Product System Research Articles

Multiobjective optimization and performance assessment of a PEM fuel cell-based energy system for multiple products

In this article, the optimal design of a novel multi-generation system for the production of electricity, cooling, heat and freshwater is discussed. In this system, a Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM FC) is used to generate electricity, and the heat produced by it is absorbed by the Ejector Refrigeration Cycle (ERC) and used to provide cooling and heating capacity. A reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system is also used to supply freshwater. The esign variables in this research are operating temperature and pressure and current density of FC, as well as the operating pressure of the HRVG, evaporator, and condenser of the ERC system. In order to optimize the considered system, the exergy efficiency and total cost rate (TCR) of the system are considered as optimization objective functions. To this end, the genetic algorithm (GA) is used and the Pareto front is extracted. Also, three refrigerants R134a, R600 and R123 areused as ERC system refrigerant and their performance are evaluated. Finally, the optimal design point is selected. At the mentioned point, the exergy efficiency is 70.2% and the TCR of the system is 1.78 S/h.

Analisis Sistem Bagi Hasil Produk Mudarabah pada Pembiayaan Modal Usaha Bank Syariah (Studi Kasus BPRS Bhakti Sumekar Kantor Cabang Pragaan)

Business capital financing is a financial product offered by banks to support the growth and expansion of customer businesses. Customers or financed parties are required to repay the funds or bills within a specified period, in exchange for profit sharing. This study focuses on the profit sharing system in business capital financing products at BPRS Bhakti Sumekar Pragaan branch office, particularly examining its compliance with Islamic business ethics. Using qualitative field research, the study employed interviews with the branch office's leadership and accounting officers as the primary data collection method. The findings revealed that while the branch office utilizes a profit and loss sharing system, it does not fully adhere to Shari'ah principles. The profit sharing amount remains constant each month, unrelated to actual business profits, as it relies on assumptions and profit projections. This approach stems from the bank's concerns regarding customers' honesty in reporting their business profits. To mitigate the risk of non-payment, the bank ensures fixed principal installments and consistent profit sharing amounts throughout the financing period

Capnellenes from Capnella imbricata: Deciphering Their Anti-Inflammatory-Associated Chemical Features.

Through our ongoing research on investigating new anti-inflammatory terpenoids derived from soft corals, seven capnellenes sourced from Capnella imbricata were discovered. Among these, three were previously unknown compounds named Δ9(12)-capnellene-6α,8β-diol (1), Δ9(12)-capnellene-6α,8β,10α-triol (2), and Δ9(12)-capnellene-2β,8β,10α-triol (3). The structures of all compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis (IR, MS, 1D-, and 2D-NMR) and a comparison with the existing literature data. The compounds 1 and 2 were found to be the first-ever identified 6-hydroxy capnellenes. In the inflammation inhibitory assessments, compounds 1-7 were tested for their in vitro activities against inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expressions in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Capnellenes 2 and 5 demonstrated significant reductions in iNOS levels (27.73% and 47.61%) at a concentration of 10 μM. Additionally, capnellenes 1, 5, and 7 (at 10 μM) exhibited statistically significant inhibitions (ranging from 7.64% to 12.57%) against COX-2 protein expressions. Our findings indicated that the oxygen-bearing functionalities at C-8 and C-10 play critical roles in inhibiting iNOS protein induction, which can promote inflammation in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, a principal component analysis tool, the chemical global positioning system for natural products (ChemGPS-NP), was applied to confirm these capnellane-based sesquiterpenes as promising candidates for future anti-inflammatory agents targeting iNOS-related targets.

Exploring the Road of Digital Transformation of Agricultural Marketing Based on the Perspective of Platform Economy

In order to meet the trend of digital transformation and build a marketing system for agricultural products in the form of platform economy, this paper adopts the literature research method to analyze the coupling of the two concepts of platform economy and agricultural products marketing under the framework of digital transformation, and explain the immaturity of marketing subjects, non-standardized marketing channels, unsuitable logistics system, unsuitable marketing products and unclear marketing rules under the current digital transformation mode of agricultural products marketing. The problems of quality assurance and unclear marketing rules. As a result, this paper puts forward policy suggestions, namely, taking the government as the leader, actively exploring new thinking, new ideas and new roads for digital transformation of agricultural products on the basis of improving the legal system, and building a standardized, extensive and innovative Internet agricultural products marketing platform by strengthening the training for relevant practitioners.

