Economically Research Articles

Laboratory Investigation on Permeability Change and Economic Analysis Using Some Selected Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Laboratory Investigation on Permeability Change and Economic Analysis Using Some Selected Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Gender bias in customer perceptions: The case of agro-input dealers in Uganda

CONTEXTFaced with incomplete and imperfect information, economic actors rely predominantly on perceptions and often base decisions on heuristics prone to bias. Gender bias in perceptions favoring men has been found in a variety of settings and may be an important reason why some sectors remain dominated by men and gender gaps in terms of benefits persist. In modernizing food supply chains in a patriarchal context such as the maize sub-sector in Uganda, this may result in women facing significant barriers to entry. OBJECTIVEUsing a unique dataset of ratings of agro-input dealers provided by smallholder farmers in their vicinity, we test if farmers perceive male-managed agro-input shops differently than agro-input shops managed by women. METHODSWe use a dyadic dataset of farmer-dealer links to explicitly control for quality differences between male- and female-managed agro-input shops and use the fact that a farmer has generally rated more than one agro-input to account for farmer-level heterogeneity using fixed-effects regression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe find that farmers rate male-managed agro-input outlets higher on a range of attributes related to the dealership in general, as well as on the quality of inputs sold by the dealer. After controlling for both dealer and farmer level confounders, we conclude that gender bias in customer perceptions persists. SIGNIFICANCEOur results suggest a comparative disadvantage and an important entry barrier for female agro-input dealers. The gender bias may also affect social outcomes like women's capabilities, aspirations, and empowerment in seed systems but also impairs development at more aggregate levels: as a considerable share of agro-input shops is managed by women, this finding may impose challenges for varietal turnover, hindering agricultural productivity, food security, and rural transformation. Policies and interventions designed to challenge gender norms and customs are needed to correct this bias.

Advancing energy transition with novel biomass-solar based multigeneration energy system using hydrogen and storage options for sustainable cities

An integrated energy system is designed to produce various useful products, such as hydrogen, electricity, heat and cooling. This integrated plant utilizes various subsystems; solar power system, biomass energy system, steam Rankine cycle (SRC), Brayton cycle (BC), organic Rankine cycle (ORC), double-effect absorption system (DEAS), reverse osmosis system, and sonohydrogen production unit. The specific energetic, exergetic, economic and environmental impact assessment studies are carried out to evaluate the system's performance and sustainability. The engineering equation solver (EES) is used for these studies. The energy efficiencies for the BC, ORC and SRC are recorded as 29.69 %, 10.49 %, and 30 %, respectively. In regard to exergy efficiency, the BC, ORC and SRC achieve the following: 46.74 %, 62.73 %, and 53.43 %, respectively. Furthermore, the DEAS attains energetic and exergetic COPs of 1.67 and 0.65, respectively. Additionally, the overall system's energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 37.68 % and 71.25 %, respectively. The results from the thermal energy storage system indicate that the heat production begins at 7:00 a.m., and the charging of the storage unit commences two hours after and continues until 5:00 p.m., in coinciding with the availability of sunlight. The economic analysis demonstrates that with an initial investment of $53.80 million, the integrated multigeneration system achieves a net present value ranging from $6.87 million to $173.4 million across different hydrogen selling prices, from $7000 to $13,000 per ton up to 2054.

