Energy and Sustainability 2019 - Post Conference Report

8th International conference on Energy and Sustainability

3 – 5 July 2019
Coimbra, Portugal

Overview

The 8th International Conference on Energy and Sustainability took place in Coimbra, Portugal. The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK and Itecons-University of Coimbra and it was Chaired by Professor Antonio Tadeu, Director of Itecons and member of the WIT Board of Directors.
The conference, which started in the New Forest, UK in 2007, is well-established and always attracts a wide international spread of delegates. The diverse topics covered at the conference involved the collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions, including studies of materials, energy networks, new energy resources, storage solutions, waste to energy systems smart grids and many others.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Prof A. Tadeu who welcomed the delegates to the conference and introduced the Wessex Institute and Itecons.

Invited Presentations

There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:

• Environmental and energetic evaluation of different solutions for coffee valorization, by Dr D Panepinto, Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy.
• The energy and sustainable performance of a multifunctional façade by Ms I Simoes, Itecons, Coimbra.
• Evaluation of surface condensations in external thermal insulation composite systems by Mr N Simoes, Itecons-University of Coimbra, Portugal.
• Regional goods delivery: How to reduce its CO2-, NOX- and PM10- emissions? by Dr J Vleugel, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
• Local actions for reducing global greenhouse gas footprint: 10 years of covenant of mayors initiative by Prof M Ragazzi, University of Trento, Italy.
• Unconventional small-scale biogas production with reduced local impact by Dr E Rada, University of Varese, Italy.
• Biorefinery done right by Professor J M Lavoie, Sherbrook University, Canada.
• Sustainable energy for smart city, by Dr M Kozhevnikov, Ural Federal University, Russia.

Conference Sessions

The papers presented during the conference covered the following topics:

• Energy efficiency
• Energy storage and distribution
• Energy management
• Sustainable Buildings
• Biomass and biofuels
• Environmental risk management
• Climate change and energy policies
• Renewable energy resources

Special Session

Dr Elena Rada, from the University of Varese, Italy, organised a Special Session on “Reduction of the local and global environmental impact of waste and biomass to energy options” which included the following presentations:

• Environmental balance of an innovative waste-to-energy plant: The role of secondary emissions, presented by Dr M. Schiavon, University of Trento, Italy.
• Potentials of the waste-to-energy sector for an unconventional district heating system, presented by Dr M. Schiavon, University of Trento, Italy.
• Local actions for reducing global greenhouse gas footprint: 10 years of covenant of mayors initiative, presented by Dr M Ragazzi, University of Trento, Italy.
• Unconventional small-scale biogas production with reduced local impact, presented by Dr E. Rada.

There were numerous occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches provided.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner took place on Wednesday evening at the Restaurant Solar do Bacalhau, which is within walking distance of the conference venue. Delegates enjoyed a four-course menu accompanied by Portuguese wines and with a wonderful atmosphere.

Conference Publication

Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 237 of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment (ISSN 1743-3541). Papers presented at the meeting will be available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.
Several papers from this conference were selected for publication in the International Journal of Energy Production and Management. This journal covers the different aspects of energy research, development and recovery from both primary and renewable sources; power generation, storage and distribution; planning and management.

Closing of the Conference

The conference was closed by Professor A Tadeu, who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending the next conference in the series which is due to be reconvened in 2021.

Related Conferences

Sustainable City 2019, 1 - 3 October 2019
Energy Production and Management 2019, 2 - 4 December 2019
Eco-Architecture 2020, 5 - 7 May 2020
Sustainable Development and Planning 2020, 6 - 8 May 2020
Environmental Impact 2020, 10 – 12 June 2020

View Energy and Sustainability 2019 Photos

BEM/MRM 42 - Post Conference Report

42nd International Conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods

2–4 July 2019
Coimbra, Portugal

Overview

The annual conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods (BEM/MRM) which started in 1978, reached its 42nd version this year. The 2019 conference took place at ITeCons-University of Coimbra, home of Professor Antonio Tadeu, Conferences Co-Chairs and Member of the WIT Board of Directors The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK, ITeCons-University of Coimbra, Portugal and the University of Mississippi, USA.
Since its beginning in 1978, the Conference has attracted high-quality papers reporting further advances in techniques that reduce or eliminate the type of meshes associated with finite elements or finite differences, for instance. The meeting acts as a forum for discussion of new formulations and for critical comparison of results before solutions and numerical tools are released to end-users.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Professor Antonio Tadeu who welcomed the delegates to the conference and introduced the Wessex Institute and ITeCons to the delegates.

