Longitudinal prediction of the operational energy use of buildings

Thus far most studies of operational energy use of buildings fail to take a longitudinal view, or in other words, do not take into account how operational energy use changes during the lifetime of a building. However, such a view is important when predicting the impact of climate change, or for long term energy accounting purposes. This article presents an approach to deliver a longitudinal prediction of operational energy use. The work is based on the review of deterioration in thermal performance, building maintenance effects, and future climate change. The key issues are to estimate the service life expectancy and thermal performance degradation of building components while building maintenance and changing weather conditions are considered at the same time. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the application of the deterministic and stochastic approaches, respectively. The work concludes that longitudinal prediction of operational energy use is feasible, but the prediction will depend largely on the availability of extensive and reliable monitoring data. This premise is not met in most current buildings. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Buyer-supplier relationships in a servitized environment: An examination with Cannon and Perreault's framework

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine a buyer's adoption of servitization and the associated implications for the relationships with its suppliers. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use the case study approach to examine the tripartite relationship between a manufacturing company and two of its two suppliers. The paper explores the perspectives of employees on multiple organisational levels, and collects evidence on both sides of a relationship. The authors use template analysis utilising Cannon and Perreault's relationship connectors framework to analyse the data. Findings: There are overarching implications of servitization adoption for buyer-supplier relationships. The implications are notable in all five relationship connectors. Parties expected more open exchange of information, operational linkages were strengthened and changes in the structural arrangements of relationships were witnessed. Legal contracts are complemented by relational norms. The authors also observed a departure away from a win-lose mentality and increased levels of supplier adaptation to support the buyer's provision of integrated solutions. Research limitations/implications: The findings are confined to this tripartite relationship and to an extent are context specific. Practical implications: The study unveils buyer-supplier relationships in a servitized context and provides managers with a better understanding of some of the potential implications that the adoption of a servitization strategy may have for managing buyer-supplier relationships. Originality/value: This is the first empirical study that explores the implications of servitization on buyer-supplier relationships. It advances the understanding of the implications that the adoption of servitization has on the manner in which two parties interrelate and conduct commercial exchange. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The effects of operational and design parameters on the tolerance of ADSR fuel pin cladding to beam interruptions

This paper investigates the effects of design parameters, such as cladding and coolant material choices, and operational phenomena, such as creep and fission product decay heat, on the tolerance of Accelerator Driven Subcritical Reactor (ADSR) fuel pin cladding to beam interruptions. This work aims to provide a greater understanding of the integration between accelerator and nuclear reactor technologies in ADSRs. The results show that an upper limit on cladding operating temperature of 550 °C is appropriate, as higher values of temperature tend to accelerate creep, leading to cladding failure much sooner than anticipated. The effect of fission product decay heat is to reduce significantly the maximum stress developed in the cladding during a beam-trip-induced transient. The potential impact of irradiation damage and the effects of the liquid metal coolant environment on the cladding are discussed. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study of the RF characteristics for wireless sensor deployment in building environment

In this paper, The radio Frequency (RF) Monitoring and Measurement of the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) located in Cork city will be monitored and analyzed in both the Zigbee (2.44 GHz) and the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM 433 MHz). The main objective of this survey is to confirm what the noise and interferences threat signals exist in these bands. It was agreed that the surveys would be carried out in 5 different rooms and areas that are candidates for the Wireless Sensors deployments. Based on the carried on study, A Zigbee standard Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) will be developed employing a number of motes for sensing number of signals like temperature, light and humidity beside the RSSI and battery voltage monitoring. Such system will be used later on to control and improve indoor building climate at reduced costs, remove the need for cabling and both installation and operational costs are significantly reduced.

Operational scales, sources of finance, and firms’ performance: evidence from Vietnamese longitudinal data

This study investigates a longitudinal dataset consisting of financial and operational data from 37 listed companies listed on Vietnamese stock market, covering the period 2004-13. By performing three main types of regression analysis - pooled OLS, fixed-effect and random-effect regressions - the investigation finds mixed results on the relationships between operational scales, sources of finance and firms' performance, depending on the choice of analytical model and use of independent/dependent variables. In most situation, fixed-effect models appear to be preferable, providing for reasonably consistent results. Toward the end, the paper offers some further explanation about the obtained insights, which reflect the nature of a business environment of a transition economy and an emerging market.

