Uncertain Multi-Criteria Optimization Problems

Most real-world search and optimization problems naturally involve multiple criteria as objectives. Generally, symmetry, asymmetry, and anti-symmetry are basic characteristics of binary relationships used when modeling optimization problems. Moreover, the notion of symmetry has appeared in many articles about uncertainty theories that are employed in multi-criteria problems. Different solutions may produce trade-offs (conflicting scenarios) among different objectives. A better solution with respect to one objective may compromise other objectives. There are various factors that need to be considered to address the problems in multidisciplinary research, which is critical for the overall sustainability of human development and activity. In this regard, in recent decades, decision-making theory has been the subject of intense research activities due to its wide applications in different areas. The decision-making theory approach has become an important means to provide real-time solutions to uncertainty problems. Theories such as probability theory, fuzzy set theory, type-2 fuzzy set theory, rough set, and uncertainty theory, available in the existing literature, deal with such uncertainties. Nevertheless, the uncertain multi-criteria characteristics in such problems have not yet been explored in depth, and there is much left to be achieved in this direction. Hence, different mathematical models of real-life multi-criteria optimization problems can be developed in various uncertain frameworks with special emphasis on optimization problems

Procedures and Methodologies for the Control and Improvement of Energy-Environmental Quality in Construction

This Special Issue aims at providing the state-of-the-art on procedures and methodologies developed to improve energy and environmental performance through building renovation. We are greatly thankful to our colleagues building physics experts, building technology researchers, and urban environment scholars who contributed to this Special Issue, for sharing their original works in the field

Multiple perspectives and hierarchical decision modelling applied to emerging technology used in the artisanal mining and small scale processing of sandstones in QwaQwa

Abstract: The objective of this research was to develop a decision model enabling a comprehensive, multi-perspective assessment of artisanal sandstone mining using a solar-energy-activated microwave. The multiple perspectives used included social, technological, economical, environmental, and political dimensions. The influence of the latter was judged against the mining operations and processes as well as the responses from the QwaQwa community. Each perspective consisted of multiple factors used to make a credible decision...D.Phil. (Engineering Management

A Framework for Selecting Multi-Attribute Optimal Renewable Energy Driven Desalination Architectures

The World is drifting into a near-future of unprecedented water resource management challenges. Growing water demand is projected to be met by limited, unpredictable, and in many locations shifting freshwater resources. Near-future populations are projected to face widespread water stress, most immediately and severely encountered in the form of hydrological drought. Desalination systems offer resilience in the form of additional water supplies which are insensitive to drought. However, desalination systems are currently limited by their costs, water inefficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy requirements, and quality and environmental impacts, and are thus not used on the wider scale necessary to appropriately mitigate the risk of projected water stress. This work aimed to help overcome desalination’s core barriers to adoption by introducing an original framework for the quantitative performance-based selection of multi-attribute optimal desalination architectures. This framework enables an expansive desalination architecture design space exploration across both desalting and energy subsystems. Desalination architectures were valuated by mapping their barriers to adoption to their quantifiable performance attributes: cost, GHG emissions, and freshwater recovery. A superstructure flowsheet model was constructed to include reverse osmosis, multi-stage flash, multi-effect distillation, and thermal vapor compression desalting technologies. This model was situated inside of an optimization routine and used to both explore an unprecedented desalting design space and to identify designs which often outperformed those identified in similar efforts. An individual desalination architecture alternative in this work is defined as any desalting subsystem alternative connected to an optimal energy subsystem. An energy system model was therefore constructed to include photovoltaic arrays, wind energy converters, concentrated solar power plants, battery energy storage, and a connection to a conventional electrical grid and steam generator. Incorporating renewable energy sources (RES) enabled the identification of energy subsystems which lowered cost, GHG emissions, and water consumption compared to traditional grid and dedicated steam generation systems. High speed metamodels were successfully used to represent the full energy system model in order to make desalination architecture evaluation and optimization exercises computationally tenable. The full desalination architecture evaluation environment, consisting of the integrated desalting and energy subsystem models, was situated within an optimization routine. Cost-driven optimization exercises consistently identified RES-driven desalination alternatives which outperformed conventional alternatives identified in similar efforts. In addition, multiple cases were demonstrated wherein the simultaneous consideration of both energy and desalting subsystem performance in desalination architecture optimization exercises identified alternatives which were uncompetitive using the traditional selection approach. This thesis effort provides decision makers with a quantitative performance-based, tailorable framework for rapidly exploring the desalination architecture design space and selecting multi-attribute optimal systems regarding their unique preferences and system requirements. The constructed framework is flexible enough to accommodate different optimization and decision making techniques, and approaches are discussed for incorporating additional technologies into the desalting and energy subsystem modeling environments. This quantitative architecture selection framework, specifically its capability in allowing novel architectural and conceptual trades, is the core outcome of this work.Ph.D

