Deployment Of Facilities Research Articles

Stochasticity and environmental cost inclusion for electric vehicles fast-charging facility deployment

This study aims to seek the optimal deployment of fast-charging stations concerning the traffic flow equilibrium and various realistic considerations to promote Electric Vehicles (EVs) widespread adoption. A bi-level optimization framework has been developed in which the upper level aims to minimize the total system cost (i.e., capital cost, travel cost, and environmental cost). Meanwhile, the lower level captures travellers’ routing behaviours with stochastic demands and driving range limitation. A meta-heuristic approach has been proposed, combining the Cross-Entropy Method and the Method of Successive Average to solve the problem. Finally, numerical studies are conducted to demonstrate the proposed framework’s performance and provide insights into the impact of uncertain driving range and charging congestion on the planning decision and the system performance. Generally, both on-route congestion and charging congestion tend to be more serious when there are more EVs in the network; however, the system performance can be improved by increasing EVs’ driving range limitation and providing appropriate charging infrastructure.

Non-Motorized Transportation Analysis of Traffic Density, Pollution Using Regression Anova Analysis

Planners are now trying to provide greener travel solutions to reduce fiscal, social, and environmental issues. This research, therefore, seeks to find significant reasons for urban transport to enhance the use of alternative transportation modes. This report seeks to establish the connection between influential metrics for urban mobility and regular travel trips from different parts of the world. Deployment of excellent non-motorized transport facilities for Walking and cycling is a good way to encourage the use of bicycles, thereby increasing the physical fitness of end-users. Past studies were thoroughly reviewed and found to be applicable for analysis and application in the real world. Anova's regression analysis is distinguished by a more comprehensive interpretation of the findings. At Rajkamal Intersection, Amravati district, Maharashtra the traffic volume counts were carried out. It is the focus of the transport congestion, which leads to a polluted atmosphere due to prolonged duration at the signals. In this research, it can be seen that with the use of Motorized transport the traffic density & air pollution will increase with time, and with the increase in the use of Non-Motorized transport, the traffic density decreases also the air pollution is at a steady pace. The current study shows the necessity, favourable conditions, and economic benefits of non-motorized sustainable traffic, in the Indian condition.

Integrated facility location and capacity planning under uncertainty

We address a multi-period facility location problem with two customer segments having distinct service requirements. While customers in one segment receive preferred service, customers in the other segment accept delayed deliveries as long as lateness does not exceed a pre-specified threshold. The objective is to define a schedule for facility deployment and capacity scalability that satisfies all customer demands at minimum cost. Facilities can have their capacities adjusted over the planning horizon through incrementally increasing or reducing the number of modular units they hold. These two features, capacity expansion and capacity contraction, can help substantially improve the flexibility in responding to demand changes. Future customer demands are assumed to be unknown. We propose two different frameworks for planning capacity decisions and present a two-stage stochastic model for each one of them. While in the first model decisions related to capacity scalability are modeled as first-stage decisions, in the second model, capacity adjustments are deferred to the second stage. We develop the extensive forms of the associated stochastic programs for the case of demand uncertainty being captured by a finite set of scenarios. Additional inequalities are proposed to enhance the original formulations. An extensive computational study with randomly generated instances shows that the proposed enhancements are very useful. Specifically, 97.5% of the instances can be solved to optimality in much shorter computing times. Important insights are also provided into the impact of the two different frameworks for planning capacity adjustments on the facility network configuration and its total cost.

Cloud-connected flying edge computing for smart agriculture

Due to recent advancements and the success of versatile mobile applications, more and more services around the globe are being moved to the cloud. As a result, its limitations have become more evident. The major issues that cloud-based applications face include large latency, bottlenecks because of central processing, compromised security, and lack of offline processing. The drawbacks of cloud computing are reduced by fog and edge computing, where data are processed near the places where it is generated—at network edges or fog nodes—most importantly in a distributed way. Smart agriculture is an approach based on the Internet of Things (IoT) where cloud computing is not an option as the internet is usually not available at remote sites. In addition, pure edge computing also is not practical, as most sensor nodes are very small and they do not have enough computing power. Intermediate fog computing also is not a good choice, as fixed fog nodes (getaway nodes) do not work well with high node fluctuation caused by bad weather or harsh conditions. Considering these issues and limitations, we have proposed the idea of flying edge computing where an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) acts as an edge-computing machine. This can be an ideal solution for smart agriculture, given the size and remoteness of many agricultural areas. This technique can be called “wind or breeze computing” because the data are “blown” or moved by the current of computing. The Flying-Edge offers fast deployment of edge facilities in challenging locations and it can be a major step to accomplish the goal of IoT-based smart agriculture.

