scholarly journals Domestic heat pumps in the UK: user behaviour, satisfaction and performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Caird ◽  
Robin Roy ◽  
Stephen Potter
Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Florian Schlosser ◽  
Heinrich Wiebe ◽  
Timothy G. Walmsley ◽  
Martin J. Atkins ◽  
Michael R. W. Walmsley ◽  
...  

Heat pumps are the key technology to decarbonise thermal processes by upgrading industrial surplus heat using renewable electricity. Existing insight-based integration methods refer to the idealised Grand Composite Curve requiring the full exploitation of heat recovery potential but leave the question of how to deal with technical or economic limitations unanswered. In this work, a novel Heat Pump Bridge Analysis (HPBA) is introduced for practically targeting technical and economic heat pump potential by applying Coefficient of Performance curves into the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram (METD). Removing cross-Pinch violations and operating heat exchangers at minimum approach temperatures by combined application of Bridge Analysis increases the heat recovery rate and reduce the temperature lift to be pumped at the same time. The insight-based METD allows the individual matching of heat surpluses and deficits of individual streams with the capabilities and performance of different market-available heat pump concepts. For an illustrative example, the presented modifications based on HPBA increase the economically viable share of the technical heat pump potential from 61% to 79%.


Author(s):  
David Mahon ◽  
Anthony Clarkson ◽  
Simon Gardner ◽  
David Ireland ◽  
Ramsey Jebali ◽  
...  

In the last decade, there has been a surge in the number of academic research groups and commercial companies exploiting naturally occurring cosmic-ray muons for imaging purposes in a range of industrial and geological applications. Since 2009, researchers at the University of Glasgow and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) have pioneered this technique for the characterization of shielded nuclear waste containers with significant investment from the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd. Lynkeos Technology Ltd. was formed in 2016 to commercialize the Muon Imaging System (MIS) technology that resulted from this industry-funded academic research. The design, construction and performance of the Lynkeos MIS is presented along with first experimental and commercial results. The high-resolution images include the identification of small fragments of uranium within a surrogate 500-litre intermediate level waste container and metal inclusions within thermally treated GeoMelt® R&D Product Samples. The latter of these are from Lynkeos' first commercial contract with the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. The Lynkeos MIS will be deployed at the NNL Central Laboratory facility on the Sellafield site in Summer 2018 where it will embark upon a series of industry trials. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Cosmic-ray muography’.


Author(s):  
R C Segundo ◽  
P R English ◽  
G Burgess ◽  
S A Edwards ◽  
O MacPherson ◽  
...  

The role of stockmanship in relation to the wellbeing of farm animals has been emphasised in the UK Codes of Recommendations for the Welfare of Farm Livestock (MAFF, 1983). Moreover, previous research work has demonstrated important effects of good and bad stockmanship not only on welfare but also on growth, lactational and reproductive performance of pigs and other farm livestock (Hemsworth et al, 1987). There is a need, therefore, to establish the factors which motivate and demotivate stockpeople since the degree of job satisfaction is likely to have a considerable influence on the attitude and performance of stockpeople and on their empathy with the animals in their care. With this objective in mind, a questionnaire was designed to investigate the aspects which could have an influence on the job satisfaction of the stockpeople involved in pig production.


2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 2071-2104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Vanharanta ◽  
Alan J.P. Gilchrist ◽  
Andrew D. Pressey ◽  
Peter Lenney

Purpose – This study aims to address how and why do formal key account management (KAM) programmes hinder effective KAM management, and how can the problems of formalization in KAM be overcome. Recent empirical studies have reported an unexpected negative relationship between KAM formalization and performance. Design/methodology/approach – An 18-month (340 days) ethnographic investigation was undertaken in the UK-based subsidiary of a major US sports goods manufacturer. This ethnographic evidence was triangulated with 113 in-depth interviews. Findings – This study identifies how and why managerial reflexivity allows a more effectively combining of formal and post-bureaucratic KAM practices. While formal KAM programmes provide a means to initiate, implement and control KAM, they have an unintended consequence of increasing organizational bureaucracy, which may in the long-run hinder the KAM effectiveness. Heightened reflexivity, including “wayfinding”, is identified as a means to overcome many of these challenges, allowing for reflexively combining formal with post-bureaucratic KAM practices. Research limitations/implications – The thesis of this paper starts a new line of reflexive KAM research, which draws theoretical influences from the post-bureaucratic turn in management studies. Practical implications – This study seeks to increase KAM implementation success rates and long-term effectiveness of KAM by conceptualizing the new possibilities offered by reflexive KAM. This study demonstrates how reflexive skills (conceptualized as “KAM wayfinding”) can be deployed during KAM implementation and for its continual improvement. Further, the study identifies how KAM programmes can be used to train organizational learning regarding KAM. Furthermore, this study identifies how and why post-bureaucratic KAM can offer additional benefits after an organization has learned key KAM capabilities. Originality/value – A new line of enquiry is identified: the reflexive-turn in KAM. This theoretical position allows us to identify existing weakness in the extant KAM literature, and to show a practical means to improve the effectiveness of KAM. This concerns, in particular, the importance of managerial reflexivity and KAM wayfinding as a means to balance the strengths and weaknesses of formal and post-bureaucratic KAM.


