Performance Assessment Process Research Articles

Machine learning – based approach for predicting pushover curves of low-rise reinforced concrete frame buildings

Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame buildings are prevalent worldwide due to their seismic performance and the broad availability of materials. Pushover analysis is regarded as one way to assess the seismic performance of these buildings, which is simple to interpret. The only downside of this method is that it requires developing nonlinear models, which can be time-consuming and computationally expensive. Recently, Machine Learning (ML) has emerged as an alternative to approximate the pushover response of RC frame buildings. However, there are still improvements in several areas, such as including relevant and easily obtainable parameters in structural design (e.g. reinforcement ratios), considering a wide range of building configurations, and comparing different ML techniques. This paper presents the development of two models based on Random Forest (RF) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict the pushover response of low-rise RC frame buildings, supported by a user-friendly graphical interface. First, a dataset of over 138000 Pushover analyses was performed on flexure-controlled RC frames ranging from two to five stories using OpenSeesPy, subsequently used to develop predictive ML models. These models are designed to offer a trilinear approximation of a building's Pushover curve, and they require input information that is available from the customary building design. The pushover predictions obtained with RF and ANN take 0.12 % and 3.05 % of the computing time compared to the OpensSeesPy nonlinear model. The proposed models demonstrate a high level of accuracy, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of over 0.88 and 0.81 in testing datasets for RF and ANN models, underscoring their potential to significantly streamline the seismic performance assessment process by providing quick Pushover curve estimations.

Implementasi Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Pemberian Reward Karyawan Menggunakan Metode Weighted Product

PT XYZ is a private company in Palembang that supplies medical devices and equipment. This company conducts performance assessments every year to provide appropriate rewards in the form of gifts, bonuses or incentives to employees. In carrying out the performance assessment process for providing employee rewards, it is still done manually. This process is inefficient because it takes a lot of time, is prone to errors in calculation and it is not clear which aspects of the criteria are important. By using the Weighted Product methodology, this study tries to create a decision support system (DSS) that will simplify this evaluation procedure. This application is made website-based, using the laravel framework with the Iterative system development method. The results obtained indicate that the system can help companies improve efficiency by conducting automatic assessments, providing measurable weights, transparently and using the Weighted Product method for more accurate assessments. Overall, the system developed meets the research objectives.

Relative fuel property variation of gas-pressurized and conventional torrefaction for biochar performance assessment

Exploring biochar from gas-pressurized torrefaction for solid biofuel production is of great concern for the process performance assessment. This study conducts several relative indexes of biochars produced from gas-pressurized and conventional torrefaction, identifying the merits of the former. The results suggest that a higher pressure is more feasible for reducing biochar volume and enhancing energy efficiency. The results of the relative higher heating value (1.01–1.07) and relative enhancement factor (1.00–1.06) indicate that gas-pressurized torrefaction is more efficient for energy density improvement. Furthermore, gas-pressurized torrefaction dramatically facilitates biochar grindability, with the relative Hardgrove grindability index value ranging from 1.20 to 2.40. The proximate and elemental analysis results suggest that a higher pressure facilitates biochar carbonization and deoxygenation with a higher carbonized component. The energy consumption, efficiency, and expense calculation results imply that gas-pressurized torrefaction is more energy-efficient and cost-saving, with the relative upgrading energy index range of 1.00–1.12.

Design and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based Sustainability Evaluation of a Novel Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)-Integrated Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) System

Although sewage treatment plants form one of the major environmental interventions for eco-friendly and sustainable management of domestic sanitary wastes, yet their own overall sustainability enhancement, rather than process performance assessment are seldom addressed. The sustainability study of a standard sewage treatment plant, namely Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) is addressed in the present research work through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools using SimaPro. Following this, an attempt was made herewith to integrate a potential, yet much lesser commercially explored, wastewater management strategy, namely Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) unto the SBR chamber, with suitable design-modification. The sustainability parameters of the resultant MFC-augment SBR system were also analysed using LCA to compare the effect of this intervention unto the said parameters. The study shows similar normalized trends of overall damage unto sewage as well as sludge, with global warming being the dominant damage cause. Human health was found to be most vulnerable category for both types of SBR’s (namely, with and without MFC), with relatively lower effect in case of MFC-augmented SBR, particularly with regard to infrastructural and short-term domains, in addition to improved water quality and lower water-footprint.

