Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia in forced unsteady state reactors - Case based reasoning and mathematical model simulation reasoning

The application of forced unsteady-state reactors in case of selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with ammonia (NH3) is sustained by the fact that favorable temperature and composition distributions which cannot be achieved in any steady-state regime can be obtained by means of unsteady-state operations. In a normal way of operation the low exothermicity of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction (usually carried out in the range of 280-350°C) is not enough to maintain by itself the chemical reaction. A normal mode of operation usually requires supply of supplementary heat increasing in this way the overall process operation cost. Through forced unsteady-state operation, the main advantage that can be obtained when exothermic reactions take place is the possibility of trapping, beside the ammonia, the moving heat wave inside the catalytic bed. The unsteady state-operation enables the exploitation of the thermal storage capacity of the catalyticbed. The catalytic bed acts as a regenerative heat exchanger allowing auto-thermal behaviour when the adiabatic temperature rise is low. Finding the optimum reactor configuration, employing the most suitable operation model and identifying the reactor behavior are highly important steps in order to configure a proper device for industrial applications. The Reverse Flow Reactor (RFR) - a forced unsteady state reactor - corresponds to the above mentioned characteristics and may be employed as an efficient device for the treatment of dilute pollutant mixtures. As a main disadvantage, beside its advantages, the RFR presents the 'wash out' phenomena. This phenomenon represents emissions of unconverted reactants at every switch of the flow direction. As a consequence our attention was focused on finding an alternative reactor configuration for RFR which is not affected by the incontrollable emissions of unconverted reactants. In this respect the Reactor Network (RN) was investigated. Its configuration consists of several reactors connected in a closed sequence, simulating a moving bed by changing the reactants feeding position. In the RN the flow direction is maintained in the same way ensuring uniformcatalyst exploitation and in the same time the 'wash out' phenomena is annulated. The simulated moving bed (SMB) can operate in transient mode giving practically constant exit concentration and high conversion levels. The main advantage of the reactor network operation is emphasizedby the possibility to obtain auto-thermal behavior with nearly uniformcatalyst utilization. However, the reactor network presents only a small range of switching times which allow to reach and to maintain an ignited state. Even so a proper study of the complex behavior of the RN may give the necessary information to overcome all the difficulties that can appear in the RN operation. The unsteady-state reactors complexity arises from the fact that these reactor types are characterized by short contact times and complex interaction between heat and mass transportphenomena. Such complex interactions can give rise to a remarkable complex dynamic behavior characterized by a set of spatial-temporal patterns, chaotic changes in concentration and traveling waves of heat or chemical reactivity. The main efforts of the current research studies concern the improvement of contact modalities between reactants, the possibility of thermal wave storage inside the reactor and the improvement of the kinetic activity of the catalyst used. Paying attention to the above mentioned aspects is important when higher activity even at low feeding temperatures and low emissions of unconverted reactants are the main operation concerns. Also, the prediction of the reactor pseudo or steady-state performance (regarding the conversion, selectivity and thermal behavior) and the dynamicreactor response during exploitation are important aspects in finding the optimal control strategy for the forced unsteady state catalytic tubular reactors. The design of an adapted reactor requires knowledge about the influence of its operating conditions on the overall process performance and a precise evaluation of the operating parameters rage for which a sustained dynamic behavior is obtained. An apriori