Showing papers in "International Journal of Sustainable Engineering in 2015"
TL;DR: In this paper, the application of social sustainability metrics to the measurement of sustainability performance within process industry and to metal production at the plant level in particular is addressed, where applied social sustainability indicators are one part of the overall sustainability index which aims at presenting a balanced and holistic view of plant-level sustainability performance.
Abstract: Sustainable industrial development can be advanced through the development and application of sustainability metrics. This study addressed the application of social sustainability metrics to the measurement of sustainability performance within process industry and to metal production at the plant level in particular. The applied social sustainability indicators are one part of the overall sustainability index which aims at presenting a balanced and holistic view of plant-level sustainability performance. Application of plant-level indicators can support informed decision-making and fill in potential gaps in corporate-level assessments and reporting initiatives with respect to plant-level social sustainability performance. The social part of the overall index provides information on both in-plant sustainability performance and on the direct and in-direct impacts of plant operations on the surrounding society with special emphasis on the supply chain and emerging social due diligence aspects. The results of...
66 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the assumptions underlying Design for Sustainable Behavior (DfSB) approaches may not be the most appropriate basis for approaching the complex issue of sustainable consumption, and they further argue that DfSB approaches tend to focus on incremental savings that easily disappear in larger trends, how it risks not achieving the intended behaviour change, and how opportunities for larger scales of change tend to be missed.
Abstract: Design for sustainable behaviour (DfSB) is becoming increasingly influential in the areas of design research and practice. With its success, however, concerns are also rising about its limitations. This paper bundles these concerns and illustrates how DfSB approaches tend to focus on incremental savings that easily disappear in larger trends, how it risks not achieving the intended behaviour change, how its literature contains a strong rhetoric of right and wrong behaviours and how opportunities for larger scales of change tend to be missed. These concerns are illustrated using examples from the DfSB literature concerning refrigerators, electric kettles, televisions and showers. Going deeper into these limitations, the paper argues that the assumptions underlying DfSB approaches may not be the most appropriate basis for approaching the complex issue of sustainable consumption. Building on a growing number of publications in environmental policy and sustainable design, the paper then moves to explain pract...
53 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the current life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) practice employed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in their pavement investment decision-making process, and proposed a regional environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) model to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with Colorado highway pavements.
Abstract: The roadway network in the USA earned a grade of D representing poor condition in the latest report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. To maintain economic and environmental sustainability during the roadway network development and rehabilitation, it is critical to apply sustainable materials and intelligent design. A good estimation on project-level life-cycle costs and environmental impacts is one of the important steps in the highway investment decision-making process. This article examines the current life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) practice employed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in their pavement investment decision-making process, and proposes a regional environmental life-cycle assessment (LCA) model to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with Colorado highway pavements. Both LCCA and LCA are performed for a highway reconstruction project with Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) and hot-mixed asphalt (HMA) alternatives. The LCCA is 7.4% ...
40 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive model for assessing process sustainability has been developed and a multi-grade fuzzy approach has been used to quantify process sustainability index as 6.94 and performance importance index was computed which helps in identifying obstacles to enable sustainability improvement.
Abstract: The rapidly changing modern marketplace and government policies drive an organization to endeavour sustainable manufacturing. Sustainable manufacturing means the production of products/services in such a way that it utilizes minimum natural resources and produces safer, cleaner and environment-friendly products at an affordable cost. Sustainable development in a manufacturing firm can be achieved using three orientations such as material, product design and manufacturing process. Among the three perspectives, process perspective gains more importance because it directly contributes to emissions, energy and resource consumption. Hence, the process sustainability index (PSI) needs to be quantified. In this study, a comprehensive model for assessing process sustainability has been developed. Then by using multi-grade fuzzy approach, PSI has been quantified as 6.94 and performance importance index was computed which helps in identifying the obstacles to enable sustainability improvement. The results indicate ...
