bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Purwarupa Sistem Prediksi Luas dan Hasil Panen Padi suatu Wilayah menggunakan Pengolahan Citra Digital dengan Metode Sobel dan Otsu
Authors: Putri Ardya Yunita , Sumiharto Raden
Published: May 2017

Area and paddy crop yield prediction system of an area using  image processing by Sobel  Otsu’s method is one of  system that utilize aerial photo data for measuring  area and prediction of its crop yield. Otsu’s method is used to thresholding process and  Sobel’s method is used to detect paddy field’s edges that will calculate its area. Then filtering process so that the scanning process white pixels are counted only exist in the desired region. After the amount of white pixel(s) is obtained, their amount is multiplied with the scale that obtained from calibration process and crop yield prediction (kg/m2). Detection of yellow paddy color that ready-to-harvest is successfully performed by processing the HSV color, which is then detected by thresholding HSV. At the time of testing with variety of paddy color, the detected paddy color is the paddy color ready-to-harvest, which is brownish yellow that represented by white pixels, and will be used then to predict its area and crop yield. Thereafter, accuracy calculation test resulting in different error levels in different paddy fields. Error in testing of this system are 3,1 %, 8,7%, 4,9% dan 248%. The highest error value is caused by excessive exposure of light, with the result that the green color on paddy is detected by the system as yellow and some areas are covered by trees that, thereby reducing paddy fields area calculation.
Identifikasi Tahu Berformalin dengan Electronic Nose Menggunakan Jaringan Syaraf Tiruan Backpropagation
Authors: Astuti Wida , Lenono Danang , Faizah Faizah
Published: May 2017

During this time to identify pure and formalin tofu based on color and aroma involving human taster. But this tofu tester still has weaknesses such as subjective. Besides that, the standard chemical analytical methods requires a high cost and need expertise to analyzing it. Basically aroma of tofu is determined by volatile compounds such as heksanal, ethanol, and 1-hexanol, while aroma of formalin tofu is determined by volatile compounds such as OH, CO, and hydrocarbon. Electronic nose based on unselected gas sensor array has the ability to analyze samples with complex compositions that can be known characteristics and qualitative analysis of the samples. Stimulus aroma is transformed by electronic nose into fingerprint data then it is used by feature extraction process using the differential method. The results of feature extraction is used to process the back propagation neural network training to obtain optimal parameters. The parameters have been optimized is then tested on a random tofus. Based on test results, ANN-BP can identify samples with 100% accuracy rate so that the identification of a pure tofu and tofu formalin with electronic nose using back propagation neural network analysis has been successfully carried out.
Narrating ‘finances’ after John Law: Complicity, critique, and the bonds
of obligation in Duclos and Mouhy
Authors: Abramson Julia L.
Published: May 2017

Attending to the peculiar significance of
finance(s) and the
financier in Old Regime France, this article
analyzes narratives that rehabilitate both, circa 1740-1755, in their
political, social and biographical contexts. Positive representations are
not thought to have been common. Yet following the Law debacle, restoration
of traditional court finance resulted in effective administrative practices,
universalizing policies and opportunities for merit, combined with money, to
drive advancement, competing with hereditary privilege. Across genres,
Charles Pinot-Duclos and Charles de Fieux, the Chevalier de Mouhy, depicted
how upstart elites enact virtue, philanthropy and patriotism through
finance. Their depictions reflected State policies and served common
interests of writers and their protectors and patrons. Yet by emphasizing
tensions in mid-century society, their texts also challenged readers to
reflect critically on relations among finance, politics, society and
indebtedness, anticipating a later focus on political economy as such. For
today's readers grappling with dilemmas of modern finance, society and
obligation, they provide provocative precedents.
Discourse ethics for debt markets
Authors: Johnson Timothy C.
Published: May 2017

This article develops a pragmatic theory of finance in which markets are
considered to be centres of communicative action in the face of uncertainty.
This contrasts with the conventional approach that portrays markets as
centres of strategic action in the face of scarcity. The argument follows
Habermas and entails that a financial market must address the truthfulness,
truth, and rightness of the statements made by its participants (i.e., the
prices quoted). I claim that these discursive norms have been implicit in
historical financial markets as expressed in the norms of sincerity,
reciprocity, and charity. I conclude by proposing that ‘trust’ in commerce
is a synthesis of the three discursive norms. The motivation of the article
is to address the crisis of legitimacy that the financial system is
experiencing, particularly in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States
(US).
An introductory framework for ‘Habilito: Debt for Life’
Authors: Sturtevant Chuck
Published: May 2017

