Technical Performance Indicators Research Articles

Techno-economic assessment of renewable dimethyl ether production pathways from hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the context of power-to-X

Dimethyl ether (DME) is an emerging alternative to traditional diesel and LPG as a power-to-X product. This study employs kinetic models to simulate potential DME production routes, assessing key technical and economic performance indicators for comparison. Aspen Plus, a commercial process flowsheet simulation tool, is used alongside Pinch methodology for heat integration. Four production routes are examined: two direct, converting feed gas directly to DME, and two indirect, involving methanol as an intermediate step. For one case in each, CO2 is initially converted to CO via the reverse water gas shift process (rWGS). Post heat integration, all routes exhibit higher cooling demand, with significant energy savings, notably in the indirect pathways. Indirect routes achieve power-to-fuel efficiencies of up to 39.6%, considering electrolysis and carbon capture. Direct routes excel in carbon conversion efficiencies, reaching 92.6%. Economically, indirect routes have higher upfront costs but lower operational expenses due to better energy efficiencies. Direct CO2 conversion yields the lowest levelized manufacturing costs at 2.45 €/kg, closely followed by the indirect route with rWGS. Further research is needed to enhance kinetic models and reduce simulation result uncertainty for direct conversion.

Technical–tactical differences between female and male elite football: A data mining approach through neural network analysis, binary logistic regression, and decision tree techniques

The technical−tactical performance of women’s football has improved markedly in recent years. Despite this improvement, there are still differences between men’s football and women’s football. The objectives of this study were to know the technical and tactical key performance indicators (KPIs) that differentiate elite men’s and women’s football teams as well as to determine which statistical techniques demonstrate superior classification ability and interpretability in football terms. For this purpose, 768 matches corresponding to the latest editions of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup for men and women were analyzed. First, the differences at the bivariate level were analyzed using student’s t-test for independent sample ( p < 0.05) for the male and female teams. Secondly, three data mining classification algorithms were applied: (i) Artificial Neural Network (ANN), (ii) Binary Logistic Regression, and (iii) Decision Tree. Significant differences were found between men’s football and women’s football in variables related to technical elements such as lost balls (ES = 1.19), ball recoveries (ES = 1.00), and accurate passes (ES = 0.97), as well as regulatory aspects like fouls (ES = 0.59), successful tackles (ES = 0.46), and yellow cards (0.45). On the other hand, the classification models presented excellent or good predictive capability [Range AUC 0.774−0.982], with very small differences between the ANN’s and logistic regression models. This result justifies the use of simpler models as the linear regression model to understand the differences between men’s and women’s football. Moreover, the observed differences may offer insights for future efforts aimed at enhancing the performance of women’s football.

Effect of the away goal rule on the technical performance of football teams in the UEFA Champions League

ABSTRACT Despite significant debate surrounding UEFA’s removal of the away goal rule in 2021, its impact on technical performance has not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how selected technical performance indicators were impacted by the change in the away goal rule during the UEFA Champions League. Data were sourced via the Wyscout platform. The sample consisted of 112 UEFA Champions League games played during the knock-out stages of the competition, in which 56 games were played during seasons with an away goal rule (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) and 56 were played in seasons without an away goal rule (2021–2022 and 2022–2023). The findings showed that the removal of the away goal rule was accompanied by significant (p < 0.05) decreases in average pass length, long passes, progressive passes, passes to the final third, offsides, duels, duels won, and counterattacks. Furthermore, a significant (p < 0.05) interaction was found between the away goal rule and the leg of competition, affecting the number of counterattacks with shots. Therefore, UEFA should take cognisant of the present findings when considering the use of the away goal rule in future competitions.

