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This study investigates the potential benefits of integrating coarser particle size distributions (PSDs) of 45–106 µm into laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M), aiming to reduce costs while maintaining quality standards. Despite the considerable advantages of PBF-LB/M for producing intricate geometries with high precision, the high cost of metal powders remains a barrier to its widespread adoption. By exploring the use of coarser PSDs, particularly from electron beam-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-EB/M), significant cost-saving opportunities are identified. Through a comprehensive powder characterization, process analysis, and mechanical property evaluation, this study demonstrates that PBF-LB/M can effectively utilize coarser powders while achieving comparable mechanical properties as those produced with a 20–53 µm PSD. Adaptations to the process parameters enable the successful processing of coarser powders, maintaining high relative density components with minimal porosity. Additionally, market surveys reveal substantial cost differentials between PBF-LB/M and PBF-EB/M powders, indicating a 40% cost reduction potential for the feedstock material by integrating coarser PSDs into PBF-LB/M. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the economic and technical feasibility of printing with coarser powders in PBF-LB/M, offering promising avenues for cost reduction without compromising quality, thus enhancing competitiveness and the adoption of the technology in manufacturing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many advantages of distributed generation (DG), it can have adverse effects on the network protection coordination by raising the short-circuit level of buses. This issue can often be resolved by incorporating fault current limiters (FCLs) that are properly located and sized in the network. We propose an efficient method to simultaneously attain the optimal location and size of DG and FCL units for protection coordination of overcurrent relays and cost reduction in a distribution network. The proposed method involves three stages. First, two separate objective functions are derived, representing the operation times of relays and the network costs associated with the installation of DGs and FCLs and system losses. The Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2 (SPEA-2) is then used for finding a Pareto-optimal solution set for the interrelated multiobjective problem at hand. Finally, the k-means clustering method is utilized to group the best solutions. In contrast to the conventional weighted sum (WS) method, the proposed method is more computationally efficient while being capable of treating complex networks with non-convex Pareto front solutions. These features are demonstrated by implementing the proposed approach in the 14-bus IEEE test grid and comparing the results with those obtained using the conventional WS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit juice concentration gains popularity due to the reduced shipping costs for concentrated products. However, the main drawback of the widely used thermal concentration process is the degradation of product's quality parameters. Lyophilization, or the freeze‐drying process, is applied to concentrate coconut water to demonstrate that the quality of the coconut water can improve even when a significant fraction of pure water is removed from it. The measurements of antioxidant activities, total phenolic content (TPC), pH, and titratable acidity are investigated to understand process efficiency without compromising the original quality of coconut water. Study applies first order kinetics to assess the coconut water's shelf‐life, using pH and Brix as critical parameters. Results suggest that Brix, TPC, antioxidant activity (AAO), total dissolved solids (TDS), and potassium increase with increase in lyophilization time, where pH remains the same. The shelf‐life of concentrated product increases to double that of raw coconut water. Practical applications: Coconut water has very large worldwide demand as health drink across all ages and all societies, particularly has great demand in sport/health sectors. The raw coconut is inconvenient to transport long distances because of its bulky volume. Further, coconut grows in a very limited area, it needs to travel long distance to reach customers across globe. So business with packed concentrated coconut water would be profitable for food industries. There is no study that has proven that concentrated coconut water through non‐thermal processes can actually improve its shelf‐life drastically. This study suggests that Brix, TPC, AAO, total dissolved solids, and potassium ions were concentrated with the increase in lyophilization time, where pH remains same due to an undisturbed natural buffering system. Non‐thermal freeze‐drying techniques proved that non‐thermal treatment like polymeric/ceramic membrane treatment would be beneficial for industry to sell packed coconut water without adding preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economics & Administrative Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Economics & Administrative Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The acceleration of digital technology development is an important strategic choice to realize the transformation of green innovation. Prior research focuses on the mechanism by which artificial intelligence technology promotes economic growth but ignores the impact of digital technology on green innovation performance. Using panel data on 30 regions in China from 2003 to 2019, this paper examines the impact of digital technology on green innovation performance. The results are as follows: (1) Digital technology can significantly promote green innovation performance. After a series of robustness tests, the conclusion is still valid. (2) Digital technology improves green innovation performance through the green technology upgrading effect, cost reduction effect, and green resource allocation optimization effect. (3) Heterogeneity test results show that in regions with high human capital, high R&D intensity, and strong environmental regulation, the improvement effect of digital technology on green innovation performance is more obvious. These findings not only enrich the literature on digital technology and green innovation performance but also serve as a reference for governmental departments as they optimize their strategy for developing digital technology and achieving green economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abstract highlights the global issue of environmental contamination caused by organic compounds and the exploration of various methods for its resolution. One such approach involves the utilization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalyst in conjunction with natural adsorption materials like kaolin. The study employed a modeling-based approach to investigate the sustainable photocatalytic degradation of acidic dyes using a Jordanian nano-kaolin–TiO2 composite material and solar energy. Mechanistic insights were gained through the identification of the dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the degradation process, as well as the synergetic effect between adsorption and photocatalysis. The Jordanian nano-kaolin–TiO2 composite was synthesized using the sol-gel method and characterized. The nanocomposite photocatalyst exhibited particle sizes ranging from 27 to 41 nm, with the TiO2 nanoparticles well-dispersed within the kaolin matrix. The efficacy of this nanocomposite in removing Congo-red dye was investigated under various conditions, including pH, initial dye concentration, and photocatalyst amount. The optimal conditions for dye removal were found to be at pH 5, with an initial dye concentration of 20 ppm, and using 0.1 g of photocatalyst, resulting in a 95 % removal efficiency. The mechanistic insights gained from this study indicate that the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) generated during the photocatalytic process play a dominant role in the degradation of the acidic dye. Furthermore, the synergetic effect between the adsorption of the dye molecules onto the photocatalyst surface and the subsequent photocatalytic degradation by the ROS was found to enhance the overall removal efficiency. These findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of the photodegradation mechanisms and guide the development of more efficient photocatalytic systems for the treatment of acidic dye-containing wastewater. The use of solar power during the purification procedure also leads to cost reduction and strengthens sustainability efforts.

