Energy efficiency parameters in variable speed drives

The main purpose of this thesis is to measure and evaluate how accurately the current energy saving calculation in ABB’s new variable speed drive ACS850 works. The main topic of this thesis is energy-efficiency parameters. At the beginning of this thesis centrifugal pump, squirrel cage motor and variable speed drive, including some equations related to them, are being introduced. Also methods of throttling control and variable speed drive control of centrifugal pumps are being introduced. These subjects are introduced because the energy saving calculation in ACS850 is related to the centrifugal pumps usually driven by squirrel cage motors. The theory also includes short section about specific energy of pumping. Before measurements the current energy saving calculation of ACS850 is being introduced and analyzed. The measurements part includes introduction of measuring equipment, measurement results, summary and analysis of the measurements. At the end of this thesis a proposal for an improvement to the current energy saving calculation is being introduced and few proposals are made for new energy-efficiency parameters, which could be added to variable speed drives. At the end are also thoughts

Enhancing the efficiency of freight transport by using simulation

The role of transport in the economy is twofold. As a sector of economic activity it contributes to a share of national income. On the other hand, improvements in transport infrastructure create room for accelerated economic growth. As a means to support railways as a safe and environmentally friendly transportation mode, the EU legislation has required the opening of domestic railway freight for competition from beginning of year 2007. The importance of railways as a mode of transport has been great in Finland, as a larger share of freight has been carried on rails than in Europe on average. In this thesis it is claimed that the efficiency of goods transport can be enhanced by service specific investments. Furthermore, it is stressed that simulation can and should be used to evaluate the cost-efficiency of transport systems on operational level, as well as to assess transportation infrastructure investments. In all the studied cases notable efficiency improvements were found. For example in distribution, home delivery of groceries can be almost twice as cost efficient as the current practice of visiting the store. The majority of the cases concentrated on railway freight. In timber transportation, the item with the largest annual transport volume in domestic railway freight in Finland, the transportation cost could be reduced most substantially. Also in international timber procurement, the utilization of railway wagons could be improved by combining complementary flows. The efficiency improvements also have positive environmental effects; a large part of road transit could be moved to rails annually. If impacts of freight transport are included in cost-benefit analysis of railway investments, up to 50 % increase in the net benefits of the evaluated alternatives can be experienced, avoiding a possible inbuilt bias in the assessment framework, and thus increasing the efficiency of national investments in transportation infrastructure. Transportation systems are a typical example of complex real world systems that cannot be analysed realistically by analytical methods, whereas simulation allows inclusion of dynamics and the level of detail required. Regarding simulation as a viable tool for assessing the efficiency of transportation systems finds support also in the international survey conducted for railway freight operators; operators use operations research methods widely for planning purposes, while simulation is applied only by the larger operators.

Energy efficiency determinants: An empirical analysis of Spanish innovative firms

This paper examines the extent to which innovative Spanish firms pursue improvements in energy efficiency (EE) as an objective of innovation. The increase in energy consumption and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions justifies the greater attention being paid to energy efficiency and especially to industrial EE. The ability of manufacturing companies to innovate and improve their EE has a substantial influence on attaining objectives regarding climate change mitigation. Despite the effort to design more efficient energy policies, the EE determinants in manufacturing firms have been little studied in the empirical literature. From an exhaustive sample of Spanish manufacturing firms and using a logit model, we examine the energy efficiency determinants for those firms that have innovated. To carry out the econometric analysis, we use panel data from the Community Innovation Survey for the period 2008‐2011. Our empirical results underline the role of size among the characteristics of firms that facilitate energy efficiency innovation. Regarding company behaviour, firms that consider the reduction of environmental impacts to be an important objective of innovation and that have introduced organisational innovations are more likely to innovate with the objective of increasing energy efficiency. Keywords: energy efficiency, corporate targets, innovation, Community Innovation Survey. JEL Classification: Q40, Q55, O31

