Comprehensive Feasibility Analysis Research Articles

Parametric Study on Residential Passive House Building in Different Chinese Climate Zones

With the increasing of building energy consumptions, the related issues of energy crisis and environmental pollution become more and more prominent. As an effective energy-saving technology, the passive house (PH) has been widely applied in China to reduce the building energy utilization. However, the design and application of PH vary with different climate conditions. Therefore, it is significant to conduct the parameterization of PH and propose a suitable design zoning of PH in China. In our study, a comprehensive feasibility analysis of the implementation of PH is performed, which chooses 31 representative cities covering 5 climatic regions. The sensitivity analysis firstly filters the key parameters that heavily affect energy consumption. The results indicate that the key parameters include external wall heat transfer coefficient (WU), basement ceiling heat transfer coefficient (BCU), solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), glass G value (UG), heat recovery efficiency (HERE) and humidity recovery efficiency (HURE). Then, with the multiple regression approach, the values of key parameters are optimized. Based on the determined values of sensitive parameters, the design zoning of PH in China is finally proposed, which can guide the design of PH as well as enhance the application of PH in China.

Feasibility analysis of a tandem photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid system under solar concentration

Abstract This paper aims to provide a comprehensive feasibility analysis of the tandem concentration photovoltaic-thermoelectric (CPV-TE) hybrid system to guide practical hybrid system design. Theoretical models and experimental equipment of the concentration photovoltaic (CPV) system and the CPV-TE hybrid system are both established. The working temperature and output power of the two systems at different solar concentration ratios are first measured and compared. Then, the effects of different device performance and system operating parameters, including PV reference efficiency, PV temperature coefficient, TE figure of merit, concentration ratio, thermal contact resistance, cooling performance, coolant temperature, and TE thermal resistance, on the feasibility of coupling utilization are theoretically investigated. Finally, some design principles of the tandem hybrid system are provided based on the research results. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of hybrid utilization when using a single-junction gallium arsenide PV cell, and a maximum output power improvement of 8.7% (from 1.38W to 1.5W) can be achieved when the concentration ratio is 255. The theoretical results illustrate that device performance parameters are the main factors that determine the feasibility of hybrid utilization. Choosing appropriate system operating parameters is also important to ensure the superiority of the hybrid system.

Feasibility analysis and techno-economic design of grid-isolated hybrid renewable energy system for electrification of agriculture and irrigation area: A case study in Dongola, Sudan

Today, particular attention is being globally paid towards clean and sustainable energy system. The rapid development in renewable energy technologies, growth of energy markets, and adopted financial strategies and policies have the key role in achieving this target. This paper provides a comprehensive feasibility analysis of a gird-isolated hybrid renewable energy system for electrification of agriculture and irrigation area in Dongola, Sudan. A systematic and integrative framework combined with techno-economic optimization analysis for adequate planning and design of hybrid renewable energy system is proposed. Different hybridization cases of a solar photovoltaic, wind turbine, diesel generator, battery storage, and converter technologies, together with a diesel generator-based energy system as base case are modeled, evaluated and compared considering the stochastic behavior of renewable energy resources with a main target to find the most feasible and reliable solution with least system cost and realistic environmental impacts. This followed by a sensitivity analysis to reveal the effects of uncertainty in system parameters on the designed system and its economic performance. The obtained results indicate that solar-wind-diesel-battery-converter hybrid system is of optimal performance and superiority over the studied cases to serve the load demand of the investigated area. The system not only gets the minimum values of the total net present cost (24.16 M$) and levelized cost of energy (0.387 $/kWh), but also effectively achieves a positive return on investment of 39.94% and around 95% reduction in both carbon emissions and fuel consumption compared to the base case. Meanwhile, the result of sensitivity analysis demonstrates the high dependability of system cost on the volatility of solar radiation and wind speed as well as the changes in the rate of interest with the prospect of ignoring the effect of variation of diesel fuel price in the future investment decision. Finally, the output of this study is projected to raising the potentiality awareness of renewable energy in Sudan and providing a valuable reference about the optimal planning and utilization of hybrid renewable energy system in energy sector.

