High Economic Performance Research Articles

Research on fuel cell energy storage control and power generation system

In order to realize the continuous stability of photovoltaic power generation system and the controllability of thermal energy storage, a photovoltaic fuel cell combined power generation system consisting of photovoltaic cell array, proton exchange membrane fuel cell, alkaline electrolysis cell and super capacitor is proposed. The system, at the same time, establishes the mathematical model of its various components and the system cost model, designs the thermal energy distribution of the thermal energy storage management coordination system, and uses the high efficiency battery to meet the load requirements of the power system. In addition, the paper uses simulation technology as a research method to build a simulation model of hybrid fuel cell thermal energy storage control and power generation system, and analyzes the system?s thermal energy supply and demand balance. The simulation results confirm that the photovoltaic fuel cell hybrid power generation system has high economic performance, can meet the user?s power and thermal energy requirements, and realizes the requirement of completely independent power supply.

The energy and ecological performance of the hot water boiler burning linden bark and wood briquettes

The North-West of Russia possesses huge wood resources reserves, therefore the issues of the most efficient use of wood biomass are relevant for this region. The implication of wood biofuels into fuel and energy budget provides an opportunity to reduce the negative impact of power industry facilities on the environment and preserve the potential of non-renewable fuels for future generations. An effective way of the complex solution of energy and ecological problems, while providing heating loads for consumers, is the use of modern devices operating on solid biofuel. Technical analysis of foreign and domestic high-performance heating units has great importance. The aim of the research is an evaluation of energy and ecological performance of the Firematic 60 hot water boiler burning bark of linden, briquettes from wood sanding dust and sawdust of plywood processing, as well as briquettes obtained by pressing softwood sawdust and shavings. The paper presents thermotechnical characteristics of burning biofuels and the components of boiler heat balance and gaseous emission from the burning linden bark and briquettes. Particulate matter emission and content of soot were studied. The shape and composition of soot particles were determined with a Zeiss SIGMA VP electronic scanning microscope. Presented data were obtained using equipment of the Research Center of Power Engineering Innovations. The results of the comprehensive energy audit have shown that the Firematic 60 boiler provides high technical and economic performance with minimum emission of harmful substances to the atmosphere. It can be used for low-rise buildings heat supply in weather conditions of the Arctic region especially.

CRITICAL REACTION FORCES IN THE Z-KINEMATIC LOADERS

The loading processes in industry and mining are the crucial issue in achieving high economic performances. So, there are various kinematic mechanisms and concepts for loading machines. Besides of the loaders with continual work, in this article only one of the most used concepts of loaders, the Z-kinematic loaders are presented. The joints reaction forces during a working process can be extremely high, so it is very important to create simulation computer programs for force and stress calculation in the joints of a loader. Some positions and working loads can produce critical stresses and deformations.

Interaction of Subordinate Staff Management and Factors of Economic Performance of Companies in the Bulgarian Mining and Quarrying Sector

The achievement of high production and economic results in the economic entities of the mining industry in Bulgaria is possible only through the elaboration of an effective system for management of the subordinate personnel. In the context of the systematic approach, it is of paramount importance to outline the factors for subordinate staff management which have a positive impact on the economic status of the business organizations. Building a model of factors for subordinate staff management enables us to identify and implement multiple approaches and mechanisms. This creates opportunities for improving the management of the subordinate personnel, which has a positive impact on the development of the mining companies. The purpose of this article is to study the factors for subordinate staff management and to elaborate a model of those which have a direct and indirect impact on the production and economic results of the companies in the quarrying industry in Bulgaria. The article is structured in two main sections. The first includes an analysis of the factors of management of the subordinate workforce, examining the connections and relations with the economic performance of the companies. The second section introduces a model of management factors which prove to be particularly relevant to achieving high economic performance in the Bulgarian mining companies.