Peak shaving potential and its economic feasibility analysis of V2B mode

Electric vehicles (EVs) as mobile energy-storage devices improve the grid's ability to absorb renewable energy while reducing peak-to-valley load differences. With a focus on smoothing the load curve, this study investigates the peak shaving potential and its economic feasibility analysis of V2B mode. First, based on the virtual microgrid system established in this paper, a Monte Carlo method was used to simulate the driving, charging, and discharging processes of EVs. Second, the effects of the number of charging stations, battery capacity of EVs, and photovoltaic (PV) penetration rate on the peak shaving results were evaluated separately by using the standard deviation of daily loads. Third, the V2B peak shaving strategy and cost composition were explored considering the battery aging costs. Moreover, the economic feasibility and factors influencing the proposed strategy were analyzed. The results indicate that 1) V2B effectively transfers peak power loads between 08:00 h And 20:00 h To low-demand periods at night; 2) as the deployment ratio of charging station increases, the level of load fluctuation decreases significantly. When EV battery capacity is at or above 60 kW h, charging station deployment ratios of 0.43, 0.42, and 0.47 are required for saturated load smoothing in winter, transition period, and summer, respectively; 3) the PV penetration rate for maximizing the collaborative peak shaving capability of V2B and PV power is 30%–40 % and 4) reducing battery costs or extending battery life has the most significant effect on V2B power costs, followed by charging station costs. This study provides a theoretical basis for determining the economic feasibility of charging station planning and provides technical guidance for the rational scheduling of EVs and their friendly interaction with the power grid.

Investigation of a novel scheme utilizing solar and geothermal energies, generating power and ammonia: Exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental analyses and cuckoo search optimization

The integration of solar and geothermal energy sources presents a promising avenue for enhancing the efficiency and output of energy systems. This research introduces a novel hybrid system combining solar and geothermal energy for the co-generation of power, cooling, and ammonia. The proposed system integrates several cycles and technologies, including an organic Rankine cycle, an ejector refrigeration cycle, an organic flash cycle, a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and an ammonia synthesis reactor. Through a comprehensive 4E (energy, exergy, economic, and environmental) analysis, utilizing thermodynamic, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental methodologies, this study evaluates the system's performance. The findings reveal that solar collectors are the primary contributors to system irreversibility, accounting for 78 % of the total. Notably, an increase in the condenser outlet temperature significantly decreases the cooling load, whereas elevating the turbine 1 exit pressure enhances overall power production. At optimal operating conditions, the system generates a net power of 104 kW, provides 26.07 kW of cooling capacity, and produces 3.55 kg/h of ammonia. This performance translates into a product cost of 1.193 USD/h and an exergoenvironmental impact rate of 25.31 mPts/h, alongside achieving an exergy efficiency of 9.34 %. Financially, the system promises a payback period of 2.34 years and a net present value of 1.259 million USD, highlighting its economic viability and environmental benefits.

Economic and statistical analysis of inflation in the food market (on the example of the Kaluga region)

The obvious and widely discussed rise in food prices raises the need to find answers to numerous questions: about the nature and sources of inflation in this sector of the economy; forms of its manifestation for various subjects of market relations; a system of indicators that adequately reflect the essence of inflation processes and socio-economic consequences for the country’s population. The article makes an attempt to assess the modern information base for an objective and comprehensive description of the level and dynamics of inflation, the degree of its influence on achieving the target indicators of the Food Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation.

Electromobility Stage in the Energy Transition Policy—Economic Dimension Analysis of Charging Costs of Electric Vehicles

Electromobility Stage in the Energy Transition Policy—Economic Dimension Analysis of Charging Costs of Electric Vehicles

Multi-objective RIME algorithm-based techno economic analysis for security constraints load dispatch and power flow including uncertainties model of hybrid power systems

