimal operation conditions so as to absorb energy without hindering performance especially considering

An innovative leader captures the global market

WILO SE took a big step forwards in the “Hidden Champions 2013” brand ranking undertaken by the magazine WirtschaftsWoche. The Dortmund pump expert improved its position to 3rd place from 12th since the last survey in 2011.

This study presents Wilo as one of the three most significant brands among the German global market leaders in the capital goods business. It is based on a survey of more than 250 experts, including industry and trade associations, institutes and representatives of the trade press.

The WirtschaftsWoche bases Wilo’s high ranking on the fact that this innovative leader – with Germany as its starting point – is capturing the global market earlier and with more courage than other companies.

Furthermore, Wilo stands out in the major global trends of industrialisation, urbanisation and energy efficiency, beginning with the reference market of Germany. CEO Oliver Hermes wants to pursue this successful business strategy in future, “Globally, the Germans are known for having particularly high technical standards. This is why we bring our products out here first.” Nowadays, Wilo is active as an innovative all-round provider of pumps and pump systems in many different areas: from heating, cooling and air-conditioning to water supply and sewage disposal as well as agriculture and industry.

Success due to proximity to customers The company’s headquarters is in Germany but Wilo is active on a global level. The WirtschaftsWoche sees this as an important advantage as production in over 50 countries guarantees particular proximity to customers.

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Oliver Hermes wants to reinforce this advantage in future, “In order to preserve our competitive advantages, we cannot allow any reduction in quality.” A further aim is to offer the customer “ultimate service”.

Hidden Champion on record-breaking course Wilo’s Hidden Champion position is also supported by good figures. Despite difficult basic economic conditions, the company has been on a record-breaking course for several years now and has been able to significantly increase turnover and results many times in a row. According to CEO Oliver Hermes, the over 7,000 employees worldwide are an important factor in success, “The people who apply their expertise, inspiration, creativity and passion to their work at Wilo each day provide the basis for our innovative leadership and our economic success.”

Wilo is represented in Malta by 4H2o Limited, suppliers to the mechanical industry.

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that the water volume within is heated with solar thermal energy. Once the energy stored within the phase change material is extracted a microcontroller sends a signal to hoist the capsule out of the boiler’s core following the concept behind nuclear fuel rods, Figure 4.

within the boiler at an average of 5 higher overnight. The addition of PCM resulted in the plant needing 1.64MJ less, equivalent to around 0.87% of the total energy, to reach the operating temperature of the steam generator. ET BIBLIOGRAPHY

Figure 4: PCM Encapsulation mounted on boiler (boiler manufactured by graduate Darren Mifsud)

Different wt% of the nitrates binary mixture were tested and results were compared to the performance of the boiler without the aid of phase change material and between the different volumes of PCM. Data recorded for the heating and cooling profiles were analysed to confirm whether TES did in fact improve the plant’s overall performance.

CONCLUSIONS The nitrates volume helped to sustain the temperature within the boiler during cloud cover when insolation dropped as well as during the periods of energy generation through the plant’s steam turbine. Moreover 4kg of the chosen compounds mixture helped to sustain the temperature of 80litres of water

Galdies, C. (2011). The Climate of Malta: statistics, trends and analysis 1951-2010. Valletta: NSO. Jriri, T., Rogez, J., Bergman, C., & Mathieu, J. C. (1995, November). Thermodynamic study of the condensed phases of NaNO3, KNO3 and CsNO3 and their transitions.

Thermochimica Acta, 266, p. 147-161.

Kurnia, J. C., Sasmito, A. P., Jangam, S. V., & Mujumdar, A. S. (2013). Improved Design for Heat Transfer Performance of a Novel Phase Change Material (PCM) Thermal Energy Storage (TES). Applied Thermal Engineering, 50(1), p. 896-907.

Laing, D., Bauer, T., Steinmann, W. D., & Lehmann, D. (2009).

Advanced high temperature latent heat storage systemdesign and test results. The 11th International Conference on Thermal Energy Storage. Stockholm: Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Lopez, J., Acem, Z., & Palomo Del Barrio, E. (2010). KNO3/ NaNO3 e Graphite materials for thermal energy storage at high temperature: Part II. e Phase transition properties.

