A framework for the selection of the right nuclear power plant

Civil nuclear reactors are used for the production of electrical energy. In the nuclear industry vendors propose several nuclear reactor designs with a size from 35–45 MWe up to 1600–1700 MWe. The choice of the right design is a multidimensional problem since a utility has to include not only financial factors as levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) and internal rate of return (IRR), but also the so called “external factors” like the required spinning reserve, the impact on local industry and the social acceptability. Therefore it is necessary to balance advantages and disadvantages of each design during the entire life cycle of the plant, usually 40–60 years. In the scientific literature there are several techniques for solving this multidimensional problem. Unfortunately it does not seem possible to apply these methodologies as they are, since the problem is too complex and it is difficult to provide consistent and trustworthy expert judgments. This paper fills the gap, proposing a two-step framework to choosing the best nuclear reactor at the pre-feasibility study phase. The paper shows in detail how to use the methodology, comparing the choice of a small-medium reactor (SMR) with a large reactor (LR), characterised, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (2006), by an electrical output respectively lower and higher than 700 MWe

Three Decades of Fuzzy AHP: A Bibliometric Analysis

[EN] For decades, Fuzzy Sets Theory (FST) has been consistently developed, and its use has spread across multiple disciplines. In this process of knowledge transfer, fuzzy applications have experienced great diffusion. Among them, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (fuzzy AHP) is one of the most widely used methodologies today. This study performs a systematic review following the PRISMA statement and addresses a bibliometric analysis of all articles published on fuzzy AHP in journals indexed in Web of Science, specifically in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). The analyzed database includes 2086 articles published between 1994 and 2022. The results show the thematic clusters, the evolution of the academic conversation and the main collaboration networks. The main contribution of this article is to clarify the research agenda on fuzzy AHP. The results of the study allow academics to detect publication opportunities. In addition, the evidence found allows researchers and academics setting the field¿s agenda to advise the editors of high-impact journals on gaps and new research trends.Castello-Sirvent, F.; Meneses-Eraso, C.; Alonso-Gómez, J.; Peris-Ortiz, M. (2022). Three Decades of Fuzzy AHP: A Bibliometric Analysis. Axioms. 11(10):1-34. https://doi.org/10.3390/axioms11100525134111

A review of application of multi-criteria decision making methods in construction

Construction is an area of study wherein making decisions adequately can mean the difference between success and failure. Moreover, most of the activities belonging to this sector involve taking into account a large number of conflicting aspects, which hinders their management as a whole. Multi-criteria decision making analysis arose to model complex problems like these. This paper reviews the application of 22 different methods belonging to this discipline in various areas of the construction industry clustered in 11 categories. The most significant methods are briefly discussed, pointing out their principal strengths and limitations. Furthermore, the data gathered while performing the paper are statistically analysed to identify different trends concerning the use of these techniques. The review shows their usefulness in characterizing very different decision making environments, highlighting the reliability acquired by the most pragmatic and widespread methods and the emergent tendency to use some of them in combination

A Review on Fuzzy - AHP technique in Environmental Impact Assessment of Construction Projects, India

There are several countries today using procedures for Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is based on a series of mathematical techniques which attempt to localize, describe and assess the positive and negative effects that any human activity has on our environment, generally causing it to deteriorate. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) of projects requires the evaluation of the effects of very diverse actions on a number of different environmental factors, the uncertainty and inaccuracy being inherent in the process of allocating values to environmental impacts carried out by a panel of experts, stakeholders and affected population. The application of the fuzzy Logic and AHP technique can be helpful in identification of the risk associated with construction or developing project and improves the study of EIA. Fuzzy is one of the characteristics of human thoughts for which fuzzy sets theory is an effective tool for fuzziness. A fuzzy logic knowledge-based approach can be used for the environmental impact assessment study of the different construction projects. The review article highlights the role of Fuzzy AHP logic method in EIA of different construction projects, fuzzy logic modeling - software for fuzzy EIA, fuzzy numbers and steps of fuzzy methods as well as reveals that how fuzziness can be determined by applying fuzzy logic method in construction projects

A comparative study of multiple-criteria decision-making methods under stochastic inputs

This paper presents an application and extension of multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to account for stochastic input variables. More in particular, a comparative study is carried out among well-known and widely-applied methods in MCDM, when applied to the reference problem of the selection of wind turbine support structures for a given deployment location. Along with data from industrial experts, six deterministic MCDM methods are studied, so as to determine the best alternative among the available options, assessed against selected criteria with a view toward assigning confidence levels to each option. Following an overview of the literature around MCDM problems, the best practice implementation of each method is presented aiming to assist stakeholders and decision-makers to support decisions in real-world applications, where many and often conflicting criteria are present within uncertain environments. The outcomes of this research highlight that more sophisticated methods, such as technique for the order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) and Preference Ranking Organization method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE), better predict the optimum design alternative

VIKOR Technique:A Systematic Review of the State of the Art Literature on Methodologies and Applications

