Minimum Production Cost Research Articles

Application of neural network modeling and constrained particle swarm optimization of steam production from biomass power plant

In this paper, the steam production of the power plant from four biomass types has been investigated via the combination of the neural network (NN) model and constrained particle swarm optimization (CPSO) methods. First, the power plant modeling was accurately developed using NN simulation. Then, the model was applied to the optimization step, where the CPSO (the modified algorithm from the classical PSO) was introduced. The proposed method included real operation constraints to the algorithm, such as biomass feed availability and minimum steam production rate. In the optimization step, the COP has been defined as the cost function to check the present operation’s economic viability. To obtain the minimum production cost (COP), the CPSO suggested feeding wood bark from sources C and D with the amount of 104.1 and 463.8 tons/day, respectively. The result has been extensively validated by the real operation. The calculation framework in this study then applies to various production systems. Besides, by integrating the cost function in the optimization model with other indicators such as environmental impact indices, the output would provide an additional holistic picture of economic and environmental aspects.

Enhanced L-glutamic acid production by immobilized Corynebacterium glutamicum X680 using Response Surface Methodology

L-glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid largely used as flavor enhancer and food additive. It also has several therapeutic applications. Fermentation has gained superiority over its chemical synthesis as it produced stereo-specific isomer. Corynebacterium glutamicum is mostly used microorganism for Lglutamic acid fermentation. The study was dealing with optimization of L-glutamic acid production by immobilized mutant Corynebacterium glutamicum X680 in calcium alginate beads using response surface methodology as effective statistical tool. Among several parameters studied, pH, inoculums size, incubation time, concentration of sodium alginate, agitation and cell:alginate ration showed the most significant effect. Immobilized cells produced significantly (p<0.01) lower amount of L-glutamic acid (24.3mg/ml) compared to the production by free cells (27.6mg/ml). However, reusability of the beads minimized production cost and hence conferred benefit as far as the market economy is concerned.

The specificity of the functioning of the quality cost account within the quality management system of an enterprise

Abstract Along with the development of quality systems, there was a need to analyze the expenditure incurred to obtain the appropriate quality of products or services and the impact of the actions taken on the results achieved by an entity. Quality costs are an important tool for improving the quality of offered products and efficiency of management, provided that the enterprise maintains a quality cost calculation. It is a system for capturing and analyzing all costs related to quality and taking actions aimed at increasing quality while minimizing production costs. The purpose of quality cost account is not only to identify areas in need of improvement, but most of all to provide information enabling the assessment of the effectiveness of the QMS implemented in the enterprise. The article indicates the essence of quality cost account. It also presents a method of implementing quality cost account in an enterprise which can be the basis for the development of a procedure within the scope of the quality management system. The presented methodology of quality cost account comprehensively indicates the scope of its conduct, responsibility for the activities carried out within it, the method of recording quality costs in the enterprise and indicators the analysis of which allows for an objective assessment of the effectiveness of the implemented quality management system.

Multi-Objective Immune-Commensal-Evolutionary Programming for Total Production Cost and Total System Loss Minimization via Integrated Economic Dispatch and Distributed Generation Installation

Economic Dispatch (ED) problems have been solved using single-objective optimization for so long, as Grid System Operators (GSOs) previously only focused on minimizing the total production cost. In modern power systems, GSOs require not only optimizing the total production cost but also, at the same time, optimizing other important objectives, such as the total emissions of the greenhouse gasses, total system loss and voltage stability. This requires a suitable multi-objective optimization approach in ensuring the ED solution produced is satisfying all the objectives. This paper presents a new multi-objective optimization technique termed Multi-Objective Immune-Commensal-Evolutionary Programming (MOICEP) for minimizing the total production cost and total system loss via integrated Economic Dispatch and Distributed Generation installation (ED-DG). This involved the application of a weighted-sum multi-objective approach that combined with an optimization technique called Immune-Commensal-Evolutionary Programming (ICEP). The proposed MOICEP has been compared with other multi-objective techniques, which are Multi-Objective-Evolutionary Programming (MOEP) and Multi-Objective-Artificial Immune System (MOAIS). It was found that MOICEP performs very well in producing better optimization results for all the three types of Economic Dispatch (ED) problems compared to MOEP and MOAIS in terms of cheap total production costs and low total system loss.

A Novel Additive Manufacturing Method of Cellulose Gel.