Presentation of the George Green Medal

Following the opening of the conference, Prof Tadeu and Prof Ney Dumont conducted the George Green Medal Ceremony and awarded this year’s medal to Prof Zhenhan Yao, from Tsinghua University, China. Subsequently, Professor Yao gave a keynote address on “Basic ideas and research progress of a new High-Accuracy and High-Performance Boundary Element Methods.

Invited Presentations

There were a series of invited presentations by well-known colleagues:

• Numerical simulation of heat transport in multilayered composite pipe by Prof A. Tadeu, ITeCons-University of Coimbra, Portugal.
• Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equation: Strong vs. Weak Formulation, Global vs. Local Interpolation, and Mesh vs. Meshless by Prof A H D Cheng, University of Mississippi, USA.
• Boundary element analysis of thin-walled structures by an expanding element interpolation method by Prof J M Zhang, Hunan University, China.
• Singular boundary method in free vibration analysis of compound liquid-filled shells by Prof E. Strelnikova, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine.
• Mesh-free analysis of plate bending problems by Moving Finite Element approximation by Prof V Sladek, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia.
• Coupling of the fast boundary-domain integral method with the stochastic collocation method for fluid flow simulations by Dr J Ravnik, University of Maribor, Slovenia.
• Buckling of perforated plates using the dual reciprocity boundary element method by Prof L Palermo Jr, University of Campinas, Brazil.
• Numerical analysis of buried vibration protection devices using the MFS by Prof L Godinho, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
• BEM-EDM coupled analysis of multi-scale problems by Prof X W Gao, Dalian University of Technology, China.
• 3-D cauchy problem for an elastic layer: Interfacial cracks detection by Prof A N Galybin, The Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth RAS, Russia.
• Analytical 3D boundary element implementation of flat triangle and quadrilateral elements for potential and elasticity problems by Prof N A Dumont, Pontifical Catholic University, Brazil.
• Green's function for a soft infinite electro and magneto active elastic medium subject to a biasing electromagnetoelastic field by Prof W Q Chen, Zheijiang University, China.
• Acoustic shape optimization based on isogeometric BEM with adjoint variable method by Prof H B Chen, University of Science and Technology of China, China.
• Precise and robust magnetic field computations for high-end smart sensor applications by Dr A Buchau, University of Stuttgart, Germany.

Special Session Papers

Prof Kansa organised a Special Session on “Theory and applications of meshfree radial basis functions” which included two invited presentations:

• Meshless collocation methods for solving PDEs on surfaces by Dr L Ling, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
• Exact time-dependent calculations for fluids and solids by Prof E Kansa, Convergent Solutions (Rtd), USA

Conference topics

The papers presented during the conference covered the following topics:

• Advanced formulations
• Advanced meshless and mesh reduction methods
• Computational methods
• Dynamics and vibrations
• Electrical engineering and electromagnetics
• Fluid Flow modelling
• Solid mechanics
• Structural mechanics and applications

There were several occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches that the hotel prepared for the delegates.

Conference Publications

Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 126 of the WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences (ISSN: 1743-3533, ISBN 978-1-78466-295-0). All papers presented at the meeting since the 1994 conference are available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary), from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.

EABE Editorial Board Meeting

At the end of the first day of the Conference, members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements (EABE) met to discuss how the publication is progressing and ways in which its performance versus other journals on Computational Methods in Engineering can be improved.
Following the meeting, members of the Board had dinner at the hotel Quinta das Lagrimas, one of the most well-known hotels in Coimbra.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner took place on Wednesday evening at the Restaurant Solar do Bacalhau, which is within walking distance of the conference venue. Delegates enjoyed a four-course menu accompanied by Portuguese wines and with a wonderful atmosphere.