estimation of the system parameters result in diminution of the computational efforts. Usually the convergence of unsteady state reactor systems requires integration over hundreds of cycles depending on the initial guess of the parameter values. The investigation of various operation models and thermal transfer strategies give reliable means to obtain recuperative and regenerative devices which are capable to maintain an auto-thermal behavior in case of low exothermic reactions. In the present research work a gradual analysis of the SCR of NOx with ammonia process in forced unsteady-state reactors was realized. The investigation covers the presentationof the general problematic related to the effect of noxious emissions in the environment, the analysis of the suitable catalysts types for the process, the mathematical analysis approach for modeling and finding the system solutions and the experimental investigation of the device found to be more suitable for the present process. In order to gain information about the forced unsteady state reactor design, operation, important system parameters and their values, mathematical description, mathematicalmethod for solving systems of partial differential equations and other specific aspects, in a fast and easy way, and a case based reasoning (CBR) approach has been used. This approach, using the experience of past similarproblems and their adapted solutions, may provide a method for gaining informations and solutions for new problems related to the forced unsteady state reactors technology. As a consequence a CBR system was implemented and a corresponding tool was developed. Further on, grooving up the hypothesis of isothermal operation, the investigation by means of numerical simulation of the feasibility of the SCR of NOx with ammonia in the RFRand in the RN with variable feeding position was realized. The hypothesis of non-isothermal operation was taken into account because in our opinion ifa commercial catalyst is considered, is not possible to modify the chemical activity and its adsorptive capacity to improve the operation butis possible to change the operation regime. In order to identify the most suitable device for the unsteady state reduction of NOx with ammonia, considering the perspective of recuperative and regenerative devices, a comparative analysis of the above mentioned two devices performance was realized. The assumption of isothermal conditions in the beginningof the forced unsteadystate investigation allowed the simplification of the analysis enabling to focus on the impact of the conditions and mode of operation on the dynamic features caused by the trapping of one reactant in the reactor, without considering the impact of thermal effect on overall reactor performance. The non-isothermal system approach has been investigated in order to point out the important influence of the thermal effect on overall reactor performance, studying the possibility of RFR and RN utilization as recuperative and regenerative devices and the possibility of achieving a sustained auto-thermal behavior in case of lowexothermic reaction of SCR of NOx with ammonia and low temperature gasfeeding. Beside the influence of the thermal effect, the influence of the principal operating parameters, as switching time, inlet flow rate and initial catalyst temperature have been stressed. This analysis is important not only because it allows a comparison between the two devices and optimisation of the operation, but also the switching time is the main operating parameter. An appropriate choice of this parameter enables the fulfilment of the process constraints. The level of the conversions achieved, the more uniform temperature profiles, the uniformity ofcatalyst exploitation and the much simpler mode of operation imposed the RN as a much more suitable device for SCR of NOx with ammonia, in usual operation and also in the perspective of control strategy implementation. Theoretical simplified models have also been proposed in order to describe the forced unsteady state reactors performance and to estimate their internal temperature and concentration profiles. The general idea was to extend the study of catalytic reactor dynamics taking into account the perspectives that haven't been analyzed yet. The experimental investigation ofRN revealed a good agreement between the data obtained by model simulation and the ones obtained experimentally.