Aapplied Thermal Engineering, 30, p. 1586-1593.

Nagoppan, A. (2006). Buckling of Aluminium Alloy tubes under external water pressure. Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

Olivares, I. R., & William, E. (2013). LiNO3–NaNO3– KNO3 salt for thermal energy storage: Thermal stability.

Thermochimica Acta(560), p. 34-42.

Pilar, R., Svoboda, L., Honcova, P., & Oravova, L. (2012).

Study of Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate as Heat Storage Material. Thermochimica Acta(546), p. 81-86.

Portaspana, J. C., Haider, M., & Walter, H. (2011). High temperature thermal energy storage systems based on latent and thermo-chemical heat storage. Institute for Energy and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Vienna: Technischen Universität Wien.

Reiser, J. R., DeVan, J. H., & Lawrence, E. J. (1979, December).

Compatibility of molten salts with type 316 stainless steel and lithium. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 85-86, p. 295-298.

Ross, C. T. (2001). Pressure Vessels: External Pressure Technology. Chichester: Horwood Publishing Ltd. Author’s Profile;

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to sincerely thank my supervisor Inġ. Judas Thaddeus Darmanin, Assistant Lecturer at the MCAST Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

Mr. Darren Portelli

graduated with a B.Enġ. (Hons.) in Mechanical Engineering from MCAST in 2014. He currently works with an international healthcare and pharmaceutical company.

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The UoMRacing Story

by Denis Dalli and Chris Spiteri

ABSTRACT UoMRacing is a team of university students coming from several faculties who are involved in designing, building and racing an open wheel Formula Student car at one of the FSAE competitions that take place on a yearly basis. The team is currently in its third year, working on the second car.

Keywords design, build, test, race 1 HOW IT ALL STARTED University of Malta Racing was founded in January 2013, with the intention of constructing the association's first car, the second ever university car from Malta.

With most of the first months having been directed towards building a good team structure, putting together the team’s workshop and finding adequate funding, the first car's design was started in August later that year.

Having no prior experience in such projects, the team was divided into the engineering and the accounts and management groups. The engineering group was further divided into five sections, comprising the engine, drivetrain, suspension and chassis, CAD design and manufacturing teams, with each section responsible of properly understanding the basics of the different areas that make up a racing car.

Figure 1: The Team at FSAE Italy 2014

2 THE TEAM’S FIRST CAR 2.1 Design

Figure 2: Autocross Event

The vehicle is powered by a stock Honda CBR600RR engine, chosen due to the 600cc limiting factor imposed by regulations. A limited slip Quaife differential transfers the power from the sequential six-speed gearbox to the 10” wheels. Hub and upright designs were made by the students, and then manufactured at University and also by local companies. The intake and exhaust manifolds were also designed and built in-house, as was the entire mild steel chassis and suspension system. Electronics were controlled by a Reata ECU provided by University lecturer Dr. Mario Farrugia. The dashboard electronics were also designed to fit in with the provided ECU. All other components, such as the pedal box, the shifting mechanism, the seat and outer body structures were student built.

2.2 Financing the project The next obvious challenge was to raise the estimated €30,000 required to build the car and compete with it. The lengthy process of negoti-ations with sponsors ran in parallel with the design of the car which was done by the Engineering students of the team.

Thanks to the numerous sponsors who en-trusted us with their money or gave us help with the manufacturing of our components, the team was able to raise the necessary funds. This made the ‘race it’ part of the motto a possibili-ty; not just a dream.

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The UoMRacing Story (cont.)

2.3 Testing Having finished assembling the car early in Au-gust, we only had 2 weeks left for testing and tuning of the overall performance.

However these two weeks proved to be vital, since countless adjustments were made to the sus-pension setup and the engine tuning, together with the ergonomic fitting of the pedals and shifting mechanism. The drivers also had some limited practice time to get used to the two pedal system and the handling of the vehicle itself, while taking practice runs of the respective dynamic events they would be participat-ing in.

3 THE EVENT IN VARANO 3.1 Presentations and Technical Inspection Having finished the car just in time, the team shipped the car for the Formula ATA event, which was held at the Riccardo Paletti Circuit in Varano de Melegari, Parma, Italy. (Figure1) After registering the team for competition, the tent was set up with the tools and equipment.

