Doctoral School

Reading date: 23/12/2024

• AGUDELO VALDERRAMA, VANESSA: Integración de la relación salud humana y cambio climático en el marco de la resiliencia urbana. Propuesta metodológica de evaluación y operacionalización en un contexto Latinoamericano
  
  Author: AGUDELO VALDERRAMA, VANESSA
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SUSTAINABILITY
  Department: University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (IS.UPC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 22/11/2024
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: MORATO FARRERAS, JORDI
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: CORREIA GUEDES, MANUEL
       SECRETARI: ALVAREZ DEL CASTILLO, JAVIER
       VOCAL: MENA NIETO, ÁNGEL ISIDRO
  Thesis abstract: This study addresses the relationship between climate change and human health in the framework of urban resilience in a Latin American context. It sought to strengthen the climate and health components through conceptual harmonization and integration, as well as the identification of indicators within urban resilience measurement models. Thus, the first proposal of a model for measuring the urban resilience index adapted to Latin American cities is presented, specifically addressing the relationship between climate change and health. This model was validated and operationalized through a case study in two vulnerable communities in urban-rural transition areas in Santiago de Cali, Colombia.The approach included estimating five indicators of health, natural disasters, climate variability, socio-economic, governance, and satisfaction, where resilience negatively correlates with vulnerability. Given the limited monitoring and systematization of information in Latin American cities, much of the data was collected through structured interviews. The results revealed patterns characteristic of highly vulnerable Latino communities, such as a high degree of self-management to solve problems and improve quality of life. These findings provide elements to infer and prioritize communities with a strong sense of ownership, enabling the effective implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, given the high likelihood of ownership and continuity.
  

Reading date: 24/12/2024

• NIKSERESHT, SASAN: Self-Powered Integrated Circuits with Optical Communication
  
  Author: NIKSERESHT, SASAN
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Electronic Engineering (EEL)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 26/11/2024
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: COSP VILELLA, JORDI | FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍNEZ, DANIEL
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: URANGA DEL MONTE, ARANTZAZU
       SECRETARI: MARTINEZ GARCIA, HERMINIO
       VOCAL: MICHALIK, PIOTR JOZEF
  Thesis abstract: The rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is transforming data collection, analysis, and use across various industries, from industrial to biomedical applications. A specialized class of IoT, known as Smart Dust Motes (SDMs), has recently gained attention. These ultra-miniaturized, self-sustaining devices are capable of sensing, computation, and communication at a millimeter scale. However, despite their vast potential, SDM and IoT applications face significant challenges, particularly in power management, miniaturization, and communication efficiency.One of the primary challenges in distributing SDM technology is managing energy consumption. As the number of SDMs increases and they are deployed in remote environments, sustainable energy sources will be needed for autonomous operation over extended periods without maintenance. Traditional power solutions, such as batteries, are impractical for these systems due to size limitations and frequent maintenance requirements. Moreover, wireless communication, especially through Radio Frequency (RF), uses a significant amount of energy, which affects the requirements of these applications. As a result, current approaches, such as batteries and RF communication, often struggle to provide sustainable, long-term solutions for maintaining both power and communication efficiency.This dissertation proposes the design of a self-powered Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) specifically developed for SDM and IoT applications, with the goal of addressing these challenges. The proposed system incorporates multiple key components, including a hybrid optical and RF transceiver and energy harvesting units. At the core of the system is the integration of negative photodiodes, which function both as light energy harvesters and optical data receivers, significantly minimizing the system's size and power consumption. The negative photodiodes provide higher efficiency than traditional positive photodiodes, improve energy conversion, and reduce both chip area and cost. The energy generated by the integrated photodiode is stored and regulated through an integrated voltage converter, which efficiently boosts the harvested energy to power the entire system. The hybrid communication system methods, offer flexibility for SDM applications where line-of-sight optical communication to be supplemented by RF transmission for enhanced range and reliability. A low-power reconfigurable RF transmitter, capable of operating in multiple modulation modes, enhance reliable communication even in non-line-of-sight conditions.To validate the proposed design, three prototype chips were fabricated using 0.18 µm CMOS technology and tested experimentally. The first prototype, featuring the hybrid optical/RF communication platform, achieved a data transmission rate of 20 kb/s with an optical receiver power consumption of 11 pJ/bit and RF transmission power of −18.65 dBm using light-harvested energy. The second optical receiver improved light data sensitivity using the DC-adapting comparison block technique. It consumed 60 nW of power and 1.5 pJ/bit at a transmission rate of 40 kb/s with a 0.5 V supply voltage. The energy-harvesting system demonstrated 57% efficiency and generated up to 8.7 µW of power from a negative photodiode area of 240 × 480 µm². These results demonstrate the system's capability to operate autonomously for extended periods, without the need for battery replacements or external power sources.
  

