Efficiency analysis of trilateral-cycle power systems for waste heat recovery-to-power generation

Numerous innovative heat recovery-to-power technologies have been resourcefully and technologically exploited to bridge the growing gap between energy needs and its sustainable and affordable supply.Among them,the proposed trilateral-cycle(TLC) power system exhibits high thermodynamic efficiency during heat recovery-to-power from low-to-medium temperature heat sources.The TLCs are proposed and analysed using n-pentane as working fluid for waste heat recovery-to-power generation from low-grade heat source to evaluate the thermodynamic efficiency of the cycles.Four different single stage TLC configurations with distinct working principles are modelled thermodynamically using engineering equation solver.Based on the thermodynamic framework,thermodynamic performance simulation and efficiency analysis of the cycles as well as the exergy efficiencies of the heating and condensing processes are carried out and compared in their efficiency.The results show that the simple TLC,recuperated TLC,reheat TLC and regenerative TLC operating at subcritical conditions with cycle high temperature of 473 K can attain thermal efficiencies of 21.97%,23.91%,22.07% and 22.9%,respectively.The recuperated TLC attains the highest thermodynamic efficiency at the cycle high temperature because of its lowest exergy destruction rates in the heat exchanger and condenser.The efficiency analysis carried out would assist in guiding thermodynamic process development and thermal integration of the proposed cycles.

Analysis on Operational Safety and Efficiency of FAO System in Urban Rail Transit

This paper discusses two urgent problems that need to be solved in fully automatic operation(FAO)for urban rail transit.The first is the analysis of safety in FAO,while another is the analysis of efficiency in FAO.Firstly,this paper establishes an operational safety evaluation index system from the perspective of operation for the unique or typical risk sources of the FAO system,and uses the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)to evaluate the indicators,analyzes various factors that affect the safe operation of FAO,and provides safety management recommendations for FAO lines operation to maintain the FAO system specifically.Secondly,taking the Yanfang Line as an example,this paper uses OpenTrack software to analyze the efficiency of FAO operation,and conducts simulation calculations for key links such as the mainline tracking interval,train entry and exit,and return limit interval.The fault impact surface of the FAO trains is simulated and discussed to verify whether FAO can meet the long-term operation requirements of Yanfang Line.Finally,this paper compares the simulation data of FAO on the Yanfang Line with manual operation(MO)to verify the advantages of FAO and guide the engineering construction of subsequent fully automated driving lines.

Ergonomic and efficiency analysis of conventional apple harvest process

Apples are still manually harvested by workers using ladders and buckets.Though it is known that manual apple harvest would probably lead to occupational injuries(e.g.,back,neck,and shoulder strains),there has been little research that focuses on identifying the awkward activities/postures of pickers during the harvest process.After categorizing apple harvest work into 12 activities,this study used the method of Rapid Upper Limb Assessment(RULA)to identify awkward postures/activities that occurred during apple harvest.Awkward activities confirmed include descending a ladder,dumping apples,picking high and low apples on a ladder as well as on the ground,and moving a ladder,with potential reasons for each awkward activity provided.Meanwhile,it was demonstrated that pickers spent approximately 64%of working time under awkward postures that would lead to occupational diseases.In addition,this study analyzed picker harvest efficiency in terms of general and detail manners.The general mode assessed harvest activity in terms of picking and non-picking,with results showing that pickers averagely spent 76%(±7%)of harvest time in picking apples.Further analysis evaluated picking activities in terms of reaching,detaching,and transporting apples,with results showing that pickers spent averagely 30%(±6%)of time in detaching apples,which is the value time during apple harvest.Furthermore,valuable picking time ratio was obtained as the multiplication of picking time ratio and detaching time ratio.With a valuable ratio of 22%(±5%),it theoretically demonstrated the low harvest efficiency of the traditional harvest method.Since a majority of the awkward activities and the low efficiency were because of the ladders/buckets,using a harvest-assist unit may be a potential solution.Additionally,more efforts should be spent on the development of innovative mechanism to replace worker in placing attached apples to the bucket.Once the time for transporting apples is eliminated,the time for reaching apples is also removed,indicating the harvest efficiency would be improved significantly.

