Material Cost Savings Research Articles

Variation of Heliostat Wind Loads in a Radial Field Array Model

The design of heliostats throughout a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant are currently of uniform design, however, research into the variation in heliostat wind loading within a radially staggered field array can provide insight into potential material cost savings in heliostat field design. Experimental investigation was carried out on a field array model in the University of Adelaide large wind tunnel. A total of 64 heliostat models of size 0.1 × 0.1 m were radially arranged over four surround rows. Four 3-axis load cells were utilized to analyze field array cases of morning (0700 hours), noon (1200 hours), and evening (1700 hours) configurations. Angle calculations for beam reflection were made for the 21st March (equinox). Results show mean and peak drag force coefficients reduce with distance into the field for a 1700 hour case due to high upstream blockage. Comparing the downstream drag and lift force coefficients against each test configuration, when heliostats are at steep elevation angles, high flow blockage leads to a reduction of coefficients downstream (0700 hour and 1700 hour cases). When elevation angles are reduced (1200 hours), drag and lift coefficients increase with distance from the central tower in the downstream direction. Results also show the central tower increases load coefficients on downstream heliostats, and therefore should be considered in heliostat wind loading and field design.

Development and application of artificial hydraulic lime for Chinese architectural heritage restorations

Lime is commonly employed in the restoration of historic buildings due to its strength properties, which align well with the demands of architectural heritage conservation. However, recent shortages in high-quality limestone raw materials and the commercial inclusion of finely ground limestone powder in hydrated lime powder have led to significant challenges. These include low initial strength, pronounced shrinkage and cracking, and poor resistance to frost. Although natural hydraulic lime (NHL) offers moderate strength, its high cost presents an obstacle to widespread use in architectural heritage restoration. Three types of artificial hydraulic lime (AHL) — AHL1, AHL2, and AHL3 — were prepared with the objective of low cost and easy scalability. These were formulated by incorporating white cement (WC), blast furnace slag powder (BFSP), heavy calcium carbonate powder (HCCP), and industrial-grade white sugar (WS) into industrial-grade hydrated lime powder (IHLP). To align the setting time of the AHLs with the requirements of traditional builders, WS was incorporated as a retarding agent. The addition of WC, BFSP, and HCCP to IHLP resulted in enhancements over IHLP in several key aspects: compressive strength, pore structure post-hardening, dry shrinkage rate, and frost resistance. This approach will enhance the restoration quality of architectural heritage in China, leading to fewer repeated repairs and significant savings in manpower and material costs. Ultimately, AHL2 was applied in the restoration of the Confucius Temple, proving its efficacy and alignment with traditional construction requirements. This research provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for enhancing the preservation of architectural heritage.

Numerical simulation of various PCM container configurations for solar dryer application

In the context of solar dryers, where drying time is constrained by available sunshine hours and excessive heat during these periods can potentially lead to mineral loss in food, the incorporation of phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage emerges as a viable solution. However, the response time of PCMs plays a major role in its charging and discharging in solar dryer performance, prompting extensive research into PCM container configurations to reduce this limitation. Investigations have been conducted through numerical simulations and experimental studies to explore various configurations of PCM. In this study, four distinct container configurations were employed, alongside the introduction of fins, with two variations: solid and hollow. In this regard, Paraffin RT58, with its melting point closely aligned with the operating temperature of the solar dryer, is considered a suitable choice in simulation using ANSYS Fluent. The simulation results revealed that the horizontal rectangles demonstrate the quickest rates for melting and solidification, whereas the cylindrical shape exhibits the most extended durations for these processes. The introduction of fins has a notable impact on reducing both melting and solidification times, with a further decrease observed as the number of fins increases. While solid fins provide slightly superior reductions in melting and solidification times, opting for hollow fins presents benefits in terms of material efficiency, weight reduction, and cost savings.