Development and Application of Technical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Smart Water Cities (SWCs) Global Standards and Certification Schemes

Smart water cities (SWCs) use advanced technologies for efficient management and preservation of the urban water cycle, strengthening sustainability and improving the quality of life of the residents. This research aims to develop measurement and evaluation tools for SWC key performance indicators (KPIs), focusing on innovative water technologies in establishing unified global standards and certification schemes. The KPIs are categorized based on the stage at which water is being measured, namely the urban water cycle, water disaster management and water supply and treatment. The objective is to assess cities’ use of technologies in providing sufficient water supply, monitoring water quality, strengthening disaster resilience and maintaining and preserving the urban water ecosystem. The assessment is composed of a variety of procedures performed in a quantitative and qualitative manner, the details of which are presented in this study. The developed SWC KPI measurements are used to evaluate the urban water management practices for Busan Eco Delta City, located in Busan, South Korea. Evaluation processes were presented and established, serving as the guideline basis for certification in analyzing future cities, providing integrated and comprehensive information on the status of their urban water system, gathering new techniques, and proposing solutions for smarter measures.

Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Storage Technologies for New Power Systems under Dual‐Carbon Target: A Review

Aiming at the grid security problem such as grid frequency, voltage, and power quality fluctuation caused by the large‐scale grid‐connected intermittent new energy, this article investigates the life cycle assessment of energy storage technologies based on the technical characteristics and performance indicators. First, the new power system under dual‐carbon target is reviewed, which is compared with the traditional power system from the generation side, grid side, and user side. Based on the power characteristics of the new power system, the energy storage mechanism and energy storage characteristics of mechanical energy storage, electrochemical energy storage, chemical energy storage, electromagnetic energy storage, and thermal energy storage are described. Then, compared with the existing research strategies, a comprehensive life cycle assessment of energy storage technologies is carried out from four dimensions: technical performance, economic cost, safety assessment, and environmental impact. Moreover, the suitable scenarios and application functions of various energy storage technologies on the power generation side, grid side, and user side are compared and analyzed from the working principle, key technologies, advantages and disadvantages, and technical difficulties of energy storage technologies. Finally, combined with the energy storage technologies in the electricity market, four profit models are analyzed.

Comprehensive Assessment and Empirical Research on Green and Low-Carbon Technologies in the Steel Industry

The iron and steel industry is the leading industry supporting China’s industrial sector. Currently, there is less assessment work on green and low-carbon technologies for the iron and steel industry. This study clarifies the overall strategy of technology assessment by researching the relevant theories and methods of technology assessment. The study further establishes a scientific and reasonable comprehensive assessment index system of green and low-carbon technologies for the iron and steel industry from the aspects of technology index, economy and promotion, and application, including factors such as 11 indexes, the amount of energy saving, carbon dioxide emission reduction, and the resource recovery rate by utilising analytical and comprehensive methods and combining with the characteristics of the technologies. By analysing and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the commonly used assessment methods, the entropy weighting method, grey correlation analysis method, and TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution) method are combined and optimised to construct a comprehensive assessment model. The Latin hypercube sampling method is also introduced to analyse the technical parameters in combination with the evaluation model. Finally, fourteen iron and steel green and low-carbon technologies were selected for case assessment and uncertainty analysis of technical parameters, and it was found that the comprehensive assessment result of gas combined cycle power generation technology was optimal. After determining the weights of each assessment indicator through the entropy weighting method, it is concluded that the technical performance indicator &gt; economic indicator &gt; promotional indicator. A comparative analysis of the results under the three preference decisions concludes that technical performance is the main obstacle to improving the comprehensive assessment score of the technology, followed by the economics of the technology. Finally, the uncertainty analysis of the technical parameters shows that the fluctuation of the technical parameters not only affects the performance of the technology, but also affects the weights of the indicators and the comprehensive evaluation results of the technology.