Evacuation modelling analysis within the operational research context: a combined approach for improving enclosure designs

Evacuation models have been playing an important function in the transition process from prescriptive fire safety codes to performance-based ones over the last three decades. In fact, such models became also useful tools in different tasks within fire safety engineering field, such as fire risks assessment and fire investigation. However, there are some difficulties in this process when using these models. For instance, during the evacuation modelling analysis, a common problem faced by fire safety engineers concerns the number of simulations which needs to be performed. In other terms, which fire designs (i.e., scenarios) should be investigated using the evacuation models? This type of question becomes more complex when specific issues such as the optimal positioning of exits within an arbitrarily structure needs to be addressed. Therefore, this paper presents a methodology which combines the use of evacuation models with numerical techniques used in the operational research field, such as Design of Experiments (DoE), Response Surface Models (RSM) and the numerical optimisation techniques. The methodology here presented is restricted to evacuation modelling analysis, nevertheless this same concept can be extended to fire modelling analysis.

Validation of the NEMO-ERSEM operational ecosystem model for the North West European Continental Shelf

This paper details updates to the Met Office's operational coupled hydrodynamic-ecosystem model from the 7 km Medium-Resolution Continental Shelf – POLCOMS-ERSEM (MRCS-PE) system (Siddorn et al., 2007) to the 7 km Atlantic Margin Model NEMO-ERSEM (AMM7-NE) system. We also provide a validation of the ecosystem component of the new operational system. Comparisons have been made between the model variables and available in situ, satellite and climatological data. The AMM7-NE system has also been benchmarked against the MRCS-PE system. The transition to the new AMM7-NE system was successful and it has been running operationally since March 2012 and has been providing products through MyOcean (http://www.myocean.eu.org) since that time. The results presented herein show the AMM7-NE system performs better than the MRCS-PE system with the most improvement in the model nutrient fields. The problem of nutrient accumulation in the MRCS-PE system appears to be solved in the new AMM7-NE system with nutrient fields improved throughout the domain as discussed in Sect. 4. Improvements in model chlorophyll are also seen but are more modest.

Operational monitoring and forecasting of bathing water quality through exploiting satellite Earth observation and models: The AlgaRisk demonstration service

Coastal zones and shelf-seas are important for tourism, commercial fishing and aquaculture. As a result the importance of good water quality within these regions to support life is recognised worldwide and a number of international directives for monitoring them now exist. This paper describes the AlgaRisk water quality monitoring demonstration service that was developed and operated for the UK Environment Agency in response to the microbiological monitoring needs within the revised European Union Bathing Waters Directive. The AlgaRisk approach used satellite Earth observation to provide a near-real time monitoring of microbiological water quality and a series of nested operational models (atmospheric and hydrodynamic-ecosystem) provided a forecast capability. For the period of the demonstration service (2008–2013) all monitoring and forecast datasets were processed in near-real time on a daily basis and disseminated through a dedicated web portal, with extracted data automatically emailed to agency staff. Near-real time data processing was achieved using a series of supercomputers and an Open Grid approach. The novel web portal and java-based viewer enabled users to visualise and interrogate current and historical data. The system description, the algorithms employed and example results focussing on a case study of an incidence of the harmful algal bloom Karenia mikimotoi are presented. Recommendations and the potential exploitation of web services for future water quality monitoring services are discussed.

D3.1 Benefits Analysis of the Initial Operational Cruiser-Feeder Concept

The REsearch on a CRuiser Enabled Air Transport Environment (RECREATE) project is considers the introduction and airworthiness of cruiser-feeder operations for civil aircraft. Cruiser-feeder operations are investigated as a promising pioneering idea for the air transport of the future. The soundness of the concept of cruiser-feeder operations for civil aircraft can be understood, taking air-to-air refueling operations as an example. For this example, a comprehensive estimate of the benefits can be made, which shows a fuel burn reduction potential and a CO2 emission reduction of 31% for a typical 6000 nautical miles flight with a payload of 250 passengers. This reduction potential is known to be large by any standard. The top level objective of the RECREATE project is to demonstrate on a preliminary design level that cruiser-feeder operations (as a concept to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emission levels) can be shown to comply with the airworthiness requirements for civil aircraft. The underlying Scientific and Technological (S&T) objectives are to determine and study airworthy operational concepts for cruiser-feeder operations, and to derive and quantify benefits in terms of CO2 emission reduction but also other benefits.

Work Package (WP) 3 has the objective to substantiate the assumed benefits of the cruiser/feeder operations through refined analysis and simulation. In this report, initial benefits evaluation of the initial RECREATE cruiser/feeder concepts is presented. The benefits analysis is conducted in delta mode, i.e. comparison is made with a baseline system. Since comparing different aircraft and air transport systems is never a trivial task, appropriate measures and metrics are defined and selected first. Non-dimensional parameters are defined and values for the baseline system derived.

