1,721,011 research outputs found
Evaluating the environmental and economic impact of fruit and vegetable waste valorisation: The lettuce waste study-case
Full text linkThe fruit and vegetable sector generates large amounts of waste, which poses both environmental and economic issues. Different strategies can be applied to valorise fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) by turning it into value-added products. However, the economic and environmental impact of such strategies is largely unknown. In this paper, the environmental and economic impact of FVW valorisation on an industrial scale was evaluated by developing a Decision Support System (DSS). To this aim, the lettuce waste study-case was considered, since different innovative laboratory-scale strategies have been recently proposed for its valorisation. Investment and running costs, energetic demand and yields of lettuce waste valorisation processes were collected based on laboratory tests and industrial surveys. The application of the DSS estimated that if 30% of lettuce waste annually produced by a large company was valorised by using a system configuration that involves not only anaerobic digestion and composting, but also high pressure homogenisation to produce fresh juices, and ultrasound-assisted extraction to produce antioxidant extracts, this configuration would lead to an investment lower than 10 million €, a 1 year-pay-back time and a 72 tons-reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, thus representing a rational compromise between economic returns and environmental advantage. The developed multi-objective DSS is a valuable tool to identify the most sustainable and investment-worthy processes for the valorisation of FVW
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
EFFICIENT ENERGY HARVESTING AND STORAGE IN SMALL-SCALE SOLAR-BIOMASS-MICRO GAS TURBINE SYSTEMS
No full textIn this paper, a small-scale plant operating in stand-alone mode, powered by a micro gas turbine and a solar system, is proposed and analyzed. The main consideration in this perspective is environmental sustainability, which drives the use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy and biomass. In this research, the proposed system comprises solar panels, a micro gas turbine and a battery. The gas turbine is fed by syngas generated by a gasifier, on its turn supplied by biomass. The biomass used consists of waste from food production, such as olive pits. The gas turbine, battery, gasifier and gas tank, together with their auxiliary devices, were modelled following the methodologies described in the technical literature and an in-house simulation code is suitably written. It includes a control system to manage the allocation of demand among solar energy, the gas turbine, and the battery. The aim is to keep the gas turbine away from low-efficiency conditions, while also taking into account the state of charge of the battery to avoid values that are either too low or too high. Initial results suggest a promising potential, with a preliminary analysis indicating a possible fuel (biomass) saving up to 15%. Potential improvements are currently under investigation
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) fitting in a Make-To-Order (MTO) Small-Medium Enterprise (SME)
No full textPurpose The paper starts with a comprehensive state of the art that describes the main Make-To-Order (MTO) Small-Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) characteristics and requirements and the widely available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions. The paper develops identifying possible gaps or misalignments between them. Subsequently it focuses on the specific needs of the case study company and on the current ERP solutions implemented, assessing their concrete adoption and effectiveness and suggesting possible developments or alternative solutions, such as integration with existing Product Lifecycle Management proprietary software. The main goal of this paper is to show how an ERP could be fitted in a MTO small enterprise, operating in a niche context. In general ERP system represents a rigid solution for standardized production process that has to be customized to manage SME production flexibility and to guarantee an adequate operation management. A case study of a small enterprise, operating in fashion market, is shown. Design/methodology/approach Despite the literature is quite scarce in determining the applicability of ERP to a MTO company, available publications show a substantial misalignment between MTO requirements and ERP functionality, which is confirmed by the case study examined. However a further research is required, especially on new modules and add-ons of ERP systems (e.g. CEM, PLM, APS), seen by literature as potentially helpful tools but often offered as extra solutions which may be too expensive and risky for small-medium companies with limited IT budgets. Since even excellent systems may give bad results if they are applied to situations where they are not suited, developing an ERP system based on its specific business model could be a solution for a niche company to remain flexible and dynamic and to conform to the customer needs at any time. Originality/value The paper offers a contribution to a growing field of research, related to applicability of ERP systems to MTO companies, with a concrete case study of a niche company. This research is potentially aimed at being useful to other MTO niche companies adopting an ERP system for the first time or developing new solutions on existing one
Introduction to radar scattering application in remote sensing and diagnostics: Review
No full textThe manuscript reviews the current literature on scattering applications of RADAR (Radio Detecting And Ranging) in remote sensing and diagnostics. This paper gives prime features for a variety of RADAR applications ranging from forest and climate monitoring to weather forecast, sea status, planetary information, and mapping of natural disasters such as the ones caused by earthquakes. Both the fundamental parameters involved in scattering mechanisms of RADAR applications and the factors affecting RADAR performances are also discussed
Adecision support systemfor industrial waste heat recovery: the CE-HEAT Project
No full textThe exploitation of the huge potential for industrial waste heat recovery detected in Europe represents an opportunity to accomplish the objectives set by the European Union with the aim to reduce resources consumption, greenhouse gases emissions and to fightclimate change. The CE-HEAT project, financed by the Interreg Central Europe Programme, aims to improve the governance of energy efficiency by focusing on the field of waste heat utilization in Central Europe space. In order to aid the decision-making process of investors and policy makers, an online decision support tool for the preliminary assessment of investments in waste heat recovery projects has been implemented. Different operating scenarios could be compared combining various heat recovery technologies, some of which considering single companies (absorption chiller, heat exchanger, heat pump) and others network oriented (district heating, ORC). The operation of the online tool is based on a multi-objective decision support system (DSS) which hasbeen specifically developed. The objective functions evaluate environmental impact minimization and economic performances maximization, ensuring a sustainability analysis. In order to evaluate the main parameters that interest the stakeholders, decision variables such as incentives, grant, thermal and electrical energy costs have been considered. The developed DSS is aimed at helping final users in the decision-making process through a conscious comparison between different waste heat recovery options based on the exploitation of different technologies. Once the input variables are selected by the user, the program will provide the decision support suggestions in terms of sustainability performance indicators, displayed by graphs and tables, allowing a comparison of these option
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Decarbonizing the cold chain: Long-haul refrigerated deliveries with on-board photovoltaic energy integration
Full text linkDecarbonizing the cold chain is a priority for sustainability due to the increasing demand for chilled/frozen food and pharmaceutics. Refrigerated transport requires additional fuel for refrigeration other than for traction. Photovoltaic panels on the vehicle rooftop, a battery bank, and a power conversion system can replace the diesel engine driving the transport refrigerated unit. In long-haul deliveries, vehicles cross zones with different climate conditions, which affect both refrigeration requirements and photovoltaic energy conversion. Mandatory driver’s breaks and rest also affect delivery timing and energy consumption. A multiperiod, multizone optimization model is developed to size the onboard photovoltaic system, based on features of the delivery tour. The model is applied to a palletized chilled food delivery from North-Eastern Italy, showing a payback time of around four years, which can drop under two years for expected reduction of component costs. Economic and environmental performances can be increased by also allowing refrigerated products on-board during the return journey, leading to more fuel savings. Photovoltaic-integrated long-haul delivery for frozen products is not convenient at current market costs. Different climate conditions are tested, showing the model ability to act as a decision support tool to foster renewable energy penetration into the cold chain
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