Geopolitics as an “Arbitrator” in the Economic Competition of Trans-Baikal Cities (Mid 19th - Early 20th Century)

The article is devoted to the economic rivalry of two Trans-Baikal cities, such as the chief town of the district Verkhneudinsk and the regional town Chita, for the leadership in the region which began with the foundation of the Trans-Baikal region and the appointment of Chita as its capital. Unspoken competition was manifested in determining the status and role in the Trans-Baikal economic area, the place in the regional market system, and the development of banking and railway infrastructure. Despite the fact that Verkhneudinsk had better starting opportunities (a higher level of economic and cultural development), it was almost always in the role of the one which catches up. The status of the administrative center of the Trans-Baikal Region gave Chita the opportunity to «work ahead of the curve». However, the victory in the final round of the competition remained with the chief town of the district, which, however, did not manage to take advantage of its fruits. The author's task is to reconstruct the stages of this peculiar competition and determine the factors that influenced its outcome. The analysis of the sources, first of all, the documents of the State Archive of the Republic of Buryatia, allowed to make the conclusion that the decisions made by the imperial center in relation to both cities were based on the geopolitical factor. It was the task of strengthening Russian influence in the Far East that dictated the deployment of infrastructure facilities in Trans-Baikal cities, which increased their economic status.

Bus Service Level and Horizontal Equity Analysis in the Context of the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem

The modifiable areal unit problem is of great importance in geographic science. The use of a specific zoning impacts the social and economic imbalances that can be generated in the deployment of services, facilities, and infrastructure. In this article, GIS is used together with simulation and optimization tools to analyse the effects of bus frequency changes in the levels of service and horizontal equity derived from different types of territorial zoning. The city of Palma (Balearic Islands, Spain) was chosen as a case study for the method, for which different geographical areas are used: neighbourhoods, census sections, cadastral blocks, and a 400 × 400 m mesh. The results show significant variations of the optimal frequencies obtained, depending on the type of zoning used. In general, smaller zonings show much higher sensitivity for the detection of imbalances between the population and bus service level. Likewise, orthogonal zonings also prove useful for identifying service and population concentration over other zonings. The use of large spatial units could lead to the misdiagnosis of needs and the implementation of actions that do not actually improve the level of service or the equity of the transport service. It is recommended to consider combining zonings of different sizes simultaneously, in order to accurately highlight imbalances and to argue for transport service improvements.

Marine renewable energy and maritime spatial planning in Spain: Main challenges and recommendations

Preliminary studies demonstrate the availability of significant renewable energy potential in Spanish waters. Its use could contribute to achieving the recently updated national objectives for the generation of clean energy in the future National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030. Despite the different initiatives that were unsuccessfully proposed at the end of the 2000s, the current implementation of blue energy is practically zero in Spain due to the characteristics of the marine space, which limits the technical and economic viability of the projects. There are other factors, such as a complex regulatory framework, inadequate administrative processes, limited availability of information as well as social rejection of this type of facility. Like other Member States of the European Union, Spain is currently developing a process of maritime spatial planning (MSP) that should be concluded, according to RD 363/2017, with the approval of a maritime spatial plan (POEM) for each of the five existing marine demarcations. This planning will have consequences for the uses and activities of the marine environment, including marine renewable energies. It also provides an opportunity to address existing non-technical barriers and promote the deployment of blue energy facilities. This investigation studies the MSP landscape in Spain from a holistic perspective and analyzes the repercussions of future POEMs in the offshore wind sector and other marine renewable energies. It concludes by proposing a set of recommendations, based on previous experiences in other regions, aimed at facilitating the integration of clean energy policies in the future uses of this marine space.