The documentary film Habilito: Debt for Life
provides a case study of the conflicts and tensions that arise at the point
of contact between highland migrants and Mosetenes, members of an indigenous
community in the Bolivian Amazon. It focuses particularly on a system of
debt peonage known locally as ‘habilito’. This system is used throughout the
Bolivian lowlands, and much of the rest of the Amazon basin, to secure labor
in remote areas. Timber merchants advance market goods to Mosetenes at
inflated prices, in exchange for tropical hardwood timber. When it comes
time to settle accounts, the indebted person often finds that the wood he
has cut does not meet his debt obligation, and he has to borrow more money
to return to the forest to continue logging. This permanent cycle of debt
permits actors from outside these indigenous communities to maintain control
over the extraction of wood and provides them with a free source of labor in
the exploitation of timber resources. This system is practiced especially in
remote areas where systems of patronage predominate, and where colonists
with a market-based economic logic come into contact with Amazonian
indigenous peoples who, historically, have not employed an economic logic of
saving or hoarding.
‘Habilito: Debt for Life’
Authors: Sturtevant Chuck , Ricco-Quiroga Daniela
Published: May 2017

The documentary film Habilito: Debt for Life
provides a case study of the conflicts and tensions that arise at the point
of contact between highland migrants and Mosetenes, members of an indigenous
community in the Bolivian Amazon.
A Late Middle Palaeolithic assemblage containing Levallois and bifacial objects from Saône-et-Loire, France: GH 3 at Grotte de la Verpillière II à Germolles
Authors: Frick Jens Axel
Published: May 2017

The site of Grotte de la Verpillière II, a rock shelter and corresponding cave tunnel, is situated in a cliff face of an Oxfordian massive, around 10 km West of Chalon-sur-Saône in Eastern France. The excavation at this site has recovered Middle Palaeolithic assemblages in three stratified sedimentological units. The richest of these assemblages derives from Geological Horizon (GH) 3 and is discussed here. It is preliminarily attributed to a Late Middle Palaeolithic context of OIS 3 to 4 using radiometric-dating techniques.The assemblage combines Levallois reduction, bifacial objects and diverse ‘opportunistic’ reduction strategies. The Levallois reduction shows a high level of raw-material economy in the use of raw pieces and blanks whose morphology is close to the shape of desired configured cores. Other reduction strategies show a wider range of approaches to blank production. Bifacial objects include but are not limited to Keilmesser with tranchet blows. The condition of objects from GH 3 range from unused raw pieces, tested raw pieces, configured and exhausted cores, correction and central flakes, as well as some heated objects, frost shards, and debris. The majority of raw materials derive from sources nearby, but were clearly transported to the site. Only some pieces show evidence for transport of up to 100 km from source to site. The presence of specific reduction strategies on bifacial objects and the existence of tranchet-blow modification provide support for the attribution of the assemblage to the Keilmessergruppen assemblages from Central Europe.
Raw material sourcing in the Middle Paleolithic site of Gruta da Oliveira (Central Limestone Massif, Estremadura, Portugal)
Authors: Matias Henrique
Published: May 2017

The cave site of Gruta da Oliveira is located in the Almonda karst system, at the interface between the Central Limestone Massif of Portuguese Estremadura (CLM) and the adjacent Sedimentary Basin of the River Tagus (TSB). The cave presents a stratification dated to ~37-107 ka containing hearth features, Neanderthal skeletal remains, as well as fauna, microfauna and wood charcoal remains. The lithic assemblages are large and feature a diverse range of raw materials.Knappable lithic raw materials in primary, sub-primary and secondary position in the CLM and the TSB were systematically surveyed and sampled. The characterization of the geological samples was carried out at both the macro- and the microscopic scales and data were systematized under the petroarcheological and “evolutionary chain of silica” approaches.The study of the lithic assemblage from layer 14 (dated to the ~61-93 ka 95.4% probability interval by TL) indicates that the Gruta da Oliveira Neanderthals used quartzite, quartz and flint from sources located less than 30 km away in both the CLM and the TSB.
Presenting LusoLit: A lithotheque of knappable raw materials from central and southern Portugal
Authors: Pereira Telmo , Farias Anne , Paixão Eduardo
Published: May 2017

The knowledge of where past human populations collected their raw materials to produce stone-tools is crucial to understand subjects such as their territoriality, mobility, decision-making, range of acquisition, networks and, eventually, to infer their cognitive abilities and the adaptations to new environments, landscapes and territories. Therefore, the creation of lithic reference collections (lithotheque) is of utmost importance.

In geological terms, Portugal is a highly complex and diversified region, with a plethora of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks dated from Proterozoic to present days. Such diversity might have influenced considerably the human decision-making on the choices of raw material and it might be one of the major reasons for the diversity seen throughout the diachrony of its archaeological record. Thus, sampling, cataloguing and mapping the raw material diversity in a territory with such variability allows to enrich the knowledge about it and, consequently to build stronger inferences about past human behaviour with more detail and less bias.

