Strategies For Improving Performance Research Articles

Applications of Phase Field Methods in Modeling Fatigue Fracture and Performance Improvement Strategies: A Review

Fatigue fracture simulation based on phase field methods is a promising numerical approach. As a typical continuum approach, phase field methods can naturally simulate complex fatigue fracture behavior. Moreover, the cracking is a natural result of the simulation without additional fracture criterion. This study first introduced the phase field fracture principle, then reviewed some recent advances in phase field methods for fatigue fracture modeling, and gave representative examples in macroscale, microscale, and multiscale structural simulations. In addition, some strategies to improve the performance of phase field models were summarized from different perspectives. The applications of phase field methods to fatigue failure demonstrate the ability to handle complex fracture behaviors under multiple loading forms and their interactions, and the methods have great potential for development. Finally, an outlook was made in four aspects: loading form, fatigue degradation criterion, coupled crystal plasticity, and performance improvement.

Supply Chain Performance Improvement Strategy in the Packaging Industry

The purpose of this study is to determine what factors affect the performance of supply chain management for companies to take the right policy regarding the implementation of an effective system, in this study uses liquid literature and using Mendeley, for the factors that influence significantly Distribution, Warehousing Management Systems. In this study, many reviewed several articles on the topic of the dependent variable and this research can be used as a reference for future research in manufacturing companies. The result that can be seen is that the warehouse management system plays a very important role in supporting the performance of supply chain management in the company. This study does not use population and sample because it is a qualitative literature review.

Conservation Pillar Policy: Sustainable Corporate Performance Improvement Strategy Model

This research aims to investigate, comprehend, and examine further the conservation pillar policy to become a sustainable corporate performance improvement strategy model. In general, conservation is defined as an effort to manage, control, preserve, or other terms that show nature preservation. This research adopts the pillars of conservation at Universitas Negeri Semarang, consisting of seven types, which are: 1) biodiversity conservation, 2) green architecture & internal transportation, 3) paperless policy, 4) waste management, 5) clean energy, 6) ethics, arts, and culture, and 7) conservation cadres. The method used in this research is qualitative, with the acquisition of secondary data or literature study. Based on the studies conducted, implementing the seven pillars of conservation has its characteristics, benefits, and advantages for a company's operations and sustainability performance. Therefore, a policy on the pillars of conservation is suitable as a basis for development in sustainable company performance. Moreover, besides being profit-oriented, it also prioritizes environmental sustainability.

Indoor thermal comfort evaluation of traditional dwellings in cold region of China: A case study in Guangfu Ancient City

Global climate change has led to increased differences in the indoor thermal environment of traditional dwellings and residents' thermal adaptability, but quantitative research in this area needs to be updated and improved. In this paper, taking the old and new types of traditional dwellings of Guangfu Ancient City in Hebei province, China as the example, we first investigated the current situation of indoor thermal environment and thermal comfort characteristics of residents by means of subjective questionnaire survey and objective data measurement. The measured data showed that the average indoor temperature of old-type traditional dwellings in winter was far lower than the thermal comfort range of human body, and it was also higher than the relevant standard in summer. Secondly, we established a new thermal comfort evaluation model of traditional dwellings and proposed a new thermal neutral temperature of residents: old-type traditional dwellings (18.1 °C in winter and 27.1 °C in summer), new-type traditional dwellings (19.8 °C in winter and 25.7 °C in summer). Although the measured data showed that the thermal environment quality of the old-type traditional dwellings was poor, the residents had strong thermal adaptability. Finally, we put forward the different living performance improvement strategies of old and new types of traditional dwellings: The old-type traditional dwellings should focus on strengthening the thermal performance of the envelope structure, while the new-type traditional dwellings should solve the problem of low indoor humidity in winter. This research improves the evaluation system of human thermal comfort of dwellings in cold region of China, and provides a good case reference.

Implementation of the Lean Manufacturing Concept to Reduce Waste in Spare Part Repair Activities at PT. X

The competition in the manufacturing industry is currently moving very fast. Competitive advantage, increased production effectiveness in operational activities, continuous performance improvement and business strategy Good quality is something that manufacturing companies must pay attention to to be able to compete globally. PT.X is a manufacturing company that specializes in repairing Automated Teller Machine (ATM) machine spare parts. In the process of repairing this spare part, there are problems with the use of the application system, the number of parts that cannot be repaired as before and the performance of employees is lacking, causing waste. This waste has an impact on performance and operational activities being not optimal and hampering the process of repairing spare parts. The lean manufacturing approach aims to identify and eliminate waste that occurs during operational activities in order to be more efficient and effective with the method Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for mapping the flow of spare part repairs and information flow, identifying waste which is divided into 7 categories and conducting analysis. The root cause of waste with fishbone diagrams, the result of which is the cause of waste by humans, is the lack of insight or knowledge of employees, machines that are damaged due to continuous use and the methods used by the company are not appropriate. The results of the identification of waste are waste waiting, transportation, processing, inventory and defective products. 
 Keywords: Lean Manufacturing, Waste, Value Stream Mapping, Fishbone Diagram.

