A Framework on Centralised to Decentralised Logistics Control Structures Applied in Two Case Studies

Developments on digitalisation and automation in transport and logistics create new possibilities in the organisation of supply chains. New technologies can disrupt existing control structures, establish new forms of control and improve the efficiency and flexibility of operations. This paper provides a framework to analyse the trade-offs and...

Talking Trucks: Decentralized Collaborative Multi-Agent Order Scheduling for Self-Organizing Logistics

Logistics planning is a complex optimization problem involving multiple decision makers. Automated scheduling systems offer support to human planners; however state-of-the-art approaches often employ a centralized control paradigm. While these approaches have shown great value, their application is hindered in dynamic settings with no central...

Phase separation of VO2 and SiO2 on SiO2-Coated float glass yields robust thermochromic coating with unrivalled optical properties

Vanadium dioxide displays thermochromic properties based on its structural phase transition from monoclinic VO2 (M) to rutile VO2 (R) and vice versa, and the accompanying reversible metal-insulator transition. We developed a single layer coating comprising VO2 (M) and SiO2. We applied the coating from an alcoholic solution comprising vanadium(IV...

Drivers of nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in a groundwater-fed urban catchment revealed by high-frequency monitoring

New Generation of Mesoporous Silica Membranes Prepared by a Stöber-Solution Pore-Growth Approach

Membranes consisting of uniform and vertically organized mesopores are promising systems for molecular filtration because of the possibility to combine high-flux and high-rejection properties. In this work, a new generation of mesoporous silica membranes (MSMs) have been developed, in which an organized mesoporous layer is directly formed on top...

Self-organization in parcel distribution - SOLiD's first results

Abstract: To bridge the gap between the long(er) term Physical Internet vision and the short term daily logistics operations, the Dutch Topsector Logistics (TKI Dinalog and NWO) requested a research project that would provide an impulse for self-organizing logistics. This contribution discusses the development of the research project SOLiD, Self...

Anticipatory Life Cycle Assessment of sol-gel derived anti-reflective coating for greenhouse glass

Environmental analysis should be performed early in the Research and Development (R&D) phases of new technologies to timely determine potential impact and, thereby, include prevention and minimization of unfavorable ecological impact into the innovation process. Here, we demonstrate the application of anticipatory Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on...

Failure mechanisms limiting the lifetime of thin film photovoltaic semi fabricates with alternative moisture barrier foils

Towards Large Area Stable Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules

In order to commercialize the perovskite solar cells (PSC) technology, efficient and industrial deposition methods over large areas have to be adopted, and the device architectures have to provide long term stability. In this work we combine several upscalable deposition methods to develop a stable semitransparent PSC. The control of the...

SUPER PV project - Developing innovative PV systems for cost reduction and enhanced performance

PV deployment growth is an unmatched success story in the energy sector over recent years. However, European PV manufacturers are facing a decline in production due to competition from third countries. The fragmentation of the value chain is believed to be one of the major factor for this decrease in the competitiveness. SUPER PV is a...

Dimple Colloids with Tunable Cavity Size and Surface Functionalities

Dimple colloids with well-defined cavities were synthesized by a modified dispersion polymerization. The key step in the procedure is the delayed addition of crosslinkers into the reaction mixture. By systematically studying the effect of the delayed addition time and the concentration of the cross-linker on the resulting particle morphology, we...

SAR interferometry monitoring of subsidence in a detritic basin related to water depletion in the underlying confined carbonate aquifer (Torremolinos, southern Spain)

This research underlines the need to improve water management policies for areas linked to confined karstic aquifers subjected to intensive exploitation, and to develop additional efforts towards monitoring their subsidence evolution. We analyze subsidence related to intensive use of groundwater in a confined karstic aquifer, through the use of...

Real-Time Monitoring of Size and Concentration of Nanoparticles Inside a Reactor Using Ultrasound

Nanoparticles are applied in an increasing number of products (e.g. medicine, food and cosmetics). There is a need to real-time monitor the growth of nanoparticles during production inside the chemical reactor. However, standard particle sizing methods such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cannot do...

Synthesis of polystyrene-polyphenylsiloxane Janus particles through colloidal assembly with unexpected high selectivity: Mechanistic insights and their application in the design of polystyrene particles with multiple polyphenylsiloxane patches

Janus particles are of great research interest because of their reduced symmetry, which provides them with unique physical and chemical properties. Such particles can be prepared from spherical structures through colloidal assembly. Whilst colloidal assembly has the potential to be a low cost and scalable process, it typically lacks selectivity....

Fast Processing of Sol-Gel TCO

TCOs are usually deposited using sputtering or chemical vapor deposition, which have a yield of typically 50-75%. The sol gel method does not need low pressure and can be done with a high precursor yield in the range of 90 – 100%. Sol gel enables also the TCO function as a planarization or texturisation layer. Major drawback and cost driver is...

Improving the scratch resistance of sol-gel metal oxide coatings cured at 250 C through use of thermogenerated amines

Scratch resistant sol-gel metal oxide coatings typically require a thermal post-treatment step (curing process) at temperatures between 400 and 700 C. In this report, we demonstrate that the in situ generation of amines within sol-gel films facilitates the preparation of scratch resistant metal oxide coatings at a curing temperature of 250 C. A...

Sol-gel coatings on large area glass sheets for electrochromic devices

The preparation of vanadium and tungsten oxide coatings is described using vanadium oxide tri-2-propoxide/2-propanol and tungsten penta-ethoxide/2-propanol solutions. These solutions are dip coated onto K-glass substrates and cured. For vanadium oxide coatings it is shown that sol-gel/dip coat processing is a feasible production technology for...