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Due to the funding scale and complexity of technology, the selection of government sponsored technology development projects can be viewed as a multiple-attribute decision that is normally made by a review committee with experts from academia, industry, and the government. In this paper, we present a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method and utilize crisp judgment matrix to evaluate subjective expert judgments made by the technical committee of the Industrial Technology Development Program in Taiwan. Our results indicate that the scientific and technological merit is the most important evaluation criterion considered in overall technical committees. We demonstrate how the relative importance of the evaluation criteria changes under various risk environments via simulation. Keywords: Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process; Government sponsored R&D projects; Crisp judgment matrix; Simulation, 1. Introduction Technology is viewed as one of the major factors determining the competitiveness of an industry. Private firms may not pursue technology research and development (R&D) projects because: (1) [...]

Beneficiation of coal refers to the production of wash coal from raw coal with the help of some suitable beneficiation technologies. The processed coal is used by the different steel plants to serve their purpose during the manufacturing process of steel. The present paper deals with the optimal planning for blending raw coal of different grades used for beneficiation with a view to satisfy the requirements of the end users with desired specifications. The input specifications of coal samples are known whereas the output specifications are imprecise in nature. The aim of the work is to fix the level of the raw coal from different coal seams to be fed for beneficiation to meet the desired target of yield and ash percentage to maximum extent. Further, it is also desired by the decision-maker (DM) to restrict the input cost of raw coal to be fed for beneficiation. The problem is modeled as multicriteria decision-making problem with imprecise specifications. Fuzzy set theoretic approach has been used and a corresponding model has been developed. The solution of the problem would enable the DM to optimize the raw coal feed with existing available specifications from different collieries along with the overall degree of satisfaction. Keywords: Coal beneficiation; Multicriteria; Optimization; Fuzzy modeling, 1. Introduction Coal is a non-replenishable resource to produce energy. It is needed to provide technologies that are technically attractive, economically viable and environmentally conducive to meet the market requirements [...]

This paper presents how fuzzy goal programming can be efficiently used for modelling and solving land-use planning problems in agricultural systems for optimal production of several seasonal crops in a planning year. In the model formulation of the problem, utilization of total cultivable land, supply of productive resources, aspiration levels of various production of crops as well as the total expected profit from the farm are fuzzily described. In the decision-making situation, minimization of the under-deviational variables of the membership goals with highest membership value (unity) as their achievement levels defined for the membership functions of the fuzzy goals of the problem on the basis of the priorities of importance of achieving the aspired levels of the fuzzy goals to the extent possible is considered. As a study region, the District Nadia, West Bengal, India is taken into account. To expound the potential use of the approach, the model solution is compared with the existing cropping plan of the District as well as a solution of the problem obtained by using the additive fuzzy goal programming model studied by Tiwari et al. (Fuzzy sets and systems 24(1987)27.) previously. Keywords: Linear programming; Fuzzy linear programming; Goal programming; Fuzzy goal programming; Land-use planning, 1. Introduction Mathematical programming models for agricultural planning problems have been widely used since Heady [1] demonstrated the use of linear programming (LP) for land allocation to crop planning problems. [...]

Abstract: In this paper we propose a new active control strategy to control the dynamic behavior of flexible structures: fuzzy modal control (FMC). This strategy, based on the modal state [...]