Papers by Frances Brazier
Multiagent and Grid Systems, Jan 10, 2012
The objective of service-oriented computing (SOC) is to construct software applications out of ap... more The objective of service-oriented computing (SOC) is to construct software applications out of appropriate services available and executing in place anywhere across the Web. To achieve this objective requires that techniques for discovering and engaging services be developed and used across the lifetime of the service-based applications. Succeeding with SOC in this broader sense presupposes that additional techniques be developed for ensuring desired quality of service metrics and service-level agreements. The crucial aspect of using services is thus their governance. In this paper, we describe a conceptual modelling approach that integrates organisational and coordination theories to achieve contextualised service governance. The approach allows for the development and analysis of dynamic, flexible, and robust service-oriented business applications.
As renewable power generation gains importance, balancing of power demand and supply becomes more... more As renewable power generation gains importance, balancing of power demand and supply becomes more and more challenging. This paper addresses this challenge by exploring the potential of individually-owned storage units in decentralised power systems with a high share of renewables. The focus is on the influence of coordination and peak-shaving operation of these individual units in realistic urban areas. Currently extensive amount of research exits on specific applications related to storage coordination. However, in these studies often simplified consumer models are used. This study considers a representative mixed residential and commercial neighbourhood in Amsterdam. The influence of storage coordination and peak-shaving operation on the neighbourhood's energy autonomy and on the peakiness of the power exchanged with the main grid are addressed. Results show that, compared to individual storage operation, coordinated storage operation increases renewable energy utilisation by 39%, decreases the excess energy transferred to the grid by almost threefold and increases the neighbourhood self-sufficiency by 21%. Peakshaving operation reduces the highest power peak of the year by 55%. These results are statistically significant (p-value < 10 −4). Thus, in realistic urban areas storage coordination improves local energy autonomy, while peak-shaving operation reduces peaks in power flows exchanged with the main grid.
CIRED 2021 - The 26th International Conference and Exhibition on Electricity Distribution, 2021
Centralized management of power systems is becoming more challenging due to the increased introdu... more Centralized management of power systems is becoming more challenging due to the increased introduction of distributed renewable energy resources, along with demand increase and aging infrastructures. To address these challenges, this paper proposes new mechanisms for decentralized energy management. Based on self-organization of consumers, prosumers and producers into virtual groups, called clusters, supply and demand of electricity is locally matched. Distributed multi-agent systems are used as a way to represent virtual cluster members. The mechanisms are illustrated, and static and dynamic virtual clusters are compared. Dynamic reconfiguration is achieved by varying the time periods for which clustering is performed. The proposed clustering mechanisms demonstrate that large-scale centralized energy systems can operate in a decentralized fashion when only local information is available.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Mar 1, 2022
The importance of knowledge sharing within most organisations is well recognised. While abundant ... more The importance of knowledge sharing within most organisations is well recognised. While abundant KM systems have been matured to encourage individual engagement in knowledge sharing, practical evidences show a low success rate of KM systems. This paper reports on a qualitative exploratory multi-case study to explore level participants' engagement in knowledge sharing along the design principle for engagement of participatory systems. Results show that KM systems using a combined approach of supply-and demand side KM strongly influence participants' engagement for knowledge sharing.
Collaboration is inherent to complex participatory multi-actor and multi-agent social technical s... more Collaboration is inherent to complex participatory multi-actor and multi-agent social technical systems. Supporting collaboration is challenging. One of the key production factors in collaboration is cognitive effort. Understanding cognitive load involved in collaborative tasks is therefore important to the design of collaboration support. This paper focuses on cognitive load related to convergence, a very complex collaborative task, that is much less studied than the often preceding, divergence or brainstorming task. On the basis of an overview of convergence techniques, and literature on convergence this paper presents a framework for the assessment of cognitive load during collaboration processes, and strategies to deal with cognitive load in convergence. The paper ends with a reflection on the use and implications of the framework.
