Household Devices Research Articles

Household Technology and the Sustainability of Consumer Behavior in Moscow

Consumers use appliances, and their concomitant technology, in their domestic routines. What role do these appliances play in shaping sustainable behavior on the part of the consumer? Scientists in this field believe that household devices have certain scenarios of use, which they refer to as ?scripts.? Is change in the scripts associated with such devices the key to more sustainable consumption? This case study examined how consumers interpret and respond to the scripts of the devices they use in their everyday lives. Pro-environmentalist consumers were compared with those who have little concern about environmental problems. In-depth interviews found that the scripts embedded in domestic appliances were seen by the two groups in different ways, and the groups varied in how much influence the scripts had on consumer behavior. Consumers with few environmental concerns were found to be more likely to change to more pro-environmental behavior patterns following the technological scripts. The study also considered the generalizability of these results and their broader implications for practical action.

Design of Voice Control System for Smart Home Based on STM32

The application of embedded speech recognition technology in the smart home is researched, combining of the Internet of Things, the voice control system for smart home has been designed. The core processor chooses the high-performance Cortex-M4 MCU STM32F407VGT6 produced by STMicroelectronics. The system contains a hardware unit based on LD3320 for speaker-independent speech recognition. RF wireless communication uses ultra-low power chip CC1101 and GSM employ SIM900A. Real-time operating system FreeRTOS is used for multitask scheduling and the operation of household devices. The practical application verifies that this voice control system practicably can identify voice commands quickly and accurately, complete the control actions primely, has a wide application prospect.

Household Air Pollution Exposures of Pregnant Women Receiving Advanced Combustion Cookstoves in India: Implications for Intervention

BackgroundHousehold air pollution (HAP) resulting from the use of solid cooking fuels is a leading contributor to the burden of disease in India. Advanced combustion cookstoves that reduce emissions from biomass fuels have been considered potential interventions to reduce this burden. Relatively little effort has been directed, however, to assessing the concentration and exposure changes associated with the introduction of such devices in households. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe HAP exposure patterns in pregnant women receiving a forced-draft advanced combustion cookstove (Philips model HD 4012) in the SOMAARTH Demographic Development & Environmental Surveillance Site (DDESS) Palwal District, Haryana, India. The monitoring was performed as part of a feasibility study to inform a potential large-scale HAP intervention (Newborn Stove trial) directed at pregnant women and newborns. MethodsThis was a paired comparison exercise study with measurements of 24-hour personal exposures and kitchen area concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), before and after the cookstove intervention. Women (N = 65) were recruited from 4 villages of SOMAARTH DDESS. Measurements were performed between December 2011 and March 2013. Ambient measurements of PM2.5 were also performed throughout the study period. FindingsMeasurements showed modest improvements in 24-hour average concentrations and exposures for PM2.5 and CO (ranging from 16% to 57%) with the use of the new stoves. Only those for CO showed statistically significant reductions. ConclusionResults from the present study did not support the widespread use of this type of stove in this population as a means to reliably provide health-relevant reductions in HAP exposures for pregnant women compared with open biomass cookstoves. The feasibility assessment identified multiple factors related to user requirements and scale of adoption within communities that affect the field efficacy of advanced combustion cookstoves as well as their potential performance in HAP intervention studies.

Assessment of the Potential Contribution of the Ceramic Filter “Songhai” in the Treatment of Drinking Water in Benin (West Africa)

Contamination of domestic water sources by the biological and physico-chemical pollutants remains a public health issue in Benin. The household water purification devices such as ceramic filters may be a solution. “Filtre Songha?” is a ceramic filter, accessible and easy to use, marketed in Benin. The purpose of this study is to assess the contribution of the “Filtre Songha?” in the treatment of water for domestic use in a peri-urban area in Porto-Novo (Benin). Water samples have been taken, from a collective well and from the lagoon in the 5th district of Porto-Novo. The physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters were measured before and after filtration. The results showed that the use of filters has allowed for a reduction of 97.5% for total coliform in the well water and 99.05% for water from the lagoon. The reduction is 100% for Escherichia coli and fecal streptococci in both cases. Given the low cost and the lifetime use of “filtre Songhai”, this device can be recommended to households for drinking water, particularly for children below five years old the most vulnerable to water related diseases. Research is still necessary to improve the filtration time of this device.

