Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yuan Jiang, Guilian Liu, Xiaohong Yan
Summary: This study designed an ionic wind-driven fog collector for windless environments, and numerical results showed that the positioning of the discharge electrode significantly affected the flow pattern and fog collection rate. The fog collection rate was several times higher in a nearly unidirectional flow compared to a vortex dominant flow. Increasing input power resulted in a 6.7 times enhancement in fog collection rate, and fog collection rate increased linearly with liquid water content under fixed power consumption. A fog collector prototype was fabricated and measurements supported the numerical design, achieving a collection rate of 0.46 L/h in a windless foggy environment with a liquid water content of 0.62 g/m3.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Gemma Perez-Lopez, Diego Prior, Jose L. Zafra-Gomez
Summary: This study presents a new non-parametric methodology to measure the impact of environmental constraints on efficiency using robust frontiers. Applying a data panel structure, the research finds that inter-municipal cooperation is best suited to heterogeneous environmental conditions in the delivery of municipal services.
Article
Economics
Sergio Destefanis, Francesco Addesa, Giambattista Rossi
Summary: This study examines the impact of ghost games on offensive and defensive technical efficiency in football teams using season-level data for the top 5 European leagues. The results show that after COVID, both offensive and defensive efficiency significantly increased for away games, with a slight increase in offensive efficiency for home games and no significant change in defensive efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cristina Maria Campos-Alba, Juan Carlos Garrido-Rodriguez, Ana Maria Plata-Diaz, Gemma Perez-Lopez
Summary: This study analyzed the efficiency of waste management services in Spain from 2005 to 2015, finding that cost efficiency is increased by selective collection and certain political and socioeconomic factors. Municipal direct provision was identified as the least efficient management form for this service.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Paula Llanquileo-Melgarejo, Maria Molinos-Senante, Giulia Romano, Laura Carosi
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of selective collection and recycling of MSW on the performance of municipalities in Chile providing MSW services. The results showed that there is significant room for improvement in the management of MSW by Chilean municipalities, as indicated by the low percentages of efficient and eco-efficient municipalities. Lack of collaboration between municipalities at the regional level, along with exogenous variables, also influenced the efficiency and eco-efficiency scores.
Article
Management
Jungmin Kim, Apurba Manna, Arindam Roy, Ilkyeong Moon
Summary: Waste collection is crucial in smart cities, and IoT-based smart bins can offer real-time fill level information. However, uncertainty in fill levels and improper operation hinder efficient waste collection. To address this, this study proposes two operational management approaches that combine IoT sensors with optimization procedures, solving the problem of clustered vehicle routing in waste collection on a large scale. The proposed hybrid metaheuristic demonstrates the potential of building a smart waste collection system.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hyacinthe Kouakou Kouassi, Toru Murayama, Mitsuru Ota
Summary: The municipal solid waste collection system in Anyama is in a critical state due to high population density. Dumping waste openly along the roadside has led to the spread of chronic diseases. This study evaluated the current waste management system and proposed the kerbside recycling scenario as the most economically and environmentally sustainable option. It is recommended to introduce waste banks and set up more collection points to improve residents' attitude towards effective waste disposal.