Closing of the Conference

The conference was closed by Alex Cheng, who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending BEM/MRM 43 when the meeting is reconvened at Daytona Beach, Orlando, USA in 2020.

Related Conferences

SUSI 2020, 22 – 24 June 2020
Risk Analysis 2020, 23 – 25 June 2020

Related Conferences

AFM 2020, 2 – 4 June 2020
HPSM/OPTI 2020, 3 – 5 June 2020
BEM/MRM 43, 18-20 May 2020

View BEM/MRM 2019 Photos

Air Pollution 2019 - Post Conference Report

27th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution

26–28 June 2019
Aveiro, Portugal

Overview

The 27th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution took place in Aveiro, Portugal. The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK, represented by Professor Stavros Syngellakis, the University of Aveiro, represented by Professor Carlos Borrego and Professor Myriam Lopes, and the University of the West of England, represented by Professor Jim Longhurst and Dr Jo Barnes.
The conference, which started in Mexico in 1993, is well-established and always attracts a wide international spread of delegates. This important conference brings together contributions from scientists from around the world to present recent work on various aspects of air pollution phenomena. Notable in each of the conferences in this series has been the opportunity to foster scientific exchange between participants. Each meeting has provided a further opportunity for identifying new areas of air pollution science demanding collaborative investigation. Air pollution issues remain one of the most challenging problems facing the international community. The series has demonstrated the wide-spread nature of the air pollution phenomena and has explored in depth their impacts on human health and the environment.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Professor Syngellakis who welcomed the delegates to the conference, before paying tribute to the founder of the Wessex Institute, the late Prof Carlos A Brebbia.
Professor Syngellakis then mentioned that the main objective of WIT is the dissemination of knowledge, especially among many disciplines and this multidisciplinary approach is the reason for organising this and other conferences on various topics. Another way of achieving this is by the publication of papers in Transactions and Journals, through its publishing arm, WIT Press.
Professor Carlos Borrego of the University of Aveiro also welcomed the delegates and encouraged them to enjoy the atmosphere of the city and the university referring briefly to their history. He went on to explain the structure and organisation of the university itself, praising its support for the conference and the efforts of his research group at the department of Environment and Planning where the conference was held. Finally, Dr Barnes and Professor Longhurst addressed the conference on behalf of their University wishing the delegates a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Invited Presentations

There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:

• “The UK clean air strategy 2019 – is this a new start for the management of air quality? ”, a Keynote address by Professor Jim Longhurst, University of the West of England, UK.
• “Evidence from Clair City: citizen demand for a clean air, low carbon, healthy city”, a Keynote address by Dr Jo Barnes, University of the West of England, UK.
• “Using game technology to engage citizens and understand the public acceptability of air quality interventions in European cities” by Professor Enda Hayes, University of the West of England, UK.
• “Shipping emissions and its impact on air quality on urban coastal areas: present and future scenarios” by Dr Alexandra Monteiro, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Using air quality modelling and emission projections as a support to the 1st air pollution control program under NEC directive targets for 2030” by Dr Joana Ferreira, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Assessing road transportation impacts of connected and automated vehicles for a clean and sustainable mobility” by Dr Margarida Coelho, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Influence of spatial resolution in modelling the dispersion of volcanic ash in Ecuador” by Dr Rene Parra, University San Francisco of Quito, Ecuador.
• “Real time atmospheric monitoring for urban air pollution by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)” by Professor Qingyue Wang, Saitama University, Japan.
• “The emission of ultrafine particles in the manufacture of fireplace ceramic tiles” by Karel Lach, Czech Institute of Public Health, Czech Republic.
• “Perspectives of stack and environmental monitoring in the surrounding of a waste-to-energy plant” by Dr Elena Rada, Insubria University of Varese, Italy.
• “CO2 measurements for an unconventional management of indoor air quality” by Dr Marco Schiavon, University of Trento, Italy.
• “Radon entry models into buildings vs environmental parameters, building shape and types of foundations”, by Professor Rosaria Ippolito, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy.