IMPROVING THE OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY OF HYDRAULIC FACILITIES WHEN USING POLYMER AND POLYMER-CEMENT COMPOSITES

Actualuty of the problem. The effective functioning of water-reclamation systems depends to a large extent on the operational reliability and durability of hydraulic structures. The structural elements of hydraulic structures of water management and reclamation complex from the moment of commissioning are subject to aggressive environmental influences. Aggressive factors (hydrostatic water pressure, alternating freezing and thawing, wetting and drying, corrosive action of salts dissolved in water, dynamic action of ice, etc.) constantly affect concrete structures, gradually destroying them. Therefore, the development of measures aimed at ensuring high resistance of structures to the aggressive environmental factors is relevant.
 Effective operation of structures with long-term aggressive environmental factors is only possible if they are protected (reinforced) with effective insulating, anticorrosive, high-strength, wear-resistant and cavitation-resistant composite materials. Specific characteristics of polymer and polymer-cement composite materials (high strength, corrosion resistance, frost resistance, adhesion to different coatings) enable to create effective technologies for restoring the functional capacity of hydraulic structures and increasing their stability. The need of reinforcing concrete structures of hydraulic facilities by combining or partially replacing them with modern composite materials and structures made of polymers and polymer cement is determined in view of increasing coolness, reliability and durability of the structures. These materials should be standardized at the stage of design, construction, repair and reconstruction of structures that will ensure their operational reliability and durability in aggressive environment.
 The development and implementation of technical solutions increasing the operational reliability and durability of hydraulic facilities for water-reclamation purposes while reducing their material and metal intensity are ones of the main areas of scientific research in the field of construction, repair and reconstruction of water-reclamation systems. Achieving high technical and economic performance of hydraulic facilities, taking into account the significant effect of aggressive environmental factors on them is possible using a scientifically sound combination of concrete and reinforced concrete structures with polymer and polymer cement composite materials. The highest level of reliability will be ensured by the structures providing the protection against damage, corrosion and filtration using the latest high performance composite materials. Optimization of technical solutions to increase the operational reliability and durability of hydraulic facilities is only possible provided that modern composite materials properties are comprehensively studied, their compliance with the requirements of water and reclamation construction, taking into account extreme operating conditions, is determined and new efficient technologies for future performance of the facilities are created. Along with expanding the use of polyme and polymer-cement composite materials, finding new varieties of polymer additives and obtaining reliable data on the durability of these materials in different operating conditions will be extended. Results. The Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation of NAAS has developed the main technological areas of polymer and polymer-cement composite materials application for increasing the operational reliability of hydraulic structures of water management and reclamation complex: polymeric film screens and geomembranes for increasing the anti-filtration properties; polymer and bitumen-polymer sealants for the arrangement and restoration of deformation joints; polymer and polymer-cement mixtures for structural repairs, restoration of bearing capacity, waterproofing protection, protection against filtration, accidental damage, corrosion, cavitation and actuation of hydraulic structures; concrete polymers, polymer concrete and polymer cement with high physical and mechanical properties for construction, repair and reconstruction of hydraulic structures.

SECURING HIGH ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF AN ENTERPRISE

The article deals with the implementation of performance management as a prerequisite for the successful functioningof the company in market conditions. In the work the following was further developed: a methodological approach to achievement of high economic performance of the activity by adding phases of perspective evaluation according to theresults and economic performance, which will allow to predict the future and use the resource of the environment; methodical approach to a comprehensive assessment of the economic performance of the enterprise based on the addition of three phases, providing timely elimination of the weaknesses of economic performance, taking into account the influence on economic performance not only the internal but also the external environment and allow to characterize the correctness of the set goals in the future. The methodological approach to analyzing and integrating economic performance has also been improved by specifying the content of each of its phases and adding two more that provide objectivity to the process of identifying and eliminating the weaknesses of ensuring economic performance. To obtain the described results, the following research methods were used: logical-theoretical generalization, abstraction, comparison, analogy, modeling, formalization, analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction, system approach. The use of the proposed developments will provide businesses with comprehensive information on the level of achievement of goals, the nature of both their own development and that of the competitors, the ability to respond in a timely manner to critical deviations from the set goals and perspective planning of the level of achieving high economic performance. All this will allow the management of the enterprise to do the things today that the others will consider only tomorrow, which is the basic principle of successful functioning in market conditions.