39 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of an extensive literature review of one specific design for sustainable behavior (DfSB) strategy, feedback, a user agentive performance indicator, drawing on empirical research conducted by a breadth of authors, including two of the only medium-term case studies in the field of DfSB.
Abstract: Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB) is a maturing research area concerned with the application of design strategies to influence consumer behaviour during a products use phase towards more sustainable action. However, current DfSB research has focussed on strategy selection with little research into understanding the real-world impact of the behaviour changing interventions debated. This article presents the results of an extensive literature review of one specific DfSB strategy, feedback – a user agentive performance indicator. These findings exemplify the considerations and limitations of this particular approach to behaviour change, drawing on empirical research conducted by a breadth of authors, including two of the only medium-term case studies in the field of DfSB. Considerations discussed include the frequency, duration and accuracy of feedback; the selection of metrics and the presentation medium and mode; the use of ambience and the location of the installation. Limitations of feedback includ...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that assessing environmental sustainability is not straightforward and propose two new constituents to current life-cycle-based product assessment: assessing against conditions of sustainability and assessing "achievement", the extent to which these conditions have been achieved.
Abstract: In the field of sustainable product development, a new perspective for approaching sustainability has been advocated, challenging designers and engineers to aim beyond ‘reducing unsustainability’. Several design strategies – including Biomimicry and Cradle to Cradle – have been suggested for developing truly sustainable, or ‘beneficial’, products. But do these strategies help in developing such products, and how to assess their ‘sustainability’? Based on a review of the objectives in nature-inspired design, we argue that assessing environmental sustainability is not straightforward. Whereas both Biomimicry and Cradle to Cradle build on the perspective of ‘achieving sustainability’, current life-cycle assessment-based tools are geared towards reducing current impacts. As a consequence, existing tools are insufficiently equipped for the purpose of the assessment: they do not cover some of the main results that nature-inspired design is set out to accomplish. To be able to include these results, we propose two new constituents to current life-cycle-based product assessment: assessing against conditions of sustainability and assessing ‘achievement’, the extent to which these conditions of sustainability have been achieved. Furthermore, the product context needs to be included for assessing beneficial impacts. This article discusses how these constituents can contribute to an assessment tool that enables designers and engineers to assess the development of environmentally sustainable solutions.
30 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented an integrated method by accommodating both qualitative and quantitative approaches for the development of composite sustainable supply chain (SC) performance index and applied an integration of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process, Liberatore score and signal-to-noise ratio approaches to compute the index.
Abstract: The automobile companies are becoming increasingly aware about the importance of sustainability and its challenges. In order to compete in the global market, the industry has responded to these challenges by identifying the sustainability indicators. It is quite difficult to evaluate the performance of the company on the basis of large number of sustainability indicators. Integration of key sustainability indicators is quite essential for effective decision-making. This article presents an integrated method by accommodating both qualitative and quantitative approaches for the development of composite sustainable supply chain (SC) performance index. We applied an integration of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process, Liberatore score and signal-to-noise ratio approaches to compute the index. The proposed methodology demonstrates how quantitative statistical inputs can be combined with expert opinion to construct an overall index of sustainability. The index can be extensively used by SC managers to measure the...
29 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a literature survey and a parametric case study were used to assess the building-material-related GHG emissions relative to total GHG emission and the possible range of variation.
Abstract: The objective of the research was to create improved understanding of the significance of diverse factors for the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings. The specific focus of the study was on the assessment of the significance of building materials and embodied carbon. The scope of the study covers multi-storey residential buildings in Finland. This research was based on a literature survey and supported by a parametric case study. The parametric study assessed the building-material-related GHG emissions relative to total GHG emissions and the possible range of variation. The research assesses the minimum and maximum GHG emissions for production of buildings with similar spaces, to reveal the likely range of variation for the emissions. The calculations for the ‘minimum’ and ‘maximum’ scenarios assume a similar purpose of use, occupancy and spaces in the building, while the production methods, materials, site conditions and location are varied. The research also assesses the relative importanc...
