Smooth Operation Research Articles

Potential threats to implementing instructional leadership in Western Cape township secondary schools

This empirical study examines the factors that pose challenges to the implementation of instructional leadership in township secondary schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The study adopts Critical Emancipatory Research (CER), which promotes peace, hope, freedom, and social justice, as its theoretical framework. Participatory action research (PAR), utilising focus group interviews, is employed to collect data. PAR is situated within a transformative paradigm, and a qualitative research approach is chosen to align with this paradigm. Data is collected through focus group discussions with the school management team (SMT), consisting of the principal, two deputy principals, and six heads of department. These discussions aim to gather information on threats to instructional leadership and strategies to mitigate these threats. The findings reveal that the local community and its dynamics, along with the prevalence of violence in the neighbourhood, are external factors that significantly impede the smooth operation of the school and negatively affect the implementation of effective instructional leadership. Conversely, factors such as limited interference from the local community, reduced workload, adherence to compliance guidelines and requirements set by the Department of Education, and an unimpeded leadership role for the management team may contribute to the successful implementation of instructional leadership. Therefore, the study recommends promoting effective and transparent communication as well as open engagement among all stakeholders within the school.

- PODCAST ROOM RESERVATION APPLICATION USING EXTREME PROGRAMMING METHOD

In the era of globalization, information technology has become crucial in enhancing the productivity of information processing across various industries. Data management ensures smooth operations and informed decision-making. Podcasts have emerged as significant mediums for information consumption and entertainment, with an increasing number of listeners seeking high-quality content. Producing quality podcasts requires adequate facilities such as advanced recording equipment and acoustically suitable studio spaces. Development methodologies like Extreme Programming emphasize improving functionality and technical implementation. Reservations for podcast studios play a crucial role in scheduling recordings, with online booking systems enabling easy and efficient reservations, albeit requiring intensive individualized services. The capability of reservation systems to provide quick, accurate, and precise information can influence customer experiences and purchasing decisions. The integration of information technology and online reservations is key to optimizing podcast production and distribution, enhancing operational efficiency for service providers, while providing a satisfying experience for listeners. Although the system has yet to be fully implemented, it is designed to streamline booking processes and reduce manual intervention, which is anticipated to lead to significant improvements in both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Design a Computer Controlled Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Thruster Using Smart Closed Loop Controller

The first step of designing an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) depends mainly on the selection of the thrusters as UUVs require many thrusters to be installed onboard for smooth operation. The widely used thrusters in UUVs are has relatively large dimensions and they just spin in the water without reporting any kind of important information such as the status of the thruster and the RPM of the motor. This project aims to design and implement a new computer-controlled thrusting system from end-to-end that fits various UUVs with more advantages including smaller size thruster, cheaper in price, and with more additional smart capabilities that reports thruster’s instantaneous RPM, power consumption, proper operation, malfunctions, damages, and water stream blockage.

A wide-output buck DC-DC power management IC

-This article designs and develops a wide-input voltage, high-efficiency, small-size, and peak current-mode control step-down DC-DC converter. The Cadence Spectre simulation tool is used for system simulation to verify the performance of the chip. The overall research content of the article includes the function of the output under heavy load, light load and the stability of the output under transient load changes. The specific content of the research is buck synchronous step-down DC-DC converter chip with pulse modulated. It is provided with an input-voltage range of 6 V–80 V and maximum output-voltage range 72 V. The chip possesses wide operating temperature range of −20 °C to 130 °C. The 92 % high-efficiency can be achieved by using a PWM/PFM hybrid modulation method. When achieving transient load jump, the output voltage change shall not exceed 150 mV. The maximum load current of the chip is 1 A. Furthermore, the chip is packaged and samples can be obtained, and the output light load/heavy load, and other functions are tested through the circuit board. In addition, the chip achieved tape out by using 0.18 μm CMOS process with size of 2027 μm × 2020 μm. The converter features current mode control to simplify external compensation and optimize transient response through a wide range of inductors and output capacitors. It can be adopted user-programmable soft-start time to prevent inrush current during startup. It also includes thermal shutdown protection to provide safe and smooth operation in operating conditions.

