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Abstract Ventilation systems are of vital importance for buildings, not only to provide acceptable thermal conditions and air quality for occupants, but also with regards to energy usage. Impinging jets can be encountered in many ventilation strategies which have major impacts on the acoustic environment and energy performance. The self-sustaining tones can be generated in such applications where a feedback loop is installed in the system. This phenomenon is explained by the corollary of Howe who shows that the origin of noise in such configurations can be attributed to fluid rotations. Howe highlights the role of phase conditions between the vorticity, the velocity of the flow and the acoustic velocity for the optimization of energy transfers between the turbulent kinetic energy and the sound field. In this work, we use 2D-PIV technique and a microphone respectively to measure the kinematic fields simultaneously with the acoustic generation for a rectangular jet impinging on a slotted plate. This study aims to investigate the transfers between the turbulent kinetic energy and the sound field for two Reynolds numbers presenting a high and a low noise levels. It is shown that phase conditions are necessary for the optimization of energy transfer which allows the installation of the self-sustained loop in the flow. It was found also that the change of the aerodynamic mode which is directly related to the self-sustained frequency amplifies the sound intensity and promotes the transfer of energy to the acoustic field.

Abstract: Power generation using dielectric elastomer (DE) artificial muscle is attracting attention because of its light weight, low cost, and high efficiency. Since this method is a system that produces electricity without emitting carbon dioxide nor using rare earths, it would contribute to the goal of environmental sustainability. In this paper, the background of DEs, the associated high-efficient wave energy generation (WEG) systems that we developed using DEs, as well as the latest development of its material are summarized. By covering the challenges we face and the achievements that we’ve reached, we can discuss the opportunities to build the foundation of a recycled energy society through the usage of these WEGs. On the other hand, to make these possibilities commercially successful, the advantages of DEs need to be integrated with traditional technologies. To achieve this, we also consider the method of using DEs alone and a system used in combination with an oscillating water column. Finally, the current status and future of DEGs are discussed.

Knowledge about a wide variety of aspects is fundamental for the safe management and disposal of radioactive waste. This importance of Knowledge Management (KM) is also recognised by EURAD, the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (RWM), which brings together over 100 organisations from different countries and backgrounds (Waste Management Organisations, Technical Support Organisations, and Research Entities). This vast resource of expertise and experience feeds into several dedicated EURAD KM programme activities. One of these activities, led by Work Package 11 State-of-Knowledge (WP11 SoK), is capturing experts’ views on the current State-of-Knowledge on topics relevant to RWM and making this knowledge accessible through dedicated documents. For this, EURAD has developed the “Goals Breakdown Structure” (GBS), which provides a framework in which topics are structured thematically, as well as a hierarchy of documents that allows accessing knowledge on different levels of detail (seeEURAD Roadmap). To make this knowledge available, EURAD is currently developing a Wiki (i.e., a web-based resource that allows access to knowledge and collaborative interactions) and is drafting a sustainable Knowledge Management System and other supportive KM-IT tools while already feeding the tools with content. This article gives an insight into the general EURAD KM concept, the approaches used, and the results obtained until EURAD’s mid-term, after 2.5 years.

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International audience The H2020 Euratom European project INSIDER(Improved Nuclear Site Characterization for waste minimization in decommissioning under constrained environment) was launched in June 2017 for a duration of 4 years; itcurrently includes 17 partners from 10 European countries.The project is focused onto radiological characterization applied to waste-driven integrated approaches,including the sampling overall strategy and design. Itsobjectives are to improve the management of waste withmedium (MA) and high radioactivity (HA) levels comingfrom nuclear sites or facilities under D&D (Decommissioning and dismantling) and/or other constrained environments. The optimization criteria refer to operationaldecommissioning efficiency, safety and costs. The outcomeof the project will increase knowledge on the amounts andcharacteristics of radioactive waste resulting from D&Dand increase confidence on the sound definition ofsubsequent storage and disposal end points.

The goal of the ORIENT-NM action is to produce a single European strategic vision on research and innovation concerning nuclear materials in the EU, serving all reactor generations and nuclear systems. The key in this endeavour is to focus on advanced materials science practices that, combined with digital techniques, will enable acceleration in materials development, manufacturing, supply, qualification, and monitoring, in support of nuclear energy safety, efficiency, economy and sustainability. The research agenda will be rooted in existing virtuous examples of nuclear materials science projects. Here the results of three of them are summarised, thereby covering different reactor applications and families of materials, as well as a range of advanced material research approaches. GEMMA addressed a number of key areas concerning the development and qualification of metallic structural materials for GenIV reactor conditions, focusing on austenitic steels and their compatibility with several non-aqueous coolants, their welds and the modelling of their stability under irradiation. INSPYRE was an integrated project applying a basic science approach to (U,Pu)O2fuels, to develop physics-based models for the behaviour of nuclear fuels under irradiation and improve fuel performance codes. Modelling was also the focus of the M4F project, which brought together the fission and fusion materials communities to study the effects of localised deformation under irradiation in ferritic/martensitic steels and to develop good practices to use ion irradiation as a tool to evaluate radiation effects on materials.

<span lang="EN-US">A multi-point model predictive control (MPMPC) is widely used for many applications, including wind energy system (WES), notably enhanced power characteristics and oscillation regulation. In this work, MPMPC is adapted to condense the fatigue load of the WES and improve the lifetime of the turbine assembly. The lifetime examination is carried out by considering the three chief parameters: basic lifetime until failure, short-time damage equivalent loads (DELs), and lifetime DELs. The simulation study is performed for two cases: blade root bending moments and tower top bending. Further, fatigue load examination is demonstrated to analyze the effectiveness of the proposed controller. The observed results show that the lifetime analysis of the wind turbine system displayed more excellent characteristics, i.e., 49.50% greater than MPC. Also, the fatigue load mitigation showed greater magnitude due to the control action of the proposed controller, about 37.38% grander than MPC. Therefore, the attained outcomes exhibit outstanding performance compared with conventional controllers.</span>