Determination of slurry’s viscosity using case based reasoning approach

Case-based reasoning (CBR) is a recent approach to problem solving and learning that has got a lot of attention over the last years. In this work, the CBR methodology is used to reduce the time and amount of resources spent on carry out experiments to determine the viscosity of the new slurry. The aim of this work is: to develop a CBR system to support the decision making process about the type of slurries behavior, to collect a sufficient volume of qualitative data for case base, and to calculate the viscosity of the Newtonian slurries. Firstly in this paper, the literature review about the types of fluid flow, Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries is presented. Some physical properties of the suspensions are also considered. The second part of the literature review provides an overview of the case-based reasoning field. Different models and stages of CBR cycles, benefits and disadvantages of this methodology are considered subsequently. Brief review of the CBS tools is also given in this work. Finally, some results of work and opportunities for system modernization are presented. To develop a decision support system for slurry viscosity determination, software application MS Office Excel was used. Designed system consists of three parts: workspace, the case base, and section for calculating the viscosity of Newtonian slurries. First and second sections are supposed to work with Newtonian and Bingham fluids. In the last section, apparent viscosity can be calculated for Newtonian slurries.

Reuse of information for selection of methods and operating conditions for drying of pharmaceutical materials

Drying is a major step in the manufacturing process in pharmaceutical industries, and the selection of dryer and operating conditions are sometimes a bottleneck. In spite of difficulties, the bottlenecks are taken care of with utmost care due to good manufacturing practices (GMP) and industries' image in the global market. The purpose of this work is to research the use of existing knowledge for the selection of dryer and its operating conditions for drying of pharmaceutical materials with the help of methods like case-based reasoning and decision trees to reduce time and expenditure for research. The work consisted of two major parts as follows: Literature survey on the theories of spray dying, case-based reasoning and decision trees; working part includes data acquisition and testing of the models based on existing and upgraded data. Testing resulted in a combination of two models, case-based reasoning and decision trees, leading to more specific results when compared to conventional methods.

Minimization of the experimental workload for the prediction of pollutants propagation in rivers. Mathematical modelling and knowledge re-use

The present thesis in focused on the minimization of experimental efforts for the prediction of pollutant propagation in rivers by mathematical modelling and knowledge re-use. Mathematical modelling is based on the well known advection-dispersion equation, while the knowledge re-use approach employs the methods of case based reasoning, graphical analysis and text mining. The thesis contribution to the pollutant transport research field consists of: (1) analytical and numerical models for pollutant transport prediction; (2) two novel techniques which enable the use of variable parameters along rivers in analytical models; (3) models for the estimation of pollutant transport characteristic parameters (velocity, dispersion coefficient and nutrient transformation rates) as functions of water flow, channel characteristics and/or seasonality; (4) the graphical analysis method to be used for the identification of pollution sources along rivers; (5) a case based reasoning tool for the identification of crucial information related to the pollutant transport modelling; (6) and the application of a software tool for the reuse of information during pollutants transport modelling research. These support tools are applicable in the water quality research field and in practice as well, as they can be involved in multiple activities. The models are capable of predicting pollutant propagation along rivers in case of both ordinary pollution and accidents. They can also be applied for other similar rivers in modelling of pollutant transport in rivers with low availability of experimental data concerning concentration. This is because models for parameter estimation developed in the present thesis enable the calculation of transport characteristic parameters as functions of river hydraulic parameters and/or seasonality. The similarity between rivers is assessed using case based reasoning tools, and additional necessary information can be identified by using the software for the information reuse. Such systems represent support for users and open up possibilities for new modelling methods, monitoring facilities and for better river water quality management tools. They are useful also for the estimation of environmental impact of possible technological changes and can be applied in the pre-design stage or/and in the practical use of processes as well.

