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The TOBUS software has been developed to facilitate the implementation of the TOBUS building diagnosis and decision-making method for retrofit studies. This user-friendly software runs under the Windows® operating system and includes several modules, each of which addresses a particular aspect of the diagnosis including: building description, dimensions, cost coefficients, building diagnosis of current physical state and functional obsolescence, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), energy use, elaboration of retrofit scenarios, cost analysis, reporting results. The software also includes comprehensive databases on the physical state of degradation, including hundreds of illustrations, retrofit work details, cost, etc.

The TOBUS software has been developed to facilitate the implementation of the TOBUS building diagnosis and decision-making method for retrofit studies. This user-friendly software runs under the Windows® operating system and includes several modules, each of which addresses a particular aspect of the diagnosis including: building description, dimensions, cost coefficients, building diagnosis of current physical state and functional obsolescence, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), energy use, elaboration of retrofit scenarios, cost analysis, reporting results. The software also includes comprehensive databases on the physical state of degradation, including hundreds of illustrations, retrofit work details, cost, etc.

A survey of the development and experience with knowledge-based systems applied to power systems in Europe, including expert systems used in operation, is presented. The technical aspects of power system operation are briefly reviewed, the role of computers in power systems is discussed, and the motivation for investigating knowledge-based applications in this context is identified. The structure of the research and industrial organizations involved in the development and implementation is described, and the characteristics of main application areas are discussed. Future expert system development and implementation are discussed. >

A survey of the development and experience with knowledge-based systems applied to power systems in Europe, including expert systems used in operation, is presented. The technical aspects of power system operation are briefly reviewed, the role of computers in power systems is discussed, and the motivation for investigating knowledge-based applications in this context is identified. The structure of the research and industrial organizations involved in the development and implementation is described, and the characteristics of main application areas are discussed. Future expert system development and implementation are discussed. >

A hybrid-twin for gas-bearing supported, high-speed turbocompressor is suggested to be an aide to increase the operational reliability and to provide valuable insights to improve its design. The bearing clearances of a few micrometers imply that excessive thermal or mechanical deformations can result in machine failure due to mechanical seizure or rotor-dynamic instabilities. The high centrifugal forces and thermal gradients may induce material fracture or the lift-off of press-fitted assemblies. The mentioned phenomena and interactions depend strongly on the operating conditions and imply a risk of hitting critical operating zones potentially unscreened during the design phase. The developed twin asset involves 1D multi-domain models that are accurate enough to provide useful information regarding the most critical interactions and are computationally viable for real-time applications suggesting a run-to-real time ratio of 2 per cent. A case study in which a turbocompressor touchdown is analyzed a posteriori using the twin asset to highlight the possible insights to be gained by using the virtual twin to predict data that cannot be readily measured such as the thrust bearing axial clearance under the impeller thrust force. Finally, the generation of signals by the twin asset providing a degree of redundancy with sensor values is highlighted as an opportunity to increase confidence in monitoring tasks, paving the way to extension into control strategies.

A hybrid-twin for gas-bearing supported, high-speed turbocompressor is suggested to be an aide to increase the operational reliability and to provide valuable insights to improve its design. The bearing clearances of a few micrometers imply that excessive thermal or mechanical deformations can result in machine failure due to mechanical seizure or rotor-dynamic instabilities. The high centrifugal forces and thermal gradients may induce material fracture or the lift-off of press-fitted assemblies. The mentioned phenomena and interactions depend strongly on the operating conditions and imply a risk of hitting critical operating zones potentially unscreened during the design phase. The developed twin asset involves 1D multi-domain models that are accurate enough to provide useful information regarding the most critical interactions and are computationally viable for real-time applications suggesting a run-to-real time ratio of 2 per cent. A case study in which a turbocompressor touchdown is analyzed a posteriori using the twin asset to highlight the possible insights to be gained by using the virtual twin to predict data that cannot be readily measured such as the thrust bearing axial clearance under the impeller thrust force. Finally, the generation of signals by the twin asset providing a degree of redundancy with sensor values is highlighted as an opportunity to increase confidence in monitoring tasks, paving the way to extension into control strategies.

The literature on energy management in manufacturing is rapidly growing. Since the literature is also quite fragmented, we believe that the time has come to delve into current knowledge in the research field to provide directions for policy makers and guidance for future research. To achieve this, we present a detailed analysis of the research literature on energy management in manufacturing, now encompassing 365 articles published from 1995 to 2015 in a variety of academic journals. Six main lines of research related to energy management appear in the area of the study: (i) drivers and barriers, (ii) information and communication technologies, (iii) strategic paradigms, (iv) supporting tools and methods, (v) manufacturing process paradigms, and (vi) manufacturing performances in the trade-off. Thus, a framework is derived inductively based on a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the literature to describe the dynamic process of energy management in manufacturing. The review and the proposed framework might be useful for both academicians and practitioners, as the study raises central theoretical and managerial questions as well as providing suggestions for further research on this important yet complex topic.

The literature on energy management in manufacturing is rapidly growing. Since the literature is also quite fragmented, we believe that the time has come to delve into current knowledge in the research field to provide directions for policy makers and guidance for future research. To achieve this, we present a detailed analysis of the research literature on energy management in manufacturing, now encompassing 365 articles published from 1995 to 2015 in a variety of academic journals. Six main lines of research related to energy management appear in the area of the study: (i) drivers and barriers, (ii) information and communication technologies, (iii) strategic paradigms, (iv) supporting tools and methods, (v) manufacturing process paradigms, and (vi) manufacturing performances in the trade-off. Thus, a framework is derived inductively based on a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the literature to describe the dynamic process of energy management in manufacturing. The review and the proposed framework might be useful for both academicians and practitioners, as the study raises central theoretical and managerial questions as well as providing suggestions for further research on this important yet complex topic.

Abstract Poor reconstitution of food powders is a defect that hampers the development of novel dehydrated food products. In order to improve the quality of a powdered food during the development stages, a better understanding of how the powder behaves upon rehydration is vital. However, common methods to follow powder reconstitution, e.g. conductimetry, can yield uninterpretable results, especially if a powder does not completely wet, sink, disperse and dissolve. To circumvent this problem, a mapping approach was developed to describe the powder behavior depending on the combinations of variables. To construct such a map, powders are reconstituted using a transparent vessel, and an optical recording of each trial is utilized to describe if the process was ‘normal’, i.e. if wetting/sinking, dispersing, and dissolving of the particles occur readily and more or less sequentially, or if it was limited by poor powder sinking, by sedimentation, slow material dissolution, or lump formation. By mapping the behaviors at different combinations of temperatures and agitation speeds, various regimes of limiting reconstitution behavior can be identified. In the current study, rate-limiting regime maps of four types of maltodextrin (Glucidex DE21, IT21, DE6, and IT6) are constructed and compared in order to investigate the influence of molecular weight, particle size, water temperature, and agitation speed on the rehydration of a water-soluble amorphous food powder. Such a study would not have been possible using conventional techniques, as powder reconstitution is not always complete.