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Continued dependence on imported fossil fuels is rapidly becoming unsustainable in the face of the twin challenges of global climate change and energy security demands in Europe. Here we present scenarios in line with REPowerEU package to identify Renewables Acceleration Areas that support rapid renewable expansion, while ensuring minimal harm to places important for biodiversity and rural communities. We calculated the area needed to meet renewable energy objectives under Business-as-Usual (BAU) and Low-conflict (LCON) development scenarios within each country, providing a broad overview of the potential for renewable energy generation to reduce impacts when development is steered toward lower conflict lands. Our analysis shows that meeting renewable energy objectives would require a network of land-based wind turbines and solar arrays encompassing upwards of 164,789 km2 by 2030 and 445,654 km2 by 2050, the latter roughly equivalent to the land area of Sweden. Our results highlight that BAU development patterns disproportionately target high-conflict land cover types. By 2030, depending on the development pathway, solar and wind development are projected to impact approximately 4,386–20,996 km2 and 65,735–138,454 km2 of natural and agricultural lands, respectively. As renewable energy objectives increase from 2030 to 2050 impacts to natural and agricultural lands also increase, with upwards of 33,911 km2 from future solar development and 399,879 km2 from wind development. Despite this large footprint, low-conflict lands can generate substantial renewable energy: 6.6 million GWh of solar and 3.5 million GWh of wind, 8–31 times 2030 solar objectives and 3–5 times 2030 wind objectives. Given these patterns, we emphasize the need for careful planning in areas with greater impact potential, either due to a larger demand for land area or limited land availability. Top-emitting countries with large renewable energy objectives (Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Spain) and those with limited flexibility in meeting objectives on low-conflict land (Albania, Slovenia, Montenegro, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Finland, Greece, Portugal, and Norway) should be priorities for country-level customizations to guide low-conflict siting and avoid disproportionate impacts on high-value areas.

Natural gas (NG) is favored for transportation due to its availability and lower CO2 emissions than fossil fuels, despite drawbacks like poor lean combustion ability and slow burning. According to a few recent studies, using hydrogen (H2) alongside NG and diesel in Tri-fuel mode addresses these drawbacks while enhancing efficiency and reducing emissions, making it a promising option for diesel engines. Due to the importance and novelty of this, the continuation of ongoing research, and insufficient literature studies on HNG–diesel engine emissions that are considered helpful to researchers, this research has been conducted. This review summarizes the recent research on the HNG–diesel Tri-fuel engines utilizing hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HNG). The research methodology involved summarizing the effect of engine design, operating conditions, fuel mixing ratios and supplying techniques on the CO, CO2, NOx and HC emissions separately. Previous studies show that using natural gas with diesel increases CO and HC emissions while decreasing NOx and CO2 compared to pure diesel. However, using hydrogen with diesel reduces CO, CO2, and HC emissions but increases NOx. On the other hand, HNG–diesel fuel mode effectively mitigates the disadvantages of using these fuels separately, resulting in decreased emissions of CO, CO2, HC, and NOx. The inclusion of hydrogen improves combustion efficiency, reduces ignition delay, and enhances heat release and in-cylinder pressure. Additionally, operational parameters such as engine power, speed, load, air–fuel ratio, compression ratio, and injection parameters directly affect emissions in HNG–diesel Tri-fuel engines. Overall, the Tri-fuel approach offers promising emissions benefits compared to using natural gas or hydrogen separately as dual-fuels.

Transforming an up-to-date vehicle into a measurement system is a rewarding task due to the large number of different sensors in the onboard control and diagnostic systems. These procedures are not performed by a single control unit; it is necessary to share the signal values over a communication network, to which an external device can be connected to record the real traffic. The paper aims to use these recorded data for 1 DOF longitudinal vehicle and powertrain model validation. For repeatability, three city routes are selected: plain road, smaller road grade, and higher road grade in both directions. Therefore, the drivetrain system is tested in a high load range, even with long-term recuperation. The altitude changes are recorded with a DGPS system. By the recorded measurements, the vehicle and the drivetrain model can be calibrated, such as the air drag parameters, the rolling resistances, and the efficiencies of the drivetrain. The validation criteria are defined for speed tracking, and the relative tolerance of the cumulated energy should be below 10%. At the end of the day, a developed model is ready for energetic analysis or control strategy design. The energy balance of the applied cycles is also presented to prove that.