Training system for conceptual design and evaluation for wastewater treatment

Rising population, rapid urbanisation and growing industrialisation have severely stressed water quality and its availability in Malawi. In addition, financial and institutional problems and the expanding agro industry have aggravated this problem. The situation is worsened by depleting water resources and pollution from untreated sewage and industrial effluent. The increasing scarcity of clean water calls for the need for appropriate management of available water resources. There is also demand for a training system for conceptual design and evaluation for wastewater treatment in order to build the capacity for technical service providers and environmental practitioners in the country. It is predicted that Malawi will face a water stress situation by 2025. In the city of Blantyre, this situation is aggravated by the serious pollution threat from the grossly inadequate sewage treatment capacity. This capacity is only 23.5% of the wastewater being generated presently. In addition, limited or non-existent industrial effluent treatment has contributed to the severe water quality degradation. This situation poses a threat to the ecologically fragile and sensitive receiving water courses within the city. This water is used for domestic purposes further downstream. This manuscript outlines the legal and policy framework for wastewater treatment in Malawi. The manuscript also evaluates the existing wastewater treatment systems in Blantyre. This evaluation aims at determining if the effluent levels at the municipal plants conform to existing standards and guidelines and other associated policy and regulatory frameworks. The raw material at all the three municipal plants is sewage. The typical wastewater parameters are Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). The treatment target is BOD5, COD, and TSS reduction. Typical wastewater parameters at the wastewater treatment plant at MDW&S textile and garments factory are BOD5 and COD. The treatment target is to reduce BOD5 and COD. The manuscript further evaluates a design approach of the three municipal wastewater treatment plants in the city and the wastewater treatment plant at Mapeto David Whitehead & Sons (MDW&S) textile and garments factory. This evaluation utilises case-based design and case-based reasoning principles in the ED-WAVE tool to determine if there is potential for the tool in Blantyre. The manuscript finally evaluates the technology selection process for appropriate wastewater treatment systems for the city of Blantyre. The criteria for selection of appropriate wastewater treatment systems are discussed. Decision support tools and the decision tree making process for technology selection are also discussed. Based on the treatment targets and design criteria at the eight cases evaluated in this manuscript in reference to similar cases in the ED-WAVE tool, this work confirms the practical use of case-based design and case-based reasoning principles in the ED-WAVE tool in the design and evaluation of wastewater treatment 6 systems in sub-Sahara Africa, using Blantyre, Malawi, as the case study area. After encountering a new situation, already collected decision scenarios (cases) are invoked and modified in order to arrive at a particular design alternative. What is necessary, however, is to appropriately modify the case arrived at through the Case Study Manager in order to come up with a design appropriate to the local situation taking into account technical, socio-economic and environmental aspects. This work provides a training system for conceptual design and evaluation for wastewater treatment.

Utilization of Statistical Methods for Management in the Forest Industry

The strongest wish of the customer concerning chemical pulp features is consistent, uniform quality. Variation may be controlled and reduced by using statistical methods. However, studies addressing the application and benefits of statistical methods in forest product sector are scarce. Thus, the customer wish is the root cause of the motivation behind this dissertation. The research problem addressed by this dissertation is that companies in the chemical forest product sector require new knowledge for improving their utilization of statistical methods. To gain this new knowledge, the research problem is studied from five complementary viewpoints – challenges and success factors, organizational learning, problem solving, economic benefit, and statistical methods as management tools. The five research questions generated on the basis of these viewpoints are answered in four research papers, which are case studies based on empirical data collection. This research as a whole complements the literature dealing with the use of statistical methods in the forest products industry. Practical examples of the application of statistical process control, case-based reasoning, the cross-industry standard process for data mining, and performance measurement methods in the context of chemical forest products manufacturing are brought to the public knowledge of the scientific community. The benefit of the application of these methods is estimated or demonstrated. The purpose of this dissertation is to find pragmatic ideas for companies in the chemical forest product sector in order for them to improve their utilization of statistical methods. The main practical implications of this doctoral dissertation can be summarized in four points: 1. It is beneficial to reduce variation in chemical forest product manufacturing processes 2. Statistical tools can be used to reduce this variation 3. Problem-solving in chemical forest product manufacturing processes can be intensified through the use of statistical methods 4. There are certain success factors and challenges that need to be addressed when implementing statistical methods