The main objective of this paper is to present a systematic review of the VlseKriterijuska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method in several application areas such as sustainability and renewable energy. This study reviewed a total of 176 papers, published in 2004 to 2015, from 83 high-ranking journals; most of which were related to Operational Research, Management Sciences, decision making, sustainability and renewable energy and were extracted from the “Web of Science and Scopus” databases. Papers were classified into 15 main application areas. Furthermore, papers were categorized based on the nationalities of authors, dates of publications, techniques and methods, type of studies, the names of the journals and studies purposes. The results of this study indicated that more papers on VIKOR technique were published in 2013 than in any other year. In addition, 13 papers were published about sustainability and renewable energy fields. Furthermore, VIKOR and fuzzy VIKOR methods, had the first rank in use. Additionally, the Journal of Expert Systems with Applications was the most significant journal in this study, with 27 publications on the topic. Finally, Taiwan had the first rank from 22 nationalities which used VIKOR technique

An overview of multi-criteria decision-making methods in dealing with sustainable energy development issues

© 2018 by the authors. The measurement of sustainability is actively used today as one of the main preventative instruments in order to reduce the decline of the environment. Sustainable decision-making in solving energy issues can be supported and contradictory effects can be evaluated by scientific achievements of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. The main goal of this paper is to overview the application of decision-making methods in dealing with sustainable energy development issues. In this study, 105 published papers from the Web of Science Core Collection (WSCC) database are selected and reviewed, from 2004 to 2017, related to energy sustainability issues and MCDM methods. All the selected papers were categorized into 9 fields by the application area and into 10 fields by the used method. After the categorization of the scientific articles and detailed analysis, SWOT analysis of MCDM approaches in dealing with sustainable energy development issues is provided. The widespread application and use of MCDM methods confirm that MCDM methods can help decision-makers in solving energy sustainability problems and are highly popular and used in practice

The importance of BIM capability assessment: An evaluation of post-selection performance of organisations on construction projects

Purpose: The emergence of building information modelling (BIM) has led to the need for pre-qualification and selection of organisations capable of working within a BIM environment. Several criteria have been proposed for the assessment of an organisation’s BIM capability during the pre-qualification and selection phase of projects. However, no studies have sought to empirically establish whether organisations selected on the basis of such criteria have actually been the most successful at delivering BIM on projects. The purpose of this paper is to address the aforementioned gap through a comparison of predicted BIM capability and post-selection performance. Design/methodology/approach: BIM capability of firms in a case study was predicted using 28 BIM pre-qualification and selection criteria, prioritised based on their perceived contribution to BIM delivery success from a survey of practitioners on BIM-enabled projects. The comparison of predicted BIM capability and post-selection performance was, on the other hand, achieved through the application of the Technique to Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution and fuzzy sets theory (Fuzzy-TOPSIS). Findings: Findings underscore the reliability of the 28 BIM pre-qualification and selection criteria as well as the priority weightings proposed for their use in predicting BIM capability and likelihood of performance. The findings have highlighted the importance of criteria related as previous BIM use experience as well as information processing maturity as critical indicators of the capability of organisations, particularly design firms. Originality/value: Overall, the findings highlight the need for prioritisation of BIM pre-qualification and selection criteria on the basis of their actual contribution to delivery success from post-selection evaluation of performance

Multi-criteria decision making with fuzzy TOPSIS:a case study in Bangladesh for selection of facility location

Abstract. The choice of an ideal facility location becomes essential as businesses work to streamline their processes and increase efficiency. In this study, the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is applied to choose the best facility location for Rokomari.com, a well-known Bangladeshi online book seller. The goal is to compare Fuzzy TOPSIS’ effectiveness and efficiency to expert judgment when choosing a facility location. The research begins by examining the existing fulfillment center of Rokomari.com located in Motijheel, south Dhaka, and the company’s desire to establish a new branch in north Dhaka for faster service expansion. Eleven potential alternatives are evaluated using the Fuzzy TOPSIS method, which incorporates fuzzy set theory to represent criteria values and preferences as fuzzy numbers. This approach enables the consideration of uncertainty and vagueness in decision-making, offering a more comprehensive evaluation of the facility location alternatives. The study incorporates the expert opinion of four managerial experts from Rokomari.com in addition to the Fuzzy TOPSIS analysis. To gain a thorough understanding of the decision-making process, their observations and viewpoints are contrasted with the Fuzzy TOPSIS findings. The study aims to compare the analyses produced by Fuzzy TOPSIS and expert judgment in order to assess the efficacy and efficiency of each method for choosing a facility location. The results of this study offer insightful information about the use of Fuzzy TOPSIS in the context of choosing a facility location. Additionally, it adds to the body of knowledge by contrasting the results of Fuzzy TOPSIS with professional judgment, highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of each method. The outcomes can help decision-makers at Rokomari.com and other comparable organizations choose a facility location in a knowledgeable and efficient manner