Single source self balanced switched capacitor based singe phase nine level inverter

Multilevel inverters are becoming increasingly significant due to their ability to efficiently convert power in various applications such as renewable energy systems, electric vehicles (EVs), and industrial drives. The growing need for efficient power conversion in these areas has driven heightened interest in multilevel inverters. High inrush current is required for numerous applications, including variable frequency drives, single-phase or three-phase machine drives, locomotives, electric vehicles. However, managing this inrush current is crucial to prevent damage to the power source and other connected equipment, as well as to ensure smooth and reliable operation. The solution for this is to provide isolation between load and source. The proposed single phase switched capacitor multilevel inverter possess the feature of virtual isolation between the load and the source. This topology consists of a switched capacitor cell network and a multilevel inverter. In this work, a simplest architecture is used for the MLI section to reduce the number of switches. The MLI section consists of only eight switches. Although the switched capacitor network in this topology consists of a higher number of switches, the switches in the network carry only very low current, resulting in negligible losses. Additionally, the switched capacitor network is highly modular in nature. The proposed single-phase inverter can be converted to a three-phase multilevel inverter (MLI) by connecting identical units in each phase, with the reference sinewave signal for the pulse-width modulation technique derived from the corresponding phases. Consequently, this proposed topology is suitable for both low-power and high-power applications. This work demonstrates that self-voltage balancing of the level capacitors can be achieved without the need for auxiliary components.In this design, the level capacitors act as the source to the load and are charged through switched capacitors. The voltage THD in the suggested work is less than 5%, which is in accordance with IEEE 519 standards. High voltage gain, better load, and line regulation, are other significant advantages of this novel topology. Another feature of this work is simplicity in design and can be easily extended to higher voltage levels. Comprehensive simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the precise performance of the proposed multilevel inverter

An analytical study of TEG loss in a natural gas purification plant based on high-pressure droplet angular scattering

In the process of purifying natural gas, natural gas dehydration plants use triethylene glycol (TEG) as a solvent for absorption. However, the loss of TEGs in the form of droplets can pollute pipelines and create a technological challenge. Using the geometric optical approximation (GOA) method, a model was developed to predict the scattering of droplets at high pressure. Based on this model, a device was designed and constructed to inspect droplets in external pipelines and distillation column tailgate lines online, which are the outlets of the natural gas dehydration unit (TEG absorber tower) of four columns in stable production. This device analyzes the components of the sampled droplets and performs online inspection to ensure smooth and safe operation. The results of the experiment indicate that the TEG content in the droplet samples exceeded 80%, which helped identify the source of the loss. The amount of treatment directly affected the concentration and distribution features of the entrained droplets, whereas the impact of the gas-phase pressure change was negligible. This study investigated three different forms of filtration separation, which provided industrial data for the separation and recovery process of entrained droplets. This study provides a new testing tool and method to examine plate towers under high pressure and provides a theoretical reference for dewatering procedures in natural gas purification plants.

Rule‐based energy management system for autonomous voltage stabilization in standalone DC microgrid

AbstractThis paper presents a rule‐based energy management system (EMS) designed for a standalone DC microgrid incorporating solar photovoltaic (PV), fuel cell, battery energy storage system (BESS), and electric vehicle. The unpredictable nature of renewable energy sources and the instability of loads pose challenges for maintaining DC bus voltages and power‐sharing arrangements, impacting the microgrid's smooth operation. The proposed EMS aims to ensure power balance between generation and demand, mitigating vulnerabilities of the DC bus to voltage instability caused by fluctuations from both the load and source sides. This is achieved through an autonomous DC bus voltage stabilization strategy, involving the maintenance of a nominal state of energy (SoE) for the BESS and hydrogen fuel consumption for the fuel cell within predefined lower and upper limits. By regulating these two factors, the EMS algorithm facilitates optimal performance of the PV, battery, and fuel cell components. Consequently, the EMS provides decision‐making instructions to each individual energy source, ensuring efficient operation under various conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed EMS is evaluated through hardware‐based testing on a DC microgrid and simulations in the MATLAB Simulink environment across multiple operating scenarios.

Development of a Web-Based Cash Receipt Accounting Information System at the BNN Pratama Clinic, Banjarmasin City

The BNN City Health Clinic in Banjarmasin requires an effective and efficient system to manage cash receipt records to ensure smooth operations and optimal health services. In this research, the author employs a qualitative method using both qualitative and quantitative data, with data collection methods including interviews, observations, and literature studies. The author highlights the issue of manual cash receipt recording, which not only reduces effectiveness and efficiency but also increases the likelihood of errors. The author recommends the immediate design and implementation of an accounting information system specifically designed for the purpose of recording cash receipts. This system must be able to accurately record every transaction, issue payment receipts, and generate the necessary financial reports. Additionally, we must implement the segregation of duties in the cash receipt process to mitigate the risk of errors and fraud. It is also important to implement strict internal controls to ensure transaction accuracy and auditability.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Ship Guiding Services at Tanjung Perak Port Surabaya

The efficiency and effectiveness of vessel piloting services at ports play a crucial role in ensuring smooth maritime operations and enhancing maritime safety. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of vessel piloting services at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, Indonesia. The evaluation encompasses various aspects of piloting services, including navigational guidance, maneuver assistance, and response to emergency situations. By employing qualitative methodologies, data will be collected from stakeholders, including port authorities, vessel operators, and piloting personnel. Key performance indicators such as response time, safety record, and customer satisfaction will be analyzed to assess the current state of piloting services. Additionally, potential areas for improvement will be identified to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of vessel piloting services at Tanjung Perak Port. The findings of this study are expected to provide valuable insights for port authorities and stakeholders to optimize piloting services and ensure safe and efficient maritime operations at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya.

