The research examined awareness, prospects and constraints of sustainable marketing mix development (SMD) from the perspective of Poland’s high-energy consumer goods (HECG), i.e., confectionery products, as an example of the Polish food industry. A questionnaire survey was designed for this purpose. The purpose of the survey questions was to evaluate selected areas of SMD; thus, a reference value ratio was proposed. An original approach to pairwise comparisons technique was applied to rank the value of each survey to provide an intensity measure for each examined area, i.e., a non-heuristic approach with verifiable accuracy and reliability. It was found that a high level of awareness among respondents exists in relation to SMD. Considering all aspects of constraints intensity for SMD, it could be concluded that SMD for Poland’s HECG is at a quite high level. However, considering all aspects of prospects intensity for SMD, this evaluation supported the conclusion that its level for Pola... [more]

Hydrogen production through methanol reforming processes has been stimulated over the years due to increasing interest in fuel cell technology and clean energy production. Among different types of methanol reforming, the steam reforming of methanol has attracted great interest as reformate gas stream where high concentration of hydrogen is produced with a negligible amount of carbon monoxide. In this review, recent progress of the main reforming processes of methanol towards hydrogen production is summarized. Different catalytic systems are reviewed for the steam reforming of methanol: mainly copper- and group 8−10-based catalysts, highlighting the catalytic key properties, while the promoting effect of the latter group in copper activity and selectivity is also discussed. The effect of different preparation methods, different promoters/stabilizers, and the formation mechanism is analyzed. Moreover, the integration of methanol steam reforming process and the high temperature−polymer el... [more]

This study presents a calculation of the time required to execute a lane-change manoeuvre. Compared with other (and older) calculation methods, an analysis was conducted to determine which approach could yield the most reliable results. This study aimed to present a universal calculation method for different road surfaces, surface conditions (dry and wet road surface), and vehicle types (i.e., from small vehicles to SUVs). A total of 108 comparable manoeuvres with modern vehicles were used as a basis for statistical analysis. A new mathematical constant was found based on a regression analysis, adjusting one of the older calculation methods (so-called Kovařík equation), providing the best match between real and calculated manoeuvre duration.

With their advantages of high experimental safety, convenient setting of scenes, and easy extraction of control parameters, driving simulators play an increasingly important role in scientific research, such as in road traffic environment safety evaluation and driving behavior characteristics research. Meanwhile, the demand for the validation of driving simulators is increasing as its applications are promoted. In order to validate a driving simulator in a complex environment, curve road conditions with different radii are considered as experimental evaluation scenarios. To attain this, this paper analyzes the reliability and accuracy of the experimental vehicle speed of a driving simulator. Then, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the lateral deviation of the vehicle trajectory is carried out, applying the cosine similarity method. Furthermore, a data-driven method was adopted which takes the longitudinal displacement, lateral displacement, vehicle speed and steering wheel angle... [more]

In this work, a novel methodology to assess energy performance indicators of productive and economic sectors trough the analysis of the Italian mandatory energy audits database is presented. The updating of sectoral reference energy performance indicators is fundamental for both companies and policy makers—for the formers to evaluate and compare their energy performance with competitors in order to achieve improvements and for the latter to effectively monitor the impact of energy policies. This methodology could be potentially applied to all production sectors, providing key information needed to characterize various production processes from an energy point of view. Awareness of energy efficiency and sectorial benchmarking represent the first necessary steps for companies moving towards energy transition. This paper provides details of the statistical method developed and its application to the NACE 23 division “Manufacturing of other non-metallic mineral products”, with a focus on t... [more]

Future car parks will require significant power to support electric vehicle (EV) charging as there will be both an increase in the penetration of EVs and a higher demand for charging power as battery packs increase in capacity. The effective management of the charging and local battery storage can be installed to help prevent excessive increases in electrical feeder capacity; however, it is inevitable that car parks will attain significant power capability in the future. There is therefore an opportunity for car park owners to utilise this and generate additional revenue by providing frequency response services to the electrical grid. This paper describes the modelling of a car park that utilises photovoltaic power generation, battery storage, and EV charging management strategies to provide a grid frequency response service. The analysis using simulated car park data shows that it can provide a high availability in terms of service but it is dependent on the capacity of the installed... [more]