The second day of the competition marked the first official events. Firstly, a business presentation was delivered to a group of judges, depicting a business and marketing strategy that our team would adopt if the car were to be produced on a commercial basis. Later on, the cost presentation involved reporting the costs incurred in the car construction, and how these could be reduced without sacrificing overall performance.

The following day was quite eventful, with the car having to pass the technical inspection.

Four safety judges went through a set of checklists, inspecting several components in

order to make sure that they complied with the event regulations. Thankfully, a couple of bolts were the only adjustments required before the car was given the nod to proceed to the other inspections.

Meanwhile, that day also saw the team deliver its final presentation. The design presentation, (Figure 2), by far the most challenging of the three presentations, required us to present the whole design, including calculations and research, together with the proper reasons behind the decision making process. Thankfully, we only came to know who the judges were at a later stage, since presenting to heads of engine development at Lamborghini and Ferrari F1 suspension engineers would have been a daunting task on its own. We received very positive feedback from all judges, who were impressed by the level of our first car.

As the competition entered its fourth day, the car was tested for its exhaust noise level, its performance under a tilt of 60 degrees and finally its braking performance. The noise test required us to alter the spark timing of the engine, in order to tweak the noise level to under 110db. The tilt test was passed without much fuss, while the brake test made us recheck the entire braking system and suspension geometry, after we failed at our first try. Once all the tests were passed, the car was given the go-ahead for a practice run on track.

3.2 Dynamic Events The fifth day saw the first 3 dynamic events, these being the Acceleration, Skid Pad and Au-tocross (Figure 3) events. We managed to sur-prise ourselves with a 6th place overall finish in the 75m acceleration run. Mid-table finishes in the other two events left us in high hopes for the final event the following day.

Figure 3: Design Presentation

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The UoMRacing Story (cont.)

The final day of the competition was solely dedicated to the Endurance run. Being one of the first teams to compete in the morning, we had a good showing until a brake leak caused our retirement on lap 22 of 28. This was a bit of a let-down, but served us as good motivation for staring off a completely new car for this year’s competition. Having finished more than half of the race, we still qualified for the fuel economy points. Our final classification of 23rd from 50 combustion cars, keeping in mind we lost a bulk of points from the endurance, was a very satisfying result, one on which we aim to improve on this year.

4 THE NEXT STEP Thanks to the success of the 2014 event, the team is gearing up to participate in next year’s event, for which a whole new car will be built from scratch. We have recruited 25 new students from University, mostly from the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering departments, but also from the faculties of Pharmacy and IT. This shows the holistic nature of the team, bringing together a large variety of students, including two foreign students. Formula ATA 2014 has been an intense learning experience and there is a wealth of knowledge that the UoMRacing team is currently passing on to the newly recruited students. Improvement for 2015 will mainly focus on weight reduction, tyre selection, gear shifting mechanism, brake component sizing, instantaneous data relay from newly installed sensors, and the introduction of new composites for the outer body and intake manifold construction.

5 CONCLUSION UoMRacing would like to sincerely thank all sponsors and collaborators who in any way helped in building the first car. Special thanks go to the team`s Faculty Advisor, Dr. Inġ. Maurizio Fenech, as well as Dr. Inġ. Mario Farrugia, Inġ.

Michael Farrugia and all of the technical staff at

the Faculty of Engineering, without whom, the project could not have been completed.

The main sponsors for this project were The Ministry for Education and Employment, OKmalta.com, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Transport Malta, Alarm Tech and Tek-Moulds.

The Research, Innovation and Development Trust within the University of Malta (RIDT) was also a main collaborator.

At the moment the team is also looking for potential new collaborators who are willing to join on this trilling journey with the aim of building a better car and consolidate on the results achieved last year.

At UoMRacing we understand that we are currently the only team able to represent our country on such an international level, and we are proud to have this opportunity. Making good use of this opportunity will not only help develop better students but also showcase local talents with foreign industry.