Influence of earthquake duration on structural collapse capacity: Application to self-centering shear walls

This study investigates the influence of earthquake duration on the structural collapse capacity of self-centering shear walls (SCSW). The assessment process employing different response indicators is examined when considering the duration effect, including the inter-story drift ratio (IDR) and damage index (DI) quantified through a modified damage model. SCSWs with varying self-centering parameters λ are designed and modeled, and incremental dynamic analyses are performed using two record sets with distinct effective durations and equivalent frequency contents. The assessment criteria outlined in FEMA P695 are utilized to quantify the collapse capacity of SCSWs considering the duration effect. Meanwhile, the duration effect on structural performance corresponding to multiple damage states are evaluated. Results show a minimal correlation between the duration effect and collapse capacity when employing IDR during evaluations. Conversely, earthquakes with longer durations may impose higher collapse risks to SCSWs when assessing collapse capacity using DI. Meanwhile, enlarging λ can effectively mitigate damage development and reduce collapse risks for SCSWs. The results further demonstrate that damage may develop more rapidly within SCSWs under long-duration earthquakes, potentially leading to inadequate redundancy during intense seismic events. Additionally, the result suggests that the current performance assessment process only employing deformation-based response indicators may lead to inadequate evaluation of collapse risks for SCSWs, especially when accounting for the effect of earthquake duration.

Performance assessment of a sample nanorefrigerant cooling process as a function of flow Reynolds number, evaporator and ambient temperatures

In this paper available experimental data of nanorefrigerant, NRF cooling process are processed using MATLAB to determine the coefficient of performance COP as a function of Reynolds number, Re of NRF, evaporator and ambient temperatures, Te and Ta as a novelty. The cooling process performance assessment of NRF is provided in comparison with a pure refrigerant, R through relative COP term, COPr. The used data ranges with 20–70 nm of Al2O3 in R134a are at varying volume fraction, φ of 0.075–0.303% and volumetric flow rate, Q of 6.5–11 L/h for Ta in 294–306 K and Te in 288–309 K. Re calculations are based on the thermophysical parameters evaluated at Te not only in the cited experimental ranges of Q, φ but also extrapolated for the extended range of Q of 15–25 L/h for a generalization purpose. Since data processing is under the interactive influence of the parameters the functional relationships of COP, Re, φ, Te are expressed as 3D graphical plots which are the start of a trial-error procedure. The experimental data are expressed in terms of fitted equations for functional relationships between various non-dimensional parameters as Re, COP, (COP*φ), (COP*Te/Ta*φ), (Re*Te/Ta*φ), (Re*Te/Ta), and COPr to provide a practical assistance for whom designing and using NRF cooling. A functional relationship of Re*(Te/Ta) with COPr at varying φ is found as the most critical output of the study due to the practice of the appeared parameters in cooling performance assessment. COPr>1 corresponds to φ>0.151% for the processed data ranges.

Web-Based Education Personnel Management: An Innovation in the Development of Education Management in the 21st Century

In the 21st century, technology-based institutions require clear parameters for evaluating employee performance. Manual performance assessment processes necessitate the development of a technology-driven information system to streamline leadership's evaluation of employees. This study is dedicated to analyzing the prerequisites for designing an information technology-based performance monitoring system tailored for educational staffs, organized into four stages: defining, designing, developing, and disseminating. By involving 71 educational staffs, this study resulted in the creation of the SI-IKAH (Sistem Input Kinerja Harian Tenaga Kependidikan) or the Daily Performance Input System for Education Personnel, specifically designed for the Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia Sumedang Campus. The system comprises modules for collecting personal information, work unit details, types of tasks, work hours, work outcomes, and generating reports for educational staff. This study concludes that the implementation of this system has the potential to boost employees performance motivation, ensure the currency of institutional data, and enhance the efficiency of employee work assessments.