Efficiency and Equity in Learning Communities and schools

Traditionally, school efficiency has been measured as a function of educational production. In the last two decades, however, studies in the economics of education have indicated that more is required to improve school efficiency: researchers must explore how significant changes in school organization affect the performance of at-risk students. In this paper we introduce Henry Levin’s adoption of the X-efficiency approach to education and we describe the efficient and cost-effective characteristics of one Learning Communities Project School that significantly improved its student outcomes and enrollment numbersand reduced its absenteeism rate to zero. The organizational change that facilitatedthese improvements defined specific issues to address. Students’ school success became the focus of the school project, which also offered specific incentives, selected teachers, involved parents and community members in decisions, and used the most efficient technologies and methods. This case analysis reveals new two elements—family training and community involvement—that were not explicit parts of Levin’s adaptation. The case of the Antonio Machado Public School should attract the attention of both social scientists and policy makers

Improving the efficiency of PV low-power processing circuits by selecting an optimal inductor current of the DC/DC converter

In the context of autonomous sensors powered by small-size photovoltaic (PV) panels, this work analyses how the efficiency of DC/DC-converter-based power processing circuits can be improved by an appropriate selection of the inductor current that transfers the energy from the PV panel to a storage unit. Each component of power losses (fixed, conduction and switching losses) involved in the DC/DC converter specifically depends on the average inductor current so that there is an optimal value of this current that causes minimal losses and, hence, maximum efficiency. Such an idea has been tested experimentally using two commercial DC/DC converters whose average inductor current is adjustable. Experimental results show that the efficiency can be improved up to 12% by selecting an optimal value of that current, which is around 300-350 mA for such DC/DC converters.

Fluvial biofilms: a pertinent tool to assess β-blockers toxicity

Among increasingly used pharmaceutical products, β-blockers have been commonly reported at low concentrations in rivers and littoral waters of Europe and North America. Little is known about the toxicity of these chemicals in freshwater ecosystems while their presence may lead to chronic pollution. Hence, in this study the acute toxicity of 3 β-blockers: metoprolol, propranolol and atenolol on fluvial biofilms was assessed by using several biomarkers. Some were indicative of potential alterations in biofilm algae (photosynthetic efficiency), and others in biofilm bacteria (peptidase activity, bacterial mortality). Propranolol was the most toxic β-blocker, mostly affecting the algal photosynthetic process. The exposure to 531 μg/L of propranolol caused 85% of inhibition of photosynthesis after 24 h. Metoprolol was particularly toxic for bacteria. Though estimated No-Effect Concentrations (NEC) were similar to environmental concentrations, higher concentrations of the toxic (503 μg/L metoprolol) caused an increase of 50% in bacterial mortality. Atenolol was the least toxic of the three tested β-blockers. Effects superior to 50% were only observed at very high concentration (707 mg/L). Higher toxicity of metoprolol and propranolol might be due to better absorption within biofilms of these two chemicals. Since β-blockers are mainly found in mixtures in rivers, their differential toxicity could have potential relevant consequences on the interactions between algae and bacteria within river biofilms

Analyzing the cost-efficiency and performance of a payroll department by benchmarking

Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena oli analysoida Stora Enson palkkakeskuksen ja sen henkilöstöhallinnon järjestelmän, SAP HR:n, kustannustehokkuutta ja suorituskykyä. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin apuna benchmarkingia. Viisi suurta suomalaisyritystä osallistui benchmarkingiin. Benchmarkingin pääkohteena oli yritysten välinen kustannusvertailu. Kyselyssä perehdyttiin myös yritysten järjestelmien suorituskykyyn. Tuloksien perusteella Stora Enson palkkakeskus tarjoaa kustannustehokkaan ja kilpailukykyisen ratkaisun, joka menestyy hyvin vertailussa muihin suomalaisiin yrityksiin.

Performance Indicators in Sourcing : Case: Mainospyörä Ltd

The business environment has rapidly become more global and more competitive. It sets new requirements for the company management. It is not enough to look at the financial information of the company, but one need to analyse also the internal processes as well. Sourcing exists in every company. It is no longer just a supporting function in a company chain of operations. By sourcing company can affect the profitability of the company in both direct and indirect ways The thesis overviewed the role of strategic accounting, sourcing and performance measurements in particularly, in company strategic steering. The study is qualitative, where the meaning was to describe true life. In the same time it is an explanatory case study. The aim of the study was to build up a set of sourcing performance indicators for the case company.

