Combining a new baseboard radiator with a fan coil system for improving heating performance and reduce energy consumption

In the present work, the heating performance of a new system combined with a new modified baseboard radiator and fan coil is investigated. Using longitudinal fins with special geometry and also forced airflow at the end of the system causes that at the lower inlet water temperature compared with the conventional models, higher heat output rate be obtained. The heat output rate of the new modified system is obtained by experimental metrology based on the European Standard No. EN-442. Temperature and velocity distribution in the room space is done by simulation of the modified system in the Flovent software. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results are validated against experimental results and there is a good agreement between them. Also, the energy consumption of the system during the winter season is calculated in TRANSYS software. Experimental results show that the heat output rate of a new modified heating system with inlet water temperature in the range of 45–55°C is on average 4.17 times higher compared with the conventional model. CFD simulation also showed that the combined system provides good thermal comfort conditions. Energy consumption of the new system reduced about 13% compared with conventional models.     

The social profitability of rural roads in a small open economy: Do urban agglomeration economies matter?

The effects of a rural roads programme depend on labour mobility, how the programme is financed, and agglomeration economies. If financed by a rural poll tax and cross-price effects and agglomeration economies are sufficiently small, the wage will rise, with some return migration. Taxes on trade act as countervailing distortions, yielding urban households some relief. Rural-urban commuting promotes the exploitation of agglomeration economies; taxes on international trade are then inferior to a poll tax. The change in the value, at producer prices, of the rural sector's net supply vector can be a poor measure of the programme's social profitability.     

Comparative analysis on temperature characteristics of hydrogen-powered and traditional fossil-fueled vehicle fires in the tunnel under longitudinal ventilations

Vehicle fires in the tunnel are a great threat to the safe operation of the tunnel. Due to the rapid development of the hydrogen economy, the fire due to the hydrogen leakage could not be avoided and may bring great damage to the passengers and infrastructure. Due to the large difference between pool fires of traditional fossil-fueled and jet fires of hydrogen-powered vehicles, it is in doubt whether the existing longitudinal ventilation design could still be effective for the safety issue of hydrogen powered vehicles. To solve this problem, it is necessary to compare temperature characteristics of hydrogen-powered and traditional vehicle fires with and without longitudinal ventilations. In present work, we conducted a numerical investigation to discuss the different temperature distributions of traditional and hydrogen-fueled vehicle fires. Results indicate that the high temperature zone of the pool fire only exists above the ceiling of the vehicle. For hydrogen-powered vehicle fire, the high-speed hydrogen jet with the strong inertial force could push the hot smoke flows back to the ground. The ceiling temperature of hydrogen-powered vehicle fire is larger since hydrogen-powered vehicle has a larger heat release rate and the fire hazard of jet fires bring more danger compared with the pool fire. Although the temperature stratification is also obvious for the hydrogen-powered vehicle fire, the air temperature in the lower region could be heated and still high enough to bring a great damage to the passengers’ lives. This is quite different with the traditional pool fire. In addition, the critical ventilation velocity is also discussed. The theoretical equation could well predicted the critical ventilation velocity of traditional vehicle fires. For hydrogen-powered vehicle fires, the critical ventilation velocity could reach up to 6 m/s. The theoretical equation could not well predict the critical ventilation velocity of hydrogen-powered vehicle fires due to exist of hydrogen jet fires.     

Green Measurements for Software Product Based on Sustainability Dimensions

Software is a central component in the modern world and vastly affects the environment’s sustainability. The demand for energy and resource requirements is rising when producing hardware and software units. Literature study reveals that many studies focused on green hardware; however, limited efforts were made in the greenness of software products. Green software products are necessary to solve the issues and problems related to the long-term use of software, especially from a sustainability perspective. Without a proper mechanism for measuring the greenness of a particular software product executed in a specific environment, the mentioned benefits will not be attained. Currently, there are not enough works to address this problem, and the green status of software products is uncertain and unsure. This paper aims to identify the green measurements based on sustainable dimensions in a software product. The second objective is to reveal the relationships between the elements and measurements through empirical study. The study is conducted in two phases. The first phase is the theoretical phase, where the main components, measurements and practices that influence the sustainability of a software product are identified. The second phase is the empirical study that involved 103 respondents in Malaysia investigating current practices of green software in the industrial environment and further identifying the main sustainability dimensions and measurements and their impact on achieving green software products. This study has revealed seven green measurements of software product: Productivity, Usability, Cost Reduction, Employee Support, Energy Efficiency, Resource Efficiency and Tool Support. The relationships are statistically significant, with a significance level of less than 0.01 (p = 0.000). Thus, the hypothesised relationships were all accepted. The contributions of this study revolve around the research perspectives of the measurements to attain a green software product.     