The development of wind energy has been observed for many years. Both construction firms and the scientific world are analyzing new design solutions, atmospheric conditions and the technical performance achieved. The main goal of this research is to evaluate the requirements that have to be met to design wind power stations that would be an optimal fit for the climatic conditions in Poland. This study combines the results of empirical studies on wind velocity distributions with the physical fundamentals of wind power station design. This paper presents modelling of the relationships between wind velocity distributions observed in Poland and technical requirements for wind power stations design. The wind velocities distributions for various locations in Poland are determined and expressed in Weibull distribution parameters. Theoretical computations concerning the dependence of wind power stations as function of wind speed and air’s physical properties are presented. Conclusions important for the design of power stations fitted to the atmospheric conditions in Poland are given. LabVIEW 2021 was used for computer modeling.

This study aims to look inside the vague construct of an open eco-innovation (OE) network to reveal underlying strategic factors of combining complementary resources to overcome complexity. Results show that uncertain economic outcomes might reduce the motives of certain partners to engage in OE. In this case, OE network transformation is needed to reduce risks of market failure, driven by bridging nodes. This transformation should focus on exploration and future complementarities of network members, instead of exploitation and existing complementarities, despite technological maturity. This study is the first to demonstrate the significance of future complementarities in OE network evolution.

Achieving sustainable mobility is a crucial factor in maintaining long-term economic growth without adverse effects on human health and the environment. E-fuels, such as the promising oxymethylene ether (OME), can contribute to sustainable road transport. However, this compound does not meet the requirements of EN590; thus, it is unsuitable for unmodified diesel engines. This work aims to improve the applicability of OME by blending it with n-decanol, which can also be produced sustainably. Combustion and emissions were investigated in a medium-duty commercial diesel engine with different binary and ternary mixtures of oxymethylene ether, n-decanol, and B7 diesel. Laboratory analysis of six key mixture parameters revealed that the formulated blends met the EN590 requirements, with the exception of that of density. The results demonstrated that the created mixtures, including one without any diesel fuel, can be efficiently utilized in unmodified diesel engines. OME’s beneficial effects on combustion and emission were preserved while its viability was improved; a maximum increase of 7.6% in brake thermal efficiency was observed, alongside a potential decrease of nearly 70% in PM emissions at unaltered NOx levels.

This paper presents a parametric B-spline-based path planning approach for roundabout exit traverse planners to handle successively generated trajectories. A roundabout is a complex driving scene because of its large curvature and the varying intersection leg angles. A few studies focus on the relationship between roundabout intersection leg angle and path performance. This paper discusses B-spline advantages to curve road conditions and the impact of roundabout geometry elements on path planning performance. Knot vectors are defined, and control points are calculated to meet the requirements for generating paths that fit in different roundabout direction maneuvers. Four countries’ roundabout design standards are summarized with their unique geometry elements. Additionally, the Stanley tracking controller was used to calculate the steering behavior. The impacts of maneuver directions and intersection angles are discussed. It is explained stepwise how the maneuver system framework was built and what notable impacts the geometric structure of the roundabout has on the paths.

The study introduces the current situation of electric vehicle technologies, the possibilities and possible directions of their market, as well as the economic and environmental aspects in the eastern region of the EU, with special regard to Hungary. Our calculations show that despite the higher costs of ownership, in the case of 7 years of use (among Hungarian conditions), the total cost of the Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) is lower than that of the Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV) in each of the four segments analysed. The purchasing power of the population in the eastern regions of the EU is clearly lower compared to the western regions, yet people in this region spend beyond their financial means on motorization. Despite its unfavourable position, Hungary is in a particularly advantageous position compared to other countries in the region per vehicle and per capita in terms of the spread of BEVs. In the long run, even taking higher prices into account, the use of electric cars, in general, has significant advantages from an economic point of view; lower maintenance costs and fuel prices (especially with increased use) make EVs more cost-effective overall.

Spread and evolution of Common Rail (CR) injection systems enable to influence injection events more efficiently than ever, while injection mass flow rate during an injection event crucially affects the combustion process. A measurement device based on the work of Bosch was set up, and measurements were made with different boundary conditions to explore the capabilities of the measurement system and to validate a detailed model of a CR injector. The main finding of this research work is, that orifice size had no noticeable effect on the measured injection rate traces, while it was stated in the original work that a small orifice is needed to terminate the measuring tube to maintain stable measurement conditions. Moreover, the backpressure level in the measuring system has a significant effect on the measured injection traces. If pressure in the measuring tube is low, gradient at the injection rate rise is lower, while if the pressure is comparable with that of a combustion chamber maximal compression pressure, measurement of higher doses is unaccomplishable due to the long pressure decrease time in the measuring tube after the end of the injection. Based on the results of the investigation, it can be stated that the Bosch-type injection rate measurement method does not give back the exact injection rate shape, a supplementing method would be necessary to calculate real nozzle flow rate. First published online 1 March 2021

Among young adults, high rates of binge drinking were observed in certain European countries. Binge drinking is associated with several health problems (unplanned pregnancy, HIV infections, problems with memory, and injuries). The aim of this questionnaire-based study was to measure the frequency of binge drinking and its association with sociodemographic, familial, lifestyle factors and school performance among secondary and university students (n=2449) in Csongrád County, Hungary.