In recent times, the landscape of power systems has undergone significant evolution, particularly with the integration of diverse renewable energy sources (RESs). This advancement presents an invaluable opportunity to enhance energy efficiency in the modern power grid, primarily by bolstering the role of stochastic RESs. The challenge lies in the optimal power flow (OPF), a multifaceted and non-linear optimization challenge that grows more complex with the inclusion of stochastic RESs that aims to optimize the allocation of power system resources to minimize the operational cost while maintaining the stability and security of the system. Addressing this, the current study introduces an innovative optimization approach, the Multi-Objective RIME (MORIME) algorithm. Drawing inspiration from the physical phenomenon of rime-ice, called the RIME, the MORIME seeks to effectively tackle OPF issues. This algorithm enhances solution accuracy by smartly dividing with non-dominated sorting and crowding distance mechanism. The proposed OPF model incorporates three types of RESs: solar photovoltaic, wind and small-scale hydropower units. While uncertainties in wind speed and solar irradiation are managed through Monte Carlo simulations, the small hydro unit is considered a constant power source. The efficacy of the MORIME algorithm is tested on IEEE 30 bus systems and results indicate that the MORIME method identifies the optimal solution for the multi-objective OPF problem while satisfying the power system constraints, thereby proving its effectiveness and superiority over MOWOA, MOGWO, MOALO, MOMRFO and MOAGDE in terms of Hyper Volume (HV) and reciprocal of Pareto Sets Proximity (1/PSP) metrices. The MORIME source code is available at: https://github.com/kanak02/MORIME

Design of Production Line of 2000 Tons of Fermented Milk Beverage with Annual Output of Whole Bean

The whole soybean fermented milk beverage designed by this production line is a beverage made of soybean as raw material and fermented under the fermentation action of compound probiotics. The design optimizes the production line of whole soybean fermented milk beverage with an annual output of 2000t and strictly refers to the relevant national regulations to determine the process design, material balance, equipment selection, water and electricity estimation, and workshop design of the whole soybean fermented milk beverage production line. Finally, the technical and economic analysis of the scheme shows that the fixed investment of the project is 7.95 million yuan, the annual production cost is 15193.72 million yuan, the total profit after tax reached 16.80628 million yuan, the construction period is 1 year, and the payback period is expected to be about 2 years.

Valuation of the Teesta River water by Hydro Economic Model

Hydro-Economic Models (HEMs) are powerful tools to analyse water scarcity and water management problems. The Teesta River which flows from India to Bangladesh has long been a source of dispute between India and Bangladesh. A win–win solution for the problem is important for the 1.2 billion people of the two neighboring countries. A Hydro-Economic Model (HEM) on the Teesta may provide sufficient information for the solution of the dispute. Most HEMs that treat transboundary water issues consider a narrow scope of water values including agriculture, hydropower, municipal, and tourism. However, water has many additional values. This study adds to the HEM literature by considering the values of fisheries, navigation, environment or sediment transport. A Teesta Hydro-Economic Model (THEM) was developed to represent a large range of economic values of water use during the dry season. Results show that the total water use value for a dry season is USD 41.5 million for India and USD 77 million for Bangladesh. The study shows that the benefit per unit volume of water for hydropower is the lowest among all types of water use. After performing an economic analysis, this study found a potential for trade-off between hydropower use in India and environmental use in Bangladesh. This study gives an idea about how to maximise the benefits from the river and how to mitigate the water sharing dispute.

Performance assessment of green hydrogen generation via distinct electrolytes dedicated to renewable energy

Water electrolysis is the most established and effective method for generating green hydrogen. This research aim is to investigate the electrolyzer system model, by integrating several electrolytes (i.e., NaOH, KOH and H2SO4) and, the mathematical framework which depends on the foundation of thermal, electrochemical and system analysis. The system in Aspen Plus, with a maximum electrolyzer power of 15 kW, has been modelled by using the experimental reference system. This model relies on empirical expressions that explain how the cell potential, Faraday efficiency, excess heat, net power, and gas purity alters, at an operational conditions like temperature and pressure as well as the current density. The outcome demonstrates that at 10 bar pressure, electrolyte produces hydrogen with 99.84 % purity level. The maximum system efficiency of 84.13 % is recorded, whereas the maximum hydrogen production of 7.994 Nm3/h by using NaOH which is 4.57 % and 12.23 % higher than KOH and H2SO4 electrolytes when current density is 0.55 A/cm2. The economic analysis is done by evaluating maximum capital cost of 3042.78 k$/year. Also, sensitivity analysis has been done to evaluate the performance of electrolyzer ability for splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Creating development scenarios for Harran district/Türkiye with geodesign and financial analysis

