Minimum Production Cost Research Articles

Optimization and dynamic techno-economic assessment of integrated combined ejector cooling, heating, and power system

Solar energy systems have been extensively studied for their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their economic feasibility in buildings. However, due to the high initial cost, the implementation of these systems has been limited. This study proposes an innovative energy system, incorporating Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) technology without batteries and heaters, and ejector cooling for smart buildings that can interact with the power grid. The proposed system aims to offset the energy costs of buildings by selling excess electricity to the grid. Both thermodynamic and economic analyses were conducted using TRNSYS software, and optimization was applied to meet maximum exergy efficiency and minimum cost objectives. Results indicate that the maximum annual exergy efficiency of the system can reach 21.98%, while the minimum total production cost unit is $22.48/MWh. Operating conditions yield an annual exergy efficiency of 14.18%, with a total production cost unit of $34.01/MWh. Overall, findings demonstrate that this proposed system can efficiently provide electricity to the building while offering surplus energy for sale to the grid.

Exploring DSSAT Model Genetic Coefficient Estimation Methodologies for Chickpea in Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh, India

In modern crop production, essential factors that contribute to narrowing yield gaps and minimizing production costs include making informed decisions about the selection of plant varieties, determining optimal sowing dates, determining appropriate plant populations, selecting suitable fertilizer rates, and implementing effective pest control methods. Two field experiments were conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2021 and 2022 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur using split-plot experimental design, where the main plots were three different sowing dates (20-25th October, November 10-15th, and 25th November-5th December), and the sub-plots were four chickpea cultivars (JG 16, RVG 202, IPC-07-66, and IPC-05-62), each with three replications. The genetic coefficients of the cultivars were estimated using both the iterative process (IP) and Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methods in DSSAT v 4.7 to simulate the yields. Upon model validation, it was found that the average relative error (ARE) in predicting grain yield across the different sowing windows was between -25.7% to 29.1% when using the iterative process, while ARE was between -23.4% to 19% when using GLUE. The findings report more accurate simulations of chickpea growth and phenological development stages were recorded in normal sowings. And the model calibration suggest that GLUE provided superior estimates of genetic coefficients compared to the IP method. Therefore, it can be inferred that Glue is a more user-friendly and precise method.

Digital Transformation of Financial Sphere in Georgia

The twenty-first century is known as the age of digital technologies. It is even referred to as the 4.0 industrial revolution. The use of digital technologies is becoming increasingly relevant in the world, including in Georgia. Creation of new jobs, minimization of production costs, economic growth are vital issues for any country. Everything is possible with innovative approaches and the use of digital technologies. They greatly contribute to the formation of the world's digital economy. According to international statistical data, it is clear that the rate of use of technologies is constantly increasing, and digitalization of business is becoming an inevitable process. The field of financial services is one of the developed and rapidly transforming fields that successfully implements new digital technologies. The main segments in the financial direction are: transfers, financial market, asset management, blockchain. Blockchain-based fintech technology has turned out to be a turning point in this direction. Its characteristics are: speed, simplicity and flexibility. Keywords: financial sphere, fintech, transfers, open banking.

Optimization of production planning for food and beverage MSMEs: case in the covid-19 pandemic

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the food and beverage sector is one of the sectors negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, even though this sector is one of the largest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product of the non-oil and gas industry in Indonesia. This study intends to provide an overview of solutions in the form of case studies on the Mahkota Caman MSME in Bekasi, Indonesia, which experienced a decline in sales during the pandemic, resulting in overstock and damage to non-durable raw materials. As a result, it leads to an increase in inventory costs and even a loss of sales. The solution offered by this study is an optimization of production planning, namely determining what products and how many of these products should be produced in a certain period. The method used is goal programming, both with and without priority, so that Mahkota Caman can meet consumer demands, and minimize production costs, while minimizing the purchase of raw materials. The results of this study indicate that the optimal optimization method used by Mahkota Caman is goal programming with priority because it provides a more efficient solution to production costs and the purchase of raw materials. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that optimization methods be used by MSMEs in the food and beverage sector during a pandemic, and to avoid using only feeling in production planning.