2013 ◽  
Vol 805-806 ◽  
pp. 645-648
Author(s):  
Wei Xiu Shi ◽  
Li Sheng Pan

Under the situation of energy crisis, air source heat pumps are paid more attention recently. In order to save energy, the feasibility and performance of air source heat pump are studied by experiment, and variation laws of exhaust temperature, evaporator outlet temperature and outlet presser of compressor were analyzed in this paper. Air source heat pump apparatus were set up and the experiment was during 10°C, 20°C, 30°C and 40°C. The results were as follows: exhaust temperature of compressor increases gradually with the increase of tank temperature, but the temperature difference between exhaust temperature of compressor and tank temperature becomes little; temperature difference in evaporator decreases; Compressor outlet pressure increases obviously.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Huston ◽  
Arvydas Jadevicius ◽  
Negin Minaei

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to sketch the UK housing backdrop, review the student private rented sector (PRS) and assess the experience of post-graduate university student tenants in the PRS. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review puts the issues of student-PRS responsiveness into context and helps to untangle some UK housing issues. The private sector’s size, growth and performance is assessed by reviewing secondary data. In-depth interviews were then conducted at a regional university campus. Findings – The study confirms accumulating evidence of an unbalanced UK housing market. The study identified four main PRS issues: first, rapid university expansion without accompanying residential construction has sparked rampant PRS growth with, second, quality issues, third, in tight letting market conditions, rented agent service levels fell and fourth, part of the problem is complex PRS management procedures. Research limitations/implications – The research has three noteworthy limitations. First, the macroeconomic analysis integrated secondary research without independent modelling. Second, the views of letting agents, university property managers, planning officers or landlords were not canvassed. Finally, the pilot interviews were geographically restricted. Practical implications – When they expand, universities, local authorities and industry players need to give due consideration to plan for, design and develop quality student accommodation. Over-reliance on the PRS without informed oversight and coordination could undermine student experience and erode long-term UK competitiveness. Social implications – The lack of quality student rented accommodation mirrors a general housing malaise around affordability, polarisation and sustainable “dwelling”. Standards and professionalism in the rented sector is part of the overall quality mix to attract global talent. Originality/value – The preliminary investigation uses mixed-methods to investigate PRS service delivery. It illustrates the interplay between professional property management and wider issues of metropolitan productivity, sustainability and resilience.


2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Shutes ◽  
J.B. Ellis ◽  
D.M. Revitt ◽  
L.N.L. Scholes

This paper presents the outcome of an inventory of planted wetland systems in the UK which are classified according to land use type and are all examples of sustainable drainage systems. The introduction of constructed wetlands to treat surface runoff essentially followed a 1997 Environment Agency for England and Wales report advocating the use of “soft engineered” facilities including wetlands in the context of sustainable development and Agenda 21. Subsequently published reports by the UK Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) have promoted the potential benefits to both developer and the community of adopting constructed wetlands and other vegetated systems as a sustainable drainage approach. In addition, the UK Environment Agency and Highways Agency (HA) have recently published their own design criteria and requirements for vegetative control and treatment of road runoff. A case study of the design and performance of a constructed wetland system for the treatment of road runoff is discussed. The performance of these systems will be assessed in terms of their design criteria, runoff loadings as well as vegetation and structure maintenance procedures. The differing design approaches in guidance documents published in the UK by the Environment Agency, CIRIA and HA will also be evaluated.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1164-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley Allison Beer ◽  
Pietro Micheli

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences of performance measurement (PM) on not-for-profit (NFP) organizations’ stakeholders by studying how PM practices interact with understandings of legitimate performance goals. This study invokes institutional logics theory to explain interactions between PM and stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth case study is conducted in a large NFP organization in the UK. Managers, employees, and external partners are interviewed and observed, and performance-related documents analyzed. Findings Both stakeholders and PM practices are found to have dominant institutional logics that portray certain goals as legitimate. PM practices can reinforce, reconcile, or inhibit stakeholders’ understandings and propensity to act toward goals, depending on the extent to which practices share the dominant logic of the stakeholders they interact with. Research limitations/implications A theoretical framework is proposed for how PM practices first interact with stakeholders at a cognitive level and second influence action. This research is based on a single case study, which limits generalizability of findings; however, results may be transferable to other environments where PM is aimed at balancing competing stakeholder objectives and organizational priorities. Practical implications PM affects the experience of stakeholders by interacting with their understanding of legitimate performance goals. PM systems should be designed and implemented on the basis of both their formal ability to represent organizational aims and objectives, and their influence on stakeholders. Originality/value Findings advance PM theory by offering an explanation for how PM influences attention and actions at an individual micro level.


Author(s):  
Xiaowei Fan ◽  
Fang Wang ◽  
Huifan Zheng ◽  
Xianping Zhang ◽  
Di Xu

The refrigerant mixtures provide an important direction in selecting new environment-friendly alternative to match the desirable properties with the existing halogenated refrigerants or future use in the new devices, in which, HFCs refrigerants with zero ODP combined with HCs refrigerants with zero ODP and lower GWP are of important value in the fields of application. In the present work, research on HFC125/HC290 (25/75 by mass) binary refrigerant mixture used in heat pumps was carried out, and parameters, factors affecting the performance were investigated, and compared with that of HCFC22 under the same operating conditions. It has been found that the new mixture can improve the actual COP by 2 to 13% and hence it can reduce the energy consumption by 20 to 31.5%. The overall performance has proved that the new refrigerant mixture could be a promising substitute for HCFC22.


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