In order to help the archaeological and anthropological research to better understand such archaeological record and past human behaviour in this territory, we started a reference collection for this region host in the University of Algarve: the LusoLit. Though in its early stages, this collection has already several hundred chert samples from Central and Southern Portugal. In this early stage, the raw material that we start collecting was chert because it is the least ubiquitous through the landscape and, consequently, that can provide better information.
New challenges in the study of lithic raw materials in central Italy at the dawn of metal working societies: La Pietra and other radiolarite quarry-workshops in Tuscany
Authors: Scaramucci Sem , Volpi Vanessa , Costantini Armando , Giamello Marco , Donati Alessandro , Aranguren Biancamaria , Moroni Adriana
Published: May 2017

In central-southern Tuscany radiolarite has been used as a lithic raw material throughout prehistory. During the Copper Age it was selected for the local production of leaf-shaped artefacts. In the area considered, the Copper Age record is almost totally restricted to burials and virtually no settlements have been investigated so far. Radiolarite artefacts are found mostly as refined arrow and, possibly javelin, heads used as grave goods.Within this context, the discovery and recent investigation of the large radiolarite quarry of La Pietra (Roccastrada, Grosseto) and of the related workshops is of great interest. Our aim here is to integrate the record from this site with other contemporary evidence of radiolarite exploitation. A programme of surveys has thus begun on the other radiolarite outcrops of the area in order to verify the existence of further rock quarrying or working. The discovery of a previously unknown quarry-workshop and two previously unknown workshops on radiolarite outcrops is presented here for the first time. The geological and archaeological data coming from the quarry-workshops will be used, in a future stage of research, to source the radiolarite artefacts found in Copper Age graves of Central Italy. The Copper age armatures are valuable artefacts mostly kept in museums and fully non-destructive analyses must be applied to them. To tackle these challenges, we followed a methodological approach which integrates field surveys, the individuation of petrographic markers of the most exploited radiolarite horizons and geochemical analyses. For geochemical characterization, we made use of pXRF portable spectrometer and here we present some preliminary results in the light of current methodological debate.In conclusion, even if some methodological questions remain open, we verified the feasibility of this programme of geographical, geological and geochemical characterizations and need now to increase our dataset in order to reconstruct a viable picture of Copper age lithic economy in central-southern Tuscany.
Event review: Seminário Nacional de Tecnologia Lítica, Goiânia, Brazil
Authors: Ramos Marcos Paulo de Melo
Published: May 2017

Between 5 and 9 October of 2016 the Seminário Nacional de Tecnologia Lítica (National Seminar of Lithic Technology) took place on the campus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás, Brazil. The seminar aimed to create a space of exchange and learning among students, researchers and professors which currently work with prehistoric lithic technology, developing studies in different regions of Brazil, in addition to the special participation of a researcher from Peru. The event was conceived and developed through the efforts of three Brazilian institutions: the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás (Dr. Sibeli A. Viana and Marcos Paulo Ramos), the University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul (Dr. Maria Gluchy), and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Dr. Jacqueline Rodet), in addition to a partnership with Paris West University Nanterre La Défense (Dr. Eric Boeda). Activities of practical analysis on lithic material and knapping were developed with the aim of better understanding the methods and techniques involved in the production of archaeological tools. As the event sought to develop practical activities, with dynamic ones, it was accompanied by monitored knapping sessions. It was necessary to restrict the participation to a small number of people (20). Still, there was participation by students from undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. As well, places were reserved for archaeologists working with rescue projects involving lithic period sites.
Comportamiento del virus de la bronquitis infecciosa aviar en aves con sintomatología respiratoria provenientes de granjas de producción del Departamento de Cundinamarca
Authors: Córdoba Argoti Geovanna , Vera Alfonso Victor Julio , Correa Jaime Jairo , Ramírez Nieto Gloria Consuelo
Published: May 2017

Evaluar la dinámica serológica contra el virus de la bronquitis infecciosa aviar y su relación con la presentación y/o antecedentes de signos clínicos y hallazgos patológicos, bajo con­diciones de campo. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un muestreo al azar en dos fases, en pollo de engorde y reproductoras de granjas del Departamento de Cundinamarca. En la primera fase se tomó muestra de sangre a un total de 224 aves, distribuidas en 7 granjas. En la segunda fase, realizada 20 días posteriores al primer muestreo, se tomó una segunda muestra al mismo número de aves empleadas inicialmente. Las muestras de los sueros obtenidos se emplearon para la reali­zación del inmunoensayo ligado a enzima (ELISA), diseñado para detectar anticuerpos frente al virus de la bronquitis infecciosa aviar en suero sanguíneo. Resultados. Se obtuvo que del total de las granjas analizadas el 85.72% mostró reactividad serológica al virus de la Bronquitis Infecciosa aviar (VBIA), mostrando correlación con la presencia de los signos clínicos o antecedentes respi­ratorios en granja.
Identificación de obstáculos para el logro académico en una secundaria de Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán
Authors: Orozco Villagómez Estela Irene , Rojas Maldonado Erick Radaí
Published: May 2017