In order to investigate the difference of pore structure characteristics between mudstone and coal under different particle size conditions, samples acquired from Henan province were smashed and screened into three different particle sizes (20−40, 80−100, and >200 mesh) to conduct the experiments, using the high-pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and low-temperature N2 adsorption (LT-N2A) techniques. The results demonstrated that the proportion of open pores or semi-enclosed pores increased, and the pores became preferable contacted each other for both mudstone and coal during the crushing process. These variations of pore structure characteristics in the coal were beneficial to methane storage and migration. The total specific surface areas and pore volumes all showed a tendency of increasing continually for both mudstone and coal, as the particle sizes decreased from the LT-N2A test. The mudstone and coal were non-rigid aggregates with micropores, plate-shaped pores, and sl... [more]

As renewable energy increasingly penetrates into electricity-heat integrated energy system (IES), the severe challenges arise for system reliability under uncertain generations. A two-stage approach consisting of pre-scheduling and re-dispatching coordination is introduced for IES under wind power uncertainty. In pre-scheduling coordination framework, with the forecasted wind power, the robust and economic generations and reserves are optimized. In re-dispatching, the coordination of electric generators and combined heat and power (CHP) unit, constrained by the pre-scheduled results, are implemented to absorb the uncertain wind power prediction error. The dynamics of building and heat network is modeled to characterize their inherent thermal storage capability, being utilized in enhancing the flexibility and improving the economics of IES operation; accordingly, the multi-timescale of heating and electric networks is considered in pre-scheduling and re-dispatching coordination. In simu... [more]

An electrical islanding detection method for DC microgrid (MG) is proposed in this paper. Unlikely conventional AC MG system protection has been challenging for the DC MG system. The goal of the proposed scheme is to detect the islanding intelligently within the agent nodes. The proposed islanding detection technique detects the electrical link failure intelligently, and if any electrical link failure occurs, then the proposed technique maintains the MG operation and load sharing. Islanding detection is carried out using an injection signal and utilizes the existing communication network to check network connectivity. After checking the network connectivity, all the nodes maintain the look-up table of the connected network. This research work illustrates that the proposed electrical islanding detection technique is effective in maintaining the DC MG operation in the case of an electrical islanding/link failure scenario. The proposed scheme’s performance is checked through MATLAB/Simuli... [more]

An active power filter based on a three-level neutral point clamped T-type converter with LCL input filter is presented in the paper. The main goal of the paper is the analysis of a control system that ensures independent control of a current in each phase. The presented control method of the filter allows reactive power compensation and/or a higher harmonics reduction to be achieved in each phase independently, with the possibility of control tan (φ) coefficient. This allows the power flow between the phases to be minimalized and reduces the RMS values of filter currents without the need to balance grid currents. The analysis presents the possibility of an operation in different modes, which was verified by experimental results. The results have been obtained in a 20 ARMS laboratory system described in the paper. The results reveal relatively low power losses, which are a feature of the selected three-level T-type topology. Additionally, that topology, when compared to a two-level one... [more]

This study provides empirical evidence of the impact of recentralized governance on environmental performance by examining the implementation of a clean heating transition. It investigated the impact of a centralized clean heating transition on sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels in Shanxi province from January 2015 to March 2021. Using a difference-in-differences approach, this study found that the centralized clean heating transition led to a significant improvement in air quality; however, the excessive response of Shanxi province prevented adequate heating supply for residents. As a result, the Chinese government had to reverse its initial plans for a coal ban and the promotion of gas plants. This outcome implies that recentralization cannot control the autonomy of local governments in responding to and achieving the central targets, even though it may provide incentives to prioritize environmental issues. The recentralization proved to be ineffective, in contrast to what was theoretically... [more]

Although it is generally accepted that innovators and early adopters have a particular influence on the uptake of electric bikes, other groups, whose reactions to innovation have not been studied, are perhaps wrongly marginalised. Such individuals, often relying on stereotypes, also need to be included in researchers’ scope of interest. Therefore, the aim of the CAWI survey was to determine the attitudes of respondents, both users and non-users of electric bikes, and on this basis to classify by k-means analysis the attitudes towards the e-bike compared to the traditional bicycle and the car. The results obtained show a large variation between the designated classes. What most of them have in common is a strong attachment to the private car, which is typical for the cycling culture of this part of Europe, but the psycho-physical characteristics of the surveyed remain the strongest differentiating factor. Therefore, in the light of the opinions collected, it seems that the group Gadget... [more]

The European Union’s New Green Deal generates changes in the socio-economic development of regions. An element of this change is the transformation of the regional profiles of the energy portfolio towards more pro-ecological ones. The aim of this article is to identify the conditions and reasons for the transformation of the energy portfolio of the Eastern Poland macroregion, and to define the directions of the energy portfolio evolution caused by the need to implement the goals of the European Green Deal by 2030, in order to consequently develop the forecast energy portfolio for the Eastern Poland macroregion. It has been assumed that the energy transformation of the Eastern Poland macroregion will be implemented through gradual transformation of the energy portfolio towards dispersed sources of local and civic energy. The research is based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative research was carried out on the basis of the diagnostic survey method with the us... [more]