Improving the mechanical properties of cement-based materials under high temperature: Reducing the C3S/C2S ratio

Aiming at the phenomenon of strength decline of cement stone at high temperatures, a new method was proposed to enhance its mechanical properties: the CaO/SiO2 ratio was pre-emptively reduced by decreasing the C3S/C2S ratio in the cement, which was then reinforced with an appropriate amount of silica powder. To verify the reliability of this new method, the hydration characteristics of the C3S-C2S system at 230 °C and 20.7 MPa were investigated via Vickers hardness, BJH, XRD, TGA, and SEM-EDS. Results showed no emergence of new physical phases with changes in the C3S/C2S ratio. Increasing the content of C2S facilitated the formation of additional xonotlite. Optimal Vickers hardness of the C3S-C2S system was attained at 27.69 MPa when the C3S:C2S ratio was 1:1. The compressive strength of compound cement, comprising G-class oil-well cement and low-heat cement, increased by 5–10 MPa when the C3S:C2S ratio in the compound cement was approximately 1.07:1. Both the C3S-C2S system and compound cement showed that their mechanical properties increased with increasing C2S content. Predictions suggest an optimal C3S:C2S ratio of 1:1 for the new low-calcium high-temperature-resistant cement. The future application of this new method promises material cost savings and reduced carbon emissions from cement production.

IRRIGATION PROCEDURE (MODE) OF TOMATO GROWN BY THE LOW PRESSURE DRIP IRRIGATION METHOD

Presently, the Republic of Kazakhstan, particularly the Kyzylorda region, grapples with a significant water scarcity issue. In light of this, the utilization of the drip irrigation method plays a crucial role in the judicious management of water resources. In regions like Kyzylorda, characterized by pronounced drought conditions, the efficacy of employing a low-pressure drip irrigation system is notably high. This approach results in an augmented land utilization coefficient, savings in material and labor costs, and an enhanced efficiency in the utilization of irrigation water. The implementation of a drip irrigation system contributes to the improvement of soil nutrition, air circulation, and water-physical properties. It mitigates soil erosion risks, ensures optimal water utilization by supplying irrigation water directly to the roots of each plant, and thereby maximizes the plants' water utilization efficiency. The likelihood of achieving abundant, excellent, and consistent harvests from agricultural crops rises. This method offers several advantages compared to alternative irrigation techniques, including reduced labor costs, preservation of the soil's fundamental structure, prevention of surface soil folds, the ability to concurrently apply fertilizers to the root system area, a potential 30-100% increase in crop productivity, a 50-60% decrease in irrigation water usage, and suitability for use in areas with high slopes.

Ameliorating Uniformity and Color Conversion Efficiency in Quantum Dot-Based Micro-LED Displays through Blue-UV Hybrid Structures.

Quantum dot (QD)-based RGB micro light-emitting diode (μ-LED) technology shows immense potential for achieving full-color displays. In this study, we propose a novel structural design that combines blue and quantum well (QW)-intermixing ultraviolet (UV)-hybrid μ-LEDs to achieve high color-conversion efficiency (CCE). For the first time, the impact of various combinations of QD and TiO2 concentrations, as well as thickness variations on photoluminescence efficiency (PLQY), has been systematically examined through simulation. High-efficiency color-conversion layer (CCL) have been successfully fabricated as a result of these simulations, leading to significant savings in time and material costs. By incorporating scattering particles of TiO2 in the CCL, we successfully scatter light and disperse QDs, effectively reducing self-aggregation and greatly improving illumination uniformity. Additionally, this design significantly enhances light absorption within the QD films. To enhance device reliability, we introduce a passivation protection layer using low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology on the CCL surface. Moreover, we achieve impressive CCE values of 96.25% and 92.91% for the red and green CCLs, respectively, by integrating a modified distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) to suppress light leakage. Our hybrid structure design, in combination with an optical simulation system, not only facilitates rapid acquisition of optimal parameters for highly uniform and efficient color conversion in μ-LED displays but also expands the color gamut to achieve 128.2% in the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) space and 95.8% in the Rec. 2020 standard. In essence, this research outlines a promising avenue towards the development of bespoke, high-performance μ-LED displays.