Article
Economics
Tommaso Agasisti, Aleksei Egorov, Pavel Serebrennikov
Summary: This paper investigates the impact of territorial characteristics on the efficiency of universities. The theoretical framework combines resource dependence theory and institutional isomorphism theory. Using data on Russian universities, the authors apply an efficiency estimator to test the framework. The findings suggest that the managerial efficiency of universities is strongly influenced by contextual factors.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC PLANNING SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiaoyue Liu, Jeongsoo Yu, Kazuaki Okubo, Masahiro Sato, Toshiaki Aoki
Summary: A large amount of waste paper is generated in Japan annually, with the traditional waste paper collection systems displaying low efficiency and causing inconvenience. In response, some recycling companies are establishing nontraditional collection stations in cooperative supermarkets, though the efficacy of this new system remains uncertain.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kuat Abeshev, Florentine Koppenborg
Summary: The Waste Framework Directive of the European Union aims to achieve a recycling rate of 55 percent for municipal solid waste by 2025. However, progress towards this target has been uneven among Member States, highlighting the need to identify effective waste management systems. This study examines the effectiveness of door-to-door bio-waste collection in boosting the collection of dry recyclables, such as glass, metal, paper, and plastic. The findings suggest that cities implementing door-to-door bio-waste collection collect significantly higher amounts of dry recyclables, indicating the potential benefits of promoting this practice in EU waste management.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jean Pierre Doussoulin, Cristian Colther
Summary: With the increasing volume of waste and the complexity of waste management, municipal solid waste management has become a challenging issue for municipalities worldwide. This article focuses on the efficiency of municipal collection services in Chile and analyzes the factors influencing efficiency levels. The findings reveal disparities in efficiency among different collection methods and highlight the inefficiency of rural municipalities. The study aims to provide insights for improving municipal and public policies related to solid waste management efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fabian Schmid, Lina Taube, Jenny Rieck, Frank Behrendt
Summary: The study examines the differences in energy demand and total cost of ownership between diesel-powered waste collection vehicles and electric waste collection vehicles. Electric vehicles have lower energy consumption but higher total cost of ownership, with factors such as route distance and number of waste containers collected influencing the results significantly.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Amit Jamadagni, Hendrik Weimer
Summary: The lack of comprehensive understanding of topological order can be interpreted as the ability of a system to perform topological error correction. This operational approach lays the conceptual foundations for previous classifications of topological order and has also led to successful classification in the case of topological order in open quantum systems. The viability of topological order in nonequilibrium quantum systems substantially broadens the scope of possible technological applications.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Ivonne Angelica Castiblanco Jimenez, Stefano Mauro, Domenico Napoli, Federica Marcolin, Enrico Vezzetti, Maria Camila Rojas Torres, Stefania Specchia, Sandro Moos
Summary: The development of new waste disposal methods is crucial for eco-friendly cities, with waste management being no exception. This research explores a more ecological and sustainable solution for infectious waste treatment in Northern Italy, aiming to improve the population's quality of life. By utilizing Design Thinking, feasible results based on user needs can be obtained, contributing to the creation of better cities for all.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bernardino Benito, Maria-Dolores Guillamon, Pedro-Jose Martinez-Cordoba, Ana-Maria Rios
Summary: The study found that the type of management, population density, the tourist activity of the municipality, and the strength of local government are determinants that explain the efficiency of public services, while transparency and citizen participation have little impact.
Article
Management
Diogo Cunha Ferreira, Rodrigo Soares, Maria Isabel Pedro, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: Ensuring customer satisfaction is crucial for managers aiming to maintain or increase profits. This study proposes an alternative model for studying satisfaction and its determinants, combining Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis and Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis. The model is applied to a case study in the hospitality industry.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public Administration
Giulia Romano, Claudio Marciano, Mario Minoja
Summary: In recent years, many countries have witnessed remunicipalization in the public service sector, particularly in water and urban waste management. This study examines five successful cases of remunicipalization in Italy's urban waste management sector and investigates the factors that trigger, contribute to the success, and result from this process. The findings suggest that remunicipalization is initiated by the alignment of motivations and opportunities, along with the presence of committed actors. This process leads to significant improvements in company performance, considering the triple bottom line, if certain key success factors, related to the municipality, utility management, and stakeholder relationships, are met. Furthermore, the external context, including legal and institutional conditions, influences the overall process, triggers, and outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos A. Novaes, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: Stormwater systems in most cities are crucial but often overlooked infrastructure, relying on weak institutional and organizational structures. Solving the issues associated with these systems requires more than just technological solutions, but also a paradigm shift towards a new socio-institutional mentality that addresses new demands.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mateo Toro-Cardenas, Ines Moreira, Hugo Morais, Pedro M. S. Carvalho, Luis A. F. M. Ferreira
