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Project: GCOS Earth Heat Inventory - A study under the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) concerted international effort to update the Earth heat inventory (EHI), and presents an updated international assessment of ocean warming estimates, and new and updated estimates of heat gain in the atmosphere, cryosphere and land over the period from 1960 to present. Summary: The file “GCOS_EHI_1960-2020_Earth_Heat_Inventory_Ocean_Heat_Content_data.nc” contains a consistent long-term Earth system heat inventory over the period 1960-2020. Human-induced atmospheric composition changes cause a radiative imbalance at the top-of-atmosphere which is driving global warming. Understanding the heat gain of the Earth system from this accumulated heat – and particularly how much and where the heat is distributed in the Earth system - is fundamental to understanding how this affects warming oceans, atmosphere and land, rising temperatures and sea level, and loss of grounded and floating ice, which are fundamental concerns for society. This dataset is based on a study under the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) concerted international effort to update the Earth heat inventory published in von Schuckmann et al. (2020), and presents an updated international assessment of ocean warming estimates, and new and updated estimates of heat gain in the atmosphere, cryosphere and land over the period 1960-2020. The dataset also contains estimates for global ocean heat content over 1960-2020 for different depth layers, i.e., 0-300m, 0-700m, 700-2000m, 0-2000m, 2000-bottom, which are described in von Schuckmann et al. (2022). This version includes an update of heat storage of global ocean heat content, where one additional product (Li et al., 2022) had been included to the initial estimate. The Earth heat inventory had been updated accordingly, considering also the update for continental heat content (Cuesta-Valero et al., 2023).

Purpose. In modern conditions of energy consumption growth and a rapid increase in energy prices the actual problem is the development and implementation of energy efficiency programs and resource-saving conversion in to a source to provide the needs of industry and municipal power. The paper aims to solve the urgent problem of energy saving and efficient use of fuel-energy ones and heat supply system optimization on the basis of Uman National University of Horticulture (UNUH). Methodology. The work investigated the process of heating and hot water supply in the course of 2007-2015 years. Implementation of current problems of energy saving is grounded on the scientific-practical and efficient assurance of fuel and energy usage. At the same time energy-saving technologies are viewed as a priority direction of the energy sector development, reduction of man-induced impact on the environment and as a way of improving the competitiveness of the national economy. Findings. Statistical data acquisition and analyzing of gas flow and outside air temperature for nine years was carried out. On the basis of this analysis, the problem was identified and specific targets for its solutions were set. Originality. Scientific novelty lies in solving the problem of energy saving and efficient use of fuel resources in Ukraine through the use of a systematic approach, the methodology development of efficient use of different fuels and optimization of local heating operation, applying contemporary automation and control systems. Firstly it was in detail analyzed and conducted the comprehensive assessment of various factors influence on energy conservation. It takes into account the human factor, professionalism and responsibility of the operators of boilers and their superiors, as well as the relevant control services. Practical value. For UNUH campus hybrid use of solid fuel and gas boilers was carried out. Decentralization of the university heating system has been conducted through the restoration of 350 individual heating systems in residential buildings, remote departments and campus dormitories. The conclusions propose the list of activities upon the real economy of fuel and energy resources, and measures to overcome the economic and political crisis in the country.

One of the most powerful modern methods of calculating complex building structures is the finite element method in theform of a displacement method for discrete systems, which involves the creation of a finite element model, that is, splittingthe structure into separate elements within each of which the functions of displacements and stresses are known. On the basisof the displacement method and the methods of iterations and half-division, an algorithm for stability calculation of the firstkind equilibrium form of compressed reinforced concrete columns with hinged fixing at the ends, considering the stiffnesschanging has been developed. The use of the above methods enables to determine the minimum critical load or stress at thefirst bifurcation and their stability loss corresponding form. The use of matrix forms contributes to simplification of high order stability loss equation. This approach enables to obtain the form of stability loss that corresponds to the critical load.

