Search results for " sensitivity"

Global sensitivity analysis of a filtration model for submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR)

2014

The results of a global sensitivity analysis of a filtration model for submerged anaerobic MBRs (AnMBRs) are assessed in this paper. This study aimed to (1) identify the less- (or non-) influential factors of the model in order to facilitate model calibration and (2) validate the modelling approach (i.e. to determine the need for each of the proposed factors to be included in the model). The sensitivity analysis was conducted using a revised version of the Morris screening method. The dynamic simulations were conducted using long-term data obtained from an AnMBR plant fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes. Of the 14 factors in the model, six were identified as influential, i.e…

Short-term prediction of household electricity consumption: assessing weather sensitivity in a Mediterranean area

2008

Abstract Urban microclimatic variations, along with a rapid reduction of unit cost of air-conditioning (AC) equipments, can be addressed as some of the main causes of the raising residential energy demand in the more developed countries. This paper presents a forecasting model based on an Elman artificial neural network (ANN) for the short-time prediction of the household electricity consumption related to a suburban area. Due to the lack of information about the real penetration of electric appliances in the investigated area and their utilization profiles it was not possible to implement a statistical model to define the weather and climate sensitivities of appliance energy consumption. F…

Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of an integrated membrane bioreactor model

2015

Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, although can be of primarily importance in mathematical modelling approaches, are scarcely applied in the field of membrane bioreactor (MBR). An integrated mathematical model for MBR is applied with the final aim to pin down sources of uncertainty in MBR modelling. The uncertainty analysis has been performed combining global sensitivity analysis (GSA) with the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE). The model and methodology were applied to a University Cape Town pilot plant. Results show that the complexity of the modelled processes and the propagation effect from the influent to the effluent increase the uncertainty of the model predicti…

A comprehensive tool for efficient design and operation of polygeneration-based energy μgrids serving a cluster of buildings. Part II: Analysis of th…

2013

Abstract The potential of polygeneration systems, in terms of profitability, energy saving and pollutant emissions reduction, highly depends on several factors such as plant efficiency, local normative and tariff conditions and reference technologies adopted to compare the results. In Part I of this paper a reliable tool was described, capable of optimizing the lay-out, design and operation of an integrated polygeneration system serving a cluster of buildings with their heat, cooling and power demand; the tool represents an excellent instrument to perform sensitivity analyses, thus enabling the analyst to formulate general design criteria and predict the effects of any change in the boundar…

A novel current-based approach for very low variation detection of resistive sensors in wheatstone bridge configuration

2014

Sensitivity analysis to quantify uncertainty in Life Cycle Assessment: The case study of an Italian tile

2011

Abstract The results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study can be affected by several uncertainty sources, mainly due to the methodological choices, the initial assumptions, i.e. allocation rules, system boundaries and impact assessment methods, and the quality of the available data. Then, the experts should estimate the extent of the above-mentioned sources of uncertainty for improving the reliability and the representativeness of the obtained eco-profiles. To estimate the uncertainty is necessary to obtain reliable, transparent and representative LCA results and to correctly support decision-makers in the selection of different product or process options. The following paper starts from …

Multicolour LEDs in educational demonstrations of physics and optometry

2014

LED light sources are used to design experimental setup for university courses teaching human color vision. The setup allows to demonstrate various vision characteristics and to apply for student practical exercises to study eye spectral sensitivity in different spectral range using heterochromatic flicker photometry. Technique can be used in laboratory works for students to acquire knowledge in visual perception, basics of electronics and measuring, or it can be applied as fully computer control experiment. Besides studies of the eye spectral sensitivity students can practice in trichromatic color matching and other visual perception tasks

Post Feed-in Scheme Photovoltaic System Feasibility Evaluation in Italy: Sicilian Case Studies

2014

: Thanks to national energy policies, over recent years the Italian photovoltaic (PV) sector has undergone an extraordinary growth, also affecting the primary sector. In this context, Mediterranean greenhouses are well-adapted to photovoltaic systems because they represent one of the most energy-intensive sectors in agriculture. The Italian feed-in scheme ended at the beginning of 2013, making it necessary to investigate the feasibility of photovoltaic systems devoid of any electricity production-related incentives. In this paper, production cost and profitability analyses of photovoltaic electricity have been conducted, considering Mediterranean solar greenhouses in which, thanks to net me…

An Ethnographic Study of Entrepreneurship Among the Sámi People of Finland

2005

Abstract This article reports the findings of ethnographic research conducted in Finland. Respondents describe changes brought about by European Union regulations and Finnish laws that lack cultural sensitivity thereby transforming the nature of traditional Sami entrepreneurship. Many of these indigenous people have had to start an additional business or work elsewhere to make ends meet.

Quantifying transmission fitness costs of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

2021

As multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) continues to spread, investigating the transmission potential of different drug-resistant strains becomes an ever more pressing topic in public health. While phylogenetic and transmission tree inferences provide valuable insight into possible transmission chains, phylodynamic inference combines evolutionary and epidemiological analyses to estimate the parameters of the underlying epidemiological processes, allowing us to describe the overall dynamics of disease spread in the population. In this study, we introduce an approach to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) phylodynamic analysis employing an existing computationally efficient mod…