Kun Shan University

About: Kun Shan University is a education organization based out in Tainan City, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Heat transfer & Thin film. The organization has 1992 authors who have published 2928 publications receiving 45685 citations. The organization is also known as: Kūnshān Kējì Dàxué.

Review on thermal energy storage with phase change materials and applications

Abstract: The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantages of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. PCMs have been widely used in latent heat thermal-storage systems for heat pumps, solar engineering, and spacecraft thermal control applications. The uses of PCMs for heating and cooling applications for buildings have been investigated within the past decade. There are large numbers of PCMs that melt and solidify at a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of applications. This paper also summarizes the investigation and analysis of the available thermal energy storage systems incorporating PCMs for use in different applications.

Solar-energy drying systems: A review

Abstract: In many countries of the world, the use of solar thermal systems in the agricultural area to conserve vegetables, fruits, coffee and other crops has shown to be practical, economical and the responsible approach environmentally. Solar heating systems to dry food and other crops can improve the quality of the product, while reducing wasted produce and traditional fuels—thus improving the quality of life, however the availability of good information is lacking in many of the countries where solar food processing systems are most needed. Solar food dryers are available in a range of size and design and are used for drying various food products. It is found that various types of driers are available to suit the needs of farmers. Therefore, selection of dryers for a particular application is largely a decision based on what is available and the types of dryers currently used widely. A comprehensive review of the various designs, details of construction and operational principles of the wide variety of practically realized designs of solar-energy drying systems reported previously is presented. A systematic approach for the classification of solar-energy dryers has been evolved. Two generic groups of solar-energy dryers can be identified, viz. passive or natural-circulation solar-energy dryers and active or forced-convection solar-energy dryers. Some very recent developments in solar drying technology are highlighted.

A Weather-Based Hybrid Method for 1-Day Ahead Hourly Forecasting of PV Power Output

Abstract: To improve real-time control performance and reduce possible negative impacts of photovoltaic (PV) systems, an accurate forecasting of PV output is required, which is an important function in the operation of an energy management system (EMS) for distributed energy resources. In this paper, a weather-based hybrid method for 1-day ahead hourly forecasting of PV power output is presented. The proposed approach comprises classification, training, and forecasting stages. In the classification stage, the self-organizing map (SOM) and learning vector quantization (LVQ) networks are used to classify the collected historical data of PV power output. The training stage employs the support vector regression (SVR) to train the input/output data sets for temperature, probability of precipitation, and solar irradiance of defined similar hours. In the forecasting stage, the fuzzy inference method is used to select an adequate trained model for accurate forecast, according to the weather information collected from Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (TCWB). The proposed approach is applied to a practical PV power generation system. Numerical results show that the proposed approach achieves better prediction accuracy than the simple SVR and traditional ANN methods.

The effects of cultural intelligence on expatriate performance: the moderating effects of international experience

Abstract: In recent years, cultural intelligence (CQ, or the ability that an expatriate has to adapt across cultures), cultural effectiveness (the ability to interact and communicate with host nationals), and cultural adjustment are regarded as three of the most important factors for expatriate performance. However, the interrelationships between these variables have largely been ignored. Moreover, the role of previous international experiences on the above interrelationships has also not been determined. This study focuses on how CQ and expatriates' experience affects cultural adjustment, cultural effectiveness, and expatriates' performance. The results reveal that the positive effect of CQ needs to be mediated by cultural adjustment and cultural effectiveness before affecting expatriate performance. Furthermore, expatriates' prior international working and travel experiences moderate the effects of CQ on cultural adjustment and cultural effectiveness.