Menestyksekkäät yliopistopelin pelaajat? Tutkimus nopeasti ja nuorena valmistumisesta

Succestul players of the university game? A study about the short duration of master’s degree studies and graduating at a young age The duration of studies has long been a topic of conversation. It was first mentioned in 1883, but the discussion has been quite active and topical for the last fifty years. During that time, there have been numerous committees, working groups for the Ministry of Education, and revisions to the structure of the master’s degree program. All of these have focused on lowering the duration of studies as well as the age at which students graduate. These two factors have been regarded as indicators of efficiency. Achieving these goals is seen to promote the successful transition from studies to work. In addition, the greater time that people spend working is thought to help with the fiscal burden of an aging population. The reasons for prolonged study seem to be: students working during the course of their studies; the actual workload of the studies, which sometimes does not correlate with the calculated workload; problems with the students’ course selections and with their financial support from the government; issues in teaching; and problems with university funding. This study focuses on students’ study experiences, their progress, and the university itself. Of particular interest was the students’ use of different resources—cultural, social, and economical capital. Participants in the study had graduated from the University of Turku between the years of 1999 and 2001 and were divided into two groups: prompt graduates, those who graduated among the fastest 18th percent in their faculty; and those who graduated at a slower pace. A survey (N=499) and interviews (N=69) were among the methods used, along with a compilation of statistics on the students’ duration of studies, the number of modules studied, and marks obtained. Bourdieu’s theory about fields and the games people play in those fields formed the theoretical background of this study. The university was seen to form a playing field with historically and politically changeable rules. The students playing in this field were considered to possess different economical, social, and cultural resources, which they use more or less successfully. Some of the strategies used by students result in gra¬duating at a young age and/or a short duration of study; some do not. This study divided the age of graduation and the duration of study into separate games. This allowed the study to determine the relationship between these two factors and to examine their similarities and differences. The study also focused on the idea of success. Short duration of studies and a young graduation age can be considered, be some, an indication of success in navigating the university field. This study aimed to see if this concept held true or whether these seeming indicators of success have negative side effects. The main result of this study is that, even though the games of duration and age have similarities, they are sufficiently diverse to be considered separate games, which need different resources. To graduate with a short duration of studies, it is important for a student to successfully view and navigate the university field, tailoring one’s studies and extracurricular activities to suit the individual. In the game of youth, the background of the student seemed to be of greater importance. The youngest graduates had spent more time with their parents, who also had higher educational qualifications. They also had higher achievement in their previous studies. This seems to indicate that their background allowed them to assimilate a better understanding of the school and university fields and that playing the university game was natural for them. As for the aspect of success, it seems that there are many ways to define the term. Youth on graduation and short duration of studies can be seen as two indicators of success. Both revealed negative and positive outcomes, even though short duration of studies seemed more often to be connected with positive outcomes. However, it seems that the best indicator for success is the way in which students organize study into their lives to support and suit their needs and abilities to realize a meaningful life and a successful entry into the field of work.

Real unit labour costs in Eurozone countries: drivers and clusters

We examine the trajectories of the real unit labour costs (RULCs) in a selection of Eurozone economies. Strong asymmetries in the convergence process of the RULCs and its components —real wages, capital intensity, and technology— are uncovered through decomposition and cluster analyses. In the last three decades, the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain) succeeded in reducing their RULCs by more than their northern partners. With the exception of Ireland, however, technological progress was weak; it was through capital intensification that periphery economies gained efficiency and competitiveness. Cluster heterogeneity, and lack of robustness in cluster composition, is a reflection of the difficulties in achieving real convergence and, by extension, nominal convergence. We conclude by outlining technology as the key convergence factor, and call for a renewed attention to real convergence indicators to strengthen the process of European integration.