Urban and regional planning in developing and developed countries faces many challenges, among them lacking support of stakeholders. Geodesign is a new approach in the framework of Public Participatory Geographic Information Systems addressing this problem. While Geodesign works have been carried out throughout the world they were separated from economic analysis. In this project, two different development scenarios for Harran District located in Southeast Turkey were elaborated using Geodesign methodology. Due to the importance of this region for agricultural production and its potential for tourism, the focus of this work lies on these sectors. The included financial analysis revealed the huge benefits of a scenario adopting early environmentally friendly technologies. The Net Present Value could be eight times higher if a conversion to orchards on some lands were realized. To streamline the computation of financial benefits on a strategic level an extension to the used GeodesignHub software was developed.

102 The Consequences of a Career in Burn Surgery: An Economic Analysis to Aid Prospective Clinicians

102 The Consequences of a Career in Burn Surgery: An Economic Analysis to Aid Prospective Clinicians

Bio-2,3-butanediol production from banana waste: Preliminary techno-economic evaluation of processing strategies

This study evaluates different fermentation strategies to produce 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) from banana industry waste, such as whole bananas (fruit + peels) and banana peels, selecting the most favorable from a technical and economic point of view. Both residues have enough free sugars (17.8 %–35.8 %), glucan (11.0 %–14.2 %) and hemicellulose (2.8 %–6.3 %), to be promising substrates for 2,3-BD fermentation. Saccharification was studied by comparing enzymatic hydrolysis, hydrothermal pretreatment, and hydrothermal pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Different fermentation scenarios were also compared regarding the 2,3-BD yield and productivity: Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation (SHF), Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF), and direct fermentation without prior saccharification using Paenibacillus polymyxa DSM-365 as the fermenting microorganism. The results showed that the pretreatment step was not necessary to improve the release of fermentable sugars. Enzymatic hydrolysis was the most effective alternative for maximizing sugar recovery, reaching sugar concentrations of 18.1 g/L (recovery: 92.5 %) for banana peels and 33.3 g/L (recovery: ∼100 %) for whole bananas. The SSF strategy led to higher 2,3-BD concentrations of 15.0 g/L and 26.6 g/L for banana peels and whole bananas, respectively. The preliminary economic analysis indicated that SSF and direct fermentation could be the more cost-effective process alternatives for banana peels and whole bananas, respectively. Thus, it was demonstrated that banana waste is an interesting resource for the production of 2,3-BD. The bioprocess can be competitive when using a low-cost raw material and reducing the number of process steps compared to traditional technologies.

Effects of cultivar, planting density and rootstock on long-term economic performance of apple orchards in the Northeastern U.S.

An economic analysis of profitability using Net Present Value (NPV) was conducted using data from two long-term training system × rootstock field trials conducted in New York State from 2006 to 2016 (Dressel Farm in southeastern New York State and VandeWalle Farm in Western, New York State). We used trial data for the first 11 years and estimated values for years 12–20 using average data from the last 4 years of field data. The field trials compared four training systems with different planting densities (Slender Pyramid, 840 trees ha−1; Vertical Axis, 1282 trees ha−1; Slender Axis, 2244 trees ha−1; and Tall Spindle, 3262 trees ha−1) each evaluated with several rootstocks in an incomplete factorial treatment list and with two cultivars at each location. By the end of the trial (11 years) all combinations of planting density, rootstock and cultivar were profitable (NPV positive) at the VandeWalle site but at the Dressel site seven combinations of rootstock and planting density with ‘Fuji’ and two combinations with ‘Gala’ were not profitable. Projected profitability over 20 years using estimated yields and fruit quality for years 12–20 showed that all combinations would be profitable by year 20. Estimated 20-year NPV was greatest with the Tall Spindle system with the highest planting density compared to the other lower density systems. Economic performance was mostly driven by planting density, regardless of the rootstock selection. Among cultivars, ‘Honeycrisp’ had significantly higher profitability largely due to high fruit price). ‘Gala’ had intermediate profitability due to high yields and medium fruit price while ‘Fuji’ which had low fruit price had significantly lower profitability than ‘Gala’. Among rootstocks, there was a significant interaction with training system and cultivar, so the same rootstock was not the most profitable with every cultivar and system. With ‘Fuji’ the most profitable combination was on G.16 rootstock planted at the highest density, however, it was not significantly better than with G.11 or M.9. With ‘Gala’ at Dressel farm the most profitable combination was on G.11 in the Tall Spindle system (planted at the highest density) but it was not significantly better than with G.16, G.41, M.9 or B.9. With ‘Gala’ at VandeWalle farm the most profitable combination was on G.41 planted at the highest density but it was not significantly better than on G.11, G.16, M.9 or B.9. With ‘Honeycrisp’ the most profitable combination was on M.9 planted at the highest density but it was not significantly better than G.11, G.16, G.41 or B.9. A sensitivity analysis showed that among economic parameters affecting the long-term profitability of an orchard, fruit price and yield were vastly more important than other factors. Of intermediate importance were the discount rate and labor costs while of much lesser importance were tree costs and land costs.