If you wish to contact the UoMR team, please feel free to send us an email on uomracing@ gmail.com or visit our Facebook page for constant updates. ET

Mr. Denis Dalli President

Mr. Chris Spiteri PRO

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BOOK REVIEW: Renewable Energy Integration Challenges and Solutions (Springer 2014)

by Mark Zammit

3 discusses the use of fault ride-through (FRT) criteria that guides the robust integration of RESs onto the grid.

The recent societal trend of rooftop photovoltaics (RPVs) and its associated environmental concerns are discussed through comparative studies of grid-connected photovoltaic systems in Chapters 4 and 5.

Sizing and siting considerations are presented in Chapter 6, where both RPV and wind energy alternatives are considered. Once the adequate sizing and location have been chosen, RES characteristics for both wind and PV energy are investigated in Chapter 7, where it becomes apparent that wind energy conversion systems (WECS) will affect the performance of power systems. An elaborate study of how variable speed wind generators affect the grid is presented in Chapter 8, briefly followed up by issues surrounding the power management of low and medium voltage distribution networks in Chapter 9.

In this book, Hossain and Mahmud present a wide-range of chapters about renewable energy applications written by various prominent authors from around the world.

The publication is ideal not only as reference material to renewable energy specialists seeking to strengthen their knowledge foundations, but also as a handbook in the complex decisionmaking process surrounding the modernday phenomenon of integrating alternative electrical power onto the grid.

The books presents a logical topic progression, beginning with the underpinning principles behind the choice to invest in renewable energy systems (RES) based on costs, maintenance and return on investment. Chapter 2 deals with the hazy area of renewable energy integration onto national power grids, where the terms of connection frequently vary from one country to another, hence the need for grid codes. Chapter

Chapters 10 and 11 treat the topic of stable system operation notwithstanding the inclusion of RESs by presenting a review study on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in distribution networks.

The ensuing Chapters 12 and 13 deal with the coordination of RESs during emergency micro grid operation, followed by DC grid interconnection to minimise conversion losses in residential applications in Chapter 14. The final chapters discuss the requirements of smart and safe power systems using RESs, together with the need for modern-day protection against cyber attacks. ET

Mark Zammit

Senior Lecturer II (Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST))

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Smart buildings need smart technology With the rise in the development of smarter, greener buildings combining intelligent design, eco-friendly construction materials, the efficient use of natural resources and the proactive management of facilities - comes a spike in demand for smart technology to support the management of those facilities.

Furthermore, the challenge for existing buildings and infrastructure to compete - in efficiency terms - with the new generation of smart buildings, appears set to place even greater demands on the performance of supporting technology.

Despite the surge in smart building development, improving the performance of existing building stock is vital. New construction only replaces or adds a few percent per year to the world’s existing stock of buildings whereas existing buildings can often be reconfigured to become energy savers - rather than energy wasters - at a far lower cost than would be required to raze and replace them.

For buildings and facilities managers, smart or otherwise, it is becoming increasingly critical - both in terms of legislation and environmental policy as well as for an organisation’s efficiency targets - to maintain control of energy usage.

Integrated power solutions provider, Socomec, has developed a pioneering digital range - Diris Digiware - that revolutionises electrical metering, measurement and monitoring in both new and existing installations. This disruptive innovation will provide unprecedented control and is a truly smart solution to the challenges facing our buildings of today - and tomorrow.

A Revolution In Electrical Measurement In 1992, a young engineer tasked with launching electronic development within Socomec’s then switchgear division focused his research on electrical multi-measurement. The vision of that young engineer - Michel Krumenacker - opened an entirely new market for Socomec, setting the industry benchmark.

Over twenty years after having revolutionised the electrical multimeasurement market with Socomec’s Diris meter, the market leader has again set the precedent in leading-edge power monitoring systems with the launch of the new Diris Digiware.

Andrew Wilkinson, Regional Managing Director, Socomec, explains; “At Socomec we work hard to understand the challenges that our customers face today - and in the future. The process of developing smarter buildings starts with developing a depth of understanding about the way that it uses resource - and the way that those resources are managed. The efficient management of energy costs starts with the accurate measurement and centralised monitoring of energy consumption, across the entire organisation.

We are committed to finding ways of making buildings more efficient, and have developed an integrated range of solutions that converges the latest digital technology with the world of energy.

Socomec has invested many millions of Euros in the development of a new, highly disruptive, digital electrical measurement technology - Diris Digiware. We have drawn on the breadth and depth of expertise within our business - from all around the world - and over forty of our specialist R&D team members have been dedicated to successful delivery of this transformational new technology.

The major objectives of this development work were to reduce the cost of the measuring point for new or existing installations, to reduce the configuration and integration time and, of course, to improve performance levels.”

Socomec’s latest addition to the range brings together groundbreaking digital electrical measuring technology - from sensors to software - to deliver an unrivalled degree of flexibility to installations.

Diris Digiware is a unique, fully digital, multi-circuit plug and play measurement concept. Compact and quick to install, it provides the industry’s most accurate and effective metering, measurement and monitoring of electrical energy quality.

Optimised electrical network: identifies the most demanding loads and monitor abnormal electrical values Simplified network maintenance: the electrical energy quality monitoring functionality of Diris DIGIWARE makes anticipating - and rectifying - electrical malfunctions easy Fast installation: mounting and configuration is a quarter of the time vs exiting technologies Plug and Play - easy to connect with auto configuration of the integrated softwareSpace saving: reduced footprint compared to alternative solutions Improved accuracy and technical performance- Global accuracy class 0.5 in accordance with IEC 61557-12 from 2% to 120% of the current sensor primary rating Flexible: can be used in both existing and new installations Multi circuit - can monitor several circuits via a single current measurement module

Wilkinson continues; “It is vital that we tackle the world’s most critical energy issues in order to safeguard the future of our buildings. Securing long term energy supplies, the identification of drivers for greener buildings, better use of people, energy, space and time, as well as supply, demand, security and storage issues related to energy consumption are all increasingly challenging and important issues for the industry - issues to which Socomec is committed to finding solutions.”

Socomec’s Measuring Equipment Milestones Socomec has a strong track record in delivering innovation in measuring equipment.

1993: Commercial launch of the first DIRIS 2000: Creation of the DIRIS Ap, the first LCD plug & play unit. The product went on to be labelled by Schneider Electric and became the market's benchmark reference.

2005: With the integration of an ASIC metering component, the new DIRIS A delivers improved technical and cost performance.

2009: Benefitting from a new design and Ethernet gateway, the new DIRIS A becomes the reference in electrical measurement.

2014: Launch of the new DIRIS Digiware range - a unique, fully digital multi-circuit, plug & play measurement concept

For more information about Socomec or to arrange a consultation, please contact: Michel Le Brun. Telephone: 21241111. Mobile: 7985 5983 email: michel.lebrun@hydrolectric.com.mt

IEEE Region 8 Committee Meeting & Sections Congress 2014

by Owen Casha

1 INTRODUCTION The IEEE Malta Section was approved on the 8th November 2006, and the first council was elected in January 2007. It is the representation in Malta of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. The IEEE Malta Section has currently around 200 members. One of the roles of the IEEE Malta Section is to participate in the IEEE Region 8 committee meetings held twice a year and the triennial IEEE Sections Congress.

2 IEEE REGION 8 COMMITTEE MEETING The 103rd IEEE Region 8 committee meeting held in Amsterdam from 21st to 22nd August was attended by me as the Malta section delegate and Prof. Dr. Inġ. Carl James Debono who is currently the IEEE R8 vice-chair for technical activities. The meeting actually kicked-off on Wednesday 20th August with a presentation from the Benelux (BelgiumNetherlands-Luxemburg) Section followed by a technical speech about the European Space Agency (ESA) by Dr Riccardo de Gaudenzi titled "Electrical Engineering Challenges for Space Applications: An ESA Perspective". The evening was concluded with a networking reception and dinner.

The Region 8 meeting continued the next day with a number of reporting presentations from the different members of the OpCom (operations committee) such as the director, treasurer and secretary. In addition, a strategic plan for the coming months was presented and discussed. An election was also held for the selection of the new OpCom and N&A members.

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On Friday 22nd August another set of reporting presentations and discussions were held.

Amongst these one may mention the technical activities report presented by Prof. Dr. Inġ. Carl James Debono. In addition, other interesting presentations on "Education challenges in the Global Village", "The Distinguished Lecturer program", "Industry Relation activities experiences and how to proceed" and "Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT)" were given.