Con el fin de identificar los factores que obstaculizan el logro académico de los adolescentes de acuerdo a los objetivos de la ley federal de educación del gobierno mexicano, se analizaron de manera cuantitativa los factores sociales, económicos y escolares de los jóvenes de una escuela secundaria en un municipio del estado de Michoacán. El presente trabajo está fundamentado en la información que se obtuvo de las entrevistas realizadas a alumnos, docentes y padres de familia, con una postura postpositivista de carácter descriptivo y documental. Los resultados fueron interpretados desde una perspectiva psicológica y pedagógica, para lo cual se consideraron principalmente las teorías psicoanalíticas de Ana Freud, Aberastury y Vigotsky, dentro del marco teórico motivacional y de necesidades básicas de Abraham Maslow. Asimismo, se analizó la influencia de la motivación en el desarrollo del adolescente y su aprendizaje, y se propuso la estrategia didáctica de modelación para mejorar el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje, la cual, de acuerdo con Arrieta, Canul, Martinez, Suárez et al., puede ayudar a que los jóvenes encuentren utilidad a las materias que se imparten.
Trends and Challenges of Sustainable Energy and Water Research in North Africa: Sahara Solar Breeder Concerns at the Intersection of Energy/Water
Authors: A. Boudghene Stambouli  , Z. Khiat  , S. Flazi  , H. Tanemoto  , M. Nakajima  , H. Isoda  , F. Yokoyama  , S.  Hannachi  , K. Kurokawa  , M. Shimizu  , H. Koinuma
Published: May 2017

In this contribution a particular attention is being given to the strategic objective for the establishment of a North Africa (NA) countries cooperation on water and clean energy superhighway as the solution to regional energy challenges, water shortages, climate change and other environmental problems arising from the current fossil-fuel heavy global energy paradigm. Advanced and technical know-how and resources of Japan, through the Sahara Solar Breeder (SSB) project, can facilitate to achieve sustainable development in the region, cooperation to accelerate and expand its research activity with ambitious quantitative targets for solutions between the growing water crisis in NA and energy resources (fossil and renewables energies (RE)). With global energy demand set to rise significantly over the next 15 years, there will be a pressing need for fresh investment in new output capacity across the entire water/energy supply chain. It is still believed and emphasized that Photovoltaic (PV) will be a significant contributor within a portfolio of energy sources in the coming 10 to 20 years and that SSB is providing science and technology that are poised to play a transformative role in providing clean and sustainable water/energy for the whole world. Japan’s energy/water innovative strategy for NA is encouraging since problems cannot be solved by one country alone hence local, regional and global cooperation is crucial.
Study of defects in PV generators using image analysis techniques with Matlab
Authors: María José Pérez Regalado  , Emilio Olías Ruiz  , Plinio Jesús Pinzón
Published: May 2017

It is evidence that the useful life of the photovoltaic generator, as its correct operation, define the production and the profitability of a photovoltaic installation. There are several aspects that cause descents in the level of production of the generator and therefore losses in the installation. Based on it, it has developed numerous of both corrective and preventive maintenance that avoid these circumstances. Along the document there are revised the possible defects that the photovoltaic generator can have and the techniques of detection of the same ones. Inside the techniques of analysis and examination [1] we will center on the very concrete one: the visual inspection and its development by image analysis tools with Matlab. The techniques used are part of the tool “Image processing toolbox” that provides a finished set of algorithms of standard reference and graphic hardware to the prosecution, the analysis and the visualization of images and the development of complementary algorithms. Across the employment and the adaptation of some of the included algorithms it will be claimed to approach a step more specializing in the conventional visual analysis used in the maintenance of the plants of photovoltaic solar energy.
Wind speed distributions in the Italian coasts
Authors: T. Soukissian  , F. Karathanasi  , F. Falcieri
Published: May 2017

For offshore wind energy assessment it is necessary to appropriately model and describe wind climate. In this connection, the Rayleigh and Weibull distributions are widely suggested for offshore wind speed modelling. Although the use of these distributions is theoretically consistent, in practice, they are often proved to be inadequate. In two recently published papers some, less known, multi-parameter distributions (Johnson SB, Kappa and Wakeby) were introduced and proved to describe more accurately the stochastic behaviour of wind speed measurements obtained from buoys located in entirely different sea areas of the world. In order to evaluate their fitting performance with reference to coastal wind speed data, in this paper we assessed long-term time series obtained from ten meteorological land-based stations across the Italian coasts. The obtained results confirmed that the Johnson SB, Kappa and Wakeby distributions are of general validity for any wind data set analysed, since they performed fairly well for the modelling of coastal wind speeds as well. These distributions adapted better than the Weibull and are suggested as reliable and prominent candidates for the modelling of offshore and coastal wind speed in any sea area.
Improving Energy Efficiency and Green Economy in Africa: Have we lost the Poverty Argument?
Authors: S.I. Eneje  , M. Mkpado  , A.A. Jimoh
Published: May 2017