Conversion of biodigestate into activated carbon for electrochemical application: Process performance and life cycle assessment

Carbons derived from pyrolysis and activation of waste biomass are attracting much attention as components of energy technologies, such as batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells. This experimental study focuses on the production of a high-surface-area biochar (LAC) obtained from the treatment of lignin-rich waste of a biodigester plant, by applying KHCO3 as an activating agent. The pyrolysis-activation conditions were set by following the process by thermogravimetric analysis and by checking the purity and porosity of the resulting carbon by several analytical techniques. The best pyrolysis condition provided a microporous carbon featuring up to 1840 m2 g−1, which was demonstrated at a 25 g biodigestate batch-scale. Moreover, the production process was critically analyzed by means of life cycle assessment to identify environmental hotspots and thus derive recommendations for process optimization. The impact of substance- and energy-recovery and the use of renewable energy sources on the sustainability of the product was demonstrated in several scenarios, complemented by benchmarking and an outlook regarding further optimization needs. In the best case scenario, the global warming potential of the proposed biochar could be reduced to 15.9 kg CO2-eq per kg of LAC. The activating agent KHCO3 was dominant in almost all environmental impact categories, hence, a theoretical recovery process for this substance was suggested and evaluated via life cycle assessment.

Analisis Kinerja Reksa Dana Saham Syariah di Indonesia

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the JCI produced higher returns compared to the Sharia Stock Mutual Fund Index with quite a large difference in figures. IHSG produced a return of 51.83% while the Sharia Stock Mutual Fund Index only produced a return of 12.85%. This research aims to provide an overview of the mutual fund performance assessment process and analysis of this assessment. There are several methods for assessing investments in portfolio form, including Sharpe Ratio, Treynor Ratio, Jensen's Alpha and Information Ratio. The results showed that in March - December 2020, it was discovered that Panin Dana Syariah Saham received the highest performance score using two methods, namely the Sharpe ratio and Treynor ratio. In 2021, Panin Dana Syariah Saham received the highest performance score using three methods, namely Sharpe ratio, Jensen's alpha and Information ratio. In 2022, HPAM Ekuitas Syariah Berkah received the highest performance score using three methods, namely Sharpe ratio, Jensen's alpha and Information ratio. In January – June 2023, the Batavia Dana Saham Syariah received the highest performance score using two methods, namely the Sharpe ratio and the Information ratio. However, if you look at the mutual fund that received the highest performance scores during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was Panin Dana Syariah Saham.

CCUS-assisted electricity-chemical polygeneration system for decarburizing coal-fired power plant: Process integration and performance assessment

In the context of global carbon neutrality, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has become an important transition pathway to decarbonizing coal-fired power plants (CFPP). However, CCS technology has strict requirements for geological storage and the potential risk of CO2 leakage. Meanwhile, the deployment of the CCS technology in the CFPP could drastically reduce plant efficiency. To address the aforementioned issues, a novel carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)-assisted electricity-chemical polygeneration process (i.e., ECPP) was proposed to produce electricity, liquid fuels, and high-calorie synthetic natural gas simultaneously. To reduce the efficiency loss caused by the consumption of internal steam and electricity, heat integration and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technologies were adopted to fully recover the available waste heat and achieve the cascade utilization of the internal energy. Meanwhile, a detailed techno-economic assessment was conducted to further determine the benefits of the process integration. The results indicated that the application of heat integration and ORC technologies improves plant efficiency by 6 %. Moreover, it also reduces the cost of electricity and CO2 conversion cost by 17 and 15 %, respectively. In addition, compared with the traditional CFPPs retrofitted with CCS technology, the CO2 utilization and waste heat recovery technologies in ECPP enhance net electricity output and plant efficiency by 19 and 34 %, respectively. Therefore, the proposed CCUS-assisted ECPP achieves the efficient utilization of the waste CO2, and reduces the efficiency penalty for retrofitting the CFPPs. Overall, the proposed ECPP is an essential alternative for the retrofit of the existing CFPPs, and provides a feasible strategy for establishing a clean and sustainable power polygeneration system.