Taxi trajectory data based fast-charging facility planning for urban electric taxi systems

This study develops a taxi trajectory data based fast-charging facility planning model for an urban taxi system by considering battery degradation and vehicle heterogeneity in driving range. The developed model comprises three functional modules: (i) fast-charging location determination, (ii) fast-charging facility deployment (FCFD) and (iii) FCFD solution tuning. Under the FCFD module, charging demand prediction considering battery degradation and vehicle heterogeneity, charging demand allocation and charger configuration optimization are executed sequentially. The FCFD solution is tuned by an effective backward elimination method to find a more economic and practical planning solution where the minimal number of chargers at each station can be specified. A case study in Singapore is thoroughly conducted, and insightful policy implications are revealed: policy-makers could use the tuning mechanism to significantly save investment and reduce total waiting time for charging; overlooking battery degradation and vehicle heterogeneity will yield a biased electric taxi charging facility planning.

Sponge-city-based urban water system planning: a case study of water quality sensitive new area development in China

Abstract In recent years, sponge city has been booming in China aiming to alleviate urban flooding and improve water quality of natural water bodies. LID/green infrastructure has been gradually introduced to urban planning and urban water system planning. Efficient deployment of LID facilities is critical, which requires modeling and evaluation to develop rational planning. A case study of Guian New Area was presented to show the application of SWMM and the planning methods in sponge-city-based urban water system planning for water quality sensitive new areas development. Based on SWMM, two river network water quality models, the Dongmenqiao River and the Chetian River, were established through a systematic analysis of the case study area. Baseline scenarios were simulated and analyzed, and assimilation capacities of the two river basins were calculated by a trial-and-error method. Finally, two LID scenarios were carefully designed, simulated, and analyzed to support the planning. The simulations showed that in order to meet the strict water quality requirements in Guian New Area, large scales of LID facilities are required to cut down the rainfall-runoff pollution. Moreover, measures such as more frequent cleaning to reduce pollutants accumulation on the ground should also be taken to mitigate the maximum buildups of pollutants.

An accessibility spatial search algorithm to optimize defibrillator deployment in indoor space

ABSTRACT Indoor space, where humans spend 80% of their lives, is subject to frequent out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Optimizing the spatial deployment of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) has the potential to improve OHCA survival rate. Complex indoor space is typically divided by hard barriers into multiple discrete subspaces across floors. Commonly used distance measurements, such as Euclidean distance and network distance, are unsuitable for indoor AED deployment. Instead, we propose an accessibility spatial search algorithm (ASSA) to generate accessible areas of candidate facilities, i.e. AEDs, based on an indoor space model, and optimizes the facility deployment subject to three objectives: maximizing the survival rate, maximizing total spatial coverage and maximizing backup coverage. Additionally, improved artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. We design experiments with simulated and real-world scenarios for AED placements and evaluate the ASSA results. The experiments show that the ASSA can provide helpful guidance in optimizing AED placement in indoor space.

Electric vehicle drivers’ charging behavior analysis considering heterogeneity and satisfaction

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been developed rapidly in recent years in China, but a further promotion of EVs is hindered by the unreasonable deployment of facilities. Therefore, a deep understanding of EV drivers’ charging behavior is viewed to be helpful to a more suitable deployment of new chargers. In this paper, charging influence factors are analyzed, and logit-based models for charging choice behaviors are proposed. First, a web-based stated preference survey is designed to obtain the data of EV drivers’ charging choice preference. Second, binary logit models are developed using the survey data, with vehicle attributes, destination activity, and subsequent travel information as influence factors. Especially, the satisfaction of charging facilities reviewed by previous users and drivers’ risk attitudes are also introduced to analyze charging choice preference. Third, latent class models are proposed to further taste the heterogeneity of EV drivers’ charging decision strategies. The results reveal two classes of decision-making patterns among our sample population: (1) service concerned, which are the majority of the respondents who value the satisfaction and queue of charging station, characterized with younger age, richer driving experience and higher income, and (2) pragmatic concerned, those who weight multiple factors, such as excess range, parking time, and charging fee. It suggests that the improvement of charging service levels, such as providing reliable and high-quality charging service, is necessary for operators to attract more EV drivers.

