Integrative Smart Grids’ Assessment System

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the energy sector. The new behavior of industrial and non-commercial consumers changes the energy consumption model. In addition, the constraints associated with the coronavirus crisis have led to environmental effects from declining economic activity. The research is based on evidence from around the world showing significant reductions in emissions and improved air quality. This situation requires rethinking the energy development strategy, particularly the construction of smart grids as a leading direction of energy development. Evaluating the efficiency of smart grids is a vital tool for disseminating successful experience in improving their management. This paper proposes an approach to a comprehensive assessment of smart grids based on a comparative analysis of existing methods, taking into account the changes that need to be considered after the experience gained from the COVID-19 pandemic. The approach provides an accurate set of efficiency indicators for assessing smart grids to account for the direct and indirect effects of smart grids’ implementation. This evaluation approach can be helpful to policymakers in developing energy efficiency programs and implementing energy policy.

Power Consumption Model of Permanent-Magnet Direct-Drive Belt Conveyor System Based on GACO–BP

Permanent-magnet direct-drive belt conveyors (PMDDBCs) rotate at high speed most of the time, resulting in a large number of invalid energy consumption. To realize the speed regulation of PMDDBC, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between the belt speed, coal quantity of the conveyor and total power of the system. Based on the BP neural network, this paper establishes the power consumption model of PMDDBC, which is related to coal quantity, belt speed and total power. Furthermore, an improved hybrid algorithm (GACO) that combines the advantages of genetic algorithm (GA) and ant colony optimization (ACO) is proposed to optimize the BP power consumption model. The GACO–BP power consumption model is obtained. The original power consumption model is compared with the GACO–BP power consumption model through experiments. Results demonstrate that the GACO–BP power consumption model reduces various prediction errors, while the optimization ability, prediction accuracy and convergence speed are significantly enhanced. It provides a reliable speed regulation basis for the permanent-magnet direct-drive belt conveyor system and also provides a theoretical reference for energy savings and consumption reduction in the coal industry.

Processes of Modernization of Consumption in Poland in the Context of the Sustainable Consumption and the Functioning of the Renewable Energy Market

The process of consumption modernization can be expressed by adopting the principles of sustainable development within the sphere of consumption. It should be emphasized that the implementation of a sustainable consumption model becomes especially important when considering the fact that not only various types of enterprises but also consumers participate in the excessive consumption of natural resources. The processes of sustainable consumption that are related to its humanization and the formation of a responsible society are a response to the overconsumption of goods and services, which is not determined by actual human needs and does not consider social and ecological costs. The aim of the paper is to present a process of consumption modernization in Poland in the context of the functioning of the renewable energy market. Special attention is paid to behaviours that are consistent with the sustainable consumption model, as well as with the motives for using renewable energy sources by Polish consumers and the perception of barriers to increasing the use of renewable energy sources in Poland. This paper is based on literature studies, as well as on the results of an empirical study of quantitative character that was performed in 2021 on a nationwide representative sample of 1020 people. The contribution of the article is represented by showing the motivation of Polish consumers to use renewable energy sources and by indicating barriers to the development of the use of renewable energy sources by consumers in Poland. The analysis of the research results shows that the aspect of saving money plays a significant role among the motives for using renewable energy sources. At the same time, high investment costs in devices that enable the use of renewable energy sources are the main factor that is limiting the increase in the use of renewable energy sources in Poland.

Radial solutions to a chemotaxis-consumption model involving prescribed signal concentrations on the boundary

The chemotaxis system u t = Δ u − ∇ ⋅ ( u ∇ v ) , v t = Δ v − u v , is considered under the boundary conditions ∂ u ∂ ν − u ∂ v ∂ ν = 0 and v = v ⋆ on ∂Ω, where Ω ⊂ R n is a ball and v ⋆ is a given positive constant. In the setting of radially symmetric and suitably regular initial data, a result on global existence of bounded classical solutions is derived in the case n = 2, while global weak solutions are constructed when n ∈ {3, 4, 5}. This is achieved by analyzing an energy-type inequality reminiscent of global structures previously observed in related homogeneous Neumann problems. Ill-signed boundary integrals newly appearing therein are controlled by means of spatially localized smoothing arguments revealing higher order regularity features outside the spatial origin. Additionally, unique classical solvability in the corresponding stationary problem is asserted, even in nonradial frameworks.

Developing and Field Testing a Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory System for Buses

This paper develops a Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA) system for buses (B-GLOSA). The proposed B-GLOSA system is implemented on diesel buses, and field tested to validate and quantify the potential real-world benefits. The developed system includes a simple and easy to calibrate fuel consumption model that computes instantaneous diesel bus fuel consumption rates. The bus fuel consumption model, a vehicle dynamics model, the traffic signal timings, and the re-lationship between vehicle speed and distance to the intersection are used to construct an optimi-zation problem. A moving-horizon dynamic programming problem solved using the A-star algo-rithm is used to compute the energy-optimized vehicle trajectory through signalized intersections. The Virginia Smart Road test facility was used to conduct the field test on 30 participants. Each participant drove three scenarios including a base case uninformed drive, an informed drive with signal timing information communicated to the driver, and an informed drive with the recom-mended speed computed by the B-GLOSA system. The field test investigated the performance of using the developed B-GLOSA system considering different impact factors, including road grades and red indication offsets, using a split-split-plot experimental design. The test results demonstrated that the proposed B-GLOSA system can produce smoother bus trajectories through signalized in-tersections producing fuel consumption and travel time savings. Specifically, compared to the uninformed drive, the B-GLOSA system produces fuel and travel time savings of 22.1% and 6.1% on average, respectively.

Production and Consumption Model of a Modern Music Product

Introduction. The relevance of the study is in the formation of conceptual and terminological apparatus for the functioning of the music industry in Ukraine, the identification of music product producers, determining the specifics of music product and its essence, to develop an effective mechanism for copyright protection of authors and performers (artists) in a crisis of royalty payments formed in Ukraine in 2021. Purpose and methods. The study aims to determine the model of production and consumption of a modern music product given the rapid digitization of such a product in the last decade. The methodological basis of the study is comprehensive, systematic, and historical approaches. Results. A music product is defined in two definitions: first, like a musical composition with lyrics (song) or without lyrics (melody); secondly, “artist” as a music product that is directly involved in creating a track (song), public performance (concert), products with the symbols of their brand (merch) and content for social networks, television, radio, including advertising. Modern manufacturers of the music industry commercialize the artist's brand, his unique story. This strategy ensures rapid monetization of the music project and reduces investment risks. Conclusions. The scientific novelty of the research results is to determine the specifics of the functioning of traditional and modern models of modern music product production and consumption. The practical significance of the obtained results is in the use of the concept of “music product” for the development and improvement of legislation in the field of culture, the functioning of the music industry, and the protection of intellectual property rights, including copyright.