Reading date: 08/01/2025

• GRATACÒS BATLLE, RICARD: La Carta de l'hàbitat. Aproximacions etnogràfiques i instruments d’estudi de l’espai habitat en el marc del novè CIAM d'Aix-en-Provence (1953)
  
  Author: GRATACÒS BATLLE, RICARD
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN THEORY AND HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
  Department: Department of History and Theory of Architecture and Communication Techniques (THATC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 21/11/2024
  Reading date: 08/01/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Presencial (ETSAB. Sala de Graus)
  Thesis director: LLORENTE DIAZ, MARTA
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: TORRES CUECO, JORGE
       SECRETARI: BITRIÁN VAREA, CARLOS
       VOCAL: ARDEVOL PIERA, ELISENDA
  Thesis abstract: The doctoral thesis revolves around the ninth CIAM (Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne) held in Aix-en-Provence in 1953. It focuses on the work presented by some European architects who were working in cultural contexts foreign to their own. Faced with the need to understand the “cultural other,” they incorporated into their work elements of ethnographic fieldwork. The main hypothesis of the research is that there is an ethnographic turn in the work of these modern architects, stemming from the necessity to approach the vital needs of a society different from their own.The CIAM IX took place in Provence to celebrate the opening of the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille the previous year, and on its rooftop, the 25-year history of CIAM was commemorated. The chosen debate topic was human habitat, with the primary goal of the gathering being the drafting of a Habitat Charter to complement the Athens Charter. The aim was to end the meeting with a solemn declaration proclaiming the right to housing for all human beings. The thesis explores the precise moment when the idea of working on a Habitat Charter was born. It reconstructs the “grids” presented by the CIAM groups from Algiers and Morocco, delving into the analytical study tools they used to understand the built realities of the Maghreb. In the context of profound transformations in international geopolitics following World War II, some architects and urban planners working in Morocco and Algeria were sensitive to the social and cultural realities with which they worked, developing studies, policies, and housing projects for Muslim populations. These architects adhered to the tenets of the functional city but adapted them to the specificities of the context in which they worked. They anticipated the industrialized future that Morocco and Algeria would achieve, participating in an economy of international exchange and acknowledging that they were working with a society in full transformation. For this reason, they aimed to develop a habitat capable of integrating into this changing society. We owe these architects the attention directed toward cities made of barrels and other industrial waste, as well as their insight that these constructed forms held lessons for modern architecture and the city.The doctoral thesis also addresses contributions presented at the congress focusing on the study of inhabited spaces in non-industrialized societies. The study and debate on the inhabited space of “primitive peoples” were represented by a group of young architecture students from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, who presented extensive documentation compiled after a long stay in Cameroon. In this context, some architects at the congress praised the lessons of architecture produced by “primitive societies,” which, without our industrialized technical skills, were able to shape their habitats through a singular worldview, a culture so balanced and just in meeting its needs that it appeared beautiful to the eyes of modern architects.The CIAM in Aix-en-Provence ended without successfully drafting the Habitat Charter. What remains from that time is a spirit and an energy from an era when architects and urban planners aspired to address the housing problem on a large scale. They were idealists who saw the need to collaborate with diverse disciplines, experimenting with ethnographic methods without formal training and approaching sociology to restore dignity to human habitats.
  

Reading date: 10/01/2025

• NARAYANAN, SUBIN: Access Mechanisms for Massive Internet of Things in 5G and Beyond Networks
  