Aikakauslehtien kilpailukyky Suomessa ja Hollannissa

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia aikakauslehden konseptimallia ja sen vaikutusta aikakauslehden kilpailukykyyn. Konseptimalli koostuu aikakauslehden tekijöiden tiiviistä kolmikantaisesta yhteistyöverkosta: lehden toimituksellisesta sisällöstä, levikkimarkkinoinnista kuluttajille sekä ilmoitusmyynnistä mainostajille. Tutkimuksen lähestymistavaksi otettiin Case-pohjainen menetelmä. Tutkimuksen pääinformaatio kerättiin haastattelemalla valittujen aikakauslehtien vastuuhenkilöitä etukäteen valmistellun kysymyslistan mukaan. Haastatellut henkilöt olivat pääsääntöisesti markkinointipäälliköitä. Tutkimukseen otettiin mukaan yhdeksän aikakauslehteä kahdesta maasta. Viisi Suomesta ja neljä Hollannista. Lehdet pyrittiin valitsemaan niin, että niistä muodostui vastinparit näiden kahden maan välille. Lehdistä muodostettiin haastattelujen avulla konseptikuvaukset, joita sitten täydennettiin lisäanalyysein. Tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin yleisimpien markkinaosuus-, kilpailuedun- sekä massa- ja asiakaskohtaisten teorioiden piirteitä tarkoituksena löytää tutkimukseen sopivin teoriapohja. Vaikka olemassa olevista teorioista löydettiin sopivuuksia, päädyttiin kuitenkin aikakauslehden konseptimallin käyttöön, koska se on alalla vakiintunut käytäntö. Valituille lehdille tehtiin myös elinkaarianalyysi. Yleisenä tuloksena havaittiin, että mitä vanhempi lehti on sitä todennäköisemmin sen levikki on joko vakiintuneessa tai laskevassa vaiheessa. Konseptianalyysissä Suomen ja Hollannin lehtiä verrattiin tarkoituksena löytää samankaltaisuudet ja eroavaisuudet. Kummankin maan aikakauslehdet olivat pääsääntöisesti samanlaisia, mutta monia eroavaisuuksiakin esiintyi. Erot löytyivät pääasiassa yksityiskohdista ja lehtien erilaisista kulttuurillisista lähestymistavoista. Konseptianalyysejä täydennettiin lisäksi erinäisin lisäanalyysein. Kun konseptikuvaukset kertoivat millaisesta lehdestä on kyse, lisäanalyysit kertoivat lehteen sidoksista olevista asioista. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin aikakauslehden asemaa yleisessä mediakentässä ja todettiin, että aikakauslehti on pitänyt hyvin pintansa muiden medioiden puristuksessa. Selkeä piirre oli aikakauslehtien mainonnan lisääntyminen 1990-luvun aikana lähinnä sanomalehtien kustannuksella. Valittujen lehtien kilpailukyvyn asemaa pyrittiin myös arvioimaan sekä kuluttajan että ilmoittajan näkökulmasta. Kuluttajien näkökulmaa kartoitti aikakauslehtien tilaushyötyjen tarkastelu, jossa todettiin lehtien irtonumerohintojen olevan usein hyvin lähellä tilaushintoja. Ilmoittajien näkökulmaa luotasi ilmoitusten alennuksista kertova osuus, missä ilmoitushintojen todettiin joustavan hyvin paljon mainostettavan määrän lisääntyessä.

Customer knowledge processing in key account management

The ability of the supplier firm to generate and utilise customer-specific knowledge has attracted increasing attention in the academic literature during the last decade. It has been argued the customer knowledge should treated as a strategic asset the same as any other intangible assets. Yet, at the same time it has been shown that the management of customer-specific knowledge is challenging in practice, and that many firms are better at acquiring customer knowledge than at making use of it. This study examines customer knowledge processing in the context of key account management in large industrial firms. This focus was chosen because key accounts are demanding and complex. It is not unusual for a single key account relationship to constitute a complex web of relationships between the supplier and the key account – thus easily leading to the dispersion of customer-specific knowledge in the supplier firm. Although the importance of customer-specific knowledge generation has been widely acknowledged in the literature, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the processes through which firms generate, disseminate and use such knowledge internally for enhancing the relationships with their major, strategically important key account customers. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part comprises a theoretical overview and draws together the main findings of the study, whereas the second part consists of five complementary empirical research papers based on survey data gathered from large industrial firms in Finland. The findings suggest that the management of customer knowledge generated about and form key accounts is a three-dimensional process consisting of acquisition, dissemination and utilization. It could be concluded from the results that customer-specific knowledge is a strategic asset because the supplier’s customer knowledge processing activities have a positive effect on supplier’s key account performance. Moreover, in examining the determinants of each phase separately the study identifies a number of intra-organisational factors that facilitate the process in supplier firms. The main contribution of the thesis lies in linking the concept of customer knowledge processing to the previous literature on key account management. Moreover, given than this literature is mainly conceptual or case-based, a further contribution is to examine its consequences and determinants based on quantitative empirical data.