Cost-effective and comfort-aware residential energy management under different pricing schemes and weather conditions

Nowadays with the emerging of smart micro-grids(SM-Gs) in residential sectors, a large portion of energy consumption can be saved through optimal scheduling of household devices and management of domestic hybrid energy sources. By the aid of such technologies, residential consumers have the capability to mitigate their energy costs and satisfy their own requirements paying less attention to the configuration of the energy supply system. This paper presents a novel residential energy management system (REMS) to improve the efficiency of energy consumption in a typical SM-G taking into account minimum cost of energy as well as maximum user's comfort level as competitive objectives. The optimization model is also formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear problem (MINLP) and its performance is tested under different operating scenarios with real data. The simulation results show that the proposed model not only reduces energy consumption costs, but also ensures a comfortable lifestyle for occupants.

Influence of microwaves on the water surface tension.

In this study, microwave irradiation was applied to hanging droplets of both water and ethylene glycol. Once the irradiation had ceased and the droplet was allowed to return to its original temperature, it was found that the surface tension of ethylene glycol returned to its original value. In contrast, the water surface tension remained well below its original value for an extended period of time. Similar observations have been reported for magnetically treated water, but this is the first time that such a lasting effect has been reported for microwave irradiation. The effect can be attributed to the unique hydrogen bonds of interfacial water molecules. While the irradiation intensities used in this study are well above those in household devices, there is certainly the potential to apply the methodology to industrial applications where the manipulation of surface tension is required without the use of chemical addition.

Radiation Measurement for Global System for Mobile Communication Handset and Health Implication

In this study, the measurement of Electromagnetic Radiation of the GSM handset and health implication, measurements were conducted. GSM radiations are non-ionizing. Measurement of the magnetic radiation was carried out using a Radiation Meter. Several tests were carried out with different makes and models of GSM handsets to determine the radiation from the handset at different distances between the handset and the Radiation meter. Measurements were also taken for other household devices for the purpose of comparing the radiation to those of GSM handsets. The result shows that the radiation from GSM handsets is within the limit set by the International Commission on Non-Ionization Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and do not pose any health hazard, although research is continuous. However, the radiations have some effects on the individual using the handset by causing some temperature rise if phone is used for a long time. It is therefore advisable not to use phone for more than 30 minutes without a break. Pregnant mothers however have to use the phone with extra care because of the foetus who is not fully formed.

Investigating greenhouse challenge from growing trends of electricity consumption through home appliances in buildings

Energy use in buildings accounts for 38% of global total final energy consumption, 45% of which in OECD countries. According to the International Energy Agency the continuing demand for new large and small appliances, often with new functionality, is resulting in rapidly increasing electricity consumption in both the residential and service sectors. Appliances contribution to the residential electricity use is increasing. Also, appliances types are changing in our homes. This paper aims to find the trend of energy consumption of appliances in the building sector and describing the driver of this energy consumption. For doing so, a review of the literature available in the topic is summarized first. Trends show that appliances energy consumption is growing, but also that are disproportionately powered by electricity, mainly due to the proliferation of electronics and other small household devices, especially in OECD countries. This trend, which have already brought millions of households out of poverty in China and India and promises to continually improve standards of living throughout the developing world, will also have a major impact on appliance energy consumption as many more households will be able to afford basic equipment such as refrigerators and washing machines. Moreover, because appliances generally consume electricity instead of renewable fuels or direct combustion fuels, they carry a relatively large carbon footprint in countries where electricity production is carbon intensive. Finally, appliances present significant opportunities for efficiency improvement, since most of the appliances to be implemented in the near future still have to be produced.

