The Interpretation and Application of 300 Years of Optimal Control in Economics

Neoclassical economics dictates the decision-making process of economic agents as the mathematical problem of maximizing utility over a prescribed planning horizon. The mathematical similarities with optimal control theory lead to a new interpretation of economic agents as optimal controllers. Pontryagin's maximum principle generates the...

Finite element modeling of non-rigid origami: Parametric study on bistable origami using the finite element method

Origami has become a source of inspiration in engineering for structural design and the creation of mechanical metamaterials. In the often used analytic geometric and energy methods, it is difficult to incorporate deformation of the faces in non-rigid origami. However, deformation of the faces can play a significant role in their mechanical...

Estimating Cognitive Load under Varying Light Intensity: A Novel Method for Quantifying Perceived Light Intensity for Cognitive Load Esimation

Measuring cognitive load is essential for understanding driver performance. Under- and overload can result in dangerous situations on the road. Cognitive load can be estimated by monitoring the diameter and movements of the pupils, but during measurements external influences such as changes in light intensity affect pupil diameters. In this...

Towards a positive city experience: A research-by-design in utilizing experience as a stimulant for the prosperity of Vlissingen

This thesis project on Vlissingen is an account of the research being carried out during the graduation year of the Urbanism faculty, resulting in a design oriented project within the research group ‘Design of the Urban Fabric’.<br/><br/>The thesis consist of three parts: I. Research setup, II. Research and III. Design. It is divided into six...

The development and evaluation of a modular well intervention business concept

The subject of this thesis is the development and evaluation of a modular well intervention business concept. The concept aims to bridge the gap between surface and subsea well intervention markets, currently served by different vessel types, using a platform vessel and equipment modules. The regional scope is South-East Asia, due to its low...

De start van het Portevin-le Chateliereffect in goud-koper legeringen

The Mechanisms of Combined Granulation and Drying of Aspartame in a Turbo Dryer

User Focused Designing of Improvements towards Comfort on board Tugs and Workboats for Captain and Crew

This master thesis describes the project performed at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem. Several qualitative research methodologies were applied to draw conclusions towards the comfort for captain and crew on board tugs and workboats. By means of generative sessions, design proposals were made and discussed to get to the final concept of mess room...

Long-term Availability Analysis of Water Treatment Plants: Complex Repairable Systems with Deteriorating Characteristics

Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) play a key role in assuring water availability to citizens and businesses. Long term availability of these plants is the interest of the asset manager of a WTP and can be influenced by maintenance strategies and modifications of the system. A WTP is characterized by a complex configuration and repairable,...

Euroterminal Berlin: A high-speed trainstation driven by the future

Euroterminal Berlin is an international high-speed terminal located in Südkreuz, Berlin. The design explores the impact of digitalization on the typology of train stations and subsequently its users.

Designing a product for learning Visual Thinking

Visual Thinking is becoming an increasingly important and popular skill to learn. Yet currently there are relatively few products and methods available to people for learning it. This creates the opportunity to design a new product for learning visual thinking. The design of this product requires and understanding of how visual thinking itself...

De bouwondernemer proactief op de markt voor ouderenwoningen

Modular Platform: Towards a Product Family for a Series of Navy Support Vessels

This thesis is about the identification of an optimal modular platform-based product development design process for a series of support vessels of the Royal Netherlands Navy, viewed from a Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding perspective. Because of increasing competition in the global shipbuilding market, the demand for ships with higher quality,...

Modular Propulsion System Design for Mid-Speed Vessels: A Sustainable Approach to Reduce Emissions

Climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions is prompting the IMO to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. This thesis focuses on designing modular propulsion systems for mid-speed sailing vessels to meet these regulations. It designs a framework to generate and swiftly evaluate propulsion system designs on the basis of five performance indicators:...

Conformal Thinking for 3D Shaping of Bacterial Cellulose

A prototype for a production method is designed that can facilitate multiple geometries of statically grown bacterial cellulose for one mould. This production method, called CelluShaping, was developed after desktop research on bacterial cellulose. Here, topics regarding the material’s origin, cultural influences, its biological synthesis,...

Innovative approach to repetitive tasks: An exploratory research on exploiting the potential of repetitive tasks in the construction industry

Current societal and construction challenges, combined with limited time and the scarcity of people and resources, require solutions in the construction industry. This research focuses on repetitive tasks and contributes to that. Furthermore, this research is necessary because the literature on repetitive tasks is limited and needs to be...