FE-analyysin soveltaminen S960 QC teräksisen I-profiilin äärikestävyyden määrittämisessä

Tässä työssä tutkittiin FE-analyysin soveltamista S960 QC teräksisen I-profiilin kestävyyden määrittämisessä. Työn tavoitteena oli tarkastella nykyisten suunnitteluohjeiden soveltuvuutta ultralujille teräksille ja koota ohjemateriaali I-profiilin optimoimisesta sekä FE-analyysin hyö-dyntämisestä I-profiilin staattisen ja dynaamisen kestävyyden määrittämisessä. I-profiili mitoitettiin ja optimoitiin Eurokoodi 3:ssa esitettyjen PL3 mukaisten mitoitusohjeiden avulla. Rakenteelle suoritettiin Eurokoodi 3:n ja IIW:n mukaiset lommahdus-, kiepahdus- ja vä-symiskestävyystarkastelut. Väsymistarkastelussa sovellettiin nimellisen jännityksen, rakenteelli-sen jännityksen ja tehollisen lovijännityksen menetelmiä sekä murtumismekaniikkaa. Rakenteel-lisen jännityksen menetelmässä sovellettiin lisäksi lineaarista ja parabolista pintaa pitkin ekstra-polointia, paksuuden yli linearisointia sekä Dong:in menetelmää. Lommahdus-, kiepahdus- ja väsymistarkasteluissa hyödynnettiin analyyttistä laskentaa, FE-analyysiä sekä Frank2d sovellusta. Tarkastelujen perusteella voidaan todeta, että analyyttisillä menetelmillä saadaan numeerisia me-netelmiä varmemmalla puolella olevia tuloksia. Lommahdustarkastelussa ero tulosten välillä on suurimmillaan 8 % ja kiepahdustarkastelussa suurimmillaan 20 % mutta väsymistarkastelussa saadut tulokset eroavat keskenään huomattavasti. Väsymistarkastelussa tehollisen lovijännityksen menetelmällä sekä rakenteellisen jännityksen menetelmän Dong:in menetelmällä saadaan huo-mattavasti muita menetelmiä pidempiä kestoikiä, kun taas yksinkertaisemmilla menetelmillä saa-dut kestoiät ovat lyhyempiä. Rakenteen kestävyyden määrittäminen analyyttisillä menetelmillä on melko helppoa, mutta tu-lokset ovat monesti liian konservatiivisia. FE-analyysillä saadaan puolestaan hyvin tarkkoja tu-loksia mallin ollessa yksityiskohtainen. Mallintaminen on kuitenkin aikaa ja resursseja vievää ja vaatii käyttökokemusta. FE-analyysin mahdolliset hyödyt on aina arvioitava tapauskohtaisesti tarkasteltavan geometrian, kuormitusten ja reunaehtojen perusteella.

Design and implementation of a production synchronization extension for Microsoft Dynamics AX

In a just-in-time, assemble-to-order production environments the scheduling of material requirements and production tasks - even though difficult - is of paramount importance. Different enterprise resource planning solutions with master scheduling functionality have been created to ease this problem and work as expected unless there is a problem in the material flow. This case-based candidate’s thesis introduces a tool for Microsoft Dynamics AX multisite environment, that can be used by site managers and production coordinators to get an overview of the current open sales order base and prioritize production in the event of material shortouts to avoid part-deliveries.