A Design of an SMTP Email Server

This study developed a mail server program using Socket API and Python.The program uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol(HTTP)to receive emails from browser clients and forward them to actual email service providers via the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol(SMTP).As a web server,it handles Transmission Control Protocol(TCP)connection requests from browsers,receives HTTP commands and email data,and temporarily stores the emails in a file.Simultaneously,as an SMTP client,the program establishes a TCP connection with the actual mail server,sends SMTP commands,and transmits the previously saved emails.In addition,we also analyzed security issues and the efficiency and availability of this server,providing insights into the design of SMTP mail servers.

Comprehensive Examination of Solar Panel Design: A Focus on Thermal Dynamics

In the 21st century, the deployment of ground-based Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Modules has seen exponential growth, driven by increasing demands for green, clean, and renewable energy sources. However, their usage is constrained by certain limitations. Notably, the efficiency of solar PV modules on the ground peaks at a maximum of 25%, and there are concerns regarding their long-term reliability, with an expected lifespan of approximately 25 years without failures. This study focuses on analyzing the thermal efficiency of PV Modules. We have investigated the temperature profile of PV Modules under varying environmental conditions, such as air velocity and ambient temperature, utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This analysis is crucial as the efficiency of PV Modules is significantly impacted by changes in the temperature differential relative to the environment. Furthermore, the study highlights the effect of airflow over solar panels on their temperature. It is found that a decrease in the temperature of the PV Module increases Open Circuit Voltage, underlining the importance of thermal management in optimizing solar panel performance.

Efficiency Pattern and Spatial Strategy of Ports in Yangtze River Delta Region

This paper measures the efficiency of ports in the Yangtze River Delta Region(YRDR) in 2008 and 2013 using port berth quantity, quay length, and human resources as input indicators, using cargo and container throughput as output indicators, and considering traditional(foreign trade dependence and industrialization level) and modern environmental factors(traffic line density, financial development level, and informatization level). To achieve such aim, this study constructs a multi-stage data envelopment analysis model(DEA) that identifies effective port decision-making units(DMUs) and generates a highly accurate conclusion by eliminating the interference from the exogenous environment and random errors. First, the external environment significantly affects port efficiency, with the traditional environmental factors showing huge fluctuations and the modern environmental factors producing great benefits. Second, the efficiency of ports in YRDR has increased from 2008 to 2013 primarily because of their pure technical efficiency. Third, the weighted standard deviation ellipse(SDE) analysis results reveal that the efficiency pattern of ports significantly deviates from their throughput pattern, while the center of SDE of port efficiency moves from the eastern coastal regions to the northwest regions. Based on these findings, this paper proposes spatial development strategies for YRDR, such as creating an unblocked environment where spatial elements can freely circulate, intensifying port-city joint development, implementing differentiated policies, and focusing on the spatial collaboration of port efficiency.

Approaches for High-Efficiency III-V/Si Tandem Solar Cells

The Si tandem solar cells are very attractive for realizing high efficiency and low cost. This paper overviews current status of III-V/Si tandem solar cells including our results. The analytical results for efficiency potential of Si tandem solar cells and loss analysis of Si bottom cells as well as bandgap energy optimization of sub-cells are presented. The 2-junction and 3-junction Si tandem solar cells have potential efficiencies of 36% and 42%, respectively. ERE (external radiative efficiency) analysis for Si solar cells is analyzed in order to clarify properties of Si bottom solar cells. Properties of single-crystalline Si heterojunction solar cell fabricated in this study were analyzed. The current status of efficiencies of our Si bottom cell, upper III-V 2-junction solar cell and III-V/Si 3-junction tandem solar cell was shown to be 5.2% and 28.6% and 33.8%. Achievement of Jsc of 12 mA/cm2 for Si bottom cell is necessary to realize high-efficiency 3-junction Si tandem solar cells with an efficiency of more than 37%. In addition, this paper presents ERE analysis of III-V 2-junction upper solar cells for improving III-V/Si 3-junction tandem solar cells. Several ways to improve efficiency of III-V/Si 3-junction tandem solar cells by reducing non-radiative recombination, optical and resistance losses are shown.