27 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed an empirical approach to characterize the energy efficiency on different injection molding machine tools and derived models offer a unique ability to predict energy consumption of a given machine tool with an accuracy of over 90%, which can also improve the quality of current life cycle inventory database.
Abstract: In the age of climate awareness, energy and eco-efficiency have become an issue of great importance, particularly in the field of manufacturing. Due to the dynamic nature of manufacturing processes, reducing their energy consumption and the associated environmental impacts require knowledge about energy consumption as a function of shop-floor processes and their process parameters. However, the industrial average data were normally used for the energy estimation or life cycle assessment, which may underestimate the energy consumption 10-fold than the actual consumption in some cases. Alternatively, this paper proposes an empirical approach to characterise the energy efficiency on different injection moulding machine tools. The derived models offer a unique ability to predict energy consumption of a given machine tool with an accuracy of over 90%, which can also improve the quality of current life cycle inventory database. The eco-efficiency of the injection moulding process has also been discussed in this...
24 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a small quantity of liquid fuel injected towards the end of the compression stroke initiates combustion of the inducted gas in the dual-fuel engines, which can replace a considerable amount of liquid-injected pilot fuels by gaseous fuels.
Abstract: Alternative fuels for diesel engine applications are gaining more prominence as they have numerous advantages compared to fossil fuels. They are renewable, biodegradable; provide food and energy security and foreign exchange savings. They address environmental concerns and socio-economic issues as well. Gaseous fuels such as compressed natural gas and hydrogenated compressed natural gas (HCNG) appear more attractive fuels for diesel engine applications operated in dual-fuel mode. Such dual fuel engines can replace considerable amount of liquid-injected pilot fuels by gaseous fuels besides being friendly to the environment. A small quantity of liquid fuel injected towards the end of the compression stroke initiates combustion of the inducted gas in the dual-fuel engines. The main advantage of dual-fuel engines is their lower nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate emissions. Hence renewable fuels such as biodiesels and gaseous fuels can be used predominantly for transportation and power generation applicatio...
24 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the extent to which existing design resources may come to use in the development of practice-oriented design, taking social practice theory as a starting point, and outline some implications for design.
Abstract: Design scholars are currently exploring the potential role of design in fostering sustainable consumption. The social practice has been put forward as a relevant unit of analysis for capturing the dynamics of consumption, and, as a possible unit of intervention for design. This article sets out to explore the extent to which existing design resources may come to use in the development of practice-oriented design. To do that, it takes social practice theory as a starting point, and outlines some implications for design. Based on that, their compatibility with key principles and approaches from the design fields concerned with environmental issues and the relationships between humans and technologies is discussed, and tensions and promising resources are identified. By doing that, the aim is to contribute to the ongoing inquiry into what practice-oriented design may be, and more specifically, to discussions on the characteristics of design and innovation activities that may help foster transitions in less e...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate how a better understanding of the use phase, and possibly techniques and experience applied in Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB), may contribute to the way LCA deals with uncertainties related to variations in the use phases.
Abstract: For Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies of products where the use phase is responsible for a large share of the total environmental impact, variations in the way the products are being used may have a significant impact on the results. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a better understanding of the use phase, and possibly techniques and experience applied in Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB), may contribute to the way LCA deals with uncertainties related to variations in the use phase. To inform the investigation of how variations in the use phase are dealt with in the LCA literature today, three previously published LCA studies are analysed. Among these studies, there is a clear variation in where the (limited) attention given to this uncertainty is directed to, and how this is done. Improving the understanding of the potential variations and thereby the ability to take them into account in the LCA may require additional measurements. For situations where limited resources make extens...
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) on the transient stability of wind turbines has been studied from two aspects: one is to describe the methods to improve the fault ride through capability of DFIG wind turbines, and the other is to analyse the effect of the DIF wind farm on transient stability.