Dynamic causality among urban agglomeration, electricity consumption, construction industry, and economic performance: generalized method of moments approach.

This paper is a maiden empirical attempt to analyze the dynamic causal linkages among urban agglomeration, electricity consumption, construction industry, and economic performance, making use of simultaneous structural equations. A national panel of 30 provinces and three sub-national panels of China, for time span 2000 to 2016, have been estimated employing system and difference generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator. A construction industry-augmented model of economic growth has been proposed, incorporating construction industry and urban agglomeration as exogenous shocks to the aggregate production and electricity consumption as the input of production function. The core empirical results are first, the urban agglomeration and construction industry positively cause electricity consumption but are not caused by the same. It revealed the critical role played by urban agglomeration along with construction industry in boosting electricity consumption. Second, the economic performance positively causes electricity consumption, urban agglomeration, and construction industry and is also caused by the same. Third, urban agglomeration causes the construction industry and is caused by the same. It exposed the mutual role of urban agglomeration and urban industry in reinforcing each other in the times of high economic performance. Finally, among the three regions, the eastern zone is found to be strongest in terms of linkages among urban agglomeration, construction industry, electricity consumption, and economic performance. The intermediate zone is moderately strong, while the western zone is found to have the least strong linkages as compared with the two regions. These results are in line with the sub-national level of economic development of China. These findings, in terms of statistical significance, are highly robust across all the panels. Furthermore, depending upon empirical results, the related strategies are proposed.

A condition-based maintenance model with past-dependent imperfect preventive repairs for continuously deteriorating systems

Most condition-based imperfect maintenance models developed over the last few decades are memoryless in the sense that maintenance efficiency is completely [Formula: see text]-independent of previous interventions. However, many maintenance activities exhibit their past dependency in engineering practice, and this significant property should not be ignored in maintenance modeling. In this spirit, our aim is to develop a condition-based maintenance model for continuously deteriorating systems subject to a special kind of past-dependent imperfect repairs. Such a repair can put the system back to a deterioration level better than the one at just before the current repair, but worse than the one reached at the last repair. Besides, inspection and replacement are memoryless actions available for the system. They result in different effects on the system deterioration and incur different costs. To achieve high economic performances in the long term, these actions are coordinated into a control-limit deterioration-based maintenance policy. Its long-run maintenance cost rate is analytically evaluated using the semi-regenerative process theory. Numerous sensitivity studies to maintenance costs and to system characteristics give a thorough understanding about the policy behavior. Furthermore, comparisons with more classical policies justify the importance of incorporating the past dependency in maintenance modeling.

Promoting the polluters? The competing objectives of energy efficiency, pollutant emissions, and economic performance in Chinese municipalities

With the rapid development of China's economy, energy efficiency and pollutant emissions have also entered our horizons and become two big issues. To explore the impacts that these three factors have on the promotion probability of municipal party secretaries, we have collected the data of 810 municipal party secretaries with position changes in the period of 2005–2015 and mainly adopted the probit model to conduct our empirical tests. Our results are as follows: (1) Higher economic performance, higher energy efficiency and lower pollution emissions can significantly increase the promotion probability of municipal party secretaries; (2) these three correlations evolve differently, the impact of economic performance declines slightly but always predominates, the impact of pollutant emission tends to grow while that of energy efficiency continues to decrease. This research provides a dynamic understanding of Chinese local officials’ promotion incentive and their trade-off among economy, energy and environment, which would be a valuable supplement for Institution Change Theory and an important reference for other countries with similar developing dilemma.