Advanced reliability analysis of slopes in spatially variable soils using multivariate adaptive regression splines

This study aims to extend the multivariate adaptive regression splines(MARS)-Monte Carlo simulation(MCS) method for reliability analysis of slopes in spatially variable soils. This approach is used to explore the influences of the multiscale spatial variability of soil properties on the probability of failure(P_f) of the slopes. In the proposed approach, the relationship between the factor of safety and the soil strength parameters characterized with spatial variability is approximated by the MARS, with the aid of Karhunen-Loeve expansion. MCS is subsequently performed on the established MARS model to evaluate Pf.Finally, a nominally homogeneous cohesive-frictional slope and a heterogeneous cohesive slope, which are both characterized with different spatial variabilities, are utilized to illustrate the proposed approach.Results showed that the proposed approach can estimate the P_f of the slopes efficiently in spatially variable soils with sufficient accuracy. Moreover, the approach is relatively robust to the influence of different statistics of soil properties, thereby making it an effective and practical tool for addressing slope reliability problems concerning time-consuming deterministic stability models with low levels of P_f.Furthermore, disregarding the multiscale spatial variability of soil properties can overestimate or underestimate the P_f. Although the difference is small in general, the multiscale spatial variability of the soil properties must still be considered in the reliability analysis of heterogeneous slopes, especially for those highly related to cost effective and accurate designs.

Efficient seismic analysis for nonlinear soil-structure interaction with a thick soil layer

The direct finite element method is a type commonly used for nonlinear seismic soil-structure interaction(SSI)analysis.This method introduces a truncated boundary referred to as an artificial boundary meant to divide the soil-structure system into finite and infinite domains.An artificial boundary condition is used on a truncated boundary to achieve seismic input and simulate the wave radiation effect of infinite domain.When the soil layer is particularly thick,especially for a three-dimensional problem,the computational efficiency of seismic SSI analysis is very low due to the large size of the finite element model,which contains an whole thick soil layer.In this paper,an accurate and efficient scheme is developed to solve the nonlinear seismic SSI problem regarding thick soil layers.The process consists of nonlinear site response and SSI analysis.The nonlinear site response analysis is still performed for the whole thick soil layer.The artificial boundary at the bottom of the SSI analysis model is subsequently relocated upward from the bottom of the soil layer(bedrock surface)to the location nearest to the structure as possible.Finally,three types of typical sites and underground structures are adopted with seismic SSI analysis to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed efficient analysis scheme.

The Correlation of Hospital Operational Efficiency and Average Length of Stay in China: A Study Based on Provincial Level Data

Objective: To measure the hospital operation efficiency, study the correlation between average length of stay and hospital operation efficiency, analyze the importance of shortening average length of stay to the improvement of the hospital operation efficiency and put forward relevant policy suggestion. Methods: Based on China provincial panel data from 2003 to 2012, the hospital operation efficiencies are calculated using Super Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis model, and the correlation between average length of stay and hospital operation efficiency is tested using Spearman rank correlation coefficient test. Results: From 2003 to 2012, the average of national hospital operation efficiency was increasing slowly and the hospital operations were inefficient in most of the areas. The national hospital operation efficiency is negatively correlated to the average length of stay. Conclusion: Measures should be taken to set average length of stay in a scientific and reasonable way, improve social and economic benefits based on the improvement of efficiency.

Measuring the social performance of forest management

Forests produce several types of benefits to both forest landowners and society.The social benefit of private forestry is equal to private benefit plus positive externalities minus negative externalities.This study developed alternative metrics for the evaluation of the social benefit of forest management.Forest management was assessed in terms of five criteria:economic,socio-cultural,environmental and ecological performance and the resilience of the forest ecosystem.Each criterion was described with three numerical indicators.Alternative performance indices were calculated from the indicator values using methods developed for multi-criteria decision making.It was concluded that indices based on the multiplicative Cobb-Douglas utility function might be the most recommendable when forestry should produce a balanced combination of different ecosystem services.When the indices were used to compare alternative silvicultural systems in terms of their social performance,continuous cover management was ranked better than even-aged management.The performance of even-aged management improved when it aimed at increasing the share of mixed stands and broadleaf species.Maximizing net present value(NPV) with a 1 % discount rate led to better social performance than maximizing NPV with a 4% discount rate.

