scholarly journals Identification of Energy Efficiency Trends in the Context of the Development of Industry 4.0 Using the Polish Steel Sector as an Example

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radosław Wolniak ◽  
Sebastian Saniuk ◽  
Sandra Grabowska ◽  
Bożena Gajdzik
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Investment Policies ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Steel Sector ◽  
Steel Market

The steel sector is crucial for the national economy of Poland and the global economy. In response to the challenges of the global steel market and the need to increase the sector’s competitiveness, a number of actions have been taken to increase the energy efficiency of steel production. Based on the synthesis of the literature and our own research, we describe the issues related to energy efficiency and the Industry 4.0 concept. The main aim of this paper is to identify energy efficiency trends in enterprises, especially those that focus on increasing the energy efficiency of production processes, and to make recommendations for investment policy for the Polish steel sector in the era of Industry 4.0. To achieve our goals and answer the research question, we used data from 2000–2019 for the Polish steel industry. The calculations and models in this paper were made by using Gretl software. Using direct research, an econometric model was built that verified the hypothesis regarding the relationship between investment in new technologies and the energy efficiency of steel production. Future investment policies should take the implementation of Industry 4.0 tools in the steel sector into account, which, according to the authors, will measurably improve energy efficiency.

scholarly journals Are Cross-Border Classes Feasible for Students to Collaborate in the Analysis of Energy Efficiency Strategies for Socioeconomic Development While Keeping CO2 Concentration Controlled?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1584
Author(s):  
Roberto Araya ◽  
Pedro Collanqui
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
School Students ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Science Classes

Education is critical for improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 concentration, but collaboration between countries is also critical. It is a global problem in which we cannot isolate ourselves. Our students must learn to collaborate in seeking solutions together with others from other countries. Thus, the research question of this study is whether interactive cross-border science classes with energy experiments are feasible and can increase awareness of energy efficiency among middle school students. We designed and tested an interactive cross-border class between Chilean and Peruvian eighth-grade classes. The classes were synchronously connected and all students did experiments and answered open-ended questions on an online platform. Some of the questions were designed to check conceptual understanding whereas others asked for suggestions of how to develop their economies while keeping CO2 air concentration at acceptable levels. In real time, the teacher reviewed the students’ written answers and the concept maps that were automatically generated based on their responses. Students peer-reviewed their classmates’ suggestions. This is part of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) education project on energy efficiency using APEC databases. We found high levels of student engagement, where students discussed not only the cross-cutting nature of energy, but also its relation to socioeconomic development and CO2 emissions, and the need to work together to improve energy efficiency. In conclusion, interactive cross-border science classes are a feasible educational alternative, with potential as a scalable public policy strategy for improving awareness of energy efficiency among the population.

scholarly journals Energy Management in the Railway Industry: A Case Study of Rail Freight Carrier in Poland

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 6875
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Kuzior ◽  
Marek Staszek
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Market Regulation ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Railway Industry ◽  
European Regulatory

Energy is crucial to economic development, but its production usually has a negative impact on the environment. This ambivalence leads to the need for methods to improve energy efficiency. Transportation is one of the largest global energy consumers. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of transportation is crucial for sustainable development. The aim of this article is to show the limitations of energy management in railways, resulting from the model of market regulation. The question in this context is whether only technological methods can be used in railways to steer its energy efficiency, as is suggested by the existing research. Critical analysis, desk research and a case study of Polish railway undertaking were used to find an answer to the research question. The discussion of the results shows that the European regulatory system leads to greater complications in the field of energy management than in other global regions, where railways are also important for the economy. Due to these limitations, rail operators use indirect methods to measure energy efficiency. Results indicate that although energy efficiency improvements are being achieved, they are mainly due to organizational measures and not technological ones as could be expected based on previous research.

scholarly journals A remote MQTT-based data monitoring system for energy efficiency in industrial environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Guilherme Balduino Lopes ◽  
Renato Ferreira Fernandes Junior.
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Electrical Network ◽  
Industrial Plant ◽  
Production Lines ◽  
Artificial Intelligence System ◽  
Intelligence System ◽  
High Yields ◽  
New Industry

The concept of the new industry seeks not only to improve production processes, but also to bring solutions to environmental problems, in addition to reducing resource consumption, while maintaining high yields. This constant search for process optimization has been the main agent in the development of new technologies aimed at improving the performance of industrial production lines. Thus, this article proposes to raise some important concepts of Industry 4.0, and present the development of a remote IoT-based system that, through MQTT and Modbus protocols, will be responsible for monitoring the entire electrical network of an industrial plant, sending its data to the cloud, where it can be monitored and analyzed by the industry management sector or even by an artificial intelligence system, in a simple and effective way, in real time and from anywhere, in order to assist in decision-making focused on energy efficiency.

scholarly journals Will the Management Structure of Energy Administrators Affect the Achievement of the Electrical Efficiency Mandatory Target for Taiwan Factories?