Improvement to an existing multi-level capacitated lot sizing problem considering setup carryover, backlogging, and emission control

This paper presents a multi-level, multi-item, multi-period capacitated lot-sizing problem. The lot-sizing problem studies can obtain production quantities, setup decisions and inventory levels in each period fulfilling the demand requirements with limited capacity resources, considering the Bill of Material (BOM) structure while simultaneously minimizing the production, inventory, and machine setup costs. The paper proposes an exact solution to Chowdhury et al. (2018)'s[1] developed model, which considers the backlogging cost, setup carryover & greenhouse gas emission control to its model complexity. The problem contemplates the Dantzig-Wolfe (D.W.) decomposition to decompose the multi-level capacitated problem into a single-item uncapacitated lot-sizing sub-problem. To avoid the infeasibilities of the weighted problem (WP), an artificial variable is introduced, and the Big-M method is employed in the D.W. decomposition to produce an always feasible master problem. In addition, Wagner & Whitin's[2] forward recursion algorithm is also incorporated in the solution approach for both end and component items to provide the minimum cost production plan. Introducing artificial variables in the D.W. decomposition method is a novel approach to solving the MLCLSP model. A better performance was achieved regarding reduced computational time (reduced by 50%) and optimality gap (reduced by 97.3%) in comparison to Chowdhury et al. (2018)'s[1] developed model.© 2023 Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of the NAMRI/SME.

Feasibility Analysis of Sumedang Tofu MSMEs Business with Its Development Strategy

This research concerns the development strategy and business feasibility analysis using a value engineering approach. MSMEs Sumedang Tofu is a small industry that processes and markets Sumedang Tofu to the public. The problem that occurs in the sumedang tofu production is environmental conditions that are poorly maintained, and the results of tofu sales fluctuate. Therefore, it is necessary to do a business feasibility analysis to find out whether the Crispy Sumedang Tofu UKM is feasible or not to operate. After identifying the business feasibility analysis aspects, the next step is to determine the right development strategy using a value engineering approach. Value engineering aims to achieve the best value by defining the functions needed to complete the target value and to innovate, improve, and minimize production costs while maintaining the quality and usability of the products produced by considering consumer needs. The development that will be carried out is sumedang crispy tofu packaging. Value engineering has several stages, including information, functional analysis, creative, analysis and evaluation, and recommendations. The Net Present Value (NPV) shows cash flow for three years with a bank interest of 10%, and the resulting NPV is positive. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) shows that the total value of IRR is 46%, and UKM Sumedang Crispy Tahu is said to be feasible. This is because the IRR value exceeds the loan interest (10%), 46%. and the Payback Period (PP). This MSMEs is feasible to continue because the business capital invested is IDR 143,202,000 and will be fully recoverable within one year and 11 months.

Effectiveness of different combinations of urea and vermicompost on yield of bitter gourd (Momordicacharantia)

Exclusive use of organic manure in bitter gourd cultivation slows nutrient release, affecting root growth, while inefficient application of fertilizers during transplanting and development stages leads to nutrient losses and increased production costs. The research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different combinations of urea and vermicompost in bitter gourd production and address the challenges associated with the use of only organic manure. The field experiment conducted in Tulsipur, Dang, utilized a six-treatment randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments consisted of varying proportions of the recommended dose of urea (16 g plant−1) and vermicompost (280 g plant−1). Among the treatments, T3 (50% urea and 50% vermicompost) exhibited the most prevalent diameter (3.854 cm), length (16.32 cm), fruit count (1.391), weight plant−1 (189.2 g), and weight plot−1 (1848 g) while T4 (25% urea and 75% vermicompost) showed the quickest first flowering (30.37 days) and fruiting (33.75 days). T2 (75% urea and 25% vermicompost) recorded the highest vine length (222.5 cm). Statistically significant differences were observed in most recorded characteristics for T3. The results highlight the slow-release nutrient benefits and soil improvement properties of vermicompost, complemented by the quick-release nutrient attributes of urea. The traits with the lowest yield were observed in the control group (T6). A 50% combination of recommended urea dose and vermicompost is recommended for bitter gourd cultivation, leading to improved growth, yield, and quality, underscoring the benefits of organic fertilizer in this situation. The study's findings contribute to the scientific understanding of optimizing fertilization practices in bitter gourd production, minimizing production costs, reducing nutrient losses, and environmental pollution.

Design and Optimization of a Novel Hybrid Membrane-Electrochemical Hydrogen Pump Process for Recovering Helium from NRU off Gas.