Impact of institutional quality on economic performance of Eastern Africa: a panel data analysis

Nowadays, studies argued that international difference in prosperity across a country is the matter institutional quality. Thus, the poor economic performance of African’s is linked to their weak institutional quality. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which institutional quality affect economic performance of 14 selected East African Countries; Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, over the period 2005-2016, using fixed effect and System GMM methods. The finding of this study confirms with the existing empirical study that economic institutions matter for economic performance among which control of corruption and government effectiveness has positive impact on economic performance, while rule of law has adverse impact. The finding of this study implies that that Eastern Africa with better institutions has a higher economic performance. Therefore, the Eastern Africa countries should improve those institutions that have positive impact, and promote and change those institutions that have adverse effect in way that it can promote economic development.

A Hybrid Condition-Based Maintenance Model for Deteriorating Systems Subject to Nonmemoryless Imperfect Repairs and Perfect Replacements

Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is popularly recognized as a key lever that enables organizations to gain a competitive advance in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. Combining both the perfect and imperfect maintenance actions into CBM policies seems to be an efficient way to achieve high economic performances. Following this view, we propose and optimize in this article a hybrid deterioration-based maintenance model for continuously deteriorating systems subject to nonmemoryless imperfect repairs and perfect replacements. Compared to existing related works, the originality of our model is threefold. First, an innovative model representing both the positive and memory effects of imperfect repairs is developed. Second, a new decision rule for switching between perfect and imperfect maintenance actions is proposed. Finally, the mathematical cost model of the proposed hybrid maintenance policy is fully formulated on the basis of the sophisticated semiregenerative theory. Numerous sensitivity studies and comparisons with benchmark policies under various configurations of maintenance costs and system characteristics allow to better understand the behaviors of our hybrid maintenance policy and to confirm its effectiveness.

Uncertainty of Energy and Economic Performance of Manual Solar Shades in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Regions of China

Occupant behavior is recognized as a major source of discrepancy between simulated and actual energy consumption. This study investigates the uncertainty of energy and economic performance of manual solar shades for the south facade. A developed stochastic model for manual solar shades based on a discrete-time Markov chain method was constructed in Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) for co-simulation with EnergyPlus. The stochastic shade model was compared with deterministic models concerning energy savings potential and life cycle economic performance at different building scales (i.e., from a single room to a whole building). The results show that annual energy uncertainty, due to occupant behavior, on manual shades can be neglected at the building level, whereas for sizing heating equipment, energy uncertainty should be considered. The payback period for manual shades is about 10 years and, in general, a larger building has a higher economic performance. Comparative analysis shows that there is a relatively big performance overestimation or underestimation by commonly used deterministic models in building simulation tools, and thus may lead to a biased economic analysis or even an inappropriate design decision when comparing different energy-saving measures.

From clothing to culinary industries: creativity in the making of place

Creative clusters in many Western and Asian cities are predominantly established through policy-making and the involvement of government and private institutions. This paper investigates another way creative industries emerge, whereby individual initiatives of creative young people transform a colonial residential quarter into creative clusters. The creativity of young people has brought life and diversity to a mono-functional urban area by seizing new opportunities for small-scale business practices. The paper is based on a field survey and mapping of 80 clothing and culinary industries at Trunojoyo quarter in Bandung, Indonesia, that contributed to the nomination of Bandung as UNESCO City of Design in 2015. The young people of Bandung exhibit tactical strategies in the emergence of creative clusters and exercise informal processes and social networks as catalysts for growing creative industries. They reveal how youthful energy and creativity within everyday life brings about something that is rational and practical in creating an experiential place and making an historical quarter into a place of high economic performance.