I–III–VI Quantum Dots and Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, and Properties for Light-Emitting Diodes

Quantum dots (QDs) are important frontier luminescent materials for future technology in flexible ultrahigh-definition display, optical information internet, and bioimaging due to their outstanding luminescence efficiency and high color purity. I-III-VI QDs and derivatives demonstrate characteristics of composition-dependent band gap, full visible light coverage, high efficiency, excellent stability, and nontoxicity, and hence are expected to be ideal candidates for environmentally friendly materials replacing traditional Cd and Pb-based QDs. In particular, their compositional flexibility is highly conducive to precise control energy band structure and microstructure. Furthermore, the quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) exhibits superior prospects in monochrome display and white illumination. This review summarizes the recent progress of I-III-VI QDs and their application in LEDs. First, the luminescence mechanism is illustrated based on their electronic-band structural characteristics. Second, focusing on the latest progress of I-III-VI QDs, the preparation mechanism, and the regulation of photophysical properties, the corresponding application progress particularly in light-emitting diodes is summarized as well. Finally, we provide perspectives on the overall current status and challenges propose performance improvement strategies in promoting the evolution of QDs and QLEDs, indicating the future directions in this field.

Rational design of oriented glass fibers within nano-porous SiO2 films to improve evaporation-induced hydroelectric generation

Harvesting energy from the ubiquitous water evaporation process on earth has recently proved to be an effective solution for obtaining renewable energy. However, the electricity generated in this process is still difficult to meet practical use, and the energy conversion mechanism is controversial. Here, an enhanced output was generated by the rational design of oriented glass fibers within nano-porous SiO2 film. The ordered glass fibers could effectively improve the power generation performance by promoting the movement of water flow and carriers, achieving an induced open-circuit voltage of 1.4 V and an induced short-circuit current of 400 nA, and providing a performance improvement strategy for such evaporation-induced generators. And it is revealed that the generated voltage driven by evaporation is related to the humidity difference and water flow. The availability of raw materials and the simplicity of the fabrication process also enable the generators easy to scale up.

Preparation of Co-S/NixSey/C@TiO2 composite electrode and the performance improvement strategies for the electrooxidation of H2O2

BackgroundThe cleanliness and ease of storage and transportation of H2O2 make it a promising fuel of fuel cell, but improving the catalytic activity of H2O2 electrooxidation is a prerequisite. MethodThe Co-S/NixSey/C@TiO2 electrode was prepared by “vapor deposition” and “two-step electrodeposition”, and the electrode was scaled up and fabricated into a rotating cylinder electrode to improve the catalytic performance of H2O2 electrooxidation. Significant findingsThe presence of Se-Se bonds and the synergistic effect of Co-S compound and NixSey gave the electrode a reduced oxidation potential for the electrooxidation of H2O2. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of the electrode facilitated the exposure of the catalyst active site, and the loading of Co-S compound improved the hydrophilicity of electrode. It's important to note that an original rotating cylinder electrode system was fabricated using an enlarged Co-S/NixSey/C@TiO2 electrode to weaken concentration polarization and reduce bubble adsorption on the electrode surface. Through the study, rotation of electrode and circulation of reaction solution exhibit positive effect for the electrooxidation reaction. Especially with a rotation speed of 37 r min−1 of electrode, the performance was improved by 85%. This study provides new strategies for improving the performance of H2O2 electrooxidation, which is of high research significance.