Climate change is an unavoidable global problem we must face sooner rather than later. Regulatory bodies are raising standards. One of these is for automotive manufacturers to decrease engine carbon-dioxide emissions, closely linked with fuel consumption, heavily influenced by the type of engine oil used. Engine bench tests are an accurate way to test the effectiveness of engine oils on fuel economy. This study aimed to develop a new method for engine oil testing in a moderate size, state-of-the-art engine. Based on the literature overview, a test procedure was developed that was tested with three very different engine oils. Results confirm that with this new method, the differences between oil grades can be adequately measured and it is an efficient tool for further engine oil developments. It has the advantage that it needs a much lower amount of fuel than other test procedures and as a result, it is much easier to convert to current engines.

The unique feature of river transport is given by the rivers' flow and the changing cross-sections of the riverbed. Most river vessels operate with a conventional propulsion system. Engine power should be scaled to the maximum expected power demand, which means that the engine is forced to run at medium or low load, almost always downstream and upstream for part of the operating time. In these cases, the engine's operating point is far from ideal, so there is an increase in specific fuel consumption. This is especially true for ships that are forced to stop and start frequently. An example for the circumstances mentioned above is the BKV-100 type ship operated at Budapest as a public transport vessel. A measurement on a schedule route revealed that with given environmental conditions (water level, river flow rate, etc.), the power installed in the vessel is almost double the maximum power demand measured. Due to this reason and to the differences in power demand of downstream and upstream, it may be technically worthwhile to replace the existing conventional propulsion system with an alternative propulsion system. Based on the measurements, in this paper the authors compare 4 alternative drive systems to the existing one with regards to fuel consumption and the investment costs. Beside this, a simple but effective fuel consumption estimation method and a simple cost-benefit analysis are also described.

Background: The need for computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) to rule out pulmonary embolism (PE) is based on clinical scores in association with D-dimer measurements. PE is a recognized complication in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection due to a pro-thrombotic state which may reduce the usefulness of preexisting pre-test probability scores. Aim: The purpose was to analyze new clinical and laboratory parameters while comparing existing and newly proposed scoring system for PE detection in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (HCP). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 270 consecutive HCPs who underwent CTPA due to suspected PE. The Modified Wells, Revised Geneva, Simplified Geneva, YEARS, 4-Level Pulmonary Embolism Clinical Probability Score (4PEPS), and PE rule-out criteria (PERC) scores were calculated and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AuROC) was measured. Results: Overall incidence of PE among our study group of HCPs was 28.1%. The group of patients with PE had a significantly longer COVID-19 duration upon admission, at 10 vs 8 days, p = 0.006; higher D-dimer levels of 10.2 vs 5.3 μg/L, p < 0.001; and a larger proportion of underlying chronic kidney disease, at 16% vs 7%, p = 0.041. From already established scores, only 4PEPS and the modified Wells score reached statistical significance in detecting the difference between the HCP groups with or without PE. We proposed a new chronic kidney disease, D-dimers, 10 days of illness before admission (CDD-10) score consisting of the three aforementioned variables: C as chronic kidney disease (0.5 points if present), D as D-dimers (negative 1.5 points if normal, 2 points if over 10.0 μg/L), and D-10 as day-10 of illness carrying 2 points if lasting more than 10 days before admission or 1 point if longer than 8 days. The CDD-10 score ranged from –1.5 to 4.5 and had an AuROC of 0.672, p < 0.001 at cutoff value at 0.5 while 4PEPS score had an AuROC of 0.638 and Modified Wells score 0.611. The clinical probability of PE was low (0%) when the CDD-10 value was negative, moderate (24%) for CDD-10 ranging 0–2.5 and high (43%) when over 2.5. Conclusions: Better risk stratification is needed for HCPs who require CTPA for suspected PE. Our newly proposed CDD-10 score demonstrates the best accuracy in predicting PE in patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Due to increasingly strict environmental regulations and dwindling oil reserves, fuel consumption and its minimisation play a more and more important role in shipping as well. Based on trends in recent years, the easiest way to solve the problem so far is the so-called "Slow steaming". Other option is the use of alternative fuels, which are increasingly present in shipping with more and more variations. In inland navigation, the above mentioned solutions are also functional, but less achievable. On the one hand, the slower delivery reduces the competitive position of inland navigation in the market, and on the other hand, the number of propulsion systems with alternative fuels are very small in this area. Therefore, the greatest innovation potential can be found in optimising the drive system for minimise the fuel consumption. To do this, the operating profile of the ship being built / built, the parameters influencing the fuel consumption and the more detailed consumption characteristics of the engines need to be known. Many methods have been published in the past decade to determine the latter component. In this research, the authors review the factors influencing fuel consumption of inland navigation, the measurement of fuel consumption and the estimation procedures by any means of transportation based on the literature. They present their modeling results, which are transplanted from several areas into water transport. The proposed methods are validated by engine brake measurements.