An integrated model to use drilling modular machine tools

Modular machine tools provide a platform for drilling-related operations within automotive companies. The use of these machine tools is widespread; however, manufacturers wishing to use this technology frequently face the challenge of selecting the most appropriate manufacturing system. Accordingly, a comprehensive feasibility analysis procedure is required to assist decision-makers before any investment is made on the preparation of detailed machine design or purchase one. This paper presents a model, which collects the previous works of the authors. To do this, an integrated framework for decision-making of using machine tools is developed. The aim of this model is to enable users to make a logical decision by assessing the strengths and limitations of machine tools. To do this, the parameters which have a key influence on the decision-making process and relevant procedures are identified and integrated into a model. A case study is presented to illustrate the application of proposed model, and results are discussed. The results show that the proposed model is useful in assisting manufacturers in evaluating the performance of a modular machine tool in comparison with other alternatives.

A study on probabilistic social cost–benefit analysis to introduce high-efficiency motors into subway station ventilation

As a solution to enhance the air quality for public health while reducing energy consumption, introduction of high efficiency motors with inverters enabling variable speed operation of subway station ventilation systems has been proposed. However, as the initial costs for these alternative systems are around eight times more than those for conventional fixed speed systems, a comprehensive feasibility analysis should be conducted. Previous analyses focused on economic benefits based on predetermined loads for ventilation. As such, the various social benefits that are dynamically determined according to energy saving resulting from variable speed operation could not be determined. This research presents a probabilistic social cost-benefit analysis model. The ventilation systems’ operational loads are mainly affected by particulate matter concentrations; these can be predicted through probabilistic simulation of previous weather data. The probabilistically analyzed energy saving influences the social benefits i.e. fuel reduction, carbon dioxide reduction, and air pollutant reduction. The proposed analysis model is validated with real world data obtained from the operation of underground subway station ventilation systems in which synchronous reluctance motors (SynRM), a type of high efficiency variable speed motor, and inverters are installed by the authors.

Assessing the feasibility of community health insurance in Uganda: A mixed-methods exploratory analysis

Community health insurance (CHI) aims to provide financial protection and facilitate health care access among poor rural populations. Given common operational challenges that hamper the full development of the scheme, there is need to undertake systematic feasibility studies. These are scarce in the literature and usually they do not provide a comprehensive analysis of the local context.The present research intends to adopt a mixed–methods approach to assess ex-ante the feasibility of CHI. In particular, eight preconditions are proposed to inform the viability of introducing the micro insurance. A case study located in rural northern Uganda is presented to test the effectiveness of the mixed–methods procedure for the feasibility purpose. A household survey covering 180 households, 8 structured focus group discussions, and 40 key informant interviews were performed between October and December 2016 in order to provide a complete and integrated analysis of the feasibility preconditions. Through the data collected at the household level, the population health seeking behaviours and the potential insurance design were examined; econometric analyses were carried out to investigate the perception of health as a priority need and the willingness to pay for the scheme. The latter component, in particular, was analysed through a contingent valuation method.The results validated the relevant feasibility preconditions. Econometric estimates demonstrated that awareness of catastrophic health expenditures and the distance to the hospital play a critical influence on household priorities and willingness to pay. Willingness is also significantly affected by socio–economic status and basic knowledge of insurance principles. Overall, the mixed-methods investigation showed that a comprehensive feasibility analysis can shape a viable CHI model to be implemented in the local context.