Металознавчі аспекти дисперсійного нітридного зміцнення високовуглецевих сталей Повідомлення 1. Вплив параметрів аустенізуючого нагріву та відпуску на фазовий перерозподіл азоту та ванадію в сталях

Systemic fundamental research for several decades at the FTIMS of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the accumulated experience of industrial application have shown that the technology of dispersion nitride hardening, which is based on the alloying of steels with nitrogen and vanadium, is a method of significantly improving the entire complex of physical, mechanical and operational properties of cast and deformed carbon, low-alloy and alloy steels of various functional purposes. The most significant advantage of the steels developed at the FTIMS of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is a simultaneous significant increase in their static and cyclic strength, fracture toughness, thermal strength and heat resistance, wear resistance, annealing, weldability, reduction or complete elimination of the tendency to natural, deformation and warm embrittlement. Medium- and high-carbon pre-eutectoid and eutectoid steels of high strength and wear resistance are widely used in various fields of mechanical engineering. However, they are most widely used for railway wheels and rails. The reliability and operational resource of wheels and rails, which are in extremely harsh operating conditions, mainly determine the technical and economic performance indicators of railway transport. At the same time, existing relatively cheap non-alloyed and low-alloyed medium- and high-carbon wheel and rail steels no longer meet the modern requirements of increased speeds and load capacity of rolling stock. Keywords: carbon steels, dispersion nitride hardening, austenization, tempering, phase redistribution of nitrogen and vanadium.

The Effect of Power Sources in the Agricultural Tractor and the Developed Sprayer System on the Performance of the Electrical and Mechanical Sprayer System and some Performance Indicators of the Engine

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of the sprayer type according to the source of power and the size of the spray nozzle concerning the quality of the spray produced and fuel consumption.Two types of sprayers were used: a conventional boom sprayer (S1) and a modified (electrified) boom sprayer (S2), along with three sizes of the XR TeeJet 110 spray nozzle (N). The following technical performance indicators were examined: Density of coverage (drops/cm2) using ImageJ software, a 600dpi business card scanner, specifically the ScanShell 800N by CSSN, Inc, and water-sensitive paper (WSP), rate of spray nozzles discharge (ml/min), and fuel consumption (liters/hectare) using a calibrated cylinder, and the percentage of weed control by sampling treated and untreated weeds. The experiment was designed as a complete randomized block design in the order of the system (Nested design). Sprayer type had significant effect on spray coverage and nozzle discharge rate. The conventional boom sprayer resulted in a coverage of 169.5 drops/cm2, while the modified (electrified) boom sprayer achieved only 149.4 drops/cm2. The discharge rate was 707.5 ml/min when using the conventional boom sprayer, compared to 671.2 ml/min with lower pesticide consumption when using the modified (electrified) boom sprayer.The smaller-sized XR TeeJet 110.015 VP nozzle (N1) outperformed the other nozzle sizes in terms of coverage (178.7 drops/cm2), weed control percentage (84.56%), and lower pesticide consumption (lower nozzle discharge) of 490.4 ml/min.

Research on the Impact of Supplying the Air-Cooled D21A1 Engine with RME B100 Biodiesel on Its Operating Parameters

It is known that the use of alternative fuels leads to changes in the operating parameters of internal combustion engines, and the nature of the changes in most cases is not known. Therefore, the question of researching the main operating indicators of the internal combustion engine supplied with RME B100 biodiesel fuel is important, and the results will help to eliminate or reduce negative factors that can lead to the deterioration of the operational and technical indicators of the internal combustion engine. The purpose of the research was to develop an experimental research facility using appropriate equipment and to study the main operational and technical parameters of the air-cooled D21A1 diesel engine on RME B100 biodiesel fuel. To reach the goal, the following tasks were formulated: the development of a test facility and research on the main technical and operational performance indicators of the D21A1 diesel engine on RME B100 biodiesel fuel. The authors’ previous research results were applied in the setting of the D21A1 test engine in the process of RME B100 biodiesel research; namely, to achieve maximum fuel combustion efficiency, the injection moment was increased by 6°. The results ensured the maximum efficiency of using RME B100 biodiesel in engines without making changes to the design of the latter. System analysis and the comparison method were used during the research. In the process of using RME B100 biodiesel fuel on the air-cooled D21A1 engine, we found a decrease in engine torque of 6.5%; a decrease in effective power of 6.7%; a growth in specific effective fuel consumption of up to 22.3%; and an increase in hourly fuel consumption of 14.1%. This is because the use of RME B100 fuel requires changes in the engine design that improve the mixture formation process.