Summary: As more micro-generations are connected to the low-voltage network, predicting the network's loading condition becomes increasingly difficult for operators due to the lack of knowledge about the generation component of the measured net load. This paper proposes a non-intrusive methodology to estimate distributed generation's installed capacity by using historical net-load data and meteorological data. The proposed algorithms are proven effective in determining an approximation of the renewable embedded capacity, as illustrated with real data from distribution systems.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mai Wardeh, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: This article reviews the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in refugee camps in the Arab Middle East based on empirical data from Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs collected through a questionnaire. SDGs' indices were calculated using arithmetic mean and principal component analysis methods. The study finds that progress towards achieving the SDGs varies in the three locations due to different policies in the host countries. Iraq ranked highest in social and economic sustainability, Jordan ranked highest in environmental sustainability, and Lebanon lagged behind in all three dimensions. While SDG7 performed well, accelerating progress towards the remaining SDGs is crucial. Without substantial efforts from all stakeholders, the 2030 agenda will not be accomplished.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Herbert Amezquita, Pedro M. S. Carvalho, Hugo Morais
Summary: This study focuses on the development, implementation, and comparison of wind power generation forecast methods for distribution system operators. By applying a five-stage methodology including pre-processing, feature selection, forecasting models, post-processing, and validation, the accuracy of eight different models is compared using historical wind power generation data from 20 wind farms in Portugal. The extreme gradient boosting (XGBOOST) model is identified as the best-suited method, achieving an average relative root mean square error (RRMSE) of 13.48% for a 1-year training and 6-month forecast period, outperforming the predictions of the Portuguese distribution system operator by 20%.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Evaristo Fernandes, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: In the last three decades, water shortages have become more common and have had a significant impact on the global economy. This has led to a shift from linear water management to circular resource preservation management, with a focus on water reuse. The circular economy in the water sector has gained attention, although the potential for treated wastewater reuse is still in its early stages. This paper examines recent research on circular economy implementation in the water and wastewater sector, with a focus on motivations and geographical distribution.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ines Freire Machete, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: Private financing in the water supply and sanitation sector is inadequate due to perceived project risks, resulting in barriers to leveraging private financing. This study analyzed 185 World Bank-funded projects from 2015 to 2021 to understand the influence of perceived risks on financing. The study identified the most prevalent risks in these projects and found that the World Bank has varying levels of tolerance for different risk types, which can impact financing decisions.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sonia Lima, Ana Brochado, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: This study examines the unbalanced relationships in current PPP risk management frameworks, particularly in the water sectors of developing countries. It analyzes different stakeholders' perceptions of risk management through interviews in Portugal and Mozambique. The findings reveal that experts consider managing context risks to be crucial in the success of PPPs in developing countries' water sectors. The study also proposes a complete risk management cycle based on the opinions of interviewed professionals.
Article
Regional & Urban Planning
Hugo Consciencia Silvestre, Rui Cunha Marques, Brian Dollery, Aldenisio Moraes Correia
Summary: In this paper, we empirically investigate the relationship between cooperating entities, local government institutions, and transaction costs in Brazilian local government water services through consortia. Our results show that institutional arrangements significantly affect cost efficiency, measured by total expenditure per user, between 2011 and 2019. We found that cost efficiency increases slowly under bureaucracies and faster under public enterprises, with dedicated asset specificities and contract management complexity explaining differences in water service provision cost efficiency. These findings have theoretical significance and important policy implications for intermunicipal cooperative agreements.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDIES
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Civil
Thalita Salgado Fagundes, Rui Cunha Marques, Tadeu Malheiros
Summary: Water and sanitation affordability has become an important research topic due to the economic crisis and the role of tariffs. This paper systematically reviewed previous research on affordability and critically discussed the methodologies used. The study identified four key topics and highlighted the potential role of the analysis in public financial policies.