Business model innovation in the water sector in developing countries

Various technologies have been deployed in household devices or micro-water treatment plants for mitigating fluoride and arsenic, and thereby provide safe and affordable drinking water in low-income countries. While the technologies have improved considerably, organizations still face challenges in making them financially sustainable. Financial sustainability questions the business models behind these water technologies. This article makes three contributions to business models in the context of fluoride and arsenic mitigation. Firstly, we describe four business models: A) low-value devices given away to people living in extreme poverty, B) high-value devices sold to low-income customers, C) communities as beneficiaries of micro-water treatment plants and D) entrepreneurs as franchisees for selling water services and highlight the emergence of hybrid business models. Secondly, we show current business model innovations such as cost transparency & cost reductions, secured & extended water payments, business diversification and distribution channels. Thirdly, we describe skills and competencies as part of capacity building for creating even more business model innovations. Together, these three contributions will create more awareness of the role of business models in scaling-up water treatment technologies.

Harmonic phase angles for a domestic customer with different types of lighting

Summary This paper presents measurements of the changes in phase angle of the harmonic current for a domestic costumer due to the introduction of energy-efficient lamps (compact fluorescent lamps and light-emitting diodes lamps). Those results are then compared with the aggregation rules according to standard IEC 61000-3-6 and with a mathematical model, in order to highlight the importance of using phase angles in the harmonic estimations. The paper presents both the emission from individual household devices and the variations in the complex harmonic current from a group of devices. Cancellation because of phase-angle difference plays an important role in the emission from a group of different devices. This explains why the increase in emission after changing to energy-efficient lamps is much smaller than expected. Some other power-quality parameters are also considered such as total harmonic distortion, total power factor, and displacement power factor. It is concluded that the complex plane presentation is a useful tool to estimate the harmonic emission from a group of domestic appliances. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of interfaces on the magnetoelectric properties of Co/PZT/Co heterostructures

We have studied Co (film)/PZT (substrate)/Co (film) heterostructures with plane-parallel interfaces, produced by direct growth of cobalt films 0.5 to 3.5 μm thick on PZT surfaces smoothed to a subnanometer level (where PZT stands for a ceramic PbZr0.45Ti0.55O3 lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric substrate). The results demonstrate that they possess magnetoelectric properties comparable in magnitude to those characteristic of known structures but, in contrast to these latter, allow one to dispense with the condition that the volume fractions of the ferromagnetic and ferroelectric components be roughly equal. The interface is shown to play a key role in determining the magnetoelectric response of the heterostructures: above 9 mV/(cm Oe) (11.7 mV/A) in a magnetic field of 50 Oe (3980 A/m) at a frequency of 100 Hz and room temperature. The heterostructures are potentially attractive for use as nonvolatile sensors in household devices.

The association between ownership of common household devices and obesity and diabetes in high, middle and low income countries

Household devices (e.g., television, car, computer) are common in high income countries, and their use has been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We hypothesized that device ownership is associated with obesity and diabetes and that these effects are explained through reduced physical activity, increased sitting time and increased energy intake. We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study involving 153,996 adults from high, upper-middle, lower-middle and low income countries. We used multilevel regression models to account for clustering at the community and country levels. Ownership of a household device increased from low to high income countries (4% to 83% for all 3 devices) and was associated with decreased physical activity and increased sitting, dietary energy intake, body mass index and waist circumference. There was an increased odds of obesity and diabetes with the ownership of any 1 household device compared to no device ownership (obesity: odds ratio [OR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.55; diabetes: OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.28-1.50). Ownership of a second device increased the odds further but ownership of a third device did not. Subsequent adjustment for lifestyle factors modestly attenuated these associations. Of the 3 devices, ownership of a television had the strongest association with obesity (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.29-1.49) and diabetes (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.23-1.44). When stratified by country income level, the odds of obesity and diabetes when owning all 3 devices was greatest in low income countries (obesity: OR 3.15, 95% CI 2.33-4.25; diabetes: OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.53-2.53) and decreased through country income levels such that we did not detect an association in high income countries. The ownership of household devices increased the likelihood of obesity and diabetes, and this was mediated in part by effects on physical activity, sitting time and dietary energy intake. With increasing ownership of household devices in developing countries, societal interventions are needed to mitigate their effects on poor health.