Analisis Metode Economic Order Quanity Guna Melakukan Efisiensi Persediaan Bahan Baku dan Efisiensi Biaya di Industri Bakery

One of the companies in East Bekasi is a company engaged in the bread industry, with the product being sandwiches. The purpose of this research is to perform raw material efficiency and cost savings of raw material inventory. In this study, identified the bread production process for 1 period (3 months). It is known that this company ordered raw materials, namely 2100 kg of flour and 480 kg of granulated sugar. However, in reality, only 1537 kg of wheat flour was used and 379 kg of granulated sugar. There is a difference between ordering raw materials and using raw materials so that the costs incurred in carrying out raw material inventory exceed the limits of the costs that have been determined by the company. The method used is the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) method. The goal is to control the number of raw material orders made by this company and indirectly to save raw material inventory costs. The findings are comparing calculations by companies using EOQ, the efficiency of raw materials after using the EOQ method for wheat flour is 542 kg and granulated sugar is 93 kg and savings in raw material inventory costs for wheat flour is Rp. 156,437 and granulated sugar is Rp. 212,092.

Single Stitch Vicryl Mesh Wrap for Prepectoral Implant Breast Reconstruction.

Acellular dermal matrices are commonly used in prepectoral breast reconstruction for implant coverage and support, but they are associated with significant costs. The authors describe a technique for prepectoral breast reconstruction in which the implant is completely wrapped in a knitted Vicryl mesh and then positioned on the chest, without the need for any tacking sutures. A retrospective review was performed on all consecutive prepectoral breast reconstructions, using this technique at a single institution. A separate cohort undergoing prepectoral reconstruction with a conventional acellular dermal matrix technique was also reviewed for comparison. Patient demographics, oncologic and reconstruction characteristics, outcomes, complications, and materials cost were analyzed. Twelve patients (23 breasts) underwent prepectoral reconstruction with Vicryl mesh, and 34 patients (55 breasts) underwent prepectoral reconstruction with acellular dermal matrices. Overall complication rates in the Vicryl group were low (two infections, one case of skin necrosis, one hematoma) and did not differ statistically from the acellular dermal matrix group. Operative time per breast was nearly twice as fast (35.7 versus 68.0 min, P < 0.01). Calculated materials cost savings was $8273 per breast. Prepectoral breast reconstruction with Vicryl mesh only is a safe technique that is much faster and significantly cheaper compared with conventional reconstructive techniques utilizing acellular dermal matrices.

Energy Efficiency and Material Cost Savings by Evolution of Solar Panels Used in Photovoltaic Systems under Neutrosophic Model

&#x0D; Traditional applications of solar panels have been limited to smaller-scale energy production, such as that required by single houses or apartment complexes. Researchers from all around the globe have been working together to develop creative, efficient goods, increase the energy efficiency of solar panels, and build new, ground-breaking practices using photovoltaic system design. Solar photovoltaic (PV) system planning demands a strategic decision-making approach to socioeconomic growth in many nations due to the rising understanding of the financial, social, and ecological aspects. The primary goal of this study is to provide a novel, adaptable method of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) for government decision-makers (DMs) to use in evaluating solar PV panel manufacturers using various variables. This paper used the single-valued neutrosophic set to deal with the vague data. The neutrosophic set is used with the Characteristic Objects Method (COMET). The COMET method is an MCDM method. It is used to compute the rank of alternatives. The application of the proposed method is introduced with eleven criteria and ten solar panels in PV.&#x0D;

A new approach to predicting compositional regions of facilitated glass formation in the Gd-Ni-Al system

Efficient search for new compositions of amorphous alloys and significant savings in labor and material costs for the ones production require the development of reliable theoretical methods for predicting the glass-forming ability of multicomponent metal alloys. We introduce a new model for predicting the compositions of bulk amorphous metallic glasses (BMGs) and ribbons with its test application to the Gd-Ni-Al system. The proposed model parameters Θx−y(x),Θx−y(y) make it possible to forecast the location of glass-forming compositions by finding the minimum result of multiplying the PHSS parameter by the geometric coefficient Γ1,2,3(x), Γ1,2,3(y). The compositions of Gd-Ni-Al system with the best glass-forming ability (GFA), namely Gd49Ni29Al22 (BMG) and Gd40Ni51Al9 (ribbon), have been successfully determined using these parameters. The correlation between the geometric factors Γ1,2,3(x), Γ1,2,3(y) and effective packing density is shown. Amorphous alloys can be formed only at certain content of the Gd-Ni-Al system components, under which the geometric factors Γ1,2,3(x), Γ1,2,3(y) are close to the radius ratios central atom 1/central atom 2 and central atom 2/central atom 1, respectively. The results of this work open up prospects for developing reliable theoretical methods of new metal glasses prediction.

