Industrial Surplus Research Articles

Chinese State Capital as a Partner for Resource-Based Structural Transformation? The Belt and Road Initiative and Downstream Linkages in Bolivia and Kazakhstan

Lee argues that outbound Chinese state capital (CSC) is distinct from global private capital in terms of a greater willingness to accommodate recipient country priorities. This article uses the cases of Kazakhstan and Bolivia to explore this claim in relation to state-led efforts to foster structural transformation via upgrading in extractive industries (lithium and iron/steel in Bolivia, and petrochemicals in Kazakhstan). We focus particularly on attempts to move into domestic downstream processing. The article explores variation in the degree of accommodation with local demands on the part of CSC and proposes an explanatory framework for these differences, grounded in three axes. These are (i) mix of BRI drivers motivating a particular project from the Chinese side (export of industrial surplus, political relations with partner states and/or concern for resource security); (ii) nature of state-capital investment partnership (the mix of Chinese institutions and firms involved in negotiating and implementing the deal, as well as the time horizon implied by contract type); and (iii) a range of local contextual factors such as availability of alternative sources of capital, host state industrial capacities and local political conditions. Further research will be needed to refine and test this framework across other sectors and developmental goals beyond upgrading in extractives.

Formation and prospects of employment of labor resources in agriculture

The article summarizes the characteristics of the use of labor resources in agriculture by the head of the farm, determining the level of use of resources, efficient use of labor resources, shortening the seasonal working period of labor resources in agriculture, creating an employment environment, prospects for the use of labor resources in agriculture, organization of small enterprises for the industrial surplus production of agricultural products, organization of storage rooms for agricultural products, indicators reflecting the general state of labor productivity are presented. , as well as conclusions on the effective use of labor productivity and comparison of the economic potential of farmers and peasants, conclusions on the main factor of the production process, reproduction of the labor force regardless of the ownership of the economy in agricultural production.

Variable cost evaluation of heating plants in district heating systems considering the temperature impact

District heating systems (DHSs) play an important role for urban areas as they enable an efficient and cost-effective heat supply. Existing DHSs are primarily based on fossil fuel energy and therefore need to be transformed in the coming years to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. Lowering system temperatures is relevant to convert the fossil-based generation to renewable energy sources. However, there is a lack of a systemic methodology that can properly promote the required changes of the system temperatures during operation. This paper contributes a first part to such a methodology: a method to evaluate the average variable costs of heating plants that supply DHSs. The novelty of the approach lies in a systematic way to consider the impact of supply temperature and momentary thermal power on the variable costs of a plant. The method’s requirements, application, results, and conclusions are demonstrated in three case studies of renewable heating plants: a solar thermal, a geothermal and an industrial surplus heating plant. The specific results of these case studies show that different set-points for the supply temperature and for thermal power of each plant have an impact on the variable cost of production. A comparison of the results demonstrates that the method increases the cost transparency in general. It is concluded that the supply temperature should be used as a variable in the operational optimization in DHSs. Further, the method should be part of a more comprehensive methodology for entire DHS infrastructures including storages, the network, and the customers.

A Novel Concept for Sustainable Food Production Utilizing Low Temperature Industrial Surplus Heat

Low temperature industrial surplus heat represents a major energy source that is currently only rarely utilized due to its low quality. An agricluster allows for the leveraging of this low-quality heat and, hence, may improve the overall energy efficiency. This paper presents the novel concept of an agricluster driven by available surplus heat from industrial processes. We propose the integration of greenhouse production, insect rearing, fish rearing, and drying of seaweed using low temperature surplus heat from the aluminum industry. Each of these processes is already used in or investigated for utilization of surplus heat and partly coupled with other processes, such as in aquaponics. However, the integration of all processes in an agricluster—as proposed in this paper—may result in improved utilization of the surplus heat due to the different seasonality of the heat demand. The potential synergies of this integration approach are discussed in this paper. Furthermore, waste from one process can be utilized as an input stream to other processes, reducing the demand for external material input to the system. The proposed concept of an agricluster is especially interesting for the Nordic countries, as they are dependant on fresh food imports due to the low outside temperatures.