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 2021
Author(s):  
Feng-Fan Liao ◽  
Wun-Hwa Chen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Management Structure ◽  
Electrical Efficiency ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Electricity Saving

Since 2014, Taiwan has promoted a 1% annual electricity saving target to promote electrical efficiency efforts. As the industrial sector accounts for approximately 60% of the overall electricity consumption of Taiwan, this sector presents the greatest opportunity for improving Taiwan’s overall energy efficiency. Here, the energy audit data of industrial energy users are analyzed via logistic regression to understand the factors impacting their likelihood of achieving the targeted 1% electricity saving. Of the variables under study, the number of employees and the rank of the energy administrator were significantly correlated with the likelihood of reaching the electricity saving target. Within the management structure of the factory, energy users with higher-ranking energy administrators are more likely to achieve the targeted 1% electricity saving. As it is impractical to rapidly increase the number of employees, higher-ranking employees, i.e., factory executives, should be appointed as energy administrators to improve users’ electrical efficiency and thus reach the targeted 1% annual electricity saving. Based on the findings of our research, we put forward a point of view that in addition to the introduction of new technologies to improve energy efficiency, it can also be achieved through adjustments to the management structure of energy administration.

scholarly journals The Economic Aspect of Digital Sustainability: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8241
Author(s):  
Livio Cricelli ◽  
Serena Strazzullo
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Production Cycle ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Innovation And Entrepreneurship

In recent years, sustainability and Industry 4.0 have become crucial aspects of the global economy. Numerous studies focus on the link between environmental aspects of sustainability and Industry 4.0. On the contrary, few studies address the issue of the integration of economic sustainability and digital technologies. This paper aims to fill this gap through a systematic analysis of the literature. In particular, 32 articles were selected and following a descriptive analysis to evaluate the evolution of the theme, a content analysis was performed. The findings of this study highlight and categorize the main sustainability metrics associated with digital technologies. Specifically, the digitalization process enhances the connection of products and factories, the value chain and users to achieve a production cycle as sustainable as possible. The new technologies developed allow companies to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, increase the market share, reduce energy waste, recover and reuse the material, etc. Finally, managerial and academic contributions were identified.

scholarly journals Steel Industry in Turkey: Progress and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilge Çağatay
Keyword(s):  
Steel Industry ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Competition Strategy ◽  
Collective Interest ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
The World ◽  
Trade Relationship

While Turkey was the world’s 10th biggest steel producer in 2001, she has become the 7th biggest producer globally and largest steel producer in Europe in 2020. In fact, she was the third fastest growing steel producer in the world between 2001 and 2011, after China and India. Steel production in Turkey has increased significantly since 2001, growing from 15 million tons (mt) in 2001 to 35.8 million tons in 2020. In addition to the strong domestic demand and dynamic steel using industries, Turkey’s well-placed position also supports exports and production. This article suggests employing descriptive methodology focusing on Turkish Steel Industry between 2010-2020. The authors conduct descriptive research using case study method. Both quatitative and quanlitative analysis gives a holistic understanding of the research question. We began with a discussion of how Turkish steel industry has changed and affected by the rise of protectionism in the twenty first century. Then we will focus on the competition strategy in steel industy based on the trade relationship between EU, USA and Asia. A final section summarizes our argument and findings and offers suggestions for policy implications. The paper seeks to understand the role of Turkish steel industy both in Turkish economy and global economy. We anchor our collective interest in competition strategy and trade performance in the last decade. After Covid 19, the world community faces many unknowns. As a result, we aim to fill the gap with the mapping the future appearance of steel industy in Turkey by evaluating the possibilities.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency in the Supply Chains of the Aluminium Industry: The Cases of Five Products Made in Sweden

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Haraldsson ◽  
Maria Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Made In

Improved energy efficiency in supply chains can reduce both environmental impact and lifecycle costs, and thus becomes a competitive advantage in the work towards a sustainable global economy. Viewing the supply chain as a system provides the holistic perspective needed to avoid sub-optimal energy use. This article studies measures relating to technology and management that can increase energy efficiency in the supply chains of five aluminium products made in Sweden. Additionally, energy efficiency potentials related to the flows of material, energy, and knowledge between the actors in the supply chains are studied. Empirical data was collected using focus group interviews and one focus group per product was completed. The results show that there are several areas for potential energy efficiency improvement; for example, product design, communication and collaboration, transportation, and reduced material waste. Demands from other actors that can have direct or indirect effects on energy use in the supply chains were identified. Despite the fact that companies can save money through improved energy efficiency, demands from customers and the authorities would provide the additional incentives needed for companies to work harder to improve energy efficiency.