The main goals of the article are: (a) presentation of the wine traditions of the region in the context of the concept of path dependence and wastescapes, as well as their impact on the spatial, social and promotional aspect of wine making; (b) identification and characteristics of the vineyards in Lubuskie Region in 2021; and (c) linking wine traditions with creating the identity of the region and implementing activities supporting its development. A case study was performed in accordance with the triangulation of research methods and techniques: (1) analysis of existing data and relating them to the activities of vineyards; (2) covert participant observation technique; and (3) qualitative field interviews with vineyard owners or managers. The vineyards of the Lubuskie Region are an important tourist attraction and local wines enrich the local food offers. However, the scale of production, still being rather small, comes with higher costs of obtaining the final product. At the social... [more]

The latest European Union measures for combating climate adopted in the “Fit for 55 package” envisage the extension of the Emissions Trading System, the first “cap-and-trade” system in the world created for achieving climate targets, which limits the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by imposing a price on carbon. In this context, our study provides an integrated assessment of carbon price risk exposure of all economic sectors in the European Union Member States, thus supporting decision making in determining the energy transition risk. We propose a novel approach in assessing carbon risk exposure using the Value at Risk methodology to compute the carbon price under the EU ETS, based on historical price simulation for January−August 2021 and ARMA-GARCH models for the October 2012−August 2021 period. We further built a value erosion metric, which allowed us to establish each sector’s exposure to risk and to identify differences between Eastern and Western EU countries. We find that the... [more]

A large number of processes for transporting and handling palletized goods using a forklift in logistics centers is usually associated with an increase in pallet and load damage. Therefore, first of all, the “damage mechanism” was identified. A classic “state of the art” analysis was conducted. The paper presents the essence of the authors’ hybrid idea of:—locking the load;—while increasing the coefficient of friction between the pallet and the forks of the forklift; but so as not to compromise on the existing functionality of the forklift forks. The idea turned out to be an innovation that required intellectual property protection, hence it was not only described in a paper but also patented. It is about an extra element that is not standard on forklifts—a forklift fork attachment. The paper discusses mechanical damage to loads involving a forklift, load damage test results, anti-slip forklift attachment, computational model of the attachment, prototype, and real-world testing of the... [more]

Plastic waste generation has increased dramatically every day. Indiscriminate disposal of plastic wastes can lead to several negative impacts on the environment, such as a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. Therefore, it is wise to think of other alternatives to reduce plastic wastes without affecting the environment, including converting them into valuable products using effective methods such as pyrolysis. Products from the pyrolysis process encompassing of liquid, gas, and solid residues (char) can be turned into beneficial products, as the liquid product can be used as a commercial fuel and char can function as an excellent adsorbent. The char produced from plastic wastes could be modified to enhance carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption performance. Therefore, this review attempts to compile relevant knowledge on the potential of adsorbents derived from waste plastic to capture CO2. This review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The pl... [more]

Providing quality fuel to ships with reduced SOx content is a priority task. Marine residual fuels are one of the main sources of atmospheric pollution during the operation of ships and sea tankers. Hence, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established strict regulations for the sulfur content of marine fuels. One of the possible technological solutions allowing for adherence to the sulfur content limits is use of mixed fuels. However, it carries with it risks of ingredient incompatibilities. This article explores a new approach to the study of active sedimentation of residual and mixed fuels. An assessment of the sedimentation process during mixing, storage, and transportation of marine fuels is made based on estimation three-dimensional diagrams developed by the authors. In an effort to find the optimal solution, studies have been carried out to determine the influence of marine residual fuel compositions on sediment formation via machine learning algorithms. Thus, a m... [more]

The heat transfer performances of ionic liquids [C4mpyrr][NTf2] and ionanofluids with Al2O3 nanoparticles under a laminar flow regime, and with constant heat flux on the tube wall is numerically modeled and analyzed for three values of initial/inlet temperature and for two Reynolds numbers. Heat transfer characteristics were considered by analyzing the temperature distribution along the upper wall, as well as by analyzing the Nusselt number and heat transfer coefficient. The results obtained numerically were validated using Shah’s equation for ionic liquid. Thermophysical properties were temperature-dependent, and obtained by curve-fitting the experimental values of the thermophysical properties. Furthermore, the same set of results was calculated for the ionic liquid and ionanofluids with constant thermophysical properties. It is concluded that the assumption that thermophysical properties are constant has a significant influence on the heat transfer performance parameters of both ion... [more]