Conference Sessions

The papers presented during the conference were classified under the following headings:

• Air quality
• Air pollution modelling
• Emissions
• Joint Special session organised by the University of Aveiro, with Urban Transport 2019 entitled “Transport and air quality in Portugal”
• Special session led by Elena Rada, entitled “Strategies for human exposure reduction”
• Special session led by Rosaria Ippolito, entitled “Naturally occurring ionizing pollutants”

There were numerous occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches provided.

Conference Publication

Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 236 of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment (ISSN 1743-3541). Papers presented at the meeting will be available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.
A few papers were selected for publication in the International Journal of Environmental Impacts. The Journal provides an international forum to discuss the numerous environmental problems present in modern society and their impacts, taking into account scientific, economic and social issues. One important consideration is the way in which they affect the search for sustainability.

ISAC Dinner

The meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) of the Conference took place over dinner at a local restaurant named “O legado da Ria”, which specialises in traditional fish dishes typical of the region and is situated close to the fish market in Aveiro. The meeting was held after the meal which was found greatly enjoyable by all participants. At the meeting, members of the committee were encouraged to make suggestions for bringing the conference topics list up to date and also advise WIT on the evolution of the conference.

Conference Dinner

The Conference dinner took place at Salpoente, a speciality fine dining restaurant in the canal area of Aveiro. The building used to be used by the local salt pan industry. One of the highlights of the evening was the short ride there on the canal, on narrow boats known as Moliceiro, which were originally used to transport sea grass vegetation taken from the canal to fertilize the nearby arable lands. Nowadays these vessels exist only as beautifully decorated pleasure craft for tourists to enjoy the canals, and this is one of the reasons that Aveiro is referred to as the Venice of Portugal.
Delegates enjoyed the ambience of the ancient building, starting with sparkling local wine, followed by a five course meal. First was seafood soup with parsley and coriander (sopa de peixe, pevide e coentros), Folhado de Alheira (a kind of sausage roll with a delicious meat filling), followed by bacalhau on chick pea mash with green vegetables, then veal with potatoes vegetables and beans. For dessert we enjoyed a pannacotta with poached fruit then coffee to end. All the courses were accompanied by local wines and the atmosphere of the whole evening was particularly appreciated by the participants.

Closing of the Conference

In their closing remarks, Professors Longhurst and Borrego as well as Dr Barnes praised the quality of presentations and the organisation of the conference. The meeting was closed by Professor Syngellakis who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending the next conference in the series which is due to be reconvened in 2020 in Seville, Spain.

Related Conferences

Sustainable City 2019, 1 - 3 October 2019
Energy Production and Management 2019, 2 - 4 December 2019
Eco-Architecture 2020, 5 - 7 May 2020
Sustainable Development and Planning 2020, 6 - 8 May 2020
Air Pollution 2020, 8 – 10 June 2020
Environmental Impact 2020, 10 – 12 June 2020

View Air Pollution 2019 Photos

Urban Transport 2019 - Post Conference Report

25th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment

25–27 June 2019
Aveiro, Portugal

Overview

The 25th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment took place in Aveiro, Portugal. The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK, represented by Professors Santiago Hernandez and Stavros Syngellakis and the University of Aveiro, represented by Professor Carlos Borrego.
The conference, which started in Southampton in 1995, is well-established and always attracts a wide international spread of delegates. The continuing requirement for better urban transport systems and the need for a healthier environment has added to the increasing success of this annual meeting which attracts international delegates from many different countries. Innovative systems, new approaches and original ideas need to be thoroughly tested and critically evaluated before they can be implemented in practice; this highlights the importance of the Conference. Moreover, there is a growing need for integration with telecommunication systems and IT applications in order to improve safety, security and efficiency. The Conference also addresses the need to solve important pollution problems associated with urban transport in order to achieve a healthier environment.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Professor Santiago Hernandez, who welcomed the delegates, before paying tribute to the founder of the Wessex Institute, the late Prof Carlos A Brebbia.
Professor Hernandez then mentioned that the main objective of WIT is the dissemination of knowledge, with particular emphasis on science and engineering. Another way in which this is achieved is by the publication of papers from conferences in transactions and journals, through its publishing arm, WIT Press.
Professor Carlos Borrego of the University of Aveiro also welcomed the delegates to the University. He went on to talk about the history of the university itself, including the founding of the department of Environment and Planning where the conference was held, and the history of Aveiro as a city.