Due to the low boiling point of helium, the nitrogen-rich off gas of the nitrogen rejection unit (NRU) in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant usually contains a small amount of CH4, approximately 1-4% He, and associated gases, such as H2. However, it is difficult to separate hydrogen and helium. Here, we propose two different integrated processes coupled with membrane separation, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), and the electrochemical hydrogen pump (EHP) based on different sequences of hydrogen gas removal. Both processes use membrane separation and PSA in order to recover and purify helium, and the EHP is used to remove hydrogen. The processes were strictly simulated using UniSim Design, and an economic assessment was conducted. The results of the economic assessment show that flowsheet #2 was more cost-effective due to the significant reduction in the capacity of the compressor and PSA because of the pre-removal of hydrogen. Additionally, using the response surface methodology (RSM), a Box-Behnken design experiment was conducted, and an accurate and reliable quadratic response surface regression model was fitted through variance analysis. The optimized operating parameters for the integrated process were determined as follows: the membrane area of M101 was 966.6 m2, the permeate pressure of M101 was 100 kPa, and the membrane area of M102 was 41.2 m2. The maximum recovery fraction was 90.66%, and the minimum cost of helium production was 2.21 $/kg. Thus, proposed flowsheet #2 has prospects and value for industrial application.

Modelling and optimization of combined heat and power system in microgrid based on renewable energy

Abstract Due to the short distance between the sources of production and consumption, microgrids (MGs) have received considerable attention because these systems involve fewer losses and waste less energy. And another advantage of MGs is that renewable energy sources can be widely used because these resources are not fully available and can provide a part of the required power. The purpose of this research is to model the MG considering the production sources of microturbines, gas turbines and internal combustion engines. Renewable energies such as wind turbines (WTs) and photovoltaic (PV) cells have been used to provide part of the required power and, because of the lack of access to renewable energy sources at all times, energy reserves such as batteries and fuel cells (FCs) have been considered. The power of the microturbine, gas turbine, internal combustion engine, FC and battery in this system is 162, 150, 90, 100 and 225 kW, respectively. After modelling the studied system, optimization was done using the imperialist competitive algorithm to minimize production costs and provide maximum thermal and electrical loads. The maximum production power for PVs is equal to 0.6860 MWh and at this time this value for WTs is equal to 0.3812 MWh, in which case the excess electricity produced will be sold to the grid.

Efficient Power Management and Control Strategy of Hybrid Renewable Energy System in Microgrid

Currently, the use of renewable energy has gradually increased due to the environmental problems present nowadays. The intermittency of distributed renewable generation poses significant challenges for the operation and integration of microgrids. Unlike the main power grid, where load balancing resources, in general, are abundant, the balancing of generation and load in a microgrid must be done by small gas turbines, diesel generators, or energy storage devices with very limited capacity and at much higher costs. Consequently, the proposed methodology seeks a model for minimizing the Energy Cost (EC) and enhancing the power supply for rural areas by designing and analyzing four different hybrid system configurations based on integrating a biomass system with a photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT) and battery system. To ensure the desired power demand with minimum production cost, the research proposed an energy-efficient Hybrid DC/AC microgrid using four renewable energy sources. Lithium-ion batteries were chosen for this study due to their high energy density, long life cycle, and high efficiency. The existence of both AC and DC microgrids has led to a new concept of hybrid AC/DC microgrids which consists of both AC and DC grids tied by an Interlinking Converter (ILC). It comprises a DC grid and AC grid interlinked by a bidirectional DC/AC converter. Such a hybrid AC/DC microgrid has the advantages of both AC and DC with increased efficiency and less cost. To provide higher voltages, the Multi-Input Booster (MIB) DC-DC converters are used as a power converter in between load and source to enforce and increase the PV depending on the voltage output signal. Further extract maximum power from the solar PV system, perturb and observe algorithm-based power point tracking control mechanism is proposed DC link voltage of ILC is regulated usually by DC side control in load sharing among sources in the DC microgrid. In addition, to overcome the load fluctuation problem in a microgrid, the research introduced a Mamdani type 2 PID-fuzzy controller. Performance index parameters of the transient response characteristics are also improved by using the proposed control approach. The time-domain dynamic responses reveal that the proposed type-II fuzzy PID controller can balance the power generation and demand properly and control both system frequency and tie-line power effectively.

Fertilization of Strawberries in Florida

Strawberry is an important crop in Florida, produced as an annual crop on plastic-mulched beds with drip irrigation. The main production area is in west-central Florida, including Hillsborough, Polk, and Manatee counties. Fertilizer is becoming a more significant portion of strawberry production costs, hence, proper fertilizer management is important for minimizing production costs and maximizing yield and fruit quality, while minimizing potential negative impacts on the environment caused by leaching or runoff of excess fertilizer nutrients. This guide summarizes the recent history of strawberry fertilization research and presents the updated research-based fertilizer management recommendations for strawberry production in Florida.

Design and simulation of a wall-climbing robot car using 3D printing technology and the vacuum method

This paper presents a novel approach to building a vertical wall-climbing robot using the vacuum method and the internal contact model. By leveraging advanced 3D printing technology, the proposed robot model addresses three key challenges encountered in previous studies: achieving high traction force for smooth and efficient movement, ensuring low roughness and fast shifting capability, and minimizing production costs for mass deployment. The vacuum suction method employs an air compressor to generate suction force, enabling the robot to ascend walls vertically. This process significantly increases airflow velocity, creating a low-pressure area that enhances adhesion to the surface. The utilization of 3D printing technology allows for the creation of the robot’s bodywork and essential components, facilitating adjustments in the mechanical system design. The developed robot is well-suited for inspecting and maintaining hazardous areas in tall buildings and conducting surveillance in factory settings. Moreover, it proves valuable for cleaning and monitoring slippery surfaces with minimal roughness. The research findings demonstrate that incorporating 3D printing technology in the design and construction of wall-climbing robots has successfully achieved the desired speed and grip capabilities.

Development and assessment of a locally designed fish smoking kiln using insulating materials

The origin of fish smoking dates back to antiquity. In ancient times, fish was hung over a fire which helped to reduce its moisture content. Further advancement was made traditionally by the erection of mud, bricks or corrugated iron angle bar. The gas smoking kiln has been developed using locally available materials in the study area towards improving the existing fish smoking kiln techniques. The objective of this work is to improve the quality of smoked fish in Kainji Lake Basin Area in Nigeria at minimum production cost. The preliminary test performance of the kiln has been conducted using Clarias gariepinus, known generally as catfish. The result obtained shows that the kiln is less labour intensive and can handle different sizes of fish faster with better appearance of the end product than the conventional smoking methods.

Identification of Loading and Unlocking Process Time at Denpasar Goods Terminal

One of the goals of a company organization is to minimize production costs to obtain a guarantee of survival. The creation of a production company (both goods and services) requires qualified and competent human resources. In a production system, there is an inventory or inventory process. Inventory is an effort to anticipate stock due to high demand from consumers. This is due to the delay in the goods. In an inventory process, there are two processes, namely loading (loading process) and unloading (unloading process). In the process of inventory loading and unloading, there is a problem, namely the inefficiency of time. These problems disrupt and hinder the product distribution process which has implications for wasting time. However, in this study related factors have been identified that affect loading and unloading processing time. The result is that the fatigue variable and the driver psychology variable do not significantly influence the loading and unloading processing time. Simultaneous or joint significance test, has a probability/significance value of the F test of 0.150087 with a significance level of 0.05

Integrated Management of Purple Blotch Disease of Garlic (Allium Sativum L.)

Purple blotch (Alternaria porri) is one of the major diseases of garlic causing huge loss to the growers. An investigation was undertaken to formulate suitable management practices against purple blotch of garlic var. DWG1. Among the various treatments, seed treatment with Trichoderma harzianum @ 10 g/kg of cloves and two foliar applications of fluopyram 17.7% + tebuconazole 17.7% @ 0.1% on 50 and 65 days after sowing recorded the minimum disease severity (13.34 PDI) and higher bulb yield (5.77 t/ha), 10 bulbs weight (83.00 g), number of cloves (15.67) and 100 cloves weight (65.33 g) with C:B ratio of 1: 3.51. The combined application of cow urine, nimbecidine and Trichoderma harzianum also showed significant impact on disease reduction as well as on yield of garlic. However, fluopyram 17.7% + tebuconazole 17.7% showed a higher benefit with minimum production cost and this approach is proposed to garlic growing farmers to mitigate the purple blotch disease. Bangladesh J. Bot. 52(2): 291-295, 2023 (June)

Water-Saving Dyeing Process: A Sustainable Approach for Exhaust Dyeing of Cotton Fabric

The global demand for water onservation and sustainability in textile anufacturing is imperative in addressing the scarcity of fresh water and environmental pollution. This study introduces an innovative water-saving process for exhaust dyeing of cotton fabrics with reactive dyes, without compromising the dyeing quality or requiring extra investments. Traditional textile dyeing practices consume approximately 120 liters of fresh water per kilogram of cotton fabric, contributing to environmental degradation. In this research, a process modification is proposed that recycles water used for neutralization and rinsing at the second step of the dyeing process. This recycled water is utilized in the fourth step, effectively reducing the total water consumption to 104 liters per kilogram of fabric, thus saving 16 liters per kilogram without any additional investment. The dyed fabrics produced using this water-saving process exhibit excellent colorfastness, matching the quality of conventionally dyed textiles. The color fastness to light, washing, rubbing, and perspiration meets international standards. CMC tests indicate no significant differences compared to the existing dyeing process. Implementing this eco-friendly approach can not only significantly reduce water consumption and wastewater generation but also diminish the need for costly water treatment and effluent management facilities. This research paves the way for cleaner production in the textile industry, promoting water conservation, reducing environmental pollution, and minimizing production costs.

3D printed passive end-effector for industrial collaborative robotic arms

The work focuses on the design and prototyping of a novel end-effector for a collaborative robotic arm allowing to grab and drag industrial packages without lifting them. The proposed solution consists of a passive 3D-printed end-effector manufactured using carbon fibre reinforced Onyx material. Thanks to the entirely passive mechanical actuation that exploits the compliance of the main chassis, this end-effector features a simple, scalable, and inexpensive structure. This lightweight end-effector is specifically designed for small and low payload collaborative robotic arms. Specifically, the proposed end-effector includes three main parts. First, a thin blade, with the main function of separating boxes that are close to each other. Second, a rocker arm - rod mechanism, which allows an opposable bracket to be moved in order to grab the correspondent package. This is proportionally and passively actuated by the contact pressure between the package, during its grip, and a paddle (third part), which is composed of a flat leverage and three flexural springs to counterbalance the pushing force. This paddle and the main body of the gripper were designed as a single part exploiting 3D printing manufacturing capabilities. Moreover, we implemented a Simscape dynamic model that predicts the functionality of the end-effector during standard operations. The work shows how to design, develop and validate a new low cost, passive end-effector mainly oriented to collaborative robots. The final prototype demonstrates its entire functionality, and proves fabricability through 3D printing, thus minimizing production costs, weight, and time.

Reducing biopharmaceutical manufacturing costs through continuous processing in a flexible J.POD® facility

In this work, process models were developed to capture the impact of biomanufacturing costs on a commercial scale and emphasize the way in which facility design and operation must balance meeting product demand while minimizing production costs. Using a scenario-based modeling approach, several facility design strategies were evaluated, including a traditional large stainless-steel facility and a small footprint, portable-on-demand (POD)-based facility. Bioprocessing platforms were compared by estimating their total production costs across different facility types and specifically illustrating how continuous bioprocessing has gained in popularity as a novel and cost-effective approach to manufacture high-quality biopharmaceuticals. The analysis showed how fluctuations in market demand have a dramatic effect on manufacturing costs and plant utilization, with far-reaching implications on the total cost to patients.

Optimising Kelp Cultivation to Scale up Habitat Restoration Efforts: Effect of Light Intensity on “Green Gravel” Production

Kelp forests are disappearing worldwide due to climate change and human stressors, highlighting the need for active interventions. A new restoration approach, “green gravel”, has been shown to be a potentially effective tool to restore endangered kelp forests. However, green gravel is still a novel technique that needs better experimentation and optimisation at all process stages. Contamination by other algal species is one of the critical factors in early-stage green gravel production because their overgrowth can lead to the loss of the seeded material. In this study, we assessed the effect of light intensity on kelp growth and on the coverage of contaminating algae on green gravel. Our results show that under high lights, kelps displayed faster growth (recruits on average more than three times the size and covering a six-times-larger area in high light intensity than in low light), but there was also a higher percentage of contaminating algae. In contrast, the green gravel cultivated under low lights showed almost no signs of algal contamination, but the area occupied by kelps and the length of the lamina were dramatically lower. Due to the cultivation conditions, opportunistic species can grow fast. This advantage is expected to disappear once the green gravel is deployed. To obtain cleaner cultures and to avoid the risk of losing the cultivated material, we would advise starting rearing under lower light intensity to reduce the risk of contamination but ensure kelp growth and then increasing the light intensity to boost it. Clear and appropriate protocols are absolutely necessary to minimise production costs and times and for the scaling-up of future attempts at marine forest restoration.

Automatic Pneumatic Jack

This device the automatic pneumatic jack for light vehicle garages has been developed to later the needs of small and medium automobile garages. In most of the garages the vehicles are lifted by using screw jack. This needs high man power and skilled labors. In order to avoid all such disadvantages, this automatic pneumatic Jack has been designed in such a way that it can be used to lift the vehicle very smoothly without any impact force. The operation is made be simple that even any person can handled, by just pressing the button. The main objective of our project is to perform various machine operations using machine with the help of pneumatic sources. For a developing industry the operation performed and the parts (or) components produced should have it minimum possible production cost, and then only industry runs profitability.