The Contingency Outsourcing Relationship (CORE) model originated from the Four Outsourcing Relationship Types (FORT) model; the CORE model is used in the globalized Facility Management (FM) industry, while the FORT model is originally used in the global information technology industry. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly analyse the simulated case studies of the four different categories (i.e., in-house, technical expertise, commitment and common goals) of the CORE model from the perspective of the various clients. This study builds on the previous work on the outsourcing relationships between a client and a globalized FM service provider. It further explores the application of this model with the aid of artificial neural networks (ANNs) towards a sustainable future. A quantitative methodology through a survey is used to analyse eight outsourcing strategies for the four outsourcing relationships. A set of revised rules of the CORE is introduced and discussed regarding the approaches to investigate the four simulated outsourcing relationship systems. The study further reveals that an interesting understanding of the four outsourcing categories can be systematically and efficiently implemented into the FM outsourcing relationships through the methodology of scientific Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is concluded that FM outsourcing categorization may help to define the appropriate relationships. This further detailed outcome generated from the ANN can be clearly considered a strong and solid reference to define and explain the existing outsourcing relationships between the stakeholders and the service providers with the aim to assign an outsourcing category to the FM relationship between the client and service provider based on the learnt rules.

The desalination industry is based on the principles of water chemistry, chemical engineering, and energy efficiency. Desalination plants have a high level of corrosion since they process saline waters under severe operating conditions. Corrosion resistance is the main requirement to be considered in the selection of materials; therefore, inhibitors and corrosion-resistant alloys are used in these plants.

Feng Shui, still popularly practiced today, was closely related to philosophy, natural science, geography, environmental science, architecture, metaphysics, and astrology in ancient China. It is basically divided into the Form School and the Compass School. The latter deals with numerology, calculation, orientation, and time. Luo Shu [洛書], associated with the eight trigrams [八卦], being an ancient Chinese magic square, forms the foundation of the Compass School. The original Luo Shu, a 3 × 3 magic square, was not unique in ancient China but the extension of it to a total of 18 to 36 standard charts was unique, which are still used by all Compass School Feng Shui masters. In this article, modern linear algebra, developed only in the mid-19th century, is employed to prove that there is a strong coherence between the 36 charts if they are treated as 36 matrices and such correspondences conscientiously agree with ancient theories of Feng Shui. This article may help to form a scientific base for the systematic understanding, development, and further research of Luo Shu–related applications.

This is a further study of two previous articles of the authors. The simulation model includes saliency and almost all common imperfections of linear permanent magnet synchronous machine. Based on the same model, three types of control have been applied to drive the lift car for a typical fully loaded upward journey, namely field-oriented control, which was used in two previous articles, direct force control (conventional direct torque control on a linear machine) and a newly proposed direct speed control (a new direct torque control method that could be used in the lift industry). The performances in terms of speed accuracy during start-up and rated speed operation, power and energy consumption have been studied. The conclusion is that for such a new application in the lift industry, at this moment in time, the more conventional field-oriented control is highly recommended. Two new findings are reported. Direct speed control that involves a simpler circuitry and reasonable speed control is proposed, although there is always a small steady-state error due to the absence of a proportional–integral controller. Conventional direct torque (force) control involves continuous integration to estimate the magnetic fluxes, which is not applicable to a permanent magnet synchronous machine with saliency. A new definition to analytically estimate the magnetic flux linkages in real time is also proposed. It should be noted that field-oriented control is superior at this time. When technology continues to get advanced, direct force control and direct speed control may one day be more appropriate for linear permanent magnet synchronous machine application. The software to perform the simulation has been uploaded to the BSER&T/SAGE website. Practical application: It is generally agreed by the lift industry that the installation of multi-dimensional lifts employing linear permanent magnet synchronous machines is a clear trend in the future. This article is a follow up of two previous ones, studying the performance of three types of control for linear permanent magnet synchronous machine. Necessary equations of the machine model, imperfections, digital control loops are included. Some findings regarding the differences in performance are reported. It is hoped that this article is useful for lift manufacturers to enter this new market of vertical transportation.

In recent years, buildings have become taller and wider. The conventional approach of one roped elevator car per hoistway seems increasingly impractical. The idea of ropeless elevators using linear motors was proposed more than 30 years ago, but it was merely treated as wishful thinking by the industry at that time due to lots of safety concerns. And discussion by the industry has mainly been qualitative in nature. In recent years, an international manufacturer announced the development of a prototype and the world's first installation may probably be open to public before the end of 2018. So far, academic studies have mainly focused on the study of linear motors with generic applications, while this paper focuses on the performance of the motor drive from an elevator's point of view. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of the drive, and the linear permanent magnet synchronous motor and, by discretizing the equations of the full mathematical model, we fine tune the parameters and design suitable controllers. We evaluate its performance by computer simulation, based on the necessary kinematics of a real elevator, so as to arrive at some design guidelines. Finally, the most critical safety concern, i.e. free fall during a total power failure, is quantitatively studied by short circuiting all motor windings. Methods to achieve a reasonably constant and low descending speed, have been studied with parameters estimated analytically, and are verified by simulation. For the sake of illustrating the concept as an initial trial, simplified circuit models, controllers and sensors are all assumed as being ideal. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate the research interest of both the academic world and the industry, while the inclusion of more losses, armature reactions, and imperfections, etc., could be tackled in a further study. Practical application: The application of one roped elevator car in taller and wider buildings seems increasingly impractical. This paper considers the analysis of the application of ropeless elevators using linear motors focusing on the performance of the motor drive from an elevator's point of view. A basic mathematical framework is developed to study and design the controllers and drive of a multi-car elevator system by using linear permanent magnet synchronous motors with emphasis on the elevator performance as a whole system. The paper is aimed at stimulating research interest to drive the appropriate analysis and application of linear permanent magnet synchronous motor driven ropeless elevators.

Recent studies have revealed that the dominant traffic pattern of a modern high-rise building is much more complicated than the conventional up-peak model, i.e. incoming traffic only, upon which the popular formula of round trip time (RTT) calculation is based. RTT calculation is still recommended by ISO 8100:32:2020 and CIBSE Guide D: 2020 to precede any computer simulation. Nowadays, the concern is more on the lunch peak with a mixture of incoming, outgoing and interfloor traffic patterns. Moreover, the independent one-passenger arrival model should be replaced by the more practical batch arrival model, in particular during lunch-time peak. This article first summarizes what were previously published on the universal RTT evaluation for mixed traffic conditions, highlights the main arguments, updates and supplements some previously introduced formulae such as that related to coincidental stops, uses more symmetrical and easily manipulated graphics, and, second in particular, brings in the concept of batch arrivals of any desirable probability distribution, where the conventional independent one-passenger arrival up-peak model now becomes a special case. A step-by-step presentation is adopted for convenient application of this universal calculation approach by designers and the detailed verification of the whole process by Monte Carlo simulation is also included. Practical applications: Round trip time calculation is still recommended the first step of traffic design by the industry but it should reasonably include the consideration of mixed traffic patterns, versus a pure incoming (i.e. up-peak) approach in the past. Such universal RTT calculation was described in several articles previously, but with some missing details. Here, the whole process is summarized, updated and presented in a more graphical way for convenient use by designers. Furthermore, the more contemporarily practical batch passenger arrival mode is included in this universal RTT model as an extension to the methodology so that what are discussed in this article include incoming, outgoing, interfloor traffic patterns with batch arrival consideration. It is hoped that this article could provide a comprehensive universal RTT methodology that can eventually be popularly applied globally by designers and consultants.