Improving Energy Efficiency of Smart Household Appliances and Devices

With the ever-increasing volume of applications of various kinds of electric drives in all spheres of human activity, the issues in improving the efficiency of the electromechanical converters of electric energy, one of the most important components of the electric drive (ED), are becoming increasingly important. Such issues include reducing their weight and size, improving the functional characteristics of these devices to increase their operational life and reducing the cost of manufacture. Taking full advantage of these opportunities relates to the AC and DC single-phase commutator motor (SCM), which is widely used in regulated and high-speed motor drives in home appliances and electric hand tools. The SCM is used in machinery where the load torque has a hyperbolic dependence on the rotational speed and the need to work with a large motor overload due to the “soft” mechanical characteristics of such motors.

Radiofrequency Energy Exposure from the Trilliant Smart Meter

This paper reviews radiofrequency (RF) field levels produced by electric utility meters equipped with RF transceivers (so-called Smart Meters), focusing on meters from one manufacturer (Trilliant, Redwood City, CA, USA, and Granby, QC, Canada). The RF transmission levels are summarized based on publicly available data submitted to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission supplemented by limited independent measurements. As with other Smart Meters, this meter incorporates a low powered radiofrequency transceiver used for a neighborhood mesh network, in the present case using ZigBee-compliant physical and medium access layers, operating in the 2.45 GHz unlicensed band but with a proprietary network architecture. Simple calculations based on a free space propagation model indicate that peak RF field intensities are in the range of 10 mW m or less at a distance of more than 1-2 m from the meters. However, the duty cycle of transmission from the meters is very low (< 1%). Limited measurements identified pulses from the meter that were consistent with data reported by the vendor to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Limited measurements conducted in two houses with the meters were unable to clearly distinguish emissions from the meters from the considerable electromagnetic clutter in the same frequency range from other sources, including Wi-Fi routers and, when it was activated, a microwave oven. These preliminary measurements disclosed the difficulties that would be encountered in characterizing the RF exposures from these meters in homes in the face of background signals from other household devices in the same frequency range. An appendix provides an introduction to Smart Meter technology. The RF transmitters in wireless-equipped Smart Meters operate at similar power levels and in similar frequency ranges as many other digital communications devices in common use, and their exposure levels are very far below U.S. and international exposure limits.

Human Machine Interface Based on Eye Wink Detection

The research of human-computer interfaces has become a growing field in computer science, which aims to attain the development of more natural, intuitive, unobtrusive and efficient interfaces. The present work describes a Human Machine Interface Based on Eye Wink Detection for helping the severely handicapped people to manipulate the household devices and to perform day to day activities. Algorithm for eye detection that is conducted through a process of extracting the face image from the video image followed by evaluating the eye region and then eventually detecting the eye state based on skin colour segmentation. Binary values 1 and 0 is assigned based on the opening and closing of eye. Finally applying the dynamic programming to translate the code sequences to a certain valid command. Experiment conducted for different test video displayed significant results which is carried out with different set of inputs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ij-ict.v2i2.3927

Economic potential of demand response at household level—Are Central-European market conditions sufficient?

Abstract The aim of this paper is to show the economic potential of demand response (DR) on household level at Central European market conditions. Thereby, required economic benefits for consumers' participation, the realistic load shifting potential at household level and the estimation of essential intelligent infrastructure costs are discussed. The core of this paper builds a case-study applying spot market-oriented load shifting from the supplier's point of view by using Austrian electricity market data, household load profiles as well as a heat pump and e-car charging load profile. It is demonstrated which cost savings for suppliers can be derived from such load shifting procedure at household level. Furthermore, upper cost limits for intelligent infrastructure in order to break-even are derived. Results suggest to take a critical look at European discussions on DR implementation on household level, showing that at Central European market conditions the potential for DR at household level is restricted to significant loads and hence, the applied load shifting strategy is only beneficial with application to heat pumps. In contrast, the frequently discussed shifting of conventional household devices' loads (such as washing machines) economically does not add up.

Coliform Sources and Mechanisms for Regrowth in Household Drinking Water in Limpopo, South Africa.