Understanding the asymmetric perceptions of smartphone security from security feature perspective: A comparative study

Smartphones are being used and relied on by people more than ever before. The open connectivity brings with it great convenience and leads to a variety of risks that cannot be overlooked. Smartphone vendors, security policy designers, and security application providers have put a variety of practical efforts to secure smartphones, and researchers have conducted extensive research on threat sources, security techniques, and user security behaviors. Regrettably, smartphone users do not pay enough attention to mobile security, making many efforts futile. This study identifies this gap between technology affordance and user requirements, and attempts to investigate the asymmetric perceptions toward security features between developers and users, between users and users, as well as between different security features. These asymmetric perceptions include perceptions of quality, perceptions of importance, and perceptions of satisfaction. After scoping the range of smartphone security features, this study conducts an improved Kano-based method and exhaustively analyzes the 245 collected samples using correspondence analysis and importance satisfaction analysis. The 14 security features of the smartphone are divided into four Kano quality types and the perceived quality differences between developers and users are compared. Correspondence analysis is utilized to capture the relationship between the perceived importance of security features across different groups of respondents, and results of importance-satisfaction analysis provide the basis for the developmental path and resource reallocation strategy of security features. This article offers new insights for researchers as well as practitioners of smartphone security.     

Solvothermal synthesis of zirconia nanomaterials: Latest developments and future

Due to excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability and catalytic characteristics, zirconia is considered as the most important ceramic materials. Different crystal forms make zirconia play a huge role in solid electrolyte fuel cells, catalysts, thermal barrier coatings, denture materials, mobile phone backplanes, etc. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review about solvothermal synthesis of nano-zirconia. Firstly, the reactors and systems of solvothermal synthesis in recent years are introduced. Especially, the advancement of continuously flowing microreactors and field-coupled systems are analyzed. Secondly, influencing factors of zirconia solvothermal synthesis are discussed. In addition, solvent effects on the synthesis of nano-zirconia products are clarified, and suggestions for solvent selection are given. Furthermore, the design and mechanism of solvothermal synthesis of zero-, one-, two-and three-dimensional zirconia nanostructures are revealed. Simultaneously, experimental methods and kinetic studies are summarized. Finally, potential applications and challenges are presented for future research directions.     

Multiple material domain‐based computational tools for ease assessment of modal parameter in photonic crystal fibers

We report here the development of two computational tools PCFPS (Photonic Crystal Fiber Parameter Study) and PCFPA (Photonic Crystal Fiber Parameter Analysis), equipped with graphical user interface (GUI) for modeling of photonic crystal fiber. The tools are based on different structural parameters, and they provide characteristic analysis of the modal parameters from the structural parameters. The main feature of PCFPS is that it enables the user to find out the values of each defining modal parameter that has an immense contribution towards the manufacture of photonic crystal fiber. Additionally, PCFPA allows the user to observe the variation in the modal parameters with respect to the changes in structural parameters (such as d, Λ, d/Λ, and λ/>Λ). Besides their ease of use, these two schemes have high computational precision and adaptability, giving a novel platform to optical engineers to modulate the microstructured fibers according to their requirement.     

The emancipatory potential of digital entrepreneurship: A study of financial technology-driven inclusive growth

Digital entrepreneurship possesses immense societal implications beyond its commercial significance. Yet our knowledge of the emancipatory potential of digital entrepreneurship remains limited because few studies have gone beyond the conventional emphasis on profits and wealth creation. Drawing on the emancipatory perspective that views entrepreneurship as change creation through the removal of constraints, this article examines how emancipation can occur through the actions of digital entrepreneurs. Using an empirical investigation of entrepreneurial endeavours set against disadvantaged communities in Indonesia, we uncover constraints facing a developing economy and the role of digital technologies in ameliorating them. Through extensive fieldwork and in-depth case study analyses, we identify constraining societal norms and restrictive practices, as well as the three forms of digital enablement - to emulate services, aggregate capital and equalise opportunities – necessary for the enactment of digitally enabled emancipation. We present a framework to illustrate the enactment of emancipatory digital entrepreneurship for the inclusive development of businesses and communities.