Performance assessment and optimization of adsorption-assisted air gap membrane distillation process for remediation of chromium-contaminated groundwater

Chromium contamination in groundwater is becoming a significant concern due to its potential contribution to the global cancer burden. Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising method known for producing high-quality water, yet issues namely temperature and concentration polarizations should be addressed. To overcome these issues, adsorption (ADS) is proposed to reduce Chromium concentration in the concentrated feed and enhance water production and resource recovery. This study assesses the performance optimization considered parameter effects of the process individually and subsequently executes it into a combined process. Slow sand filtration (SSF) is performed to eliminate particles and thus mitigate fouling. A novel Fe3O4@C-SiO2 is introduced in the ADS process. The technical and economic performances of single MD, hybrid systems (ADS-MD and SSF-MD), and an integrated SSF-ADS-MD system are compared. The results showed the integrated process outperformed various scenarios, achieving significant water recovery almost a 2-fold increase in a single process, and notable reductions in Chromium mass (485.3 gr) and abatement (31.4 mg/h). The economic analysis indicated that the benefit-cost ratio of the integrated process is slightly higher compared to hybrid ADS-MD primarily because of the lower costs in SSF. Ultimately, the results underscored the process of SSF and ADS in boosting MD performance, particularly in water production and Chromium reduction, with prudent economic considerations.

Optimization of Sustainable Production Processes in C45 Steel Machining Using a Confocal Chromatic Sensor

Metal machining production faces a myriad of demands encompassing ecology, automation, product control, and cost reduction. Within this framework, an exploration into employing a direct inspection of the machined area within the work zone of a given machine through a confocal chromatic sensor was undertaken. In the turning process, parameters including cutting speed (A), feed (B), depth of cut (C), workpiece length from clamping (D), and cutting edge radius (E) were designated as input variables. Roundness deviation (Rd) and tool face wear (KM) parameters were identified as output factors for assessing process performance. The experimental phase adhered to the Taguchi Orthogonal Array L27. Confirmatory tests revealed that optimizing process parameters according to the Taguchi method could enhance the turning performance of C45 steel. ANOVA results underscored the significant impact of cutting speed (A), feed (B), depth of cut (C), and workpiece length from clamping (D) on turning performance concerning Rd and KM. Furthermore, initial regression models were formulated to forecast roundness variation and tool face wear. The proposed parameters were found to not only influence the machined surface but also affect confocal sensor measurements. Consequently, we advocate for the adoption of these optimal cutting conditions in product production to bolster turning performance when machining C45 steel.

Blended-amine CO2 capture process without stripper for high-pressure syngas

With the emergence of the hydrogen economy, advanced CO2 capture technologies are essential for cost-effective H2 production until renewable-energy based H2 production technologies gains competitiveness. A novel stripper-free pre-combustion CO2 capture process, in which the stripper was replaced with a low-pressure (LP) flash column, was developed for cost-effective pre-combustion CO2 capture from H2-rich syngas at high pressure. The developed process could regenerate the blended N-methyldiethanolamine/piperazine (MDEA/PZ) solvent at relatively low temperature (<373.15 K). After the sensitivity analysis using key operating parameters, process optimization was performed by the deep learning-based surrogate models using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-Ⅱ). The heat duty of 1.881GJ/tonCO2 was required at the optimal condition, but the required energy could be supplied through the utilization of a waste heat recovery (WHR) system because the regeneration was possible at low temperatures. Compared with advanced stripper-incorporated amine processes, the equivalent work of the developed process with WHR system using a heat source at 370 K was lowered by 50 % and more cost-effective (32.89$/tonCO2 at the discount rate of 10 %) from the economic analysis considering carbon emission price. The performance assessment of the stripper-free CO2 capture process provided design guidelines for effective CO2 capture from H2-rich syngas and emphasized the importance of CO2 capture unit in net-zero scenario.

