Wastewater treatment technologies suitable for serving large populations are generally reliable and reasonably cost-effective, yet they are almost always financially inappropriate for small communities (,2,000 p.e.). Comparative cost data suggests that waste stabilization ponds should be an attractive option for small communities, yet perceptions relating to land costs, climate and effluent quality have limited their application in the UK. This paper details typical UK land costs, climate and winter performance data for apilot-scale waste stabilization pond with various upgrading technologies: system A, two tertiary maturationponds in series; B, two tertiary maturation ponds in series followed by a reed bed channel; C, a control rockfilter; D, an aerated rock filter; and E, a constructed wetland. System D was found to perform best, closely followed by system B.

In this work a tertiary horizontal-flow blast furnace slag (BFS) filter was tested for phosphorus removal under laboratory and field conditions. Laboratory experiments were conducted in a bench-scale BFS filter for phosphorus adsorption capacity at equilibrium conditions using P-spiked water. On-site, the performance of a pilot-scale BFS filter was monitored for phosphorus removal from the final effluent of a pilot-scale WSP system located in Esholt (Bradford, UK), which comprises a primary facultative pond and a secondary aerated rock filter (ARF) in series. Adsorption capacity (q) results showed that BFS has high affinity for inorganic P species and it can remove up to 30 g P/kg BFS; however, q values are strongly dependent on the initial P concentration. The pilot-scale BFS filter tested on-site performed better for longer (<2 mg P/L) than the laboratory-scale filter, even though despite the latter received the same hydraulic and P loadings (1.8 m3/m3 d and 18 g P/m3 d, respectively). Both the laboratory and field results showed that BFS filters are an appropriate low-cost technology to upgrading small wastewater treatment systems for phosphorus removal.

Tracer experiments are of concern to wastewater treatment engineers and researchers because of the importance of determining hydraulic regimes and retention times in wastewater treatment units. In this work, a pilot-scale maturation waste stabilisation pond (WSP) was spiked with Rhodamine WT, in order to determine how suspended organic matter would interfere with its performance as a tracer in a domestic wastewater treatment unit which had a high content of suspended algal biomass. A primary maturation pond was spiked in three separate runs with different levels of algae (high, medium and low), with a known amount of Rhodamine WT (20% w/v); the tracer was measured in the pond effluent in real time every 20 min for 3? (the theoretical retention time, ? = 17 days). Algal biomass was monitored weekly from influent, column and effluent water samples by chlorophyll-a determination. The results show that algal biomass has a strong influence on the behaviour of Rhodamine WT as a tracer and therefore the hydraulic characteristics calculated from tracer curves may be affected by tracer adsorption on suspended organic matter.

IEEE 802.15.4e is emerging as a robust standard for industrial Internet of Things. This standard is particularly effective for low power, multi-hop networks, and typically supports applications with low throughput. However, with the advances in energy harvesting, the need for supporting better performing solutions is also gaining momentum. This paper presents and analyses a modified link scheduling algorithm for IEEE 802.15.4e based solutions. Three approaches are considered. With the first approach, only the gateway node is equipped with multiple radios. With the second approach, non-gateway nodes are equipped with multiple radios as well. With the third approach, multiple single radio gateways are considered. Results from simulations have been presented to demonstrate the improvement in performance compared to the typical single radio, single gateway deployments.

In this work, an hybrid, self-configurable, multilayered and evolutionary subsumption architecture for cognitive agents is developed. Each layer of the multilayered architecture is modeled by one different Reinforcement Machine Learning System (RMLS) based on bio-inspired techniques. In this research an evolutionary mechanism based on Gene Expression Programming to self-configure the behaviour arbitration between layers is suggested. In addition, a co-evolutionary mechanism to evolve behaviours in an independent and parallel fashion is used too. The proposed approach was tested in an animat environment (artificial life) using a multi-agent platform and it exhibited several learning capabilities and emergent properties for self-configuring internal agent’s architecture.

In this work, a hybrid, self-configurable, multilayered and evolutio-nary architecture for cognitive agents is developed. Each layer of the subsump-tion architecture is modeled by one different Machine Learning System MLS based on bio-inspired techniques. In this research an evolutionary mechanism supported on Gene Expression Programming to self-configure the behaviour arbitration between layers is suggested. In addition, a co-evolutionary mechan-ism to evolve behaviours in an independent and parallel fashion is used. The proposed approach was tested in an animat environment using a multi-agent platform and it exhibited several learning capabilities and emergent properties for self-configuring internal agent’s architecture.