Antioxidant activities and emulsification properties of the new model systems of whey proteins and reduced sugars

The final products formed from the various systems of the Maillard reactions possess different functional properties such as browning intensity, antioxidant activity, and emulsion stability. To study these properties and activities, different systems of whey proteins reaction with glucose and fructose at different concentrations to form a new model system of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) was observed. Results showed that high optical densities (peaks) at 280 and 420 nm indicated the formation of the intermediate stages of MRPs and the formation of advanced MRPs, respectively. Additionally, results showed that these Maillard reaction model systems possessed different antioxidant activities as demonstrated by DPPH and reducing power assays (20 - 93.2% and 40 - 90%, respectively) depending on the type and concentration of sugar, and the incubation time. The whey protein-fructose model system possessed high antioxidant activity (93.2%), and had the highest percentage on the emulsion stability index (75.4%). The whey protein-fructose model systems comprised the highest number of the studied model systems to form MRPs, and had highly powerful antioxidant activity and emulsifying index.

A MBSE-based Approach for Architecting Concepts for Business Model Innovation of Smart Product Systems

A MBSE-based Approach for Architecting Concepts for Business Model Innovation of Smart Product Systems

MAPPING STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT NEEDS IN EARLY-STAGE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

AbstractCompanies design, develop, and market new systems of products and services, through the process of translating beneficiaries’ needs into design specifications, where beneficiaries are those who generate value when using the new product or experiencing the new service enabled by the product. Successful new systems of products and services attract potential beneficiaries. This study explores how to identify the stakeholder engagement requirements of a new system at its early stage of development.The study proposes a procedure and a tool - a new visual representation called the stakeholder-value map - to show the system development team how stakeholders are to interact with the system's key elements, and hence inform the timing of stakeholder involvement, for realising the value proposition of the new system. A working theoretical construct is also emerged from the study: for a new system to have a higher chance of market adoption, one can first visualise the ‘route’ of value-creation, from the lowest value-level product/service elements to the highest value-level service elements; then, identify the requirements for stakeholder engagement in the new system development.

A METHOD TO SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERS IN PRODUCT AND PRODUCTION ENGINEERING

AbstractThe product engineering process as part of the product life cycle includes product and production system development as well as production. In integrated product and production engineering (PPE), knowledge transfer is an important success factor. Optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge transfers can, for example, support the avoidance of costly, production-related changes to the product design. The current state of research describes different models of knowledge transfer as well as factors that influence it. Some results show how the speed and quality of knowledge transfer can be improved by implementing so-called interventions. However, those models either represent abstract contexts of knowledge transfer or focus only on product engineering. Therefore, a literature analysis is conducted to identify the system of objectives for a method, that supports the improvement of knowledge transfer in PPE. Subsequently, the system of objectives is operationalized to provide the basis for the InKTI – Interdepartmental Knowledge Transfer Improvement Method, which is applicable, supports the user in improving knowledge transfers in PPE, and aims to increase the quality and speed of knowledge transfers.

CHALLENGES OF PRODUCT MODULARIZATION METHODS IN SMES: LESSONS LEARNED FROM A MANUFACTURER OF RIGID INFLATABLE BOATS

AbstractNowadays, Western rigid inflatable boat (RIB) manufacturers are facing increased competition from Asian and Middle East producers and the need to push the modularization of their product architecture. Many modularization techniques have been developed to support this effort, being the Modular Function Deployment a well-established multi-stage modularization technique with applications in several industries. Despite the reported literature, the challenges and learnings from the application of modularization techniques have focused on large organizations and complex product systems. In this paper, a case study is presented with the objective of analysing the MFD process implementation in the context of an SME manufacturer of RIB. A learning framework focused on the project and process perspectives is used to facilitate the systematic extraction of lessons from the experience of the MFD implementation. This paper contributes to the modularization techniques literature by observing a modularization method as a learning process and makes it evident the call for more investigation on the implementation process of modularization methods.