Techno-exergy-economic assessment of humidification-dehumidification/reverse osmosis hybrid desalination system integrated with concentrated photovoltaic/thermal

Desalination is a process used to generate water for human consumption, irrigation, or industrial purposes. Assessment of desalination plants is crucial for freshwater productivity, energy consumption, exergy destruction, and economic feasibility calculations. Therefore, the study aims to conduct a technical, exergy, and economic analysis of a concentrated photovoltaic/thermal hybrid humidification-dehumidification reverse osmosis desalination system. The photovoltaic/thermal provides the electrical and thermal requirements for the hybrid desalination unit. Theoretical models for each unit are developed and integrated using the Engineering Equation Solver software. The sensitivity of system performance parameters was investigated under different climatic and operation factors. The analysis shows that the system produces 860 L per hour at the lowest specific energy consumption and water cost (3.3 kW-hours per cubic meter and 0.916 United States dollars per cubic meter), respectively, with a cost payback period of only 12 years compared to other green-powered desalination systems. The highest destruction portion of 84.6 % is at photovoltaic/thermal, while the largest cost portion of 68 % is at reverse osmosis. Productivity, energy consumption, and water cost are influenced by feed salinity, while destruction is most affected by solar irradiance. Ambient temperature, wind speed, and cooling fluid flow rate slightly affect the techno-exergy-economics of the system.

An overview of waste in the context of Islamic economics and heterodox approaches: on common discourses

Purpose This study aims to investigate the viewpoints of heterodox economic thoughts and Islamic economic thought concerning the concept of waste. Additionally, it explores the shared criticisms that both perspectives hold against mainstream economic thought in relation to waste. Design/methodology/approach First of all, the concept of waste is examined and the global effects of waste are investigated. Criticisms directed in the context of waste in mainstream economics in the context of heterodox school thoughts are examined. Likewise, criticisms directed in the context of waste in mainstream economics in the context of Islamic economic thoughts are examined. Finally, the common and different aspects of heterodox and Islamic economic thoughts were discussed, and the common criticisms of mainstream economic thought’s point of view toward waste were examined. This study is a theoretical, qualitative study. Findings Although both ideas have different aspects, heterodox and Islamic economic thoughts believe that the mainstream economy, which is based on capitalism and materialism, creates waste by ignoring the long-term social and environmental consequences of economic activity. They argue that the pursuit of profits and growth, without considering the impact on society and the environment, leads to an inefficient and unsustainable use of resources. Originality/value The best author’s knowledge, by emphasizing the common and different aspects of Islamic economics and heterodox thoughts, this study is the first to examine the concept of waste in the context of the common aspects of these ideas.