Development and Implementation of an Alternate Care Site During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

IntroductionWith the rampant spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the subsequent pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the need for medical resources has never been greater. In recent history, the deployment of surge medical facilities and their importance in improving the provision of crisis care became relevant. The primary objective of this study was to describe the development and implementation of an alternate care site (ACS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a retrospective, single-center study that was conducted between April 7, 2020, and May 26, 2020, of adult patients from a primary facility admitted to an ACS, labeled Staten Island University Hospital East (SIUH-E). These select patients met specific inclusion criteria for SIUH-E before transfer.ResultsDuring the operational course of SIUH-E, 813 patients were screened and 203 patients were accepted for transfer. Of the patients admitted to SIUH-E, 120 (59%) were male. The mean age was 63 years (SD = 13.91). The mean length of stay was 3.93 days (SD = 3.94). Among discharged patients, 179 (88%) were discharged to home or another long-term facility, whereas 24 (12%) patients required a transfer back to the main campus.ConclusionsIn this study, we describe the development and implementation of an alternate care surge facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. SIUH-E played a vital role in effectively caring for select COVID-19 patients, which allowed the primary facilities to treat a greater volume of higher acuity patients. The combined efforts of the state and hospital were able to create and sustain a safe, practical alternative care facility.

Transmission power and altitude design for energy‐efficient mission completion of small‐size unmanned aerial vehicle

Owing to the rapid and facile deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the third-generation partnership programme has recently shown considerable interest in UAVs for assisting current terrestrial base stations. Hence, the feasibility of using UAVs has been vigorously investigated for enhancing the performance of traditional ground-based communications, e.g. coverage and quality-of-service enhancement under natural disaster or overwhelming data requirement conditions. Here, however, the energy-efficient operation of the UAV is necessary to obtain the essential benefits. To strengthen the base of operation and management of UAVs in cellular systems, the authors consider in this Letter a single mission in which a small-size UAV transmits a given data volume to a cell boundary user. They design the transmit power and altitude of the UAV to complete the mission with high-energy efficiency. From the numerical results, it is verified that the UAV transmitting data with the designed transmit power at the designed altitude can complete the mission with near-optimal, i.e. maximum, energy efficiency.

A Rapidly Deployable Test Suite for Respiratory Protective Devices in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction:The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused large shortages in personal protective equipment, leading to hospitals buying their supplies from alternative suppliers or even reusing single-use items. Equipment from these alternative sources first needs to be tested to ensure that they properly protect the clinicians that depend on them. This work demonstrates a test suite for protective face masks that can be realized rapidly and cost effectively, using mainly off-the-shelf as well as 3D printing components.Materials and Methods:The proposed test suite was designed and evaluated in order to assess its safety and proper functioning according to the criteria that are stated in the European standard norm EN149:2001+A1 7. These include a breathing resistance test, a CO2 build-up test, and a penetration test. Measurements were performed for a variety of commercially available protective face masks for validation.Results:The results obtained with the rapidly deployable test suite agree with conventional test methods, demonstrating that this setup can be used to assess the filtering properties of protective masks when conventional equipment is not available.Discussion:The presented test suite can serve as a starting point for the rapid deployment of more testing facilities for respiratory protective equipment. This could greatly increase the testing capacity and ultimately improve the safety of healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Optimizing workplace charging facility deployment and smart charging strategies

This study introduces a workplace charging (WPC) optimization model that maximizes the total satisfied electric miles of employees’ plug-in electric vehicles, subject to a given annual budget. The model optimizes both planning decisions of charger number and power levels and operation decisions of charging spot assignment and charging schedule for the given temporal distribution of charging demands and varied electricity prices. Results of experiments based on national average travel data indicate that the actual WPC strategy varies by budget level. Through optimization, the strategy could reduce impacts of the varied electricity price by shifting charging schedules to periods when electricity prices are low. Also, the model is expanded to study the trade-off between providing WPC and addressing consequence of degraded charging service by including the per-mile shadow cost of unsatisfied charging demand. We observe that their relative competitiveness mainly depends on the actual shadow cost of WPC.