This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of inhibitory compounds formed during pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass on the growth of Bacillus subtilis. Ten inhibitory compounds commonly present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates were evaluated, which included sugar degradation products (furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural), acetic acid, and seven phenolic compounds derived from lignin (benzoic acid, vanillin, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and syringaldehyde). For the individual inhibitors, syringaldehyde showed the most toxic effect, completely inhibiting the strain growth at 0.1 g/L. In the sequence, assays using mixtures of the inhibitory compounds at a concentration of 12.5% of their IC50 value were performed to evaluate the combined effect of the inhibitors on the strain growth. These experiments were planned according to a Plackett−Burman experimental design. Statistical analysis of the results revealed that in a mixture, ben... [more]

This article covers research on an innovative propulsion system design for a Biomimetic Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (BUUV) operating at low speeds. The experiment was conducted on a laboratory test water tunnel equipped with specialised sensor equipment to assess the Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) and energy consumption of two different types of propulsion systems. The experimental data contrast the undulating with the drag-based propulsion system. The additional joint in the drag-based propulsion system is intended to increase thrust and decrease energy input. The tests were conducted at a variety of fins oscillation frequencies and fluid velocities. The experiments demonstrate that, in the region of low-speed forward movement, the efficiency of the propulsion system with the additional joint is greater.

In this work, floating photovoltaic systems were experimentally studied under Jordan’s weather conditions to determine their effects on energy output, water quality and supply. A limited number of studies have addressed the effect of floating photovoltaic systems on water quality and evaporation reduction especially in a semi-arid region like Jordan. Energy measurements were taken from August 2020 to January 2021 using an Arduino board with data logging sensors. Water quality parameters were tested for collected samples on a monthly basis from August 2020 to February 2021 using a spectrophotometer. Results revealed that the floating panel temperature was lower than the ground-mounted counterpart. An average increase of 1.68% in voltage and 4.40% in current were observed for the floating panel compared to the ground-mounted panel which translates to an average increase of 5.33% in power generation over the ground-mounted panel. Furthermore, efficiency and fill factor increased by 4.89%... [more]

This research investigates how biomass supply chains (BSChs) for bioenergy within the broader bioeconomy could contribute to the post-COVID-19 recovery in three dimensions: boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and building more resilient and cleaner energy systems in four future scenarios, in the short term (by 2023) and long term (by 2030). A SWOT analysis on BSChs was used for generating a questionnaire for foresight by a two-round Delphi study. To interpret the results properly, a short survey and literature review is executed to record BSChs behavior during the pandemic. In total, 23 (55% response rate) and 28 (46% response rate) biomass experts from three continents participated in the Delphi and the short survey, respectively. The strongest impact from investment in BSChs would be on economic growth, followed by a contribution to the resilient and cleaner energy systems and job creation. The effects would be more visible in the long- than in the short-term period. Investments... [more]

In this article, a method that allows sharing responsibilities for the generation of harmonic currents between the utility and consumers powered by one point of common coupling (PCC) is addressed. For these purposes, mathematical modeling of the power supply system (PSS) with two consumers is carried out in order to introduce new indices using the simplest PSS structure as an example. Two indices are introduced that quantify the consumers’ contribution to the distortion of current and voltage at the PCC and that evaluate harmonic emission from the utility side. Experimental tests are carried out where both linear and nonlinear loads are considered, capacitive loads are taken into account, and harmonic distortions from the utility side are modeled to show the applicability of the indices in a wide range of load types. The experiments confirmed the theoretical results and illustrated that the quantitative assessment of the contributions is unambiguous. It suggests that the proposed crite... [more]

In this study, the Taguchi experimental design method using an L16 orthogonal array was attempted in order to investigate the optimal operating conditions for the CO2 methanation process in Ni-based catalysts. The relative influence of the main factors affecting CO2 conversion and CH4 yield was ranked as follows: reactor pressure > space velocity > reaction temperature. The optimal combination of operating conditions was a reactor temperature of 315 °C, a pressure of 19 bar, and a space velocity of 6000 h−1. The effect of the H2/CO2 ratio on CO2 conversion and CH4 yield was further considered under these optimal operating conditions. Moreover, the catalyst was characterized in order to investigate the production of coke through Brunauer−Emmett−Teller analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The amount of coke produced after the reaction for approximately 24 h was ~2 wt.%. Therefore, the desired CH4 yield and long-term operational stability were successful... [more]