This study examines a firm's strategic choices of self-development or cooperation with (wholesaling from) its stronger rival. Both choices can improve the efficiency and competitive strength. We develop a benchmark of a full competition model, coopetition strategy, self-development strategy and hybrid strategy to investigate the effect of coopetition and self-development on firms who sell substitutive products in the end market. We show that both coopetition and self-development can benefit the high-cost firm. While the low-cost firm prefers the coopetition strategy. And in the hybrid strategy, the high-cost firm just utilises the self-development ability as a threat to enjoy a lower wholesale price. Interestingly, our research indicates that the mixed cooperation and competition relationship varies low-cost firm's attitudes towards product differentiation. On the one hand, the low-cost firm wants to produce homogeneous products to compete with rivals. On the other hand, he also wants to provide heterogenous products to alleviate competition in the coopetition strategy. The result provides company managers with a certain meaning in the complicated cooperative and competitive market environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the topical problem of reducing the self-cost of production in the modern market, especially in the context of Ukrainian enterprises that face unique challenges in the context of the ongoing war. The aim of this article is to analyze the main measures to reduce the cost of production, identify unresolved problems in this area and determine the prospects for further research. The article analyzes the main ways to reduce the self-cost and identifies unresolved problems, such as insufficiently active introduction of new technologies, instability of the economic situation and currency exchange rates. An important issue of effective production management at enterprises in order to ensure their competitiveness and profitability is also considered. In particular, various ways to optimize the cost of production are explored, for example, through the introduction of effective technologies and production methods, minimization of waste, automation of management and production, optimization of inventory levels and replacement of obsolete equipment, etc. The authors analyze each of these paths, provide specific methodologies and outline the prospects for their application, emphasizing the importance of continuous analysis of market conditions and adapting the pricing strategy to changes. The research uses the methodology of analysis of scientific research and publications, including a review of scientific articles, journal publications and web resources. Based on the collected information, an overview of practical examples of successful enterprises that use innovative methods of cost reduction is provided, namely, such world-famous firms as Tesla, Inc., Unilever, Amazon, Walmart, General Electric (GE). The article will be of considerable practical and scientific interest for enterprises struggling with economic challenges, as well as for researchers interested in the problems of optimization of production processes.