Screen-additive manufacturing (SAM) is a potential method for producing small intricate parts without waste generation, offering minimal production cost. A wide range of materials, including gels, can be shaped using this method. A gel material is composed of a three-dimensional cross-linked polymer or colloidal network immersed in a fluid, known as hydrogel when its main constituent fluid is water. Hydrogels are capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water. Cellulose gel is among the materials that can form hydrogels and, as shown in this work, has the required properties to be directly SAM, including shear thinning and formation of post-shearing gel structure. In this study, we present the developed method of SAM for the fabrication of complex-shaped cellulose gel and examine whether successive printing layers can be completed without delamination. In addition, we evaluated cellulose SAM without the need for support material. Design of Experiments (DoE) was applied to optimize the SAM settings for printing the novel cellulose-based gel structure. The optimum print settings were then used to print a periodic structure with micro features and without the need for support material.

Scaffolding Biomaterials for 3D Cultivated Meat: Prospects and Challenges.

Cultivating meat from stem cells rather than by raising animals is a promising solution to concerns about the negative externalities of meat production. For cultivated meat to fully mimic conventional meat's organoleptic and nutritional properties, innovations in scaffolding technology are required. Many scaffolding technologies are already developed for use in biomedical tissue engineering. However, cultivated meat production comes with a unique set of constraints related to the scale and cost of production as well as the necessary attributes of the final product, such as texture and food safety. This review discusses the properties of vertebrate skeletal muscle that will need to be replicated in a successful product and the current state of scaffolding innovation within the cultivated meat industry, highlighting promising scaffold materials and techniques that can be applied to cultivated meat development. Recommendations are provided for future research into scaffolds capable of supporting the growth of high‐quality meat while minimizing production costs. Although the development of appropriate scaffolds for cultivated meat is challenging, it is also tractable and provides novel opportunities to customize meat properties.

Designed to Be Green, Economic, and Efficient: A Ketone-Ester-Alcohol-Alkane Blend for Future Spark-Ignition Engines.

Model‐based fuel design can tailor fuels to advanced engine concepts while minimizing environmental impact and production costs. A rationally designed ketone‐ester‐alcohol‐alkane (KEAA) blend for high efficiency spark‐ignition engines was assessed in a multi‐disciplinary manner, from production cost to ignition characteristics, engine performance, ecotoxicity, microbial storage stability, and carbon footprint. The comparison included RON 95 E10, ethanol, and two previously designed fuels. KEAA showed high indicated efficiencies in a single‐cylinder research engine. Ignition delay time measurements confirmed KEAA's high auto‐ignition resistance. KEAA exhibits a moderate toxicity and is not prone to microbial infestation. A well‐to‐wheel analysis showed the potential to lower the carbon footprint by 95 percent compared to RON 95 E10. The findings motivate further investigations on KEAA and demonstrate advancements in model‐based fuel design.

Conceptual design for methanol steam reforming in serial packed-bed reactors and membrane filters: Economic and environmental perspectives

Methanol steam reforming (MSR) in packed-bed reactors (PBRs) with membrane filters has emerged as promising hydrogen (H2) production system to overcome limitations of conventional membrane reactor (MR), which has H2 permeable membrane inside. In this study, techno-economic analysis is conducted based on results of process simulation using Aspen HYSYS® to assess technical and economic feasibility of MSR in systems of different number of PBRs and membrane filters and key economic parameters are presented. Also, effects of techno-economic parameters of reaction temperature, H2 permeance, and the number of PBRs and membrane filters on a unit H2 production cost are investigated, individually and comprehensively, in the ranges from 448 to 513 K, from 5×10−6 to 5×10−5 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1, and one to four PBRs with zero to three membrane filters. Based on techno-economic analysis results, regression function for the unit H2 production cost is achieved and optimization of operating conditions using GAMS© is conducted showing the minimum unit H2 production cost of 7.03 $ kgH2−1 and optimized conditions of 513 K, 5×10−5 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1, and two PBRs with one membrane filter. In addition, to investigate environmental feasibility, carbon footprint analysis is performed with comparing CO2 emissions according to techno-economic parameters.

Multi-objective optimization of thermoeconomic performance for an innovative combined energy system in the supply chain based on externally reformed-Molten carbonate fuel cell