Renewable Energies for Sustainable Development

In the current scenario in which climate change dominates our lives and in which we all need to combat and drastically reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, renewable energies play key roles as present and future energy sources. Renewable energies vary across a wide range, and therefore, there are related studies for each type of energy. This Special Issue is composed of studies integrating the latest research innovations and knowledge focused on all types of renewable energy: onshore and offshore wind, photovoltaic, solar, biomass, geothermal, waves, tides, hydro, etc. Authors were invited submit review and research papers focused on energy resource estimation, all types of TRL converters, civil infrastructure, electrical connection, environmental studies, licensing and development of facilities, construction, operation and maintenance, mechanical and structural analysis, new materials for these facilities, etc. Analyses of a combination of several renewable energies as well as storage systems to progress the development of these sustainable energies were welcomed

Management, Technology and Learning for Individuals, Organisations and Society in Turbulent Environments

This book presents the collection of fifty papers which were presented in the Second International Conference on BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY 2011 - Management, Technology and Learning for Individuals, Organisations and Society in Turbulent Environments , held in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal, from 22ndto 24thof June, 2011.The main motive of the meeting was growing awareness of the importance of the sustainability issue. This importance had emerged from the growing uncertainty of the market behaviour that leads to the characterization of the market, i.e. environment, as turbulent. Actually, the characterization of the environment as uncertain and turbulent reflects the fact that the traditional technocratic and/or socio-technical approaches cannot effectively and efficiently lead with the present situation. In other words, the rise of the sustainability issue means the quest for new instruments to deal with uncertainty and/or turbulence. The sustainability issue has a complex nature and solutions are sought in a wide range of domains and instruments to achieve and manage it. The domains range from environmental sustainability (referring to natural environment) through organisational and business sustainability towards social sustainability. Concerning the instruments for sustainability, they range from traditional engineering and management methodologies towards “soft” instruments such as knowledge, learning, and creativity. The papers in this book address virtually whole sustainability problems space in a greater or lesser extent. However, although the uncertainty and/or turbulence, or in other words the dynamic properties, come from coupling of management, technology, learning, individuals, organisations and society, meaning that everything is at the same time effect and cause, we wanted to put the emphasis on business with the intention to address primarily companies and their businesses. Due to this reason, the main title of the book is “Business Sustainability 2.0” but with the approach of coupling Management, Technology and Learning for individuals, organisations and society in Turbulent Environments. Also, the notation“2.0” is to promote the publication as a step further from our previous publication – “Business Sustainability I” – as would be for a new version of software. Concerning the Second International Conference on BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, its particularity was that it had served primarily as a learning environment in which the papers published in this book were the ground for further individual and collective growth in understanding and perception of sustainability and capacity for building new instruments for business sustainability. In that respect, the methodology of the conference work was basically dialogical, meaning promoting dialog on the papers, but also including formal paper presentations. In this way, the conference presented a rich space for satisfying different authors’ and participants’ needs. Additionally, promoting the widest and global learning environment and participation, in accordance with the Conference's assumed mission to promote Proactive Generative Collaborative Learning, the Conference Organisation shares/puts open to the community the papers presented in this book, as well as the papers presented on the previous Conference(s). These papers can be accessed from the conference webpage (http://labve.dps.uminho.pt/bs11). In these terms, this book could also be understood as a complementary instrument to the Conference authors’ and participants’, but also to the wider readerships’ interested in the sustainability issues. The book brought together 107 authors from 11 countries, namely from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, and United States of America. The authors “ranged” from senior and renowned scientists to young researchers providing a rich and learning environment. At the end, the editors hope, and would like, that this book to be useful, meeting the expectation of the authors and wider readership and serving for enhancing the individual and collective learning, and to incentive further scientific development and creation of new papers. Also, the editors would use this opportunity to announce the intention to continue with new editions of the conference and subsequent editions of accompanying books on the subject of BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, the third of which is planned for year 2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center technical publications announced in 1986

This compilation of abstracts describes and indexes the technical reporting that resulted from the scientific and engineering work performed and managed by the Lewis Research Center in 1986. All the publications were announced in the 1986 issues of Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) and/or International Aerospace Abstracts (IAA). Included are research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses