Groundbreaking Results Combining Blockchain Technology and Control Engineering

28Dec By admin

The following article presents groundbreaking scientific research results combining for the first time blockchain technology and control engineering: Geir Hovland and Jan Kučera, “Nonlinear Feedback Control and Stability Analysis of a Proof-of-Work Blockchain”, MIC, Vol. 38, No.4 , 2017.

As a world’s first the two fields of blockchain technology and control engineering have been combined. This paper has the potential to create a whole new research area within these two disciplines. The controller presented in the paper has been implemented in a public blockchain project and has already demonstrated remarkable results.

Spin-off RFF project: Design and maintenance based on operational data

07NovNovember 7, 2017 By admin

The aim of the project is to develop a scientific method for converting logged operational data from equipment into useful information for maintenance and design purposes.

The current project is directed towards the offshore industry, using case studies together with the project partners, MacGregor, Cameron, and Certex. However, the methods and algorithms developed will apply to other kinds of machinery as well, wherever solid constructions and moving components are involved.

To do this, we will convert the computationally expensive general methods for fatigue calculation into more specific, simplified models. These surrogate models can then run in real-time with operational data as input, resulting in real-time availability of remaining useful life. With knowledge of how the equipment is actually used, maintenance intervals may be adjusted, and design of future products can be done with much better insight into the actual requirements and needs of the customer.

Patenting Workshop

24OctOctober 24, 2017 By admin

Photo: Dag Einar Finne from Bergen Teknologioverføring

On Wednesday October 18 a Patenting vs. Publication workshop was organised at UiA, Campus Grimstad.

Agenda:
* Introduction by UiA Nyskaping and information about DOFI process
* Dag Finne from Bergen Teknologioverføring
– Why patenting?
– Patenting process
– Cases
* Asle Pedersen from Innoventus Sør
– Business models
– Degree of freedom in commercialization

Steel and Ropes Seminar 2017

20OctOctober 24, 2017 By admin

Teknova, together with UiA, NODE, Kristiansand commune, Vest and Aust Agder are proud to announce the second steel and fibre ropes specialist seminar, 27th to 29th of November 2017. The program includes lectures around the topic of:

Fiber ropes:

* Limits, challenge and opportunities associated with fiber ropes in running applications,

* Learning from the new FEM 5.024 guidelines,

* High performance fibres for fibre ropes.

Steel ropes:

* Corrosion of steel ropes in offshore applications,

* Tension/torsion response of wire ropes,

* Case studies where rope torsion is an issue.

Rope monitoring:

* Non-destructive techniques for wire ropes,

* Automatic detection of MRT signals.

Qualification and testing:

* State of the art testing of mooring and lifting systems

* Update on the recent standards developments.

In attachment you will find the flyer and full program for the seminar. The registration page can be found by following this link www.deltager.no/ropes2017<http://www.deltager.no/ropes2017> , the price of the 3 day seminar is 6000 NOK ex VAT.

In acknowledgements for the co-sponsorship of NODE, UiA, Vest & Aust Agder and Kristiansand commune, companies located in Agder or members of the NODE cluster get a 50 % discount on the seminar cost, that is a three day seminar including lunches for 3000 NOK ex VAT.

Flyer til Steel and Fiber Ropes Seminar_270917

Working Meeting WP4.3, NTNU Aalesund

17OctOctober 17, 2017 By admin

From left to right: Houxiang Zhang, Geir Hovland and Lars Ivar Hatledal in one of the simulator domes.

From left to right: Geir Hovland, Lars Ivar Hatledal and Houxiang Zhang in the open 3D simulator area available for teaching and research in the Mechatronics group at NTNU Aalesund.

On October 16, 2017 a working meeting in WP4.3 Protocols and standards for integration of simulation models and co-simulation was held at NTNU Aalesund. Lars Ivar Hatledal is the PhD candidate working in this work-package, Professor Houxiang Zhang is the principal supervisor while Arne Styve (not in the photos) and Geir Hovland are the co-supervisors.

The agenda for the day was as follows:

09:00 – 11:30 Visit to the very impressive infrastructure and collection of 3D simulators available at NTNU Aalesund and their partner Offshore Simulator Centre (OSC). The simulators are used both in teaching, research and external projects with industry partners.

12:15 – 14:30 Presentation by Lars Ivar Hatledal and following discussions about the plans and project focus.

WP4.3 is the first common research activity between the two Mechatronics groups at NTNU Aalesund and University of Agder, and is hopefully the beginning of a long-term collaboration.

Pilot testing at MHWirth

10Oct By admin

Picture by Geir Hovland

From left to right: Knut Berg Kaldestad, Joacim Dybedal, Atle Aalerud and Erind Ujkani

This autumn staff from UiA have visited engineers at MHWirth to plan an outdoor test of 3D sensors developed in the project.

The test will take place during spring 2018, in the MHWirth testing tower (Kristiansand). One of the goals in the Offshore Mechatronics project is to take the research out in real life. The results will be presented at the Annual Conference May 2018.

2017 Rice Data Science Conference

27SepSeptember 27, 2017 By admin

2017 Rice Data Science Conference

October 9-10, 2017 (opening keynote: 1pm on October 9)

Rice University,

BioScience Research Collaborative Building

6500 Main Street

Houston, TX 77005

As a NorTex Data Science Cluster partner you qualify for 50% discount on all registration categories. The ongoing “early bird” special will be running through Wednesday (9/27) this week so make sure you get 50% on the early bird price by registering NOW.

Before you complete the registration please make sure you enter the Promotional Code: NorTex-RDS17 on the top of the page at http://dsconference.rice.edu/registration

Digital Fluid Power 2017

13SepSeptember 13, 2017 By admin

The WP1 participated in the workshop DFP17 (Digital Fluid Power 2017) in Aalborg, Denmark, September 7-9 with all the members of the work package (Viktor Hristov Donkov, Sondre Nordås, Daniel Hagen, Torben Ole Andersen, and Morten Kjeld Ebbesen) and a guest of the WP Damiano Padovani. The workshop was dedicated to the different aspects of digital hydraulic. The workshop included 67 participants with the majority from Europe, and the industry was well represented. The WP presented two papers and received valuable feedback.
http://www.dfp17.et.aau.dk/

PhD Defence at NTNU

30AugAugust 30, 2017 By admin

From left to right: Professor Sergey Ushakov (PhD defence organiser, NTNU), Professor Martti Larmi (Opponent, Aalto University, Finland), Dr. Kevin Koosup Yum (currently at SINTEF), Associate Professor Eilif Pedersen (main supervisor, NTNU) and Professor Geir Hovland (Opponent, UiA and SFI Offshore Mechatronics).

Dr. Kevin Koosup Yum defended his PhD thesis titled “Transient Performance and Emmisions of a Turbocharged Diesel Engine for Marine Power Plants: Numerical Simulation and Experimental Investigation” at NTNU on August 24, 2017. The work was performed at the Department of Marine Technology and the Center for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems (SFF AMOS), NTNU, Trondheim, with Associate Professor Eilif Pedersen as the main supervisor and Professor Asgeir J. Sørensen and Professor Roger Skjetne as the co-supervisors.

Engineers from MacGregor Visit UiA

30AugAugust 30, 2017 By admin

22 Mechanical and Structural Engineers from the industry partner MacGregor Norway AS (both Arendal and Kristiansand offices) visited UiA on August 30, 2017. The program for the visit was as follows:

12:00 – 12:30 Information about Mechatronics studies and organisation, by Geir Hovland
12:30 – 12:45 Testing of full-scale components subjected to high loads, by Tom Lassen
13:00 – 13:15 Information about SFI Offshore Mechatronics, WP3, by Geir Hovland
13:15 – 13:30 Information about common R&D project, BIA Manipulator, by Geir Hovland
13:30 – 13:45 Information about common R&D project, Digital Hydraulics, by Morten Kjeld Ebbesen
14:00 – 14:15 Information about tensile testing machines, microscopi, by Cecilie Ødegård
14:15 – 14:45 Demo in motion-lab, motion compensation, by Sondre Sanden Tørdal
14:45 – 15:00 Demonstration of autonomous robotics, by Morten Ottestad