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1 – 10 of 613Priyanka Bendigiri and Prakash Rao
In any public transit system composed of electric buses, the bus transport operating parameters tend to influence their energy consumption. However, it is essential to know which…
Abstract
Purpose
In any public transit system composed of electric buses, the bus transport operating parameters tend to influence their energy consumption. However, it is essential to know which parameters are the influential ones and how they are influencing the energy consumption of the electric buses. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the transport-related operational aspects of the electric bus transit system.
Design/methodology/approach
This study presents the actual world data of the energy consumption of electric buses and analyses the influences of the bus transport operations on the same using panel regression analysis. The data collected from six bus depots in a city are analysed depot-wise. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the complete electric urban transit system is presented, followed by a framework to examine the parameters that influence the energy consumption of electric buses. A further framework is proposed to show how the electricity consumption of electric buses can be optimised.
Findings
The panel regression analysis, conducted for the real-world data collected over six depots of the public transit system composed of electric buses, indicates that the number of passengers have a positive impact on their energy consumption as compared to their mileage. With increased energy consumption, the earnings of the transit system are seen reducing. Therefore, the authors propose recommendations to increase the earnings to make the system financially more viable.
Originality/value
The study is one of its kind in the Indian context. It is based on real-world data collected over a period of 12 months from the six depots of the public transit system of a city composed of electric buses. The model is easily replicable and deployable to big bus networks if longitudinal data are obtained from the bus transit operators.
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Nilisha Itankar, Yogesh Patil, Prakash Rao and Viraja Bhat
Heavy metals play a crucial role in the economic development of any nation. Industries utilizing heavy metals, consequently, emanate a large volume of metal-containing liquid…
Abstract
Heavy metals play a crucial role in the economic development of any nation. Industries utilizing heavy metals, consequently, emanate a large volume of metal-containing liquid effluents. Since metals are non-renewable and finite resources, their judicious and sustainable use is the key. Hazardous metal-laden water poses threat to human health and ecology. Apart from metals, these industrial effluents also consist of toxic chemicals. Conventional physical–chemical techniques are not efficient enough as it consumes energy and are, therefore, not cost effective.
It is known that biomaterials namely microorganisms, plants, and agricultural biomass have the competence to bind metals, in some cases, selectively, from aqueous medium. This phenomenon is termed as “metal biosorption.” Biosorption has immense potential of becoming an effective alternative over conventional methods. The authors in the present chapter have used secondary data from their previous research work and attempted to develop few strategic models through their feasibility studies for metal sustainability.
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Mohsen Salehi Doolabi, Sayed Khatiboleslam Sadrnezhaad and Davood Salehi Doolabi
– The main aim of this study was to improve current efficiency and to obtain thicker coatings via aluminum oxide (Al2O3) addition to the chromium (Cr) (III) bath.
Abstract
Purpose
The main aim of this study was to improve current efficiency and to obtain thicker coatings via aluminum oxide (Al2O3) addition to the chromium (Cr) (III) bath.
Design/methodology/approach
Pure Cr and nanocomposite Cr–Al2O3 coatings were electrodeposited from Cr (III) bath onto cathode copper substrates by conventional method. Dependence of current efficiency to current density, Al2O3 content and particle size were investigated.
Findings
Current efficiency increased with Al2O3 amount and decreased with Al2O3 particle size. Maximum current efficiency was achieved at 25 A/dm2 for pure Cr and 30 A/dm2 for composite coatings. Al2O3 bath content, current density and stirring rate increased the coating Al2O3 weight per cent significantly. Addition of Al3+ bath composition inhibited nanoparticle agglomeration, increasing film homogeneity. Cr–Al2O3 nanocomposites showed higher microhardness and better corrosion resistance than pure Cr layer.
Originality/value
Cr (III) is not as toxic and as carcinogenic as Cr (VI) which is widely used for Cr electroplating these days. Low current efficiency and poor product quality are, however, major drawbacks of the former. This paper describes significant improvements obtainable by addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles to the Cr (III) bath for increasing the microhardness, the corrosion resistance and the current efficiency of the deposition.
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Vikas Chaudhary, Gunnar Jacks and Jan‐Erik Gustafsson
Water is a basic human need, a finite life support system and a key to prosperity. Unplanned industrialisation, urbanisation and impact of liberalised import of wastes intended…
Abstract
Water is a basic human need, a finite life support system and a key to prosperity. Unplanned industrialisation, urbanisation and impact of liberalised import of wastes intended for recycling have negatively affected the water environments in India. This is further exaggerated by lack of discipline and a weak obligation towards conservation and pollution prevention. Measures have to be especially taken to resolve the groundwater problems. While groundwater resources are quite well assessed, overexploitation still occurs frequently. There has been a considerable lack in implementing existing policies as well as developing new laws and policies. To mitigate the problems, co‐operation needs to be mobilised at all levels of the federal set up with the stakeholders and the people at the lowest appropriate level concerning planning and decision making. Water must be considered as a national asset and a basic human right to be provided to citizens in proper quantity and safe quality with equity and fairness amongst the users.