Penerapan Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Pada Pengambilan Keputusan Penilaian Kinerja Karyawan dengan Menerapkan Metode MOOSRA

The quality of the company will increase as employee performance increases. There are many ways that companies or organizations can improve employee performance. One way is to provide awards or rewards for employees who excel and for employees who are not able to provide their best performance, they will be given as a consequence. Rewards will be given by assessing employee performance. So far, Kofipindo has only relied on leaders' decisions to assess employee performance. This makes employees less motivated to show their best performance. Decision support systems are alternative solutions or alternative means and steps to resolve problems so that problems can be resolved effectively and efficiently. The Moosra method is used to calculate the weight of the criteria and determine the level of rejection as the main criterion. Where the decision support system is used as a model or reference in the decision-making process, especially in the employee performance assessment process. The Moosra method examines the suitability of separating a set of alternative value data with certain criteria described in the decision matrix. The aim of the research is to assist in the employee performance assessment process, making it easier for companies to provide rewards for the performance results of selected employees. The results obtained in the research process were Alternative (A10) with the name Roland Zebua as the employee with the best performance assessment.

IMPLEMENTASI ALGORITMA DECISION TREE DALAM OPTIMASI PENILAIAN KINERJA OPERASIONAL

Companies nowadays derive significant benefits from adopting digital systems in their operations. Politeknik LP3I Jakarta, for example, an educational institution, has implemented digitalization to optimize operational performance assessments by auditors. Manual audit assessments consume significant time and effort. Applying intelligent algorithms, such as Decision Tree, has become key to enhancing efficiency and accuracy in decision-making during assessments. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of operational performance assessments by identifying and addressing these issues, implementing the Decision Tree algorithm. Decision Tree, which has evolved through a series of algorithms like C5.0, is the appropriate choice as it can make decisions based on specific conditions from the input data. The Decision Tree method and C5.0 Algorithm will help in rapidly and accurately calculating assessments based on criteria. This implementation can minimize manual audit activities, save time, and improve the accuracy of operational performance evaluations. The outcome of this research is higher efficiency in the operational performance assessment process, allowing auditors to focus on strategic aspects and in-depth analysis. Thus, Politeknik LP3I Jakarta and similar institutions can experience positive impacts from technology integration in their operational management, supporting progress and enhancing the quality of educational services.

Performance Assessment of Cell-Separation Processes for Rear-Contact Solar Cells: Comparison of Indoor and Outdoor Measurements

Half-cell and third-cell modules are the current module technology standard due to their enhanced electrical performance. Also, special module layouts for building or vehicle integrated photovoltaics rely on non-standard cell formats obtained by separation techniques. For either application, interdigitated back-contact (IBC) solar cells are one of the promising cell technologies due to their higher performance and more aesthetic appearance. Thus, a cell separation process, usually employing laser tools, is needed that splits the cells as partial cells are manufactured from full cells. However, this cell cutting also induces additional electrical losses. In this work, we analyze the performance of third cell mini-modules made of IBC cells in comparison to PERC cells as reference. Under standard test conditions (STC), an overall performance gain can only be found for the PERC cells, while current and recombination losses dominate the IBC mini-modules. Outdoor measurements under non-STC conditions reveal reduced performance gains under lower illumination. We show a detailed analysis regarding the performance differences of the IBC and PERC cell technologies at indoor STC and outdoor non-STC test conditions.