Development of a Network-location-model for the Economic Optimization of Local Heating Systems in Urban Chile

Cogeneration of heat and electricity is an important pillar of energy and climate policy. To plan the production and distribution system of combined heat and power (CHP) systems for residential heating, suitable methods for decision support are needed. For a comprehensive feasibility analysis, the integration of the location and capacity planning of the power plants, the choice of customers, and the network planning of the heating network into one optimization model are necessary. Thus, we develop an optimization model for electricity generation and heat supply. This mixed integer linear program (MILP) is based on graph theory for network flow problems. We apply the network location model for the optimization of district heating systems in the City of Osorno in Chile, which exhibits the “checkerboard layout” typically found in many South American cities. The network location model can support the strategic planning of investments in renewable energy projects because it permits the analysis of changing energy prices, calculation of break-even prices for heat and electricity, and estimation of greenhouse gas emission savings.

Feasibility of struvite recovery process for fertilizer industry: A study of financial and economic analysis

Struvite precipitation is widely used as an established and promising physicochemical treatment method due to its higher effectiveness for removing and recovering excess nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, and production of a beneficial byproduct at the end of the process. However, the majority of the literature focus not on the economic aspects of the process, but rather on the effect of different chemical combinations and changing operating conditions. In order to fulfill this gap, this study aims at a comprehensive feasibility analysis of struvite recovery process for a full-scale fertilizer production industry with a 500 m3/day capacity. For quantitative assessment, the experimental conditions and chemical combinations that will allow the receiving environment discharge standard for ammonium nitrogen are optimized by taking into account a large number of economic and operating parameters. The effect of change in the struvite sale price on the profit share is examined for the optimum conditions, and the investment and operating costs are calculated by getting the latest up-to-date values from the market. It is determined that when the struvite sale price is raised to 560 €/ton, the facility will obtain a net profit of €445.62/day, and be able to pay for itself in approximately six years. The findings of this study corroborate the economic feasibility of struvite recovery process as a clean and eco-friendly technology at the plant level for a sustainable nutrient management. Clearly, it appears likely that the struvite precipitation method will become more widespread in the future as an effective and non-polluting process.

System scaling approach and thermoeconomic analysis of a pressure retarded osmosis system for power production with hypersaline draw solution: A Great Salt Lake case study

Osmotic power with pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is an emerging renewable energy option for locations where fresh water and salt water mix. Energy can be recovered from the salinity gradient between the solutions. This study provides a comprehensive feasibility analysis for a PRO power plant in a hypersaline environment. A sensitivity analysis investigates the effects of key technical and financial parameters on energy and economic performances. A case study is developed for the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA (which has an average 24% salt concentration). A 25 MW PRO power plant is investigated to analyze the necessary components and their performances. With currently available technologies, the power plant would require 1.54 m3/s (24,410 GPM) fresh water flow rate and 3.08 m3/s (48,820 GPM) salt water flow rate. The net annual energy production is projected to be 154,249 MWh, with capital cost of $238.0 million, and operations and maintenance cost of $35.5 million per year. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) would be $0.2025/kWh, but further design improvements would reduce the LCOE to $0.1034/kWh. The high salinity of the Great Salt Lake is a critical factor toward making the osmotic power plant economically feasible.

CONTROL OF SUPERCONDUCTING POWER SUBSTATION TO SMOOTH WIND GENERATION AND IMPROVE SYSTEM FAULT DYNAMICS

Based on comprehensive feasibility analysis, this article proposes to use superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system to suppress the high-frequency power output fluctuations of a hybrid wind farm with doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) and fixed speed induction generators (FSIGs) so that the primary frequencycontrol of the system can be relieved.

Is extreme learning machine feasible? A theoretical assessment (part I).