Understanding the graphene-polymer interfacial mechanical behavior via coarse-grained modeling

Understanding the interfacial behavior of graphene-polymer nanocomposite is a long-standing endeavor to gain deep insight into the mechanical properties of engineered structural materials. In this study, we implement the ‘hard’ cutoff scheme to develop a 4-1 mapping coarse-grained graphene (CGGr) model and the corresponding CG potential TersoffCG(4-1), which faithfully reproduces the honeycomb structure (bond length and angle) and mechanical properties of the graphene sheet compared to experimental results. Taking the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and graphene sheet as a representative composite system, we establish a predictive CG modeling framework to study the interfacial behavior at a molecular level. By performing the rate-dependent interfacial separation simulations, our results reveal that lower separation velocity and thicker flexible layer can facilitate the craze fibrils formation and further enhance the toughness of the composite, which attribute to the adequate response of polymer to the graphene under lower velocity and more polymers that potentially to form fibrils under thicker flexible layer. Our work demonstrates the efficacy of TersoffCG(4-1) potential in understanding the interfacial mechanical behavior of graphene-polymer nanocomposite, offering an effective modeling strategy for performance improvement by designing the interfaces.

A Combinatorial Optimization Strategy for Performance Improvement of Stratum Ventilation Considering Outdoor Weather Changes and Metabolic Rate Differences: Energy Consumption and Sensitivity Analysis

Since occupants spend most of their time indoors, an energy-saving and comfortable indoor environment are particularly important. The differences in the metabolic rate of occupants make them have different requirements for their thermal environment. To save energy under the comprehensive needs of occupants for thermal environment, the combinatorial optimization strategy based on NSGA-II and improved the TOPSIS method is proposed in this study. Firstly, the physical model of the CFD simulation is verified by experiments. Secondly, the specific operation cases corresponding to combinations of different levels of factors are determined via the RSM method, and the ventilation performance prediction model considering the metabolic rate differences and outdoor weather changes is established. Thirdly, supply air velocities and temperatures are optimized by using Pareto-based NSGA-II; the Pareto optimal solution set under different outdoor temperatures is obtained. Finally, based on the Pareto optimal solutions at different outdoor temperatures, the optimal strategy under dynamic outdoor air temperature is obtained by improved TOPSIS by the CRITIC method. The optimization of ventilation parameters significantly improved the ventilation performance, and the results show that the predicted mean vote, energy consumption, vertical air temperature difference between head and ankle levels and the local mean age of air for different metabolic rates decrease by 64.1%, 4.74%, 24.83% and 7.39% on average, respectively. Moreover, the relative energy saving rate increases as the metabolic rate increases, and the strategy facilitates adaptation to outdoor weather changes and meets the individual needs of occupants for the indoor environment. This has important implications for achieving the global goal of energy efficiency and emission reduction.

Analysis of Project Owner Satisfaction on the Performance of Supervisory Consultants on Road Construction Projects at Road and Bridge Maintenance Section of the Banjarbaru City Public Works Service, South Kalimantan

During the outbreak of Covid-19 disease, the Banjarbaru City Government allocates most of the APBD funds for handling Covid-19 (Refocusing) including funds for the implementation of road infrastructure from 2020 until 2021. For efficiency, the step taken is to combine several streets on different packages to become one with the same supervisory consultant package. Based on data, supervisory consultants are mostly domiciled outside Banjarbaru City. In addition viewed of the project location which supervised, location packages of construction work are quite far away from each other. In this Covid-19 pandemic condition, Banjarbaru city participated in implementing restrictions on community activities (PPKM) by blocking several city entry points. With these restrictions, communication between supervisory consultants and project owners during the implementation of work is less effective because mostly implemented online so that it can affect the performance of most supervisory consultants. Therefore, an analysis of job owner satisfaction with the performance of supervisory consultants on road construction in Banjarbaru City needs to be done, especially in this Covid-19 era. The study was conducted by collecting primary data obtained through questionnaires on a sample of sources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum Kota Banjarbaru (Cipta Karya & Bina Marga). Data were analyzed using the computer program SPSS version 26.00 (Statistical Product and Service Solution). To determine the level of participant satisfaction, the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) method is used. Meanwhile, to determine the service factors that need to be improved, the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) method is used. The results of the respondents' answers in the questionnaire will be analyzed by using Importance Performance Analysis (IPA). Variables that located in zone A or the main priority will be the focus of determining the performance improvement strategy of supervisory consultants. Based on an analysis of 3(three) indicators with the following levels of satisfaction: Administrative Indicators of 68.84% (Satisfied), Monitoring Indicators of 74.81% (Satisfied), and Ability Indicators of 73.78% (Satisfied). Based on the analysis results, the dominant factors in improving performance, including in quadrant A, are the reporting of work progress activities and reporting of the results of the supervisory consultant activities, the supervision factor for the work method of construction during Covid-19, the ability factor to be present in the midst of the government's policy of enforcing the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) and the factor of communication and coordination ability with the project owner by minimizing direct contact (Virtual).