A Case Study on Surplus Mushrooms Production: Extraction and Recovery of Vitamin D2

The presented case study illustrates the possibility of adding value to the biological surplus remaining from the mushroom cultivation industry. In essence, the unused mushroom parts were submitted to UV-C irradiation, with the purpose of increasing the vitamin D2 content and validating its extraction. Vitamin D2 concentration in three different mushroom species (Agaricus bisporus, A. bisporus Portobello, and Pleurotus ostreatus) was obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), by means of an ultraviolet (UV) detector. The method was validated using an A. bisporus Portobello sample, and its reproducibility and accuracy were confirmed. Independently of the UV-C irradiation dose, the effect on vitamin D2 concentration was significant, allowing it to increase from less than 4 µg/g dry weight (dw) to more than 100 µg/g dw in all mushroom species. These results are good indicators of the feasibility of industrial surplus mushrooms as sustainable vitamin D2 food sources, besides contributing to strengthen the circularity principals associated to the mushroom production chain.

Design of a district heating roadmap for Hamburg

This paper presents a methodology for the development of a transformation strategy for large-scale district heating systems (DHSs). Using this methodology, a roadmap for Hamburg’s municipal DHS is derived with an exemplary scenario for a climate-neutral heat supply in 2050. The city of Hamburg is currently in the process of transforming its municipal DHS towards climate-neutrality until 2050. So far, a blueprint for the development of such a long-term strategy does not exist. The presented scenario is based on an analysis of the future heat demand and of the regional renewable heat potentials. In the resulting generation mix, the expected heat demand in 2050 can mainly be supplied by industrial surplus heat, large heat pumps and biomass. To meet the city’s climate goals, fossil fuels will have to phase out and even waste incineration needs to be reduced drastically. After the application to the DHS of Hamburg, the methodology and results are transformed into a general approach for municipal heat planning that can support the transfer to other cities. Most importantly, strategic heat planning should be integrated into municipal administration to guarantee a flexible planning process. The paper also reveals shortcomings of currently available methodologies and tools for strategic heat planning, such as spatially resolved forecasts of the heat demand and regional potentials for renewable heat sources, which should be tackled in future scientific research projects.

Heat Pump Bridge Analysis Using the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram

Heat pumps are the key technology to decarbonise thermal processes by upgrading industrial surplus heat using renewable electricity. Existing insight-based integration methods refer to the idealised Grand Composite Curve requiring the full exploitation of heat recovery potential but leave the question of how to deal with technical or economic limitations unanswered. In this work, a novel Heat Pump Bridge Analysis (HPBA) is introduced for practically targeting technical and economic heat pump potential by applying Coefficient of Performance curves into the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram (METD). Removing cross-Pinch violations and operating heat exchangers at minimum approach temperatures by combined application of Bridge Analysis increases the heat recovery rate and reduce the temperature lift to be pumped at the same time. The insight-based METD allows the individual matching of heat surpluses and deficits of individual streams with the capabilities and performance of different market-available heat pump concepts. For an illustrative example, the presented modifications based on HPBA increase the economically viable share of the technical heat pump potential from 61% to 79%.

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Online Business-to-Business Markets for Industrial Product Reuse: Evidence from an Operational Policy Change