Repairable Configuration Optimization Model under Two-Echelon Inventory

Spares inventory configuration optimization is an effective way to improve readiness and reduce life cycle cost of equipment.Through analyzing two-echelon spares support system,the METRIC model basic theory was used.An inventory configuration optimization model of two-echelon spares support system was proposed which took the spares expected shortfall as the object and made the minimum repairable parts expected shortfall instead of the maximum spares supportability as the objective function.Marginal efficiency analysis algorithm was applied to optimizing the spares configuration and generating a rational spares inventory configuration.Finally,several examples are given to verify the model.

TBM Construction Process Simulation and Performance Optimization

Long tunnel excavation with tunnel boring ily affected by uncertainties and needs to be adjusted machine （TBM） is a complex and stochastic process. It is eas- according to specific geological conditions in different tunnel sections, which makes the construction scheduling and management difficult. Based on the rock mass classification, this paper estimates the penetration rate. Using the rate, a cyclic network simulation （CYCLONE） model of TBM boring system is established, and the advance rates under different geological conditions are determined. Then, the impact of different cutter head thrust, which is chosen in reasonable range according to previous experiences, on pro- ject schedule is analyzed. Moreover, the simulation model of mucking system is built to determine the number of muck trains and rail intersections reasonably, regarding the efficiency of muck loading and material transporting. Based on the interaction and interrelation between TBM boring system and mucking system, the combined CY- CLONE model for the entire tunneling process is established. Then reasonable construction schedule, the utilization rate of working resources, and the probability of project completion are obtained through the model programming. At last, a project application shows the feasibility of the presented method.

Review on Modeling and Optimization for Refractories

This paper introduced characteristics of refractories and step of simulation. During simulation,firstly analyzed mechanism of technology; secondly described the mechanism as quadratic equation; thirdly designed and executed experiment; later made regression equation and optimization; then found technical conflict; finally analyzed and resolved the conflict. Doing repeatedly like this,resolved difficult problems.

Implementation of a greenhouse gas reduction roadmap for steel producing companies

This paper shall show an economic feasible approach to implement greenhouse gas(GHG) reduction measures into steel companies. The goal to improve energy consumption is directly linked to the reduction of GHG emissions and therefore directly in correlation with the economic viability. A baseline scenario of the considered reference system and of the respective reference year has to be defined, mapped and analysed. In a second step an analysis of the same operation using available and prospected best available technology (BAT) processes is carried out to generate a basis for a benchmark system. The identified reduction potentials are reported and the GHG emission reductions are put into relation to the investment cost of the new process technologies/process adaption to be implemented.This economic feasibility calculation is necessary to realise a cost efficient GHG reduction roadmap implementation into the company's business operations. The GHG reduction roadmap is developed using the abatement curve concept to get an indication of ' low hanging fruits' and for establishing a sequence for implementing carbon emission reductions measures. The scope of that approach can be extended by including further important environmental parameters like NOx, SO_2,CO,dust,heavy metal emissions in air as well as production residues.That gives in the end a broader picture and more starting points to improve the overall environmental performance of steel producing companies beyond the GHG emissions and energy consumption.