PROTECTED PRODUCTSIN THE EUROPEAN UNION SELECTED ECONOMIC ASPECTS

The aim of the paper is to present the situation of the protected products market in the European Union in terms of their supply. To protect the names of specific products, their unique characteristics, and the traditional manufacture, a quality scheme with the following designations: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Geographical Indication (GI) and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) was introduced in the European Union. EU databases such as eAmbrosia, GIview and European Commissions reports were used in this study. Recently available data and, to show changes, data for 2013-2023 were used. Conducting research proved the role of protected agri-food products is growing, both in terms of value and quantity. This may indicate that food producers are becoming more active in submitting products to the protected product system, which is also beneficial to consumers. However, there are large disparities among EU countries in terms of producers activity in registering products. Most of the agri-food products on the register of protected products come from southern Europe countries. The structure of registered agri-food products is dominated by vegetables and fruits, cheeses, and meat and meat products.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION – DEVELOPING DIGITAL TWINS IN A CASE STUDY

AbstractThe current engineering environment demands for an increasing level of interdisciplinarity, innovation, creativity and cross-domain thinking as well as the consideration of sustainability aspects. New concepts, such as Digital Twins and complex product systems lead to the need for integrated product development approaches and new methods that put the user perspective in focus. This also needs to be an integral part in today's teaching concepts of the next generation of engineers.At the Department of Industrial Information Technology of the Technical University of Berlin, a case study was conducted by applying a concept of project-based learning in the engineering domain to address these challenges. In this paper, the case study as well as the method and its validation are presented. Students from different engineering disciplines had the task of developing virtual and physical prototypes for a sustainable, complex product system with a digital twin and respective sustainable business models. Within a structured survey, the teaching concept and the applied method were validated and lessons learned as well as further improvement measures are derived.

Preparation of nano‐silver coated poly(vinyl alcohol) via a heterogeneous coating system for various antimicrobial products

AbstractSilver‐coated polyvinyl alcohol (Ag/PVA) was prepared using 3,4‐dihydro‐3,6‐dimethyl‐1,3‐2H‐benzoxazine as a reducing agent reported in the petty patent of our research group. Ag/PVA22000 is applicable for making solutions and gels. Solutions of Ag/PVA22000 have exhibited antimicrobial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans, while the gels inhibited only S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Therefore, the solutions and gels tend to be used in antimicrobial sprays and gel bandages. Moreover, Ag/PVA145000 was able to form hydrogels by gamma‐ray irradiation. Therefore, the hydrogels with the lowest amount of silver were prepared from 5.0 wt.% of Ag/PVA145000 at the 20 kGy of gamma‐ray irradiation. The results illustrated that the hydrogels exhibited antimicrobial properties against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. However, no inhibition of C. albicans was observed for any prepared hydrogels.

Transnational remanufacturing decisions under carbon taxes and tariffs

Considering the influence of carbon taxes and tariffs on transnational closed-loop supply chains, this paper establishes three remanufacturing modes of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in an exporting country. In one remanufacturing mode, the OEM conducts remanufacturing itself, and in the other two modes, the OEM authorizes a retailer in the importing country to engage in remanufacturing. Next, we analyse the optimal pricing and carbon emissions reduction decisions of the OEM and retailer in the different modes and further study how different levels of carbon tax and tariff combinations impact OEM remanufacturing decisions, the social welfare of importing countries and the environment. The results show the following. (1) When the carbon tariff is high, the optimal sales of remanufactured products increase. However, this does not contribute to the continuation of the product system; thus, it is short sighted for the government to hastily set high carbon tariffs to discourage the import of new products to protect domestic enterprises. (2) Carbon tariffs cannot effectively encourage the OEM to invest in emission reduction because carbon tariffs are passed on to consumers in importing countries through price adjustment. However, carbon tax may be an indirect factor affecting the OEM's willingness to invest in emission reduction. (3) The OEM favours allowing the retailer to remanufacture when the carbon emissions of the remanufactured products are similar to those of new products. Co-investment in emission reduction has the potential to align the profit maximization of the OEM with the social welfare maximization of the importing country. (4) It is not profitable for the importing government to set high carbon tariffs to protect its own enterprises.