A Hybrid Interactive Decision-making Model Based on Multi-objective Optimization: An Application to Sustainable Supplier Selection

Sustainable development is crucial for conserving resources and ensuring smooth supply chain operations. In the context of the complex task of supplier selection, the traditional assumptions of attribute independencies are frequently found to be inadequate. The effective interaction between attributes and their weights plays a crucial role in navigating the decision outcomes. This paper presents a Choquet integral-based hybrid interactive decision-making approach to address the two important issues regarding the weights and interaction of criteria. To achieve this aim, first a hybrid weight determination method is proposed, combining the merits of multi-objective optimization and clustering techniques. To comprehensively assess the interactions among attributes, a non-additive measure determination method is introduced, leveraging concepts such as standard deviation and correlation. This approach effectively captures the interdependencies among attributes, leading to a more accurate decision-making process. Then, the Choquet integral incorporates a logarithmic function, which serves to enhance the modeling of uncertainty and effectively address the complexities present in intricate decision-making situations. Furthermore, a comprehensive interactive MCDM model is constructed, serving as a framework for supplier selection. Finally, experimental and sensitivity analysis demonstrate the effectiveness and stability of the proposed approach.

Hybrid Block Chaotic Compressive Sensing and Chaotic Scrambling Algorithms for Color Image Encryption System

This paper suggests a new image encryption algorithm based on block compressive sensing (BCS) and chaotic scrambling techniques. With compressive sensing (CS), signals can be sampled much lower than the Nyquist-Shannon rate while preserving their information content. BCS can be used as a one-step process by using a 3D logistic chaotic map, the measurement matrix is used as a secret key for encryption. BCS algorithm used an individual image reconstruction algorithm that leverages l_1norm minimization to promote signal sparsity, and a smoothing operator to enhance image quality. An encrypted image is first decomposed into three sub-images based on the tricolor theory; then, a discrete wavelet transform is used to sparsely process the three decomposed images. A 2D Henon map is used to scramble the compressed image after compression. This process further enhances the security of the system by increasing the complexity of the encryption process. The results showed that the proposed system provides better security and has a lower computational complexity than other methods. Furthermore, the proposed system is resistant to known attacks such as brute force and statistical attacks.

Crude Oil Theft, Illegal Bunkering and Pipeline Vandalism in Nigeria’s Niger Delta: Effects and National Responses to Curb the Menace.

Against the backdrop of the fact that Nigeria lost large scale of petroleum resources valued as huge financial losses to the nation, individuals, and other institutions, this paper examined crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria; effects and national responses. The findings show that crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, and pipeline vandalism have caused adverse effects such as socio-economic losses to Nigeria, environmental pollution and degradation, a threat to national and international security, and caused huge losses to national and international oil companies and individuals. To ensure the smooth operation of the country’s oil industry, various administrations have carried out various national responses to curb the menace. These include enactment of laws, arrest, and prosecution of perpetrators, strengthening security arrangements, the establishment of the Inter-Agency Maritime Security Task Force (IAMSTF) and the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), granting of amnesty to ex-militants and collaboration with regional and international partners to curb the menace of crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta. Therefore, the paper concluded that it is due to faulty implementation of such national responses that the phenomenon is unabated.

Internal Audit Guide to the K3 Management System at Simpang Lima Gumul Hospital Kediri

Hospitals in the BLUD system play an optimal role in providing health services, including the implementation of hospital operations using income sources and each part of the hospital must be able to have its own role and function but are interconnected to fully support smooth operations. The problem of a company or hospital related to occupational safety and health in general is about the readiness of management and all employees to face risks that may occur before, during and after the production process or health services with the aim of increasing effective, efficient productivity and reducing losses due to the risks incurred. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an internal audit regarding SMK3. The main target is the management of Simpang Lima Gumul Hospital Kediri. The aim of this activity is to find out the Standard Operational Procedures for SMK3 Internal Audit at Simpang Lima Gumul Hospital Kediri. The method used in this activity is presentation regarding SMK3 Internal Audit Standard Operating Procedures to the management of Simpang Lima Gumul Kediri Hospital using power point as a medium for supplying material. The results of this activity are Standard Operational Procedures for Internal Audit of SMK3 Simpang Lima Gumul Hospital Kediri.