There is no cheap renewable energy; majority of Africa economies exist below the poverty line and non-industrialized margin. How many Africans can afford the cost of a solar energy systems or wind energy station to burning local solid fuels, per se wood, for energy? In a green economy, growth in income and employment should be driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Using secondary data to answer the questions, the IPAT (Environmental Impact, I, Population, P, Affluence, A, and Technology, T) formula African’s position is unveiled by the index. There is imbalance among these four green economic factors. Discussed here are efforts to forestall improved energy efficiency which has not been empowered due to challenging factors from socio-economic, political and policy; Resource and efficient technology`s (RET) institutional framework and many others. Improving energy efficiency has much with making leverage as less effort is spent in exploitation, application and utilization of energy. The paper opines workable approaches to lift the welfare of many Africans in assessing and using energy, least we totally miss the poverty argument in the very near future.
Detection of gaseous pollutants emitted from engine powered by biodiesel and diesel mixtures
Authors: A. M. Rocha  , M. P. P. Castro  , M. S. Sthel  , G. A. Mothé  , V. H. Pérez  , M. G. Silva  , H. Vargas
Published: May 2017

Nowadays air pollution has been regarded as a serious environmental problem. One of the main generators of air pollution is the transportation, since the gas combustion from various chemical species is emitted mainly in urban transportation, using mainly diesel fuel. The use of renewable fuels is an attractive alternative choice to reduce environmental impacts. Brazil stands out in the current world scene as a major of alternative energy producer. Brazilian government introduced a program that includes blends of biodiesel to diesel in order to reduce the environmental impact caused by air pollution. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the emission of gaseous pollutants using a diesel engine bench with mixtures of B5, B10, B15, B20, B25 and B50 of biodiesel in diesel. For this type of analysis, the Infrared Analyser was used to detect CO2 in the range of 1.88 to 2.76 %, electrochemical sensors were used to detect CO in the range of 1161 to 1485 ppmv and NOx in the range of 213 to 351 ppmv.
Proposal of a Thermoelectric Microgenerator based on Seebeck Effect to Energy Harvesting in Industrial Processes
Authors: Ando Junior, O. H.  , Ferro, J. L.  , Izidoro, C. L.  , Maestrelli, E.  , Spacek, A. D.  , Mota, J. M.  , Malfatti, C.  F.  , Schaeffer, L.
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a study of the national electric power, showing the Brazil consumes electricity in a year and how much you could save if thermoelectric modules were used in some industries and new cars and planes to capture and transformation of residual thermal energy into electrical energy. The conclusion appears really attractive economically, given the fact that many processes generate residual thermal energy and also energy cogeneration using thermoelectric modules is totally clean, which prevents the emission of greenhouse gases to the environment.
Modeling, Control and Optimization of a Small Scale CHP System in Island operating Mode based on Fuzzy logic controller
Authors: M.F. Elsied  , A. Oukaour  , H. Gualous  , Y. Slamani  , R.Hassan  , A.Amin
Published: May 2017

This paper presents the modeling, control scheme and optimization of a small scale combined heat and power (SSCHP) in island operating mode. A thermo dynamic model is carried out for SSCHP engine using Carnot machine method, while an optimization technique is formulated to identify CHP engine parameters. In addition, a dynamic model is built based on a system identification toolbox for SSCHP engine to study the dynamic behavior of the SSCHP during operating mode. In island mode, the Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is used to regulate the inputs of SSCHP, and to match electric load demand. The complete system was represented and simulated in Matlab/Simulink.
Numerical Study of the Solar Chimney Power Plant Performance in the Region of M’Sila-Algeria
Authors: Samir Djimli  , Abla Chaker
Published: May 2017

This work offers the opportunity to examine the possibility of implementing a solar chimney power plant in the region of M'Sila (Algeria) whose solar potential is exceptional. The solar chimney is a generator of electricity starting from solar energy. Performance analysis of a solar chimney which has similar characteristics to prototype Manzaneres (Spain), that could produce 39-72 kW, and that would be used to supply electricity to 39 000- 72 000 inhabitants, was performed using the software fluent. The results obtained are very promising.
PVLab: an innovative and flexible simulation tool to better size photovoltaic units
Authors: Z. Ren  , S. Jacques  , S. Bissey  , N. Batut  , A. Schellmanns  , A. Caldeira
Published: May 2017

This paper deals with a new highly modular simulation tool, named as “PVLab” and developed by the GREMAN laboratory, to better size photovoltaic (PV) installations. The programming structure and the physical models implemented within this simulation tool are explained. Several case studies are proposed to highlight the relevance of this new simulation tool. The yearly virtual electrical energy production results of grid-connected PV plants are discussed. In particular, these results are compared with the PVsyst tool ones. PVLab has a high level of flexibility, allowing modifying the physical models and databases (for instance, meteorological data) according the users’ needs. This is permitted through the expertise in all the computing steps and particularly, the MATLAB development environment. Controlling the source code gives itself a huge potential in the field of renewable energy applications in comparison with PVsyst which is currently the commercial reference. This point is particularly discussed at the end of the paper.
Monte Carlo Simulation for Assessing the Voltage Level and Losses with Photovoltaic and Electric Vehicle in Low Voltage Network
Authors: Gu Ye  , Yu Xiang  , J.F.G.Cobben
Published: May 2017

Livelab from Alliander is a program which started to measure electrical and power quality data in the Dutch distribution network since 2013. This paper presents a methodology to generate the residential load profiles by cumulative distribution function (CDF) based on Livelab measured data, then applying Monte Carlo simulation method, a statistic three phase Load Flow program is developed in order to investigate the voltage level and network losses (harmonic loss is considered) of a typical low voltage (LV) network with the consideration of variable loads and random locations. Then, the prospective impact to voltage level and losses due to the grid connected photovoltaic power generation systems (PV) and electrical vehicles (EV) are discussed, Monte Carlo simulations are done with the different penetration rates of PV and EV, maximum capacity of grid-connected PVs and EVs can be estimated and the possible network losses are calculated.
Reduced Losses in PV Converters by Modulation of the DC Link Voltage
Authors: Alex Van den Bossche  , Jean Marie Vianney Bikorimana  , Firgan Feradov
Published: May 2017

The efficiency of a PV system has improved by the fact that the researchers have used different techniques to enhance their efficiency. This paper aims to present how the PV converter losses can be reduced by employing a polypropylene capacitor in the DC link and to modulate that DC voltage. A problem of controllability and stability arises. Two current control methods, constant off time and a PWM type with second order high pass filter DC-link feedback are presented. Polypropylene capacitors in the PV converters do have lower losses and a lower cost. The PV converter simulation and lab experiment is based on a three-phase bridge APTGF50X60T3G, used to combine a step-up/step down and H-bridge in one package.
The Study of the Impacts Introduced by a Wind Farm, having Doubly Fed Induction Generators, on a Power System
Authors: M.A. Saqib  , S.A.R. Kashif  , Q.Z. Mujahid
Published: May 2017

The paper discusses the 5th order model of a doubly fed induction generator which is used to study the impacts of a wind farm at the power system. The integration of wind farms poses serious problems on the stability of a power system. The study also illustrates the need for reactive power compensation when a wind generator is to be connected to a power system. A realistic 50 MW wind farm, proposed in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan, is being simulated to illustrate the dynamics of this integration on the national grid. This preliminary study assumes a constant wind speed for the duration of the studied period.
Power Stabilization System with Unique Pumped Storage to Stabilize Momentarily Fluctuating Power from Renewable Resources (Counter-Rotating Type Pump-Turbine Unit Operated at Turbine Mode)
Authors: Jin-Hyuk Kim  , Risa Kasahara  , Toru Miyaji  , Toshiaki Kanemoto  , Young-Seok Choi
Published: May 2017

This serial research proposes the hybrid power stabilization system with the counter-rotating type pump-turbine unit, to stabilize momentarily fluctuating power from renewable energy resources. In this paper, the experiments are verified that this type pump-turbine unit is reasonably effective to stabilize momentarily/instantaneously the unstably fluctuating power from renewable energy resources. Furthermore, an optimization for improving the hydrodynamic performance at turbine mode of this pump-turbine unit is carried out by using numerical analysis based on three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. As a result, the optimization yielded a maximum increase in efficiency of 2.68% at the best efficiency point compared to a reference design. Detailed internal flow fields between the reference and optimum designs are analyzed and discussed in this work.
Tools for Assessing the Robustness of Electrical System against Voltage Dips in terms of Amplitude, Duration and Frequency
Authors: P. Caramia  , P. Varilone  , P.Verde  , L. Vitale
Published: May 2017

The method of fault position is useful for characterizing power-system performance in the presence of voltage dips due to faults. It is based on short-circuit simulations repeated for all the system nodes and for many points along the system lines: fault voltages that are below a preset threshold are the required voltage dips. These dips are stored in so-called dip matrices, which contain only the dips in all the system nodes when faults occur at points along the lines. Graphical presentation of dip matrices has been proposed as a valuable tool to ascertain the critical area for system performance; this graphical visualization immediately correlates dip severity in terms of amplitude with colours defined by a proper scale. This paper proposes a new graphical representation of the During Fault Voltage matrices that allow accounting for also the dip frequency that is a very important aspect for assessing the voltage dip severity. New robustness indices are also proposed to synthesize bus performance in terms of affected and exposed areas able to account for not only the amplitude of the residual voltage but also the frequency. All the concepts are introduced and illustrated with reference to a real distribution systems.
Performance of a single cylinder diesel engine fuelled with emulsified residual oleins and standard diesel fuel
Authors: E. Melo  , R. Piloto  , I. Tobio  , L. Goyos  , S. Verhelst
Published: May 2017