Medium and heavy-duty battery electric trucks (BETs) may play a key role in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road freight transport. However, technological challenges such as limited range and cargo carrying capacity as well as the required charging time need to be efficiently addressed before the large-scale adoption of BETs. In this study, we apply a geospatial data analysis approach by using a battery electric vehicle potential (BEVPO) model with the datasets of road freight transport surveys for analyzing the potential of large-scale BET adoption in Finland and Switzerland for trucks with gross vehicle weight (GVW) of over 3.5 t. Our results show that trucks with payload capacities up to 30 t have the most potential for electrification by relying on the currently available battery and plug-in charging technology, with 93% (55% tkm) and 89% (84% tkm) trip coverage in Finland and Switzerland, respectively. Electric road systems (ERSs) would be essential for covering 51% trips (41% tkm) of heavy-duty trucks heavier than 30 t in Finland. Furthermore, range-extender technology could improve the trip electrification potential by 3–10 percentage points (4–12 percentage points of tkm).

The paper represents the analysis, which has helped to establish the usage of gas hydrate technologies in the methane conversion. This gas could be obtained in different ways. Possibilities and sources for the gas obtaining have been demonstrated. Use of other environmentally friendly sources to support operation in such systems in terms of joint energy complex has been considered. The necessary kinetic connections to provide operational sustainability of all the constituents have been given. The approach helps evaluate quantitatively the priority of its physicochemical transformations to obtain gas hydrates artificially. It is possible to transport methane at considerable distances when it is solidified. Actually, in this case there is no necessity to build costly compressor stations and pipelines for its transportation to consumers. The approach is extremely important for mining regions as it helps prolong the operating period and working out of the abandoned and off-balance coal reserves. In this case, it is proposed to apply special gasification technologies tending to maximum methane recovery. The proposed solutions give the possibility to define the trends of our further research. They will be highlighted in the following authors’ studies.

Pollutant emissions have been a topic of interest in the last decades. Not only environmentalists but also governments are taking rapid action to reduce emissions. As one of the main contributors, the transport sector is being subjected to strict scrutiny to ensure it complies with the short and long-term regulations. The measures imposed by governments clearly involve all the stakeholders in the logistics sector, from road authorities and logistic operators to truck manufacturers. The improvement of traffic conditions is one of the perspectives in which the reduction of emissions is being addressed. Optimization of traffic flow, avoidance of unnecessary stops, control of the cruise speed, and coordination of trips in an energy-efficient way are necessary steps to remain compliant with the upcoming regulations. In this study, we have estimated the CO2 and NOx emissions in heavy-duty vehicles while traversing signalized intersections, and we examined the differences between various behavioral scenarios. We found a consistent trend indicating that avoiding a stop can potentially reduce CO2 and NOx emissions by up to 0.32kg and 1.8g, respectively. Furthermore, an upper bound for the yearly CO2 savings is provided for the case of The Netherlands. A reduction of 3.2% of the total CO2 emitted by heavy-duty vehicles is estimated. These results put traffic control in the main scene as a yet unexplored dimension to control pollutant emissions, enabling authorities to more accurately estimate cost–benefit plans for traffic control system investments.

Purpose.The railways of Ukraine have been operated the locomotives, which are both morally and physically obsolete. Therefore, to ensure the competitiveness of rail transport it is necessary to update the locomotive fleet, and first of all the fleet of electric locomotives, because electrified railways provide the greater part of passenger and freight traffic. In this connection it is of special importance to determine the optimum parameters of the nominal mode of electric rolling stock. The purpose of the work is to examine the features of solution of these problems with respect to electric locomotives. Methodology. Assuming that the limit values of traction force are determined by the conditions of wheel-rail grip, then the power of the nominal mode can be represented as the product of rated speed, estimated friction coefficient, train weight and the coefficients that represent the ratio of the estimated (starting) value of traction force to value of traction force the nominal mode and the ratio of the mass of the locomotive to the train weight. Since the mass of the train is not a constant value, there is always a surplus power of the locomotive fleet required for the mastering of a predetermined volume of transportations. Reduced overcapacity of the locomotive fleet can be achieved by introduction of the locomotives of different power, designed for driving trains of different weight that will result in increased completeness of the power use but also in difficulty in selecting of locomotives for trains in operation. The paper shows the method of calculating the optimum values of power, speed and traction force of the nominal mode. It presents the mathematical model of the relationship of traction rate, excessive capacity and power of the traction unit. Findings.It is proved that the power of the traction unit, the total fleet power requirement and the excess of power in absolute units are proportional to the speed of the nominal mode. To reduce the total power of the fleet when selecting the optimum power of the traction unit it is necessary to take into consideration the speed of the nominal mode, defined by the condition of minimization of power consumption for traction, i.e. the smallest value that enables the implementation of the given running speed and the powerredundancy level required for operation. Originality. It consists in the development of a unified algorithm for determining the optimal parameter values of the nominal mode of passenger, freight and freight-passenger electric locomotives. Practical value. The authors determined the minimization costs during production, acquisition and maintenance of electric locomotives, whose nominal mode parameters are designed according to the above procedure.