DUAL NATURE OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE COST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The research subject is the cost management system of an industrial enterprise. The purpose of the article is the theoretical substantiation of the methodical aspects of the cost management system as a part of the industrial enterprise management system. Each company pays attention to the formation of costs because they affect the financial results. The improvement of the enterprise management system in modern economic conditions will not be effective without the establishment of a functional efficient cost management system, the formation of which is advisable to implement using both domestic and international practices. However, not every Ukrainian industrial enterprise has an efficient cost management system that optimizes the level of costs. Methodology. The empirical and theoretical methods such as analysis and synthesis, logical approach, interpretation, modelling, and visual systematization using the graphical method have been used in the work. The article considers the place of the cost management system in the management system of an industrial enterprise. There has been shown the influence of the cost management system on the strategic and tactical purpose of the enterprise. Subsystems of the cost management system have been considered and their components have been disclosed. Functions of the cost management system have been presented and the value of each subsystem element has been considered. The structure of the cost management system in the enterprise management system is clearly represented. Practical implications. An efficiently operating cost management system cannot only be aimed at an enterprise’s surviving in today’s market conditions. It should facilitate the implementation of tactical and strategic enterprise goals. As tactical goals, we can note the growth of enterprise profitability. The enterprise strategic goal in a market environment is to increase its value. However, the efficient cost management is a rather complicated process, because costs are variable and consist of numerous elements of different content and origin depending on various factors that are sensitive to the external environment, often have a controversial composition and are hardly subjected to the desired regulation. Value/originality. The system approach has revealed the dual nature of the company’s cost management system. On the one hand, the enterprise cost management system is a subsystem of the enterprise management system. On the other hand, the cost management system can be considered as an independent system, which includes subsystems and a set of interconnected elements that interact with each other to achieve a high economic performance of the enterprise. Among the subsystems, there have been distinguished economic and functional, organizational and managerial. For the formation of the economic and functional subsystem, M. Porter’s approach to the creation of the value chain of production was used. Moreover, the value chain for an industrial enterprise should start not from the material and technical supply, as M. Porter proposed, but from the study of market demand for products.

Conceptual Design of Small NPP with RITM-200 Reactor

A small ground-based nuclear power plant with two RITM-200 reactors is examined. The plant is intended for electric and thermal energy production and desalination of water. The general layout of the site, arrangement of the basic engineering and technical structures, characteristics of the reactor and steam turbine plants, and systems and equipment of the power plant are examined. RITM-200 is used in the universal nuclear icebreakers now under construction. Its compactness and capacity for operating in a maneuvering regime, flexibly following the required power, makes it possible to attain high technical and economic performance and plant efficiency. The design of a power plant with RITM-200 complies with the current global requirements and trends in the field of safety of nuclear power plants. The requisite number of active and passive safety systems are provided for this purpose. Optimization R&D to improve the technical and economic characteristics of the plant and increase its commercial attractiveness is to be performed at later stages of the design process.

A device for gear fabrication by hot rolling, on presses

Abstract The paper presents in detail a device that attaches to a press, produces a toothed wheel (with a crown similar to a toothed wheel with right teeth) starting from a cylindrical steel bar by hot rolling. The device has been patented by OSIM Romania and the file has the number: 129217 since 29.01.2016. By design, the device allows to make a single type of toothed wheel (with a specific module and pitch, a certain addendum and dedendum) having a limited maximum volume (consequence of a finite width), but its achieving by hot rolling cedes a high economic efficiency performance as well as a good dimensional tolerance. Moreover, as a consequence of the fibrous structure of the product (the rolled gear) developed along each tooth, we can assume that the toothed wheel response to the mechanical stresses within the gearing it belongs to is superior to any variant of its accomplishment at present. In the present work the construction of a device for gear fabrication by hot rolling in detailed, a device which is finally attached to a mechanical press. Previously, with a preliminary prototype attached to a mechanical press, toothed wheels-with right teeth, has been manufactured by pure pressing. We had viewed its weaknesses. The present device transforms the deforming process of the metal rod into a pure hot-rolling process, in which not only the metal rod is engaged between deforming rollers, but rather are engaged deforming rollers, thus providing the formation of teeth.