A design strategy for performance improvement of capacitive sensors for in-flight oil-level monitoring aboard helicopters

Cylindrical capacitors are largely employed in avionic industry as contact submerged probes of level sensors for in-flight oil-level monitoring for many reasons: their high robustness, their long MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), maintenance-free character, virtually infinite resolution readings and last, relatively low cost. However, the cylindrical capacitors suffer from low sensitivity mainly due to small oil permittivity. This is clearly a disadvantage which collides with the ever-increasing demand for higher static and dynamic performances. To improve that, the approach adopted here consists in tweaking the conventional design of this kind of sensors guided by the study of their limitations in terms of static errors and poor responsiveness caused by phenomena of capillarity, high viscosity, and vibrations. Indeed, sensitivity doubling is proved to be achieved without compromising the indispensable former qualities. This is shown by the results of electrostatic, fluid mechanics, and structural dynamics analyses presented with enough details. Numerical simulations have been carried out and are here presented to confirm results. To summarize, with respect to the conventional capacitive level sensors currently available on the market, the achievements of the proposed design are i) an improved sensitivity that, for engine oils, is greater than 700pF/m, ii) a lower cost even though extra-costs for surface perforation must be accounted for, iii) cancellation of systematic error due to capillary phenomena and iv) improved dynamic response. Also, accurate experimental verifications are being carried out and will be shared in a future paper.

New insights into the critical role of inactive element substitution in improving the rate performance of sodium oxide cathode material

In layered oxide cathodes of sodium-ion batteries, electrochemically inactive element substitution, especially into the sodium layer, has emerged to be an effective strategy for structural stabilization and performance improvement. However, the underlying mechanism for how these inactive elements function remains elusive and controversial. Herein, based on the systematic study of a series of P2-Na0.84Mn0.67Ni0.3-xMgx□0.03O2 cathodes with different Mg doping concentrations, we achieve a superior rate and cycling performance and more importantly unravel the underlying mechanism. Specifically, two opposite sides of the roles of inactive Mg dopants in the sodium layer are unambiguously clarified, which include the beneficial structural stabilizing effect, and the detrimental sodium-ion diffusion blocking effect, as confirmed by combining advanced electron microscopy, in-situ X-ray diffraction with detailed electrochemical measurements. Wherein, an optimal balance of these two kinds of effects reaches superior comprehensive performances in the Na0.84Mn0.67Ni0.2Mg0.1□0.03O2 cathode, including surpassing rate (156.5 and 71.0 mAh g−1 at 0.1 and 20 C, respectively) and cycling performances (98.3% capacity retention after 50 cycles at 0.1 C). This study gives new insight into the roles of inactive element substitution in general, which could provide new perspectives on the material design and new opportunities for the property improvement of sodium oxide cathodes.

STRATEGI PENINGKATAN KINERJA KARYAWAN PABRIK GULA DI PT. MADU BARU PG/PS MADUKISMO

Abstract
 Performance management is related to the needs of the organization, leaders and employees. The term performance is often equated with other terms that have similar meanings to performance such as work performance, performance, productivity, proficiency merit, effort, job performance, initiative, loyalty, leadership potential, and work morale. This research was conducted at the Sugar Factory PT. Yogyakarta New Honey on Jalan Padokan, Tirtonirmolo Kasihan, Bantul Yogyakarta. This study aims to analyze and find out how the Performance Improvement Strategy carried out by PT. New Honey. This type of research is descriptive qualitative research. The informant determination technique in this study is to use a purposive model. Data collection techniques using observation techniques, interviews and documentation. Based on the results of research conducted, the implementation of the performance improvement strategy begins with employee recruitment, arrangement according to ability and background, courses, reward and punishment, socialization (management approach), work safety, job evaluation, implementation according to SOP (Standard Operating Procedures), and the discipline of the workers. Constraints that occur in the strategy for improving the performance of employees in the sugar factory section still exist, namely management socialization/approach that is not optimal, the level of education of employees, and training that is not effective due to the pandemic and relatively expensive training costs.

The performance of and promotion strategies for degradable polymers in triboelectric nanogenerators

Degradable polymers can be used for TENGs, and their research progress and performance improvement strategies are summarized.