In the context of nature protection, there is an effort to regulate individual car traffic in protected areas. In the framework of the research, a pilot testing of a vehicle detection and identification system in the Krkonoše National Park was carried out using two selected technologies (license plate recognition and Bluetooth token detection). The research was carried out under conditions of poorer availability of mobile signal for transmission of measured data, lack of electrical power supply, and in challenging climatic conditions in the mountains. The main objective was to verify the applicability and limits of the mentioned technologies under these difficult conditions. For this purpose, two test sites were built: a fixed and a mobile point. Testing at both points was carried out using two basic methods, namely online through continuous data collection from the detectors and on-site through a local survey during the summer of 2022. The parameters evaluated were the reliability of the vehicle identification itself and the reliability of the operation of the individual detection subsystems and the tested system as a whole. The results show that the license plate recognition system using two cameras for the checkpoint shows a high recognition reliability, but it is reduced for some types of vehicles (especially motorcycles and four-wheelers). At the same time, this technology is demanding on energy resources. Detection using a Bluetooth scanner has proven to be highly reliable up to 50 km/h. A reliable power supply is necessary to achieve high reliability, which was a problem at the mobile point. Evaluation of images from cameras with motion detection showed the limits of this technology, which increased with increasing vehicle speed. The system can be used to detect traffic in protected areas, taking into account the limits specified in this article.

Plug-in electric vehicles can potentially emit substantially lower CO2 emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles, and so have the potential to reduce transport emissions without curtailing personal car use. Assessing the potential uptake of these new categories of vehicles requires an understanding of likely consumer responses. Previous in-depth explorations of appraisals and evaluations of electric vehicles have tended to focus on ‘early adopters’, who may not represent mainstream consumers. This paper reports a qualitative analysis of responses to electric cars, based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 40 UK non-commercial drivers (20 males, 20 females; age 24–70 years) at the end of a seven-day period of using a battery electric car (20 participants) or a plug-in hybrid car (20 participants). Six core categories of response were identified: (1) cost minimisation; (2) vehicle confidence; (3) vehicle adaptation demands; (4) environmental beliefs; (5) impression management; and, underpinning all other categories, (6) the perception of electric cars generally as ‘work in progress’ products. Results highlight potential barriers to the uptake of current-generation (2010) plug-in electric cars by mainstream consumers. These include the prioritization of personal mobility needs over environmental benefits, concerns over the social desirability of electric vehicle use, and the expectation that rapid technological and infrastructural developments will make current models obsolete. Implications for the potential uptake of future electric vehicles are discussed.

The future of road transportation systems faces fundamental changes concerning technological progress and business models. Automated and electric vehicles are coming into the market and evolving towards a service-based mobility system with promises to tackle energy and environmental issues in the mobility sector. Although recent studies have begun to explore the potential impact of shared and privately owned automated and electric vehicles (AEVs) mostly from an operational perspective, little is known about the life cycle impact of such future transport systems. To fill this gap, this paper aims to compare the life cycle environmental impacts of shared vs privately owned AEVs in a regional context. A life cycle assessment (LCA) approach is developed to appraise impact categories with a direct effect on human health, ecosystems, and resources availability. Given that automated vehicles are not yet being used massively, the LCA is applied to synthetic travel demand data to assess the characteristics of privately-owned AEVs and the results of an optimization model that determines the vehicle fleet and driving patterns of shared AEVs serving a regional case-study in the central region of Portugal. Two different vehicle seating capacities - one passenger (non-ridesharing) and four passengers (ridesharing) – are considered to evaluate shared mobility systems. Results show that shared mobility systems yield a potential reduction of up to 42% (with 4 passengers per vehicle) of the system's environmental impacts compared to privately owned automated vehicles. Human toxicity, mineral resource scarcity, and marine and freshwater ecotoxicity are the impact categories with a higher potential of reduction. ; Transport and Planning