• Triggering a combined heat and power system by biomass gasification. • Integrating Molten carbonate fuel cell with supercritical CO 2 Brayton cycle. • Assessment the effect of crucial design parameters on the system performance. • Maximization of 1st and 2nd law efficiency using NSGAII algorithm. Waste heat elimination via integration techniques has been recognized as an effective solution for the performance enhancement of renewable energy-based power plants. In this paper, a new plant, based on an external reformer molten carbonate fuel cell, is proposed and analyzed. The system consuming the biogas fuel produced by a digester plant. A gas turbine and a supercritical CO 2 cycle are used as bottoming cycles of the proposed layout and its superiorities over the previously developed models are reviewed in terms of thermodynamics, thermoeconomics, and environment. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to assess the effect of crucial design parameters on the main performance indexes namely exergy efficiency, net output power, total cost, and the unit product cost of the system. The results indicate that the maximum exergy destruction rate is associated with the water preheater (HX1), and it is followed by the combustion chamber, main heat exchanger, and burner. Further, three-objective optimization is carried out employing the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II artificial neural network in MATLAB. Results demonstrate a very great potential in the system to have a higher exergy efficiency of 80.28% which corresponds to the cost of 9.82 $/GJ. Considering the cost and CO 2 emission, the minimum unit product cost of 9.46 $/GJ and minimum CO 2 emission of 354.01 g/MWh can be achievable.

Perspectives of New Alternative Materials to Silicon for the Production of Photovoltaic Solar Cells

Much has been studied about solar energy as a renewable energy, as it can be transformed in electricity by means of solar panels. Innovation is very important when it comes to photovoltaic technologies, because the advantages of these technologies are low installation and maintenance costs and no environmental impact during operation. The market of photovoltaic products is dominated by the silicon technology, but new second- and third-generation cell technologies have been developed. This research shows that the Perovskite solar and the Multijunction solar cells have the potential to achieve maximum power conversion efficiency and minimum production costs in the near future. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC), Organic photovoltaics (OPV), Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSC), Single-junction solar cells, and the Heterojunction solar cells will achieve such potential in a more distant future, because limitations imposed by efficiency and costs must be overcome. Having these parameters in mind, the overall objective of this research is to analyze the materials of strategic potential to compete with silicon in the composition of the photovoltaic solar cells. A Systematic Literature Review helped retrieve 112 papers that report the most researched materials from 2014 to 2018. It is concluded that despite good results have been obtained from many of such studies, some alternative materials to silicon are still not technologically acceptable in terms of efficiency. It is expected that the use of a better distributed and cheaper solar energy technology will be possible in the near future.

Unit Commitment Solution Based on Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Method

This paper presents an algorithm to solve the unit commitment problem using the intelligence technique based on improved Particle Swarm Optimization (IPSO) for establishing the optimal scheduling of the generating units in the electric power system with the lowest production cost during a specified time and subjected to all the constraints. The minimum production cost is calculated based on using the Lambda Iteration method. A conventional method was also used for solving the unit commitment problem using the Dynamic Programming method (DP). The two methods were tested on the 14-bus IEEE test system and the results of both methods were compared with each other and with other references. The comparison showed the effectiveness of the proposed method over other methods.

Goal Programming Model for Optimizing The Management of Brackish Water Milkfish Ponds in Gresik

National fish consumption is increasing every year, both sea fish and fish farming. That is because the appeal and invitation of the government to consume fresh fish (white meat) which contains lots of vitamins and protein. Milkfish is one of the most consumed fish species because it is easy to get and the price is relatively cheap. One of the biggest milkfish producers in East Java is located in Gresik Regency. The fulfillment of milkfish consumption needs depends on its productivity. Milkfish productivity depends on the area of the pond. The greater the land area, the more milk fish can be produced. However, milkfish farming is often constrained by the size of ponds, so the amount of milkfish harvest is also limited. In this study, the goal programming method is used to obtain several objectives, namely maximizing profits, minimizing capital, minimizing production costs and inventory costs, taking into account the changing demands in each harvest period, population density, milkfish survival rate and growth rate. The profit from selling the harvest can be optimized by selling some fish (on demand) and re-raising the remaining milk fish from the harvest (inventory) for resale in the next harvest period. Although production costs and inventory costs increase with more food, these benefits will be maximized compared to selling the entire harvest during that period. Because the greater the weight of milk fish, the higher the selling price. So the benefits will be far more leverage.

A Mini Review on Microalgae Biomass Production: Recent Progress in Cultivation Systems

Single-celled photosynthetic microscopic algae (microalgae) have numerous significances for human wellbeing. From medicine to fuel industry these tiny organisms have tremendous potentials and in future they would be game changer to mitigate global warming and environmental pollutions. The current production cost is a matter of consideration during its applications. Scientists all over the world are trying to reduce the production costs as well as to develop new or improve the existing culturing methodologies and techniques. Open pond and closed pond (PBRs) culturing system are two most prominent ways to culture microalgae. Open pond culturing techniques for microalgae have several advantages over closed pond system such as low operational costs and easy to make. However, the main drawback of this system is contamination by other microorganisms, which is possible to control in closed pond system. Among the many types of PBRs systems, the advanced tubular PBRs presently considered as more useful than open pond culture system. To meet the minimum production costs, more research is needed on both the culturing systems.