A techno-economic assessment of sCO2 Brayton cycles for low-grade geothermal reservoirs

CO2-based power cycles have recently received much attention because they have several advantages over traditional power cycles in a wide variety of applications. For low-grade heat sources such as geothermal energy, the research has focused on the transcritical CO2 Rankine cycle (TCRC). However, the TCRC requires relatively low-temperature heat sinks to condense the CO2 and operate properly, preventing its deployment in many locations. A straightforward solution is to use a supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle (SCBC) instead. Nonetheless, in the context of binary cycle geothermal power plants, there is a lack of information about the feasibility of implementing SCBCs. Therefore, to elucidate the viability of employing SCBCs for power generation using geothermal heat, this paper presents an assessment of the thermodynamic and economic performances of four SCBC configurations. For this purpose, thermodynamic and economic models of the system, along with a thermal-hydraulic model of the heat exchangers, were developed. Net power output and net present value were used as technical and economic performance indicators, respectively. Subsequently, base case simulations were conducted, and multi-objective optimization using NSGA-II was performed. Results show that, using 20 kg/s of geothermal brine at 150 °C as the heat source and cooling water at 25 °C as the heat sink, an intercooled recuperated Brayton cycle (IRBC) is superior to the other considered configurations. It can achieve up to 932.07 kW of net power output at the optimal thermodynamic conditions and 4.45 × 103 USD of net present value at the optimal economic conditions. Besides, balancing the thermodynamic and economic performances, the IRBC attains the highest overall performance. In conclusion, using SCBCs in binary cycle geothermal power plants could be feasible, and the IRBC is a suitable layout.

Real time prediction of match outcomes in Australian football

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine whether machine learning models based on technical performance and not score margin could be used to predict end-of-match outcome of Australian football matches in real-time. If efficacious, these models could be used to generate insights about team performance and support the decision-making of coaches during matches. A database of 168 team technical performance indicators from 829 Australian Football League matches played between 2017 and 2021 was used. Two feature sets (data-driven and data-informed) were used to train and evaluate six models (generalised linear model, random forest and adaboost) on match outcome prediction (Win/Loss) over 120 epochs (a representation of normalised time during each match). All models performed well (mean classification accuracy = 73.5–75.8%) in comparison with a benchmark score-based model (mean classification accuracy = 77.4%). Data-informed feature sets performed better than data-driven in most cases. Classification accuracy was low at the start of a match (45.7–48.8%) but increased to a peak near the end of a match (87.2–92.7%). These findings suggest that any of the employed models can be used to formulate in-match decision support. The model which is best in practice will depend on factors such as time-cost trade-off, feasibility and the perceived value of its suggestions.

The influence of technical performance indicators on the results of the Chinese Football Super League at different stages of the season-based on evidence from the 2010–2019 seasons

This study explored the different influences of technical indicators on match results in different stages of football league play. Sample data from 2400 Chinese Super League matches during 2010–2019 were divided into three season stages according to round sequence: the early stage (1–10 rounds), the middle stage (11–20 rounds), and the late stage (21–30 rounds). A two-way, fixed-effect ordered logit model was then constructed and used, together with Fisher’s combination test, to compare regression results. The study results showed that: (1) when controlling for other variables, as the league progresses, an increase in goals will gradually increase the possibility of better match results, and this increase shows significant differences between the early and late stages ( p &lt; 0.05). The possibility of better match results by an extra goal is 0.075 times higher in the late stage than the early stage. (2) While maintaining all control variables, as the season progresses, the increase in red card penalties will gradually multiply the probability of worse match outcomes, and this increase is also significantly different between the early and middle stages and between the early and late stages ( p &lt; 0.05). The possibility of worse match outcomes due to the presence of an extra red card is 0.377 times higher in the middle stage and 0.476 times higher in the late stage than the early stage.

