Ant Algorithm for AP-N Aimed at Optimization of Complex Systems

Assignment Problem (AP), which is well known combinatorial problem, has been studied extensively in the course of many operational and technical researches. It has been shown to be NP-hard for three or more dimensions and a few non-deterministic methods have been proposed to solve it. This paper pays attention on new heuristic search method for the n-dimensional assignment problem, based on swarm intelligence and comparing results with those obtained by other scientists. It indicates possible direction of solutions of problems and presents a way of behaviour using ant algorithm for multidimensional optimization complex systems. Results of researches in the form of computational simulations outcomes are presented

Energy Demand Patterns in an Office Building: A Case Study in Kraków (Southern Poland)

Office buildings play a significant role in shaping the current electricity demand and its trends. Their energy demand patterns impact the power system operation on a national and regional level. What is more, both (office buildings and the power system) are also simultaneously influenced by meteorological parameters. Considering the above, the aim of this paper is to analyze a three-year hourly energy demand time series recorded in a relatively large office building in Kraków (Southern Poland). This paper will fill a gap in the literature as there is a lack of evidence from Central European countries in the area of office buildings’ energy demand and its relationship with meteorological parameters. The data was obtained from a local electricity provider whereas meteorological parameters came from weather station and satellite measurements. The analyses focused on determining the typical weekly and daily demand patterns as well as on investigating the correlation between meteorological parameters (wind speed, irradiation, humidity, and air temperature) and observed energy consumption. To estimate the correlation between investigated variables, a Pearson coefficient of correlation was used. For distinguishing typical load patterns, a k-means clustering method was applied. The relationship between meteorological parameters and load was also tested based on multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicated that energy demand had a relatively strong positive correlation with irradiation and with temperature and a negative one with humidity. The correlation with wind speed was not greater than 0.25. Dividing the data into three subsets shows that energy demand generally exhibits a stronger correlation with meteorological parameters on working days. Additionally, clustering analysis has shown that it is possible to distinguish three typical daily patterns of energy demand and meteorological parameters that correspond to a hot/warm day, cold days and days that are intermediary between those two. The regression analysis showed that meteorological parameters can explain/model a significant part of the load variability (up to 50%) although the quality of such models is relatively poor (in terms of mean absolute percentage error the best model exhibited a value of 16%). The results of this study can be used as a benchmark for similar office buildings that received the same level of sustainability certification, or in the future analysis of climate change impact on power demand

Methodology of hospital security assessment using logical trees

Tyt. z nagłówka.Bibliogr. s. 467.Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.STRESZCZENIE: W dzisiejszej, niebezpiecznej rzeczywistości, kiedy rośnie groźba zaistnienia wszelkiego rodzaju ataków, skierowanych przeciwko pokojowo nastawionej ludności, a coraz to nowe choroby i epidemie wybuchają z większą częstotliwością i siłą, rośnie potrzeba wysokiej dbałości o bezpieczeństwo w budynkach użyteczności publicznej, zwłaszcza służby zdrowia. Niniejsza praca pokazuje metodę szacowania stopnia bezpieczeństwa szpitala w oparciu o strefy sanitarne, prezentując użyty do tego celu nowatorski, elastyczny model macierzowy. SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: szpital, ocena bezpieczeństwa, budynek inteligentny. ABSTRACT: Nowadays, in dangerous reality, when various attacks' threats aimed at peacefully minded people are growing and to it more and more new illnesses and even epidemics are appearing rapidly and with greater strength than before, there is a pretty greater need for high security maintenance inside buildings, especially inside buildings of health service. This paper describes a method of hospital security assessment using sanitary zones division and logical trees and also presents innovative matrix model dedicated to this end. KEYWORDS: hospital, security assessment, intelligent building

Ant algorithm for AP-N aimed at optimization of complex systems

Tyt. z nagłówka.Bibliogr. s. 36.Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.ABSTRACT: Assignment Problem (AP), which is well known combinatorial problem, has been studied extensively in the course of many operational and technical researches. It has been shown to be NP-hard for three or more dimensions and a few non-deterministic methods have been proposed to solve it. This paper pays attention on new heuristic search method for the n-dimensional assignment problem, based on swarm intelligence and comparing results with those obtained by other scientists. It indicates possible direction of solutions of problems and presents a way of behaviour using ant algorithm for multidimensional optimization complex systems. Results of researches in the form of computational simulations outcomes are presented. KEYWORDS: assignment problem, ant algorithm, optimization

Energy Production from Biodegradable Waste as an Example of the Circular Economy

A growing population, technological progress and economic development result in a constant increase in energy demand. Energy is mostly obtained from fossil energy resources such as coal, natural gas, and crude oil. Burning them leads to air pollution with greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, NH3 and N2O) and dust (PM2.5 and PM10). They are recognized as the cause of global warming and air pollution. Wind, water, solar and biomass energy are used to eliminate harmful emissions. The latter may come from special plant crops or from biodegradable waste from farming, animal husbandry, the agrifood industry and households. These wastes are transformed into biogas in biogas plants, the basic ingredient of which is methane. Most often, biogas is burned in a cogeneration process, providing electricity and heat. After purification of admixtures, it can be injected into the high-methane gas network or converted into hydrogen in the steam reforming process. In this way, environmentally harmful waste becomes a raw material for energy production, which is an example of a circular economy. The article discusses the functioning of biogas plants in selected EU countries. The current biogas production in Poland was assessed and compared with the production potential of dairy farms. The aim of this article was to show that the production of biogas reduces the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the electricity produced from it is not burdened with the cost of purchasing CO2 emission allowances applicable in the EU