The effect of pulp washing on bleaching efficiency

The main aim of this study was to inspect the influence of the ultrafiltration implementation on the washing and on bleaching efficiency. Four cases corresponding to four washing stages were observed: two with hardwood pulp and two with softwood pulp; each case had a reference and a trial experiment. The experiments with hardwood pulp were arranged in a manner to explore predominantly the possibility of bleaching performance improvement by applying for washing instead of untreated filtrate (reference case) the same treated one (trial case). Despite that the ultrafiltration reduced the COD of the wash filtrates allowing the decreasing of COD carry-over to the bleaching stage it didn’t affect the bleaching performance. Another set was used in the experiments with softwood pulp. It implied the ultrafiltration and recirculation of the filtrate to the same washing stage with the purpose to reduce the volumes and pollution of the bleaching effluents. In one case the negative result was obtained which was expressed by worse parameters of the pulp after bleaching. Another case showed the opportunity to replace hot water with the filtrate and reduce the fresh water consumption.

Environmental policy instruments concerning industrial end-use energy efficiency

Energy efficiency and saving energy are the main question marks when thinking of reducing carbon dioxide emissions or cutting costs. The objective of thesis is to evaluate policy instruments concerning end-use energy efficiency of heavy industry in European Union. These policy instruments may be divided in various ways, but in this thesis the division is to administrative, financial, informative and voluntary instruments. Administrative instruments introduced in this thesis are Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, Directive on Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services, and Climate and Energy Package. Financial means include energy and emission taxation, EU Emission Trading Scheme and diverse support systems. Informative instruments consist of horizontal BAT Reference Document for Energy Efficiency, as well as substantial EU documents including Green Paper on Energy Efficiency, Action Plan for Energy Efficiency and An Energy Policy for Europe. And finally, voluntary instruments include environmental managements systems like ISO 14001 and EMAS, energy auditing and benchmarking. The efficiency of different policy instruments vary quite a lot. Informative instruments lack the commitment from industry and are thus almost ineffective, contrary to EU Emission Trading Scheme, which is said to be the solution to climate problems. The efficiency of administrative means can be placed between those mentioned and voluntary instruments are still quite fresh to be examined fruitfully. However, each instrument has their potential and challenges. Cases from corporate world strengthen the results from theoretical part. Cases were written mainly on the basis of interviews. The interviewees praised the energy efficiency contract of Finnish industry, but the EU ETS takes the leading role of policy instruments. However, for industry the reductions do not come easily.

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.

Indicadores sociales y psicosociales de calidad de vida de las personas mayores en un municipio = Social and psychosocial quality of life indicators of older persons in a municipality

A research about the quality of life of the older persons of a municipality starting from the analysis of the perceptions, evaluations and expectations related to concrete spheres of their lives (familiar characteristics, housing, health, nearby environment, activities, needs and dependencies and persons helping them to satisfy needs) is presented. Answers to 1988 questionnaires obtained from two representative samples of older per - sons living in private homes in the city have been analysed: persons over 65 years old and a specific one composed by a sub-sample of the general one, with persons over 75 years living alone. Data shaping contextual indicators related to housing have been analysed. The auto - nomy to drive and the evaluation of on’s health seem to be positive indicators to take in account while sutying quality of life at these ages. Sentinel indicators of the physical and relational conditions in the family and indicators of dependency are analysed as well. The evaluations of the older persons about their own life conditions are also analysed through psychosocial indicators connected to housing, nearby environmenent, their activities andincomes. The results obtained are applicable in order to improve the decision making process in social intervention programmes developed in the field of ageing aiming to take into account their perspectives

High encapsulation efficiency of sodium alendronate in eudragit S100/HPMC blend microparticles

The hydrophilic drug sodium alendronate was encapsulated in blended microparticles of Eudragit® S100 and Methocel® F4M or Methocel® K100LV. Both formulations prepared by spray-drying showed spherical collapsed shape and smooth surface, encapsulation efficiencies of 85 and 82% and mean diameters of 11.7 and 8.4 µm, respectively. At pH 1.2, in vitro dissolution studies showed good gastro-resistance for both formulations. At pH 6.8, the sodium alendronate release from the microparticles was delayed and was controlled by Fickian diffusion. In conclusion, the prepared microparticles showed high encapsulation efficiency of sodium alendronate presenting gastro-resistance and sustained release suitable for its oral administration.