An extreme learning machine (ELM) is a feedforward neural network (FNN) like learning system whose connections with output neurons are adjustable, while the connections with and within hidden neurons are randomly fixed. Numerous applications have demonstrated the feasibility and high efficiency of ELM-like systems. It has, however, been open if this is true for any general applications. In this two-part paper, we conduct a comprehensive feasibility analysis of ELM. In Part I, we provide an answer to the question by theoretically justifying the following: 1) for some suitable activation functions, such as polynomials, Nadaraya-Watson and sigmoid functions, the ELM-like systems can attain the theoretical generalization bound of the FNNs with all connections adjusted, i.e., they do not degrade the generalization capability of the FNNs even when the connections with and within hidden neurons are randomly fixed; 2) the number of hidden neurons needed for an ELM-like system to achieve the theoretical bound can be estimated; and 3) whenever the activation function is taken as polynomial, the deduced hidden layer output matrix is of full column-rank, therefore the generalized inverse technique can be efficiently applied to yield the solution of an ELM-like system, and, furthermore, for the nonpolynomial case, the Tikhonov regularization can be applied to guarantee the weak regularity while not sacrificing the generalization capability. In Part II, however, we reveal a different aspect of the feasibility of ELM: there also exists some activation functions, which makes the corresponding ELM degrade the generalization capability. The obtained results underlie the feasibility and efficiency of ELM-like systems, and yield various generalizations and improvements of the systems as well.

Satellite-based modeling of permafrost temperatures in a tundra lowland landscape

Remote sensing offers great potential for detecting changes of the thermal state of permafrost and active layer dynamics in the context of Arctic warming. This study presents a comprehensive feasibility analysis of satellite-based permafrost modeling for a typical lowland tundra landscape in the Lena River Delta, Siberia. We assessed the performance of a transient permafrost model which is forced by time series of land surface temperatures (LSTs) and snow water equivalents (SWEs) obtained from MODIS and GlobSnow products. Both the satellite products and the model output were evaluated on the basis of long-term field measurements from the Samoylov permafrost observatory. The model was found to successfully reproduce the evolution of the permafrost temperature and freeze-thaw dynamics when calibrated with ground measurements. Monte-Carlo simulations were performed in order to evaluate the impact of inaccuracies in the model forcing and uncertainties in the parameterization. The sensitivity analysis showed that a correct SWE forcing and parameterization of the snow's thermal properties are essential for reliable permafrost modeling. In the worst case, the bias in the modeled permafrost temperatures can amount to 5°C. For the thaw depth, a maximum uncertainty of about ±15cm is found due to possible uncertainties in the soil composition.

Modeling Study of Aircraft Based on Small Perturbation Equation

In aircraft flight control law design, the first key is to establish actual aircraft mathematical model, then according to the model of dynamic output information, analysis control law design is appropriate. But in the movement the aircraft is a complex dynamics system, modeling is very complex. This paper firstly carry out comprehensive feasibility analysis, on a plane modeling consideration simplified, secondly, in actual applications verified using the perturbation method of nonlinear equation linearization, establish the plane mathematics model.

Waste Heat Recovery and Utilization in Cotton Manufacturing Enterprise: Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Aspects of a Case Study

In this paper, a detailed description of a project designed to recovery and utilize waste heat in a cotton manufacturing enterprise in Shandong, Jin Mao Textile Co., Ltd(China) is presented: both energy saving and emission reduction(ESER) aspects have been thoroughly considered. First of all, an accurate analysis of the status of the previous cotton mill for production process was developed, to identify possible improvement opportunities; then an energy saving reformation of waste heat recovery in cotton mill was proposed and designed. After that, by means of a comprehensive feasibility analysis, the ESER indices were calculated assuring good environmental benefits of the plant modification investment. The modifications to the system make it possible to achieve consistent annual savings of coal, electricity and waste heat, CO2, SO2 emissions through effective recovery and utilization of the waste heat that was discharged into the atmosphere in the original production. Implementation of the reformation system fulfilled the waste heat recovery and utilization. And also create good environmental benefits.