Abstract: With the increasing penetration of doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs), the impact of the DFIG on transient stability attracts great attention. Transient stability is largely dominated by generator types in the power system, and the dynamic characteristics of DFIG wind turbines are different from that of the synchronous generators in the conventional power plants. The analysis of the transient stability on DFIG integrated power systems has become a very important issue. This paper reviews the current research on the issue from two aspects. One is to describe the methods to improve the fault ride through capability of DFIG wind turbines and the other is to analyse the impact of the DFIG wind farm on transient stability of power systems.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a map of pathways of sustainable behaviour with the aim of charting different paths that users can follow to reduce environmental impact when interacting with artefacts.
Abstract: To advance the area of design for sustainable behaviour (DfSB), a common behaviour terminology is needed to enable comparisons of studies across application areas. Thus, the map of pathways of sustainable behaviour was created with the aim of charting different paths that users can follow to reduce environmental impact when interacting with artefacts. The construction of the map results from a comparative analysis of sustainable behaviours identified in previous studies in conjunction with a review of existing behaviour classifications. The proposed map of pathways gives a comprehensive overview of all artefact-related resource-consuming usage behaviours, organised according to a design perspective and divided with regard to aspects of use and obtainment, primary and secondary artefact, duration and type of effort. Through design, the user can be encouraged to take any of the five identified paths: choice of artefact, changed use, maintenance and repair, mediated use and regulated artefact. Using the map in a DfSB process can guide the exploration phase and highlight potential design opportunities when choosing target behaviour. If adopted by the DfSB community, the united typology of the map also provides means necessary to make rigorous comparisons and develop the field and its tools.
TL;DR: In this article, a survey was designed and distributed to engineering design professionals in different consulting and contracting companies in the seven emirates of the UAE in order to study the current degree of use of Green Design Parameters (GDPs) in the UAE construction projects and identify the main constraints that hinder their application.
Abstract: Construction practices tend to have an adverse impact on the environment through their contribution to CO2 emission, increased waste and energy consumption. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched many initiatives to encourage green design over the past years and to work towards a sustainable community. Nonetheless, such initiatives require a considerable amount of time to penetrate the professional psyche and showcase real results that are easily utilised by the construction community. The aim of this research was to study the current degree of use of Green Design Parameters (GDPs) in the UAE construction projects and to identify the main constraints that hinder their application. To achieve the study's objective, a survey was designed and distributed to engineering design professionals in different consulting and contracting companies in the seven emirates of the UAE. Feedback from 112 projects was examined and statistically analysed. The analysis showed a degree of awareness and use of some key GDP...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the influence of the design of energy management systems (EMSs) in a longitudinal field study among a large group of Dutch households and show that merely providing real-time feedback is insufficient to promote sustainable energy-saving behaviors.
Abstract: Several studies have shown that real-time feedback by energy management systems (EMSs) supports households' energy-saving behaviours by making the relationship between daily activities and energy use more clear. However, acquired savings vary, which may be caused by variations in the design of EMSs. In this paper, we investigate the influence of the design of EMS in a longitudinal field study among a large group of Dutch households. Two EMSs with different designs are compared with a control condition to explore their effects on domestic electricity and gas consumption. Our findings demonstrate that merely providing real-time feedback is insufficient to promote sustainable energy-saving behaviours. Only one of the two EMSs resulted in significant energy savings in comparison with the control condition. As our results indicate, energy savings are supported by use frequency of the EMS. To stimulate frequent usage of an EMS, and thus the desired sustainable energy-saving behaviours, the EMS should be designe...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a methodology that can be used to estimate the total fuel use and CO2 emissions from construction equipment activities based on its productivity rate, which is a metric used for estimating productivity, fuel use, and emissions at one time.
Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission has drawn a great attention in recent years all over the world, and it plays a very important role in the process of global warming. The off-road equipment, which includes construction equipment, accounted for 7.5% emission of CO2. The objective of this article is to propose a groundwork for a methodology that can be used to estimate the total fuel use and CO2 emissions from construction equipment activities based on its productivity rate. Currently, there is not a methodology or technique for estimating productivity, fuel use and emissions at once. The multiple linear regression analysis has successfully modelled the productivity rate and good to be used as a benchmark for estimating fuel use and CO2 emissions from various types of construction equipment performing earthwork activities. The proposed methodology will help the contractor to estimate the total expected pollutant emissions for the project, which would be valuable information for a preliminary environmental asses...
TL;DR: In this article, a framework for a computer-based decision support system (DSS) that supports and facilitates the process of sustainable evaluation and selection of structural materials used in the construction industry is presented.
Abstract: One of the sustainable construction keys is making decisions about the selection of structural materials on a sustainable whole life value basis. In order to make these decisions related to sustainable development, decision support system (DSS) can be used because it is a powerful tool especially if merged with multiple-criteria decision-making technique to expand its capabilities. This paper is concerned with developing a framework for a computer-based DSS that supports and facilitates the process of sustainable evaluation and selection of structural materials used in the construction industry. The system utilises the multiple criteria of sustainability and material total life thinking integrated into a multi-attribute decision-making approach to formulate the problem model. Microsoft Visual Basic and Excel are used to automate the system as well as to establish the graphical user interface. The paper presents the role that soft technology can play to move towards sustainable construction by developing a...
TL;DR: In this article, it is now widely accepted that the application of sustainable design can green the environment and improve the quality of life of the users and the environment. But, it is not yet widely accepted how to apply sustainable design to the real world.
Abstract: Designers shape the development of products, services and systems that directly impact upon society and the environment. It is now widely accepted that the application of sustainable design can gre...
TL;DR: In this article, the potential role of design-interventions in characterological development (CD) is explored and two studies were conducted, a literature study and experts interviews, covering the fields of Design for Sustainable Behaviour, Persuasive Technology, Practice-Oriented Design and Philosophy of Technology.
Abstract: Addressing the root causes of (un)sustainability entails fundamentally changing our ways of living. This requires going beyond technology and behaviour-oriented approaches common under the umbrella of sustainable development (SD). More fundamental change is required to increase the possibility of realizing ecological and psychological well-being. Here, such change is conceptualized as ‘characterological change’. Next to SD another domain is introduced: characterological development (CD). The potential role of design-interventions in CD is explored in this article. Two studies were conducted, a literature study and experts interviews, covering the fields of Design for Sustainable Behaviour, Persuasive Technology, Practice-Oriented Design and Philosophy of Technology. The literature study shows that current research and interventions predominantly fall within the domain of SD, leaving character and related notions largely unaddressed. The expert interviews (n = 10) show a consensus that (design) research co...
TL;DR: In this article, a closed loop supply chain is designed which incorporates reverse logistics and forward logistic system simultaneously, and a fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model develops to deal with the uncertainty of returning products by customers.
Abstract: In this research a closed loop supply chain is designed which incorporates reverse logistics and forward logistic system simultaneously. In the design of reverse logistic system, recovery options are embedded in traditional supply chain for treating returned products. The recovery system includes collection centres, remanufacturing plants and disposal centres. Since the product return is supply driven, there is an uncertainty about it. In the proposed configuration for closed loop supply chain, the optimised configuration for supply chain in terms of locating recovery plants is developed. Accordingly, a fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model develops to deal with the uncertainty of returning products by customers. A general-purpose solver (LINGO 8.0) and a Meta heuristic approach (genetics algorithm) are implemented to solve the proposed model. The answers are compared by defining indexes and then the optimal answer, configuration and variables are identified. This solution will suggest a new design...
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of single flash combined with a binary system that was proposed in the Dieng geothermal power plant by applying thermodynamic assessment methods was addressed. And the proposed design of single-flash combined with binary system improves the power output by 17.16% to 27,786kW.