The opportunities for using autonomous vehicles in the daily lives of blind and partially sighted people

Pojazdy autonomiczne to jeden z wiodących trendów technologicznych początku XXI wieku. Zmiana w sposobie myślenia o przemieszczaniu się w przestrzeni miejskiej otwiera nowe możliwości użytkowe. Jedną z grup, dla których wykorzystanie pojazdów autonomicznych może mieć szczególne znaczenie, są osoby niewidome oraz niedowidzące. Dysfunkcja narządu wzroku, która dotychczas całkowicie wykluczała ich z grupy użytkowników samochodów, może okazać się nieistotna w przypadku korzystania z pojazdu autonomicznego. Kluczem do udanego procesu użytkowego pomiędzy niewidomym użytkownikiem a autonomicznym pojazdem staje się sposób kontroli oraz wymiany informacji pomiędzy nimi. Technologia pojazdów autonomicznych będzie znacząco zmieniać branżę motoryzacyjną. Wdrażanie coraz większego poziomu automatyzacji funkcji doprowadzi do całkowitej autonomiczności pojazdów, w których pasażerowie nie będą musieli obsługiwać manualnie pojazdu. Szczególną grupą użytkowników, których może dotyczyć ta transformacja technologiczna, są osoby niewidome lub osoby z dysfunkcją narządu wzroku.Autonomous vehicles are one of the leading technological trends of the early 21st century. A change in the way we think about moving around in urban spaces is opening up new usability opportunities. One of the groups for which the use of autonomous vehicles may be of particular importance are blind and partially sighted people. Visual impairment, which has so far completely excluded them from the group of car users, may turn out to be irrelevant when using an autonomous vehicle. The key to a successful user experience between a blind user and an autonomous vehicle is how they control and exchange information. Autonomous vehicle technology will significantly change the automotive industry. The implementation of increasing levels of automation of functions will lead to fully autonomous vehicles where passengers will not have to manually operate the vehicle. A particular group of users likely to be affected by this technological transformation are blind or visually impaired people

Energy self-consumption from PV systems: estimations for two office buildings in Krakow (Poland)

The analysis presented in this paper focuses on the energetic aspects of the use of photovoltaic (PV) systems in office buildings. Energy generation from PV system has been simulated on an hourly time scale and compared with the energy demand of two office buildings located in Krakow (southern Poland). The buildings’ annual load exceeded 1 GWh in both cases. The analysis dealt with estimating how much energy generated by a PV system can be utilized on-site (self-consumption) and how big the energy surpluses will be (energy generation greater than demand). Capacities of PV systems ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 MW have been considered. Also, the impact of PV generation on the residual load parameters and changes in the maximal monthly and hourly energy demand were investigated. The results show that although the building energy demand is similar (in terms of annual volume of energy consumed) the potential of PV systems to cover it is different. The 100-kW PV system can reduce the observed hourly peak energy demand by 1% in December but by over 30% in June (respectively, from 171 kWh to 169 kWh, and from 333 kWh to 255 kWh). Considering the annual patterns of the office buildings’ energy demand and PV generation (both have their respective peaks in summer), the application of a PV system changes the office building energy demand pattern significantly from the perspective of the power system operator. After installing 500 kW PV in an office building consuming 1 GWh annually, the months with highest demand are no longer in summer but in winter

Modeling of Energy Consumption and Reduction of Pollutant Emissions in a Walking Beam Furnace Using the Expert Method—Case Study

This paper presents an algorithm for modeling electricity and natural gas consumption in a walking furnace with the use of artificial intelligence and simulation methods, depending on the length of the rolling campaign and the established rolling program. This algorithm is the basis for the development of a proposal for a set of minimum requirements characterizing the Best Available Techniques (BAT) for beam furnaces intended for hot rolling, taking into account the requirements set out in national regulations and the recommendations described in the BREF reference documents. This information should be taken into account when drawing up an application for an integrated permit, as well as when setting emission limit values. Based on the constructed algorithm, it was shown that depending on their type and technical specification, the analyzed projects will offer measurable economic benefits in the form of reducing the amount of energy consumed by 1,076,400 kWh during the implementation of 50 rolling campaigns to reduce gas by 14,625 GJ and environmental benefits in the form of reduction of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere 80–360 g/Mg. The constructed algorithm was validated in the Dosimis-3 program, based on a discrete event-driven simulation. Thanks to this representation of the model, its user can interactively participate in changes that take place in the model and thus evaluate its behavior. The model, verified in real conditions, can be the basic source of information for making effective operational technological decisions related to the preparation of production at the rolling mill as part of planning and long-term activities

Decision Support Methods for Supply Processes in the Floral Industry

The aim of this paper was to show the application of the ABC and AHP (multi-criteria method for hierarchical analysis of decision processes) as an important part of decision making in supply processes which are realized in the floral industry. The ABC analysis was performed in order to classify the product mix from the perspective of the demand values. This in consequence enabled us to identify the most important products which were then used as a variant in the AHP method