Resource-limited communities throughout the developing world face significant environmental health problems related to the myriad of coliform sources within those communities. This study comprehensively investigated contamination sources and the biological and chemical mechanisms sustaining them in two adjacent communities in rural Limpopo, South Africa. An 8-month study was conducted of household (n = 14) and source water quality, measurements of biofilm layers on the inside of household water storage containers and water transfer devices, and also hand-based coliforms and hand-washing effectiveness. A 7-day water container incubation experiment was also performed to determine the biological and chemical changes that occur in a household water storage container independent of human interference. Results indicate that household drinking water frequently becomes contaminated after collection but before consumption (197 versus 1,046 colony-forming units/100 mL; n = 266; p < 0.001). The most important contamination sources include biofilm layers on the inside of storage containers (1.85 ± 1.59 colony-forming units/cm2; n = 44), hands (5,097 ± 2,125 colony-forming units/hand; n = 48), and coliform regrowth resulting from high assimilable organic carbon (AOC) levels during storage. A maximum specific growth rate, μmax, of 0.072 ± 0.003 h-1 was determined for total coliform bacteria on AOC, and a high correlation between AOC concentrations and the growth potential of total coliform bacteria was observed. These results support the implementation of point-of-use water treatment and other interventions aimed at maintaining the safe water chain and preventing biological regrowth.

A world awash with wireless devices: Radio-frequency exposure issues

Within the past decade, a quiet revolution has occurred in consumer electronics, with a massive shift toward wireless connectivity in household devices. While these open up new possibilities for consumers, the possible harms associated with wireless and Internet technologies-for example, privacy and security issues-have prompted widespread concern among consumers and experts alike. Also, in the public arena, there has been widespread concern about possible health effects of exposure to radio-frequency (RF) energy emitted by wireless-enabled devices, in particular around use of Wi-Fi in schools and wireless-enabled electric utility meters, known as “smartmeters,” in residences. While the RF exposures from such devices are far below U.S. and international safety limits, some aspects of the exposures (their involuntary nature or perhaps the novelty of the technologies) have been particularly troubling to the public. Consequently, political leaders have called for studies on possible health effects of wireless technology.

Environmental Mass Spectrometry

Environmental mass spectrometry is an important branch of science because it provides many of the data that underlie policy decisions that can directly influence the health of people and ecosystems. Environmental mass spectrometry is currently undergoing rapid development. Among the most relevant directions are a significant broadening of the lists of formally targeted compounds; a parallel interest in nontarget chemicals; an increase in the reliability of analyses involving accurate mass measurements, tandem mass spectrometry, and isotopically labeled standards; and a shift toward faster high-throughput analysis, with minimal sample preparation, involving various approaches, including ambient ionization techniques and miniature instruments. A real revolution in analytical chemistry could be triggered with the appearance of robust, simple, and sensitive portable mass spectrometers that can utilize ambient ionization techniques. If the cost of such instruments is reduced to a reasonable level, mass spectrometers could become valuable household devices.

PAA-PAMPS Copolymers as an Efficient Tool to Control CaCO3 Scale Formation

Scale formation, the deposition of certain minerals such as CaCO3, MgCO3, and CaSO4·2H2O in industrial facilities and household devices, leads to reduced efficiency or severe damage. Therefore, incrustation is a major problem in everyday life. In recent years, double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBCs) have been the focus of interest in academia with regard to their antiscaling potential. In this work, we synthesized well-defined blocklike PAA-PAMPS copolymers consisting of acrylic acid (AA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonate (AMPS) units in a one-step reaction by RAFT polymerization. The derived copolymers had dispersities of 1.3 and below. The copolymers have then been investigated in detail regarding their impact on the different stages of the crystallization process of CaCO3. Ca(2+) complexation, the first step of a precipitation process, and polyelectrolyte stability in aqueous solution have been investigated by potentiometric measurements, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). A weak Ca(2+) induced copolymer aggregation without concomitant precipitation was observed. Nucleation, early particle growth, and colloidal stability have been monitored in situ with DLS. The copolymers retard or even completely suppress nucleation, most probably by complexation of solution aggregates. In addition, they stabilize existing CaCO3 particles in the nanometer regime. In situ AFM was used as a tool to verify the coordination of the copolymer to the calcite (104) crystal surface and to estimate its potential as a growth inhibitor in a supersaturated CaCO3 environment. All investigated copolymers instantly stopped further crystal growth. The carboxylate richest copolymer as the most promising antiscaling candidate proved its enormous potential in scale inhibition as well in an industrial-filming test (Fresenius standard method).