The impact of cruiser/feeder operations such as air-to-air refueling are studied with respect to fuel-burn (or carbon-dioxide), noise and congestion. For this purpose, traffic simulations have been conducted.
Cruiser/feeder operations will have an impact on dispatch reliability as well. An initial assessment of the effect on dispatch reliability has been made and is reported.

Finally, a considerable effort has been made to create the infrastructure for economic delta analysis of the cruiser/feeder concept of operation. First results of the cost analysis have been obtained.

D1.2 Operational Cruiser-Feeder Concept

The project REsearch on a CRuiser Enabled Air Transport Environment (RECREATE) is about the introduction and airworthiness of cruiser-feeder operations for civil aircraft. Cruiser-feeder operations are investigated as a promising pioneering idea for the air transport of the future.
The top level objective of the project is to demonstrate on a preliminary design level that cruiser-feeder operations (as a concept to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emission levels) can be shown to comply with the airworthiness requirements for civil aircraft. The project is funded through the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. Work Package (WP) 1 has the objective to substantiate that viable and acceptable concepts for cruiser/feeder operations exist. In this deliverable the initial operational concept of the RECREATE cruiser/feeder is presented.

The effect of key process operational conditions on enhanced biological phosphorus removal from wastewater

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is the most economic and sustainable option used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for phosphorus removal. In this process it is important to control the competition between polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs), since EBPR deterioration or failure can be related with the proliferation of GAOs over PAOs. This thesis is focused on the effect of operational conditions (volatile fatty acid (VFA) composition, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and organic carbon loading) on PAO and GAO metabolism. The knowledge about the effect of these operational conditions on EBPR metabolism is very important, since they represent key factors that impact WWTPs performance and sustainability. Substrate competition between the anaerobic uptake of acetate and propionate (the main VFAs present in WWTPs) was shown in this work to be a relevant factor affecting PAO metabolism, and a metabolic model was developed that successfully describes this effect. Interestingly, the aerobic metabolism of PAOs was not affected by different VFA compositions, since the aerobic kinetic parameters for phosphorus uptake, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) degradation and glycogen production were relatively independent of acetate or propionate concentration. This is very relevant for WWTPs, since it will simplify the calibration procedure for metabolic models, facilitating their use for full-scale systems. The DO concentration and aerobic hydraulic retention time (HRT) affected the PAO-GAO competition, where low DO levels or lower aerobic HRT was more favourable for PAOs than GAOs. Indeed, the oxygen affinity coefficient was significantly higher for GAOs than PAOs, showing that PAOs were far superior at scavenging for the often limited oxygen levels in WWTPs. The operation of WWTPs with low aeration is of high importance for full-scale systems, since it decreases the energetic costs and can potentially improve WWTP sustainability. Extended periods of low organic carbon load, which are the most common conditions that exist in full-scale WWTPs, also had an impact on PAO and GAO activity. GAOs exhibited a substantially higher biomass decay rate as compared to PAOs under these conditions, which revealed a higher survival capacity for PAOs, representing an advantage for PAOs in EBPR processes. This superior survival capacity of PAOs under conditions more closely resembling a full-scale environment was linked with their ability to maintain a residual level of PHA reserves for longer than GAOs, providing them with an effective energy source for aerobic maintenance processes. Overall, this work shows that each of these key operational conditions play an important role in the PAO-GAO competition and should be considered in WWTP models in order to improve EBPR processes.

Sustainable urban planning: parameters to the operational process

In modern society, energy consumption and respect for the environment have become essential aspects of urban planning. The rising demand for alternative sources of energy, coupled with the decline in the construction sector and material usage, gives the idea that the thinking on modern cities, where attention is given to reduced energy consumption, savings, waste recycling and respect for the surrounding environment, is being put into practice. If we examine development of the city over recent centuries, by means of the theories of the most famous and influential urban planners, it is possible to identify the major problems caused by this type of planning. For this reason, in recent urban planning the use of systems of indicators that evaluate and certify land environmentally and energetically guides the master plan toward a more efficient city model. In addition the indicators are targeted on key factors determined by the commissioner or the opportunities the territory itself provides. Due the complexity of the environmental mechanics, the process of design and urban planning has become a challenging issue. The introduction of the indicators system has made it possible to register the life of the process, with a spiral route that allows the design itself to be refined. The aim of this study, built around the creation of a system of urban sustainability indicators that will evaluate highly eco-friendly cities, is to develop a certification system for cities or portions of them. The system will be upgradeable and objective, will employ real data and will be concerned with energy production and consumption.