Emulsified residual oleins and standard diesel fuel were evaluated. The engine tests for the fuels analyzed were performed in a Petter single cylinder direct injection diesel engine under steady state conditions at fixed torque values (20 Nm and 34 Nm) and the engine speeds (n) between 1300-1700 rpm. Power output, specific fuel consumption, ignition delay and exhaust composition were evaluated. The emulsified residual oleins (ERO) shown lower power output joint to a higher specific fuel consumption related to the lower heating value of residual oleins compared to diesel fuel. A shorter ignition delay was observed for the ERO. Decreases in NOx emission were obtained for ERO compared to diesel fuel. The use of ERO in order to be a partial or full alternative to the use of diesel fuel for energy production was achieved.
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE RETURN ON THE REVERSE LOGISTICS
Authors: Carlos Eduardo Francischetti  , Nilcéia Cristina dos Santos  , Reinaldo Gomes da Silva
Published: May 2017

This study addresses sustainability in supply chain management and return on reverse logistics, in order to measure the economic and financial feasibility of implementing reverse logistics projects through insight surveys of costs and expenses involved by company characterized as an effective tool for analyzing and managing costs. This indicator allows comparisons between the savings in relation to the amount of capital invested, making it relevant to the evaluation of results and strategic decisions of the company. The development work is guided by an exploratory research which aims to identify possible ways and procedures that can be followed and evaluated for the construction of the proposed funding model, and indicate possible ways and procedures that can be followed and evaluated for the calculation in question.
A Method for Power Conditioning with Harmonic Reduction in Microgrids
Authors: I. D. Bouloumpasis  , P. N. Vovos  , K. G. Georgakas  , N. A. Vovos
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a control method of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) to reduce the harmonic content of the distribution system to which are connected, such as a Microgrid. By this method the RES is acting as a Power Conditioner and its supplying system consists of a buck-boost converter connected back-to-back to a polarity swapping inverter. A RES or a Distributed Generator (DG) such as a microturbine is synchronized to the distribution system, which is assumed to be distorted by a high-order voltage harmonic. Utilizing the proposed method, the RES not only exports its output power to the grid, but also reduces the existing harmonic distortion, improving voltage quality at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). Simulations in Matlab/Simulink platform have been performed in order to verify the effectiveness of the suggested approach to reduce harmonic content.
Design and development of an automated application for the analysis of monitoring data of Grid Connected Photovoltaic installations
Authors: D. Trillo-Montero  , I. Santiago  , J. Luna-Rodríguez  , R. Real-Calvo
Published: May 2017

The aim of this paper was to design and develop an application for automating the operating point of grid-connected the analysis photovoltaic of (PV) installations. This application integrates data from all of the devices that monitor information on PV installations, such as environmental sensors, inverters and meters, and it automates the storage, treatment and easy access to all information. The application is comprised by a Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS), with a common database to store the technical data of the various components of each PV installation, and a database for each of the installations to be analyzed, linked among them and with the previous one, where data from monitoring and calculated magnitudes would be stored. Moreover a software named S·lar was developed to determine, from monitored data, some standard magnitudes related to performances and losses of PV installation components at different time scales, and to visualize in a graphical and numerical way all the stored information. This tool enables to analyze PV facilities installed by small companies, with different configurations and technical specifications, in order to control and improve their production and maintenance, based on a more comprehensive and detailed study of their real operation.
Solar air dehumidification systems
Authors: E. Kussul  , T. Baydyk  , N. Bruce  , C. M. Apipilhuasco González  , R. J. Mojica Hernández  , L. Gallardo Pérez  , N. P. Mejía Rodríguez
Published: May 2017

The solar air dehumidification system permits dehydration of air inside buildings using thermal energy. With thermal energy storage it is possible to organize the continuous process of air dehumidification even in the night time. Recently we have developed low cost solar concentrators that can be used for air dehumidification. The concentrators of this type contain a large number of flat triangle mirrors. The support frame for these mirrors has a shape of a parabolic dish. The experiments with two prototypes of flat mirror solar concentrators show that a stagnation temperature of more than 300ºC can be obtained. This temperature is sufficient to regenerate almost all desiccants that are used for air dehumidification. We estimate the cost of flat mirror concentrators in mass production as 20-30 USD per square meter. This cost permits creation of dehumidification systems for residential and district applications.
Solar chillers for air conditioning systems
Authors: T. Baydyk  , E. Kussul  , N. Bruce
Published: May 2017