Evaluation of a novel disposable esophagogastroduodenoscopy system in emergency, bedside, and intraoperative settings: Pilot study (with videos).

The disposable esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) system is a novel endoscopic device which is highly portable and is designed to eliminate the risk of cross-infection caused by reusable EGD. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of disposable EGD in emergency, bedside, and intraoperative settings. This was a prospective, single-center, noncomparative study. Disposable EGD was used for emergency, bedside, and intraoperative endoscopies in 30 patients. The primary end-point was the technical success rate of the disposable EGD. Secondary end-points included technical performance indicators including clinical operability, image quality score, procedure time, the incidence of device malfunction and/or failure, and the incidence of adverse events. A total of 30 patients underwent diagnosis and/or treatment with disposable EGD. Therapeutic EGD was performed on 13/30 patients, including hemostasis (n = 3), foreign body retrieval (n = 6), nasoenteric tube placement (n = 3), and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (n = 1). The technical success rate was 100%: all procedures and indicated interventions were completed without changing to a conventional upper endoscope. The mean image quality score obtained immediately after procedure completion was 3.72 ± 0.56. The mean (± SD) procedure time was 7.4 (± 7.6) min. There were no device malfunctions or failures, device-related adverse events, or overall adverse events. The disposable EGD may be a feasible alternative to the traditional EGD in emergency, bedside, and intraoperative settings. Preliminary data show that it is a safe and effective tool for diagnosis and treatment in emergency and bedside upper gastrointestinal cases. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: ChiCTR2100051452, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=134284).

Justification of the optimal type of well completion profile based on a retrospective assessment of the technical and economic performance indicators

To date, significant foreign and domestic experience has been accumulated in the construction and operation of horizontal, multilateral and multilateral wells, as well as the restoration of an idle well stock by drilling sidetracks and sidetracks into various productive formations: low-permeability and highly dissected, with low values of effective oil-saturated thicknesses, degraded hydrodynamic connection with the contour area, etc. In this regard, it becomes extremely important to make a decision on choosing the optimal well profile in specific geological and physical conditions. The relevance of the work is also confirmed by the fact that at some development sites there is a decrease in the oil production rate of horizontal wells to the level of directional wells in the initial period of operation. Based on a significant difference in the reservoir properties of oil fields in the Perm Territory, all the analyzed objects operated by horizontal wells are combined into several groups: “northern” (N) and two “southern” (S1 and S2). The main parameter in the selection of groups was the coefficient of mobility of oil. The well-by-well technical and economic assessment performed in the article, based on the actual values of production over a long period, made it possible to identify the optimal well profile depending on the geological and physical characteristics of the reservoir. Combining the main geological characteristics that affect the technological parameters of well operation, with an economic assessment, the dependences of the net present value on the formation hydraulic conductivity were built. Dependences built for the first time make it possible to reasonably select the well profile in specific geological and physical conditions. Also in the work for a variety of geological and physical conditions, the value of the minimum profitable oil production for various well profiles is determined. Thus, the basis has been created, which is necessary for determining the profile of wells when planning production drilling.

Feasibility Analysis of a Fuel Cell-Based Tri-Generation Energy System Via the Adoption of a Multi-Objective Optimization Tool

Abstract The present paper investigates the feasibility of a tri-generation energy system in an industrial scenario with a modest size in terms of levels of electricity, heat, and cooling consumption. The technology under consideration is the fuel cell technology, both solid oxide fuel cells and proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), compared to other more mature technologies, such as micro gas turbines. The proposed investigation takes into account several scenarios: the existing economy and state-of-the-art technical key performance indicators of the involved energy systems; the state-of-the-art technical key performance indicators of the involved technologies and economic subsidies; and a future scenario that takes into account economies of scale and better performance using the key metrics for fuel cell technology forecasted as 2030 target at European level. The PEMFCs with lithium-ion storage showed total efficiencies in the order of 75% over three reference periods. In terms of emissions, they guarantee a decrease in carbon dioxide equivalent released into the atmosphere equal to 40% of the reference emissions for a separate generation.

