Sustainability is a growing concern for companies in the agro-industrial sector, in particular in the wine industry, where Chile is a major player and where performance measurement plays a pivotal ...role. To address a void in the literature regarding strategic performance measurement in said industry, a three-dimensional performance measurement system (SMD3D) is proposed as a strategic performance measurement system (SPMS). SMD3D encompasses three key dimensions: sustainable, temporal, and spatial. Our research results are supported by 50 surveyed companies with in-depth interviews conducted to managers of such companies. Interestingly, the survey shows that 78% of the companies formally define a strategic plan; only 14% of the total survey sample has the Balanced Scorecard, and 43% of the cases actually use it. In light of this it is found that the current conditions of the wine industry in Chile favor the implementation of such a system, which would enable agricultural enterprises, such as wineries, to address and strategically manage these three important dimensions. Finally, the SMD3D system is compared with various other performance management systems especially developed for the agriculture industry.
•Sustainability is an ever more important core competence for companies in the agro-industrial sector.•The Chilean wine industry, faces a growing set of challenges that call for new strategic management actions.•A new strategic performance measurement system (SPMS) is proposed which encompasses three dimensions.•This SPMS could measure both sustainability performance as well as the performance of the supply chain management.•Results are promising and conditions are ripe for the introduction of the new SPMS in the industry.
Information and operational technologies merge into the so-called industrial Internet of Things, which is one of the basic pillars of the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Roughly speaking, yet-to-come services ...will be offered in the automation scenario by industrial devices having an internet connection for sharing data in the cloud. Currently, most efforts are in the development of protocols able to ensure horizontal interoperability among heterogeneous applications. Consequently, poor attention is devoted to time-related performance. In this paper, a new, full software, platform-independent approach is proposed for experimentally evaluating the delay in transferring information across local and intercontinental routes by applications leveraging on messaging middleware. The application is realized using the node-RED web-based framework, due to its availability on different platforms; the widely accepted message queue telemetry transport protocol has been chosen thanks to its low overhead and complexity. For sake of completeness, five different, private and public, brokers are used. The adopted industrial-grade hardware, complemented by global positioning system time reference, permits an overall synchronization and timestamping accuracy of a few milliseconds. The vast measurement campaign highlighted that, generally, quality of service (QoS) type 1 offers low end-to-end delay (average value less than 0.5 s) with reduced variability (0.1 s). However, the maximum end-to-end one-way delay ranges from 1 s for QoS 0 to less than 1.5 s for fully acknowledged QoS 2.
•OBD ubiquitous in modern vehicles, PEMS to be regulatory requirement in Europe.•Maps of transient fuel use, emissions recreated from real-world driving data.•Trip-level fuel use and emissions within ...5% of observed values generally.•Per second fuel use and emissions simulated accurately.
Air pollution problems persist in many cities throughout the world, despite drastic reductions in regulated emissions of criteria pollutants from vehicles when tested on standardised driving cycles. New vehicle emissions regulations in the European Union and United States require the use of OBD and portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) to confirm vehicles meet specified limits during on-road operation. The resultant in-use testing will yield a large amount of OBD and PEMS data across a range of vehicles. If used properly, the availability of OBD and PEMS data could enable greater insight into the nature of real-world emissions and allow detailed modelling of vehicle energy use and emissions. This paper presents a methodology to use this data to create engine maps of fuel use and emissions of nitrous oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Effective gear ratios, gearbox shift envelopes, candidate engine maps and a set of vehicle configurations are simulated over driving cycles using the ADVISOR powertrain simulation tool. This method is demonstrated on three vehicles – one truck and two passenger cars – tested on a vehicle dynamometer and one driven with a PEMS. The optimum vehicle configuration and associated maps were able to reproduce the shape and magnitude of observed fuel use and emissions on a per second basis. In general, total simulated fuel use and emissions were within 5% of observed values across the three test cases. The fitness of this method for other purposes was demonstrated by creating cold start maps and isolating the performance of tailpipe emissions reduction technologies. The potential of this work extends beyond the creation of vehicle engine maps to allow investigations into: emissions hot spots; real-world emissions factors; and accurate air quality modelling using simulated per second emissions from vehicles operating in over any driving cycle.