Air conditioning systems can use heat energy to reduce electrical energy consumption. For this purpose absorption-type chillers are used. In these chillers only 10% of the energy is supplied as electrical energy and the rest is supplied as heat energy. At present, many chillers of this type are manufactured with solar heating devices. As a rule, flat panel solar heaters are used for this purpose. Unfortunately, the highest temperature of the heaters is slightly lower that is necessary for efficient work of absorption-type chillers. For this reason sometimes evacuated tube solar heaters are used to obtain sufficiently high temperature. Trough solar collectors have also been proposed for this purpose. This increases the cost of solar heaters. At present, this cost equals approximately 100 USD per square meter. We have developed a low-cost flat facet solar concentrator that can have a cost of 20-30 USD in mass production and provides a temperature of about 200ºC that is sufficient practically for all types of absorption type chillers. In this paper we shortly describe the design of the flat facet solar concentrator and its possible applications in air conditioning systems.
Measuring innovation and institution: the creative economy index
Authors: Żelazny Rafał , Pietrucha Jacek
Published: May 2017

Research background: A literature review on innovativeness and institutions pointing to their correlation and the possibility of their joint examination.Purpose of the article: This paper attempts to devise a measurement method for a creative economy, where as a result of feedback between institutions, human capital and technology conditions facilitating the development of creativity are created.Methods: An empirical meta-analysis of indicators characterising innovativeness and institutional environment was carried out, following the hypothesis that at least in part they contain common information on creative economy.Findings and Value added: The new synthetic index, a creative economy index (CEI), was constructed. The study was conducted for a group of 34 economies of the European Union and its associated states for the period of 2005?2014.
Intangible investments at multinational companies? manufacturing subsidiaries: do they promote innovation-based upgrading?
Authors: Szalavetz Andrea
Published: May 2017

Research background: Despite a widely acknowledged importance of intangible capital as the main driver of value creation, papers discussing corporate intangible investments tend to focus only on multinational companies, i.e. on headquarters (HQ). There are few papers scrutinising the specific attributes of intangible investments at manufacturing subsidiary level. This is, however, an important topic to investigate, since intangible investments can boost subsidiary upgrading. Intangible investments contribute to subsidiaries? acquiring capabilities that allow them to enhance the scope of their responsibilities and specialise in increasingly high-value activities.Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the features of intangible investment at MNCs? manufacturing subsidiaries, on the example of Hungary. Research questions addressed are as follows.a) What exactly do local manufacturing subsidiaries invest in, when they implement intangible investments?b) Is there a difference between the role of intangible investments at MNC level and at manufacturing subsidiary level?c) What is the association between subsidiary-level intangible investments and upgrading?Methodology: We analyse a sample of 44 manufacturing subsidiaries in the Hungarian automotive and electronics industries. We carry out a qualitative content analysis of sample companies? notes to their financial statements, complemented with other sources of corporate information.Findings: We find that intangible investments are aligned with subsidiaries? functional specialisation: with operations. Their main role is to contribute to subsidiaries? absorption of the headquarters? technology transfer and enhance the productivity of the local core activities. This is sharply different from their traditional, MNC-level role: support to non-price competitiveness. We find support for the argument that subsidiary-level intangible investments and subsidiary upgrading are associated in a self-reinforcing virtuous circle.
Evaluation of the adequacy of government minimum wage valorization policy in the Czech Republic in 2017 in the European context
Authors: Pernica Martin
Published: May 2017

Research background: The government of the Czech Republic has agreed to an increase in the minimum monthly wage as of the beginning of 2017 to 11,000 CZK, which represents a year-over-year increase of over 11 %. The government is thus fulfilling its objective set out in February 2014 and stipulated in the Government Statement of Purpose, i.e. to approximate the minimum wage to 40 % of average wages.Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article is to assess the adequacy of the Government Minimum Wage Valorization Policy, in particular from two points of view. Firstly, in view of selected macroeconomic indicators in the Czech Republic ? the development of consumer prices, average gross wages, economic growth and workforce productivity. Secondly, in comparison with other EU member states which have introduced the institution of a minimum wage.Methods: In order to assess the adequacy of government policy to improve the social protection of the rights of the working population, a background research was conducted into the literature of important studies on the effects of minimum wages on unemployment, while the development of average gross wages in the CR, the minimum monthly wages in the CR and the Kaitz index were also analyzed. Furthermore, an evaluation of selected macroeconomic indicators in the Czech Republic was performed by means of time lines and the percentage representation of employees in the individual gross wage bands according to sex and type of economic activity. Last, but not least, a comparison was made of minimum wages, real gross domestic product per capita and workforce productivity in Euros and in purchasing power standards between the Czech Republic and countries which have enacted the institution of minimum wages.Findings and Value added: The minimum wage in the Czech Republic is the fifth lowest in the EU. In the long term, it is earned by approximately 3% of employees, which is less than the rate common in other EU countries. Currently, the amount of the minimum wage is below the threshold of income poverty. In comparison with the GDP per capita in PPS and real labour productivity per person employed in other EU countries, the position of the Czech Republic is significantly better, although other EU countries offer higher minimum wages. The decision of the current government to significantly increase the minimum wage as of 2017 is correct.