Factors influencing the deployment of innovative (ict) facilities by construction organisations in port Harcourt, Nigeria

Data management and exchange of information within contractor organization or between contractors and/or consultant or clients are facilitated through effective information and communication technologies (ICTs) facility provisions. Information exchange happens in real time and jobs made easier through the use of electronic devices. In spite of the huge data generation and information exchange needs of construction contractors, they are still faced with the challenge of adopting ICT in their daily transactions. Thus, this research set out to assess the factors influencing innovative ICT facilities deployment in contracting firms in Port Harcourt. The study adopted a survey approach, in which quantitative data were gathered from construction professionals within the study area, using of a well-structured questionnaire. With a response rate of 68.28%, the data gathered were analyzed using percentage and factor analysis. The study reveals that the factors influencing the deployment of ICT in construction are; Change related issues, Security related concerns, Human and management related Concerns, and Cost related Concerns. Key among these factors are satisfaction with existing method of working, inadequate trained ICT professionals, inadequate knowledge about return on ICT investment, virus attack, security breach and fear of piracy, and lack of legal support for use of ICT. It was recommended that government should put legislation in place to make it mandatory for construction firms to make ICT an integral part of their service delivery.

Benefits of Innovative (ICT) Facilities Deployment on Construction Projects Delivery in Nigeria

Benefits of Innovative (ICT) Facilities Deployment on Construction Projects Delivery in Nigeria

Factors and impacts of informal settlements residents' sanitation practices on access and sustainability of sanitation services in the policy context of Free Basic Sanitation

Abstract Through the Free Basic Sanitation (FBSan) service policy, many informal settlements in South Africa have been provided with basic sanitation facilities. However, access to these facilities remains challenging for many residents. These challenges have compelled residents to adopt a range of alternative sanitation practices. Through interviews, observation and focus group discussions in five informal settlements in the Western Cape, South Africa, 383 randomly selected respondents identified factors that shape their sanitation practices and how these practices impact on access to, and sustainability of sanitation services in the policy context of the FBSan. Residents' sanitation practices include the use of buckets, porta-potties, plastic bags, and existing facilities within and outside their settlements for either defecating or discharging the bucket contents and open defecation. These sanitation practices are informed by factors including safety concerns, poor conditions of the facilities, lack of privacy and choice. These findings suggest that the provision of facilities through the FBSan policy should consider the multiple and varied needs of residents, practices and conditions of their settlements prior to the selection and deployment of facilities to informal settlements in South Africa. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.

The mediation of news framing between public trust and nuclear risk reactions in post-Fukushima China: A case study

Although China has become the world’s most ambitious country in adopting nuclear energy, few studies have investigated the role of communication behind public acceptance of nuclear risk in this country. This study explored the association of Chinese newspapers’ framing of nuclear power with public trust in government and their reactions to nuclear risk. The results revealed that the more the respondents identified with the news framing, the more trust they placed in the government regarding nuclear risk control (NRC). Public identification with news framing also mediated the effect of trust in government on risk perceptions and acceptance. Because online news distribution in China is primarily limited to official news organizations, official discourses about nuclear risk have yet to be substantially challenged in cyberspace. These findings suggest that the enduring, positive news framing, which is guaranteed by China’s ubiquitous information control, has greatly contributed to the country’s nuclear energy blueprint. However, a trust-based model of risk communication that is facilitated by propaganda and information control may stem ‘healthy scepticism’ about the large-scale deployment of nuclear energy facilities. This study thus reminds policymakers to review the performance of their risk communication policies and to consider the necessity and proper methods of public risk engagement.

Blue energy and marine spatial planning in Southern Europe

The 2050 target of the European Union to decarbonize the economy by 80–90% will undoubtedly see marine renewable energies playing a key role. The deployment of offshore facilities within the framework of Blue Growth creates tension as competition for other uses of the sea intensifies as economic exploitation of marine resources increases. Marine spatial planning (MSP) is being applied in different Member States, mainly in the North Sea basin, as a way of easing tensions while promoting blue energy. The southernmost marine areas of the continent also have considerable energy potential that, as yet, has not been exploited due to the limitations imposed by a narrow and steep continental shelf, not to mention legal and administrative barriers. MSP processes currently being developed by the application of Directive 2014/89/EU present an opportunity to resolve these conflicts and promote sustainable use of MRE sources in southern Europe. This paper analyzes the marine spatial planning process of five southern European countries - Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta and Portugal - with the aim of determining the degree to which they are incorporating blue energy policies.