Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 284-287

Abstract: World Wide Web has popularly developed in everywhere and everyday people since 1997; this research considers internet education, E-Learning, cutting edge and clever approach. Its revolution will improve the models and principals of traditional education around the world. E-Learning interface is perceived as a communication protocol that is much more human, friendly and intelligent interaction in future such as icloud or touch panel technology, even if non-experience users can easily or conveniently operate the system. Human-machine interaction interface is required by a particular software design. This study applies five factors by structural equation modeling method to determine what criteria of E-Learning users-interface could be satisfied in the virtual classroom. The main purpose finds out the efficient systems that save time, money, and resources to establish the optimal virtual classroom for users required satisfaction exactly. The results and findings provide critical implications and recommendations for interface designers and instructors in future research and practice.

Abstract: Typical mobile distance learning system allows students to download and play the video of lecture, which lacks synchronous capability. Although a few synchronous mobile e-learning systems enable students to experience the video and presentation materials of a lecture in real time and real-time interaction with the lecturer, they still have the problem of not allowing students to navigate and re-experience the lecture session including video and slides with annotation. Thus, we present a mobile distance learning system that enables students to join the ongoing lecture, watch video and annotated slides, interacts with the lecturer with text in real-time as well as to store the lecture session on their mobile device and play them later. During the play of a lecture session, a student can navigate the session in terms of time and re-experience the video, slides with annotation, and text-based interaction among the lecturer and students.

Abstract: Puppet shadow is not only one of the oldest forms of performing, but also a very characteristic traditional folk performing art. Since the action skill is a family heirloom of puppet shadow troupes, they seldom teach outsiders so this issue is rarely discussed. The spatial and regional limitation makes the observation and learning of puppet-motion and action skill rather difficult. This study uses Flash CS4 to create the features and functions of puppets via inverse kinematics (IK) method. Using the concept of inverse kinematics constructs the movement of puppets and simulates the motion of puppets. On this platform, we construct the single-user-game-based digital learning system of puppet shadow. We design situational challenge competitions and interactive games to enhance the quality and pleasure of learning.

Abstract: There exist numerous long-standing industrial standards and practices that manufacturers worldwide almost always take for granted in their product design and daily production whilst at the same time no thought seems to have been given to potential improvements of such standards and practices for decades. Among them are infrared remote control protocols in consumer electronics, such as RC-5, NEC IR protocol etc. and analogous remote keyless system protocols in automobiles. As an illustration, this paper outlines both the technical and practical aspects of a typical low-cost and intuitive concept of innovation (now a patent of the author), based on ergonomics and user-centered design, having the aim of fundamentally enhancing the functionality of these decades-old protocols. This involves extending such one-way protocols to two-way protocols and adding a clock, specific-purpose memory, and an output component to the remote control for handling the current status of the device under control. Despite its low cost, such an enhancement leads to a series of practical advantages like lower power consumption, environmental friendliness, longer battery life and, most importantly, the users’ peace of mind. This illustration also demonstrates how innovation can potentially bring upheaval to long-standing practices that have appeared to be unchangeable in the engineering, manufacturing, and technology industry for decades.

Abstract: This article is the study of the professional competence of employees required in the wind energy industry in Taiwan. This will combine a number of research methods, including literature review, Delphi method, IPA analysis to explore the professional capacity of wind power generation projects and connotation of the wind energy industry needs. This paper analyzes the results used as indicators to construct the wind power industry professional, and will be used as the design of the wind power industry practitioners professional competence course. The importance of part of the questionnaire using Likert five-point evaluation index scale [11], divided into very unimportant, unimportant, important, very important, very important to the five levels. The performance of part of the questionnaire, divided into strongly disagree, disagree, agree, agree very much, very much agree with five levels. In this study, the questionnaire survey sent to a written questionnaire of 30 valid questionnaires were collected 27, the effective response rate of 90%. The 39 professional competence items, five items on the C quadrant (the importance of less than 4.0), the remaining 34 (87%) are on the C quadrant (the importance of greater than 4.0). Which is located five professional capacity (13%) in the C quadrant items are green beliefs, it means that domestic subject to government to actively promote the concept of green sustainable.