Perceptions of green branding and identity building amongst small Finnish textile producers

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. The amount of air and water pollution it causes puts a burden on the environment. There are companies who have taken the environmental and social aspects into account in the their production and chosen to operate in a green manner. This thesis studies how the phenomenon of green branding is seen from the perspectives of small Finnish textile companies. The theory used in this thesis has to do with green branding and identity building. The theory is used to analyze the results of the empirical findings. The main research question that the thesis aims to answer is how green branding is perceived within the Finnish textile industry. In order to answer the main research question, empirical data was collected from five relevant companies within the Finnish textile industry. The companies interviewed for the study were WST, Saana ja Olli, RCM, R-collection and Tiensivu. The study was conducted as a multiple case based study where multiple experts from green companies were interviewed. The experts were all owners or employees of companies that have a so-called green brand identity. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, where the relevant experts from each company were interviewed either by themselves, in pairs or in groups. The data that was collected for this study was primary data, and the results of the study are mainly based on the experiences and opinions of the experts interviewed. The data collected does not cover the entire green textile industry within Finland, but study does however give a fairly comprehensive view of the phenomenon, as the textile industry in Finland is quite concise. The general findings of the study show that all experts from the companies interviewed agreed that a green brand identity does benefit their company in one way or the other. The findings also show contradictions with the older theory (eg. Charter et al. 1999, Pickett et al. 1995), and perhaps give a more modern view of the thoughts within the industry.

Engendering Group Support Based Foresight for Capital Intensive Manufacturing Industries - Case Paper and Steel Industry Scenarios by 2018

In recent times of global turmoil, the need for uncertainty management has become ever momentous. The need for enhanced foresight especially concerns capital-intensive industries, which need to commit their resources and assets with long-term planning horizons. Scenario planning has been acknowledged to have many virtues - and limitations - concerning the mapping of the future and illustrating the alternative development paths. The present study has been initiated to address both the need of improved foresight in two capital-intensive industries, i.e. the paper and steel industries and the imperfections in the current scenario practice. The research problem has been approached by engendering a problem-solving vehicle, which combines, e.g. elements of generic scenario process, face-to-face group support methods, deductive scenario reasoning and causal mapping into a fully integrated scenario process. The process, called the SAGES scenario framework, has been empirically tested by creating alternative futures for two capital-intensive industries, i.e. the paper and steel industries. Three scenarios for each industry have been engendered together with the identification of the key megatrends, the most important foreign investment determinants, key future drivers and leading indicators for the materialisation of the scenarios. The empirical results revealed a two-fold outlook for the paper industry, while the steel industry future was seen as much more positive. The research found support for utilising group support systems in scenario and strategic planning context with some limitations. Key perceived benefits include high time-efficiency, productivity and lower resource-intensiveness. Group support also seems to enhance participant satisfaction, encourage innovative thinking and provide the users with personalised qualitative scenarios.

Reasoning over knowledge-based generation of situations in context spaces to reduce food waste

With the ever-growing amount of connected sensors (IoT), making sense of sensed data becomes even more important. Pervasive computing is a key enabler for sustainable solutions, prominent examples are smart energy systems and decision support systems. A key feature of pervasive systems is situation awareness which allows a system to thoroughly understand its environment. It is based on external interpretation of data and thus relies on expert knowledge. Due to the distinct nature of situations in different domains and applications, the development of situation aware applications remains a complex process. This thesis is concerned with a general framework for situation awareness which simplifies the development of applications. It is based on the Situation Theory Ontology to provide a foundation for situation modelling which allows knowledge reuse. Concepts of the Situation Theory are mapped to the Context Space Theory which is used for situation reasoning. Situation Spaces in the Context Space are automatically generated with the defined knowledge. For the acquisition of sensor data, the IoT standards O-MI/O-DF are integrated into the framework. These allow a peer-to-peer data exchange between data publisher and the proposed framework and thus a platform independent subscription to sensed data. The framework is then applied for a use case to reduce food waste. The use case validates the applicability of the framework and furthermore serves as a showcase for a pervasive system contributing to the sustainability goals. Leading institutions, e.g. the United Nations, stress the need for a more resource efficient society and acknowledge the capability of ICT systems. The use case scenario is based on a smart neighbourhood in which the system recommends the most efficient use of food items through situation awareness to reduce food waste at consumption stage.