Microwave hybrid fast sintering of red clay ceramics

This work aimed to examine the performance of the hybrid sintering of clay ceramic in a microwave furnace, compared to the sintering process in a conventional furnace. The raw materials were subjected to X-ray fluorescence, loss on ignition (LOI), X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution, real specific mass, and thermogravimetric analyses. The red clay ceramic mass was prepared, extruded, pre-sintered in a conventional furnace at 600°C/60 min, and sintered at temperatures between 700 °C and 1100 °C. The sintering conventional (resistive oven) was carried out for 60 min with a heating rate of 10°C/min. In the microwave furnace, the sintering times were 5, 10, and 15 min, with a heating rate of 50°C/min, with a sintering chamber coated with silicon carbide (susceptor). The sintered specimens were characterized according to linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent specific mass, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy analysis, spectroscopy analysis in the ultraviolet and visible regions, microhardness, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that microwave sintering promoted an increase in the microhardness and apparent specific mass, and reduction in water absorption and apparent porosity values, due to greater densification in the microstructure. The best results occurred for specimens sintered at 1100°C.     

Robust optimisation of sustainable food grain transportation with uncertain supply and intentional disruptions

The proliferating need for sustainability intervention in food grain transportation planning is anchoring the attention of researchers in the interests of stakeholders and environment at large. Uncertainty associated with food grain supply further intensifies the problem steering the need for designing robust, cost-efficient and sustainable models. In line with this, this paper aims to develop a robust and sustainable intermodal transportation model to facilitate single type of food grain commodity shipments while considering procurement uncertainty, greenhouse gas emissions, and intentional hub disruption. The problem is designed as a mixed integer non-linear robust optimisation model on a hub and spoke network for evaluating near optimal shipment quantity, route selection and hub location decisions. The robust optimisation approach considers minimisation of total relative regret associated with total cost subject to several real-time constraints. A version of Particle Swarm Optimisation with Differential Evolution is proposed to tackle the resulting NP-hard problem. The model is tested with two other state-of the art meta-heuristics for small, medium, and large datasets subject to different procurement scenarios inspired from real time food grain operations in Indian context. Finally, the solution is evaluated with respect to total cost, model and solution robustness for all instances.     

基于物联网的智慧林业可持续发展策略研究

随着我国科技的不断进步,在“互联网+”大数据的背景下,林业的智慧化发展是必经之路。虽然我国智慧林业的发展已经取得了一定的突破,但是仍然存在着许多问题。基于此,文章在物联网技术的基础上,对智慧林业的可持续发展策略进行探讨。     

Sustainable disassembly line balancing model based on triple bottom line

End of life (EOL) phase of a product is receiving more attention due to increase in environmental concerns, and many studies have been conducted for value creation in EOL, focusing on concepts as remanufacturing, reuse and recycling in sustainable production manner. This study especially focuses on one of global problem, e-waste. To minimise the amount of wastes and maximise recovered materials from EOL, disassembly is one of the most important concept, associated with reuse, and balancing disassembly line in an optimal way is essential for organisations. In disassembly line balancing (DLB), not only precedence of tasks, but also risk criteria related to environment and human safety should be considered for sustainability. The aim of this study is to propose a model based on triple bottom line (TBL) dimensions, i.e. human safety, environmental safety and business criteria. To achieve sustainability in DLB, and for risk assessment in sustainable DLB, it had been decided to use a multi-criteria method, i.e. TODIM, acronym in Portuguese of ‘Tomada de Decisão Iterativa Multicritério’. The proposed model included 22 disassembly criteria categorised under TBL dimensions, which are derived from the literature. Implementation of the study was conducted for computer disassembly processes, and as a result of the study approximately 12% an improvement in cycle time was succeeded. In the long run, the integration of sustainability in disassembly operations may contribute to the competitive advantage of the company in terms of differentiation and corporate image by achieving business, environment and human targets simultaneously.     

Systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle: Case studies on laundry detergent and milk

This study presents systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle. To design packaging for sustainability, the trade-offs between functional and environmental aspects of packaging throughout the product life cycle should be considered. However, it is difficult for packaging designers to understand the overall trade-offs because the extent of the design consequences on the entire life cycle of packaging and its contents is unclear. We developed two tools for packaging design: the Life Cycle Association Matrix (LCAM) and the Function Network Diagram (FND). The following three steps, based on literature reviews and interviews with industrial experts, were applied. Firstly, we listed the product functions and design variables related to the functions as the attributes allocated to the product life cycle. Secondly, the attributes were connected appropriately based on causal relationships. Lastly, we identified the factors to support decision making in the packaging design procedure. As a result, the LCAM depicts the design consequences on the life cycle, and the FND determines the stakeholders affected by the design consequences. Two case studies were demonstrated to analyze the trade-offs by using our tools. In the case studies, a liquid laundry detergent bottle and a milk carton were redesigned. The tools identified the design consequences and stakeholders affected by the redesign of the usability and protective function for the detergent and milk cases, respectively. The results showed the significance of understanding the design consequences on the product life cycle by integrating the functional and environmental aspects.     

The control of sea lice in Atlantic salmon by selective breeding

Sea lice threaten the welfare of farmed Atlantic salmon and the sustainability of fish farming across the world. Chemical treatments are the major method of control but drug resistance means that alternatives are urgently needed. Selective breeding can be a cheap and effective alternative. Here, we combine experimental trials and diagnostics to provide a practical protocol for quantifying resistance to sea lice. We then combined quantitative genetics with epidemiological modelling to make the first prediction of the response to selection, quantified in terms of reduced need for chemical treatments. We infected over 1400 young fish with Lepeophtheirus salmonis, the most important species in the Northern Hemisphere. Mechanisms of resistance were expressed early in infection. Consequently, the number of lice per fish and the ranking of families were very similar at 7 and 17 days post infection, providing a stable window for assessing susceptibility to infection. The heritability of lice numbers within this time window was moderately high at 0.3, confirming that selective breeding is viable. We combined an epidemiological model of sea lice infection and control on a salmon farm with genetic variation in susceptibility among individuals. We simulated 10 generations of selective breeding and examined the frequency of treatments needed to control infection. Our model predicted that substantially fewer chemical treatments are needed to control lice outbreaks in selected populations and chemical treatment could be unnecessary after 10 generations of selection. Selective breeding for sea lice resistance should reduce the impact of sea lice on fish health and thus substantially improve the sustainability of Atlantic salmon production.     

低密度微泡沫压井液的研究与应用

吐哈油田部分区块地层压力系数小于0.9,常规水基压井液对储层伤害大,若使用油基压井液成本高,环境污染严重。通过实验优选出了一种低密度水基微泡沫压井液。该压井液具有密度低、泡沫强度高、稳定性好、携砂能力强等优点。现场应用表明,低密度微泡沫压井液稳定时间大于48 h,密度在0.70~0.99 g/cm3之间可调,抗油污染能力强,抗油大于8%,抗温在100℃以上,岩心污染后渗透率恢复值大于80%;并且施工方便,成本低,具有储层保护能力,使用微泡沫压井液的井表皮系数在0.20~2.34之间。     

城市规划中的水资源承载力计算——以惠州市为例

探讨水资源承载力综合评估和多目标计算理论在城市规划中的应用。运用灰色多层次综合评估模型对惠州市水资源承载力进行定性的综合评价,应用多目标规划理论对城市经济发展规划不同方案下的惠州市水资源承载力作了定量计算。     

工程建设的新特点与中国三峡总公司的可持续发展

本文介绍了三峡工程进入2002年后工程建设的新特点,并对工程下一步两个重点项目三期截流和碾压混凝土围堰的技术难点和工期安排做了深入分析。另外,作者根据国家电力体制改革的重要内容,以及中国三峡总公司自身情况,对公司未来的可持续发展之路亦做了深入探讨。借助中国三峡总公司的品牌优势和资本实力,吸收其它形式的能源,优化能源结构;进一步降低工程造价,提高三峡电价在电力市场的竞争力;依靠科学管理,实现电力生产利润最大化,深化内部改革等措施,促进中国三峡总公司可持续发展。     

矿业可持续发展理论及应用

在简要回顾我国矿业发展现状及其在环境破坏污染和资源浪费损失的基础上，提出矿业可持纽发展的概念与内涵，论述矿业可持续发展的动态２特征，并就如何实施矿业可持结发展战略进行了思考。