Leadership competencies and managerial competencies of nurse managers in Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia

Introduction: The roles of nurse managers are crucial to the success of healthcare organizations, requiring specific skills and competencies. Accordingly, nurse managers are expected to possess leadership and management skills. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the relationship between leadership and managerial competencies among hospital nurse managers. This study seeks to determine the impact of three different leadership competencies, namely administrative skill, interpersonal skill, and conceptual skill, on the managerial competencies of nurse managers at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional quantitative study adopted Northouse’s (2019) leadership competencies questionnaires and Mind Tool’s (2018) management skills assessment tool. A total of 247 participants, all of whom were nurse managers at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia, were recruited for this study. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis. Results: The findings revealed that nurse managers at Kuala Lumpur Hospital possessed high levels of all three leadership skills and managerial competencies. However, the only significant predictor of managerial competencies among the respondents is the conceptual skill of leadership (beta = 0.820, p < 0.01). Conclusions: This study emphasizes conceptual skills (cognitive abilities, analytical reasoning, and decision-making) in predicting managerial competencies among nurse managers. Developing these skills is critical for effective leadership and smooth healthcare organization operations. Keywords: administrative skill, conceptual skill, interpersonal skill, leadership competencies, mental health

Quadruple Helix Approach to Boost Fashion Industry Innovation

Currently, the fashion industry continues to grow and increase, but there is a problem gap in the form of declining demand for orders and stagnant fashion products, which has an impact on 3,000 textile factory workers in Sukoharjo Regency who have been laid off. The problem gap needs to be resolved through the collaborative roles of the sectors in the quadruple helix consisting of the fashion industry, universities, government, and civil society. Therefore, the research question is how does the fashion industry build innovation through the support of sectors in the quadruple helix? The purpose of this study is to identify the role of the quadruple helix in encouraging the fashion industry to create innovations that have an impact on employment. The research method used was a qualitative study with the informants being the Industry Office as the government sector, two fashion MSMEs as industry sector representatives, one university in Indonesia as the university sector, and a sample from civil society. The results of this research indicate that the industry sector is the primary driver of innovation, universities provide foundational knowledge for other sectors, and the government plays a role in maintaining the smooth operation of the fashion industry through policies. Additionally, civil society is responsible for evaluating the work of industry, universities, and government policies. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on the quadruple helix innovation theory.

Leveraging AI and Machine Learning for Performance Optimization in Web Applications

The rapid evolution of web technologies has placed an unprecedented demand on web applications to deliver high performance, scalability, and responsiveness. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have emerged as transformative tools that can significantly optimize the performance of web applications. This paper explores the integration of AI and ML techniques in enhancing various aspects of web application performance, including load balancing, caching, resource management, and user experience personalization. The deployment of AI-driven algorithms enables real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, allowing for proactive adjustments to prevent bottlenecks and ensure smooth operation under varying loads. One of the primary areas where AI and ML contribute is in load balancing. Traditional load balancing techniques often rely on static or rule-based methods, which may not adapt well to dynamic web environments. AI-powered load balancers, however, can learn from traffic patterns and predict surges in demand, enabling more efficient distribution of traffic across servers. This adaptive approach not only improves response times but also reduces the risk of server overloads, enhancing the overall reliability of web applications.

Modelling of Vehicle Longitudinal Dynamics for Speed Control

Longitudinal dynamics control is one of the essential tasks for an autonomous vehicle, where it deals with speed regulation to ensure smooth and safe operations. To design a good controller, a simple yet reliable mathematical model is needed so that it can be used as a plant and to tune the controller. Although there are many types of mathematical models available in the literature, finding the right one for control application is essential. The model cannot be too complex and can be too simple. Thus, the main objective of this work is to derive a simple yet reliable vehicle longitudinal model so that it can be used as a simulation plant in MATLAB Simulink to test or tune various types of control algorithm's performance. The model consists of three main parts which are the vehicle body dynamics, simplified power train dynamic, and braking dynamic. To validate the reliability of the model, standard urban drive cycles will be used as a reference speed and a hierarchical PID control structure with inverse plant model is used to control the pedal inputs replacing the driver in simulation environment. Results show that the controller managed to track the drive cycle with an acceptable pedal pressing response which is between 40% throttle press and 20% brake press that in line with the normal operation of a vehicle. Although only simulation result is presented, the model can be used as a good starting point for further development and testing of different types of control algorithms for future work.