Attendees at the IEEE Region 8 committee meeting held at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam.

3 IEEE SECTIONS CONGRESS 2014 The IEEE member and geographic activities board partnered with Region 8 in hosting the IEEE Sections Congress 2014 (SC2014) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at the Rai Convention Center, from 22nd to 24th August. The IEEE Sections Congress, held every three years since 1984, is a gathering of the IEEE grassroots leadership to network with other section leaders, attend training programs and develop recommendations to guide the future of IEEE.

The IEEE Honors Ceremony was held on Saturday 23rd August in conjunction with IEEE Sections Congress. IEEE President Roberto J. de Marca served as the Master of Ceremonies along with co-presenter IEEE President-Elect Howard Michel. The theme of the ceremony was "Inspire". The 2014 IEEE Medal of Honor was presented to B. Jayant Baliga, Distinguished University Professor at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA, along with 19 IEEE Medals and Awards. B. Jayant Baliga is well known for experimentally discovering the properties and the mode of operation of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). ET

Robothespian is a life sized humanoid robot designed for human interaction was one of the attractions at SC2014. It is fully interactive, multilingual, and user-friendly, making it a perfect device with which to communicate and entertain.

The SC2014 theme was "Inspiring Our Leaders of Tomorrow". The three main program tracks were: Enhance Member Satisfaction, Improve Volunteer Experience and Reach Globally with Local Touch. In fact, the goals of SC2014 were three-fold: •

to provide an opportunity for delegates to gain information and training skills;

•

to network and build relationships with other volunteers within IEEE;

•

to serve as a forum for Section representatives and other local leaders, enabling them to voice on behalf of the collective membership - the ideas, issues, and recommendations which will impact the development and growth of IEEE throughout the world, reinforcing its vitality and relevance to those it serves.

Inspire - theme of the IEEE Honors Ceremony which was held in conjunction with SC2014.

Inġ. Owen Casha

is an engineer by profession and is currently employed as a lecturer with the Department of Microelectronics and Nanoelectronics, at the University of Malta. His research interests are the design of high speed integrated circuits and RF MEMS. He has been involved in the IEEE Malta Section since 2009, where he occupied the posts of vicechairman and secretary on the IEEE Section Committee. He is currently the advisor for the IEEE Malta student branch.

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Launching of IEEE Malta Section Website

by Conrad Attard

The IEEE Malta Section launched a new website on 10 November 2014. The site can be accessed through http://ieeemalta.org.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE is an organization composed of engineers, scientists, and students, best known for developing standards for the computer and electronics industry. In particular, the IEEE 802, a family of standards dealing with local-area networks, are widely followed. IEEE is represented in Malta through IEEE Malta Section and has currently around 200 members. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. The site offers quick and easy access to essential information on roles of the committee members and how they can be contacted, videos related to events supported

by IEEE and information related to activities organised by IEEE Malta and IEEE International.

Its aim is to help students and professionals know more about IEEE. The website will disseminate information about state-of-theart science and technology and emerging capabilities across various research institutes, not only locally but also internationally. By enhancing the communication of our members who are both students and professionals, the website will become not only an archive, but also a catalyst for world-class science.

We invite you to visit the website to obtain a wealth of information with links to sources that may interest the science and technology community, to learn about what is going on in this field, as well as to access magazines, journals, conference publications online course and free live technical webinars. The site will

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be updated regularly with information on conferences and events taking place and on the various advantages of becoming members of IEEE. You may also contact us online through the contact page.

IEEE Malta Section Committee 2014

2 Event Details

The Launch was held at Professional Centre, Gzira during the annual talk by the IEEE Distinguished Lecturer organised by IEEE Malta Section in collaboration with Chamber of Engineers. The event was held on Monday 10th November 2014. This year’s topic was about satellite systems. ET

Mr Conrad Attard

is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Computer Information Systems within the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta, since 2010. He is also currently reading a PhD at the University of Sheffield, UK. His research interests are smart technology, enterprise applications, designing applications for mobile devices and persuasive technology.

Conrad Attard is an active member of IEEE Malta Section within his role as Science and Technology Public Relations Officer on the Committee.

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