Long-term environmental goals will motivate the automotive industry, component suppliers, and lubricating oil developers to reduce the friction of their tribosystems to improve overall efficiency and wear for increased component lifetime. Nanoscale ceramic particles have been shown to form a protective layer on components’ surface that reduces wear rate with its high hardness and chemical resistance. One such ceramic is yttria (Y2O3), which has an excellent anti-wear effect, but due to its rarity it would be extremely expensive to produce engine lubricant made from it. Therefore, part of the yttria is replaced by zirconia (ZrO2) with similar physical properties. The study presents the result of the experimental tribological investigation of nanosized yttria–zirconia ceramic mixture as an engine lubricant additive. Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanoparticle was used as the basis for the ratio of the ceramic mixture, so that the weight ratio of yttria–zirconia in the resulting mixture was determined to be 11:69. After the evaluation of the ball-on-disc tribological measurements, it can be stated that the optimal concentration was 0.4 wt%, which reduced the wear diameter by 30% and the wear volume by 90% at the same coefficient of friction. High-resolution SEM analysis showed a significant amount of zirconia on the surface, but no yttria was found.

A tanulmány3 célja, hogy megvizsgálja, milyen mértékben alkalmazható alternatív adat-bázis a hivatásos labdarúgók értékeléséhez. Az egyre jelentősebb üzletté váló hivatásos lab-darúgás egyik leg főbb értékteremtő tényezői maguk a hivatásos játékosok, ezért kiemelten fontos, hogy teljesítményük és piaci értékük minél pontosabban számszerűsíthető legyen. Cikkünkben a FIFA Electronic Arts videojáték adatbázisának kutatási célú használható-ságát ismertetjük. Kutatási kérdésünk, hogy ez az adatbázis meg felelő-e leíró statisztikák, korreláció-analízis és regressziós becslések alkalmazására. Eredményeink szerint az adat-bázis használatának számos előnye van a többi, szabadon elérhető adatbázishoz képest, és mind a tudományos elemzések, mind pedig a hivatásos labdarúgás érintettjei számára jó lehetőséget jelent statisztikai és ökonometriai kutatások elvégzésére.Kulcsszavak: hivatásos labdarúgás, játékospiac, játékjog értékelés, futball ökonometria. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of using an alternative database for analysing the value of professional football players. Professional football has become an important business and professional players are one of the key value drivers, so it is vital to quantify their performance and market value as accurately as possible. This article intro-duces the academic utility of the FIFA Electronic Arts Video Game Database. The research question is whether this database is appropriate for using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression estimates. According to our results, the use of the database has many advantages over other freely available databases and provides a good opportunity both for scientific analysis and for stakeholders of professional football to perform statisti-cal and econometric research.Key words: professional football, transfer market, players’ value evaluation, football eco-nometrics.

The traditional automotive homologation processes aim to ensure the safety of vehicles on public roads. Autonomous Vehicles (AV) with Artificial Intelligence (AI) are difficult to account for in these conventional processes. This research aims to map and attempt to close the gaps in the areas of testing and approval of such automated and connected vehicles. During our research into the homologation process of traditional vehicles; functional safety issues, challenges of AI in safety critical systems, along with questions of cyber security were investigated. Our process focuses on the integration of the already existing functions and prototypes into new products safely. As a key result, we managed to identify the main gaps between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and automotive technology: the rigidity of the automotive homologation process, functional safety, AI in safety critical areas and we propose a solution.