scholarly journals The modernization of industrial enterprises in the digital economy of the Eurasian Economic Union

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Aisuluu A. Eralieva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Investment Policies ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Innovation Potential ◽  
Tech Nologies

The relevance of this study is due to the need to develop the industrial sector in the EAEU countries and the transition to new standards of digitalization associated with Industry 4.0. In this regard, the article aims to identify the factors that determine the innovation potential of enterprises and other important conditions for the develop- ment of industrial enterprises based on digital technology. In addition, the main rea- sons for the technological lag of industrial enterprises and the factors constraining their development in the EAEU countries were identified. As a result of the study the possibility of a digital breakthrough in the industry by changing the usual way of technology, the rejection of outdated systems. The speed of implementation of tech- nologies in production plays a decisive role, since all the new innovative solutions are emerging in the market and the old ones are already rapidly failing. Top man- agement, ready to take risks in mastering new technologies and able to introduce new transformations into the organization, should play an active role in this. The use of foreign experience in the use of B2B digital platforms and other digital tools will contribute to the innovative development of industrial enterprises. As a result, coun- tries that do not invest funds and efforts in the development of innovative technolo- gies will not be able to compete with countries in Industry 4.0 in the near future. In addition, economic growth opportunities depend on investment policies, the training of information technology specialists, and increased investment in scientific research.

scholarly journals Decarbonisation Pathways of Industry in TIMES Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 318-330
Author(s):  
Signe Allena-Ozolina ◽  
Dzintars Jaunzems ◽  
Ieva Pakere ◽  
Andra Blumberga ◽  
Gatis Bazbauers
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The industry sector in many countries has a significant role in reaching national long-term emission reductions, energy efficiency and renewable energy targets. New technologies, wide implementation of energy efficiency measures and smart energy management are needed for the industry to ensure local and global competitiveness and reduce emissions. Since the industrial sector is often comprised of sub-sectors that are unique and with local specifics, this paper focuses on three of them, taking Latvia as the case. The sectors are: manufacture of wood and wood products, non-metallic mineral products, as well as food products and tobacco. These sub-sectors together consume around 80 % of the total final energy use in the country’s industrial sector. Comprehensive analysis and decomposition of the sub-sectors was made to identify future development pathways. TIMES model was used to elaborate a process-oriented modelling approach to analyze the impact of measures defined in the National Energy and Climate Plan until 2030 as well to gauge the impact of additional measures. Results show that these measures promote the use of renewable energy and improve energy efficiency, however it is necessary to set new measures and activities for the period beyond to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

Drying and heating of scrap metal at steelmaking: industrial safety, economics, ecology

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 1353-1258
Author(s):  
V. A. Spirin ◽  
V. E. Nikol’skii ◽  
D. V. Vokhmintsev ◽  
A. A. Moiseev ◽  
P. G. Smirnov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Scrap Metal ◽  
Industrial Safety ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Metal Charge ◽  
Basic Task ◽  
Scrap Heating ◽  
Winter Time

At steel production based on scrap metal utilization, the scrap heating before charging into a melting facility is an important way of energy efficiency increase and ecological parameters improving. In winter time scrap metal charging with ice inclusions into a metal melt can result in a considerable damage of equipment and even accidents. Therefore, scrap preliminary drying is necessary to provide industrial safety. It was shown, that in countries with warm and low-snow climate with no risk of scrap metal icing up during its transportation and storing in the open air, the basic task being solved at the scrap drying is an increase of energy efficiency of steelmaking. InRussiathe scrap metal drying first of all provides the safety of the process and next - energy saving. Existing technologies of scrap metal drying and heating considered, as well as advantages and drawbacks of technical solutions used at Russian steel plants. In winter time during scrap metal heating at conveyers (Consteel process) hot gases penetrate not effectively into its mass, the heat is not enough for evaporation of wetness in the metal charge. At scrap heating by the furnace gases, a problem of dioxines emissions elimination arises. Application of shaft heaters results in high efficiency of scrap heating. However, under conditions of Russian winter the upper scrap layers are not always heated higher 0 °С and after getting into a furnace bath the upper scrap layers cause periodical vapor explosions. The shaft heaters create optimal conditions for dioxines formation, which emit into atmosphere. It was shown, that accounting Russian economic and nature conditions, the metal charge drying and heating in modified charging buckets by the heat of burnt natural gas or other additional fuel is optimal. The proposed technical solution enables to burnt off organic impurities ecologically safely, to melt down ice, to evaporate the wetness in the scrap as well as to heat the charge as enough as the charging logistics enables it. The method was implemented at several Russian steel plants. Technical and economical indices of scrap metal drying in buckets under conditions of EAF-based shop, containing two furnaces ДСП-100, presented.

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