Abstract: This paper addressed the performance of single flash combined with a binary system that was proposed in the Dieng geothermal power plant by applying thermodynamic assessment methods. A set of mathematical equations from the plant was developed and solved iteratively using engineering equation solver. The results showed that the available exergy of the produced fluid from production wells is 66,204 kW. The performance of an existing single-flash power plant indicated 24,300 kW of net power output. The proposed design of single flash combined with a binary system improves the power output by 17.16% to 27,786 kW. The second law efficiency increases from 36.7% to 41.97% while the first law efficiency increases from 11.62% to 13.61%.
TL;DR: In this article, a fuzzy-based approach is proposed for process screening to select the most sustainable design for ibuprofen case study in terms of sustainability concerns, and the applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated.
Abstract: Importance of sustainability concerns demands consideration of sustainability design criteria in early stages of process design. Most often there are several alternatives for a particular process which must be compared in terms of sustainability metrics to select the most sustainable design. There are several tools available for evaluation of process alternatives in terms of sustainability concerns. However, there is a need for a screening method which enables engineers to compare and select several alternatives in terms of a multitude of metrics and also incorporate their preferences if required. This study utilizes a recently developed sustainability evaluator for process evaluation and compares overall impact factor method for process screening with a novel fuzzy-based approach. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated though application of the methodology on ibuprofen case study to select the most sustainable design.
TL;DR: The paper first formulates energy management as an optimization problem and optimizes the problem using SFLA, then the paper makes use of S FLA as a training algorithm to train artificial neural network (ANN) and this SFL a-trained ANN is used for energy management.
Abstract: This paper proposes two novel approaches for the problem of energy management in hybrid electric vehicles Shuffled frog-leaping algorithm (SFLA) is a recently proposed population-based optimization algorithm This paper first formulates energy management as an optimization problem and optimizes the problem using SFLA Then the paper makes use of SFLA as a training algorithm to train artificial neural network (ANN) and this SFLA-trained ANN is used for energy management Interestingly, the proposed approaches of this paper are found to be robust and more efficient than contemporary approaches
TL;DR: In this article, the thermal performances of an evacuated tube collector (ETC) and flat-plate solar air collector (FPC) are experimentally investigated at different air flow rates, where air was used as a working fluid and tested at the same climatic conditions.
Abstract: The thermal performances of an evacuated tube collector (ETC) and flat-plate solar air collector (FPC) are experimentally investigated at different air flow rates. To investigate the performance of the ETC and FPC, experimental set-ups were fabricated. Air was used as a working fluid and tested at the same climatic conditions. The ETC had 15 evacuated tubes with a surface area of 1.66 m2. The experimental set-up consisted of a header with a hollow pipe (square pipe) in the centre through which the air flowed. The flat-plate collector had a surface area of 1.35 m2. The FPC had a black painted absorber sheet which divides the collector into two sections. The air flowed through the upper and the lower sections parallel to the collector to minimize the overall heat loss. The temperature of the outlet air depends on several factors along with the airflow rate and the intensity of the solar radiation. It was found that during the day at high flow rates, the efficiency of the ETC varies from 0.12 to 0.5, and for...
TL;DR: In this article, a twin-cylinder dual-fueled diesel engine was experimentally optimized for maximum diesel saving and lower emissions, without any undue vibration of engine using woody biomass producer gas.
Abstract: Due to energy crisis and shortage of fossil fuel, there is a growing interest in alternative fuel for internal combustion engine. Producer gas presents a very promising alternative fuel to diesel since it is a renewable and clean burning fuel having properties similar to that of diesel. In this study, a twin cylinder dual fuel diesel engine is experimentally optimized for maximum diesel saving and lower emissions, without any undue vibration of engine using woody biomass producer gas. The test is carried out to study the performance and emission parameters of the engine in diesel mode and dual fuel mode at different gas flow rates under different load conditions. The study reveals that maximum diesel savings is found to be 83% at optimum gas flow rate and 8 kW load. Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide emissions in dual fuel mode were higher compared with diesel mode at all test ranges. However, the main pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide and smoke, decrease substantially in the dual fuel mode ...