Assessment of the Overall Lifetime Performance Index of Weibull Products in Multiple Production Lines

Process capability indices have been extensively employed to assess process performance in order to drive ongoing enhancements in quality and productivity, where the larger, the better for these lifetime performance indices. For multiple production lines, an overall lifetime performance index is proposed and the relationship between the overall lifetime performance index and the individual lifetime performance index is displayed. For products with lifetimes following the Weibull distribution for the ith production line, the maximum likelihood estimator and asymptotic distribution for the individual lifetime performance index were investigated so that the maximum likelihood estimator and asymptotic distribution for the overall lifetime performance index were also derived. Based on the pre-assigned target value of the overall lifetime performance index, the target value of an individual lifetime performance index could be determined. To test whether the overall lifetime performance index reached the target value was equivalent to testing whether the individual lifetime performance index reached the corresponding target value. The testing procedure based on the maximum likelihood estimator is given in this paper and the analysis of test power is displayed by figures. Finally, one practical example is given to illustrate the use of this testing algorithmic procedure to determine whether the overall production process was capable.

Enhancing performance measurement of public procurement processes through the application of procurement delay index

Considering procurement process performance assessment, measurement systems such as balance scorecard and capability maturity models are used to assess procurement performance to give a reasonable indication of actual performance. These tools are ideal for practical applications that depend on other performance criteria but are short of comparing planned to actual timelines set for procurement processes. This fosters persistent delays in public procurement. Six Sigma implementation benefits including addressing process delays have fostered its implementation for service improvements. Unfortunately, Six Sigma implementation in public procurement is very rare largely due to its expensive nature. The objective of this study is to develop a Procurement Delay Index (PDindex): a performance measure in the context of a Six Sigma methodology that provides a specific value to describe the delays in the procurement process. To enhance uniformity in performance measurement of process timeliness, a rating scale for determining the timeliness of the procurement process is proposed. A practical demonstration of the application of PDindex for use by procurement professionals is also presented. PDindex serves as a standard by which to determine procurement processes’ timeliness and is less expensive to implement. A PDindex of 3σ has been recommended as the acceptable limit for procurement process delays.

Numerical thermal performance assessment of phase change process in a PCM/foam-fins enclosure under various thermal conditions

ABSTRACT The low ability of phase change material (PCM) to transfer thermal energy has created a serious challenge for the development of latent heat storage (LHTES) units. Embedding foam with high thermal conductivity material like copper has attracted significant attention. Besides, high porosity, lightweight, and easy usage are other important benefits of copper. However, its higher cost and decreasing effective volume of PCM led to the creation of amendments in the foam design. Employment of the foam in the form of fin or foam fin has emerged as an alternative method to benefit from the advantages of porous material and overcome its defects. In this study, various LHTES units with different numbers of foam fins have been simulated numerically and compared with pure PCM and fully foam PCM enclosures. Two practical boundary conditions including constant temperature and constant heat flux were examined for the designed systems. The obtained results demonstrated that foam fins have a remarkable effect on the thermal performance enhancement of LHTES under constant temperature boundary condition. For LHTES with six foam fins, 42% and 30% reductions in melting time were achieved for both types of boundary conditions including constant temperature and heat flux, respectively. At the beginning of charging process, a significant enhancement of input heat rate was proved for LHTES with 6 foam fins and fully foam up to 112% and 155%, respectively. In addition, the foam fins method provided some free volume of PCM to permit the falling out of natural convection of molten PCM.

PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN PENILAIAN KINERJA PEGAWAI DENGAN METODE ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS (AHP) PADA PT. SMART SOLUTION

The quality of human resources is one of the factors to increase the productivity of a company's performance, so companies need to assess employee performance to find out how they are carrying out their duties. Problems that occur at PT. Smart Solution Bekasi is an employee performance assessment process that is carried out subjectively so that it is still difficult to determine the best employee performance. The AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) method is used as a support for decision making which can simplify an existing problem so that it can speed up the decision making process. Based on the results of the calculation process that has been carried out using the Analytical Hierarchy Process method, it is obtained that the priority order of the main criteria in selecting employee performance appraisals is the attendance criterion with a value of 0.6169, in second place is the speed criterion with a value of 0.0564 and in third place is the tardiness criterion with a value of 0.0554 as well as for fourth place is the work results criterion with a value of 0.2703.Keywords : Decision Support System, Analytical Hierarchy Process