Effect of inoculant density on the growth of glagah consortium culture

The inoculant is an important factor in microalgae cultivation. The right initial density will be more efficient and minimise production costs. The Glagah consortium culture is a mixture of microalgae and bacteria isolated from the Glagah coast in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the initial density to produce optimal growth for the Glagah consortium culture. The study used 3 initial densities: 100,000 cells ml−1, 500,000 cells ml−1 and 1,000,000 cells ml−1, with 3 replicates of each treatment. Parameters observed included specific growth rate, doubling time, biomass and productivity. The results showed significant differences in specific growth rate and doubling time between inoculant treatments. The highest growth rate and fastest doubling time were reached with 100,000 cells ml−1 although the highest cell density was reached with 1,000,000 cells ml−1. Biomass and productivity were not significantly different between treatments. The inoculant density of 100,000 cells ml−1 is considered the most efficient treatment, as compared to the other treatments it can produce similar biomass with less inoculant; it is therefore recommended for use in the cultivation of the Glagah consortium isolate.

Phytotherapy an alternative to pest and disease control of bees

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has been the most widely used bee due to its pollination and honey production capacities. Currently, beekeeping encompasses several health problems, which have drastically affected the populations of beehives in production. Among the diseases affecting bees are: American foulbrood, European foulbrood, limebrood, stonebrood, nosemiasis, acariosis and varroasis, among others. The Varroa destructor mite, which acts as a vector of different diseases and is recently associated with colony collapse syndrome. This mite affects bees during the phoretic and reproductive phase. However, the indiscriminate use of synthetic acaricides, in addition to having a harmful impact on the environment, affects the safety of products derived from the hive. In addition, they have origi-nated resistance in V. destructor populations. This has forced the development of new strategies and treatment alternatives, such as the use of various plants native or endemic to the region (milling, extracts, oils and/or dehydrated powdered extracts). Plant essential oils are volatile aromatic compounds, mainly terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and alcohols, which have a wide range of antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, so the addition of essential oils of clove, eucalyptus, mint, rosemary, oregano and cinnamon can be beneficial in the apiary. The uses of these products can minimize production costs, encouraging producers to use these products.

Reinforced lubrication of vegetable oils with nano-particle additives in broaching

Application of cutting fluids in broaching process plays a significant role in minimizing production cost and energy. However, conventional broaching fluids contain harmful and destructive chemical constituents, causing various environmental threats and operator hazards. Vegetable oil-based nano-cutting fluids are good alternatives owing to their less environmental threats, high thermal conductivity and supreme lubricating efficiency. The current study concentrates on the application of green vegetable oil-based cutting fluids in the broaching process. Firstly, conventional broaching oil (CBO) and five vegetable oils are proposed as cutting fluids. The sesame oil is preferred by analyzing the coefficient of friction (COF) and molecular structure of vegetable oils. Afterward, CuO, Al 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 and carbon powder nanoparticles were added into the sesame oil to prepare nanofluids. The CuO nanoparticle was selected to perform the further optimization because of its special particle shape and physical properties. Finally, the best concentration of CuO nanofluid, 0.54 wt%, was obtained by observing the distribution of nano-particles in the nanofluids. The results show that 0.54 wt% CuO nanofluid reduces the peak and trough loads amounted to 887 N and 774 N, respectively which are 62.7% and 68.6% higher than those of the pure sesame oil. • Sesame oil could effectively reduce the broaching load. • CuO nano-particle has the best load reduction capability. • CuO nano-particle significantly reduces cutting energy consumption. • Within a certain limit, broaching nano-fluid lubrication effect increases with increasing concentration. • Optimum concentration of nano-particles stays at 160 mg with host fluid sesame oil.

INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE LED BY NANOSTRUCTURING

Increasing the use of LED technologies in the modern world requires maximum efficiency with minimal production costs. Combining several technological methods of production allows you to solve the task.