  Author: NARAYANAN, SUBIN
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS
  Department: Department of Signal Theory and Communications (TSC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 03/12/2024
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: MERAKOS, LAZAROS | PASSAS, NIKOLAOS
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: TRIANTAFYLLOPOULOU, DIONYSIA
       SECRETARI: RUIZ BOQUE, SILVIA
       VOCAL: LIOTOU, EIRINI
  Thesis abstract: The Massive Internet of Things (MIoT) characterizes a communication scenario where a massive number of battery-operated devices perform infrequent, primarily uplink-oriented small data transmissions to a network. The connectivity and management of a massive number of such devices pose challenges, and this thesis aims to tackle the issues related to the initial access mechanism of MIoT in the context of 5G and beyond networks. The thesis begins by conducting a thorough examination of both licensed and unlicensed spectrum technologies for the MIoT. Additionally, we investigate different test beds and simulators employed for the analysis. In the initial phase of the thesis, our focus is on examining existing standardized technologies in Massive IoT, with specific attention given to the Narrow-Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) as a critical component for supporting MIoT in 5G networks. The performance of the NB-IoT access procedure is thoroughly analyzed under different network densities and combinations of configuration parameters. The findings lead to the development of an adaptive access mechanism that adjusts the access parameters based on the anticipated network density, improving the overall performance of the access procedure. In the subsequent stages of the study, we qualitatively analyzed network-based and User Equipment (UE) based relaying solutions for IoT applications, motivated by the fact that effective support of IoT requires cellular service in deep coverage areas. Relaying is a promising solution to extend the coverage while at the same time meeting the battery life requirements of IoT devices. While various relay-ing architectures and technologies have emerged in research and standardization, it is not yet clear which is best suited for IoT applications. Hence, we examine relay architectures and evaluate the suitability of UE-based relaying and network-based relaying solutions for IoT applications. We analyze the relaying solutions in terms of radio aspects, such as connection establishment, protocol architecture, and resource allocation. Our findings suggest that even though the standardized layer-2 network-based relaying solution (e.g., integrated access and backhaul networks) may be better suited to handle large numbers of low-complexity, low energy-consuming devices with better interference management, any optimizations aimed at supporting IoT traffic will directly affect existing networks, such as the introduction of new control plane signaling over the Uu interface. Conversely, the standardized layer-3 UE-based relaying solution can be optimized for handling massive IoT relaying with minimal impact on existing networks, since the optimizations can be made on the PC-5 interface with a subdued effect on the Uu interface. Based on the outcome of the qualitative study of relaying architecture, we analyze the suitability of layer-3 relaying over the New Radio (NR)-PC5 interface to support massive IoT applications. More precisely, we study the unicast connection establishment mechanism over the NR PC5 interface in a partial coverage scenario. Further, a set of optimizations on the NR-PC5 procedure to effectively support massive IoT applications are proposed and analyzed. The obtained performance evaluation results, which are presented in terms of data success probability, device power consumption, and signaling overhead, quantify how effectively the NR-PC5 interface can support the requirement of IoT in the 5G and beyond era. The proposed sidelink small data transmission and frame-level access provides the largest gain overall and can reduce the device power consumption by an average of 68 percent and signaling overhead by 15 percent while maintaining a data success probability of more than 90 percent in an International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)-2020 defined IoT traffic scenario.
  

• PERAFERRER PUIGPELAT, JORDI: L’edifici fabril a la Vila de Gràcia al segle XIX
  
  Author: PERAFERRER PUIGPELAT, JORDI
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND URBANISM TECHNOLOGY
  Department: Department of Architectural Technology (TA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 03/12/2024
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: CORNADÓ BARDÓN, CÒSSIMA | DIAZ GOMEZ, CESAR
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: GRAUS ROVIRA, RAMON
       SECRETARI: COSTA GÓMEZ, TÀNIA
       VOCAL: URBANO LORENTE, JUDITH
  Thesis abstract: Currently, the district of Gràcia is recognized as one of the most emblematic areas of the city of Barcelona. Its fame largely stems from the charm of its squares and narrow streets, as well as the allure of buildings that escaped the construction frenzy of the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, Gràcia stands out for the unique idiosyncrasy of its inhabitants, known for their associative and revolutionary spirit.Nevertheless, the Vila’s notable industrial past is remarkably less known. During the second half of the 19th century, it was home to hundreds of factories that filled what was then an important independent municipality, making it the third-largest population center in Catalonia. This industrialization significantly influenced the shaping and formation of the Vila as we know it today, contributing to both the creation of its urban fabric and forging the revolutionary and associative character of its inhabitants, many of whom today have ancestors who worked in these factories.The main objective of this doctoral thesis is to document, analyze and transmit these factories to society through research and cataloguing. To this end, the research and study of the general, construction and urban data of the set of factory buildings built or already existing within the studied period delimited by two key events in the history of the Vila: the Revolt of the Quintas in April 1870 and the annexation to the city of Barcelona on April 20, 1897.The thesis includes an analysis of the urban space to determine the different models of urban insertion of the buildings, the study of the production processes to verify their influence on the conformation of the factory space and the definition of the building typologies adopted by the industries in order to find a specific model for the Vila de Gràcia within this time interval and assess its subsequent evolution and transformation.