Research on Index System for Luffa(Luffa acutangula Roxb.) Fertilization in Foshan

On basis of “3414” experiment, regression analysis was conducted on rel- ative yield and fertilizer quant;.ty, and a regression equation was established, as fol- lows： Y=I 699,09 ＋52.89N -3i82P ＋59.27K-1.17N2 -0.11 p2 ＋0.06K2 ＋2.02NP-2.16NK- 1.97PK （FF=0,98）. The results of regression analysis showed F〉F0.05, indicating that fertilizer quantity is of significant regression relationship with yield. It was analyzed that yield-increasing range of N fertilizer was directly proportional to fertilizer quanti- ty, and negative yield even occurs if excessive P fertilizer is applied. In general, fertilizer effects from high to low were N fertilizer〉K ferUlizer〉P fertilizer. Besides, on equation aralysls, it was proposed the optimal fertilizer quantities included N fertilizer （N） of 270 kg, P fertilizer （PUs） of 165 kg and K fertilizer （K20） of 225 kg for achieving ideal yield of 2 500 kg/hm2 of luffa in Foshan. Key words Foshan; Luffa; Index system of fertilization; Efficiency analysis

How to Pool Medical Services in Preventive Medicine Unit at 01/01/18 of Orleans Metropole/Orleans City Hall Structure: A Multi Disciplinary Network

To reform the unit of preventive medicine in Orleans metropole, the Director of the Administration decided to co-sign an agreement to optimize the organization of a common preventive medicine service: we made a deliberation model to permit for others towns which wanted to join us. The cost evaluated to reach the service was the cost for medical examination, regardless of the professional which included staff costs and operating costs (social benefits, costs of supplies and materials, training costs). A statement of the tasks performed for the beneficiary community was kept daily by the SMP. A strong will of the Metropolis and municipalities is to develop a synergy around health and safety at work. A joint Metropolis of Orleans, an organization chart since 1/2/2016 integrates the preventive medicine service within a Quality of Life at Work service: a multi-disciplinary service composed of prevention specialists, social workers, responsible for social action and SMP, a Department of Preventive Medicine was developed and itself multidisciplinary in accordance with the law of July 20, 2011: including doctors, nurses, psychologists, sophrologist, and a dietician. A new and active network of health is now operant with specialist correspondents. An audit is programmed in April 2018 to assess the efficacy of this network.

An Efficient CSI Feedback Scheme for Dual-Polarized MIMO Systems Using Layered Multi-Paths Information

Massive MIMO is one of tile enabling technologies tbr beyond 4G and 5G systems due to its ability to provide beamforming gain and reduce interference Dual-polarized antenna is widely adopted to accommodate a large number of antenna elements in limited space. However, current CSI（channel state information） feedback schemes developed in LTE for conventional MIMO systems are not efficient enough for massive MIMO systems since the overhead increases almost linearly with the number of antenna. Moreover, the codebook for massive MIMO will be huge and difficult to design with the LTE methodology. This paper proposes a novel CSI feedback scheme named layered Multi-paths Information based CSI Feedback （LMPIF）, which can achieve higher spectrum efficiency for dual-polarized antenna system with low feedback overhead. The MIMO channel is decomposed into long term components （multipath directions and amplitudes） and short term components （multipath phases）. The relationship between the two components and the optimal precoder is derived in closed form. To reduce the overhead, different granularities in feedback time have been applied for the long term components and short term components Link and system level simulation results prove that LMPIF can improve performance considerably with low CSI feedback overhead.

Data Envelopment Analysis Approach on the Industrial Efficiency and Scales and Its Application in Shandong

A data envelopment analysis (DEA ) model is set up for the industrial efficiency and scales evaluation in this paper. By calculating. the efficiency coefficient and the scale state of Shandong province in Chian are obtained. Based on the analysis results, the paper presents the improvement ways which make the industrial efficiency getting to the higher levell by adjusting the input and output variables of the industry of Shandong.

Experimental Study on Combustion Characteristics of Unused Biomasses in Compact Combustor

The aim of the present study is to develop the biomass furnace combustor which can effectively employ four unused biomasses, i.e., wood bark, wood branch, bamboo, and grass as a fuel. Emphasis is placed on the combustion gas components and combustion gas temperature in the combustor. It is found from the study that： （1） Four unused biomasses can take plate self combustion and the stable combustion yield; （2） Different combustion temperature distribution appears in combustor and is affected by each biomass; （3） The concentrations of nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxides are lower than the discharge standard value; （4） Higher thermal efficiency yields for bark, bamboo and grass.