Abstract: Magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) has been widely used in the industrial fields, especially in the machinery, automobile, national defense and construction industries. Most of the researches of the Magnetorheological Damper only utilized device to examine the effects of different levels of voltage, amplitude and frequency on energy reduction. They find a combination of the number of circles of wire, damping tubes, enameled wire sleeves for liquid of MR damper controlled to increase the damping force. This study uses different ways to solve the problem. We think outside the box and apply the concepts and technology of systematic innovation method to improve the structure of the MR damper for increasing the effectiveness. This study uses the contradiction matrix, 39 engineering parameters, and 40 inventive and innovative principles to identify the areas of improvement to address the exist problems. Regarding the decrease of the magnetic field acting force due to increase of the moving distance and the effect on the magnetorheological damper efficiency. Finally, we propose an improved design of the MR Damper.

Abstract: In this study, the author proposes an economic design of quality investment for a Dodge-Romig single sampling inspection plan with inspection error. The optimal sampling inspection plan and quality investment level are jointly determined by minimizing the expected total cost of product under the specified consumer’s risk. Finally, the comparison of solution between the model with/without inspection error will be provided for illustration.

Abstract: Demand response (DR) is an important ingredient and regarded as the killer application of the emerging smart grid. The continuously growing energy consumption of data centers makes data centers promising candidates with significant potential for DR. Participating in DR programs makes data centers have another finical resource in addition to service income. On the other hand, some government organizations also offer considerable incentives to promote energy saving actions for facilities with some certain certifications. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system developed by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is one of the most popular certification systems. LEED uses Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) as one of the metrics for quantifying how energy efficient a data center is. The goal of PUE is to improve energy efficiency of a data center. DR programs require participants to temporarily reduce their power demand on some occasions with little concern regarding energy efficiency. To enjoy incentives from LEED certification, data center administrators need to know whether the participation of DR hampers the established PUE of their facilities or not. This paper examines the power consumption models from prior studies, and identifies the constraints introduced by PUE for data centers participating in DR programs. The examination reveals that the ratios of static power consumption to the dynamic power demand range of different types of data center equipment do affect PUE while taking demand reduction efforts. With this finding, facility managers of data centers have a clear picture of what to expect from the DR participation, and what to adjust of their data center equipment.

Abstract: Power production plans are used by power companies to propose a feasible plan regarding the load requirements and system conditions of the following year, in which the arrangement of production material, such as the procurement of fuel required and delivery schedules, is clearly projected. Some of the factors involved in considering power production plans are common to those for short-term unit commitment, including system power balance, system security requirements, and unit characteristics; however, the limit on annual accumulation, which is not considered in short-term unit commitment, is not similar between the two. This study proposes an optimal mathematical model based on mixed-integer programming for long-term unit commitment to minimize the total system costs. To avoid the mixed-integer linear programming problems that increase the duration of computation because of numerous integer variables, the model proposed in this study applies the view of energy and power and integrates the similarities of load patterns and fuzzy logic to reduce the number of variables while adhering to all the constraints. The proposed algorithm can greatly improve the solution time compared with the complete UC model for the Taipower one week simulation case.

Abstract: Effective Demand Side Management (DSM) practices require adequate assessment in which several important factors are taken into consideration. Criteria to measure DSM potential and setting DSM targets are substantial to be well predefined. The aim of this paper is to propose assessment framework towards effective residential lighting demand side management planning. The assessment involves multi-dimensional factors comprising technical, economic, society preference, and environmental emission along with their mean of analysis. Technical dimension in terms of electricity demand is analyzed using Baseline Energy Use method whereas Life Cycle Cost analysis along with Cost-Benefit Assessment is used to calculate economic cost and other parameters during the project lifetime. Multi-criteria decision making using Analytic Hierarchy Process is performed to capture customer preference on selecting the preferable DSM loading scheme. In addition, environmental emission reduction potential is revealed using End-use Electricity Saving method.