Abstract The increased penetration of renewable energy sources and the intensification of peak‐valley differences present challenges to peak regulation in the power system. Fulfilling the peak regulation needs of the power system solely through generation‐side resources proves to be challenging. Large‐scale fixed frequency air‐conditioning (FFAC) and inverter air‐conditioning (IAC) are high‐quality flexible load resources. This paper proposes a hierarchical coordinated control strategy of air‐conditioning (AC) loads for peak regulation service. In the first layer of the control strategy, the load aggregator collaborates with multiple AC groups to ensure the completion of peak regulation tasks with specific power‐constrained requirements. In the second layer of the control strategy, the control centre of each group optimizes the temperature adjustment values for each AC load, aiming to reduce incentive costs. Finally, the proposed method is validated through simulations, demonstrating its capability to achieve coordinated control of FFAC and IAC loads under various power‐constrained requirements. Furthermore, the simulation demonstrates the effectiveness of the control strategy in reducing user discomfort and the AC's incentive costs.

Abstract It has been well documented that the usage of a textured cover layer reduces reflection from the air‐solar cell interface, which ultimately enhances the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a solar cell. The most commonly used patterns, such as pyramids, micropillars, nanowires (NW), and nanoholes have been widely studied and optimized. Besides using such NWs to enhance light absorption, this work also additionally considers the concept of mimicking the antireflection coating of single or multiple layers in minimizing the reflectance and thus enhancing the total absorptance further. It is shown here that at least one order of magnitude shorter multilayer NW pattern of 268 nm total height can outperform a standard NW of 4270 nm height, which needs less material and can also be fabricated at a reduced cost. Furthermore, the proposed design with reduced height has a significantly lower surface‐to‐volume ratio, which also reduces surface recombination loss than the other textured surface patterns. The results presented in this work have been comprehensively analyzed by initially optimizing optical absorption and then completing the electrical simulations. The optimized design in conjunction with a back reflector offers an efficiency as high as 16.434%.

In one of the smelter projects at West Kalimantan, access road construction was planned to use soil embankment above the geo-membrane layer. But this method is not highly effective considering rainfall intensity is very high in the project location. Therefore, optimization needs to be done to obtain the most effective method in terms of cost and timely accomplishment of the access road. The optimization method is done by making a comparison matrix of the output results of the running simulation schedule on software. From the several methods proposed, the duration of completion, completion costs, and resource requirements are compared and scored to get the most optimized method. Other than that, carbon emissions resulting from each method are also compared. The optimization result concluded that boulder stone layer addition with optimum quantity in the embankment is the most optimal method considering the remaining time and encountering intensive rainfall. This optimized method can result in an accelerated construction duration of 140 days, cost efficiency of 11.46%, and a reduction in carbon emissions of 44% compared to the initial method. This optimization method is expected can be applied to access road embankment projects of soft soil areas in other locations, especially in the Kalimantan region.

A meta-analysis on private equity technology-driven value creation acquires special relevance for understanding the most effective ways to increase earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The goal of this research is to evaluate the diverse technology value creations used to increase earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The research used the methods of analysis, systematic search procedure, coding, assessment of methodological quality, statistical analysis. As a result of the research, the impact of reducing IT costs, improving operations using technologies and implementing digital technologies on the growth of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization was proven. In addition, it is established that the use of enterprise resource planning systems contributes to the improvement of the system, as well as to the increase of automation. In turn, this improves operations and process reengineering. Emphasized the vital importance of digital capabilities as a strategy used by most private equity firms in today’s world. These opportunities involve the implementation of transformations that contribute to the growth of profits and income. It was established that the growth of income affects the increase of indicators of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by at least 10%, which in the context of divestiture ultimately increases the value of investments. The results of the conducted research can be useful for private equity firms in view of revealing opportunities to use technology to stimulate and create value