AQUA-WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ECOSYSTEMS AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Carlos Novaes, Rui Marques
Summary: Circular economy means efficient resource use and creating a feasible framework to tackle climate change and economic scarcity challenges. Urban stormwater, when treated as a useful resource, can replace energy-consuming water supply systems, resulting in energy savings and emission reduction. Urban agriculture can also benefit from green infrastructures. The key lies in implementing an efficiency mentality and aligning policies, institutions, and regulations to promote circular economy in urban planning and water cycle.
Article
Water Resources
Ines Freire Machete, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: This study analyzed 62 completed World Bank water supply and sanitation projects and found correlations and interactions between project results, bank performance, and project characteristics. It highlights the importance of assessing and mitigating project risks, as well as the significance of development bank financing.
JOURNAL OF WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE FOR DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giulia Romano, Lucio Masserini
Summary: This study explores the impact of pay-as-you-throw tariffs on the promotion of sustainable urban waste management. The findings indicate that implementing PAYTT effectively aligns with EU waste hierarchy policies and leads to reduced waste generation and improved separate waste collection efforts.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Giulia Romano, Lucio Masserini
Summary: This study evaluates the effects and costs of adopting a zero-waste (ZW) strategy for waste management. The findings indicate that municipalities that have formally adopted the ZW strategy have higher separate collection rates and lower amounts of urban unsorted waste per capita. However, the cost for inhabitants is also higher in ZW municipalities, emphasizing the importance of balancing through the sale of recycling materials.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lars odegaard Bentsen, Narada Dilp Warakagoda, Roy Stenbro, Paal Engelstad
Summary: This study investigates uncertainty modeling in wind power forecasting using different parametric and non-parametric methods. Johnson's SU distribution is found to outperform Gaussian distributions in predicting wind power. This research contributes to the literature by introducing Johnson's SU distribution as a candidate for probabilistic wind forecasting.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xing Liu, Qiuchen Wang, Yunhao Wen, Long Li, Xinfang Zhang, Yi Wang
Summary: This study analyzes the characteristics of process parameters in three lean gas ethane recovery processes and establishes a prediction and multiobjective optimization model for ethane recovery and system energy consumption. A new method for comparing ethane recovery processes for lean gas is proposed, and the addition of extra coolers improves the ethane recovery. The support vector regression model based on grey wolf optimization demonstrates the highest prediction accuracy, and the multiobjective multiverse optimization algorithm shows the best optimization performance and diversity in the solutions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cairong Song, Haidong Yang, Xian-Bing Meng, Pan Yang, Jianyang Cai, Hao Bao, Kangkang Xu
Summary: The paper proposes a novel deep learning-based prediction framework, aTCN-LSTM, for accurate cooling load predictions. The framework utilizes a gate-controlled multi-head temporal convolutional network and a sparse probabilistic self-attention mechanism with a bidirectional long short-term memory network to capture both temporal and long-term dependencies in the cooling load sequences. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, which can serve as an effective guide for HVAC chiller scheduling and demand management initiatives.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhe Chen, Xiaojing Li, Xianli Xia, Jizhou Zhang
Summary: This study uses survey data from the Loess Plateau in China to evaluate the impact of social interaction on the adoption of soil and water conservation (SWC) technology by farmers. The study finds that social interaction increases the likelihood of farmers adopting SWC, and internet use moderates this effect. The positive impact of social interaction on SWC adoption is more pronounced for farmers in larger villages and those who join cooperative societies.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chenghua Zhang, Yunfei Yan, Kaiming Shen, Zongguo Xue, Jingxiang You, Yonghong Wu, Ziqiang He
Summary: This paper reports a novel method that significantly improves combustion performance, including heat transfer enhancement under steady-state conditions and adaptive stable flame regulation under velocity sudden increase.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