New opportunities in the paper and nonwovens industries with foam-assisted web forming and chemical application

Foam-assisted web forming and chemical application technologies have great potential to improve manufacturing efficiency and product quality in the paper and nonwovens industries. In this study, the benefits of foam forming and foam-assisted application of chemicals were demonstrated in a pilot machine trial. Uniform high-bulk webs of unrefined bleached softwood kraft pulp (BSKP) and viscose fibers were manufactured by foam forming. It was shown that foam formed low-grammage and high-bulk viscose fiber webs can be strengthened by foam-assisted application of latex onto the wet web. Correspondingly, foam-assisted application of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and anionic polyacrylamide (A-PAM) improved the strength of the foam formed low-grammage and high-bulk BSKP web. Overall, the pilot machine results indicated that material cost savings could be achieved and a high-performance product could be manufactured with foam-based technologies.

Multi-Objective Optimization and Tradespace Analysis of a Mechanical Clock Movement Design

Abstract Pendulum clocks were the prevalent time keeping standard for centuries to regulate commerce and public activities. These mechanical movements were the most accurate timekeepers globally until replaced by electric clocks. Although mainly used for decorative purposes today, the pendulum clock's working principles and mechanical behavior can serve to demonstrate fundamental science and engineering concepts. The tradeoff between a clock's quality factor, pendulum properties, and period can best be explored with multiple objective optimization and tradespace analysis methods. In this project, a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA-II) and a Multi-Objective Simulated Annealing (MOSA) optimization approaches are applied to evaluate a Graham escapement street clock for pendulum mass and time accuracy with a range of the period. These clock designs vary the pendulum length, pendulum bob radius, and bob thickness. Horological concepts are used to calculate the overall performance and general utility. The numerical results show a 0.7% increase in the quality factor, and a 0.56% reduction in the mass, while maintaining the designed period by modifying the clock parameters. More importantly, these changes can provide material cost savings in a mass production scenario. Overall, the study highlights the tradeoff designer engineers have considered for decades which can now be visualized using computer tools for greater insight.

DETERMINATION OF COAGULATION FACTOR VIII ACTIVITY IN CRYO-FREE PLASMA SAMPLES: AN ANALYSIS OF RAW MATERIAL SUITABILITY FOR INDUSTRIAL USE

According to the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, Human Plasma for Fractionation, raw material of the Blood-Derivative Drugs Industry, must present a concentration of Coagulation Factor VIII (FVIII) greater than or equal to 0.7 IU/ mL. The Crio-Free Plasma (CFP) is not captured by the Blood-Derivative Drugs Industry due to its low FVIII content, hence its production is mostly discarded, generating high financial costs for brazilian blood centers. This study aims to evaluate the adequacy of Cryo-Free Plasma to the parameters required by the Brazilian Pharmacopeia regarding the concentration of FVIII for Human Plasma for Fractionation, as well as analyzing possible critical points in the process of obtaining this plasma that interfere with the final FVIII content of the product. Two pools of 10 units of Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) and CFP each were prepared. Aliquots of these pools were mixed in different proportions and the activity of FVIII was dosed in duplicate. The activity of FVIII was also measured in triplicate in CFP pool samples that had been frozen in 8 and 24 hours after collection. The sample containing only CFP revealed a recovery of FVIII between 42-46%. By mixing CFP and FFP from the 1:1 ratio, the results indicated an activity of FVIII above 70%, and this activity was higher with the increase in the proportion of FFP. The mean percentage of FVIII activity present in CFP samples frozen after 24 hours of the plasma collection was 15.1% (SD ± 0.007), while CFP samples frozen within 8 hours obtained an average activity of 43.1% (SD ± 0.027). Although CFP alone presents an amount of FVIII below what is recommended in the Brazilian pharmacopoeia for industrial fractionation, this blood product could still be used by the industry to obtain other plasma proteins. In order to overcome the FVIII deficiency, a pool with FFP in determined proportions can be made, obtaining a acceptable final concentration of FVIII. However, the freezing time after its collection in blood centers remains an important factor to be monitored as a quality criterion for the maintenance of Factor VIII content in plasma. The discussion about the regulatory aspects of CFP utilization by the Blood-Derivative Drugs industry is important, as it contributes to a better exploitation of raw material and significant cost savings for the brazilian blood centers, that would no longer have to discard large amounts of CFP per year. CFP could be used as raw material if it is mixed in a minimum ratio of 1:1 to the FFP and is frozen within 8 hours after its collection, preserving the activity of the FVIII. Further studies are needed to assess whether these results can be validated on an industrial scale.