Effect of 4 weeks of plyometric training in the pre-competitive period on volleyball athletes’ performance

We aimed to evaluate the effect of 4 weeks of plyometric training (PT), performed in the pre-competitive period, on the vertical jump performance of professional volleyball athletes. We recruited 17 professional female volleyball players (age: 19 ± 3 years; weight: 67.2 ± 5.50 kg; height: 1.81 ± 0.22 m; body fat: 14.4 ± 2.12%; squat 1RM test: 75.5 ± 7.82 kg; training time experience: 6.2 ± 3.4 years) to participate in four weeks of training and assessments. They were divided into an experimental group (EG = 9) and a control group (CG = 8). Both groups were submitted to friendly matches, technical, tactical and resistance training (4 weeks/˜9 sessions per week), and internal load monitoring was carried out. The EG performed PT twice a week. At the beginning and end of the four weeks, jump tests were performed. The main findings are: 1) PT when incorporated into the pre-competitive period can induce greater improvements in jumping performance (EG = 28.93 ± 3.24 cm to 31.67 ± 3.39 cm; CG = 27.91 ± 4.64 cm to 28.97 ± 4.58 cm; when comparing the percentage delta, we found a difference between groups with ES of 1.04 and P = 0.02); 2) this result is observed when the training load is similar between groups and increases over the weeks, respecting the linear progression principle. Therefore, including plyometric training in the preparatory period for volleyball, with low monotony and training strain increment, is an effective strategy for further CMJ performance improvement.

DC Current Order Optimization Based Strategy for Recovery Performance Improvement of LCC-HVDC Transmission Systems

DC Current Order Optimization Based Strategy for Recovery Performance Improvement of LCC-HVDC Transmission Systems

An Energy Storage-Based Railway Power Flow Controller With Partial Compensation Strategy

Focusing on the grid-connection issues and the generated regenerative braking energy (RBE) in the traction power supply system (TPSS), this paper proposes an energy storage-based railway power flow controller (ES-RPFC) with partial compensation strategy (PCS) for grid-connection performance improvement and RBE utilization. The relationship of the primary power factor (PF), the two-phase compensated power, and the converters’ rating is investigated. On this basis, a PCS is developed to reduce the converters’ rating under the premise of satisfying the concerned grid-connection indices. Then, taking the developed PCS into account, a comprehensive power-flow management scheme for ES-RPFC under different operation scenarios is established, and the control strategy of the converter-level controller is given. Finally, the proposal is verified to be feasible and effective by means of both simulation and hardware-in-loop (HIL) experimental results.

Gray-level co-occurrence matrix of Smooth Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution for cognitive workload estimation

Automatic, cost-effective, and reliable cognitive workload estimation (CWE) is one of the important issues in diagnosis and treatment of neurocognitive diseases, cognitive performance improvement and error preventive strategies. To address this issue, this paper has proposed a novel and robust CWE method by detecting the time–frequency (TF) changes of electrodermal activities (EDA). Firstly, the local and global properties of the time-variant characteristics of EDA have been presented using Smooth Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution with enhanced TF resolution. Then, the transient changes in TF images of EDA signals have been quantified using a set of textural features based on Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix descriptor (GLCM). Several static and dynamic classifiers, such as support vector machine, K- k-nearest neighbor, cascade forward neural network, and recurrent neural network have been explored. A real EDA data experiment recorded during arithmetic task with different workload levels have been used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The obtained results have confirmed that it can achieve a high estimation performance of 97.71% using contrast feature for discrimination of three workload levels. Further analysis has also suggested that the model is robust to GLCM parameters and classifiers and can provide a better tradeoff between computational complexity and high performance using minimum number of textural features in comparison with previous studies.

Comparing Malaysian and international track and field records through strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threats analysis to formulate strategies for performance improvement

Introduction: Resources for improving Malaysian track and field performance are limited and this may lead to gradual performance decrement at both local and international levels. The objective of this study was to assess current Malaysian outdoor track and field performance against regional multi-sport games. Methods: A historical analysis approach was conducted to understand previous track and field records through examination and interpretation of available online archives. A total of 179 records from the Malaysian Open, Malaysian National Records, Southeast Asian Games (SG), Asian Games (AG) and Commonwealth Games (CG) were identified from online databases and converted into World Athletics score points for the analysis of strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. Results: The results revealed that 11 events (eight males and three females) were identified as Malaysian strengths that were highly likely to succeed in upcoming SG. Conclusions: A few Malaysian records were set decades ago and there is a significant decrease in performance. Considerable attention is needed to close the performance gaps with other countries and unveil the true performance potential of Malaysian track and field athletes. A long-term development programme for talent recruitment, coach development, technology utilisation and nurturing the local competitive environment is needed to meet the AG and CG standards.