Solar‐wind‐hydro‐thermal scheduling using moth flame optimization

AbstractEver increasing concern of environmental safeguard makes renewable energy sources (RES) useful for emission reduction as well as for production cost minimization. In this article, the multiobjective economic emission dispatch (EED) model with security constraints incorporating photovoltaic, nonconvex thermal, and wind units is introduced for hydro‐thermal‐solar‐wind power scheduling arrangement. However, the significant reduction of emission is the foremost perspective for environmental sustainability and penetration of RESs into the electrical grid is being encouraged tremendously. To diminish the power generation expenditure and pollution generated by fossil fuels, renewable solar PV and wind power‐oriented hydro‐thermal scheduling have significant worth. Existing algorithms do not perform satisfactorily for unpredicted solar and wind‐based nonlinear hydro‐thermal‐wind‐solar scheduling problems and it may give local optimal solutions instead of global optimal solution. To overcome the shortcomings of the existing algorithms, an effective, and an intelligent robust algorithm, named moth flame optimization (MFO) has been proposed for solving the said nonlinear optimization problem. This article describes a scientific review on the application of the proposed method to obtain the scheduling of optimal generation for hydrothermal systems by incorporating RESs like solar PV and wind plant. Optimal solutions gained by the employment of different optimization methods for a variety of test instances are demonstrated and the projected methods are compared in terms of attained optimal solutions and convergence speed. The proposed MFO algorithm is competent for potential/hopeful outcomes, and it reduces the electrical power generation cost and emission significantly. The simulation outcomes reveal the usefulness and feasibility of the proposed method.

ПОКАЗНИК ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ СТВОРЕННЯ МОДИФІКАЦІЙ ПОВІТРЯНИХ СУДЕН ТРАНСПОРТНОЇ КАТЕГОРІЇ ДЛЯ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ЙОГО В ПРОЦЕСІ ВИРОБНИЦТВА

An analysis of the problem of the effectiveness of the creation of aircraft of the transport category was carried out and it was noted that the effectiveness indicator generally expresses the ratio of the operational effect of one aircraft for its service life as the target return in monetary terms to the cost of its creation is the essence of this concept as applied to its specific Implementation for any type of objects, including for modifications of aircraft of the transport category. Analysis of the features of applying an indicator of efficiency to the creation of aircraft modifications made it possible to interpret the operational efficiency for the entire period of operation of the aircraft modifications as the profit of the manufacturer's company, and the cost of manufacturing an object - as the amount of works of labor intensity of technological actions aimed at creating aircraft modifications to the relative cost of these actions, assigned to one norm-hour. Any technological actions include technological operations, processes, cycles, as well as organizational and technical measures, ensuring the effectiveness of creating aircraft modifications, including the cost of purchasing materials and aggregates. The process of forming a contract is considered to produce a series of modifications, in demand by the operator in the air transportation market, consistently acquisition in the initial delivery part of the series, followed by manufacturing and supply with a given sales ratio. The dependence of the total producer's total profit from the timing of the supply of modifications, its prices, production costs and sales coefficients, from which inequality should be determined by the level of permissible costs, as well as the profitability coefficients expressed by the ratio of profit to the sales volume. To find the maximum performance indicator, a technique was proposed for determining the minimum production costs and its implementation algorithm by minimizing the total costs in their set of all technological actions when limiting the regulated values. Recommendations are given to improve the efficiency of the contract in case of non-fulfillment of restrictive inequalities for industrial costs.

Conceptualization and Analysis of a Next-Generation Ultra-Compact 1.5-kW PCB-Integrated Wide-Input-Voltage-Range 12V-Output Industrial DC/DC Converter Module

The next-generation industrial environment requires power supplies that are compact, efficient, low-cost, and ultra-reliable, even across mains failures, to power mission-critical electrified processes. Hold-up time requirements and the demand for ultra-high power density and minimum production costs, in particular, drive the need for power converters with (i) a wide input voltage range, to reduce the size of the hold-up capacitor, (ii) soft-switching over the full input voltage and load ranges, to achieve low losses that facilitate a compact realization, and (iii) complete PCB-integration for low-cost manufacturing. In this work, we conceptualize, design, model, fabricate, and characterize a 1.5 kW, 12 V-output DC/DC converter for industrial power supplies that is required to operate across a wide 300 V–430 V input voltage range. This module utilizes an LLC-based control scheme for complete soft-switching and a snake-core transformer to divide the output current with a balanced flux among multiple secondary windings. Detailed loss models are derived for every component in the converter. The converter achieves close to 96% peak efficiency with a power density of 337 W in−3 (20.6 kW/dm−3), excellent matching to the derived loss models, and zero-voltage switching even down to zero load. The loss models are used to identify improvements to further boost efficiency, the most important of which is the minimization of delay times in synchronous rectification, and a subsequent improved 1.5 kW hardware module eliminates nearly 25% of converter losses for a peak efficiency of nearly 97% with a power density of 308 W in−3 (18.8 kW dm−3). Two 1.5 kW modules are then paralleled to achieve 3 kW output power at 12 V and 345 W in−3 (21.1 kW dm−3) with ideal current sharing between the secondary outputs and no drop in efficiency from a single module, an important characteristic enabled by the novel snake-core transformer.