Problem definition: We examine the importance of expert services in online materials and waste exchanges (OMWEs), which are online business-to-business markets for coordinating transactions of industrial surplus, by-products, and waste. Academic/practical relevance: OMWEs face unique challenges because of their product mix and market characteristics. Many OMWEs have traditionally relied on a combination of routine services (online aggregation, filtered search, etc.) and expert services (selective and spatial matching, contract facilitation, etc.). Although OMWEs employ varying levels of expert services, the ultimate value of expert services in promoting transactions is not fully understood. From a managerial perspective, our study provides insights into the importance of balancing routine and expert services, offering guidance on when expert services offer the most benefits. From an academic perspective, we expand on the type of product and market attributes that should be considered in tailoring OMWE designs. Methodology: We use transactional data from a unique OMWE setting (MNExchange.org), which consists of approximately 3,500 product listings from 700+ supplier firms, collected during 2001–2007. We use various econometric techniques (survival analysis, regression discontinuity, etc.) to examine the changes in performance, including transaction rates and time to market, attributable to an operational policy change that occurred in 2004. We further conduct a detailed examination of mechanisms, alternative explanations, and counterfactual analysis. Results: The results show that eliminating expert services in OMWEs can adversely affect transaction outcomes in OMWEs. In particular, the results show that OMWEs should consider their product mix and market characteristics when making decisions about the appropriate use of expert services. Managerial implications: The study provides insights for improving the potential of online reuse marketplaces in the circular economy. From a broader perspective, the paper contributes to the debate on the role of technology in sustainable development and technology substitution for human tasks.

The Rationale and Effects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Reducing Vulnerabilities in Domestic Political Economy

ABSTRACT The existing literature suggests that China’s rationale for the belt and road initiative was to stimulate infrastructural investment abroad and thus economic growth at home, foster economic ties with Eurasia, and counter the US pivot to Asia. Employing a domestic political economy perspective, this article suggests that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aimed to address China’s three following vulnerabilities that could derail its economic growth and threaten its political regime—industrial surplus capacity, massive imports of energy through maritime transport instead of safer land routes, and under-development of the western region. Addressing these vulnerabilities helps to sustain China’s economic model characterised by heavy reliance on investment and exports, protection of state firms, and massive energy input. Post-2012 data suggest that the BRI has partially mitigated these three vulnerabilities.

Performance Analysis and Evaluation of a Supercritical CO2 Rankine Cycle Coupled with an Absorption Refrigeration Cycle

The utilization of sensible waste heat such as flue gas and industrial surplus heat is essential for energy saving. Supercritical CO2 power generation cycle is a promising way to be used in this field. In this paper, a new supercritical CO2 Rankine cycle coupled with an absorption refrigeration cycle is proposed, which consists of a reheating supercritical CO2 cycle, a mixed-effect LiBr-H2O absorption refrigeration cycle and solar subsystem including evacuated-tube collector and a hot water storage tank. The system has four variants according to the presence or absence of solar subsystem and net cooling energy output. The thermodynamic model of the proposed system was established and its performance was evaluated. The proposed system is able to realize cascade utilization of flue gas waste heat and efficient conversion of solar energy. It has much higher thermodynamic efficiency than the reference system (i.e., the conventional supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle). Taking combined power and cooling system driven by flue gas waste heat and solar energy as an example, its thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency are 20.37% and 54.18% respectively, compared with the 14.74% and 35.96% of the reference system. Energy Utilization Diagrams (EUD) are implemented to investigate the irreversible losses and variation of the exergy destruction in the energy conversion process. Parametric analysis in two key parameters is conducted to provide guidance for the system optimal design.

Cleaner heating in Northern China: potentials and regional balances

Due to the rapid urbanization in China and its citizens’ increasing need for thermal comfort, space heating, especially district heating has developed rapidly in recent years. Reliance on low-efficient coal boilers has led to significant energy consumption and serious environmental implications. The Chinese government has made clean heating a national strategy, emphasizing that plans for regional heating development should be formulated based on local resources and conditions. In this study, Northern China was divided into 1,047 third level administration regions, of which the local heat demand and possible heating potentials—including combined heat and power plant, industrial surplus heat, wastes, and biomass—were investigated. Through a supply and demand analysis, regional heat balances were assessed and mapped to indicate the characteristics of heating resources in northern China. The results showed that 699 regions have access to clean heating resources besides wastes. Possible development pathways are also discussed for different regions based on the availability of resources. The results from this study provide a solid foundation for future clean heating developments in Northern China.