Flip chip interconnection design and process capability has been extended with the use of copper pillar, specially for finer pitches, beyond what was possible with area array and standard C4 reflow and solder bumps. Many trends in device packaging are fueling this trend, specially the needs for thin packaging, increased function integration, challenging thermal, mechanical and physical specifications. In terms of processing, devices using Cu Pillar are most commonly assembled using thermo-compression bonding due to sizable challenges in extending the conventional mass reflow solution, typical for solder bumps. TC is specially recommended for handling very thin die in sparse or peripheral bump layouts, which are a predominant share of all devices converting to Cu pillar, where a bonding head is used to both hold the die flat and in true alignment with the substrate while supplying the thermal energy necessary to complete the interconnection. This process most often also requires the use of a non-conductive paste/film for stress absorption in recognition to the fact that underfill materials have great limitations in filling the underdie cavity. In this paper, we explore avenues to extend the current processing envelope for Cu pillar bumped devices using C4 reflow. Benefits of this approach are shown as decreased cost of ownership for materials, lower fixed costs due to using mostly depreciated equipment. Yet, challenges in defining new design rules, reformulating materials and extending process flows are among some of the barriers for further adoption of this solution in production.

The FreshWaterMill project is a transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology (EST) from The Netherlands to Colombia that involves several Dutch companies, the Delft University of Technology and Coralina (corporation for sustainable development of the Archipelago San Andrés, Providence and Saint Kathleen). The installation place is Johnny Cay, a small islet 1.5 km northeast from San Andrés, Colombia, uninhabited and exclusive for touristic use (Van Tonningen, 2014). The technology is a wind powered reverse osmosis (RO) system that can fulfil the drinkable water and electricity demands of the Cay. This way can be alleviated the sanitary conditions resulting from unsustainable touristic practices. Moreover, this project is seen as a promoter of sustainable development in the Archipelago (Coralina, 2006), and as a potential solution to provide electricity and water to rural and remote areas of low utility coverage but abundant wind power. There are no environmental or social impact analyses that validate the sustainable character of the technology transfer. Moreover, although it is intended to improve the livelihood of target users their opinions are not reflected in the project plans. This situation resembles those factors that describe the trend to failure of technology transfers. Therefore this research made an integral assessment of the project as a Socio-Technical System (STS) to provide useful findings and recommendations that could lead it away from such trend. The Functions of Innovation Systems (FIS) framework (Van Alphen, 2008) was chosen for a systems approach analysis. Through this was found that poor planning, insufficient financial resources and ineffective communication channels are the most relevant barriers for a successful implementation of the FreshWaterMill. The most relevant drivers are the suitability of the place for a wind/RO system, the planning of a local educational center, a remarkable advocacy for Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in the Archipelago and the existence of local human capital and R&D on RE. Five conditions for self-organization were derived from the PAR (Participatory Action Research) methodology to explore the likeliness of self-organization for bottom-up management. Through this methodology was shown that the difficult relationship between the corporation and the touristic service providers, their lack of group cohesion, managerial and operational capacities, ignorance and/or misuse of instruments for self-organization, make unfeasible for this group to address the barriers and support the drivers of the project. Relevant conditions from the context not covered by the previous methodologies were also included. These reflected that the advocacy for RETs is counteracted by the fragmentation between institutional actors and their lack of managerial skills on technology topics, which makes them rely on national and international assistance to achieve a technological transition. The regular interaction that Johnny Cay workers will have with the windmill, the affinity of the life plan of young adults to the project objectives and the likeliness of this group to make economic contributions urges the need for a participatory approach. The socio-cultural crisis of the Archipelago supports this recommendation. However, the difficulty of institutional entities to understand and assume the roles that require a participatory approach and the path dependency on top-down regulation makes it a complex challenge. A participatory approach for the FreshWaterMill is indirectly supported by the management plan of the Natural Regional Park Johnny Cay and the Community and institutional participation board. Additional to the commitment of the corporation to assume an enabling role, the process needs a mediator so the touristic service.

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