Technical Differences over the Course of the Match: An Analysis of Three Elite Teams in the UEFA Champions League.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evolution of technical performance indicators over the course of football matches in the UEFA Champions League. Three elite football teams were the sample of the present study and were analyzed throughout four consecutive seasons within the previously mentioned competition. Data from 15 min periods were collected from Wyscout and elaborated. The effects of match location and competition stage were analyzed on nine technical indicators, including ball possession and variables related to offense and goal scoring. The effects of independent variables were assessed both independently and combined. The results showed a significant increase in the frequency of occurrence and accuracy of most of the parameters towards the end of the match. The effect of match location was generally significant with higher rates for teams playing at home. Differences were noted between the two stages of the competition with higher values in the technical indicators registered during the group stage. The existence of significant differences between the initial and final periods of football games was suggested by the results. The so-called home advantage was confirmed. Different team approaches between longer stages (e.g., group stage) and elimination games (i.e., knockout phase) were suggested by the results.

Comprehensive Low Voltage Microgrid Planning Methodology for Rural Electrification

Recently, DC-powered devices such as loads (USB plugs, chargers, LED lighting) and distributed energy resources (solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage) have been increasingly used. Therefore, their connection to the grid requires AC/DC converters, which raises the question of operating part of the grid in DC in order to connect DC loads to DC producers and storage. In Cambodia, the electrification rate is only about 82% of the population in 2021 in rural areas. The objective of this work is to propose a low voltage microgrid comprehensive planning tool for electrification of developing countries. From the data collected on consumption needs, the objective is to find the optimal electrification scheme, i.e., AC or AC/DC distribution, optimal topology and distributed energy resources allocation and operation for both grid-connected and off-grid mode. A set of technical, economic, and environmental key performance indicators allows for comparison of solutions. The interest and efficiency of such a tool are illustrated on a real case study, an island area. Moreover, uncertainties on load consumption are also considered to assess the sensitivity and robustness of the proposed algorithm. The results show that, although the overall cost of the hybrid AC/DC microgrid is slightly higher than that of the AC microgrid, it allows a gradual electrification avoiding large initial investments.

Solar Operated Electric Scarecrow

This research presents an innovative method for agricultural pest control using an electric scarecrow system that runs on solar power and is controlled by the YOLOv5 object detection model. Historically, traditional scarecrows have not proven very effective at keeping out pests because they are immovable and have low accuracy in intrusion detection. To address these limitations, our innovative approach makes use of solar energy for continuous operation and the YOLOv5 deep learning architecture for real time pest identification. Our system's main component is a solar powered platform that is placed in agricultural fields with motion sensors and cameras. The YOLOv5 model is used to evaluate live camera feeds and is deployed on edge devices to rapidly and correctly identify pests. The scarecrow's electric system releases deterrents when it detects something. This study provides a thorough examination of the technical details, performance indicators, and financial sustainability of the solar powered electric scarecrow. According to the research, this creative approach has the potential to completely transform crop protection techniques by providing a cost effective and environmentally friendly substitute for conventional scarecrow systems.

Improving Belarusian energy system reliability in the context of Belarusian NPP commissioning

The article presents the results of computational experiments confirming the efficacy of the phase-shifting transformer (PST) as a type of a phase-shifter, which is to be installed at the backbone 750/330 kV substation Belorusskaya, in the repair and post-emergency states of the Belarusian power system, as well as an analysis of technical and economic performance indicators.

Beach volleyball set and technical performance indicators for elite women’s teams

Beach volleyball set and technical performance indicators for elite women’s teams