Contribution of upcycling surplus hydrogen to design a sustainable supply chain: The case study of Northern Spain

To further advance a world powered by hydrogen, it is essential to take advantage of the environmental benefits of using surplus industrial hydrogen to energy conversion. In this paper, the integration of this renewable source in a hydrogen supply chain has been analysed with the following considerations, (1) the techno-economic modeling is applied over the 2020–2050 period, at a regional scale comprising the north of Spain, covering the main sources of surplus hydrogen in the region, (2) the supply chain feeds fuel cell devices powering stationary and mobile applications and, thereby stablishing the quality standards for the upcycled hydrogen and, (3) a mixed-integer programming model (MILP) is formulated to predict the optimal integration of surplus hydrogen. The advantages of this research are twofold, (i) on the one hand, it provides the methodology for the optimal use of surplus hydrogen gases promoting the shift to a Circular Economy and, (ii) on the other hand, it contributes to the penetration of renewable energies in the form of low cost fuel cell devices to power stationary and mobile applications. The results show that the combination of all the infrastructure elements into the mathematical formulation yields optimal solutions with a plan for the gradual infrastructure investments over time required for the transition towards a sustainable future energy mix that includes hydrogen. Thus, this work contributes to improving the environmental and economic sustainability of hydrogen supply chains of upcycling industrial surplus hydrogen.

Techno economic analysis of thermochemical energy storage and transport system utilizing “Zeolite Boiler”: case study in Sweden

Thermochemical energy storage and transport system utilizing zeolite steam adsorption and desorption cycle is one of the methods to resolve the mismatch between industrial surplus heat and heat demands. To generate 60 °C hot water utilizing zeolite 13X, zeolite boiler employing moving bed and indirect heat exchanger was developed. Pressurized water is heated up and flash steam is injected into the zeolite bed for adsorption. A quasi – 2D model solving heat and mass conservation equations was developed, leading to a performance characterization of this zeolite boiler. The developed simulation model was used to predict performance of a heat charging device employing moving bed as well. Based on this calculation, a case study, heat transporting between a local steel works and a hotel was examined and all corresponding cost were fixed. The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) results in around 60 €/MWh which is comparable cost against conventional pellet boiler. Sensitivity analysis showed both of cheaper transportation cost and larger zeolite capacity on the one trailer give a comparable impact on the LCOE.

Edible coating based on whey protein isolate nanofibrils for antioxidation and inhibition of product browning

Whey protein isolates (WPI) have been studied for film formation because of their favorable functional properties and industrial surplus; however, little is known regarding whey protein nanofibrils (WPNFs) as raw material for edible films. In the present study, WPNF-based edible coatings plasticized with glycerol (Gly) and trehalose (Tre) were studied. WPI (5%) can self-assemble into nanofibrils at 80 °C for 10 h under 220 rpm constant magnetic stirring. Compared with that of WPI, the hydrophobic and antioxidant activities of WPNFs were significantly increased. The microstructures and functions of WPI/Gly, WPNF/Gly, and WPNF/Gly/Tre films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and by analyzing their contact angles, film thickness, transparency, moisture content, and solubility in water. Results showed that the formation of WPNFs increased surface smoothness, homogeneity, continuity, hydrophobicity, and transparency, and decreased the moisture content and water solubility of the films. To evaluate the performance of the edible coating, coated fresh cut apples were analyzed during storage. We found that the coatings containing WPNF (5%, w/v), Gly (4%, w/v) and Tre (3%, w/v) afforded the best protective action toward retarding the total phenolic content, browning, and product weight loss. Overall, the low cost, high biocompatibility, and consumer acceptance in taste tests support the ready application of these optimized WPNF films for commercial purposes.

Industrial Development, Liberalisation and Impacts of Vietnam–China Border Trade

Successful industrial development among third world countries is rare. In the past century, only a handful of countries were able to make the big leap to become industrialised countries more or less equal to the US and Europe. This is because industrialisation requires resources, state planning, coordination, resilience to external shocks and sustained performance of firms. These requirements are extremely difficult to achieve in the context of a weak state, low levels of skilled labour, underdeveloped credit markets and timid economic demand for goods and services. This paper assesses the development of the textile and garment industry in a transitional economy, Vietnam, from the political-economy perspectives of state intervention and trade liberalisation. The paper analyses in depth (1) Vietnam’s industrial policies for the textile and garment industry and (2) Vietnam–China border trade and impacts of China’s economic rise on the industry’s development. It illustrates Vietnam’s multiple failed attempts in implementing industrial policies, the political economy of Sino-Vietnam border trade and the penetration of Chinese industrial surplus in the Vietnamese market. The analysis suggests that the Vietnamese model of liberalisation exposed its industries to excessive competition, making them unable to reach the technological level and production scale needed to be globally competitive.

Compensation of Divisional Managers: Peer Effects Inside the Firm

Using hand-collected data on divisional managers at conglomerates, we find that a change in industry surplus in one division generates large spillovers on managerial payoffs in other divisions of the same firm. These spillovers arise only within the boundaries of a conglomerate but not between standalone firms that match conglomerates’ divisions. The intra-firm spillovers increase when conglomerates have excess cash and when managers have more influence over its distribution, but decline in the presence of strong shareholder governance. These spillovers are associated with weaker performance and lower firm value. Our evidence is consistent with simultaneous cross-subsidization via managerial payoffs and capital budgets and suggests that these practices arise in similar firms.

Industrial surplus heat transportation for use in district heating

M-TES (Mobile Thermal Energy Storage) technology is explored in this paper for transportation of industrial surplus heat for use in LTDH (low temperature district heating network). LTDH has promising potential in utilizing low grade heat, on the other hand, 20%–50% of industry generated surplus heat is often released to the ambient environment. M-TES is used to match thermal energy supply and demand that occur at different locations and that are shifted in time. In this paper, design of M-TES is conducted, optimization in operating strategies is performed, sensitivity analysis on levelized cost is studied, and environmental impact of CO2 emissions due to transportation is evaluated. The results of the study show an array of transportation means and storage operating strategies under which M-TES is technically, economically and environmentally sound for transportation of industrial surplus heat for use in LTDH network.

Case study on industrial surplus heat of steel plants for district heating in Northern China

In China, district heating systems are facing a dilemma between rapid growth in demand owing to urbanization and environmental problems related to coal-fired boilers. The utilization of industrial surplus heat has great potential on improving the power of heating systems and reducing coal consumption of boilers. However, few industrial systems are constructed under the consideration of district heating. Some features of the surplus heat, such as the position, grade, and production schedule, are significantly different to traditional heat sources. To recover the surplus heat, retrofits of district heating systems are necessary. In this paper, according to the current situations and the future developments, a scheme is proposed to integrate the surplus heat of two steel plants into a large-scale district heating network. Three sources of surplus heat are involved: slag-flushing water, cooling water, and low-pressure steam. The scheme has been partly applied in a corresponding demonstration project. The actual performance proves the feasibility of the integrated system and implies significant benefits in terms of economic cost, CO2 emission and pollutant emissions. Furthermore, the potential to extend the scheme in Northern China is also evaluated.

District heating from industrial surplus heat in avilés (spain)

This article presents a study on a waste‐to‐energy (WtE) technology and its application for district heating (DH) at a particular site in the city of Avilés (Spain). The study is based on the recovery of surplus heat from a cooling facility at a steel mill in the neighborhood of Avilés. The thermal energy demanded by the potential users, which include apartment blocks, a hotel, and a sport, and spa center, has been estimated in 1.1 MW in winter and 0.5 MW in summer, during daytime. The process proposed has two main stages: first, surplus hot air is collected by hoods in the factory and circulated through a heat exchanger, and second, the resulting hot water is transported to the destination sites by means of a new insulated pipeline network. Total technical costs (not including financial nor insurance costs) have been estimated in 660 k€. The study raised a number of key issues such as the necessity of simulation tools to predict the process performance when modifying the plant scheme or the convenience for additional economical or social incentives, like those related to the current municipal project denoted as “Isla de la Innovación.” © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1380–1388, 2014