Purpose This study assesses performance measurement (PM) system implementation efforts across various organizational contexts and investigates which factors are critical to achieving implementation ...success (IS). Design/methodology/approach An empirical field study was conducted to refine a framework of PM system IS that consists of 5 dimensions of success and 29 factors. A survey questionnaire was used to investigate actual organizational practice and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to refine constructs corresponding to potential factors and dimensions of IS. The resulting variables were then investigated using multiple regression analysis to identify critical success factors for implementing PM systems. Findings The survey was completed by representatives from 124 organizations and the exploratory factor analysis results indicated that there are three underlying dimensions of IS (i.e. Use of the System, PM System Performance, and Improved Results and Processes) and 12 factors. Of the factors, nine can be considered critical success factors having a significant relationship with at least one dimension of IS: Leader Support, Design and Implementation Approach, Reward System Alignment, Organizational Acceptance, Organizational Culture and Climate, Easy to Define Environment, IT Infrastructure Capabilities, PM System Design Quality, and PM Participation and Training. Originality/value The results show that there are distinct dimensions of IS and, although some factors are associated with all dimensions, most are more closely related to only one dimension. This suggests that different strategies should be utilized based on the types of challenges experienced during implementation.
High-Tc SQUID biomagnetometers Faley, M I; Dammers, J; Maslennikov, Y V ...
Superconductor science & technology,
07/2017, Volume:
30, Issue:
8
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
In this paper, we review the preparation technology, integration in measurement systems and tests of high-Tc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) intended for biomagnetic ...applications. A focus is on developments specific to Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Chalmers University of Technology, MedTech West, and the University of Gothenburg, while placing these results in the perspective of those achieved elsewhere. Sensor fabrication, including the deposition and structuring of epitaxial oxide heterostructures, materials for substrates, epitaxial bilayer buffers, bicrystal and step-edge Josephson junctions, and multilayer flux transformers are detailed. The properties of the epitaxial multilayer high-Tc direct current SQUID sensors, including their integration in measurement systems with special electronics and liquid nitrogen cryostats, are presented in the context of biomagnetic recording. Applications that include magnetic nanoparticle based molecular diagnostics, magnetocardiography, and magnetoencephalography are presented as showcases of high-Tc biomagnetic systems. We conclude by outlining future challenges.
•A novel BTT data simulator based on modal data of a blisk’s FE model is presented.•Modal coordinates enables efficient generation of BTT data for complex geometries.•The simulator can efficiently ...and accurately capture dynamic effects.•It can also allow the study of the effect on BTT methods of various types of error.•The simulator is applied to experimentally validated FE model to generate BTT data.•The simulated BTT data used for an assessment of three principal BTT methods.•The assessment focuses on performance and limitations for different conditions.•The BTT methods and data preparation are presented in detail.•Effect of data preparation on all methods is investigated for the first time.
Blade Tip Timing (BTT) technology is concerned with the estimation of turbomachinery blade vibration. A BTT system comprises two parts: (a) measurement system for blade tip arrival times (“BTT data”); (b) the analysis algorithms. Simulators that generate BTT data play a key role in BTT development since they enable an assessment of the performance of the different BTT algorithms. Such assessments are not feasible with real engine data since they require controlled conditions and knowledge of the true tip vibration as the reference. Most simulators in the literature are based on a simple spring-mass-damper model and commercially available ones have no physical underpinning. This work presents a novel realistic simulator based on the experimentally validated Finite Element (FE) model of a bladed disk (blisk). Transformation to modal space enables the efficient generation of simulated BTT data regardless of the complexity of the blisk geometry. The simulator is then used in a first-time comparative study of three principal BTT algorithm methods (autoregressive, sine fitting, two-parameter plot) under various conditions involving synchronous and asynchronous excitations with both single and simultaneous frequencies. The study clarifies obscurities in the methods and demonstrates the applicability of each method to different BTT system scenarios.
Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCMs) are versatile sensors employed in various fields, from environmental monitoring to biomedical applications, owing mainly to their very high sensitivity. However, ...the assessment of their metrological performance, including the impact of conditioning circuits, digital processing algorithms, and working conditions, is a complex and novel area of study. The purpose of this work is to investigate and understand the measurement errors associated with different QCM measurement techniques, specifically focusing on the influence of conditioning electronic circuits. Through a tailored and novel experimental setup, two measurement architectures—a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) system and an oscillator-based QCM-R system—were compared under the same mechanical load conditions. Through rigorous experimentation and signal processing techniques, the study elucidated the complexities of accurately assessing QCM parameters, especially in liquid environments and under large mechanical loads. The comparison between the two different techniques allows for highlighting the critical aspects of the measurement techniques. The experimental results were discussed and interpreted based on models allowing for a deep understanding of the measurement problems encountered with QCM-based measurement systems. The performance of the different techniques was derived, showing that while the QCM-D technique exhibited higher accuracy, the QCM-R technique offered greater precision with a simpler design. This research advances our understanding of QCM-based measurements, providing insights for designing robust measurement systems adaptable to diverse conditions, thus enhancing their effectiveness in various applications.
Mileage of taxi fleets is significantly higher than regular passenger vehicles in China, which might trigger greater tailpipe emissions of air pollutants. To investigate their real-world gaseous ...emissions, we applied portable emissions measurement systems (PEMSs) to test 44 gasoline and 24 bi-fuel taxis in seven cities. Our real-world measurement results indicated that a major part of the tested China 3 and China 4 gasoline taxis, especially the samples with high mileage (>300,000 km), far exceeded the corresponding emission limits of NOX, THC and CO. Only the newest China 5 gasoline taxis with relatively lower mileage had effective emission controls and the gaseous emissions were below the limits. Illegal tampering, malfunction and deterioration of three-way catalytic converters (TWC) are major reasons for high emissions from high-mileage taxis. First, China 4 gasoline taxis without TWC (purposely removed by drivers) increased their gaseous emissions than TWC-equipped counterparts by more than one order of magnitude. Second, bi-fuel taxis when using compress natural gas (CNG) had much higher NOX and THC emissions than those when using gasoline, which might be probably attributed to unsophisticated engine calibration and unfavorable TWC working conditions. Furthermore, TWC renewal could bring immediate and substantial emission reductions (up to 70%) for high-mileage taxis. However, such benefits from TWC renewal would become less significant as the mileage levels further increase. We also found a good correlation between CO and THC emissions for gasoline taxis, whose cold start effects were both significant. This study poses significant concerns regarding real-world emissions of high-mileage taxi fleets in China, which could consist of many gross emitters in the urban areas. Stringent in-use compliance programs and in particular frequent TWC renewals for high-mileage taxis should be implemented by policy makers in China.
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•Real-world emissions from 44 gasoline and 24 bi-fuel taxis were measured using PEMS.•A major part of high-mileage China 3 and 4 taxis far exceeded the emission limits.•Switching from gasoline to CNG for bi-fuel taxis increased NOX and THC emissions.•Purposed tampering and natural deterioration of TWC converters caused high emissions.•PEMS measurements show cold start has significant effects on THC and CO emissions.
PurposeMeasuring shared value (SV) created in innovation ecosystems (IEs) is increasingly relevant but complex, given the multidimensional and multiactor nature of both concepts, which challenges ...traditional performance measurement systems (PMSs). Moving from this gap, the authors propose an integrated approach to extend the balanced scorecard (BSC) for measuring and monitoring SV creation at IE level.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed approach combines the most recent contributions on PMS in IEs and SV to define perspectives and dimensions that are better suited to deal with the nature of both IEs and SV. The approach is also applied to the real case (Alpha) of an Italian IE through a step wise method. Starting from the IE vision, the authors identify in the strategy map the specific objectives related to each perspective/dimension combination and then associate a performance indicator with each objective.FindingsThe resulting SV BSC is composed of indicators interconnected along different perspectives and dimensions. The application of the approach to the real case proves its feasibility and highlights characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the SV BSC when used at IE level. The authors also provide guidelines for its application to other IEs.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the research on PMS by introducing and applying to a real case an integrated approach to assess SV in IEs, overcoming the shortcomings of PMS framed for single firms. It can be of interest for both researchers in the field of ecosystems value creation and practitioners managing or promoting such complex structures.
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