Green Technologies for Production Processes

This book focuses on original research works about Green Technologies for Production Processes, including discrete production processes and process production processes, from various aspects that tackle product, process, and system issues in production. The aim is to report the state-of-the-art on relevant research topics and highlight the barriers, challenges, and opportunities we are facing. This book includes 22 research papers and involves energy-saving and waste reduction in production processes, design and manufacturing of green products, low carbon manufacturing and remanufacturing, management and policy for sustainable production, technologies of mitigating CO2 emissions, and other green technologies

Cyber-Physical Threat Intelligence for Critical Infrastructures Security

Modern critical infrastructures comprise of many interconnected cyber and physical assets, and as such are large scale cyber-physical systems. Hence, the conventional approach of securing these infrastructures by addressing cyber security and physical security separately is no longer effective. Rather more integrated approaches that address the security of cyber and physical assets at the same time are required. This book presents integrated (i.e. cyber and physical) security approaches and technologies for the critical infrastructures that underpin our societies. Specifically, it introduces advanced techniques for threat detection, risk assessment and security information sharing, based on leading edge technologies like machine learning, security knowledge modelling, IoT security and distributed ledger infrastructures. Likewise, it presets how established security technologies like Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), pen-testing, vulnerability assessment and security data analytics can be used in the context of integrated Critical Infrastructure Protection. The novel methods and techniques of the book are exemplified in case studies involving critical infrastructures in four industrial sectors, namely finance, healthcare, energy and communications. The peculiarities of critical infrastructure protection in each one of these sectors is discussed and addressed based on sector-specific solutions. The advent of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) is expected to increase the cyber-physical nature of critical infrastructures as well as their interconnection in the scope of sectorial and cross-sector value chains. Therefore, the demand for solutions that foster the interplay between cyber and physical security, and enable Cyber-Physical Threat Intelligence is likely to explode. In this book, we have shed light on the structure of such integrated security systems, as well as on the technologies that will underpin their operation. We hope that Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection stakeholders will find the book useful when planning their future security strategies

Cyber defensive capacity and capability::A perspective from the financial sector of a small state

This thesis explores ways in which the financial sectors of small states are able todefend themselves against ever-growing cyber threats, as well as ways these states can improve their cyber defense capability in order to withstand current andfuture attacks. To date, the context of small states in general is understudied. This study presents the challenges faced by financial sectors in small states with regard to withstanding cyberattacks. This study applies a mixed method approach through the use of various surveys, brainstorming sessions with financial sector focus groups, interviews with critical infrastructure stakeholders, a literature review, a comparative analysis of secondary data and a theoretical narrative review. The findings suggest that, for the Aruban financial sector, compliance is important, as with minimal drivers, precautionary behavior is significant. Countermeasures of formal, informal, and technical controls need to be in place. This study indicates the view that defending a small state such as Aruba is challenging, yet enough economic indicators indicate it not being outside the realm of possibility. On a theoretical level, this thesis proposes a conceptual “whole-of-cyber” model inspired by military science and the VSM (Viable Systems Model). The concept of fighting power components and governance S4 function form cyber defensive capacity’s shield and capability. The “whole-of-cyber” approach may be a good way to compensate for the lack of resources of small states. Collaboration may be an only out, as the fastest-growing need will be for advanced IT skillsets

Life cycle cost risk calculator for green highway criteria

The negative perception of the high initial cost of investment in green characteristics into buildings or infrastructure projects is a stigma for project developers when adopting sustainable construction. A green project must ascertain the long-term cost benefits during the project viability stage. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis is a method introduced to highlight the return of investment and cost risks that possibly encounter during the life span of the buildings or infrastructures. Besides green building, "green highway" or "green road" is among the emerging concern in sustainable construction. The establishment of Green Highway & Road (H&R) Rating Tools such as Malaysia Green Highway Index (MyGHI), offers multi-criteria of sustainable initiatives that count towards the score of the green certification of H&R. The decision to implement sustainable initiatives implementation raises questions about the cost risk of the investment. This research aims to develop Life Cycle Cost Risk Calculator (LCC-RC) for green highway criteria as a decision-making support for the green cost benefits and prediction of risk analysis. This research used the highways certified by MyGHI to identify relationships between LCC components and the green highway’s measurable criteria. The subject of cost benefit and risk analysis was based on risk associated with the green criteria of Energy Efficiency (EE) only. A questionnaire survey of 65 respondents was conducted. Friedman's Test and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient Analysis were used to validate LCC component, and the correlation was used in LCC-RC. The results show the average total LCC of RM481,156 for a green highway project and its energy efficiency green criteria cost have a positive and significant relationship except for capital, maintenance, and replacement costs. Risk contingency costs have the strongest positive relationship (0.29, p <0.005). The results of the calculator portray the descriptive statistical summary of the calculated LCC analysis, along with the simulation output chart. The electrical system of LED street lighting data from LED lantern manufacturer in Malaysia was selected to test the LCC-RC. The User Acceptance Test (UAT) resulted in agreement that the LCC-RC is a unique and user-friendly tool. It was also agreed that LCC-RC supports the decision-making for green H&R projects by accumulating the total LCC of green criteria investment. This research innovation is novel in terms of an alternative for reducing the negative perception of green highways. The LCCRC also exceptionally facilitates decision-making, hence, aiding the H&R stakeholders in foreseeing the green highway cost benefits and risks evaluation