Applied Energy, Nov 1, 2017
Highlights Improved urban demand modelling using both household and service sector load profiles ... more Highlights Improved urban demand modelling using both household and service sector load profiles Detailed service sector load profiles based on an extensive data aggregation approach Estimation of service sector demand impact in various solar and wind supply scenarios New approach for the influence of time and weather on renewable resource potential Estimation of service sector demand impact in different time and weather conditions
Applied Energy, Nov 1, 2018
Understanding spatio-temporal electricity demand at different urban scales: A data-driven approac... more Understanding spatio-temporal electricity demand at different urban scales: A data-driven approach Voulis, Nina; Warnier, Martijn; Brazier, Frances
Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management, Dec 1, 2023
Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC, 2019
In order to sustain human life for extended periods of time in deep space one cannot solely rely ... more In order to sustain human life for extended periods of time in deep space one cannot solely rely on support from Earth. It'll be essential to become self-sustaining through a combination of in situ resource utilization, waste recycling, and space farming. The latter can provide astronauts and colonists with locally grown food and biogenic oxygen, and will be an indispensable component of any future outpost in deep space. The type of agriculture that will develop itself in outer space will be extremely technologically mediated because of limited resources and the hostile conditions in which crops have to be cultivated. From a biopolitics perspective, this will cause a significant shift in power relations. Because of the extreme dependence on technology, the lack of open reservoirs (e.g., no atmosphere), and an atomized commodification of life-supporting resources (every molecule is valuable), space colonists will live in a world in which they are potentially vulnerable to inequalities, power concentrations, and even coercion. Historically, colonization and agriculture have always worked with each other. But in the unparalleled conditions of space, this dialectic relationship is bound to take on new contours, with its own unique set of ideologies and ethical ramifications. The 'Space Farming Project' is an art project that specifically addresses these issues. It was initiated by the international SEAD collective, developed in collaboration with Gluon and Howest, and supported by the Flemish Government. Together with a diverse community of volunteering technologists, agricultural researchers, teachers, and students, different space biology prototypes have been developed: a centrifuge for plant cultivation in space, a microgravity simulator, and experiments with spirulina algae and edible callus tissue. These are the central components of a larger art installation that also features visual and discursive references to the history and future of colonization, and its entwinement with agriculture. In this paper, the conceptual background of the 'Space Farming Project' is described, together with its development process and the resulting prototypes. The future of the project, with potential experiments on board the ISS, is also discussed.
As the focus of the energy transition within cities worldwide moves towards local communities and... more As the focus of the energy transition within cities worldwide moves towards local communities and neighbourhoods, the need for insights in the dynamics of local electricity demand increases. Detailed local electricity demand information is, however, often not available. This paper proposes a statistical data-driven method to model local electricity demand for mixed urban areas, using a combination of other openly available datasets. Such datasets however are mutually incompatible without further conversion. The proposed method overcomes this problem. Linear regression is used to combine these different datasets, whereby the regression coefficients have the meaning of scaling factors for different types of electricity consumers (households, offices, shops, etc.). The method is calibrated and validated using respectively a training and a test dataset of Dutch municipalities, yielding R-squared values for most consumer types between 61% and 98%. The application of the method for local electricity demand modelling is illustrated for three Dutch municipalities with different consumer compositions.
Springer eBooks, 2022
Location-based games (LBGs) are becoming increasingly more popular, especially those that focus o... more Location-based games (LBGs) are becoming increasingly more popular, especially those that focus on social interaction in public space. They have been successful to various extents at bringing players together to interact in public space; yet there is lack of knowledge and consensus on how to design these games from a technical perspective. This paper proposes a software architecture that stems from a cross-game analysis of representative games of this genre, in which 6 core architectural components are identified: Augmentation, Navigation, Interaction, State Progression, Participation, and Administration. These components support the game experience of players by enabling orientation and navigation of the players' own physical environment, their interaction with the game and other people, the traditional game-like experience, management of the entire game ecosystem, and the ability to allow players to fuel game play. An LBG prototype, Secrets of the South, is presented as proof of concept for this software architecture and its key components. This prototype shows that the identified components are pivotal to the gameplay of LBGs for natural interactions in public space and shows how practitioners can be guided in their preparation whilst maintaining their freedom to technically implement this architecture according to the given structure.
... If B's claim is false, S can submit the proof information to the Judge. The information ... more ... If B's claim is false, S can submit the proof information to the Judge. The information includes h(KAB), tsB, m, dlB and BS. The Judge then performs the following verification. Verification Judge-2: Check whether or not B's signature BS is valid. ...
International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, Jun 27, 2019
Sustainable agricultural development (SAD) requires empowerment and engagement of all actors in t... more Sustainable agricultural development (SAD) requires empowerment and engagement of all actors in the agricultural production and supply chain to enable change. This paper proposes a novel framework for Participatory Sustainable Agricultural Development (PSAD) that distinguishes four main classes of factors that influence participation in SAD: environmental, economic, social and governance-related. The factors in each of these classes are analysed in relation to their effect over time, on the basis of 49 SAD programmes reported in the literature. Findings show that the social factors of engagement and empowerment, not often addressed in existing SAD programmes, are of significant influence to effect over time, as are the environmental factors of food safety, and the economic factors of production and capacity development. As such this paper shows that in in addition to the wellacknowledged need for knowledge and skills related to food safety, production and capacity development, SAD programmes also need to address the social factors of engagement and empowerment to enable sustainable change over time for SAD through participation.
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Papers by Frances Brazier