Framework for Smart Cost Optimization of Material Logistics in Construction Road Projects

Despite advancing Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, road projects often rely on inaccurate supplier data, making it difficult to determine the cost, quantity, quality, and transportation duration of the needed materials. The wrong choice of material suppliers can lead the supply chain to suffer losses, directly affecting the project’s performance. In this regard, many studies have devised material logistics optimization models for road projects. However, the majority based their decisions on inaccurate or outdated data. This paper studies this gap by introducing a framework that utilizes IoT technologies and smart construction to feed optimization models with accurate and dynamically updated material data. This IoT-powered framework considers only quantitative criteria as input data to the integrated linear programming optimization model, precisely selected suppliers, and optimally calculated costs using MS Excel Solver. The results reveal that the framework is sensitive to any dynamic data updates and can achieve up to 40% material cost savings in real runtime. The paper demonstrates the proposed outline framework with a case study of planning an alternative road between Riyadh and Madinah cities in Saudi Arabia.

A freestanding nanoporous NiCoFeMoMn high-entropy alloy as an efficient electrocatalyst for rapid water splitting

The development of low-cost non-noble-metal-based electrocatalysts that can work stably at high current densities is crucial to apply a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrolyzed water. This study developed a freestanding nanoporous high-entropy alloy foil as a dual-functional electrocatalyst. The proposed electrocatalyst combines dealloying and polarization and shows excellent electrocatalytic activity in an alkaline electrolyte. It has an extremely small overpotential of 150 mV at 1,000 mA cm−2 for the HER and a low Tafel slope of 29 mV dec−1. At the same current density, the overpotential of the OER is only 350 mV. The alkaline electrolyzer using the electrocatalyst as both anode and cathode requires a cell voltage of only 1.47 V to output a stable current density of 10 mA cm−2. This enables it to be an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for alkaline overall water splitting and better stability for more than 375 h of continuous hydrogen production while providing substantial material cost savings relative to platinum. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the ultrahigh HER activity of the catalyst originates from the synergetic effect of optimized hydrogen adsorption in the segregation area and enhanced H2O adsorption in the un-segregation area produced by spinodal decomposition.

Qualitative Rating System for Drainability of Roadway Base Materials

Poor drainage of roadway base/subbase materials can lead to increased pore water pressure, reduction of strength and stiffness, and freeze-thaw damage. Base course drainability is dependent on physical properties of the material that affect its water flow and retention behavior including particle size distribution, fines content, density or porosity, the geometric and boundary conditions of the pavement system, and site-specific environmental conditions. Objectives of this project are to quantitatively assess permeability and water retention characteristics of representative roadway base materials, to derive predictive equations for indirect estimation of material properties that control drainability, and to develop and recommend rating systems for assessing more general base materials. Laboratory tests were conducted on 16 samples of materials used in or considered for use in roadway applications to determine grain size distribution, hydraulic conductivity, and soil-water characteristic curves. Results are correlated to grain size characteristics including percent gravel, percent fines, grain size indices (e.g., D10, D30), and unit weight. Procedures are provided to qualitatively assess drainability as “excellent,”“marginal,” or “poor,” from grain size, thereby offering a rationale to reduce pavement life cycle costs, improve safety, realize material cost savings, and reduce environmental impacts.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY UMKM, DRIVER FOR IMPLEMENTATION GREEN MANAGEMENT