TL;DR: In this article, a case study on designing and operating a Korean municipal refuse collection system is presented, which consists of two sub-problems: (a) collection network design and capacity planning that determines the locations and capacities of collection points as well as the allocations of demand points to the opened collection points over a given planning horizon and (b) vehicle routing, which determines the number and routes of vehicles in such a way that each collection point must be visited exactly once by one vehicle starting and terminating at the depot.
Abstract: This paper reports a case study on designing and operating a Korean municipal refuse collection system. Refuse collection, one of indispensable activities in reverse logistics, is the activity that gathers end-of-use/life products and moves them to the facilities where further recovery or disposal is done. The case problem consists of two sub-problems: (a) collection network design and capacity planning that determines the locations and capacities of collection points as well as the allocations of demand points to the opened collection points over a given planning horizon and (b) vehicle routing that determines the number and routes of vehicles in such a way that each collection point must be visited exactly once by one vehicle starting and terminating at the depot. The case problems were solved using the two tabu search (TS) algorithms, hierarchical and integrated algorithms, adopted from the previous theoretical study, and the results show that the algorithms give much better solutions than the conventi...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the effect of cultural context on design for sustainable behavior in the use phase of a product's lifecycle, often the most resource-intensive phase.
Abstract: Traditional research into sustainable design has typically focused on reducing the environmental impact of products during the manufacture and disposal stages of a products' lifecycle. The last decade, however, has seen an explosion of research into understanding and moderating user behaviour during the use phase of a products' lifecycle; often the most resource-intensive phase. One of the biggest factors that affects behaviour is a users cultural context; however, the effect of cultural context on design for sustainable behaviour has had little exploration in this relatively new research field.
TL;DR: In this paper, a single cylinder four stroke direct injection diesel engine operated in dual fuel mode using HOME-producer gas combination with Honge oil methyl ester (HOME) was tested with an intension of improving its fuel efficiency.
Abstract: Alternative fuels have numerous advantages compared to fossil fuels as they are renewable, biodegradable; provide energy security and foreign exchange saving besides addressing environmental concerns and socio-economic issues as well. Renewable fuels can be used predominantly as fuel for both transportation and power generation applications. Improved engine performance with reduced engine exhaust emissions is a major research objective in engine development. Today, the use of biomass derived producer gas is more relevant for addressing rural power generation and is a promising technique for controlling both nitric oxide (NOx) and soot emission levels. In view of this, exhaustive experiments on the use of Honge oil methyl ester (HOME)–Producer gas in a dual fuel engine have been carried out with an intension of improving its fuel efficiency. This paper mainly presents results on a single cylinder four stroke direct injection diesel engine operated in dual fuel mode using HOME–Producer gas combination with ...
TL;DR: In this article, the performance analysis of a gas turbine with two configurations (a parallel and series free turbine) is presented and analyzed, and a simple configuration is analyzed here for comparison.
Abstract: Performance analysis of a gas turbine with two configurations (a parallel and series free turbine) is presented and analysed. A simple configuration is analysed here for comparison. The performance parameters are work output, specific fuel consumption (SFC) and efficiency. Off-design characteristics are based on two methods of control, the first (A) is fixing the compressor–turbine inlet temperature (TIT) and varying the power TIT, whereas the second (B) method is by varying the two turbine-inlet temperatures while keeping them equal. Conclusively the series configuration has higher work output (11%), whereas the parallel arrangement has higher efficiency and lower SFC (9%). Hence, as a compromise, it is more efficient and work-productive to use method A (TIT = const.) to control both series and parallel arrangements than using method B (TIT = T5).