Adaptive-DMPC based energy management and pre-installation techno-economic analysis of a grid-tied cyber-physical community microgrid

The trends for creating smart cities is increasing as it gives assurance of high-quality living standards, however, converting an existing city into a smart one needs more time, investments and is highly tedious. Another concept of community based sustainable living that can be installed in and around outskirts of any city. All the features of smart cities can be brought in by most economical, sustainable, and environmental friendly way. A cyber-physical Community Microgrid (CMG) can have various loads such as heating, cooling, security and lighting purposes. The dependency on grid supply can be reduced by using renewable sources of electricity. Solar water heaters and biogas plant can take care of heating loads. Handling uncertainties in generation, time-varying load scenarios, and dynamics of supply grid are crucial for smooth operation of cyber-physical CMG. In this work, an Energy Management Strategy (EMS) for CMG is proposed using an adaptive Distributed Model Predictive Control (DMPC) that improves scalability with modular architecture, allow enhanced flexibility and adaptability, robustness and reliability, enhanced optimization and predictive capabilities. All possible intermittencies types due to renewables, time-variable demand profiles, smooth charging/discharging cycles and longevity of storage batteries, curtailing of noncritical loads, and dynamic price of grid consumption are applied. Further, use of EMS outcomes is done to develop pre-installation techno-economic analysis for establishing a CMG with optimal component sizing. The given DMPC scheme for CMG is verified by conducting comprehensive test case studies over 24 hrs interval on the Matlab/Simulink and hardware-in-loop testing.

Optimizing a vertical axis wind turbine with helical blades: Application of 3D CFD and Taguchi method

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) with helical blades are being interested in urban areas due to the low dependency on the wind direction and also due to low noise production. In spite of good self-starting and smooth operation as the advantages of this type of turbine, its optimizing has not been reported in literature yet and is the subject of this research. A primary investigation by 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the air flow about the above type of VAWT in the first step showed the importance of three design variables of tip speed ratio, helical angle, and airfoil chord length. However, in the second step, CFD runs were very time consuming and costly. For considering five values for each design variable, 53=125 cases had to be simulated by 3D CFD. Thus, by the use of Taguchi method and with definition of an orthogonal array named L-25, the number of required 3D CFD simulations reduced from 125 to 25. Then, the optimum values of variables were obtained as 1.33 for the tip speed ratio, 30 degrees for the helical angle, and 0.4 m for the airfoil chord length. At the optimum point, the average power coefficient increased to 0.17542. The presented research is novel for optimizing VAWT with helical blades.

Integrating session recording and eye-tracking: development and evaluation of a Chrome extension for user behavior analysis

The subject of this article is the development, implementation, and evaluation of a Chrome extension designed to record and replay web sessions using integrated eye-tracking data. The goal is to develop a tool that enhances user interaction analysis by combining session recordings with eye-tracking capabilities. The tasks to be solved are as follows: create a functional Chrome extension that utilizes rrweb for session recording and WebGazer.js for eye tracking; implement features, such as session recording, replay with eye-tracking data overlays, and session management; and provide options for exporting and importing recorded sessions. The methods used are: architectural modeling using UML diagrams to design the system architecture, software engineering techniques for developing the extension, integration testing to ensure the smooth operation of combined features, and data preprocessing techniques to prevent redundancy and reduce noise in eye-tracking data. Additionally, a structured user study with detailed questionnaires combining both Likert-scale questions and open-ended responses and feedback analysis were conducted to evaluate usability and gather feedback. The following results were obtained: the extension was successfully developed and evaluated with 25 participants aged 18–35 years in a controlled environment. High usability ratings were obtained, with an average score of 4.5 out of 5 for the session recording, replay, and session management features. However, the eye-tracking feature received a lower rating of 3.8 out of 5 due to occasional inaccuracies in the eye-tracking data. The qualitative feedback indicated the usefulness of the eye-tracking feature and highlighted the need for improved data accuracy. Conclusions. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the integration of session recording and eye tracking within a Chrome extension, which represents a novel and comprehensive tool for user interaction analysis on the web. The tool's ability to capture both behavioral data and visual attention without requiring website code modifications is particularly valuable for researchers, marketing specialists, UI/UX designers, and product developers. The usability study and feedback analysis provided a clear direction for future improvements, including enhancing the eye-tracking accuracy and integrating advanced analytics and customizable reporting options. Future work will also explore the integration of machine learning algorithms to automatically analyze recorded data to provide deeper insights and actionable recommendations.