Establishment of Autologous Melanoma Cell Lines for Vaccine Therapy: Comprehensive Analysis of Feasibility

Establishment of Autologous Melanoma Cell Lines for Vaccine Therapy: Comprehensive Analysis of Feasibility

Energy saving in the tissue industry: technical and economic aspects of a case study

In this paper, a detailed description of a project designed to reduce the energy consumption in a tissue mill in the Lucca industrial district (Italy) is presented: both technical and economic aspects have been thoroughly considered. First of all, an accurate analysis of the status of the previous steam plant for the paper drying process was developed, to identify possible improvement opportunities; then a new configuration for the steam system was proposed and designed. After that, by means of a comprehensive feasibility analysis, the typical economic indices were calculated assuring good economic profitability of the plant modification investment. The modifications to the system make it possible to achieve consistent annual savings of natural gas, fresh water and CO 2 emissions through complete elimination of steam losses that were present in the original steam circuit. Implementation of the new steam system has fully confirmed the design results described in this paper.

New editorial board members

Today, particular attention is being globally paid towards clean and sustainable energy system. The rapid development in renewable energy technologies, growth of energy markets, and adopted financial strategies and policies have the key role in achieving this target. This paper provides a comprehensive feasibility analysis of a gird-isolated hybrid renewable energy system for electrification of agriculture and irrigation area in Dongola, Sudan. A systematic and integrative framework combined with techno-economic optimization analysis for adequate planning and design of hybrid renewable energy system is proposed. Different hybridization cases of a solar photovoltaic, wind turbine, diesel generator, battery storage, and converter technologies, together with a diesel generator-based energy system as base case are modeled, evaluated and compared considering the stochastic behavior of renewable energy resources with a main target to find the most feasible and reliable solution with least system cost and realistic environmental impacts. This followed by a sensitivity analysis to reveal the effects of uncertainty in system parameters on the designed system and its economic performance. The obtained results indicate that solar-wind-diesel-battery-converter hybrid system is of optimal performance and superiority over the studied cases to serve the load demand of the investigated area. The system not only gets the minimum values of the total net present cost (24.16 M$) and levelized cost of energy (0.387 $/kWh), but also effectively achieves a positive return on investment of 39.94% and around 95% reduction in both carbon emissions and fuel consumption compared to the base case. Meanwhile, the result of sensitivity analysis demonstrates the high dependability of system cost on the volatility of solar radiation and wind speed as well as the changes in the rate of interest with the prospect of ignoring the effect of variation of diesel fuel price in the future investment decision. Finally, the output of this study is projected to raising the potentiality awareness of renewable energy in Sudan and providing a valuable reference about the optimal planning and utilization of hybrid renewable energy system in energy sector.

Project Feasibility Analysis: A Guide to Profitable New Ventures

Every year Dun and Bradstreet publishes reports of business failures, and new venture prospects frequently appear discouraging. Why do 16 out of 17 companies fail to survive? Perhaps, because many of them should never have been started and might not have been if a comprehensive feasibility analysis had been made. PROJECT FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS is a manual for the preparation of a new venture feasibility study and investment proposal. Its organized, step-by-step presentation assists in venture idea generation and explains in detail how to • Perform the market analysis (data needs, sources of data, market surveys, forecasting methods, development of the sales plan) • Conduct the technical analysis (production schedule, equipment and tooling, labor needs, plant location and layout, cost estimating, development of the manufacturing plan) • Direct a financial analysis (cost estimating, pro-forma financial statements, profitability measures, sensitivity analysis) The authors also present a feasibility study for a thermo-mechanical pulp mill as a case example and follow up with the concepts of social profitability, in- cluding cost/benefit analysis. Readers also find sound advice on financing considerations, sources of financing, and the investment proposal. This book meets the needs of Entrepreneurs: Assures thoroughness in evaluating the financial feasibility of a venture idea before becoming too committed. Procedures presented here result in an objective analysis and a well-documented proposal. The Business Executive: Provides details related to expansion possibility (addition to product line or a new plant, for example) and advice on financing. Industrial Development Professionals: Illustrates how to analyze investment alternatives regarding characteristics involving generation of employment, support of existing or planned industry, upgrading of employment opportunities, or the amount of foreign exchange saved. The Loan Officer and Investment Decision Maker: Gives useful guidelines for those who have to appraise investment proposals and pass judgement on their commercial worthiness.