Operational Flexibility: A Model for Effective Project Management

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of operational flexibility for effective project management in the construction industry. The specific objectives are to: a) Identify the determinants of operational flexibility potential in construction project management b) Investigate the contribution of each of the determinants to operational flexibility potential in the construction industry c) Investigate on the moderating factors of operational flexibility potential in a construction project environment d) Investigate whether moderated operational flexibility potential mediates the path between predictors and effective construction project management e) Develop and test a conceptual model of achieving operational flexibility for effective project management The purpose of this study is to findout ways to utilize flexibility inorder to manage uncertain project environment and ultimately achieve effective project management. In what configuration these operational flexibility determinants are demanded by construction project environment in order to achieve project success. This research was conducted in three phases, namely: (i) exploratory phase (ii) questionnaire development phase; and (iii) data collection and analysis phase. The study needs firm level analysis and therefore real estate developers who are members of CREDAI, Kerala Chapter were considered. This study provides a framework on the functioning of operational flexibility, offering guidance to researchers and practitioners for discovering means to gain operational flexibility in construction firms. The findings provide an empirical understanding on kinds of resources and capabilities a construction firm must accumulate to respond flexibly to the changing project environment offering practitioners insights into practices that build firms operational flexibility potential. Firms are dealing with complex, continuous changing and uncertain environments due trends of globalization, technical changes and innovations and changes in the customers’ needs and expectations. To cope with the increasingly uncertain and quickly changing environment firms strive for flexibility. To achieve the level of flexibility that adds value to the customers, firms should look to flexibility from a day to day operational perspective. Each dimension of operational flexibility is derived from competences and capabilities. In this thesis only the influence on customer satisfaction and learning exploitation of flexibility dimensions which directly add value in the customers eyes are studied to answer the followingresearch questions: “What is the impact of operational flexibility on customer satisfaction?.” What are the predictors of operational flexibility in construction industry? .These questions can only be answered after answering the questions like “Why do firms need operational flexibility?” and “how can firms achieve operational flexibility?” in the context of the construction industry. The need for construction firms to be flexible, via the effective utilization of organizational resources and capabilities for improved responsiveness, is important because of the increasing rate of changes in the business environment within which they operate. Achieving operational flexibility is also important because it has a significant correlation with a project effectiveness and hence a firm’s turnover. It is essential for academics and practitioners to recognize that the attainment of operational flexibility involves different types namely: (i) Modification (ii) new product development and (iii) demand management requires different configurations of predictors (i.e., resources, capabilities and strategies). Construction firms should consider these relationships and implement appropriate management practices for developing and configuring the right kind of resources, capabilities and strategies towards achieving different operational flexibility types.

Data assimilation for marine monitoring and prediction: The MERCATOR operational assimilation systems and the MERSEA developments

During the past 15 years, a number of initiatives have been undertaken at national level to develop ocean forecasting systems operating at regional and/or global scales. The co-ordination between these efforts has been organized internationally through the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE). The French MERCATOR project is one of the leading participants in GODAE. The MERCATOR systems routinely assimilate a variety of observations such as multi-satellite altimeter data, sea-surface temperature and in situ temperature and salinity profiles, focusing on high-resolution scales of the ocean dynamics. The assimilation strategy in MERCATOR is based on a hierarchy of methods of increasing sophistication including optimal interpolation, Kalman filtering and variational methods, which are progressively deployed through the Syst`eme d’Assimilation MERCATOR (SAM) series. SAM-1 is based on a reduced-order optimal interpolation which can be operated using ‘altimetry-only’ or ‘multi-data’ set-ups; it relies on the concept of separability, assuming that the correlations can be separated into a product of horizontal and vertical contributions. The second release, SAM-2, is being developed to include new features from the singular evolutive extended Kalman (SEEK) filter, such as three-dimensional, multivariate error modes and adaptivity schemes. The third one, SAM-3, considers variational methods such as the incremental four-dimensional variational algorithm. Most operational forecasting systems evaluated during GODAE are based on least-squares statistical estimation assuming Gaussian errors. In the framework of the EU MERSEA (Marine EnviRonment and Security for the European Area) project, research is being conducted to prepare the next-generation operational ocean monitoring and forecasting systems. The research effort will explore nonlinear assimilation formulations to overcome limitations of the current systems. This paper provides an overview of the developments conducted in MERSEA with the SEEK filter, the Ensemble Kalman filter and the sequential importance re-sampling filter.