This paper presents MoSS-CC (Model-based Simulation System for Cost Calculation in wastewater treatment plants), a software tool to optimise wastewater treatment plant design and operation by means of simulation and cost analysis. The scenario analysis procedure is encoded in the software as a VPL (Virtual Product Lifecycle). Roughly, the scenario consists of two phases: the design phase and th...

This paper proposes a correction method, which corrects the actual compressor performance in real operating conditions to the equivalent performance under specified reference condition. The purpose is to make fair comparisons between actual performance against design performance or reference maps under the same operating conditions. Then the abnormal operating conditions or early failure indica...

A novel wastewater treatment technology, suitable for centralised and decentralised wastewater treatment and known as a pumped flow biofilm reactor (PFBR), has been developed and patented in the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway). This two-reactor-tank technology has been extensively tested at laboratory-scale and trialled at a number of sites for populations ranging from 15 – ...

We address the problem of a finite horizon single item maintenance optimization structured as a combination of preventive and corrective maintenance in a nuclear power plant environment. We present Bayesian semiparametric models to estimate the failure time distribution and costs involved. The objective function for the optimization is the expected total cost of maintenance over the pre-defined...

Electric commercial vehicles (ECV) have the potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, noise, and pollution in urban areas. In addition, ECVs have lower per-mile operating costs and potentially lower maintenance costs. However, the initial purchase cost of ECVs is significantly higher than the purchase cost of a conventional diesel vehicle. From a purely economic perspective, t...

Preterm delivery is a public health issue of major proportion. More than 12% of deliveries in the United States that occur at less than 37 weeks gestation preterm labor (PTL) represents the largest single reason for preterm birth (PTB). Attempts to prevent PTB have been unsuccessful. This paper of maintenance tocolytic therapy will examine the efficacy and safety of the drugs, both oral and sub...

As commercialisation and privatisation of railway systems reach the political agendas in a number of countries, including Australia, the separation of infrastructure from operating business dictates that track costs need to be shared on an equitable basis. There is also a world-wide trend towards increased pressures on rail track infrastructure through increases in axle loads and train speeds. ...

Fuel hedging is a common risk management tool used in the airline industry. But past studies have not addressed the question of whether fuel hedging creates any benefit to airline operations. This study is the first work that empirically examines the role of fuel hedging in reducing airlines’ operating costs. Using US airlines data from 2000 through 2012, we find that, after accounting for the ...

A circuit breaker may be considered an ‘active link’, used to make and break an electrical circuit under conditions of varying severity. In the event of a circuit fault the circuit breaker must respond within tens of milliseconds in order to prevent damage to connected plant and safeguard personnel. As such, a circuit breaker will remain idle for the bulk of its lifetime, only being called into...