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia

Smart grid analysis with particular references to power quality and load forecast

The electricity industry was designed more than 50 years ago when the load and generation was less, now we are in the information age with a digital society where the demand is very high, this has forced the electricity infrastructure to its limits which was not designed for, in addition, the electricity demand continues to grow. So the focus of the question becomes what we need to do from technology prospective to meet that growing demand for electricity, and do it in a way that we don't create a greater carbon footprint. Smart grid is the next generation of the electricity infrastructure based on the optimisation of the current system in all levels. Since the current system is facing various problems from increasing disturbances, system is operating on the limit, aging equipments, load change etc. therefore an improvement is essential to minimize these problems. To enhance the current system and resolve the issues that it's facing, Smart grid must have the right tools to solve it and reduce it. First of all, this thesis gives a brief concept of smart grid and summarizes many issues about smart grid, such as strategy planning, drivers for develop the Smart Grid, key characteristics, technologies of the Smart Grid, benefits in implementing Smart Grid, key Challenges, implementation sequence. And then this thesis discusses smart metering system and its standards. Secondly, this thesis reports on development of a new approach to deal with power quality problem. Wavelet Transform (WT) is used for the new approach. Complex Morlet Wavelet (CMW) is selected for the new approach introduced in this thesis. The proposed algorithm is able to identify all harmonic components including integer, non-integer and sub-harmonics. Comparing with DFT, the proposed algorithm achieves exact estimation of the harmonic frequency. Thirdly, reports on the development of a WT-based dynamic waveform reconstruction algorithm which is able to identify amplitude variations of harmonic components of the distorted waveform in the examined period. At last, this thesis reports a new Wavelet-GA-ANN based hybrid model for accurate prediction of short-term load forecast. Finally, the conclusions and future work will be given

Adaptation of domestic state governance to international governance models

The purpose of the article is to provide the evolving international trends of modern management models and authorial vision of model of state governance system in Ukraine, its subsystems, in particular, the system of provision of administrative services that is appropriate for the contemporary times. Methodology. On the basis of scientific and theoretical approaches to the definitions of terms “state governance” and “public governance”, there was an explanation of considerable difference between them and, taking into consideration, the mentality of Ukrainian society and peculiar weak side in self-organization, the authors offered to form authorial model of governance on the basis of historically traditional for Ukraine model of state governance and to add some elements of management concepts that proved their significance, efficiency and priority in practice. Results. The authors emphasized the following two prevailing modern management models in the international practice: “new state management” and “good governance”. The first concept offered for consideration served as a basis for the semantic content of state activity that reflects more the state of administrative reformation. Practical meaning. A practical introduction of management to the domestic model of governance creates the range of contradictions that do not allow implementing herein concept. Pursuant to authors, the second one allows in considerable measure to reform state governance, considering historically developed peculiarities of this model. Moreover, the involvement of concept herein into introduction of informational and communicational technologies in the process of governance eliminates the necessity of power decentralization, it allows to form real net structure and, at the same, to keep vertical power structure, to involve citizens for formation and taking of management decisions, to form electronic communicational channel of feedback, to provide citizens with electronic administrative services. All indicated advantages of the concept certify about the necessity to reform state governance exactly in this field. Meaning/ Distinction. This article raises a question about the significance of formation and sequence of state policy in Ukraine aimed at creating an information-oriented society, space, as well as informational and technological infrastructure