Planet earth is currently faced with various environmental problems that are worrisome and threaten business sustainability. The manufacturing sector needs to take better and more consistent responsibility in mitigating this problem. Not only large industries, but also small industries that are widely cultivated such as MSMEs. The application of green management (GM) is an alternative to embrace sustainability. GM can use a variety of techniques that have an impact on reducing waste and environmental pollution. However, MSMEs face obstacles based on management functions, professionalism, and knowledge in implementing GM practices. The purpose of this research is to understand the main drivers for MSME Industry, in implementing Green Management in Banda Aceh City. The perception data of 60 MSME actors taken randomly was used in this study. The ranking of driving factors uses the Fuzzy TOPSIS method which is one of the Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. This study found that the five main drivers of GM implementation are increasing competitiveness (driver 1), incentives provided by the government (driver 2), law enforcement (driver 3), commitment from top management (driver 4), product distribution (driver 5). Employee awareness/motivation, customer demand, pressure from local community, environmental knowledge/technology, raw material sourcing, cost savings, financial resources, efficiency and pressure from business trade associations.

Методика распределения затрат на внедрение новых и модернизацию действующих технологий на производственную себестоимость продукции в условиях устойчивого развития промышленного предприятия

One of the important tools for incorporating the paradigm of sustainable development into the complex fabric of economic activity of an enterprise in the real sector of the economy is the permanent process of introducing new and updating existing production technologies. Managing this difficult process requires fundamental changes in the traditional approach to structuring the information and tool space of the accounting and calculation process of forming the production cost of products. The solution of this difficult task involves the decomposition of the pool of indirect costs in order to allocate from its composition the costs of introducing new and upgrading used technologies and then assigning them to the production cost. It should be noted that these costs are distributed in proportion to the quantitative characteristics of material cost savings. The choice of this indicator as a distribution base is justified by the fact that it is one of the key components of the economic benefits coming to the enterprise. In the course of the study, various methods were used comprehensively, including: observation, systematization, formalization, modeling and visualization, decomposition and aggregation of data. The results obtained in the course of the study will improve the quality of the information and instrumental space for making managerial decisions aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of economic entities in the real sector of the economy by updating existing and introducing new, advanced production technologies.

El sismo de la ciudad de Chillan (Chile, 1939), antecedente previo al impacto del terremoto de 1944 en la provincia de San Juan, Argentina, obra de reconstrucción de emergencia habitacional y educativa

Through the historiographic method of Comparative History, an approach was made between the city of Chillán in 1939 (Chile) after the earthquake, and the City of San Juan in 1944 (Argentina) after the earthquake, to describe general similarities and differences in the Reconstruction processes of emergency. The two cities have a history of being seismic zones, however a situation of such magnitude was not correctly prevented in either of them. The lack of professionals in construction, the savings in material costs, the absence of building techniques and the poor payment of fees to workers, all this is considered by the specialists consulted to be the direct cause of destruction and human losses. Through the use of first and second-hand unpublished sources, such as magazine articles and hemerographic material recovered from online repositories of the National Digital Library of Chile (El Diario de los Damnificados), Hemerographic sources re-read from the General Archive of the Province of San Juan (Diario Tribuna) and the Archivo General de la Nación Argentina (Diario Esquiu and Periódico Ilustrado Ilustrado Ahora), the research work prepared by Alfredo Castellanos with the results obtained from his situational-environmental diagnosis upon arrival in San Juan, and photographs taken In situ by the teams of professionals who arrived in the province at the time of the events, it was that they managed to approach both cities to work on their stories in common, giving it a novel twist and generating a significant theoretical contribution that promises future investigations.

Analysis on Construction Technology of Reinforced Concrete Tied Arch Bridge

Bridge construction has received a lot of attention as transportation continues to improve. Reinforced concrete linked arch bridges are a common bridge style in today’s bridge construction. This type of bridge not only has a basic and generous shape, but it is also incredibly easy to construct, resulting in significant material and construction cost savings. This article analyzes the construction technology of a reinforced concrete linked arch bridge in order to achieve good construction and application. It is hoped that this analysis can provide a scientific reference for the guarantee of the construction quality and subsequent application effect of this kind of bridge.