Thermo-economic feasibility study to utilize ORC technology for waste heat recovery from Indian nuclear power plants

A feasibility study is essential before installing a power generation system to recover waste heat from nuclear power plants, but not yet been done. Hence, nine possible waste heat locations of Indian nuclear power plants are identified and two feasible cases (case-1 and case-2) are deduced to use the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) as a bottoming cycle. Energy, exergy, economic and environmental performances are evaluated for feasible cases with three working fluids. Capital investment in alternator has been correlated based on market data and applied in economic analysis. The economic study is based on Net present value, Discounted payback period, Levelized cost of energy, Internal rate of return, Profit and per unit build-up cost of ORC to suggest whether the installation is worth to venture or not. The result shows that below 41 °C condenser temperature, case-2 based bottoming ORC should be the priority to install and at the availability of sufficient funds, both cases can be installed, which will cumulatively produce 486.2 kW of electricity from waste energy with a total of 201.14 thousand USD annual profit from the total capital investment of 723.74 thousand USD. In 40 years of the project's lifetime, a total of 1.317 million USD will be used if both cases are employed and the invested cost will be returned in 8.3 years.

A novel zero emission combined power and cooling system for concentrating solar power: Thermodynamic and economic assessments and optimization

This study aims to develop a zero-emission multi-generation system based on concentrated solar power to reduce solar thermal power cost and improve the efficiency of power generation. The multi-generation system mainly includes concentrated solar power system, supercritical carbon dioxide recompression Brayton cycle, organic flash cycle and absorption refrigeration cycle. A comprehensive energy, exergy, environment and economic analysis is carried out. Five key parameters are considered to assess the effect of decision parameters on system performance. An optimization method combining genetic algorithm and machine learning is used to accelerate the optimization process. Results display that compared with the stand-alone supercritical carbon dioxide recompression Brayton cycle, the energy utilization factor and exergy efficiency of the multi-generation system can improve 18.7 % and 6.4 %, respectively, and the decrement of levelized cost of electricity is reduced by 4 %. A higher turbine-Ⅰ inlet temperature can improve the exergy efficiency and reduce the levelized cost of electricity. Using the proposed optimization method, the long optimization time of complex multi-generation system is overcome. Comparing the exergy efficiency optimization case with the basic case and the cost optimization case, the exergy efficiency optimization case has the highest net power output and exergy efficiency. This work exhibits great potential in utilizing solar energy for power and cooling.

Experimental and economic evaluation on the performance improvement of a solar photovoltaic thermal system with skeleton-shaped fins

At elevated ambient temperatures, the production and efficiency of solar panels are degraded due to the overheating of the cells. Cooling photovoltaic cells at elevated ambient temperatures can prevent overheating, extend their life, and enhance overall efficiency, particularly in areas exposed to strong sunlight and elevated temperatures. In this study, an attempt was made experimentally to increase the performance of solar photovoltaic thermal systems with a novel cooling technique. The proposed system has an absorber plate coupled with novel skeleton-shaped fins used to create double-pass ambient air channels below the solar module for natural heat dissipation. Performance of the proposed photovoltaic thermal system with skeleton-shaped fins was designed, evaluated, and evaluated, under different climatic conditions of the southern Algeria city of Ghardaïa from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Theoretical analysis was also developed relying on the energy and exergy balance equations for the system components. An economic analysis is also performed by the life cycle cost analysis to evaluate the feasibility, annual performance, and payback period of the proposed solar system compared with that of the conventional system. Results showed that the proposed photovoltaic thermal generates an average daily production of 2.02 kWh, which is 55.1 % more than the conventional system. The energy and exergy efficiency of the proposed system are higher than the conventional system by 8.61 and 8.98 %, respectively. The levelized costs of energy associated with the proposed system (0.17 $/kWh) is lower than that of the conventional system by 11.76 %. The payback period of the proposed system (6.21 years) is lower than that of the conventional solar systems by 34.7 %. This means that the additional power generation obtained by the proposed system with skeleton-shaped fins was sufficient to offset the total life cycle costs.