Cleaning of Industrial Gases from Aerosol Particles in Apparatus with Jet-Film Interaction of Phases

In order to solve the problem of increasing the efficiency of purification of industrial gas emissions from aerosol particles, the authors developed a jet-film contact device, described the principle of its operation. The results of numerical studies to determine the efficiency of aerosol deposition on a fluid film of a jet-film contact device are presented. The study was carried out in the ANSYS Fluent software package, using the turbulence model of the k-ω SST model. Different variants of the ratio of the height to the width of the structure of the device are considered. The velocity of the gas flow and the sizes of the dispersed particles are changed. It is shown that to achieve high technical and economic performance of heat and mass transfer devices with jet-film contact devices, they should be designed taking into account the choice of optimum values for the height of the downcomer (kb = 0,46÷0,53).

ОЦЕНКА ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ТРАНСПОРТНЫХ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ НА ОСНОВЕ МЕТОДОВ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО АНАЛИЗА

In order to achieve high economic performance, modern organizations need to obtain reliable and efficient analytics which helps to assess the influence of efficiency of transport maintenance onto economic indexes of transport enterprise. One of the most promising areas of implementation of this task is the improvement of analytical tools for management decisions related to the planning and organizing of transportation. The article provides an overview and classification of existing research in the field of methods of economic analysis and their classification. There has been carried out a comparative analysis of the available methods aimed at determining the efficiency of transport companies, including the following aspects: elimination; joining the unallocated balance to one factor; chain substitutions; relative (absolute) differences; combining the logarithmic method and the method of equity participation; full differential; integral. There were given examples of comparative calculations using the most popular methods (differential, chain substitutions and integral). It is proposed to use new planning methods based on analytical models, which will contribute to the improvement of tools for decision-making in planning and organization of transport. On the basis of quantitative calculations it is proved that the integral method provides unambiguous and correct estimates of the influence of factors on the resulting performance of transport organizations. The result of the analysis show that the accuracy and absence of restrictions on the number of factors taken into account allow this method to make an unambiguous assessment of the efficiency of the transport company, and its use makes it possible to develop a strategy aimed at improving the level of service in the integrated transport and technological system of cargo delivery.

University technology transfer office business models: One size does not fit all

Technology transfer processes enable universities to increase their positive impact on society by pursuing their entrepreneurial mission in several ways. By analyzing quantitative and qualitative data collected in a longitudinal dataset of 60 U.S. universities during the period 2002–2012, this article identifies four types of technology transfer business models that may generate economic and non-economic linkages that need to be evaluated. Findings reveal that business models that leverage high-quality research (i.e., catalyst) and startup creation (i.e., orchestrator of local buzz) are associated with higher economic performance. This study contributes to the emergent literature on university business models and provides suggestions to policymakers to incorporate a business model typology in university evaluation programs.

Techno-economic analysis of a reheated humid air turbine

The purpose of this paper is to identify the economic potential of a reheated humid air turbine system for power generation applications. A parametric analysis is performed to correlate the technology level of the system with the required cost of the electricity for economic viability. The effect of fluctuations of the main cost drivers is evaluated via an uncertainty analysis. The performance of the studied reheated humid air turbine is compared against previously studied humid configurations and well established gas-steam combined cycles. The fuel cost is found to be driving the cost of electricity. The uncertainty analysis also shows the dependency of the optimum cycle design parameters upon the market prices. The analysis reveals the capability of the reheated humid air turbine to be an economically viable option for the power generation sector featuring an estimated cost of electricity 2.2% lower than simpler humid cycles, and 28% lower than established combined cycles currently in service. The outcome of the work constitutes a step forward in the understanding of the economic performance of advanced complex cycles and proves the potential of such systems for applications where high efficiency and economic performance is jointly required.