Tobacco products and electronic cigarettes’ legislation violations - observational study in 31 European countries, 2005–2022

BackgroundEuropean Union (EU) law regulates the manufacture, presentation, and sale of tobacco and related products in all member states. This study examined whether legislation non-compliant tobacco products and electronic cigarettes were available for sale in the European market. MethodsWe queried the EU Rapid Information System for dangerous non-food products, covering 28 current and former EU member states and 3 associated countries, also known as Rapex, for non-compliant tobacco and related products reported between 2005 and 2022. FindingsDuring the operation of the Rapex system, 183 violations were reported (six on tobacco, three on traditional cigarettes, and 174 on e-cigarettes). Insufficient product safety information was found in 86% of the reports on e-cigarettes and 74% of the refills. Violations regarding the volume of the liquid container were observed in 26% of the e-cigarette reports and 20% of the refill reports. Approximately 15% of the reported e-cigarettes and 17% of refill liquids exceeded permissible nicotine levels. More serious standard violations were recorded for refills than for e-cigarettes. Approximately one-third of Rapex system countries submitted no notifications. InterpretationE-cigarettes were the most frequently reported items in the European market of tobacco and non-tobacco nicotine products. The most common concerns were inadequate product safety information, incorrect liquid container volume, and excessive nicotine concentration. Identifying the most recognized legal infringements did not require laboratory tests and was based only on packaging and the manufacturer's declaration analysis. Further studies are necessary to corroborate whether products available in countries where no violations have been reported meet EU safety standards.

C⁎-subproduct and product systems

We introduce and study two-parameter subproduct and product systems of C⁎-algebras as the operator-algebraic analogues of, and in relation to, Tsirelson's two-parameter product systems of Hilbert spaces. Using several inductive limit techniques, we show that (i) any C⁎-subproduct system can be dilated to a C⁎-product system; and (ii) any C⁎-subproduct system that admits a unit, i.e., a co-multiplicative family of projections, can be assembled into a C⁎-algebra, which comes equipped with a one-parameter family of comultiplication-like homomorphisms. We also introduce and discuss co-units of C⁎-subproduct systems, consisting of co-multiplicative families of states, and show that they correspond to idempotent states of the associated C⁎-algebras. We then use the GNS construction to obtain Tsirelson subproduct systems of Hilbert spaces from co-units, and describe the relationship between the dilation of a C⁎-subproduct system and the dilation of the Tsirelson subproduct system of Hilbert spaces associated with a co-unit. All these results are illustrated concretely at the level of C⁎-subproduct systems of commutative C⁎-algebras.

Experience of innovation management in the process of creation and implementation of inventions

The purpose of this article is to highlight the Soviet experience of the author as head of a creative team involved in transforming research results into formalized inventions. As a result of cooperation between the industrial research institute and the military enterprise, these inventions were introduced into prototypes of new equipment. The research methodology used in this article includes analysis of patent activity, questionnaire surveys, the nonparametric sociometry method, and a methodology for assessing the satisfaction of inventive activity.The article discusses the challenge of increasing the patent activity of domestic inventors of new technology and how this can be achieved using economic and psychological factors of creative participation such as sociometric coherence, emotional-volitional unity, and intellectual and creative potential. It is important to note that the effectiveness of research in scientific and inventive activities can be assessed using financial, personnel, innovation, and scientometric indicators. Additionally, promising directions of inventive activity in the ergonomic support of the creation of new systems of products and technologies are outlined.

RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF INTERNET OF THINGS IN THE COLD CHAIN LOGISTICS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Based on the introduction of the concept and characteristics of cold chain logistics for agricultural products e-commerce, this article explains the rapid development of e-commerce and the application of the Internet of things in cold chain logistics have brought earth-shaking changes to people's consumption patterns, the current deficiencies in the cold chain logistics management of agricultural products and the urgent needs for the application of the Internet of things information system, and analyzes the application of Internet of things in different stages of cold chain logistics for fresh agricultural products such as pre-cooling at the place of production, processing and packaging, cold chain transportation and sales. Research conclusions show that by using Internet of things to optimize the cold chain logistics system of fresh agricultural products as a whole, building a fast, effective, and full traceable cold chain IOT information system can promote the efficient and stable development of cold chain logistics and transportation of fresh agricultural products.

Discriminate geographical origin of cabe jamu (Piper retrofractum vahl) using nir spectral fingerprints– a short review

Cabe jamu is categorized as the primary material for the jamu industry because it contains an active compound that provides a health benefit. Furthermore, some area in east java is known as the central production of cabe jamu. Almost 80% of the plant area is located at Madura Island, covering Bangkalan, Sampang, Pamekasan, and Sumenep. Agricultural products have different characteristics when planted at different locations because of climate, soil, and environmental condition. However, counterfeit practice deteriorates the specialty of products for economic purposes. Several techniques were developed detection system of products based on geographical origin or authenticity. This paper aims to explore potential technology that is able to evaluate the authentication of products and potentially applied to cabe jamu. Overall, several strategies were obtained from this literature study to provide the high-accuracy classification of cabe jamu related to geographical origin: Coupling NIR spectroscopy with chemometrics, utilization of multiple techniques like other vibrational spectroscopy or non-vibrational spectroscopy, and use of data fusion approach to elevate the accuracy of the classification model.

Practical Implications of CLIMCAPS Cloud Clearing and Derived Quality Metrics

AbstractClouds present one of the largest sources of uncertainty in infrared (IR) measurements of the vertical atmospheric state. Hyperspectral instruments onboard Earth orbiting satellites, such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua (2002–present), measure the top of atmosphere (TOA) radiances emitted by Earth surface and atmosphere. IR measurements are limited in their ability to distinguish different cloud structures. Lack of prior knowledge about clouds at the time of measurement can therefore significantly reduce the quality of retrieved soundings. The Community Long‐term Infrared Microwave Atmospheric Product System (CLIMCAPS) uses the AIRS Science Team (AST) cloud clearing methodology to remove the radiative effect of clouds from TOA IR measurements to improve the quality of its sounding retrievals and enable vertical observations in clear and partly cloudy conditions. In this paper we discuss how AST cloud clearing affects CLIMCAPS soundings and enable a global product for long‐term analysis of the atmospheric state.

COMPARISON OF A WATERCOOLER AND OTHER ALTERNATIVES IN TERMS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS USING THE LCA METHOD

The environmental impacts of products are evaluated based on an assessment of the influence of material and energy flows that the evaluated product system exchanges with the environment. The University of Southern Denmark is also dealing with this, and from the point of view of sustainable development, drinking watercoolers are being investigated using the Life Cycle Assessment method. This research conducts a Life Cycle Impact Assessment of drinking water supply systems at a university to determine if they fit the institution's sustainability agenda. In the evaluation, the impact of one beverage delivered from watercoolers is compared with beverages from five benchmarked systems. These systems are tap water, ice-chilled water, bottled water, soft drinks and hot drinks. They are set up in scenarios that are directly used for evaluation and subsequent comparison. This study uses a variant of “Cradle-To-Grave” Life Cycle Assessment, where a full assessment occurs from resource extraction to disposal, while using an attributive approach. The results of the life cycle assessment showed which system has the lowest impact and the results are quantified. Finally, based on the results of the life cycle assessment, the most suitable water chiller system is recommended and the University management is provided with information for further decision making.