Invited Presentations

There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:

• "Infrastructure assessment as a mechanism to enhance spatial and strategic planning and decision making in determining development priorities within urban areas in developing countries” by Professor Ilse Schoeman, North West University, South Africa.
• “Land use, traffic generation and emissions in formulating a simplified approach in assessing development impacts in residential areas”, by Professor Carel Schoeman, North West University, South Africa.
• “Planning for accessible jobs: case of Bangalore metropolitan area”, by Ms Gargi Ghosh, Sky Group, India
• “Experimental techniques and numerical models to detect pollutant formation in the transport sector” by Dr Guido Marseglia, Link Campus University, Italy.
• “A math-heuristic for optimizing skip-stop operation strategies in rail transit lines”, by Dr Francisco Ortega, University of Seville, Spain.
• “A simulation-based approach for estimating railway capacity” by Professor Luca D'Acierno, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
• “Shipping emissions and its impact on air quality on urban coastal areas: present and future scenarios” by Dr Alexandra Monteiro, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Using air quality modelling and emission projections as a support to the 1st air pollution control program under NEC directive targets for 2030” by Dr Joana Ferreira, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Assessing road transportation impacts of connected and automated vehicles for a clean and sustainable mobility” by Professor Margarida Coelho, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

Conference Sessions

The papers presented during the conference were classified under the following headings:

• Joint Special session organised by the University of Aveiro, with Air Pollution 2019 entitled “Transport and air quality in Portugal”
• Urban Transport Planning and Management
• Transport modelling and simulation
• Public transport
• Urban mobility (2 sessions)

There were numerous occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches provided.

Conference Publication

Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 186 of the WIT Transactions on the Built Environment (ISSN 1743-3509). Papers presented at the meeting will be available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.
A few papers were selected for publication in the International Journal of Transport Development and Integration. This Journal covers all transportation modes and the general topic of transport systems, with particular emphasis on their integration and harmonisation. The variety of topics covered by the Journal reflects the complex interaction of transportation systems and the environment, and the need to establish integrated strategies.

ISAC Dinner

The meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) of the Conference took place over dinner at a local specialist seafood restaurant called Maré Cheia serving excellent food and drinks. At the meeting, members of the committee were thanked for their support of the Conference and were encouraged to make suggestions for bringing the Conference topics list up to date and also advise WIT on the evolution of the conference.

Conference Dinner

The Conference dinner took place at Salpoente, a speciality fine dining restaurant in the canal area of Aveiro. The building used to be used by the local salt pan industry. One of the highlights of the evening was the short ride there on the canal, on narrow boats known as Moliceiro, which were originally used to transport sea grass vegetation taken from the canal to fertilize the nearby arable lands. Nowadays these vessels exist only as beautifully decorated pleasure craft for tourists to enjoy the canals, and this is one of the reasons that Aveiro is referred to as the Venice of Portugal.
Delegates enjoyed the ambience of the ancient building, starting with sparkling local wine, followed by a five course meal. First was seafood soup with parsley and coriander (sopa de peixe, pevide e coentros), Folhado de Alheira (a kind of sausage roll with a delicious meat filling), followed by bacalhau on chick pea mash with green vegetables, then veal with potatoes vegetables and beans. For dessert we enjoyed a pannacotta with poached fruit then coffee to end. All the courses were accompanied by local wines and the atmosphere of the whole evening was particularly appreciated by the participants.

Closing of the Conference

The conference was closed by Professor Stavros Syngellakis, and Professor Carlos Borrego, who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending the next conference in the series which is due to be reconvened in 2020 in a location to be advised very soon.

Related Conferences

Sustainable City 2019, 1 - 3 October 2019
Eco-Architecture 2020, 5 - 7 May 2020
Sustainable Development and Planning 2020, 6 - 8 May 2020
Air Pollution 2020, 8 – 10 June 2020
Environmental Impact 2020, 10 – 12 June 2020
COMPRAIL 2020, 1 – 3 July 2020
Sustainable City 2020, 22 - 24 September 2020

View Urban Transport 2019 Photos