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Khalil Idrissi Gartoumi, Mohamed Aboussaleh and Smail Zaki
This paper aims to explore a framework for implementing Lean Construction (LC) to provide corrective actions for quality defects, customer dissatisfaction and value creation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore a framework for implementing Lean Construction (LC) to provide corrective actions for quality defects, customer dissatisfaction and value creation during the construction of megaprojects.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a case study involving the construction of the Mohamed VI Tower in Morocco. It is the tallest tower in Africa, with 55 floors and a total height of 250 m. This study of the quality of the work and the involvement of the LC was carried out using the Define–Measure–Analysis–Improve–Control approach from Lean six sigma. It describes the Critical to Quality and analyses the root causes of quality defects, customer dissatisfaction and variation in the quality process.
Findings
Firstly, the results of this study map the causal factors of lack of quality as established in the literature. Secondly, the LC tools have reduced non-value-added sources of quality waste and, consequently, improved critical quality indicators.
Research limitations/implications
This document focuses on one part of the tower’s construction and is limited to a project case in a country where LC is rarely used.
Originality/value
This study reinforces the literature reviews, surveys and the small number of case studies that have validated the potential of LC and further clarifies future directions for the practical emergence of this quality improvement approach, especially for large-scale projects.
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Ahmed Ebrahim Abu El-Maaty, Amr M. El-Kholy and Ahmed Yousry Akal
Modeling represents the art of translating problems from an application area into tractable mathematical formulations whose theoretical and numerical analysis provides insight…
Abstract
Purpose
Modeling represents the art of translating problems from an application area into tractable mathematical formulations whose theoretical and numerical analysis provides insight, answers and guidance useful for the originating application. The purpose of this paper is to determine the causal causes of schedule overrun and cost escalation of highway projects in Egypt in order to be used as independents variables in mathematical models for predicting the percentages of schedule overrun and cost escalation of such projects in Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of a randomly selected samples yielded responses from 40 owners, 15 consultants and 56 contractors. The survey includes 38 schedule overrun factors and 26 cost escalation factors. The effectiveness degree of the identified factors has been identified by the triangle fuzzy approach.
Findings
The results of the survey show that “contractor’s technical staff is insufficient and ineligible to accomplish the project” is the most important cause of schedule overrun, while the major cause of cost escalation is inadequate preparation of the project concerning planning and execution.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this study is predicting the percentages of schedule overrun and cost escalation of highway projects in Egypt. Through the application of the linear regression analysis method and statistical fuzzy theory, four predictive models have been developed and it has been noted that the linear regression-based model shows prediction accuracy better than statistical fuzzy-based model in predicting percentages of schedule overrun and cost escalation.
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Mingyang Liu, Guangjun Gao, Huifen Zhu and Chen Jiang
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of solving turbulent flows based on smoothed finite element method (S-FEM). Then, the differences between S-FEM and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of solving turbulent flows based on smoothed finite element method (S-FEM). Then, the differences between S-FEM and finite element method (FEM) in dealing with turbulent flows are compared.
Design/methodology/approach
The stabilization scheme, the streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin stabilization is coupled with stabilized pressure gradient projection in the fractional step framework. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with standard k-epsilon model are selected to solve turbulent flows based on S-FEM and FEM. Standard wall functions are applied to predict boundary layer profiles.
Findings
This paper explores a completely new application of S-FEM on turbulent flows. The adopted stabilization scheme presents a good performance on stabilizing the flows, especially for very high Reynolds numbers flows. An advantage of S-FEM is found in applying wall functions comparing with FEM. The differences between S-FEM and FEM have been investigated.
Research limitations/implications
The research in this work is limited to the two-dimensional incompressible turbulent flow.
Practical implications
The verification and validation of a new combination are conducted by several numerical examples. The new combination could be used to deal with more complicated turbulent flows.
Social implications
The applications of the new combination to study basic and complex turbulent flow are also presented, which demonstrates its potential to solve more turbulent flows in nature and engineering.
Originality/value
This work carries out a great extension of S-FEM in simulations of fluid dynamics. The new combination is verified to be very effective in handling turbulent flows. The performances of S-FEM and FEM on turbulent flows were analyzed by several numerical examples. Superior results were found compared with existing results and experiments. Meanwhile, S-FEM has an advantage of accuracy in predicting boundary layer profile.
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